On a brisk March day in Utah’s southwestern canyonlands, 79-year-old Mike Tisdale zipped down a Bureau of Land Management trail on his trail bike. Earlier that morning at sunrise, he had loaded up a golf cart to clean campgrounds and picnic areas at Dead Horse Point State Park for his annual volunteer camp host position. And later in the day, he planned to climb into his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and participate in off-roading and boulder-climbing with friends.
“I really started enjoying outdoor pursuits around age 30,” said Mr. Tisdale, “and I haven’t stopped.”
He credits his zeal for all things outdoorsy to a lifestyle change following his move from western Texas to the San Luis Valley area of south-central Colorado during the 1970s. His career as a hospital pharmacist in the valley lasted more than three decades. When he retired in 2007, he had risen in the ranks to become a pharmacy director, and it was in Colorado that he raised two children, a boy and girl, and where they, their spouses, and six grandchildren now reside.
Mike Tisdale while out on a horseback riding trip in Colorado high country. Courtesy of Mike Tisdale
“Living in Texas, there really are no public lands,” he explained. “I bird hunted and participated in some sports activities growing up as a young man. But when I moved to Colorado, I quickly realized that being outdoors is emphasized here. I also realized that I really liked the high country, and it didn’t matter what I was doing.”
An Outsdoorsman
The Rio Grande is the main river that runs through San Luis Valley, and plenty of tributary streams flow into it. Mr. Tisdale first became skilled at fishing. Then, he joined local hunters in mule deer and elk hunting, the latter of which often requires horseback riding and camping far into the Colorado wilderness.He accompanied friends on ATV excursions into the high-country areas of the San Luis Valley, elsewhere in Colorado, and in neighboring Utah. With some of the same friends, Mr. Tisdale hiked, backpacked, and biked.
He gradually connected with mountain climbers. His time fishing, hunting, exploring, hiking, biking, and camping solidified his love for,and comfort level with the outdoors, motivating him to learn to climb.
Mr. Tisdale herding cows across the Rio Grande. Courtesy of Mike Tisdale
For almost two decades, Mr. Tisdale was intent on climbing all the highest peaks in Colorado. There are 58 that are 14,000 feet high or taller and referred to as “Fourteeners.” He had the goal of reaching the summits of Mt. Elbert, the highest in Colorado at 14,400 feet, as well as Mt. Massive, Blanca Peak, Mt. Harvard, and more. To start training for the task, he climbed peaks in Washington, Mexico, California, and Wyoming.
“I climbed with people I met through learning about the outdoors,” he said. “I climbed with my wife, Judy. She climbed probably 20 or so of the 14,000-foot mountains with me. We did a lot of stuff outdoors together. I’ve climbed with my kids. I love to see the country and nature and the geography. And I love big views.”
Of all the outdoorsy adventures Mr. Tisdale has tried, climbing high peaks was the one that required the most skill. A friend of his oversaw an outdoor program at a community college in Alamosa, Colorado, so Mr. Tisdale learned about rock slides, avalanches, rope work, and weather challenges. “There is much to be cautious about when climbing to high peaks. I’m not a thrill seeker; I just wanted to know as much about the topic [of climbing] before I did it.”
He added that he’s repeated a few climbs because friends and family wanted him to guide them. “My daughter Traci, 53, and Taylor, 57, inherited my sense of adventure and ‘outdoorsey-ness.’”
Mr. Tisdale (second from R) rides a mule in the Grand Canyon. Courtesy of Mike Tisdale
While Mr. Tisdale hasn’t climbed in about five years, he continues his other outdoor activities. “I’ve wondered if I would ever get tired of the high country of Colorado and being out in it, but I’m just as enthused about it now as I was when I got here many years ago. And, the desert [in Utah] has gotten in my blood as well. Both areas will grab you for sure.”
For the past eight years, Mr. Tisdale has spent at least three months every year living out of a 25-foot trailer camper at a state park near Moab. There, he volunteers as a camp host. “Camp hosting fits into my outdoor lifestyle,” he said.
After he leaves camp hosting each May, he often participates in biking and rafting trips with friends at different times throughout the rest of the year. He has spent several days rafting and camping in the Four Corners area—where the corners of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico converge. Before he left his Utah camp hosting position this year, he was already planning to join friends for a late June rafting and camping trip on rivers he’s rafted before, including the Rio Cama in New Mexico, the Salt River in Arizona, and the Salmon River in Idaho. “We all have our own rafts and we are our own guides,” he explained.
In September, he’ll accompany friends to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, where the group will bike many miles. It is a trip Mr. Tisdale has participated in in the past, but he plans to explore different areas this trip while biking.
Mr. Tisdale with his daughter Traci. Courtesy of Mike Tisdale
Realistic Expectations
Instead of dreading the inevitable effects of aging, Mr. Tisdale has chosen to embrace the attitude that “age is just a number.” However, with his 80th birthday looming, he spends more time considering physical capabilities when planning outdoor activities. Purchasing an e-bike last year was the result of one of those considerations.He has also stopped backpacking into wilderness areas to camp alone. He does, however, pull up to a camping spot and camp in a tent.
“Can I still do it and do I want to?” posed Mr. Tisdale. “For the most part, yes. But I’m realistic and know I have to adjust and can still enjoy it. You can play like you’re a tough guy, but you have to accept that you can’t do all that you used to do,” he said. He added that he’s most worried about breaking his bones, so he has decided to be more conservative with his adventurous activities.
He chuckled when he shared that his children feel he is not doing enough. “They really still challenge me. And being able to bike and do things together is wonderful.”
Mr. Tisdale goes rafting with a friend in the San Juan River. Courtesy of Mike Tisdale
Keep Moving
Mr. Tisdale understands that some people are not up for trying the type of adventures he’s had. But he said the important thing for the elderly is to keep enjoying themselves. “It doesn’t have to be just about the outdoors. But don’t slow down and stop doing things that stimulate you physically and mentally.”Mr. Tisdale said he aches and creaks when he gets up each morning and is sore from various activities, but he believes that staying active enhances emotional health and can lead to longevity. “I might not have the stamina I used to, but I don’t ever get tired of being outdoors—of enjoying all that nature offers,” he said. “I try to stay in shape because I can’t do what I want to do unless I’m physically fit.”
When he isn’t involved in one of his myriad outdoor interests, Mr. Tisdale is at his home of 30 years viewing the Southern Colorado Rockies from his windows. Yet, he doesn’t stay inside for long. The beauty of his surroundings beckons. Just as the 1970s singer-songwriter John Denver sang in “Rocky Mountain High,” Mr. Tisdale will venture outside to walk “in quiet solitude, the forests and the streams.” And he will stay out there as long as possible.
