I AM HERE
REI // Oregon-Washington
“My parents never even thought about climbing a mountain.” Yesenia, grew up living in a small farmer’s cabin in the apple orchards of the Hood River Valley. As a child, she playing sports but never knew about outdoor recreation, despite being surrounded by Mt Hood and hundreds of miles of trails. Her first experience was going to Multnomah Falls, a roadside stop outside Portland. “I didn’t know what you needed in order to do that stuff. Did you need a permit, a ticket? It wasn’t until college that I realized that all the trails and outdoors were free for all of us to use.” Watch Yesi's journey to climb Mt St. Helens and pursue her American dream.
Story Design + Cinematography: Michael Hanson and David Hanson, Modoc
Editor: Mark Bashore, Plains of Yonder
Aerial Cinematography: Andy Maser
Colorist: George Costakis, Piñata Post
Sound Mix: PKA Scotty Beam, Cleod9 Music
Additional Support: The Castros Family, Trout Creek Orchard, JT Lehman, Jose Muro, Mercado Guadalajara