As a professional snowboarder, Emilé Zynobia spends a lot of time away from home. But her close-knit community in Jackson, WY, keeps her energized for traveling and excited to come home. At the center of that community: Trapper. As a dog mom to Trapper, Emilé has learned to cultivate an extended family that cares for her and Trapper, and Trapper has shown her how to support that community with unfiltered love and joy. Watch the video and keep reading to see the loving community Trapper and Emilé have fostered together and the lessons Trapper has taught Emilé along the way.

Lesson #1: Open Up

With their always-on friendliness, endless curiosity, and undying loyalty, dogs can crack your heart wide open. EmilĂ© learned this from Trapper. “I didn’t have the world’s greatest childhood,” she recalls. “There were elements of not always getting the attention I craved, and I think it made me a reserved and guarded person.” But EmilĂ© found a devoted companion in Trapper, who always wants to be by her side—showing her that attention goes both ways. Whether she’s traveling for a job, going on a horse packing trip, or splitboarding in the backcountry, Trapper is always eager to join. On the occasions that she has to leave Trapper behind, it’s heart wrenching, and the depth of their bond sometimes brings her to tears. “It’s just me and him, doing life together,” EmilĂ© says, and that kind of connection is worth opening up for.

Lesson #2: Find Joy in the Small Things

We’ve all seen dogs having the time of their lives rolling in the grass or blissing out while getting belly rubs from one of their favorite humans. “I think we often assume we’ll see people again, so we treat moments as insignificant,” says EmilĂ©. “But every moment is potentially a significant moment depending on how you contextualize it.” Trapper has shown EmilĂ© how to make each moment count—whether he’s going for a walk or simply enjoying being outside. When EmilĂ© returned home after a recent trip she took a page from Trapper’s playbook. “I spun around the yard and just marveled at the beautiful landscapes around me,” she says. “Before long, I was beaming, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is how Trapper feels all the time.’” Now, that feeling is something EmilĂ© aspires to everyday.

Lesson #3: Be Adaptable

EmilĂ© loves the way Trapper can quickly adapt to any scenario. “As a kid, I had to adapt to a lot of different things,” she says. Trapper will happily go lay on the beach with EmilĂ© while she reads a book or catches a wave, or accompany her on a mountain bike ride. Dogs have to be especially adaptable because they don’t know what’s coming next. To keep Trapper fueled up and ready for whatever adventure the day brings, EmilĂ© is careful about what she feeds him. “If he’s not feeling nourished, then we can’t go on the big bike ride,” she says. If he hasn’t eaten well, EmilĂ© can see how it affects the way he shows up. They recently switched to and so far Trapper has been gobbling his kibble straight, which is new for him. “He’s not like, ‘Hey lady, where’s my topper?’”

Lesson #4: Live Life on Your Own Terms

While Trapper is a friendly, cuddly dog he’s also not one to be pressured into doing anything. For example, he’s a little reserved at the dog park until he finds a dog he really connects with. EmilĂ© appreciates this behavior. “I think there’s this idea that we always need to behave in the way that society expects us to, which is like greeting everyone and being stoked on everyone,” she says. There’s an impulse to encourage him to go say hi to other dogs and run around, but she’s come to learn that Trapper doesn’t play with other dogs until he’s ready. EmilĂ© has appreciated the lesson in learning to let him be who and how he is without judgment. “He does things his own way and engages in the way he wants to engage.”

Founded 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to science-led pet nutrition, Hill’s Pet Nutrition is on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill’s is dedicated to pioneering research for dogs and cats using a scientific understanding of their specific needs. As a leading veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health. Hill’s Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition plus our everyday wellness product line, Hill’s Science Diet, are sold at vet clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about our products and nutritional philosophy, visit .

