The Dirtbag Diaries

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Acceptable Conduct

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:15:00 -0000

Years of dedication to conservation biology and an enduring love for animals led SJ Joslin to their dream job running the Big Wall Bats program in Yosemite National Park. But after hanging a flag on the side of El Capitan, they were fired, upending their life and sending them on a journey to better understand their rights and their duty to their community. And SJ must decide how far they would go to stand by their right to free speech.

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The Shorts– Joy is Resistance

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:15:00 -0000

When immigration enforcement raids came to Los Angeles, Vanessa Herrera was packing her two kids into the car to head out on a rafting trip on the Klamath River. On their trip, Vanessa ponders the duality of being a Latina river rat and wonders how she can ensure her boys feel at home in their country’s wild places.

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Nate George: Ground Up

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:15:00 -0000

From a very young age, Nate George learned that if he wanted anything in this world, it was easier to just build it from scratch. In 2016, Nate opened a climbing gym in an old potato shed, financing it with revenue from his computer export business. Nate's return on investment was fostering a stoked climbing community in the flattest area of the United Kingdom.

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The Myth of Tehipite

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:15:00 -0000

On a flyfishing adventure to explore the High Sierra’s most remote valley, Rebecca Ramirez is the first to admit that, fifteen years ago, she’d have easily been voted “least likely to be here.” When she decides to cut the hooks off her flies and explore a new way to connect with trout, her dedication to conservation and commitment to mastery come full circle.

Much of the music in today’s episode is from Rebecca’s band Par Avion

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Kathy Karlo: No Man's Land

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:15:00 -0000

What does it take to create something that lasts? Kathy Karlo is the executive director of No Man’s Land Film Festival, the first film festival by and for women and genderqueer adventurers. Kathy talks to Diaries producer Lauren DeLaunay Miller about staying scrappy, finding hope through community, and securing a vibrator sponsorship.

No Man’s Land Film Festival is in Denver Saturday, March 7th.

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The Shorts– Winter Dreaming

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:15:00 -0000

Biting cold, freshly fallen snow, frozen lakes– what could be better? Brooke Maushund and Carrick Gambell take us through the joys of winter from the mountains of Patagonia to the forests of New England.

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Good Good Bad: Taipei 101

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:15:00 -0000

Saying yes to out of the box ideas can lead to incredible places. Alex Honnold’s live solo of the Taipei 101 tower seemed to spring out of nowhere, but it was the culmination of more than a decade of effort to make the moment happen. Today, we sit down for a debrief.

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Justin Krompier: Just Passin' Through

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:15:00 -0000

Gazing out at the magnificent coastline of Big Sur, Justin Krompier realized his day job wasn't going to cut it. Following a decades long battle with drug addiction, Justin decided to take a leap of faith, leaving the stability of a 9-5 for a life of adventure on the road with his camera.

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Good Good Bad: Golden Gravel Trail

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:15:00 -0000

In August of 2025, professional adventure cyclist Sarah Swallow spent over a month bikepacking from the Pacific Ocean to the Eastern slopes of the Rockies. Her goal? To scout a new formal bikepacking route developed by the Adventure Cycling Association which stretches from the Mississippi River to Oregon: The Golden Gravel Trail. Sarah breaks down the highs and lows of her mostly solo bikepacking trip.

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Running 50 Classics

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:15:00 -0000

Andy Cochrane hails from a Park Service cabin in Minnesota and has lived the life many dirtbags dream of. He spent years on the road, funding his travel through skillful storytelling and photography. While out on a long trail run, he realized something was missing, and decided to create it. As he brought friends and community members on board, he discovered someone else had the same idea.

It quickly starts to look like Andy, Ian MacLellan and Rickey Gates are in a race to complete the 50 Classic Trails of America, and the result will undoubtedly shape the future of trail running.

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Field Trip

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:15:00 -0000

As a high school teacher in Santa Maria, CA, Taylor Mihelic understands the power of a field trip. Whether it’s plant identification hikes through the forests, or habitat restoration projects on the coast, Taylor gets the best out of her students when there’s adventure in the air. During her summer break this year, Taylor took her own field trip on the tour divide bike race, exploring the edge of her limits and teaching herself a lesson in optimism along the way.

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

The Governor vs Climate Change

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 11:15:00 -0000

Time spent outside as kids can extend into our adult lives in incredible ways. Jay Inslee’s passion for being outside shaped his path from his three terms as governor of Washington all the way to the national level. His pioneering policy work is having an impact in Washington state and proving that change is possible if we bring our determination to the world’s biggest problems.

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Looking for a gift that will inspire? Our book,⁠ States of Adventure⁠, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your⁠ local shelves⁠ or order it here:⁠ geni.us/StatesofAdventure

And Then What Actions

Learn More about Oak Flat (Access Fund | Apache Stronghold)
Adelita Grijalva’s Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act

The Shorts– Almost Wild

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:15:00 -0000

Loss can create an emotional cocktail when something or someone is unceremoniously ripped from our life. Amie Renaud and Joanna Henry invite us along through their circuitous roads through grief.

After the sudden end of a relationship, Amie embarks on a grand bikepacking trip. Right as she’s finally settling in, she finds herself picking up the pieces again. Joanna hadn’t reconciled the loss of her brother. But a visit from an uninvited, and surprisingly tenacious, guest, forces her to reckon with those unresolved feelings.

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Diaries+ You can join today and we'll send you the Diaries theme song to use as your ringtone. Gift memberships available too.

Looking for a gift that will inspire? Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

Good Good Bad: Swimming Lake Powell

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:15:00 -0000

Shane Schieffer just swam the entire length of Lake Powell self-supported in 11 days. He also just turned 50 years old and had no previous experience in long distance swimming. Shane talks about following through on personal challenges, no matter how far-fetched they seem at the moment.

Check out ⁠Shane's Instagram for his videos that documented his swim.

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Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diaries- thank you! You can join today.

Looking for holiday gift ideas? Consider States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

The Shorts – A Frames & Vans

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:15:00 -0000

What do we want and what do we need? Sara Holzknecht started skiing every month of the year as a way to shake off the unexpected upheavals of life and the pandemic. Then her kids wanted in. Gabby Markel was living a dirtbag dream, but something was missing. She confronts the less glamorous aspects of vanlife and grapples with feeling untethered from community.

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

A Snowball's Chance Part 2

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:15:00 -0000

Mount Bachelor, one of America’s largest and beloved ski resorts, was put up for sale in August of 2024 after two decades of contentious corporate ownership. Sensing a sliver of opportunity, a high school teacher, a housing appraiser and local home builder launched a community campaign to put this ski hill back in the hands of locals. What started as a Facebook thread, snowballed into a legitimate would-be buyer with $100 million in local backing that collided into Wall Street players, the specter of climate change and the looming reality that the joy of skiing is no longer a simple business to run.

This is the 2nd episode in a two part series. Start with Part 1

Submit your Short by Nov 16th

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

A Snowball's Chance Part 1

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Submit your Short by Nov 16th

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Tales of Terror Vol. 16

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:15:00 -0000

We seek solitude. We find that place a little further out to camp, a couple of extra miles down trail. Sometimes curiosity pulls us farther off the beaten path. Maybe the late afternoon feels just a little more perfect in an isolated basin. But what happens when the darkness closes in, leaving us with only a bubble of tepid light from a headlamp?

Welcome to our annual Tales of Terror.

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Good Good Bad: Kílian Jornet

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Some people look at ranges and imagine lines. Kílian Jornet looks at continents. Last week, Kílian completed a truly incredible adventure that was hiding in plain sight. Over the course of 31 days, the renowned mountain athlete climbed 72 fourteeners in the lower, 48 connecting them all by bike. Before he left Washington, we had a chance to sit down and talk about how he approaches projects like States of Elevation.

