Today's Featured Biography

 
Daniel Brown

After graduating from NGHS I attended Adams State College, obtaining a B.A. in Biology in 1976. I later completed a M.S. in Park and Resource Management at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA. I began working as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service (NPS) at Great Sand Dunes National Monument (now National Park and Preserve) in 1975 while still in college. I subsequently worked as a Park Ranger at Death Valley National Monument (now National Park), Olympic National Park in Washington State, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Curecanti National Recreation Area (now part of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park), Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (the reservoir behind the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State), Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta, CO, and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in New Orleans. I then became a Park Superintendent at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park then at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area - both in the Atlanta, GA area, followed by Superintendent at Gulf Islands National Seashore in Gulf Breeze, Florida. I retired from the NPS in January 2021 after 45 years of service.

I met my wife Karen in Spokane, Washington, and we got married in 1993. We have two daughters, Megan (28) and Jenny (24). Karen loves the beach and the ocean, so we decided to retire here in the Pensacola, Florida area. My heart is still in the mountains, and I return to Colorado each summer to backpack and climb. In 2009 I began a life goal of hiking the entire Continental Divide through Colorado and climbing all the 14,000 ft. peaks along the way. Since the 14ers are not all along the Divide, it has created a rather circuitous route. I completed my trek in July 2022,nearly 1600 miles and 64 14ers. I still have a few 14ers to climb that I missed due to bad weather or other reasons. Technically there are 53 "official" 14ers, but there are 21 other peaks over 14,000 ft. that lack the required 300 ft. drop in the saddle to the parent peak. I plan to climb all 74 peaks in case they change the rules in the future.

Our oldest daughter Megan completed a bachelors degree in music education at the University of West Florida and teaches music in Pensacola. Jenny got a cosmetology certificate at Pensacola State College and is working as a hairdresser in Pensacola. Megan takes after me in her love of the outdoors, and we've gone backpacking together. Jenny is more like her mom, enjoying the amenities of city life.

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