"Just go 'POW' to climate"

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Protect Our Winters Leadership Summit in West Glacier, Montana. This gathering brought together 150 athletes (so many Olympians!), scientists, creatives, brand reps, policymakers and climate experts for two days of climate 101 & 102, policy and election basics, coalition building and commitment cultivating. It was a jolt of energy after a spring season where I felt like I was spinning my wheels and preaching to the choir. Sure, this was indeed still the choir, but it was focused on expanding the choir too, if you will.

View from the main pavilion

In true POW fashion, this was an event designed to get outdoor lovers into the outdoors. Together, we camped in a large field and made our way up the hill for out-of-this-world food each day (seriously - poke bowls, chilaquiles, fried rice, breakfast tacos? …the list, full of local ingredients, goes on), a hill that was necessary to get our blood pumping after camping in 35 degrees overnight 🥶 It also wouldn’t be a POW summit without plenty of outdoor activities - I chose fishing every time (more on that soon).

A glamping setup for the ages - complete with charging capabilities?! 😭

Throughout the days, we heard from experts in the field of decarbonization and natural climate solutions; scientists studying the outer reaches of the earth for climate indicators; athletes who had accomplished the most daring feats (shoutout Jim Morrison, who skied the first descent of the North Face of Everest last year and who also, very casually, was my fishing buddy) but still say climate change tops the list for the largest challenge of our time. Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee capped our two day experience as the keynote speaker (the title of this post is his quote), where he raised the ambition around taking action, urging us to get out the door and get our neighbors involved in even just talking about climate (he told us stories about canvassing and the tens of thousands of doors he has knocked in his life). Several people I look up to immensely were present, these two names included. It was star-studded and yet also extremely down to earth, with us all waving at each other as we emerged from our tents in the morning, groggy and chilly (no, actually, straight up cold).

Inslee himself! He was also on my plane back, not to brag.

Aside from speakers and panels, we also participated in interactive sessions like opening the aperture on the outdoors and focusing on the most pressing issues society is feeling today (climate-related or not), and how that impacted the outdoor industry. The biggest trend overall? AFFORDABILITY. Another was technology/AI/screens. My table for this exercise talked a lot about the research behind how access to green spaces/nature correlates with desire to protect the outdoors. We also split into regional groups (I decided to go PNW but was pulled strongly towards New England, story of my life) and talk about actions we could commit to to get out the vote well before the midterms (something like 11.2 million people that consider themselves environmentalists did not vote in the 2024 presidential election). Hearing everyone’s ideas - from livestreamed podcast-esque conversations with local leaders to ballot-filling parties to themed neighborhood dinners - was invigorating and refreshing.

Hilary Hutcheson welcoming us to her home.

Here are my key takeaways:

• We’re all in this together, we’re not alone, and we need each and every one of us and our specific talents, interests and ideas at the table.

• I’ve been wavering about the usefulness of writing these posts, of recording the conversations I do, of “talking about climate” as a real climate solution… and I do still think it is. The stories I heard last week - people talking to their neighbors, minds that were opened or changed over beers or on paddles - solidified that for me.

• There are a lot of folks - even people on stages and panels - who don’t know how to proceed all the time on this issue and who also feel fear, anxiety and trepidation. There were way more hands that went up when we were asked who feels uncertain how to proceed some days - including from scientists who presented! - that indicated, once again, that we are not alone, and also that it’s okay not to get everything perfect all the time.

And don’t worry, I didn’t forget FISHING!!! 🎣

The rest of this post is an ode to Hilary Hutcheson, her team and the Flathead River (so if you’re like, eh, I don’t really like fishing, you can probably stop reading here).

Hilary and her team ready to take us out

So, many of you know that I have been fishing since I was 3-ish. Thanks Dad! Here is a photo of me (a little older than that) on Kennebago Lake, rod in hand. But I got REALLY into it in 2020 as the pandemic was swirling and taking up a peaceful, socially-distanced pastime like fishing was extremely attractive.

Lil Ads. Man what a classic Beans sweater.

Now cut to the Flathead river, and photos of the bull trout I caught using my first every dropper/dry fly indicator situation … and my first ever fish caught on a river. That’s right, I’m a lake girl. I’ve fished plenty of rivers, but never caught anything - I always chalked it up to my ability to cast right to a rise (thanks, high school lacrosse!) and understand the ways of the lake in a way I could never grasp with the river.

The Bull! You can’t pick them up because they’re endangered but - hand for scale!

Thanks to Killion (Hilary’s stepson), I not only improved my cast during our casting lesson the day before, but I caught three fish of three different species - this bull trout, a rainbow (on the dry!) and a cuttbow (a cutthroat/rainbow hybrid). The cutthroat is the native, prized fish species, and this hybridization is the cause of many pain points. Rainbows are not native to the river, and have an interesting connection to climate - as the rivers warm, they are traveling further upstream and breeding with these “cutties,” creating this hybrid, and also competing with the purebreds for resources. Me catching one, in addition to the eight others caught that day, Hilary said, is further proof that this species is too populous for her liking.

Killion and Sam. Our team/band name was “Killion and the Rust Busters.”

I had the time of my life, learned so much, and forgot to think about eating or peeing or doing anything else for three glorious hours. It was a beautiful “flow state” of constant action (the river will give that to you!) and deeply knowledgeable guidance that kept me working harder on my cast and asking for feedback and advice along the way.

Hilary’s fly shop in West Glacier.

I seriously can’t get over the fact that POW provided such an experience for us. How lucky are we. Thank you POW for bringing us to Montana to dig deep on climate, create community and catch really beautiful fish.