Want to write a Short for the Diaries? We’re accepting submissions through Nov 16, 2025. More info

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The Shorts – Family Ties

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:15:00 -0000

The bonds we forge during mountain adventures and shared experiences, especially with family, can profoundly shape us. Explorer and author Mark Jenkins reflects on learning to rock climb in Vedauwoo from his swim Coach, and how those lessons permeated his life and eventually into teaching his own daughters how to climb.

Oak Jones's childhood was defined by keeping pace with his two older brothers. Though their paths have diverged, Oak organized a raft trip, because, he writes, “Relationships, like plants, need fresh water to grow.” Would their flimsy paddles be enough to navigate the Arkansas river?

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Magic River

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:15:00 -0000

The Mississippi River. The Big Muddy. The Great River. When musician JW Francis left the river’s source in northern Minnesota and started heading for the sea, he’d had about two hours in canoeing to his name and little idea of what to expect. What he learned and the people he met left a mark on his creativity and perspective.

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And Then What actions

Submit your comment about the Roadless Rule

Grand Canyon Trust’s form is specific to Utah and Arizona
Outdoor Alliance’s form works for all of the US

Explore Roadless Areas Near You

See if your Rep has co-sponsored Roadless Area Conservation Act (2025)

Good Good Bad: White Mountain Direttissima

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Five days, 231.82 miles, 85,967 vertical feet, nearly 94 hours of moving time - this is the White Mountain Direttissima as experienced by ultra-athlete Andrew Drummond. A rugged DIY run that connects all 48 of the White Mountains’ 4,000ft peaks in New Hampshire, the Direttissima has developed a lore of its own. Andrew shares his multi-year journey through the spectrum of microclimates, peaks, valleys, and stages of exhaustion.

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

The Shorts-- The Clearing

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:15:00 -0000

When big transitional moments occur in our lives, the way we navigate them and what helps shift our perspective can often come from unexpected places. After graduation and a summer of feeling melancholy, Carol Doyle challenged herself to a 50 mile bike ride hoping it would remove the figurative goggles that obscured the world around her. Heartbroken and seeking solitude at his family’s cabin, Ben Burke is unexpectedly joined by his dad.

Submit your Tale of Terror HERE by Sept 30th

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Seeing You Through

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Growing up as identical twins in England, Poppy and Thea Wardley were practically attached at the hip. Their lives finally diverged when Poppy enrolled in medical school and Thea attended university a few hours away. After a few years of burnout from the unrelenting pace of school, Poppy pitches Thea on a bold adventure thousands of miles away to reconnect their twinship– hiking the PCT.

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Endangered Spaces: The Ranger

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:15:00 -0000

For Sam Webster, public lands have been interwoven with life from the earliest age. He followed a path into public service with the Park and Forest Service, choosing stability and the ability to contribute to the great good. Until Feb 14th changed that course forever. What happens when the foundation you've built a life on begins to crumble?

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Three Wheelin'

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Every July, nearly 20,000 cyclists from around the world swarm the roads of Iowa for one week to ride across the state. It’s hot. It’s humid. And it’s not as flat as one may think. Iowa resident Caleb Smith shares his RAGBRAI journey, complete with a buffet of midwestern charm: homemade pies, barn parties, sunsets over fields of corn. But he doesn’t ride a bike, he inline skates. s.

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How To Do What You Love

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:03:00 -0000

Runner, writer, illustrator and all around human Brendan Leonard made a career of doing what he loves. Yes it’s passion and wild creativity, but it’s also the unheralded traits of persistence, thoughtful compromise and perspective that keeps him doing what he loves.

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

The Shorts -- Meet Marge and Mansfield

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Growth happens outside your comfort zone. Sometimes this comes by choice, like committing to guiding rafts on a new river and trading out your nimble kayak for the biggest barge in the fleet as Jessie Longe did. Sometimes you step out not even knowing it, like Lili Mitchell did when she showed up to a trailhead to an unexpected surprise. Either way, you must push through the rough waters ahead to walk away wiser.

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And Then What Actions

Learn more about the campaign at ⁠⁠Save The Boundary Waters⁠⁠.Raise your voice and call your Congress person to tell them why the Boundary Waters are important to you: 202-224-3121

Follow ⁠⁠Save the Boundary Waters⁠⁠ on Instagram to stay in the know.

Green Pit Of Death

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:30:00 -0000

To escape record breaking crowds in Zion National Park, Marco Siler-Gonzales decides to take his girlfriend, Lena Ohlson, on an unmarked and seldom hiked trail. Heading back towards the car, Marco leads Lena around a wrong turn, leaving them in a dangerous situation. Years later he struggles to come to terms with his actions.

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Good Good Bad: Emily Ford and the Iditarod

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 10:15:00 -0000

In March of 2025, Emily Ford lined up at the starting line of one of the world’s most difficult races – The Iditarod. To race this iconic event hadn’t been a lifelong dream but rather the next step on Emily’s pursuit of her passions – cold quiet places and four legged friends.

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And Then What Actions

3 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands are currently slated to be sold. Call your Senators and tell them: Don't Sell Public Lands.

Call 202-224-3121
⁠Write

The Shorts-- On The Other Side

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Finding out what we’re capable of takes trial and error and a whole lot of trust. For Meg Morris and Emmye Vernet, they each had a guide who helped them see another side of the outdoors.

For Meg, her dad fostered her love of fishing, from Maine to Alaska to Tijuana, and helped her navigate through an unexpected challenge. Though Emmye didn’t grow up feeling at home outside, her best friend Rose helps her revel in the outdoors, partnership and love.

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Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diaries and making our And Then What series possible. You can join today.

And Then What Actions

3 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands are currently slated to be sold. Call your Senators and tell them: Don't Sell Public Lands.

Call 202-224-3121
Write

Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts

Fri, 30 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

In the fall of 2015, photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko embarked on a journey to rally support to protect one of our most awe-inspiring national treasures: the Grand Canyon. Their method? A 700+ mile sectional thru-hike of the wilderness that lies between the rim and the river. They knew the trek would challenge them, but they had no idea how quickly and completely the canyon would leave them demoralized and physically destroyed.

The two of them were contemplating giving up, when, as Kevin puts it, ‘A miracle happened’.

Today, a story about three people who have dedicated the better part of their lives to developing a unique skill–and a project so complicated and important that it required their cumulative experience to pull it off. It’s also a story about friendship, and how friends working together for a common goal can lead to something greater than the sum of its parts.

In addition to writing A Walk in the Park, Kevin also wrote The Emerald Mile. We talked with him about that process in The Threshold Moment (Apple | Spotify)

Watch some of the highlights of Kevin and Peter’s hike.

Check out Pete’s photography and film work as well as Into The Canyon.

To learn more about the current threats to the Grand Canyon visit Save the Confluence

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⁠Kuat Racks⁠

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Then What Actions

Call your Senators at 202-224-3121
⁠Or write⁠ them

Rob Pope: Superhuman

Fri, 23 May 2025 10:15:00 -0000

In 1994, Forrest Gump took the box-office by storm and became a staple of cable TV reruns in the following decades. Its feel good message about a simple man who lived life heart first struck a chord, but hidden inside a six minute montage was a grueling test of the human limits -- a 15,000 mile ultrarun across the US almost five times. In 2018, Rob Pope became the first to complete this superhuman run, and became fascinated with others who push their limits.

Listen to Rob talk with other superhuman folks on How To Be Superhuman

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Then What Actions

Call your Senators at 202-224-3121
⁠⁠Or write⁠⁠ them

Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

Mr. H's Pivot

Fri, 09 May 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Mild-mannered, elementary school teacher Jason Hardrath may be a superhero. After competing in college as a cross country athlete, he turned to triathlons and then Iron Mans to push the limits of his endurance. Simultaneously, he developed his skills in the mountains and soon sought to combine the two, setting an audacious goal-- the first person to complete 100 Fastest Known Time (FKT). Jason's endurance and commitment seemed unending. That is, until he got COVID.

