Go… No Matter What
While Training for the Mississippi I was reminded of a lesson I have learned again and again climbing mountains.
I have been climbing for… 28 years.
Wow, that sounds cooler than it is.
As I have been physically conditioning myself for the upcoming expedition, I was reminded of a lesson I keep learning when I go mountain climbing.
When you get up and it looks like it’s going to be a miserable day, go anyway. Go no matter what!
Some of my best mountain experiences were almost missed because, despite a forecast of a sunny day, when I jumped into my car on my way to a climb, it was raining, super foggy, or colder than expected. There have been days that I would wake up and call my climbing parter of the day and say “Whelp, looks like the weather man lied. Let’s try again later.” then about the time we would have been at the trailhead or the climbing area the clouds would clear, and I would be kicking myself and complaining all day that I had missed a climbing day and now had to wait for who knows how long until my scheduled cleared again to try again.
Climbing Mt. Theilsen, in Southern Oregon 2020, It rained all the way to the trailhead, and was cold and misty most of the way up…
That is why I adopted the Go no matter what policy. In a worst-case scenario, you can always turn around, and I will be no worse for having gotten up early and had a rainy drive to a beautiful location.
If you have info that the weather will be good, then go no matter what. Even if it looks like the weatherman might have accidentally given the forecast for Hawaii instead. More often than not, when it’s dark and cold, the clouds are still hanging in there and will make those first steps the hardest of the day. You just have to remember that soon the Sun will come up and burn away the clouds, and you might have a beautiful day on your hands. At the very least, it will be less dark.
View from the top. Clear and sunny.
I was reminded of this principle recently as I went on a farewell hike in the mountains with some youth I have mentored over the past few years. I have always loved getting young people into the sport of mountaineering, and to be honest, when they catch the spirit of climbing, there is no finer feeling.
These two youths and my oldest daughter took me up a local peak just last week, and when they arrived at my house at 7 a.m., it was cold, foggy, and rainy. The hike up Pilot Rock is not just a normal day hike; it involves some semi-serious scrambling, and it’s not wise to do it in soaking wet conditions. A little damp is fine, but if it’s raining, you don’t climb.
Another day that started cold and cloudy, but ended up just perfect.
We jumped in the car and began the 40-min drive to the trailhead, and as we did, the rain only intensified. I started to think like a dad and mentor with extreme safety in my head. I had two recent high school graduates and my daughter to think of. The last thing I needed was for my mentees to have an accident that would hamper their college and church mission plans, which they are embarking upon later this summer.
As the trailhead got closer and the rain showed no signs of letting up, I asked, “Ok, guys, do we turn around and try a different hike with less risk but still brave the rain? Or should we press on and hope that the sun burns away these clouds?”
“We go no matter what.” Said one mentee, and she added, “I want to say I actually tried to get there. If it’s too risky to climb, then we hike in the rain and look at the bottom of the climb.”
I had to smile. The mentor had become the mentee. Go no matter what. Is it better to try and fail or never really try? I know my answer.
So what happened? Well, a mix of things. The rain stopped, but the fog never cleared. The climb was damp, but safe for climbing. We got to the top, but the view was limited. Was the hike worth it when we couldn’t see anything from the top? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! Climbing is not all about the view; most of my enjoyment comes from the people I am with and the joy of being in the mountains.
Climbing into the clouds and loving every minute of it.
Don’t let your expectations dictate engagement or enjoyment. Go no matter what. You will be better for it, I promise.
Stumbling, getting up, and keeping hopes up…
Well, all good intentions aside, I have failed to post regular updates about the building of Resilience. So… here’s the update.
IT’S DONE!
