Made By the Mountains
Taking on the world, one Mountain at a time
ABOUT US
Hey there, Baddies! My name is Amarilees but you can call me Amo (like Ammo but I wanted to spice it up a bit). I am a healer and adventure seeker who found her love for the outdoors in the beautiful state of Colorado. Originally from Western Massachusetts, I grew up with very minimal exposure to hiking and had never truly been immersed in the outdoors. Our idea of hiking was walking to the top of the 1,000 ft mountain in my hometown (which at the time felt monumental). Being outdoorsy meant being an athlete and spending days at the park with my dad as he played in his adult league softball. I had never even gone camping until my freshman year of college where I had to spend a week camping with my classmates.
After graduating from college in May of 2014, I randomly decided to pick up and move with a friend to Colorado. Shockingly, I had never even visited before and little did I know I would never have the desire to leave. 6 years later, I still find myself in awe by the endless adventures that this beautiful state holds. Upon moving, I casually hiked the open spaces of Colorado Springs. During the summer of 2018, I hiked my first 14er, Mount Bierstadt, and that is when the high-altitude bug latched onto me and I had the desire to hike every single one of Colorado’s magnificent 14er peaks. I was fascinated at all the gear, preparation and lack of sleep that went into these adventures. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I knew not everyone could or would do. Since then, I have hiked 15 Colorado 14ers, visited Australia, and hiked the mountains of Switzerland. When I am not getting lost in nature you can find me hanging with my dog Scooby, in the gym, and helping others maintain their spirit, mind and body.
Whether it is seeking a connection with nature or wanting to embark on a challenging journey, I stand with you and thank you for adopting the Mountain Baddie mindset. I hope that you are inspired to embrace the uncomfortable challenges that life throws at you and seek the desire to prosper through difficult times. Get lost in the mountains. Hike the peak less traveled. Veer off course a little. Be spontaneous and chase every sunrise and sunset that you can. For these are the moments that you will remember and cherish the most. Fill your soul with the feeling of the wind gusting through your hair on top of that peak. Chase that feeling and hold on to that high.
Stay Golden and Hike On, Baddies.
-Amo
It’s J, short for Jordan.
I was born and raised in Colorado, and wish I could tell you that my journey to climbing mountains started when I was kid, but truthfully, it didn’t start until I went to college. Better late than never, I guess!
To make a long story short, I went through some very rough family situations in my childhood/adolescence and at the age of 18 entering my freshman year of college, you would have seen the product of those rough years: a girl completely unsure of herself and pretty much lacking any sense of self worth. Fast forward to today, and I can confidently tell you that I’ve made a 180 degree turn in life – and I believe a lot of it has to do with hiking and climbing mountains.
When I began hiking harder and harder mountains, my self worth and self love naturally grew because I discovered that I didn’t need to cower to the world, and that every challenge I could ever face would be the perfect opportunity to blossom and grow. I started to become proud of myself, proud of who I was. I started to accept and appreciate the body that could carry me up peaks. I started to embrace my quirky personality, my unique laugh, the things that made me wonderfully different from others.
I won’t sit here and brag about myself too much, because who I am is an everyday work in progress, as with all of us… so instead, I will tell you the person I strive to be:
I strive to be a badass, I strive to be an inspiration, I strive to be a hard worker, I strive to be a risk taker, I strive to be a motivator. I strive to spread kindness like a wildfire and I strive to help others who have faced hard times in their life find that pure, genuine happiness and self love. I strive to leave a larger impact on earth than “I made a lot of money”; I strive to feel fulfilled in bringing people happiness and I strive to make a positive impact on every life I come into contact with. I strive to be someone who lives their life to the fullest, and can honestly say on her deathbed that she did everything she wanted to do in life and more.
It is at the top of a peak that I realize how powerful I really am; It’s where I realize how much I am capable of doing and accomplishing in this life; It is where I realize the simplicity of finding real, true happiness. It is where I feel spiritually connected to the universe and to the other living beings experiencing this thing we called life. It is the seed where my appreciation for myself and for the universe and planet earth grows from.
There are no other places I’ve been, or situations I’ve been in, where I feel more peace, more happiness, more strength… more alive.
Happy Hiking!
-J
Viktor E. Frankl
“Was du erlebst, kann keine macht der welt dir rauben.”
“What you have experienced, no power on earth can take that from you.”
- MOUNTAIN BADDIE 100%
- Tough Minded 40%
- Determined 40%
- Crazy 15%
- Skill 5%
The Mountains By: Jordan Wyatt
The mountains as they gloat and tower,
Above all else with immense power
Know just how to make me feel small
As if i were nothing at all.
The mountains do not sway in the strongest of wind
Nor would a rattle of the earth
Cause their spine to bend.
And they were here far before me
As they’ll remain long after I leave
And not matter he forces
They’ll always be.
And although i shouldn’t think they care
I can almost hear whispers of their love
As the wind sweeps my hair
And its almost as if they believe in me
As the treeline opens up
So the summit i can see.
And when my heart feels weary,
And my legs have grown weak
It’s the mountain in my soul saying,
“You’re damn near at the peak!”
And then all of a sudden,
Im on the final stretch
And all of that doubt i was feeling
Had to of been some other wretch
And then im at the top
Peering out as far as i can see
So thankful that i didn’t stop
And for this mountain making me feel free
And my legs feel brand new
And my soul young
“There’s so much more i could do,
I feel like we’ve only just begun.”
And then i understand,
How powerful i am
What i am capable of,
That my spirit is grand.
And maybe, just maybe
The mountains don’t make me feel small.
No, in fact…
They don’t make me feel small, not at all.