Cascade Trifecta FKT

Long COVID resources

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Find Your US Representative

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Call them! Your message can be simple– I’m a constituent who loves public lands. I’m urging Representative XX to ask leadership to remove the public lands sell off from the reconciliation bill.

Then What Actions

Call your Senators at 202-224-3121
⁠⁠Or write⁠⁠ them

See You Next Week

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:30:00 -0000

Over the last few years, students at Utah State University built a weekly ritual at their school gym to grow the climbing community on campus. When Utah’s legislature passed a contentious bill last year, that routine was stripped away after. Students rallied to raise awareness, fighting to keep their weekly meet-up alive.

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And Then What Actions

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Good Good Bad: Bike To Board

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Shifting paradigms is hard work, but sometimes it can be a whole heap of Type II Fun as well. In 2019, Stratton Matteson sought to find out if he could get away with only human powered mountain access for a whole year. Five years into his quest, he shares what he’s learned.

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And Then What Actions

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The Shorts– Arise

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:15:00 -0000

What does it take to run an ultramarathon? Or top out a boulder that makes you stretch what you think you're capable of? Tenacity. From our seat, we see it happen all the time in our community. Today, Coleman Wood and Brian Laidlaw bring us two stories about rising up and meeting the challenge that they laid out for themselves.

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And Then What Actions

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Running Past History

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:15:00 -0000

Just 10 years ago, the director of the Barkley Marathons declared that the race was too tough for any woman to complete it. Meanwhile, Jasmin Paris, a mild-mannered veterinarian from Scotland was smashing records in the ultramarathon world. It wasn’t too long before Jasmin set her sights on the Barkley.

It’s not everyday you make history. For Jasmin, breaking barriers comes naturally.

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And Then What Actions

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Back To The Boundary Waters

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:48:00 -0000

Erik Grams has been taking trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for over 30 years. It's his favorite place in the world. But last year, a fatal accident on a fishing trip that Erik was leading changed his life.

On this episode from our friends at Points North, we hear Erik's harrowing story and how he has wrestled with his feelings about a place he’s loved for decades.

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

Mountain Reinvention

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:15:00 -0000

After his personal life takes a surprise turn, Luis Alonzo dares to reinvent himself by trying something far outside his comfort zone– climbing Mt. Rainier. With a crew of other novice climbers, Luis spends six months prepping for summit day. Will the climb move him closer to being the person he wants to be?

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The Shorts— Without You

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:15:00 -0000

Loss. Grief. Healing. It’s part of being human. The emotions that almost tear us apart have the power to bring us together. Today, we bring you two powerful stories from Alison Kaplan and Monica Nigon.

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Good, Good, Bad: The Never Ender

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:00 -0000

It started so harmlessly. Four years ago, professional skier Brody Leven embarked on a simple challenge – exercise outdoors everyday. In a complicated moment in time and life, it was a way to exert some control over his day to day. It was never supposed to last forever.

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The Diagnosis

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Matt Martin and his fiancé, Hannah, were just starting out on their shared life, when a breast cancer diagnosis rewrote the script they’d imagined for life. Matt stepped into a new role – caregiver. Life became a blur of treatment, worry and existing with unknown outcomes. After a year of caring for Hannah, Matt received the chance to attend one of First Descent's week-long trips down the famed Rogue River. Under the guidance of legendary kayaker and cancer survivor Willie Kern, Matt’s week on the river left him with a lasting understanding of the difference between reacting and responding to the difficult stretches.

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Growing Home

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:15:00 -0000

Raised in the hollers of West Virginia, coal ran deep in Corey Lilly’s family, but it was the local ski hill with 600 feet of vertical that sparked his imagination and started an improbable run into professional skiing. After a head injury permanently impacted his vision and ended his career, Corey returned home to a struggling economy and the depths of the opioid epidemic. It takes a certain kind of person to see opportunity where others miss it and Corey went to work building a new future for himself and his community.

Learn more about the Grasstops Collective and get involved.

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Good, Good, Bad: Baja Cape Loop

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:15:00 -0000

Welcome to Good Good Bad, our series kickstarted by our Diaries+ Members. Every adventure has its good parts, even better bits and its difficult moments. These memories create rich experiences, friendships and learning. Today, we tackle the Cape Loop, a rugged, but rewarding bikepacking loop around the southern tip of Baja.

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Local: Alastair Humphreys

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:15:00 -0000

To celebrate a new year and new ideas, we bring you a conversation with Alastair Humphreys, adventurer, writer, and connoisseur of the microadventure. His new book, Local, flips the idea of what it means to explore on its head. Sometimes, you can go bigger by going smaller.

Submissions for The Shorts are open through January 19, 2025. Learn more or submit your essay today.

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The Shorts— In Focus

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:10:00 -0000

As the year comes to a close, two beautiful stories about stepping back, reflecting and moving forward from Phil Herbert and N.S. David. “I had one roll of film for the whole trip, which gave me eight frames. Nine if I was lucky,” begins Phil.

“I’ve done my fair share of wishing I was warm in my bed while strapped to the side of a granite monolith at 12,000 feet. I’ve torn holes in my clothes and my skin, I’ve broken bones,” writes N.S. as she explores the complexities of sharing her joys with her mother and their relationship.

Submissions for The Shorts are open through January 19, 2025. Learn more or submit your essay today.

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Live From Duluth

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:15:00 -0000

In late October, Fitz headed to Duluth, MN for a live Dirtbag Diaries in front of a packed house. Joined by professional skier and Lakota activist Connor Ryan, indie rock legend and avid runner Alan Sparhawk and adaptive advocate and adventurer Quinn Brett, it was a night to remember with stories about trying hard, healing and growth. Thanks to the Minnesota Land Trust for making it possible.

Submissions for The Shorts are open through January 19, 2025. Learn more or submit your essay today.

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Bridging Oceans

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 11:15:00 -0000

In 2020, partners Niki Choo and Jared Gentz started dreaming of an epic canoeing adventure. Two years later, they started paddling on the Pacific Ocean, embarking on a thousand-mile journey towards the Arctic that would test their skills, grit, and adaptability.

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The Shorts— Holding On By Letting Go

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0000

“I didn’t expect to get to the top, let alone send. I merely wanted to push the limits of what I believed was capable for myself,” writes Shara Zaia. With climbing, Shara found a space to push herself as she strove to climb harder routes and created a community of friends. Yet, even while flourishing, one question continued to arise for Shara– did she belong?

A version of this essay first appeared in The Climbing Zine in Spring 2024.

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Tales of Terror Vol. 15

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 10:20:00 -0000

In our annual Tales of Terror, we bring you three terrifying tales. Disembodied voices. Eyes in the alder. An enchanted clearing in the forest. Grab a friend (and maybe their hand) as these tales will have you peering over your shoulder. Happy Halloween!

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Endangered Spaces: Cochamó, Chile

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 10:15:00 -0000

Tucked away in a corner of Chilean Patagonia, Valle Cochamó wasn’t going to stay hidden forever. The soaring unclimbed granite walls instilled dreams of first ascents in climbers. Industrialists eyed its free flowing rivers with their potential for hydroelectric power. Conservationists hoped it could provide a final puzzle piece of an incredible protected wildlife corridor. To the families who live there, it was simply home where they ranched amidst the 3,000-year-old Alerce trees. This is the story of how a coalition of Chilean gauchos, climbers and activists fought off development efforts for two decades. Now there is an opportunity for a lasting conservation victory. How do you make the next Yosemite? You start by buying it.

