I am Mark. I was born and raised in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of northern Michigan. I have lived at least two years in San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, and for the last 25 years in the western suburbs of Chicago. I climbed my first 14er mountain in 1993 while living in Colorado and have been hooked on the whole climbing/hiking/camping outdoors scene ever since. I am going to attempt a NOBO thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2019.