Why Treeline Journal and Why 24 Hours on Pilot Butte

By Chase Parnell  –  September 29, 2019

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Treeline Journal, created and produced by Chase and Nikki Parnell, was born in September of 2019 out of what some would call a crisis moment, a mental breakdown, or just plain wild irresponsibility. I can objectively see why some might think that but the reality is that we didn’t really have a choice. I knew I had reached a tipping point and to forge on without a massive change would have been a disaster: I couldn’t fake it any longer, I was bankrupt of all interest and passion in my professional life. 

I was working as a divorce lawyer in Bend, Oregon, going into work every day with a constant state of dread and dis-ease where high stress, long hours, and a constant state of conflict are the norm. 

It was tough because I’d invested a lot in this career path; I graduated from law school, passed the bar exam, fought for an attorney job in a location we loved, finally landed the career level gig, and within 6 months knew that this line of work was not for me. Litigation, with all its peaks and valleys, did not suit me in the slightest. I was wasting away and coping with the stress in all the wrong ways. 

A lot of you out there might be thinking: so you had a job, we all have jobs. Hard jobs. What’s the big deal? 

Well, every day I came home from work I needed to crack a beer or pour a whiskey. One always took the edge away, two gave me a delightful buzz, three helped me forget what was coming the next day, and 4 or 5 put me to sleep. 

Again, some of you might be thinking: 4 – 5 drinks a night? Standard operating procedure for a lot of men and women all around this great land. I would agree. I’m not here to judge anyone or tell you how to live your life, I’m just telling you about my own personal experience. And what I experienced was that my moods, my motivation, and my health were tanking. I had developed a strong habit, albeit one that didn’t leave me with massive hangovers or in the back of a police car, but one that was killing me slowly and effecting me subtly but significantly. Every morning I’d wake up thinking I literally had maybe just one too many. Always a slight twinge of regret to start my day; fuzzy brained and parched.

I knew I could be a better runner, a better husband, a better dad, and an all around better person if I could kick the habit. The carrot during those stressful days as an attorney was that I always knew that at the very least the edge would come off the moment I got home. The comforting crack of the aluminum can or that hefty whiskey pour, raining down that sweet sigh of relief.

I know this might be sounding a little extreme so I want to be clear about something, I am  certain that I’m not an alcoholic. But I do know that my drinking habit was compounding my problems and that the longer I let it go, the worse it was going to get.

Put simply, I wasn’t living my best life.

The subsequent events all happened VERY fast. So this should give you hope, especially if you feel trapped and claustrophobic like I did. Here is the timeline of what happened: 

July 25, 2019: I listened to a Rich Roll Podcast interview of Andy Ramage, the founder of One Year No Beer, which is a movement promoting an alcohol-free lifestyle, not because people are drunks or alcoholics, but because people want the most out of life. This was a message that deeply resonated with me. I knew I could have an extraordinary life but alcohol needed to go. So the idea of trying to complete a one year alcohol free challenge started to brew. 

August 1, 2019: My buddy Jordan Wolfe, runner-extraordinaire and lead man for a band, Divebar Theology, posted on social media that he was doing one month without alcohol. Hmmm, could I do that too?

August 17, 2019: Did some day drinking and got a little more toasted than usual. Went and saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with my brother, Eric. He may or may not have been concerned. I remember essentially nothing of the movie. 

August 18, 2019: Woke up hungover. Note: that was rare. I always seemed to manage to drink in that sweet spot, enough to feel really good but not enough to pay for it the next day. But today, I was hungover and pretty sad about it. As if apologizing, I texted my brother #oneyearnobeer. He approved. The One Year No Beer challenge officially began.

August 18 – September 4, 2019: Without the booze, my emotions went a little haywire. You’d think it would be the opposite, right? But alcohol was actually regulating (maybe dampening) my fears and emotions. I began to see my state in life a little more objectively. I was miserable in my work, I wanted to be with my family more, and I wanted to fulfill my potential as a competitive runner. So with alcohol behind me, there was only one more major hurdle to jump: I had to leave the law job. 

September 5, 2019: With very sweaty palms and perhaps a bit of erratic breathing, I walked into my boss’s office and gave my notice of resignation. He was far more kind and understanding than I expected and I left feeling encouraged and like I’d made a major step in the right direction. I had no idea what I was going to do next but the following quote sustained me:

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao Tzu. 