Donate today: https://bit.ly/SavingCochamo

This episode was produced in collaboration with Climbing Gold. Listen to all episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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Winter Vacation

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:30:00 -0000

While most people curled up on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa, Emily Ford set out in the frigid winter to thru-hike Wisconsin’s 1200 mile Ice Age Trail. Over the course of their two and a half month winter vacation, Emily and her borrowed sled dog, Diggins, tested their endurance and found solitude, friendship, and beauty to last a lifetime.

Keep up with Emily as she trains for the Iditarod at Emily on Trail: https://www.emilyontrail.com/support

Emily's story is one that we adapted into a short essay for States of Adventure. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

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This episode first aired in 2021.

Pattie Gonia: Naturally Iconic

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 10:30:00 -0000

Wyn Wiley, often better known as Pattie Gonia, went out on a backpacking trip with an inkling of an idea and emerged walking a path. Today, Pattie Gonia’s feed is filled with joy– making music with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, headlining pride festivals, gravel biking– and most of the time it looks fun. But it’s what Wyn and Pattie have done with the decidedly less fun and hard parts of life that have profoundly shaped them. In this interview, Wyn and Fitz go deep on the birth of Pattie, nature as a muse, creativity, and facing fear.

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How To Make Your Vote Count

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 10:10:00 -0000

Graham Zimmerman knows how to make decisions under pressure. As a professional mountain athlete, his life depends on it. Nearly a decade ago, Protect Our Winters saw this and brought him and his skillset into the political sphere to advocate for climate change legislation. In today’s episode he shares some tools from his kit to help you make your own tough decisions at the ballot box this November.

Check your voter registration

CO + MT voting guides coming Oct 1: https://powactionfund.org/

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Mr Hodges

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 10:05:00 -0000

Some of the most powerful learning can happen outside the classroom. In the summer of 1975, public school teacher Mr. Hodges took 22 of his students on an unforgettable bike trip that would impact the rest of their lives. Grab your cut-off shorts, a 10-speed bike, and a sense of humor, and you’ll be along for the ride.

Submit your story for the 15th annual Tales of Terror episode

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This story first aired in 2020.

Testing The Waters

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 10:15:00 -0000

Luke, Job, and Jonah have been best friends since childhood, and with the end of high school looming, they set out on their biggest adventure yet. During a month-long quest to canoe from Job’s backyard in Franklin, Tennessee, to the Gulf of Mexico, they encounter storms, venomous spiders, and alligators putting their skills and stoke are put to the test.

Submit your story for the 15th annual Tales of Terror episode

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

Meet Your Heroes

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Jim Donini has been a climber for over 50 years– since well before Tad McCrea was born. As the two developed an unlikely intergenerational friendship during an epic trip in the mountains of Patagonia, both climbers realize that mentorship isn’t just about showing someone the ropes on your way to the summit. It’s about reflecting on the joys, regrets, and lessons learned along the way.

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The Shorts— Lookin' For Love

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:05:00 -0000

Love is a journey full of twists and turns. RC Shaw and Scott Johnson each found this out on their romps in the wild. Both barely made it, and their stories warn weary listeners of the dangers that lurk when falling too fast.

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States of Adventure– 30 stories adapted from The Diaries into a book– is available now for order: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

The Underdog

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

In the last few years, Alexandera Houchin has become a force in the world of ultra endurance mountain bike racing. As a Native kid growing up in Wisconsin, she never could have predicted the ways that racing her single speed would prove healing to both her mind and her body. In 2023, she set out to complete the Triple Crown Challenge– racing the Tour Divide, the Colorado Trail, and the Arizona Trail– all on a single gear.

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The Shorts— Going The Distance

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

When their lives felt out of their control, both Cindy Hong and Dierdre Wolownick turned to running for solace. Each of their stories is a reminder of the value of putting one foot in front of the other, no matter the speed or destination.

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Heed The Call

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Two people step outside their comfort zones to take action on the things that matter to them in the hopes of making their communities, and the world, a better place. For Caroline Gleich, that means running for a Senate seat in Utah. For Alex Haraus, that means advocating and mobilizing support for environmental protections using social media.

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Outside/In: 'Til The Landslide Brings It Down

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

We're sharing an episode from our friends at Outside/In. Their team of reporters combine solid reporting and long-form narrative storytelling that sits at the crossroads of the outdoors, science and the environment and how those themes interact with the rest of our world.

Til the landslide brings it down explores what happens when a growing threat of landslides collides with a housing crisis. Host Nate Hegyi visits Juneau to see one example of why, across the country, even the most progressive Americans are rejecting tough truths about climate change when it comes knocking at their own back door.

Listen to Outside / In on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or where you get your podcasts.

LINKS

You can check out Juneau’s new hazard maps, along with many of its neighborhood meetings, on their website.

Dive into why the insurance industry stopped providing landslide coverage to Southeast Alaska.

KTOO had a wonderful story on how a 1936 landslide that killed 15 people in Juneau became a faded memory.

Zach Provant, a researcher at the University of Oregon, spent months investigating the rollout of Juneau’s hazard maps.

Beth Rodden: A Light Through The Cracks

Fri, 24 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Beth Rodden first started climbing in 1995, and it wasn’t long before she radically changed the sport. Within three years, she’d become the first woman to climb 5.14; within five, she’d established a still unrepeated free route on Yosemite’s El Capitan. Today, Beth is making waves in a different way: by leading the climbing community in difficult, vulnerable conversations. Fitz chats with Beth about her new book, A Light Through the Cracks, and what it means to live a big life.

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States of Adventure book Pre-order

Fri, 17 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

We made a book! For the last year, Fitz and Becca have been working on adapting 30 episodes into essays and pairing them with incredible imagery. And we are really excited to be able to (nearly) share it with you.

You can pre-order States of Adventure: 30 Outdoor Adventure Stories About Finding Yourself By Getting Lost now through July 22nd. The book will hit shelves worldwide July 23rd.

Pre-order States of Adventure: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

Live From 5Point Vol. 10

Fri, 10 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Thirteen years ago Fitz got talked into doing our first live Dirtbag Diaries at 5Point Film Festival. So, we were thrilled to to return again for the 2024 festival and talk with Dr. John Francis, Taylor Rees and Renan Ozturk.

In 1971, John gave up motorized transportation after seeing the effects of an oil spill on wildlife. Months later he took a vow of silence that lasted 17 years. A forerunner in the intersectional environmentalist movement, we talked about the influence of the Beatles, loneliness, and finding home.

In the last 15 years, the creative lights of Taylor and Renan have shown as bright as any through art, through photography and film. They hold an incredible duality of bearing witness to the human spirit and on the flip side, they aren’t afraid to look at the difficult parts of human nature and its impact on animals, humans and our planet.

A Symphony of Tiny Lights Trailer

John’s book: Human Kindness: True stories of compassion and generosity that changed the world

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The Shorts— Everybody Loves Lyle

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

“With no roads to this wave, we had hiked in a dozen or so miles along the beach from the nearest town as a huge swell raged next to us,” writes Tyler Homen. A weekend of surfing with buddies turns epic when everyone’s favorite pup, Lyle, goes missing.

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Querencia (Español)

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:01:00 -0000

Creciendo en Michigan, Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada no creía que el esquí era cosa de ella, y no fue hasta que se mudo a Wyoming que descubrió la alegría que le podía traer. El año pasado, decidió esquiar el pico más alto de México, el Pico de Orizaba, con una meta significativa: incluir a sus papás, que nunca habían entendido completamente las actividades que hacía su hija, en el paseo. Durante este viaje, Vanessa reflexiona sobre qué significa pertenecer, crear acceso, y descubrir alegría.

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Homecoming (English)

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Growing up undocumented in Michigan, Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada didn't think skiing was for her, and it wasn't until she moved to Wyoming that she found how much joy it brought her. Last year, she set her sights on skiing Mexico's tallest peak, Pico de Orizaba, with a meaningful twist: her parents, who have never quite understood why skiing was so important to their daughter, would join her at basecamp. On this trip, Vanessa reflects on belonging, creating access, and finding joy.