Well, the boat is finished being built, but really building my personal resilience is not done, nor do I think it will ever truly be “done”. That being said, I have been learning important lessons along the way, and I have also learned that even building the boat is never really “done” either. For instance, the paint has bubbled in some places, so I will need to sand and repaint those spots, and the varnish blistered on the floor of the boat, so I will need to sand and re-varnish. sigh
I have officially had three test runs in the boat, one rowing, two sailing. I have a lot to learn about both! For instance, how the heck do I keep the oar locks in place when I row? How do I keep an eye on where I am going downriver when I am all alone in the boat? Do I need to remove the rudder when the wind is down and I am focused on rowing? How hard will it be to put the rudder on and off when I am in the boat in the middle of the river? Will the rudder even hold up against the current of the mighty Mississippi?!
You get the point, and that’s just some of my ROWING questions. I have a lot more to learn about sailing.
That being said, despite my mistakes, construction goofs, and lack of knowledge, I am feeling more confident each day that I can at least make the most of this journey.
The biggest and scariest question I have lurking in the back of my mind at all time is this… When I am on the Mississippi, will I actually be able to get to the Gulf in 30 days or less?
To pull that off, even when I am starting in Minneapolis (not the headwaters), I will have to travel between 50 and 60 miles every single day. I don’t even know if that is possible. At least I don’t know if that is possible for me.
I imagine I will be pulling some long days, late nights, and getting run pretty ragged. I have to get into good physical shape, but I also have to keep doing my day job and taking care of my family.
Exercising for a long endurance challenge like this one takes time, effort, and willpower.
Time I am limited in, I have no problems putting in strong effort, but will power… well, that one is tough for me sometimes. Especially when I have worked a 9-hour day, I come home, get the kids in bed by 9 pm, and then it’s time to exercise. Not my favorite… and I am sad to admit that many times I end up eating a rice pudding and watching a K-drama with my wife.
Early mornings are somewhat better, I do get up early to help get my oldest daughter to her early morning seminary class for church, and then I can usually go for a long walk with a wighted vest, or if I’m luck and the youngest two girls are not up playing legos where I exercise, I get in some weight lifting before I have to pick up my oldest again and head to work for the day.
During my day I have the hardest time getting up and moving for no other reason than I get paralyzed by ADHD motivation hurdles. I get bored easily and it’s hard to get up and go row, or walk for an hour or more.
I can do it, and I do manage to exercise at least 4 or 5 days… cough… ok 3 or 4 days… well I do exercise every week at least once., and I am getting better.
It turns out building willpower to engage in a routine like daily exercise is tough, and it’s a very important component of resilience.
So the next time you have trouble getting out of bed to go for a walk. Take a deep breath. Don’t snooze your alarm; just get up and do anything. Walk a few feet, and the will to keep pressing on will grow. It is for me.
And remember, I am cheering for you too. It’s hard to be resilient sometimes, but you can do it! I believe in you.
Meet The Director
Meet Nick from Nick Alexander Films who is going to be directing our documentary.
Meet Richard
Director Nick Alexander and Richard discuss the Mississippi Dory to the Gulf project.
Day 4 Building Resilience
This was a rough day for sure, but we averted disaster as much as possible.
Building Resilience Day 2
We are getting further along each week. Updates are slow right now because I am building the boat, running a business, caring for a family of 6, and getting fund raisers in order.
Day Two! So much to do and so little time to do it all in.
It Starts… Day One of Building Resilience
The whole adventure is starting to feel real now folks. I have for a time now been adveturing only in storytelling with clients in my TRPG groups, but now I get to take an unexpected journey of my own. Bilbo would be proud, I suspect. (*well I mean… unexpected things that happen along this planned journey in terms of unexpected journey, but you get the point.)
Please enjoy the video below which highlights the first day of work. I will keep posting video and written content as I have time, what with my job, family responsibilities, and building a boat that is.
Milling the Wood for Oars
When I first dreamed up the Building Resilience expedition, I pictured myself rowing down the Mississippi with a boat I built, a plan I (mostly) understood, and oars. So naturally, I decided the oars needed to be crafted from a local Southern Oregon hardwood. Madrone. Beautiful. Strong. A little stubborn. Basically the tree version of the project itself.
