A Lucky Boy

I grew up enjoying the outdoors. My grandparents on both sides all loved the thrill of being outside. They passed that enjoyment on to their children, and my mom and dad have passed it on to their children - and I’m fortunate that I was born in this family.

Father’s Day is coming up, and I wanted to take the time to honor the men that have helped shape this passion for the outdoors in my own life.
$Grandpa Sorenson sits in his \$
Grandpa Sorenson sits in his “kitchen” at elk camp.

Dad’s dad, Grandpa Sorenson, was a kind man who was one of the most gentle, caring, and firm men I’ve known. He helped me grow a lot in character - as there was no middle ground with Grandpa S - there was right and there was wrong, and there was no compromising the two. Grandpa Sorenson would take us fishing on some of the rivers near their home on the coast when we visited in the summer, or he would take us down to the beach to dig for clams or see the awesome life forms in the tide pools. He was a man that truly loved what it meant to just be outside. He loved the annual elk hunt in Hell’s Canyon - and he would make it in there every year that he could - even if it just meant to stay in camp and cook. It was the simple fellowship and wild country that he enjoyed, and I’m thankful for the lessons I’ve received from that. He passed away in 2004, but I am glad to have known him for some of my “adult” life. I knew him as a child knows his grandpa, and I was able to know him into my twenties - and that makes me most fortunate.

Grandpa Ziniker and I pose outside their house with a bull I shot in 2004

But, my good fortune would not stop there - as I’ve also been able to know my mom’s dad into my adult life. Grandpa Ziniker, like Grandpa Sorenson, was not one to compromise his values - he is a right is right, wrong is wrong man. He’s a man that taught me the value of a job well done and hard work. He’s also the one that taught me that when it’s time for play - then play the right way and have a lot of fun! I used to work for him during the summers when I was a kid and we’d sneak away at the end of the day for some good trout fishing in the local stream. Long before that, he used to take me fishing every spring break to the Malheur River in Eastern Oregon. I was even fortunate enough to double up with him in taking my first buck ever at the age of 14. Our bucks dropped within ten yards of each other. I still am able to enjoy these moments with my grandfather, but I know these times will not last forever - and I want to value each moment I spend with him - especially those spent on the river!

Dad and I on my first trip to Hell’s Canyon - where our family has hunted for more than 30 years.

Dad is about as good a dad as a person could ask for. Leaving me a good example, with a firm grasp of right and wrong, I’ve valued his teaching since I was a child - although he may doubt how much I valued it at times! I’ve been fortunate to have these male influences in my life with very strong moral virtues and great sense of guidance. Dad used to take us kids crappie fishing up on Brownlee Reservoir and Bully Creek Reservoir frequently when we were kids, and then during the summers came hiking trips into mountain lakes for some brooke trout fishing. Dad’s passion has always been more towards hunting than fishing, and he instilled in me the love of a good hunt. Like his dad, he loves everything about a hunt - and is often just as happy when he comes home empty handed as when he makes a kill. I was with him when I shot my first elk - which is fitting as the elk is a favorite animal to hunt for both of us - and that is a memory I think we’ll both cherish for a long long time. He taught me a lot about the outdoors, but also about life, and I thank him for that.

I realize that many people, because of divorce, death, or many other circumstances, are not as fortunate as I to have had such a relationship with all three biological “Fathers.” I know I’m a lucky man that I was able to listen to advice from three men with strong morals and to share memories with them from the great outdoors. I hope to pass it on to my children one day.

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