Coloradoan Winter - your source for winter fun, ski-reports

November 25, 2001
Tim Nielsen
FAMILY STATUS: Single, girlfriend Georgina Walker, Georgina's 7-year-old daughter Mallory, Labrador retrievers

Molly and Shasta and a cat named Cyrus.
    AGE: 41.
    NICKANMES: I'll pass on that.
    OCCUPATION: Estimator for RC Heath Construction Company in Fort Collins and president of Tim Nielson's Western Exposure Inc.
    WHERE YOU BEEN: Born and raised and Northbrook, Ill., graduate of the University of Texas, and worked in Dallas and Chicago before moving to Fort Collins sight unseen in 1999. His first job was in Greeley but he said the smell of Monfort's feedlots prompted him to settle in Fort Collins.
    ADVENTURES: In two years living in Colorado he has gone on 125 hikes and hiked nearly 500 miles (he keeps a log of every outing) in the Rocky Mountains, backpacking in the Grand Tetons, rafting the Arkansas and Snake rivers and patrolling for the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers.
    How does a city slicker from Chicago end up in dusty old Fort Collins?
    I first really got interested in Colorado as a kid. I heard John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High'' and I thought how great it would be to live out there. It took me awhile to get out here but it was worth the wait.
    You've done a lot of hiking in two short years. What's the draw?
    I didn't move here to stay inside. I've met people who said I've hiked more miles in two years than they have living in Colorado for 10 years. I consider living here 52 days of vacation (weekends) a year.
    What's your favorite picture?
    It's hanging up in Gib's NY Bagels at Harmony and Lemay. It is a shot taken just beyond Blue Lake. There is a path at the bottom of the picture that leads up a hillside, and over the hill is a great billowing cumulus cloud in an August sky. It captures the spirit of what I do.
    What do you get out of making photographs?
    I like my pictures to show people what we have out here. If they see it, hopefully they will appreciate it and ultimately preserve it. Funny how now it's almost to the point where you want to go "shhh," because we have enough people.
    Where are some of your favorite places to shoot?
    I like to shoot landscapes, mountains with wildflowers. I like Yankee Boy Basin near Ouray, Steamboat Springs, Blue Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park and Snowy Range. Not too many people know about Snowy Range.
    Ever forget to put film in your camera?
    No, but I have gotten caught with low batteries.
    What's something that most people don't know about you?
    I'm a huge John Denver fan. There is no question he has been a huge factor in my life as far as me coming to Colorado. I also have a philosophy minor and am a fan of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Oh, and I have Horse Whisperer poster on my closet door. I'm a huge Robert Redford fan.
    What's your favorite beverage?
    Water, but I do indulge in a beer on occasion, and Georgina and I like Schlossadler wine from California.
    What's your main camera and how many cameras do you own?
    A Nikon N80 with a 28-200 mm zoom lens is my main camera. I also have a Canon point-and-shoot and an HP digital camera.
    Why not become a full-time photographer?
    I tried it and decided I could starve to death following my dream. The dream had to be funded, so that's why I work.
    Advice to get people out to shoot photos?
    Don't be afraid of failing. That only means you are trying. Just go do it and see what happens.
    Final thoughts?
    Remember that the journey is part of the destination. Slow down and enjoy the ride. Live the life you enjoy and, like Robert Redford says in the Horse Whisperer, "enjoy the day."
    Do you know of someone who is an adventurous type who we could feature in our Q&A section? If so, please write to the Coloradoan, Miles Blumhardt, 1212 Riverside Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80524, fax the person's name and phone number to 970-224-7899, call 970-224-7743 or e-mail milesblumhardt@coloradoan

Copyright 2001 the Coloradoan.
Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service.
(updated August 1, 2001).
Send us your questions and comments.