From Professor to Mountain Entrepreneur

Salt Lake City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 29, 2026 · 1m

After walking away from a tenured professorship and best-selling books, Joe Vogel traded academia for the mountains—launching Timpanogos Hiking Co., a thriving seven-figure outdoor brand born from personal crisis, grief, and rediscovery on Utah’s trails. What started as therapy amid divorce, depression, and pandemic isolation became a movement rooted in Romantic ideals, selling apparel that connects hiking to mental wellness. Even as he mourns his parents—whose support fueled his bold dreams—he keeps writing and hiking, proving that purpose can bloom where stability once stood. Support the…