Hey there, I’m Erica Cole! I’m the voice and personality behind SawtoothLife. Let me introduce myself, tell you some tidbits about me and why I started SawtoothLife.
About Me
Before Stanley, Idaho
There are very few locals that can claim they were born and raised in Stanley, Idaho. Sadly, I’m not one of them. Guilderland, New York was my old stomping ground from 6th grade into my adult life.
Just before Stanley, I worked for a health insurance company with a 401k plan, PTO, health benefits and a salary that allowed me to live comfortably. It was a good life, but I wanted to experience life outside of corporate world. I wanted to experience The West – just like I read in all those cowboy romance novels.
My quarter-life crisis started at age 29. I believed that if I worked on a ranch for one summer, I would get this whole ‘west thing’ out of my system. And when I returned to New York, I would be ready to step back into my corporate world cubicle, settle on Mr. Okay, pump out two kids and live in my dream home with a wrap-around porch that I couldn’t afford. Hey, it couldn’t be that bad since all my friends were doing it!
Finding a Seasonal Position
In January 2003, I was granted a leave of absence from my health insurance ‘Big Girl’ job to look for a summer seasonal position at a ranch out west. For the next three months, I applied for any position at almost every single ranch in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. I swear the interviewers must have conspired against me. They all rejected me for the same reasons. “You’re over-qualified. You make too much money. You live in New York.” All I wanted was for someone to take a chance on an almost 30 year old female who wanted to experience life on a ranch for the summer. I would have paid them!
In April I was offered a seasonal position at a guest ranch in Stanley, Idaho. Yep, the job search extended into Idaho. I remember hanging up the phone and saying, “Where IS Idaho?” Potato images flashed through my mind. C’mon, isn’t that all anybody knows?
Stanley, Idaho
Getting to Idaho was a challenge for me. I couldn’t read a road map to get from upstate New York to Stanley, Idaho. In my logistical planning brilliance, I loaded my Nissan Altima onto a car carrier (seriously!) and had it delivered to a hotel in Ketchum. Two weeks later, I landed in the Sun Valley airport, picked up my car at the hotel and headed north.
Mother Nature smacked me in the face as I drove over the Galena summit and into the Sawtooth Valley. Snow-capped mountains replaced skyscrapers. Wide open spaces replaced sprawling suburbia. Meadows bursting with wildflowers replaced parking lots. Wildlife replaced people.
That summer at the guest ranch changed me. I learned independence. I learned that I loved to hike. I learned how to live with an open mind and heart. I learned money doesn’t buy happiness. I learned that I loved the hospitality industry. I learned that I needed more than one summer in the Sawtooth Valley.
Fast forward to present……
Although I left the guest ranch in December 2021, I’m grateful Stanley continues to be my home. For the past 20+ years, I explored and photographed the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA). There is so much to see, do and learn here that I’m constantly adding to my bucket list. I’m excited to share my past, present and future adventures with you in blogs and social media.
Tidbits about me
- I‘m a socially awkward introvert. While I have the ability to talk to myself, small talk doesn’t come easily to me in social settings.
- I met my life partner and soulmate, Joe (aka Paw), right here in Stanley. He has been my rock and cheerleader for over 5 years. Paw will be featured in upcoming blogs on our life in a small town. Hey, it’s not all about wining and dining in Stanley!
- I’m proud to be the Business Manager for the Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association. It’s rewarding to be a part of an organization whose mission is to protect and advance the natural and cultural history of Idaho’s Sawtooth–Salmon River Country through preservation and education. Yep, the same place that I fell in love with in 2003.
- If I could be reincarnated as an animal, I would choose to be an alpha-female wolf. Wouldn’t it be cool to have first-hand knowledge into the controversial wolf debate?
- Whenever a Wham! song plays on the radio, I crank it up and belt it out. There’s nothing quite like I Want Your Sex or Wake Me Up Before You Go Go to reminisce about the 80s oversized shirts, big hair and shoulder pads.
- I have been a Mary Kay consultant for 15 years. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to sell you any products. But if you need any, you know where to find me.
- I would travel to the ends of the earth to see the northern lights or maybe someday I’ll just head north to Alaska.
- Gone With The Wind is my all-time favorite book. Scarlett O’Hara’s fiery spirit, strong will and independence coupled with her selfishness and vanity created a lasting impression on me as a teenager.
- I love novelty socks! My sock drawer is overflowing with socks that inspire confidence, express my mood or make me chuckle.
- Being extremely self-disciplined has its advantages. It drives me to workout every day (shout out to BeachbodyOnDemand).
- Hiking and cross country skiing are my go-to outdoor recreational activities that keep me sane. And, yes, I talk to myself on these jaunts!
Why did I create SawtoothLife?
In October 2019, Joe (Paw) and I were eating dinner while staring out our window. We talked about how blessed we are to live in Stanley and to have this Sawtooth Mountain view. We decided it would be selfish to keep it all to ourselves. The concept of SawtoothLife was born.
My love for writing and my passion for Stanley, Idaho are also the driving forces behind SawtoothLife. The website was created to share this unobstructed Sawtooth view with you and the blogs and social media posts are my ways to bring the Sawtooth Valley into your life.
Welcome to SawtoothLife. I hope you enjoy your stay here.
Please share in the comments your first experience in Stanley, Idaho.