Off-grid, underfunded, and occasionally unbridled.

Stories from a life rich in adventure—and decisions that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time.

I’m Chris. I live off-grid in Washington’s Methow Valley with three horses and a cattle dog. I’ve staffed the Goat Peak Fire Lookout in Mazama, Washington for five fire seasons and was the first woman to visit all 93 historic standing fire lookouts in Washington State.

I also once drove a 1.2L car from London to Mongolia. On purpose.
With two friends. But that’s a story for later.

I didn’t grow up with horses. I didn’t grow up off-grid. I say yes to things that seem interesting and figure out the rest as I go.

People always say I have a knack for storytelling, so this also seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea:

Start a Substack.
Narrate the stories.
See if anyone wants to read them.

This publication is currently home to Fire Lookout Friday—a weekly narrated series about Washington’s historic fire lookouts, their history, and the strange, beautiful, and occasionally ridiculous things that happen when you decide to visit all of them. And then staff one.

I have a lot of stories:

• Fire lookout adventures including fun tales from staffing Goat Peak

• The horses I “collected” in my late 40s with zero prior experience

• The off-grid homestead I’ve been building one small piece at a time

• The time I drove a 1.2L car from London to Mongolia

• And the simple joys of a quiet life in a beautiful place with some pretty funny critters

If any of that sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the ride!

If you’re able to support with a paid subscription, it genuinely helps keep the stories coming and the herd fed.

Welcome. Let’s see where this goes. And thanks for being here.