“I count time from now.”
That’s what Nathan Clark told himself when, at age 15, he stood atop Mount Olympus and gazed down at the world below.
He hadn’t even wanted to take the trip—his father had literally packed his bag for him and sent him on his way—but standing with the moraines and glaciers in his sights he was overcome by the experience.
“I didn’t know this stuff existed, and I realized what a waste of a life I’d had,” he remembered in an interview, Sept. 29.
From that point on, Clark has had an undying passion for the outdoors, especially mountaineering. Experiencing nature, he explained, humbles people; allows them to get over their illusions of importance and focus on becoming a better person.
It was with that passion in mind that he came to Jasper, taking a job as the new English and drama teacher at the Jasper Junior/Senior High School. With him came his wife—who’s also a teacher—and their five kids, who range in age from nine to 15.
Clark explained that he and his family had lived in Central Alberta, where he taught, for more than 10 years. He had settled into the idea that that is where he would stay, but he couldn’t shake the call of the mountains.
In 2004, after his kids were old enough for him to “leave the nest,” he made the ambitious decision to summit Mount Assiniboine. He weighed 280 pounds at the time, and didn’t make it.
Three years later, after getting in shape and taking all the proper courses, he accomplished his goal, reinforcing—and even bolstering—his love of mountaineering and the outdoors. He started teaching outdoor education at his school, and became a mountain guide.
When his wife finished school and the family needed a change of pace, he went on an application spree, blanketing the country’s schools with resumes. He had no expectations when he applied for a job in Jasper, so when he got the call it “literally was a dream come true” for him.
“It really couldn’t have worked out any better.”
In fact, the move was so welcome that it reinvigorated Clark’s desire to write, and since arriving in Jasper he has returned to his fantasy novel, which was on hold for the past couple of years.
With that renewed inspiration, and delight at his new job, he is more excited than ever to get in the classroom and teach.
“It just feels like I can think about that more—and that really helps me be a better teacher.”
Trevor Nichols
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