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Kirk Williams has always lived an active lifestyle. So when he fractured his spinal cord in a mountain bike crash, it wasn’t about if he’d return to a life of outdoor adventures but how to do it. As a quadriplegic, Kirk has relearned how to live an active life, which has involved learning to be patient with himself and his progress. Kirk’s dog Maddox has been by his side every step of the way—both as a loyal companion for life on the road and as a teacher who reminds Kirk to slow down, be patient, and appreciate every moment. Watch the video and keep reading to see how Maddox and Kirk support each other through life and the lessons Maddox has taught Kirk along the way.

Lesson #1: Love Where You Are

Most dogs love being where their humans are. That’s definitely the case for Maddox. He’s happiest with Kirk, which means that everywhere Kirk goes, Maddox goes too. In the mornings the pair will head out for a bike ride on the dirt roads near their house and then come back home for breakfast before figuring out what the rest of the day will look like. Maddox loves running errands, like going to the hardware store, and never passes up a chance to swim in the neighborhood pond, go camping, or hang out at breweries. Since he goes everywhere with Kirk, and he loves being with Kirk, he also loves all the places they go—whether they’re doing chores or playing outside. That’s a great lesson because we can’t always control our surroundings, but we can always control how we feel about them. “I love that he’s always happy to see me. I even love that there’s hair everywhere. I just love everything about having a dog.” To fuel all of their daily adventures, Kirk has fed Maddox for many years.

Lesson #2: Be Patient With Yourself and Others

Maddox used to bark at every dog he saw. He didn’t like dogs crossing in front of him on the bike path and he was wary of strangers. Kirk found that the best way through these situations was to stop and reassure Maddox. Over time, Kirk learned Maddox’s triggers, and Maddox learned to trust Kirk and let his guard down. “He’s taught me a lot about just slowing down and not pushing too far beyond our comfort zone,” says Kirk. “You still want to grow as a human and a dog, but not if it’s so severely uncomfortable that it ends up being counterproductive.”

Lesson #3: Slow Down

Through his injury, and his relationship with Maddox, Kirk has learned to move at his own pace and be okay with slowing things down. Kirk can’t grab a cup of coffee to go and use his wheelchair at the same time, which means he sits at the coffee shop until he finishes his cup. “That used to irk me,” he says. But while sitting there sipping his coffee, he often sees people rushing in and out while doing multiple things at once. “I’m actually kind of the lucky one that just gets to sit and take it all in and relax. It’s okay to slow down on the trail, or in life, and just enjoy the moment as opposed to always being like, ‘What’s next?’”

Lesson #4: Life Is Better When Shared

Dogs have the power to make everything just a little bit better. Having a constant loving, happy, and adoring presence makes Kirk’s solo road trips feel far from lonely. “I can’t imagine life without him,” he says. “Through raising him as a puppy, and through the challenges, we’ve grown incredibly close. I feel like we both understand and know each other inside and out.”

Founded 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to science-led pet nutrition, Hill’s Pet Nutrition is on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill’s is dedicated to pioneering research for dogs and cats using a scientific understanding of their specific needs. As a leading veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health. Hill’s Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition plus our everyday wellness product line, Hill’s Science Diet, are sold at vet clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about our products and nutritional philosophy, visit .

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Last November, 17-year-old Sebastian Salsbury received an email reminder. He had 13 days to decide about entering the race lottery for the 2024 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, regarded as one of the most prestigious trail events in the world.

Rules stipulate that each lottery applicant must be at least 18 years old on race day. On January 20, Salsbury will finally meet the age requirement, five years after he technically ran a qualifying time to enter the lottery for the first time.

It’s been a goal he’s been progressing toward for years. In 2020, when Salsbury was 13, he completed the in Arizona in 15 hours 49 minutes and 32 seconds, well within the 17-hour time limit necessary to qualify for the Western States lottery.Ìę

“It’s hard to put that experience into words,” Salsbury says. “It was one of the most beautiful courses I’ve ever been on. That race made me feel like I was doing the right thing in my life.”Ìę

Starting Young

Salsbury, who grew up in Santa Barbara, California, was attracted to the trails at a young age. Throughout his childhood, his parents often brought him to nearby trails to hike. The hikes gradually transitioned into jogs, and Salsbury’s relationship with the outdoors continued to grow. The mountains, he says, were a playground.

