Threading the film…
Threading the film…
Four years ago, I stood at Toketee Falls carrying nearly 170 pounds more than I do today. This week, I came back. Same trail. Same waterfall. Same incredible view. But a completely different body and a completely different life. This isn’t really a weight-loss story. It’s a mental health story. For years, I’ve said I go on stupid hikes to stupid waterfalls for my stupid mental health, and I mean it. These hikes have never been about burning calories or chasing fitness goals. They’ve been about getting outside when anxiety, depression, or life tells me to stay home. They’ve been about finding peace in places that remind me how much bigger the world is than whatever I’m carrying. Toketee Falls is one of Oregon’s most beautiful waterfalls, where the North Umpqua River plunges through an ancient basalt canyon created by volcanic activity thousands of years ago. If you visit, please respect this incredible place by staying on the trail, packing out everything you bring in, and following Leave No Trace principles. This video was filmed on the ancestral homelands of the Molalla, Modoc, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Takelma, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and other Indigenous peoples who have cared for this land since time immemorial. If this video encouraged you to get outside, I’d love to hear where your “stupid hike” is. 📍Toketee Falls, Oregon If you enjoy videos about hiking, mental health, public lands, and finding healing in nature, make sure to subscribe. New adventures every week.