About Us

We are Sarah, Travis, and wee Levi Menaul. Because Levi can’t talk yet and Travis’s nickname is “Silent Bob,” Sarah will from here on out be known as “I.”

Before Levi was born in March 2017, Travis and I wouldn’t even commit to a dog because we were afraid it would cramp our lifestyle. We got married in 2011, and took pride in our reputation as an “outdoorsy” couple. We honeymooned in a tent in the Canadian Rockies, and have spent every anniversary since camping. We are not that hardcore – we have never gone anywhere where we needed to “clip in,” unless you count Travis’s window-cleaning jobs that require a belay. Before I met Travis, I was trail running, hiking, and backpacking in comfortable conditions. In the Pacific Northwest, that meant I broke out my tent between June and September. Travis dragged me out of that comfort zone; we took our first vacation together camping on the Olympic Peninsula in February. (Travis said, “Let’s go somewhere shitty!”) Since then, although we have covered 20+ miles in a single day hike with time to spare for nachos and beer, the most impressive aspect of our outdoor pursuits is probably our willingness to spend time outside in very bad weather.

It took years for us to commit to having a baby. When we did take the plunge, we spent 39.5 weeks asking ourselves, “How would we do this with a baby?” And we always had an answer! It was easy when the baby was in our imagination. He’d fit in our 2-man tent – he could sleep in one of our sleeping bags! (Turns out, no.) He’d be so tiny we’d still be able to go 20 miles! (Also, no.) I’d be nursing so we wouldn’t even have to carry extra food! (This one was true. For 6 months.) We were going to do it! We weren’t going to have to change! Immediately after Levi was conceived, I generated a mental list for him: What You Did in the First Trimester, with highlights including a trek through the Mt. Hood wilderness, a 23-mile day-hike to the Blue Glacier in Olympic National Park, and a summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. (This last one was during a phase of the pregnancy when Travis’s favorite phrase was, “What would Sacagawea do?”) All without caffeine, beer, or blue cheese dressing.

But then. . . From the moment Levi decided to make his way to the great outdoors, nothing went according to our plans. What began as a natural home birth, ended as an emergency C-section. Change became the theme of our lives and compromise was surprisingly difficult for me. I was used to filling every cranny of my days with activity, and overnight I had become anchored to the couch with no idea if or when my life would gain any sense of familiarity. Taking care of a newborn was so much harder than I’d expected. Full disclosure: before Levi’s birth, I had actually envisioned the three of us embarking on our first camping trip during the first two weeks of his life, before Travis had to go back to work. Yes, I realize how insane that sounds. Do not call CPS. I now know that to camp with a newborn is probably a form of child abuse and would have been no fun for anyone anyway.

We ended up taking Levi into the woods for the first time on his 1-monthiversary. I had done nothing in the past 31 days that felt as natural and easy as hiking with our new little companion. (After the very unnatural stress of packing that first backpack, that is. Twin Falls, the easy 3-mile hike that Seattle Magazine dubbed “Best Trail for Beginners,” may as well have been Mt. Everest for the extravaganza it entailed on my end.) And yes! We had time for nachos and beer after. (Otherwise, what’s the point?) The success of that first hike was game-changing for us. I had 4 months left before going back to work, and I wouldn’t let a day go by without a walk in the woods, whether it was one of the trillion trails near Seattle, or a stroll through Lincoln Park, our neighborhood stomping grounds.

When Levi was 6 weeks old, we spent a weekend hiking in the Olympic Peninsula. (Don’t get too excited. We rented a cabin.) 3 weeks later, we headed to Eastern Washington for another hiking trip. (Not yet – we’re still in a cabin.) Then, for Father’s Day, when Levi was 12 weeks old, we got the nerve to spend a weekend in our new 3-man tent. It rained. And we had a blast!

Our friends and family are impressed with our growing list of baby adventures. But taking him to the woods continues to be the most natural thing for us to do as a family. Unlike we originally imagined, there have been no 20-milers. But there have been several 10s, and plenty of nachos and beer. Our first family vacation was 5 nights in Lassen National Park (Yes! In a tent!), and although we haven’t been on a true backpacking trip yet, it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to, even though Levi gets a wee bit heavier every day. (Did I mention it’s usually Dad who carries him on our hikes? What would Sacagawea do, Trav?)