Though Salsbury played basketball, football, and soccer growing up, his love for running took over. He quit the other sports after junior high school to minimize risk for injury, he says, and to dedicate more time to running.

A few years after Salsbury’s entry into racing—his first was a local 5K on the road when he was four—he ran the Santa Barbara Red Rock Trail Run. Despite being just nine, he kept up with his father for all 28 miles. The following year, for the Santa Barbara Nine Trails, Salsbury traversed 35 miles with nearly 12,000 feet of vertical gain from the Jesusita trailhead to Romero Canyon trailhead and back, again alongside his father, a road marathoner.

Next, Salsbury entered the Black Canyon 100K in Arizona. He recalled the point-to-point race as one of his most difficult running experiences to date.

“I was basically crying,” Salsbury remembers, adding that his hydration vest kept digging into his ribs. “I loved the feeling of working hard and going through really low moments and overcoming them. I crave it.”

Supported for the last 20 miles by his coach at the time, Tyler Hansen, Salsbury crossed the finish feeling both defeated and uplifted. The Black Canyon race gave him the confidence to continue challenging himself in ultrarunning.

“My best friends don’t understand,” Salsbury says about the pursuit of ultras, which he envisions including some of the most technically demanding and prestigious races in the world: the Western States 100 in California, Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc through the French Alps, as well as the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run in Colorado. Salsbury admits that running disrupts his social life, and also that he doesn’t mind the solitude the sport necessitates. In fact, he welcomes it.

“I like the feeling of being alone in the mountains,” Salsbury says. “It’s a great way to free your mind.”

Given that he is still a teen—the average age of trail runners is in the mid-30s—Salsbury has not been immune to negative comments over the years. “It’s not cool at all to hate, but I can still see where someone would be coming from, seeing a kid doing all that stuff,” Salsbury says. “There are going to be people that troll and hate for no reason. That’s just life.”

A Purposeful Progression

The training required to undertake ultras is out of this world for a typical high school runner. To ensure he’s programming himself with sufficient miles without overloading his still-developing body, Salsbury sought the guidance of his longtime role model, pro trail runner Hayden Hawks. The two met when Salsbury was 14, and their camaraderie clicked naturally.

“I had lots of mentors help me at a young age in my running journey, and I felt the responsibility to do the same with Sebastian,” says Hawks, 32. “We have taken a patient and gradual approach, developing strength, speed, and a foundation that will help him build into the longer distance races at an older age.”

Hawks has coached Salsbury for the past two years, carefully mapping out a plan that tallies 50 miles weekly spread across six days. Salisbury complements the mileage with a combination of hiking, mountain biking, and intervals on an indoor bike as part of his cross training. Three days a week, he does strength exercises at Varient Training Lab in Santa Barbara. To fit it all in so he could have ample opportunity to train and compete, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Salsbury enrolled in West River Academy, an online private school program.

“I have zero regrets,” Salsbury says. “The opportunity that it’s given me to travel with my family and run and be able to guide my days how I want and learn at my own pace, I’m grateful for that.”

The online program lasts up to three hours a day, which is “a lot less than standard high school,” Salsbury chuckles. In 2022, he researched computer engineering and built a computer from scratch. This year, as part of the online curriculum, he’s learning to speak German in addition to researching for a project about coffee and sustainability, which he is especially interested in as a part-time certified barista. Salisbury works at a local coffee shop twice a week.

So far, he’s enjoying the unique balance of online learning and ultrarunning. “I like to keep myself busy,” he says. “I’ve always had this next-level energy. Obviously it goes into running, but it’s who I am as a person.”

His days are hardly routine compared to the average high schooler. On a recent Thursday, Salsbury started the day with a three-minute cold plunge before he spent the remainder of the morning packing running shoes, thermal layers, his COROS watch, and a heart rate monitor ahead of a four-day trip to Boulder, Colorado, to train with a friend at altitude.

