Each month, we’re highlighting the people and organizations who make the Gallatin Forest Partnership tick. This month, the spotlight’s on GFP member Robin Barker.
Hey Robin, tell us a little about yourself!
I was raised on the Big Island of Hawaii in a little town called Kamuela, where my parents both taught at a local private school. During the summers, our family would take a trip to the mainland to visit relatives and go camping and exploring around the western U.S. My parents had built a cabin on property they bought in Rock Creek near Missoula before I was born and we’d spend several weeks there every summer where I learned to fly fish and explored the area. Some of my fondest early memories are from these trips, and Montana has been close to my heart ever since. We moved to northern California when I was 11 and I spent junior high and high school there before moving to Montana for college, excited to be close to fishing, mountain biking, and skiing opportunities. Flash forward 25 years and I am married and raising two amazing young girls here in Livingston where I’ve lived for the last six years.
So tell me a little more about what brought you back to Montana.
I came to Montana to go to MSU, escape the hectic nature and traffic of the Bay Area, and to be closer to the Montana I remembered from my youth. I love the outdoors and the incredible wild nature of the landscape here.
Go Cats! How did you get involved with the Gallatin Forest Partnership?
I joined the Livingston Bike Club shortly after moving to Livingston in an attempt to learn more about the biking opportunities in and around Park County and to ride with friends who live here. The bike club was already a partner of the GFP, and after our former club president had to move away, I stepped in to be the president of the club and began to learn the ins and outs of the club’s involvement and the larger picture of the GFP’s scope and partnerships
What do you do for fun?
I love most all outdoor activities, but skiing and mountain biking are my favorite. Camping, backpacking and being on the water (especially now that my kids are getting old enough to participate) are also some of my favorite things to do for fun.
What do you do for work?
After graduating from MSU in ‘04 with a BS in physics, I started to work full time at Bridger Bowl as a chairlift mechanic, having worked part time in various capacities for Bridger to work my way through college. I have now been in the lift maintenance department at Bridger full time year round for just under 20 years.
Bridger, and president of the Livingston Bike Club.
What are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about always learning new subjects, building and fixing things, and raising my kids to appreciate the natural order of the world.
Why is the GFP important to you?
The mass migration of people to this area in the 25 years I’ve been living in Montana and the intense pressure it has put on all our recreational and environmental resources keeps me in step with the GFP. Preserving a balance between recreation, industry and wild untrammeled areas is hugely important and will be more important than ever with each new resident we take in.
What is your favorite part of our local landscape?
This is tough because I’ve enjoyed so many places within the landscape over the years, but the West Pine area in the northeastern part of the Gallatin Range and the Chestnut Mountain area have become my favorite areas to bike and hike nearby and offer me a somewhat secluded feeling and some of my favorite views.
Want to learn more about how the Gallatin Forest Partnership proposal will protect the wildness, wildlife, recreation, and clean water that make our corner of Montana so special? You can explore the full proposal here and show your support by endorsing it here.