Arleigh Berner

I was born in the beautiful prickly pear valley of Montana, originally named by Lewis and Clark on their expedition up the Missouri river to find if there really was a northwest passage. Ultimately those two men never did find a thoroughfare from the sea to sea, but what they did accomplish on their trek was opening the western U.S. to anyone brave enough to go take their chances on the far reaching terrain.

Growing up, I took advantage of the vast amounts of public land that is so graciously gifted to the western United States. As soon as I was able to use my legs, my family took me hiking across Montana, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming. The combination of fragrant conifers, glacial streams, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are the only human being for miles on end, made me appreciative that I was not conceived in one of the world's many urban jungles.

During my early teenage years I took up fly fishing, a sport that combines seeking out new public lands with a way to personally bond with the native animal life. In Montana one is legally able to walk any moving source of water, such a law bestowed the ability for me to explore thousands of more miles that meandered through private lands. I became part of a community of outdoorsmen, which opened many doors such as jobs, access to private lands, and to many new friends.

Now one can not choose where they were born, but confidently I can say that the opportunities Montana and the west gave me to fuel my adventurous character will not go unappreciated. I am certain that no matter where my younger self takes me, I will eventually return to the land owned by none, yet by all.