Living at sea level in Santa Barbara, Salsbury doesn’t often have the opportunity to run at altitude beyond twice a year, mostly “just a vacation with my family where I get to do some running,” he says.

As much as he has run over the years, Salsbury says he’s been fortunate to never have had any serious injuries. This year, a growth spurt of eight inches led to severe shin splints, and Salsbury, who is now 6-foot-4 and 162 pounds, took four months off from running.

Now, life is back to business as usual. Salsbury is planning ahead. His next race is the La Cuesta Ranch 25K in San Luis Obispo, California, in late January. After he graduates from high school in June 2024, he wants to pursue a running career ideally full-time, though he hasn’t stated when he aims to turn professional.

“I’ve always had the intention to be one of the greatest ultrarunners in the world one day. That will continue to be my goal,” Salsbury says. “I want to leave a positive impact on the sport and be an inspiration to other athletes of any age, but obviously the youth because that’s how I grew up. People can judge and say whatever they want, but I do want to be the best of all time.”

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Nonprofit work can be thankless. There’s always too much to do and not enough funding. Too much ground to cover and no way to get there fast enough. And for small nonprofits, the critical task of fundraising always seems to pull volunteers and staffers away from the work they really want to be doing: striving to make our world a better place.Ìę

That’s the paradox Land Rover sought to solve when it established its annual Defender Service Awards in 2021. Consider it a big thank-you to the heroic organizations at the front line of essential humanitarian and conservation work. Now, every year, the hardest-working U.S. and Canadian nonprofits get a chance to apply for $25,000 in funding—and a brand-new customized to help them cover more ground faster.

This past year, five winners each went home with a Defender and $25,000, and 25 finalists took home $5,000 each courtesy of presenting sponsor CHASE. It gets even better in 2023: CHASE will continue to award $5,000 to each of the 30 finalists, and Warner Bros. Discovery joins as a premier sponsor, awarding an additional $2,500 to all the finalists. See how last year’s winners are putting their prizes to work below—and don’t miss out on this year’s contest. In 2023, there’s a new award category recognizing Outdoor Accessibility and Education, as well as a special category for past Defender Service Awards Honorees, giving these worthy organizations a second chance to win a custom Defender 130.

If you’re part of a nonprofit or know of a deserving one, head to . Applications for the 2023 Defender Service Awards presented by CHASE can be submitted from June 15 through July 21 (5 p.m. EST)—just don’t wait until the last minute, video entries are a must. After judges select the finalists, public voting (September 15 to October 4) determines the overall winners. The awards will be announced in early November, at Destination Defender.Ìę ÌęÌę

The 2023 Defender Service Awards Categories

• > Veteran & Civil Servant Outreach Award, presented by Hearts & Science
• > Community Services Award, presented by ei3
• > Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services Award, presented by PELICAN
• > Outdoor Accessibility & Education Award, presented by șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű InteractiveÌę
• > Animal, Wildlife & Marine Mammal Welfare Award, presented by Animal Planet
• > Defender Service Honorees, 2021 & 2022 FinalistsÌę

2022 Winners

Appalachian Bear Rescue (Townsend, TN)

Animal Welfare Award, Presented by KONG

It turns out everyone loves riding in a Defender—including bears. So far, 2023 has been a busy year for , the Tennessee-based rehabilitation and education nonprofit that won the 2022 Animal Welfare Award. The group currently has nine injured or orphaned bear cubs in its care—and has used its new Defender 130 to transport at least three of them.Ìę

“Four-wheel drive is always handy when you’re going to pick up a bear,” says Dana Dodd, executive director of Appalachian Bear Rescue. “And during one of our recent releases, we had to ford two creeks to get to the site.” The Defender handled the rough terrain with ease—all while giving its human and ursine occupants a smooth ride. But the thing Dodd appreciates most is the vehicle’s professional look.Ìę

