Still Wild

Sonoran Gold turquoise · Sterling silver · Miyuki Japanese glass seed beads · Handmade sterling silver clasp · Adjustable 17”–21½” · One of a kind

I cut my teeth on wilderness in Oregon’s Cascade Range. This was before wildfire changed so much of the landscape, before a pandemic sent people searching for space in the woods. Back when the wild places I knew still felt truly wild. Like me.

I’d disappear with a climbing partner, a boyfriend, or my friend Sweaty Tony, setting our sights on a snow-covered peak: one of the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Mt. Thielsen. Getting there meant wandering through deep, cool forest, past small ponds tucked among the firs. Mahogany and umber braided through the bark. More shades of green than I could count, from nearly black to almost gold.

And the water! Crystal clear. Still enough to hold the forest in reflection.

Those places probably have trails through them now. But in my memory, they remain quiet, colorful, cool, and waiting to be discovered.

Still Wild was made from that memory. But maybe it holds one of yours, too. A trail you once wandered, a clear mountain pond reflecting the trees, the smell of fir and damp earth, or a place you found almost by accident and never quite forgot.

We carry those places with us long after we leave them. This necklace is a little piece of mine, waiting to become part of your story.