Our journey had begun. 

September 6, 2019: Nikki and I had a dreaming session and from this new place of freedom, Treeline Journal was born. 

September 27, 2019: Last day of lawyering. 

September 28, 2019 – Present: Sharing Treeline Journal with our people, hustling, and making our dreams a reality. 

So within the span of two months, I decided to quit drinking for a year, I decided to quit my job, and Nikki and I decided to launch this sucker. We are committed to taking one year to focus on this project and see where it takes us. If we fall flat on our face, if our message doesn’t resonate with all of you out there, so be it, at least we sat down at the table and rolled the dice.

So why are we here and what do we plan to offer you all?

Nikki, as you will learn, is a people-person through and through. She’s a natural born sweetheart and I know she will draw an audience of like-minded badass moms who aren’t settling for a second-rate existence. You will be encouraged by her honesty and bravery. Reach out to her. She’s a blessing to the world in so many ways. 

Now me on the other hand, I’m more of the introvert, but writing down my thoughts and talking into a camera from the privacy of my home or the wilderness doesn’t scare me that much. So I think I can do this thing. I’m planning on creating content about my opinions and analysis of elite mountain/ultra/trail running, talking about personal development and tough life issues, and putting out training updates as I build towards some huge racing goals for 2020 and beyond. 

We also plan to post weekly adventure videos where we head out into nature and uncover some of the most amazing trails, places, and routes that the West has to offer — all with our two kids, Dash and Belen, in tow. 

We hope you enjoy what we put out there! Please help us in this journey by liking, tweeting, posting, subscribing and just plain encouraging us in our next phase of life. We are committed at the very least to do this full time until the end of my One Year No Beer challenge, August 18, 2020. It’s time to live our BEST LIFE. 

Finally, why the name Treeline Journal? To us, we view the treeline on any great hike as that moment of transition and beauty. On the approach, typically you have your head down, plodding through the woods, and lost in the thoughts from yesterday. But when you hit that elevation where the giant pines no longer thrive — the treeline — things start opening up. Your perspective starts to change. You begin to see the world from a higher plane. You’ve found yourself in an awe-inspiring moment. The purest form of dopamine floods your brain. This transition is representative of what we are attempting to achieve with this site. We’ve been staring at our feet, grinding away on the approach for far too long. We’re breaking through the treeline and the whole world is opening up. It’s a beautiful place to be.

To celebrate the beginning of Treeline Journal and really stamp this transition with a lasting memory, I plan to spend 24 hours on the local hill, running/walking/hiking/crawling laps on Pilot Butte. Each lap is roughly 2 miles and 500 feet of elevation gain. Bend, Oregon clearly has more glamorous mountains nearby but nothing directly in town. This Butte is a half mile from my front door and I ran it multiple times a week year-round before work. It holds a special place in my heart.

Disclaimer: I’m not even that particularly physically fit right now, my knee is actually a little jacked up, and I’m tired from the emotional roller coaster of leaving my job. So let’s be clear, I’m not shooting for some record number of laps, I’ll get as many as I can, but this could get ugly — real ugly. I’m not in peak form and I haven’t done any specific training to prepare for this. But with that said, there are always excuses and reasons why not to do something hard. I have to honor this moment in a fitting way.

This idea, I should say, is not original to me. Where we used to live in Missoula, Montana, three of some of the best ultra runners in the country – Justin Yates, Mike Wolfe, and Seth Swanson each spent 24 hours on their local hill, Mount Sentinel. They did it because they had decided to move away from Missoula and paid their respects to the town and landscape by running countless laps up and down the terrain they knew so well. 

My 24 hours on Pilot Butte is similar in that I’ll be doing it as part of a major life change; leaving behind what clearly wasn’t working for me and moving towards a life strictly of my choosing.  

For those of you that know Pilot Butte, I’ll be starting at the main lot and going up and down the main trail. My last day at the firm was Friday and I’ll start this project Monday morning at 8am – working time. I encourage any of you Bendites out there to join me for some laps if you are so able. And if you join me in the night, I’ll love you forever. I’ll go until 8am Tuesday morning or as long as the body allows. 

Okay friends, thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy post, and if I see you up there on that sexy red bump of earth, I may or may not be wearing a tie. 

Chase, Nikki, Dash and Belen.  

Treeline Journal

 

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