“We’re a small nonprofit in a small town,” she says. “But this car makes you look so official. We’ve been doing this for 27 years, and we’ve never had a vehicle. Now people in town see us and notice us. It really does make a difference.”Ìę

Green Lake Association (Green Lake, WI)

Environmental and Conservation Award, Presented by șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Interactive

Green Lake is one of central Wisconsin’s most treasured recreational resources, and the (GLA) is its foremost champion. Just one problem: In past years, the small- but mighty nonprofit hasn’t been able to drive down to the water’s edge. That made it hard to do the water-quality testing its community has come to rely on. But now, thanks to the new Defender, GLA can transport research equipment—and even kayaks—right to the water’s edge.Ìę

“In the past, we’ve had to rely on volunteers to park their vehicles on the road and hike several miles to these sites. It was tedious and inefficient,” says Taylor Haag, watershed engagement manager at GLA. “Actually having a vehicle with off-road capabilities is really incredible for us.”Ìę

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Interactive (the parent company of șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Magazine) sponsored the Environmental and Conservation Award in 2022, and after learning about Green Lake Association’s inspiring work, it was an honor to write the check—and see GLA take home a brand-new vehicle to aid its mission.Ìę

Mercy Chefs (Portsmouth, VA)

Community Services Award, Presented by ei3

When a tornado strikes, emergency personnel flood into an area to clear debris and rescue the wounded. But these teams need to be fed—as do the victims who are left stranded. That’s where comes in. This year, the Virginia-based group has already responded to three tornados, including one in nearby Virginia Beach, and delivered thousands of meals.Ìę

“It’s been great to be able to fold down the back seats, load up hundreds of meals into that beautiful Defender, and get out there,” says Nick Beckman, director of logistics and facilities at Mercy Chefs. The team has also hauled a heavy meat smoker and a utility trailer and used the four-wheel drive to reach off-site victims—even when that required traveling through disaster debris.

Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue (Ottawa, ON)

Search and Rescue Award, Presented by PELICAN

If you get lost in the Ontario backcountry, (OVSR) is the team you want coming to your aid. With more than 250 members trained in cutting-edge techniques, OVSR is one of the province’s top rescue groups—and it’s composed almost entirely of volunteers.Ìę

So far, the team has used its new Defender 130 to search for mock victims in critical training exercises and shared its mission at community events. “We’re really looking forward to being able to insert our teams deeper into the field,” says Lynn Dupuis, president of OVSR. “This will give us the opportunity to save our strength for the actual rescues and assist us in removing lost and injured folks.”Ìę

Patriot Service Dogs (Ocala, FL)

Veterans Outreach Award (Presented by dentsu x)

With just two paid staff members and 20 dogs in training, the (PSD) team has its hand full. Still, PSDÌę manages to train dozens of service dogs each year for U.S. veterans who’ve suffered from physical, mental, or emotional trauma. The group also has a prison-outreach program—which turned out to be key during the community voting stage. “The inmates joke that we won because we had the felon vote,” says Executive Director Julie Sanderson. “They had all their families voting for us.”Ìę

So far, Sanderson has used her new Defender 130 to bring dogs to the prison, ferry pups to meet their new owners, and run vet trips. The vehicle came customized with a spill-proof dog bowl and wash station as well as a cargo divider. But, given the precious cargo, Sanderson’s favorite feature is the reliable handling. “We have a lot of storms here in Florida with wind and heavy rain,” she says. “It’s so nice to know that we’re in a solid car and that we’re safe.”

Video submissions, along with new categories for the 2023 Defender Service Award, are open June 15 through July 21. Finalists will be announced in early November with public voting from September 15 through October 4. Learn more about the Defender Service Awards and previous winners .

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Once she crossed the finish line for her 100th marathon on November 7, 2021, became not only the youngest Latina to complete 100 marathons but also the youngest female and youngest adult to accomplish this feat—three records she still holds today. We teamed up with to share what makesÌęRivas limitless.

