Ryan Stewart

This will be my first time in the desert, and my first time west of Colorado for that matter. I've been in a fair amount of wilderness settings, but I've lived most of my life under Cleveland's gray skies. I just graduated from a tiny liberal arts school in Indiana with a major in philosophy. I am looking forward to being back in a small community environment and getting a chance to explore a new landscape.

As far as who I am, I like to think I am somewhere between the village idiot and the philosopher. I get caught up in lofty impractical thoughts, but they are usually concerned primarily with how ridiculous everything is. I am looking forward to switching gears from lofty impracticality to genuine hard work.

This summer I am leading a 3-week canoe trip in northern Ontario, teaching lessons on wilderness ethics and paddling through the world's largest canoe reservation. I've worked with a lot of wilderness programs and being outside of modern-society makes me a whole lot less insecure and a lot more reflective, so naturally I am really excited about working in the desert with the SCA.