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The Only Way Out Is Through

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Natalie Brechtel joined the U.S. Antarctic Program at the South Pole for a supposed dream gig, but instead it was the start of a year marked by harassment, a toxic work environment and loss. Despite losing the ability to trust both her colleagues and herself, she kept going back, redefining what it means to feel safe. A decade later, she faced one final exit challenge: to lead her team on a 26-day traverse to the South Pole.

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The Shorts-- Chasing A Vision

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

At different points in their lives, both Brice Ruiz and Ashley Lose found themselves at a crossroads. Brice wanted to run his first ultramarathon, but wouldn’t call himself a “runner.” Ashley and her partner had just hit the road when she found out she was pregnant, pushing them to reconsider their definition of home. In each of their essays, Brice and Ashley find a path to creating the lives they wanted to lead.

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Race Day

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Chances are at some point you’ve signed up for an organized race or event. Maybe you’ve participated in a local turkey trot or maybe you’ve run Western States. You register, pay the entry fee, train, show up and try hard. Race day can almost feel like magic. This is a story about the people behind the scenes making all that magic happen.

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The Winter Rangers

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

During their twelve winters as winter rangers in Yosemite National Park, Rob and Laura Pilewski have learned a thing or two about what it means to love a place– and a person.

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The Shorts-- The Wilderness Within

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Both Julia Hoer and Josie McKee suffered traumatic experiences that forced them to reckon with their identities and priorities. But through time in the mountains, each learned that they had within them everything they needed.

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The FIFTY

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

This year to celebrate the new year, Fitz sat down with professional skier Cody Townsend about his goal of skiing all of the Fifty Classic Ski Descents in North America. We might just have to call this episode the Many Years of a Big Audacious Idea.

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Alpenglow Speaker Series

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Grand Traverse

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The Grand Traverse is a ski race like no other: skiers begin at midnight and navigate 40 miles through the dark and they often face blizzards, frostbite, and gear failures. The race follows old postal routes through Colorado’s high mountains connecting the iconic ski towns of Crested Butte and Aspen– racers trudge over mountain passes topping out at over 12,000 feet. Needless to say, the event is reserved for hearty and adventurous folks – like Pat O’Neill. Pat is the only person who has participated in the race every year since it began in 1997, and he’s come to realize the race is about more than finishing fast— it’s about the adventure, his ski partners, and the memories.

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Read A Fine Line: Searching for Balance Among Mountains

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The Shorts--The Myth of Stars

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

As a kid, Lauren DeLaunay Miller desperately wanted to see a shooting star. Years later, in the vastness of the Utah desert, she finally got her wish.

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Right Place, Right Time Rivalry

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

A crisp sunny morning with tacky stone. The spring flush of desert sun and good dirt. Long summer days that tangle with night. What’s best?

Armed with facts, waxing poetic prose, and a touch of emotional heat, our staff goes toe to toe to determine which region has the best season. It’s tournament time!

Today’s episode is from our Dirtbag Diaries+ channel. Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today

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DBD+ Preview: A Fine Line with Graham Zimmerman

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:02:00 -0000

Alpinist and labradoodle devotee Graham Zimmerman has poured his heart into climate change activism after witnessing its effects in the world's great ranges. His new book, "A Fine Line" reflects on his incredible climbing career. In the sometimes overly macho, deeply risky pursuit of alpine climbing, his book offers a welcomed counterpoint to the narrative we often hear. Fitz sat down with Graham for a live Q&A at The Mountaineers in Seattle earlier this month.

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Paso a Paso (English)

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:05:00 -0000

When Arlene Gonzalez started running eleven years ago, she quickly discovered its ability to mend a broken heart, inspire confidence, and bring people together. Today, she finds her passion in uniting a binational community across the U.S.-Mexico border around a shared love of movement.

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Paso a Paso (Español)

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Cuando Arlene Gonzalez empezó a correr hace once años, descubrió cómo el deporte puede reparar un corazón roto, inspirar confianza, y crear comunidad. Hoy, Arlene encuentra pasión en unir la comunidad binacional entre EE.UU. y México a través de un amor compartido por correr.

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Tales of Terror Vol. 14

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:05:00 -0000

In our annual Tales of Terror episode, we’ve got dark caves, unsettling landscapes, and unexplainable figures in the night. Mua ha ha.

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The Shorts--Seeking Caribou

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:00:00 -0000

Fifteen years ago, Tim Irvin went on a solo trip to the Arctic with the hope of seeing the annual caribou migration. Despite mobs of blackflies and an unpleasant encounter with poop, Tim soon found his stride and connected with the natural world in a new way.

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Diaries+ Preview: Right Place, Right Time Rivalry

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:03:00 -0000

A crisp sunny morning with tacky stone. The spring flush of desert sun and good dirt. Long summer days that tangle with night. What's best?

Armed with facts, waxing poetic prose, and a touch of emotional heat, our staff goes toe to toe to determine which region has the best season. It's tournament time!

Got a favorite season in a region to share? Call us at 206-705-3006. You just might hear your voice on a future episode.

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Endangered Spaces--Castner Range

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 12:00:00 -0000

Gabaccia Moreno is our guide to one of our newest National Monuments– The Castner Range in El Paso, Texas. She talks with some of the people who worked over decades to make the designation a reality, gives us a window into the biological and cultural significance of the area, and describes a coalition that can be a model for 21st century conservation.

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Frontera Land Alliance

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Diaries+ Preview: Yes To Never

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 10:05:00 -0000

A Campfire Chat about the silly things we've done and that we would never do again. (Well, almost never.)

Got a story you want to share? Call the Dirtbag Hotline at 206- 705-3006

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The Shorts -- Walking Tall

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 12:00:00 -0000

Lance Garland and Eileen Hall grappled with their identities in different ways and at different stages of their lives. In this episode, we hear how they started to how to walk tall and embrace who they are at sea and on the trail.

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Mayor of Eldo

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:00:00 -0000

When Aubrey Runyon first climbed in Colorado’s Eldorado Canyon State Park, it was for fun. When she returned several years later, Aubrey was needing a place to call home. Over the years, her relationship with Eldo has weaved between recreation and survival, and eventually healing and love. When Aubrey faced a new big challenge, she leaned on Eldo for strength by way of a big goal– to reach 10,000 pitches in the park.

American Alpine Club’s Climbing Grief Fund

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Diaries+ Preview: Ask Me Anything

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:02:00 -0000

You ask, we answer with anecdotes, stories and advice. Today's Q-- If you could be part of any historical expedition, which would it be and why?

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The Shorts -- Suddenly Solo

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:00:00 -0000

When Laura Buchan’s cycling partner bails a month before their bikepacking trip along the West Coast, she decides to go anyway. In that 1500-mile journey, she learns that she has everything she needs within her.

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Diaries+ Preview: Will To Wild with Shelby Stanger

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:03:00 -0000

Talking to people makes Shelby Stanger sparkle. As the host of the podcast, Wild Ideas Worth Living, Shelby dives into her guests motivations for making and taking the leap to try something unexpected. She stopped by to talk about the leaps she's made in her own life and that she shares in her new book, Will to Wild.

Will To Wild — Shelby Stanger

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Endangered Spaces: Eastern Sierra

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:03:00 -0000

California’s legacy of gold mining goes back generations, but as the world of mining has evolved, so too have our ideas about public lands. Today’s mining projects are still dictated by the 1872 Mining Law, leaving land managers little recourse to say no to environmentally damaging projects. Last spring, environmental advocates and cycling enthusiasts Emily Markstein and Amber Rassler organized a bike tour along the Eastern Sierra to see firsthand the spaces under imminent threat from mining projects– and to learn that some things are worth more than gold.