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Winter sports isn’t so much an industry as a community. To drive innovation and economic sustainability, friends share insights as they collaborate. Inclusivity and the free flow of ideas fuel the outdoor business.

Perhaps no outfit encapsulates that spirit more than , an indie, family-run company that’s thrived since 1979 with a clear mission: to make us more comfortable in winter while doing the right thing by its customers, employees, and partners.Ìę

It all started in 1977. That’s when newlyweds Wendy and Mike Carey decided their honeymoon would be an entire winter of skiing Tahoe. Wendy bought Mike his first pair of ski boots for Christmas. He loved them, but he was bummed how quickly the soles wore down from walking in parking lots and base lodges. He did some research and discovered the damage wasn’t just cosmetic, it was a safety concern—worn boots don’t behave properly in the tight tolerances of releasable bindings. Mike used his inventive streak to cobble together detachable treads for his new boots. Two winters later the couple launched Cat Tracks, a simple accessory that added grip and protection to plastic-soled ski boots.

The pair invested in production, distribution, and marketing and then tapped the winter-sports world for endorsements. Binding companies wanted their company names on the boxes. Ski racers and instructors became early adopters and pushed the product to friends. A family-run business with community ties was born. Today, Seirus makes all manner of innovative products—mostly in the head-, hand-, and foot-warmth departments—for the winter crowd. “It takes a lot to pull off a multigenerational family business,” says 686 Apparel CEO and Seirus colleague Mike West. “Wendy and Mike have a yin and a yang thing going. Mike is the crazy idea guy. Wendy is calm, realistic, and methodical. They complement each other.”

A biracial couple, the Careys broke into what was in 1979, and still is, a predominantly white business. They did this through the strength of their personalities. If you watched Mike in his other career—he was perhaps the most respected NFL official of his generation—you already get it. If not, know that he has a presence. “Mike is a charismatic and confident individual,” says Wendy. “He found his way through the world using those skills. He’s also not the type of person to let bigotry or preconceptions get in his way. But when we couldn’t ignore the prejudice, we always thought that it was the other person’s issue. To change this culture we have to be intentional. It’s rewarding to watch people like our daughter Danica—now Seirus’s director of marketing—grow winter outdoors for more people. There are a lot of BIPOC people in the space already, but too many have been undervalued and this needs to be addressed. We need to listen to their voices.”

That community theme drives Seirus. Innovation is a great example. When he crafted those original Cat Tracks for himself, Mike had the advantage of a fresh perspective on winter sports. But he didn’t know it was a viable product until the binding manufacturers and racers supported it. That’s been the story of Seirus ever since. Internally, it relies on a creative and design team. Externally, it taps into a collaborative steering committee to generate ideas. But the goal is always the same: identify problems and find solutions. Perhaps the best example of that is Seirus’s . Base layers as a category hasn’t seen much innovation in 30 years beyond merino wool, polypropylene, and polyester. Mike and the team have incorporated Heatwave, a lightweight foil on top of hollow fiber polyester, which they’d co-created with a supplier years prior, into many different products. Heatwave produces heat kinetically (through movement) but also reflects that heat back to the body. In the Base Layer, wicking materials keep you dry. Mapped areas of Polygiene, an odor-controlling treatment, keep the stink down.

Seirus has a wellspring of forward-thinking products. Among its offerings in are the MagneMasks, employing magnets to keep the material snapped in place when you need it and to open quickly for venting when you want it. This technology can also be found in the MagneMitts. With Heat Touch handwear—such as the Heat Touch Hellfire Glove and Mitt and the Heat Touch Atlas Glove and Mitt—a flexible panel wraps around the backs of your hands and fingertips. Push a button and your hands are warm. Seemingly simple innovations make a world of difference on the slopes.Ìę

