If you're reading this first thing Saturday morning, which I hope you are, there's something pretty fun happening today!
There’s a treasure hunt kicking off in a handful of cities around the country, and Alpine Fit gets to play a very small part in it. It’s hosted by my good friend Mallory and her brand, Youer, and every year they hide treasure around the country and send people out following clues to find it. The prizes are some of their bestselling cozy fleece dresses, the Treasure Dress, and it’s become this really fun annual tradition.
When we lived in Anchorage, I helped hide treasure for Youer in Alaska, and now that we’re in Bellingham, I’ve been out scouting trails and finding a hiding place here in Washington. The clues go out this morning, so if you happen to live in one of the participating cities, follow along and go find some treasure! Check their social media @shopyouer for updates and to follow along.
But this isn't really a story about a treasure hunt.
It got me thinking about community, and what community looks like when one of your good friends lives in another town, another state, or sometimes another country.
Mallory and I have managed to cross paths in a lot of places over the years. Montana adventures, Alaska adventures, sharing airbnb's at outdoor industry events across the nation, pop ups in Seattle, Seward, and Cascade Locks, our epic bike trip this spring, visits and hikes and plenty of conversations about the strange and wonderful experience of building small outdoor businesses.
Small business entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey sometimes. There are so many decisions you're making largely on your own, and so many things that are hard to explain unless you're talking to someone who happens to be doing something similar. Finding those people, whether it's through your work, your hobbies, your neighborhood, or something else entirely, who understand what you're doing and also happen to be people you genuinely like adventuring with is pretty special.
The same goes for the community we're building (that you are a part of!) here at Alpine Fit.
We're all scattered around the country (and beyond), hiking completely different trails in different weather and different landscapes. Some of you have been here since our Alaska days, some of you found us much more recently, and most of us will probably never end up on the same trail together.
But we have this little thing in common: we like getting outside, and we like having really great gear to do it in.
So, in honor of my friend's brand's treasure hunt today, here's a little photo gallery from years of friendship, adventures and small-business life together, near and far.
Thanks for being part of this community, too. I really appreciate that you're here.
Have a wonderful weekend! And if there's treasure hidden in your city today, go find it!
– Jen