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Diaries+Preview: Forbidden Ring

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:05:00 -0000

Producer Andrew Burton brings us the story of his wild hunt for a wedding ring he lost while climbing Forbidden Peak. And, we have our first Ask Me Anything, from a listener submitted question.

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The Shorts—One Paddle At A Time

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 11:00:00 -0000

When Jayme Vance and her husband set out on a packrafting honeymoon deep in Denali National Park, her worries about the trip were exacerbated by her father’s illness at home. As she welcomes Luke’s new role in her life, she grapples with the knowledge that soon, she’ll need to say goodbye to her first adventure partner.

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Diaries+ Preview: Bonk! Listener Edition

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:05:00 -0000

We put out a call for your best bonk stories, and you answered. Stories from listeners who miscalculated just how many calories they needed to get through the day. Thanks to everyone who called in!

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Take The Wheel

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Drew and Sarah embark on a once-in-a-lifetime roadtrip across the country to see the places they’ve always dreamed of seeing. In doing so, they pave a path for other people who, like them, haven’t always seen themselves represented in the outdoors.

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Thin Green Line

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Chandra Brown, a veteran river guide, led a five day writers retreat for a group of authors along the U.S Mexico border. While canoeing the Rio Grande they navigate physical challenges, and see the effects of government policies first hand. On their final night, Mother Nature erupts and reinforces the lessons they have learned over the course of the trip.

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Diaries+ Preview: Bonk!

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

We've all been down that odd, potentially hallucinogenic path of calorie miscalculation. A campfire conversation about the moments when we bonked.

Got a bonk story? Leave us a message at 206-705-3006 and your story might be included in one of our next episodes.

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The Shorts--In My Heart All Along

Fri, 26 May 2023 11:00:00 -0000

After years of turning to nature for relief from his inner turmoil, Andrew Shults finally reached his breaking point and faced it head-on. This decision forced him to reckon with identity, spirituality, and relationship to the outdoors.

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Alpine Classroom

Fri, 12 May 2023 11:00:00 -0000

A young man hungry to learn how to recreate in the mountains, and a veteran guide leading the NOLS course in the Waddington Range of British Columbia. Their recollections of the trip, the challenges they face and the moments they find memorable, do not always line up.

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Diaries+ Preview: Beyond The Wall

Fri, 05 May 2023 10:05:00 -0000

How has being an adaptive athlete changed and evolved over the years? Fitz talks with climber Craig DeMartino, a leader not just in the adaptive sports community, but the greater outdoor community.

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The Confluence

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0000

Kate and Ani Williams have been adventuring together for more than two decades. Last year, they leveled up on a backpacking trip to Argentine Patagonia, where a challenging river crossing marked a shift in their relationship as mother and daughter.

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The Shorts--Esker Calling

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0000

When Kari Hedin’s life is turned upside down, she found solace on her habitual lunchtime trail runs in the wooded eskers of Minnesota.

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Diaries+ Preview: More with Majka Burhardt

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 10:03:00 -0000

How many things can you balance being really good at in your life? Fitz and Majka Burhardt discuss ice climbing, entrepreneurship, risk, parenting twins and her new book More: Life on the Edge of Motherhood and Adventure.

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Mt. Doom Magic

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0000

For 12-year-old Rory Rielly and 77-year-old James Niehues, the ski map is an object of wonder and a portal to adventure. Their love for depicting mountain landscapes enriches their passion for skiing and demonstrates the importance of having someone to show us the way.

Check out more of James’ art and his recently published book, The Man Behind The Maps, with over 200 ski maps.

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Patagonia

Athletic Greens

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The Elk

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 11:03:00 -0000

In 2018, backcountry skier Kjell Redal decided he wanted to try his hand at bowhunting for elk. The only trouble is, he had no prior experience or mentors and was living in Miami, FL. Over the course of four years Kjell goes from a newbie, thrashing his way off trail and never seeing an elk, to a once in a lifetime experience.

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Athletic Greens

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More Type II Fun

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 19:30:00 -0000

What if we invested more in the things that brought us joy? The outdoors. Community. Creativity. This is what gets us out of bed in the morning. For years, you’ve been asking for more – more stories and more ways to support our show. Today, we introduce Dirtbag Diaries+. Exclusive episodes. Community collaboration. Ad free. Where we go from here depends on you.

The Shorts--Two Nudes and a Newb

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 13:00:00 -0000

When Amanda Hayley set out on her first solo travel adventure in Olympic National Park, she felt ready to take on whatever challenges could come her way. But when she loses her way on an audacious day hike, she needs to rely on the help of some very interesting strangers.

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Endangered Spaces--Colorado River

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 13:00:00 -0000

After two decades of drought, the Colorado River, which supplies water for drinking, power, and agriculture to over 40 million people, was named America’s most endangered river. In 2018, river advocates and paddlers Mike and Jenny Fiebig spent five months paddling the Colorado from its source in the Wind River mountains to the Gulf of Mexico to understand the river’s challenges firsthand – while collecting stories about change from the people who depend on it most. Today, as the river faces unprecedented shortages from climate change and overconsumption – activists, indigenous leaders, water managers and scientists are working to find solutions to create an equitable future for the river and those who depend on it.

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Water and Tribes Initiative

Center for Colorado River Studies

Last Skier Standing

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 14:00:00 -0000

“At the end of the 24 hours, I looked around and pretty much everyone was still there,” says Brody Leven. “And I'm like, ‘What is wrong with these people?’” In 2022, Brody and Ben Eck were two of nearly 100 skiers who entered The Last Skier Standing. The endurance event has a simple premise: skin up 1,100 feet and ski back down within an hour. And then it repeats every hour. How many laps can you go?

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The Year of Big Ideas 2023

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 13:00:00 -0000

In 2021, Dirtbag Diaries producer Cordelia Zars launched a theater company. For two years it was a side hustle where she used her strengths as an artist, storyteller and songwriter. Now, she’s taking the leap to directing full time with Empathy Theatre Project.

Plus, friends and contributors share their goals to keep you dreaming and scheming for the year to come. Happy New Year!

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The Zars Brothers

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 14:00:00 -0000

5 years apart, Levin and Tilden Zars are wiry, rugged, and maddeningly strong on mountain bikes. They have scars to prove a childhood of egging each other on, and finesse to prove they've never let each other stay down after a fall. Through the ups and downs, the sends and the falls, they share a remarkable sibling bond.

Dope Lake Chapter 1: Misfits

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 22:00:00 -0000

We're sharing the first episode of our Dope Lake series that we're running on our show Climbing Gold. In 1976, a plane carrying four million dollars in marijuana crashed into a small alpine lake in the Yosemite high country. Broke and living off discarded scraps of tourist meals in the valley below, America’s best climbers smelled opportunity. The events at Dope Lake became climbing’s most potent myth and inspired a Hollywood blockbuster, but the real story and the lives it changed is stranger than fiction

The Shorts--Finding Footing

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 13:00:00 -0000

This week, Autumn Ellingford Rhodes and Nikki LaRochelle find their footing in the mountains after challenging moments in their lives. We hear how pushing themselves in the outdoors helped Autumn and Nikki feel empowered as female athletes.

Door To Door

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 13:00:00 -0000

In the Pacific Northwest, Jenny Abegg is a renowned local mountain person. She fell in love with climbing and the lifestyle, traveling around the west and making several trips to Patagonia. Over time, her relationship with climbing changed and she evolved into a trail runner. When Jenny had another opportunity to visit Patagonia, she took the chance to see a familiar place from a new perspective.

Dirtbag Movie Night: Director's Q&A

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Fitz talks with the directors of BURIED, Jared Drake and Steven Siig. In 1982 a massive avalanche descended on Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, CA that triggered a five day search for eight missing people. BURIED chronicles the third deadliest avalanche in US history, the miraculous rescue efforts and the trauma that still haunts the survivors today.

