An outdoor enthusiast and wordsmith,Jon Bellhas been writing from his home base in the Portland, Oregon, area since the late 1990s. After growing up in Mansfield, Ohio, Jon got a bachelor's degree in history from Michigan State University, then traveled extensively across the American West before landing in Portland. His first published pieces were about some of his backpacking and climbing excursions in the Northwest, including countless weekends on Mount Hood. His work has appeared inBackpacker, The Oregonian, The Rowing News, Oregon Coast, and many other publications. He is also co-author of the climbing guidebook,Ozone, and a former president of the Ptarmigans Mountaineering Club. He… lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with his wife, two kids, and a black Lab.