My First Map Journals:
I made my first map journal from outdated and torn topo maps of the Beartooths in Montana when I was working as an instructor for Voyageur Outward Bound School. I’ve always loved them as field journals, and the ones I made are the few journals that I managed to write in all the way through, so they always stuck with me as having some kind of special quality about them. The solid maps and the side column pages made for a creative place to keep me writing and generating ideas, and to this day those first journals are my most creative and inspired.
Map Legacy
I jumped at the opportunity to take a huge stack of Oregon maps when Oregon Wild went through their office in preparation for a move to a new location. A bonus is knowing that the original Oregon Wild staff member who perused those maps was Tim Lillebo, our Lorax who spoke for the trees. He was a humble activist who valued collaboration, the power of wilderness, river running, and wise use of resources. He would love to know that his precious maps are being repurposed for recording others adventures, I’m sure of it.
Journal Details:
Each journal is one topographic quadrant. I cut up 3 maps, all the same, and lay it out so that the cover highlights an interesting aspect of the map or place, on the cover, then layer the rest of the pages so that it follows from the NW corner and ending with the SE corner in the back. The backside of the journal will then always be identified by the quadrant name. Journals are 48 pages, and they are constructed to favor a right-hander with the blank side on the right. (Sorry, but custom orders welcome for you lefties). They are covered in a clear plastic sheet so it will be protected on your adventures, while still allowing the beauty of the cover to show through. Lastly, I hand spiral the journals together with copper using leftover electrical copper that I unwind from it’s twisted spools. I adore copper and find that it really complements these unique journals.
Oregon Map Journals 