So off I went into the hills with my friend Jess armed with an idea, enthusiasm, and absolutely zero lumberjacking credentials. Madrone doesn’t exactly fall into neat planks on command, which meant we had to figure out how to transform a beautiful log into actual oar-worthy boards. Enter: the chainsaw mill.
I learned two things:
Chainsaw milling is fun.
The University of YouTube is wonderful for helping people who have no idea what they’re doing.
With YouTube professors guiding us, Jess and I managed to mill three genuine, honest-to-goodness boards. These will eventually be laminated and carved into the oars that will carry me to the Gulf of Mexico. They are currently sitting in my garage like trophies from a quest I wasn’t high enough level to take on but somehow survived anyway.
Oddly enough, this oar-making process might actually be more complicated than building the entire boat… which feels backwards, but at this point, I’ve learned not to question the rules of this adventure.
And really, that’s resilience in action. Trying new things. Picking up unfamiliar tools. Laughing at your mistakes. Learning as you go. And discovering that sometimes the hardest part of an enormous journey is just being willing to start even though you don’t know exactly what you are doing.
Buying the Boat
It all begins with an idea.
We’re excited to announce a huge step forward for the Building Resilience project—we have officially purchased the boat kit that Richard will use to sail the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to the Gulf of Mexico. The dory will be built from a kit created by Chesapeake Light Craft, a company known for its exceptional craftsmanship, beautiful designs, and a deep passion for small wooden boats.
From the first conversation, we knew we were in the right hands. The boat’s designer, John Harris, and Chesapeake Light Craft’s president, Ed Wigglesworth, were incredibly generous with time and advice, offering guidance on what the journey will require and how to configure the boat for maximum safety, strength, and success. Their expertise and kindness gave us confidence that this vessel will be the perfect partner for the adventure ahead.
A Miniature Model With a Big Purpose
The photos in this post show a scale model of the dory—a glimpse of what the full-sized boat will look like when complete. Richard built this model as a hands-on learning experience, practicing the stitch-and-glue construction techniques and walking through the full building process on a smaller scale.
The same process used to craft the model will guide the construction of the real boat when the full-size kit arrives this December. Building the model wasn’t just fun—it was essential preparation for the long months of work ahead.
The Journey Moves Forward
This boat represents more than wood, epoxy, and hours of labor. It marks the transition from planning to action. Every step brings us closer to the launch date in August 2026, when this dory will begin its 2,000+ mile journey down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
We’re grateful to Chesapeake Light Craft for their advice and expertise and to all of you following this adventure. More updates are coming soon—next stop: building the full-size dory.
Stay tuned, and stay resilient.
The Journey Begins
We have started filming!
We’re thrilled to share a major milestone in the Building Resilience project—filming for the documentary has officially begun. Even more exciting, this launch coincides with Richard beginning his physical and mental training for the 2,000+ mile Mississippi River expedition. The journey to August 2026 has truly started.
With our electronic press kit now in development, the project is shifting from dream to motion. And the clock is ticking.
A Big Goal. A Short Timeline. A Powerful Mission.
Between now and August 2026, we have a massive amount of work ahead of us—
Build the dory that will carry Richard from the river’s headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico.
Learn to sail and prepare for the physical demands of a month-long voyage.
Begin interviews with individuals who have faced extraordinary challenges, exploring what grit, connection, and resilience look like in the real world.
This documentary isn’t just about one man and a boat—it’s about how all of us grow stronger through adversity, support, and intentional community. These stories will become the heart of the film.
We’re Excited to Begin
There’s a shared energy in the air as cameras roll, interviews line up, and the first steps of this massive project take shape. Every day brings us closer to launching the dory, launching the documentary, and launching an invitation for people everywhere to rediscover their own strength.
More updates are on the way—follow along as Building Resilience comes to life.
