Sitting in a room and putting it together; cutting away everything and finding the story … it’s sort of like magic.”

Greg Brotherton Jefferson County Commissioner and filmmaker

Greg Brotherton is perhaps best known for his role as a Jefferson County commissioner. But beyond the county courthouse he’s been working on a creative trek of his own.

“Hiking with a Local” is Brotherton’s latest video project, documenting the incredible hiking trails around the Olympic Peninsula and forming a story around intriguing locals connected to the particular paths.

The essence of the video series is, “Let’s go on a hike with people that really care about a trail, and let’s find a story,” Brotherton said. “I’ve always really liked storytelling.”

So far, Brotherton has released three videos for the series. The first video features locals Joe and Joy Baisch and their lifelong connection with the Dosewallips River Road near Brinnon. The second follows Josh Mahan and his relationship with Mount Walker Trail Number 894 in Quilcene. The third, and most recent upload, documents local resident Samara Jade’s connection with the Duckabush Trail close to Brinnon, and the multiple songs she wrote on her mandolin while hiking along the trail.

All three videos follow the subjects as they hike and share stories and memories made along the trails through the years. Anyone visiting Brotherton’s page might believe the videos were made by a crew of professionals with an ample budget, considering the crisp audio, eye-grabbing visual shots, and smooth storytelling. But the series is really just a two-person venture.

Although Brotherton controls most aspects of the series from raw B-roll to the finished product, he’s received a good amount of help with filming from Quilcene High School student and photographer Ewen LeRest.

“I enjoyed working with Ewen,” Brotherton said, noting the teen’s role in adding after effects, camera work, and other aspects to the series.

One of Brotherton’s favorite aspects of “Hiking with a Local” and filmography in general is the post-production phase. Getting to go through the shots and fashion a stimulating story against a backdrop of Olympic Peninsula trails and forests is one of the most gratifying parts of the project for him.

“Sitting in a room and putting it together; cutting away everything and finding the story … it’s sort of like magic,” he said.

Producing videos is more than just a hobby for the county commissioner, considering that he spent a lot of time as a videographer and creative director for production companies in Seattle. He loved the work at the time, but things changed as he got burnt out by the daily grind over time and had his first child.

He was into documentary filmmaking and produced community films while in Seattle.

“It wasn’t satisfying for me, but the filmmaking was satisfying,” he said.

After moving to the Peninsula and becoming a county commissioner in 2018, Brotherton got the opportunity to go back to his filmography roots via “Hiking with a Local.” Through the Jefferson Community Foundation and a project grant from a local organization Better Living Through Giving, Brotherton got the needed boost to start the series.

“We were having conversations on how to tie the Quilcene community and Brinnon to these trails,” he said. “The close connection that locals have with so many trails,” is what sparked the idea.

After finding willing subjects to talk about their relationship with local trails, the project kicked off and developed into Hiking with a Local.

“We just want to share stories, there’s no profit anywhere,” he said. “Personally, I really enjoy it and want to do more.”

Although he was reticent about sharing any details for future videos, Brotherton believes more could out come later in the year. He also wants to develop series centered around the trails and environment of the Olympic Mountains, such as “Biking with a Local” or an overnight camping and backpacking video project.

To learn more about “Hiking with a Local” and see the videos for yourself, visit Brotherton’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/channel/UCSD83v7Qs17auHi9mytbe4Q.