Patrick Boyd was born in Franklin, Tennessee and had an affinity for being outside since childhood, whether it be playing in the woods behind his house or spending his time on the various reservoirs and forests of Tennessee. He completed his first real backpacking trip when he was 7 years old, scaling Mt. Leconte, the highest peak in Tennessee. His passion for the outdoors was solidified. He learned of his passion for the great West on family vacations as a teenager. He knew then he would one day leave his beautiful homestate of Tennessee to explore the mountains and deserts of the west. Patrick received his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science with a concentration in Conservation Biology from Tennessee Technological University. While in school, he spent countless weekends exploring the caves, rivers, waterfalls, and reservoirs on the Highland Rim and Cumberland Plateau and spent three summers as a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger of Tennessee State Parks at Burgess Falls State Park. After completing his degree, it was time to move to the great West to find new things to explore. From 2011 to 2013, he spent the majority of his time in Crested Butte, Colorado, skiing and bagging peaks and trout in the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. For the summers of 2013 and 2014, he decided to forego paying rent and camped beside the beatiful Slate River outside of Crested Butte so he could have more time to explore the rivers and peaks surrounding Crested Butte. Now a resident of Flagstaff, Arizona, Patrick stays busy exploring the mountains, deserts, gorges, and canyons of the area. His love for the beauty in the four corners region, including the Grandest Canyon of them all, fuels his ever­growing passion for the astounding nature that has offered him happiness since he was a child.