It’s a world that, for Seirus, is always expanding. Take its nearly 20-year partnership with the Vail Veterans Program. When Cheryl Jensen founded it in 2004, she assumed the wars in the Middle East would be short. She forecast that the need to get injured veterans on snow would soon taper. In the first year, though, the program sent an athlete to the Paralympics. Someone went again the next year, and in came testimonials about how important adaptive skiing and snowboarding were to this community. The Vail Veterans Program was changing lives. “It was in year three when I realized that we’d be doing this forever,” says Cheryl. “But because so many of our veterans were new not just to skiing but to winter sports, we needed gear to keep them comfortable. Wendy Carey was the first person I called. She was like, ‘Whatever you need is yours.’ But the biggest thing they’ve given us over the years is their time. Mike has been an inspirational speaker to our group. The fact that he’s Black and has NFL credentials carries a lot of weight with the soldiers and marines we host. I recently got an email from one of the veterans that came through 12 years ago. He was getting tattoos on his legs above the amputation points to remind himself of the strength he’d rediscovered in himself on snow.”

Next up for ? Whatever strengthens the brand’s commitment to the winter-sports community. Seirus now pledges 10 percent of the profits from all online sales of Shield products to . Seirus also amplifies the voices of affinity groups and artists. For example, artist ’s “Represent” pattern can be found on head and neck protectors.Ìę

“As an industry,” says Mike, “we’ve made strides, but we’re nowhere near where we should be in terms of inclusivity. And it’s not just about skin color. There are too many folks that simply can’t afford to drive an hour to the mountains. Moving forward it has to be about access. Now we have this opportunity to ask ourselves how we can contribute. It’s the same way we approach innovation: identify a problem and find a solution.”

is an outdoor gear company keeping your whole body warm. Our mission: enable outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy any cold weather activity in the greatest comfort possible, while innovating for a more inclusive and sustainable outdoors. CEO Mike Carey wanted to create a business culture in which collaborative beings flourish.

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In the summer of 2020, the decade-long Forrest Fenn treasure hunt ended in a tangled mess of conspiracy theories, wild accusations, and protracted legal proceedings. Fenn wouldn’t say who found the treasure. Worse than that, he wouldn’t say where it had been hidden. For a treasure hunt that was supposed to be real-life Indiana Jones, the finale left everyone jonesing for more information.Ìę

Cue the frivolous lawsuits. One accused Fenn of ending the hunt on purpose and lying when he announced the treasure was found in Wyoming. A different one accused the chest’s then anonymous finder of hacking a plaintiff’s emails and texts to steal the solution. A third implied that Fenn was lying when he said he never told anyone where the treasure was, because pop star Taylor Swift referenced that she knew the location of the treasure in her lyrics and music videos. I wish I were making that up.

But now the most recent Fenn lawsuit has shown that Fenn did actually tell someone exactly where the treasure was, very soon after it was found. He told Yellowstone National Park’s chief ranger, Sarah Davis.

The Fenn treasure hunt began in 2010, when the wealthy art dealer hid a chest filled with gold and jewels from his personal collection “somewhere in the Rocky mountains,” then published a 24-line poem containing clues to its location.

Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student at the time, found the treasure in 2020. He revealed his identity to șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű in December of that year, just before being added as a defendant to one of the lawsuits—“my texts and emails were hacked”—which forced his hand.

Five searchers died in the course of the hunt. Fenn collapsed and died at home in Santa Fe in September of 2020. Over the past two years, all but one of the lawsuits have been dismissed. Which brings us to Jamie McCracken, theÌęFlorida man now hunting for treasure in a New Mexico courtroom.

McCracken accuses Fenn of moving the treasure four times—whenever McCracken was getting close to it, he says. He also claims that Fenn purchased property near his search spot to keep tabs on him, and that Fenn was lying every time he said that the chest was still in the same place he’d originally left it. McCracken, who is representing himself in court, indicated he would show evidence that Fenn was still alive after his death was announced. He says Fenn misled the entire community on the hunt.Ìę

Karl Sommer, the lawyer for Fenn’s estate, put it differently.Ìę

“I mean, this is bizarre shit,” he said.

