Tagg
During my adventure on the Missouri River I will be traveling with our dog Taggerung. Tagg is a 5 year old border collie from Wildblue Border Collies, a local breeder near us in Colorado.
When you consider border collies, Tagg is not typical. Tagg is a mellow go-with-the-flow dog. I think Tagg beleaves himself to be human. He is happy just being with me. He loves to swim and chase balls.
Tagg loves to travel and has been all over the southwestern United States. We spend loads of time
driving to remote sites in search of the middle of nowhere. During these trips it is not uncommon for him to just sit and watch the world go by out
the window of our FJ Cruiser.
When it is time for a hike he is all about being ready to go. Wearing his own pack to carry water is just fine when hiking in the hot southwest. His boots from Ruffwear protect his feet when the conditions warrant.
When I need someone to listen or just give me a hug Tagg is there: no comments from him and nothing expected in return. He is Tagg the adventure dog.
Tomas
Tomas grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Born a Texas boy, he spent all of his summers camping on streams in the mountains surrounding Aspen, Colorado before his family moved to there when he was five. Aspen was still a small town in Colorado – no millionaires or famous people romping around yet.
Tomas paddling the dogs over a river for a hike in South West Colorado.
Every childhood home sat next to moving water: Castle Creek and the Roaring Fork in Aspen and Coal Creek in Crested Butte. A childhood nestled in the mountains left Tomas with no other way of life than camping, hiking, fishing, rafting, mountain biking, and skiing.
His three older brothers dragged him outside on adventures constantly, and he found plenty of solitary adventures on his own time as he grew older.
As a college student in Durango, Colorado, Tomas worked on the Animas and San Juan Rivers for a few summers. He fell in love with the challenge of floating the wild water. He was pushed away from river guiding by the need to find a “real job”. He pursued a Computer Information Systems degree and entered the corporate world. He married and had two wonderful sons. After his first marriage ended, Tomas now in the Colorado front range continued working in computer systems and raise his sons.
He met his current wife mountain biking. They married and had a daughter soon after. Tomas moved from the corporate world to a stay at home father. He continued to mountain bike, cave, and began to get involved in four wheel adventure travel.
Throughout these many adventures he constantly took photos. He also is a certified four wheel drive trainer.
Tomas and Nancy on a camping trip in South West Colorado.
The family spent almost a month total each year outside adventuring. Tomas planned all these trips for his family. They spent time in the South West camping and exploring. Longer trips brought them to Belize and Alaska.
The kids all left the house, and Tomas spent the last five years teaching skiing and working as an adventure guide in South West Colorado.
He came home to pursue interest that didn’t take him away from his wife. Tom enjoys caving, practicing yoga with his wife, mountain biking, history, hiking, and finding far away remote places to adventure into.
Tomas in Yellowstone National Park.