If you haven't watched the film yet, we highly recommend it before listening to this episode. You can watch it on Apple TV.

The Shorts--I Got You

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Tressa had always used movement to cope with life’s complexities. When she found a partner that could keep up with her, she knew he was a keeper. Until one fateful day when she knew she’d need to rely on mountain therapy more than ever before.

Tales of Terror Vol. 13

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0000

In our annual Tales of Terror episode, we've got creepy sounds in the woods, mysterious, disembodied hands in the night, and hooded figures bearing axes in the desert. Mua ha ha.

Gear Love

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0000

A campfire conversation with the Dirtbag Diaries staff about their favorite pieces of gear - from surfboards to secret potions - and whether a brand new pair of socks is better than a beloved, threadbare set.

The Shorts -Senditude

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 12:00:00 -0000

“I didn’t need the phrase ‘send it’ explained to me the first time I heard it. I knew what it meant.” In their early 20’s, Forrest Wood sent everything they did. Skateboarding tricks. Dishes. Group projects. But after a series of gnarly injuries, Forrest had to spend years building back their confidence– both athletically and emotionally. And the phrase “send it” came to mean something very different to Forrest than it did before.

Beyond Mountains

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 10:03:00 -0000

In 2016, Danika Gilbert, started teaching leadership and climbing skills to girls in Afghanistan. Beyond the technical skills, Danika hoped the experiences would translate to strength and confidence in their complicated lives. She met Shogufa Bayat, who joined the climbing team when she was 16. Shogufa fell in love with mountains and climbing right away. Following the chaos surrounding the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, Shogufa fled the country, wondering whether her dream of becoming a mountain guide would be on hold indefinitely.

Flip Trip

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0000

25-year-old raft guides Tony Martin and Martin Lenz meet their clients for the week: 24 retired corporate oil and gas execs, who want their fancy river trip to go– Just. As. Planned. Ever had that adventure where nothing seems to go right? Well, this fabled trip on the Main Salmon would go down in history as one of the most epic, beyond-believable backcountry debacles.

The Shorts-- Look For Butterflies

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0000

For Sierra Meggitt, trail running was a way to heal from the trauma of sexual assault. On her biggest run yet, she embraces both pain and beauty.

¡Con Ganas!

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0000

Colorado is a mountain biking mecca. Yet some mountain-town locals have never experienced the wonders of singletrack trails. Today, we travel to Dillon, Colorado where one cycling nonprofit helps a gregarious group of bilingual chicas oil their chains, clip their helmets, and become the first females in their families to shred some trails.

Ask Us, We’ve Been There

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0000

“I definitely did not want to become a businessman,” remembers Rod Johnson, founder of Midwest Mountaineering. In the 1960’s, no Minneapolis outdoor shop sold climbing gear. So, Rod set up an impromptu gear shop in his apartment kitchen. Now, after 51 years of business, Midwest Mountaineering has become the community hub for people who live in the flatlands, but chase their dreams in the mountains.

The Shorts--Roundabout River

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0000

The Colorado River is supposed to be chocolatey brown, not a vibrant blue-green like it is just below the Glen Canyon Dam. Chris Kalman had written off spending any time in those unnatural, human-affected waters– until a friend towed him along for a paddle.

Bananas and Peanut Butter

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0000

Quinn Brett has been an endurance athlete for most of her adult life. From first ascents in Patagonia and Greenland to running across Zion and the Grand Canyon, her life revolved around putting one foot in front of the other. Then, after a life-changing accident in 2017, Quinn needed to find a new way to move through big landscapes.

You Slept Where?

Fri, 27 May 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Inspired by a pitch from a listener, we rounded up the Dirtbag Diaries team to chat about the most ridiculous places we’ve ever slept.

Want to share an amusing story about where you’ve slept? Tag us on Instagram or send us a short audio file or note.

The Shorts--Long Walk to Happiness

Fri, 13 May 2022 10:00:00 -0000

With dirt under her fingernails and sun on her cheeks, Emily Benington’s thru-hike of the PCT eased the mental health struggles she’d had in London. But when she returned to the city, her anxiety and depression came back worse than before. Instead of running back to the mountains, Emily found a new path to happiness.

Crash And Burn

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Drive it until it dies. That’s the motto Fitz lived by as he crisscrossed the West in his truck, Crash. Family members would doubtfully ask, “Are you sure you want to drive there?” Friends asked about Crash’s well being as though he was an aging dog. Fitz said, “Though I knew the day was coming, I was still blindsided when the gears ground to a halt on my way to Yosemite. Could my belief in Crash transcend beyond the hulk of metal?”

This episode first aired in 2012.

Rick's Rickshaw

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Steven Walker has spent a lifetime canoeing and kayaking wild rivers throughout Canada. His idea of adventure consisted of a healthy dose of fear and first descents. In 2020, he had the opportunity to guide on Manitoba’s remote Bloodvein River. Steven usually thrives in remote conditions, but he quickly realized that guiding Rick Riewe, who had lost much of his mobility and speech to Parkinson’s disease, would present unique challenges and rewards.

The Shorts--Take The Bike

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0000

Patrick Davison grew up on a bike, exploring his neighborhood with family and friends. But as he grew older, he began to forget the simple joy of seeing the world on two wheels. Years later, he rediscovers a lost love and finds a new love on the trails.

Close Quarters

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0000

Nineteen year old Kiko Lopez had never set foot on a boat when he accepted an invitation to sail from Maine to the Bahamas with three friends. Choosing to leave the world of virtual classrooms behind, Kiko spent the next six months learning to tack and jibe, hoist sails, and de-escalate drama. For Kiko, this sailing adventure deepened his understanding of himself and his purpose.

Out of Bounds

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0000

When Gary Lacy heard his boss’s daughter was joining their company ski trip, he tried to bail. “She’s probably 13, and from Boulder so she'll be a wacko,” Gary remembers thinking. Leslie turned out to be a 20-year-old who skied circles around Gary as he tumbled head-over-heels– both down the run, and for Leslie. But because of a company policy, Gary had to decide whether he’d go out of bounds.

The Shorts--Suzie's Line

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0000

When first-grade teacher Madeigh Winsor-McCarron’s life changed in 2020, she had a hard time coaxing herself to get out the door. Zoom classes, fear about the future, and isolation threatened her mental health. But fortunately, her best adventure buddy always tugged her back into the mountains, away from anxiety, and into the present moment.

Play It By Ear

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0000

Kyle McCrohan loves outdoor sports, and for years he chased the goals that many of us share – bigger, stronger, faster. But when he set out to make an ambitious winter ascent of an ice route on Sloan Peak, things didn’t go as planned. Since that day, Kyle has dedicated himself to finding different ways to grow in adventure that don’t involve taking bigger and bigger risks. He creates novel traverses through the Cascade Mountains that feel as artistic as they do athletic.

The Year of Big Ideas 2022

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0000

After Jon-Erick Anés moved from Puerto Rico to Florida, he struggled to find direction in his life. He kept repeating unhealthy patterns and feeling stuck in his relationships. When his older brother asked him to climb Half Dome together, Jon-Erick didn’t bat an eye. In our annual celebration of New Years’ goals, we bring you a story about the power of saying yes, followed by our community goals for 2022. Happy New Year!

Winter Vacation

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 11:00:00 -0000

The Best Gift: Make And Share

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Create and make new again. After his Great Uncle Jack passed away, Noah Manke took a pair of his Uncle’s old jeans, complete with holes, oil stains and paint, and turned them into something new. It was a way to create, share and carry on the memory of someone special in his life. Now, the spirit of Uncle Jack accompanies Noah and his friends on their climbing adventures.

