The Mountaineers
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to...
Name: Sampson Tevaseu
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Seattle
Member Since: February 2020
Occupation: Information Security
Favorite Activities: Hiking, paddling, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing
10 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE MOUNTAINEERS?
I heard about the Mountaineers from a friend and decided to look more into it.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO GET OUTSIDE WITH US?
It started with the hiking. I did a lot of solo hikes and wanted to do longer hikes and thought it would be nice to go with a group as it would be nicer with like-minded people and the fact it was hard finding family and/or friends interested in the longer hikes.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MOUNTAINEERS MEMORY?
I would have to say it was my latest hike which was the graduation hike for the CHS2 program. It was the Enchantments Traverse. I had my eye on this hike before I signed up for the program. I had hiked the Colchuck Lake trail a couple years ago and saw Aasgard's Pass. I had seen it in pictures but to see it in-person was impressive that no photo could truly capture. I thought to myself, I'm going to hike that some day. Of course, when I asked friends and family who would be interested in taking on this single day trek across the Enchantments with me, no one was interested. This was about the time I heard about Mountaineers. When I saw the Conditioning Hiking Series program, I immediately looked at the graduation hikes and saw the Enchantment Traverse. I thought, this is it. Of course, with the limited size of the hiking groups, there was a chance I wouldn't get in, but I felt it was meant to be. Fortunately I was able to make the cut (probably due to good timing when registration opened). Oh, one thing to mention is that all this was delayed a year due to COVID-19 which canceled everything last year. The group was great and despite a long day of hiking, the weather was perfect and we all took great pictures. It was a wonderful experience I will never forget and an item to cross off my bucket list.
WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I think it's the great views and beauty of our surroundings that's right in our backyard that inspires me. It's so easy to get caught up in the demands of work and life that just stepping away to do a hike helps to re-center and contemplate things, especially when the weather is clear and views amazing. With the current situation in the world, this definitely helps to re-focus.
AS A DONOR AND VOLUNTEER-SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION, THE MOUNTAINEERS IS BASED ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT. HOW HAVE YOU PAID IT FORWARD, OR HOW HAVE YOU BENEFITED FROM SOMEONE ELSE PAYING IT FORWARD?
Aside from donating, I have also volunteered on trail maintenance. Early on when I solo hiked before Mountaineers, I would always thank the work crews when I saw them working on the trails. Now that I have worked on the trail maintenance crews myself and have seen first hand what they do, I have a bigger appreciation for them.
WHAT DOES ADVENTURE MEAN TO YOU?
To me, adventure means going out and doing something that is challenging you've never done before and having the
courage to step out of that comfort zone to push yourself and hopefully have fun in the process. Even if you don't meet that
challenge, you've learned something new about yourself which is an adventure in itself.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise
Smile or game face? Smile
What's your 11th Essential? Chewing gum
What’s your happy place? Sleeping
Post-adventure meal of choice? Pizza and nice cold beer!
If you could be a rockstar at any outdoor activity overnight, what would it be? Rock climber
Have you had a memorable experience with The Mountaineers you'd like to share, or know someone who should share their story? Submit your info for a chance to be featured!
