Winter is wintering hard this year! Whether you put your faith in clairvoyant groundhogs or Gaelic goddesses, the forecast calls for six more weeks of the season. Let’s hope it’s full of powder-filled, sunny days and stunning sunsets as our days get longer and the light slowly returns.
This issue brings a mix of stories celebrating the Midwest outdoors, from lakes and bike trails to the dancing colors in the night sky. But, the highlight for me? An interview with Mark Healy of the Midwest Lost Ski Areas Project. Talking with him reminded me why I love this publication—finding and connecting with everyday Midwesterners who are out there doing really cool things. And honestly, that’s all of us, right? Every contributor we’ve had along the way, and every one of you reading this, is just a regular Midwesterner out there doing cool shit when you can.
The stories we share about the Midwest outdoors remind us why these places matter. Things are shifting fast, and the world feels increasingly unsettled. There’s a lot of heaviness we carry. Lately, for me, conservation has been top of mind—how we protect our natural resources, our freshwater lakes and rivers. My dad once told me, They’ll come for this water someday. You have to take care of it. He wasn’t an environmentalist per se, just a regular Midwestern guy who understood the value of what we have here. And he was right. It’s going to take all of us doing what we can to make a difference.
One of the missions of Midwest Vertical Journal is to show the value of our outdoors—not just through facts and figures but through experiences, community, and culture. Even if you don’t think you have a story worth telling, you do. Every adventure, every quiet moment in the woods, every connection made out on the trails or water holds meaning. And by sharing, you help others find that value, too. So if there’s a moment, a place, or a feeling that’s stuck with you, we want to hear about it. Click the “Submissions” tab in the navigation bar to share your idea. And, as always, I have tremendous gratitude to those who have contributed thus far. Thank you for being a part of this.
Winter takes its time building up, but we all know a few warm days and some rain can wipe it away just like that. With everything feeling chaotic lately, I’m hoping nature gives us a little balance—a slow transition to spring. In the meantime, let’s embrace everything the Midwest outdoors has to offer along the way.
– Sara
