February/March 2011 Vol 27 No 3 Goose photo by Rhonda Lee
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Vacationers Without Guidebooks: Steve Sheriff and Christine Brick
Photo by B. James Jokerst By Gail Jokerst Some people dream about vacations where they can sip margaritas from a cruise liner’s deck chair or bask in St. Tropez sunshine. But not Missoula’s Steve Sheriff and Christine Brick. While they also enjoy spending vacation time outdoors, these adventurous souls prefer to get involved with Mother Nature actively rather than passively. Just give this husband and wife some backcountry to explore, a mountain to climb, or a remote sea to kayak and their gear will be packed before you
can say Mount Kilimanjaro. “We’ve had tremendous adventures. They’ve all been good, though my favorite trips are big wilderness trips in Canada to places with glaciated peaks rising from cedars and deep dark forests,” says Chris. “We’ll spend five to six weeks bushwhacking through dense forest breaking our own trail to reach alpine meadows, glaciers, and moraines. You don’t find places like that anymore in South America or Europe.” “It takes lots of planning to do one of these vacations but I don’t want to follow a guidebook or trail,” adds Steve. “We have to gauge the rock types and figure out the hazards. We have to pack all our food and estimate how many calories per day we’ll need. When you’re out there you’re constantly thinking and I enjoy the intellectual engagement.” Considering Steve and Chris’ pursuits have led them to climb granite walls rising out of Arctic seas and kayak through mazes of ice, some people might think they could find safer recreation. But neither one be-
lieves exploring the natural world is harmful to their health, provided they are adequately prepared. “Everything you do is dangerous. It’s just a question of what level of risk you’re willing to accept. At some level there’s always some risk but that’s not what we’re looking for,” explains Steve. “We do it for the physical and mental challenge. You look at the weather situation and constantly assess to keep the risk acceptable. Problem solving away from civilization is rewarding. Without that, engagement in life things would get stale. It’s a risk to get in a car. Life is risky. If you shy away from every little what-if scenario you don’t get much out of life.” Ever since Steve was a kid growing up in Seattle, he enjoyed roaming outdoors. Although no one in his family shared his enthusiasm for roving the countryside that never deterred him. “I’m a child of the 50s. I grew up playing outside. I wasn’t into organized sports but I liked to take long walks and go beachcombing,” says Steve. “Later in high school, I realized I liked climbing, hiking, and being out in the mountains, too.” Chris also considers herself a childhood explorer. Whether wandering solo or with her brothers, she always felt at home outdoors. “I was a curious kid and loved drawing maps of the woods. I was interested in the animals we saw and tried to identify (Continued on page 47)