Melissa Jones Employee Spotlight
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in Highland, UT, went to college at the University of Utah for Nursing, but eventually ended up with a Master’s in Special Education. I spent 15 years working in Elementary schools as an aide and eventually a teacher. I made a choice to leave my teaching job to go back and pursue a Master’s in Psychology but found myself working with an environmental engineering firm doing mine reclamation & remediation. I loved the change of environment and content, so I scrapped my plans for school and decided to stay and work in engineering. I eventually transitioned into civil engineering, and fun fact, I worked with the team that helped design the Cannibal ride at Lagoon. I was commuting daily from Highland to downtown Salt Lake, so I finally took a job working at the corporate office for Costa Vida as part of their IT team. My good friend worked for Liberty Mountain and told me to apply, it sounded like something I would be interested in, and so here I am today.
I have been a single mom with my two kids for 12 years now, my son Mason is 15 and my daughter Averie is 12 and they are my partners in all things crime and adventure. I am a part time (feels like full time) dance mom, and in the summer, I am my son’s mountain bike carpool pickup. Sometimes I get 20 minutes of free time in my shower with a glass of wine lol.
What is your role at Liberty Mountain?
I was hired on as a customer service representative 3 years ago, then moved over to be the E-commerce sales rep, and now am part of the Sales Management team.
What is a typical day like for you at Liberty Mountain?
Mornings are all about getting orders out to ship, running company sales numbers, and then diving into any credits/returns, dealer follow up questions, processing applications, processing backorders, and helping assist any of the sales reps. I always have a list of “projects” that I am working on, and like to find ways to help streamline processes, systems, data, etc.
What are your favorite outdoor activities?
Adventure hiking, and quite possibly I made that name up, but I love to find a line on the mountain or a feature and just go for it. I spend a lot of time on Google Maps looking for back roads, off the beat mountain ranges, etc. and then make a huge effort to get out to see the spots I have tagged. If there is water, I will jump in, and often try and plan my trips around a swimming hole, stream, river, or spring.
I have been climbing since 2009, and love jumping on ropes, but my absolute favorite is bouldering. I love the flow, problem solving, and social aspect that you just don’t get with ropes. I also like that I alone am in control of the situation, including the fall. I am way more cautious and reserved when I climb on ropes with a partner, but when I boulder all that goes away, and I tend to take more risks and push myself.
I am not a huge winter person, but I do occasionally enjoy going resort skiing or snowboarding. I absolutely love getting out on my cross country skis into the backcountry, and spend most time in winter up American Fork canyon.
What is your favorite outdoor area?
I currently have been loving exploring Utah’s west desert and pushing into the Eastern side of Nevada. The Deep Creek and Ruby Mountains are a couple ranges that I spent some time exploring in the last few years. I have my eye on the Jarbridge Wilderness Area and Great Basin National Park for 2022!
My backyard in Highland is right on the south side of my favorite ridgeline in the Wasatch (Lone Peak through to Catherine’s Pass). In the last 10 years I have really tried to link all the peaks and ridgelines, find new access routes, and have done quite a few through hikes from the north to the south. When the weather is good, I am always walking out my backdoor onto a trail into the foothills somewhere.
What is your first memory of spending time outdoors?
I grew up 1 mile from the mouth of American Fork canyon, so I was always driving up with the windows rolled down making mental notes of side canyons, caves, and spots that I wanted to eventually hike to. I spent every summer on family vacation either in southern California at the beaches, up on the Oregon coast on the Smith River, or at Sunriver in Bend, Oregon. I was always trying to keep up with my dad, hiking Timpanogos, Pittsburgh Lake, and any other trail he would let me tag along on.
What are other activities that you enjoy?
I love to sketch & watercolor, and love to give out framed paintings as gifts for friends and family. I always have a puzzle out on my table that I am working on, and usually get through one a week. I used to have quite a few horses and if ever I get a chance, I love riding! I like to also keep my eye out for traveling exhibits at the natural history museum, local markets, festivals, music events, etc. I do probably spend as much free time as I can outside in nature, it just helps me reset.
What is your dream vacation spot?
I would love to visit Turkey, Argentina & surrounding areas, various parts of Africa, Egypt, so many places. I do have a hard time just sitting at a beach or a pool, so I am more into seeing historical places, and I love how old some of the sites, architecture, and cultures are in those countries and would love to explore some of their wilderness areas.
Do you have an inspirational hero?
I have never really identified anyone as my hero, but my dad did instill a passion for the outdoors and adventure. He is the hardest worker I know, and we both have a obsessive-compulsive tendencies so we just get each other’s quirks.
What is one of your favorite pieces of gear that you cannot live without?
This probably does not count, but coffee and a pair of Birkenstocks.
My current favorite piece of gear is the MSR Trailshot Microfilter and a Silo 48oz Nalgene. I take them literally everywhere with me, especially since I never really know where I am going to end up in the mountains. I always feel better knowing I have at least some way to filter water if I end up staying overnight in the wilderness…not on purpose.
What is your favorite food to chow-down after a long day of adventuring?
Food always tastes better camping, and I make the best veggie tacos and veggie Tikka Massala on my camp stove. I take every vegetable you can image, slice it in half, cook it over a skillet with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and then serve over a warm corn tortilla with melted queso fresca. Day two, I use the leftover veggies and add Tikka Masala sauce and some basmati rice and honestly it sounds so simple, but it is sooo good! If I am hiking in town, I usually like to hit Porcupine for some veggie nachos and a beer.
Liberty Mountain is so lucky to have Melissa as part of the team! She is the first to lend a hand, knows the ins and outs of everything, and always has a fun, positive outlook. She helps make everyday enjoyable and is awesome to work with!
