Authoring a guidebook is a ton of work. This is my third effort, and for some reason I’m still surprised at how much time and energy guidebooks require. For me, an undertaking of this magnitude requires a team. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a group of people who directly and indirectly supported me and this endeavor every step of the way. It may sound like a cliché, but this thing quite literally could not have been pulled off without them. And they are:
Katie Benoit Cardoso and John Burbidge, my people with FalconGuides. Your faith and assistance have proven invaluable, and I am eternally indebted for the opportunity. I would also like to apologize for any heartburn/ulcers I may have caused by playing fast and loose with regards to deadlines. Thanks to Kassidy Anderson and her wonderful parents, Toni and Jesse, for their unwavering support. Thanks to Portland Walking Tours and Evergreen Escapes for providing me with another outlet for telling people about this amazing place we call home. And thanks to Heather Egizio for always being my on-call hiking buddy. Big thanks to KEEN Footwear for the inspiration, support, and gear that have been helping me find adventures around Oregon and beyond for the last several years.
Thanks to everyone in my family—Jade Sawyer Chase, Janaira Quigley, Bill Sawyer, Cindy Sawyer, Thea Sawyer, and Ruby Hair. What you wonderful people have done for me over the course of my life, let alone this last year, essentially elevates you to sainthood.
Special thanks go to a group of friends who helped me through some difficult personal times: Dan Wakefield, Rebekah Voie, Anna Haller, Abigail Entrican, Leann Craft, Staci Humphrey, and Marc Alan Jordan. Your love and support saved my life. I love you all.
Straddling the line between the last paragraph and this one is my girlfriend, Kara Close. Your love, support, and company on some wonderful adventures have been invaluable. You help give me focus and perspective. You make me laugh until I cry, make me look up new words, and are the ultimate trivia wing woman. I love you, lady. Go team sunhat!
I would be remiss without thanking the people responsible for what I get to do for a living, and help keep my head above water: Lucy Gibson, Allen Cox, Dave Peterson, Nan Devlin, and Kim Cooper Findling.
Thanks to Jeff Statt and his family for all the support, including the use of the family van! Thank you, Blair Hoff, for your support, friendship, and VW! Thanks to Katherine Hoppe for ruling with an iron fist! Actually, I should be thanking you more in the next book, but I’m doing it here too. Thanks to Oregonhikers.org, Tom Kloster, Zach Forsyth, Tim Burke, Melinda Muckenthaler, Aaron Young, Jeffery Abbott, Bryan Swan, and all the other boundary-less explorers I know, who are constantly providing inspiration.
Thanks to everyone who came out to see me talk about waterfalls at public libraries around the state. You confirmed that this is a thing I should be doing. I hope to see you all again when I’m giving slideshow presentations for this book.
Thanks to everyone else who has helped along the way. Too many to list here, but you know who you are, and so do I!
Lastly, enormous thanks to Stephanie Paris. You have been my primary adventure buddy over the course of the last three years, and this book, let alone my career, would not exist without you. Your love, support, and adventurous spirit allowed me to soar. Thanks for being who you are, and thanks for being my friend. This book is dedicated to you.