Whatever it is, McCracken is pretty good at submitting legal paperwork. He declined to comment until his case is resolved, and it’s set to begin proceedings in June. In preparation, Sommer subpoenaed Stuef for a deposition. He needs Stuef to say that he solved the clues in the poem fair and square, and that the treasure was exactly where Fenn originally left it. If Sommer questions Stuef, however, McCracken also gets a turn. Stuef would be under oath and could be compelled to reveal the exact location of the treasure.

And it turns out, officials at Yellowstone really want to avoid that scenario.

In April, assistant U.S. attorney Kimberley Bell filed a motion to intervene in McCracken’s case, arguing that publicizing the exact location of Fenn’s treasure would result in a surge of visitors and damage to the park. In support of that motion, the park’s chief ranger, Davis, signed an affidavit stating that in August 2020, two months after the treasure was found, she had a Zoom meeting with Fenn and Stuef, during which they told her where the treasure had been stashed. Davis surveyed the area the following week and concluded that the spot was not set up to handle the increased foot traffic that revealing the location might bring. (The affidavit doesn’t specifically state that the treasure was in the park, just that the location is owned by the U.S. government and managed by the Department of the Interior. But c’mon.)

For years, that the treasure was found in Yellowstone, which is why Stuef wouldn’t share any specifics: found property in a national park is supposed to be turned in to the park supervisor. In a sense, by putting the chest in Yellowstone, Fenn booby-trapped his hiding spot. Whoever found the treasure would have to maneuver very carefully if they wanted to keep it.Ìę

But Stuef passed the test. And now we know how.

The McCracken lawsuit made public photos of the chest in situ, still embedded in the ground, as well as some private emails between Stuef and Fenn that occurred immediately after the treasure was found. And Stuef’s first email reads like it was written by a committee of lawyers.Ìę

“I’m aware that over the years you have intimated that you may like to give these items to the person who found it,” Stuef wrote. “If that is the case with me, I would be happy to receive them, but I think it would be prudent that I first return your treasure to you so you can fully verify that it belongs to you. At that time, you can make your decision on whether to keep it all, give it to me, subtract or add items, or whatever else you may decide.”

Stuef emailed Fenn on June 5, apparently leaving the chest in place overnight. He says he retrieved it June 6, which raises some questions. Did Stuef figure out all that precise language on his own that day? Were there instructions in the chest about how to proceed? The latter seems more likely. Fenn said he spent $5,000 on a lawyer figuring out the potential finder’s legal situation before he placed the chest. And he always said that there was a kind of fail-safe inside. That he’d know when it was found.

But then, it also seems like Stuef knew he was going to find the treasure long before he did. Maybe he had time to prepare. According to a document that recently turned up on , Stuef applied for tax status and apparently moved to Puerto Rico—where there is almost no capital gains tax—in September 2019, nine months before he found the treasure.

I put all this to tax attorney Larry Brant, who I consulted with back when the treasure was first found.

“It looks like someone is really thinking this through,” he said.Ìę

On May 4, judge Francis J. Mathew denied the government’s motion to intervene in the case, saying that doing so would cause undue delay, and that the government has other avenues—like an injunction in federal court—if it wants to keep the location of the treasure a secret. His view seemed to be that the location of the treasure became public information when Fenn published his poem.

So for now, the deposition will proceed, and Fenn’s hiding spot could soon be revealed. The end of the treasure hunt may finally be drawing to a close.

When I interviewed him in 2014, Fenn said he wanted to make the contents of his treasure chest look like a pirate movie, so he filled it with the most visually stunning items he could find: diamonds, rubies, and gold.Ìę

“There are hundreds and hundreds of gold nuggets,” he said. “Two of them are larger than a hen’s egg.”

Gold nuggets. Yellow stones. It was right there this whole time.Ìę

Peter Frick-Wright is a contributing editor and the host of an Apple Original podcast about the Fenn treasure, coming later this year.

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