Voices in the Wilderness – Tim Kerrigan

I consider myself fortunate to have grown up in the Pacific Northwest, which was a paradise for a high-energy kid like myself. Many days were spent exploring the surrounding woods, streams, and frog ponds. 

The woods, I discovered at a very young age, were my happy place. Our family vacations were spent camping and fishing, hiking and fishing, or backpacking and fishing. My favorite memories were the “death marches” (backpacking). I loved hiking into an alpine lake and spending the days fishing and exploring the lake basin. The constant threat of rain and bear encounters made it all the more exciting. Most of the time.

These early childhood outdoor experiences formed the way I would live the rest of my life. Every move I made after high school revolved around the outdoor activities available to me. My love and knowledge of the outdoors increased with every new town. The first stop was Wenatchee Valley College, where I found myself surrounded by people with the same love for the outdoors. 

I was introduced to mountain biking, rock climbing, and alpine skiing. I even found time for some classes where I learned that I had a knack for the Earth Sciences. I took as many as I could fit into my schedule, including Geology, Wildflowers of the NW, Chemistry, and Physics. This changed the way I looked at the world as I hiked, biked, and skied through it. Understanding how the world around you works is very empowering.

After finishing my associate’s degree and spending a short time at Western Washington University, I transferred to the University of Montana and studied forestry. It was no surprise that the outdoor-loving theme continued with the people I met in Missoula. I spent my spare time backcountry skiing, mountain biking, playing Folf, backpacking, and white water rafting. I changed my major and eventually graduated with a degree in Geology with an emphasis in Earth science Education. The understanding of the outdoor world around me had come into focus, and I loved what I saw.

Shortly after graduation, I got a job with a sightseeing company in Alaska. I hopped a bus a couple of days later, cut off my hair, and found myself on a boat heading up the inside passage to southeast Alaska. We hit every amazing nook and cranny along the way. I spent every spare moment taking in as much as I could. 

I studied wildlife, ecology, geology, glaciology, Russian and Native American history, and local geography. I quickly worked my way through the ranks to become a Cruise Coordinator / Naturalist on one of their smaller passenger boats, The Spirit of Glacier Bay, where I got to spend my days sharing and teaching my passion and knowledge of the natural world. Best job ever.

After a couple of years of living on a boat and in my car, I moved down to Portland and contemplated going back to school. Life took a right turn, as it sometimes does. I spent the next 20 years making wine. 18 of those years were in Walla Walla, working with grapes grown in the sediment deposited from Glacial Lake Missoula. Glacial Lake Missoula formed when the Purcell lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet blocked the Clark Fork River where it currently enters Lake Pend Oreille. 

This brings me to my current chapter. After 18 years of living in the drylands of Eastern Washington, my wife Shannon, my daughter Amanda, and I longed for mountain life again. Shannon grew up in North Idaho and introduced me to Sandpoint on one of our many adventures. We packed up our belongings, changed our careers, and moved to Sandpoint.

I am now the Outdoor Education Specialist at Farmin Stidwell Elementary in Sandpoint where I get to share over 50 years of outdoor experience with almost 500 students. My goal is to teach them about the amazing place they live, how it works, and to show them fun and healthy ways to enjoy it. 

I hope that by exposing them to the wonders that North Idaho has to offer at an early age, it will inspire them to spend the rest of their lives enjoying adventures and exploring for themselves.

Tim lives in Sandpoint where he is the Outdoor Education Specialist at Farmin Stidwell Elementary. He has a degree in Geology with an emphasis in Earth Science Education from the University of Montana. In his spare time, he explores the outdoors with his wife Shannon and daughter Amanda.