Mt. Whitney Climbing Ranch
Donation protected
Let me first start by introducing myself, my name is Joshua Reinig and I am writing to you on behalf of my family and our pursuit of fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Growing up in and around The Sierra Nevada Mountains was a very natural and organic, care free up bringing. I often refer to it as my simple Huckleberry Finn childhood, that would provide the stepping stones to where I am today. Needless to say from a young age I longed for the spirit of adventure, making the conscious decision that what meant more to me than the adventures I was constantly having were the people I was sharing these adventures with. In this moment it became my life's work and one of my biggest passions, getting to share the experience The spirit of Adventure has to offer! I have now worked full time in the outdoor industry for over 25 years and have definitely made a lot of sacrifices all in pursuit of this passion, (sharing the experience)!
This has evolved into several professional stages or mediums in which I get to share this passion. It has definitely been a dream come true and have worked very hard to get to the level I am at, all the while balancing my real number one passion in life, my family. One of the most challenging parts of what I do is the periodic intervals where I am guiding up in the mountains away from them. My wife, Melissa and I have been together for 15 years of what I consider to be the best years of my life. She not only shares in the same love and passion for the outdoors as myself but also the importance of instilling this within our children, the same as our parents and grandparents did for us.
Four years ago we decided to dramatically simplify our lives and offer an alternative experience for our children that most of our family thought we were crazy for doing. We purchased a 20 foot travel trailer, set off on the road and until recently have all lived out of it full time. We have been fortunate enough to travel the country for work and most importantly, be able to experience this together. We have chased the seasons to some of the most iconic places our country has to offer, boon-docking it the majority of the time. What an amazing adventure it has been and truly a dream come true watching our children grow amongst the wildest and most beautiful places imaginable. The love we have experienced along the way is something that is difficult to describe and put into words. It has solidified in our hearts that out of all the greater mountains we have visited and worked, nothing parallels The Owens Valley and its Range of Light.
Along this journey of epic proportions there has definitely been many ups and downs that have been priceless learning experiences, all the while knowing this amazing adventure would not last forever. The bigger vision all along has been without a doubt to someday be able to settle down in this valley permanently. Not only to raise our three children but to also share what I do as a professional guide to an even greater extent with an even deeper meaning.
Contributing to the community and sharing the beauty of this place that has inspired so many, means more to my wife and I than we could ever express.
Our greater dream to be able to accomplish this is to start a local Climbing Ranch.
(The Mount Whitney Climbing Ranch)
The concept of a climbing ranch although uncommon, does exist and have been doing very well with the growth in outdoor popularity. Imagine a dude ranch where you go to become a better cowboy, or a surf camp where you might go to become a better surfer and in doing so connect with the roots of said culture. A climbing ranch takes it a step further by not only facilitating the growth of climbing and its heritage but also to share all outdoor fundamentals with the community. We will offer a full array of lodging with not only walk-in camping but also cabins, along with a communal social area. All the while utilizing the ranch to help further facilitate outdoor education by working with local guide services to help the growth of this learning process. We will have an on sight gear shop and climbing museum and plan to be as 100% self sustained as possible.
Understanding how big and ambitious this project might sound, we have diligently worked towards this for many years now. We have been met with more support and openness from the community than we would have ever imagined thus far. The biggest part of this equation and its monumental potential at this point is solidifying adequate property to make this dream become a reality. This has come in the form of 12 acres in an ideal setting with open zoning. The rest is up to us and are extremely excited for this undertaking. On behalf of my family and friends, we deeply appreciate any support and consideration to our project, The Mount Whitney Climbing Ranch.
Best regards,
Joshua and Melissa Reinig
Growing up in and around The Sierra Nevada Mountains was a very natural and organic, care free up bringing. I often refer to it as my simple Huckleberry Finn childhood, that would provide the stepping stones to where I am today. Needless to say from a young age I longed for the spirit of adventure, making the conscious decision that what meant more to me than the adventures I was constantly having were the people I was sharing these adventures with. In this moment it became my life's work and one of my biggest passions, getting to share the experience The spirit of Adventure has to offer! I have now worked full time in the outdoor industry for over 25 years and have definitely made a lot of sacrifices all in pursuit of this passion, (sharing the experience)!
This has evolved into several professional stages or mediums in which I get to share this passion. It has definitely been a dream come true and have worked very hard to get to the level I am at, all the while balancing my real number one passion in life, my family. One of the most challenging parts of what I do is the periodic intervals where I am guiding up in the mountains away from them. My wife, Melissa and I have been together for 15 years of what I consider to be the best years of my life. She not only shares in the same love and passion for the outdoors as myself but also the importance of instilling this within our children, the same as our parents and grandparents did for us.
Four years ago we decided to dramatically simplify our lives and offer an alternative experience for our children that most of our family thought we were crazy for doing. We purchased a 20 foot travel trailer, set off on the road and until recently have all lived out of it full time. We have been fortunate enough to travel the country for work and most importantly, be able to experience this together. We have chased the seasons to some of the most iconic places our country has to offer, boon-docking it the majority of the time. What an amazing adventure it has been and truly a dream come true watching our children grow amongst the wildest and most beautiful places imaginable. The love we have experienced along the way is something that is difficult to describe and put into words. It has solidified in our hearts that out of all the greater mountains we have visited and worked, nothing parallels The Owens Valley and its Range of Light.
Along this journey of epic proportions there has definitely been many ups and downs that have been priceless learning experiences, all the while knowing this amazing adventure would not last forever. The bigger vision all along has been without a doubt to someday be able to settle down in this valley permanently. Not only to raise our three children but to also share what I do as a professional guide to an even greater extent with an even deeper meaning.
Contributing to the community and sharing the beauty of this place that has inspired so many, means more to my wife and I than we could ever express.
Our greater dream to be able to accomplish this is to start a local Climbing Ranch.
(The Mount Whitney Climbing Ranch)
The concept of a climbing ranch although uncommon, does exist and have been doing very well with the growth in outdoor popularity. Imagine a dude ranch where you go to become a better cowboy, or a surf camp where you might go to become a better surfer and in doing so connect with the roots of said culture. A climbing ranch takes it a step further by not only facilitating the growth of climbing and its heritage but also to share all outdoor fundamentals with the community. We will offer a full array of lodging with not only walk-in camping but also cabins, along with a communal social area. All the while utilizing the ranch to help further facilitate outdoor education by working with local guide services to help the growth of this learning process. We will have an on sight gear shop and climbing museum and plan to be as 100% self sustained as possible.
Understanding how big and ambitious this project might sound, we have diligently worked towards this for many years now. We have been met with more support and openness from the community than we would have ever imagined thus far. The biggest part of this equation and its monumental potential at this point is solidifying adequate property to make this dream become a reality. This has come in the form of 12 acres in an ideal setting with open zoning. The rest is up to us and are extremely excited for this undertaking. On behalf of my family and friends, we deeply appreciate any support and consideration to our project, The Mount Whitney Climbing Ranch.
Best regards,
Joshua and Melissa Reinig
Organizer
Joshua Reinig
Organizer
Lone Pine, CA