Give used. Give back. Give knowledge. Get inspired at Patagonia.

The Best Gift: An Old Bike

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Better than new. Pass along cherished gear, surprise a loved one with the gift of repair and keep a good story going. Shanon Castle received a rad bike as a gift from her parents when she was 13, but it wasn’t life changing at the time, it was just a bike she remembers riding around sometimes. Fast forward 10 years. Shanon was a concert dancer, searching for a change. Something about riding her bike to work sounded dreamy. Since she couldn’t afford a bike, she asked her parents if they still had her old one.

Give used. Give back. Give knowledge. Get inspired at Patagonia.

The Best Gift: A Shared Goal

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Consider gifts that keep giving. Marta Bills fell in love with backpacking on a sixth grade class trip to the Sierra Nevada. And her love of getting away for days at a time with a heavy pack in the mountains stayed with her up until she had kids. The busyness of family life coupled with complicated logistics kept her away from her favorite activity for decades. On her 60th birthday, her daughter surprised her by proposing a path to reunite Marta with her love of backpacking.

Give used. Give back. Give knowledge. Get inspired at Patagonia.

The Best Gift: Time

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Teach them what you know, or take them somewhere special. On a three week trip to Japan, Chris Lock wanted his sons, ages 10 and 12, to connect with their Japanese heritage while creating lifelong memories. He found an off-the-beaten-path adventure on the Kumano Kodō trail, complete with long day hikes and rustic lodges to sleep in. As the trip unfolded, Chris realized the gift was truly his: shared time with his sons and unparalleled memories that he will cherish forever.

Give used. Give back. Give knowledge. Get inspired at Patagonia.

The Shorts--Mad Dogs And An Englishman

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Susan Greenwood’s family adventures were anything but typical. Led by her father’s wild spirit, their escapades took them up snowy mountains, meandering bike rides, and alpine lakes-- all without a map or a plan. When Susan began to take athletics a little too seriously as an adult, she challenged herself to reconnect with her father’s playful spirit of adventure.

Above Ground

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0000

When Cam Fields returned from a deployment in Afghanistan, violent dreams filled his nights. Diagnosed with PTSD, Cam tried therapy, but still felt himself spiralling. Then, he got a phone call that would change his course in life.

Front Country Foundation

The Shorts--In The Current

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Today, we bring you two shorts about the power of currents. As Keith Wagner struggled with PTSD after a career in the Air Force, the thought of wearing a PFD never crossed his mind. But one fateful day on the Brazos River in Texas, a close encounter with death finally taught him the value of his own life. And for Chandra Brown, the Grand Canyon provided a backdrop to see the tensions of time passing both on and off the river.

Tales of Terror Vol. 12

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0000

In our annual Tales of Terror, we bring you three terrifying tales. Shadows in the doorway. Disembodied footprints. Dark figures approaching through the woods. Snuggle up with a friend or your favorite stuffed animal-- and get ready to get spooky. Happy Halloween everyone.

Story Call Out

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 22:00:00 -0000

The most memorable gifts often aren’t purchased online. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the time we give to one another. A favorite recipe. An old bike that needs a new set of legs to pedal it. The gifts can be grand or small.

For the upcoming holiday season, we’re looking for stories about gifts that weren’t purchased for a special mini series with our friends at Patagonia.

Three Wheelin'

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Every July, nearly 20,000 cyclists from around the world swarm the roads of Iowa for one week to ride across the state. It’s hot. It’s humid. And it’s not as flat as one may think. Iowa resident Caleb Smith shares his personal journey of RAGBRAI, complete with a buffet of midwestern charm: homemade pies, barn parties, sunsets over fields of corn. But he doesn’t ride a bike, he inline skates.

The Shorts--Two Feet In

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Today, we bring you two Shorts about love on the trail. Lauren DeLaunay Miller reflects on the bond she forged with her Chevy Astro van. Chuck Radis wades into a hiking trip with his wife of 40 years. For both Lauren and Chuck, the outdoors helped them find, and renew, their loving relationships.

Backcountry Brushes

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0000

The first time Ken Jarvela picked up a sketchpad in the backcountry in the 1980’s, he decided he wanted to become a landscape painter. In his early 20’s, he packed three months of food, a tarp, and a set of watercolors into the Trinity Wilderness and, over the next 54 days, taught himself how to paint. This trip would mark the first in many that would define his career as a landscape painter.

Jump Start

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 11:30:00 -0000

After Patrick McGunagle graduated from college, he told himself he’d get a “real job” after a summer on a fire crew in Montana. But the adventure, camaraderie, and purpose that came with fighting fire made it hard to trade the woods in for a cubicle. Seven years later, Pat now has a job more "real" than anything he could have imagined: a smokejumper. That’s someone who jumps out of planes to fight wildfires.

Have questions? So did we.

The Shorts--Getting to Know Scoot

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 11:00:00 -0000

After Euan Fraser lost his dad in a mysterious accident, he spent decades of his life wondering what had happened. When he finally learned the truth, Euan began searching for new ways to get to know his father through adventures in the outdoors.

Snail Mail Stoke

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 11:00:00 -0000

We just hit our 300th episode! Whether you’ve been a listener from the mic-in-a-closet days, or you just joined us, it’s you-- our community-- that keeps us going. In honor of our listeners, we have a story about four women taking an idea introduced in one of our stories, adding their own creative spin and running with it. Happy summer!

Endangered Spaces--Oak Flat

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Oak Flat, Arizona: a site sacred to the San Carlos Apache, a beloved climbing area, a rare riparian zone in the desert. The catch? It’s slated to become the largest copper mine in the history of North America. Days before the land was set to transfer to the mining company, a group of Native high school students ran 188 miles to Oak Flat-- joining a cry of protest loud enough to reach the ears of the White House. We dive into the fight to possess and protect a place with incredible spiritual and economic power.

The Shorts -- Coming In

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Cycling intervals, homework assignments, planner items: Emily Schaldach raced through her life checking off her list. When Emily’s grandmother invited her to a silent meditation retreat in the woods of Colorado, she reluctantly accepted. Compelled to sit still for a few days, Emily saw herself in a way she hadn’t yet envisioned.

Emergency Twix

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Michelle Baker and her husband John both fell in love with mountains before they fell in love with each other. As they started a family of their own, they hoped to pass down their passion for outdoor adventure and a respect for the dangers that go with it. While climbing the Grand Teton with their 12 year old son, a lightning storm soon had Michelle questioning whether she’d pushed too far.

Two Mountains

Fri, 28 May 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Two mountains, one in California and one in Nevada, named after the president of the Confederate States decades ago. How can a name be changed? Producer Fil Corbitt takes us through the wonky and lengthy process involved in renaming a place.

A version of this episode first appeared on The Wind Podcast.

The Shorts -- The Dread

Fri, 14 May 2021 10:00:00 -0000

“The dread was there, strong and palpable. I just hoped my will was stronger,” writes Luke Hinz. After losing both his father and his brother in the month of May, Luke always had a feeling that something bad would befall him as well. When he set out to ski an ambitious line in Utah’s Wasatch Range on May 2nd, 2019, he had to face that fear in the mountains.

Flight of the Monarch

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 11:00:00 -0000

“I felt as though the Monarch Butterfly contained some special sort of wisdom that I could connect with,” says Benjamin Jordan. Inspired by the Monarch, he set out to do what no one had ever done before: recreate the migration of the Monarch Butterfly--by paraglider. Through this 5-month journey, Benjamin gained a deep respect for this fragile creature and a humble awareness of his own place in nature.

Sacred Slopes

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:00:00 -0000

“I did the skiing thing, I did the Navajo thing, and those worlds didn’t cross,” says Len Necefer. After learning how to ski-mountaineer in the winter of 2017, Len set out on an ambitious goal: to connect the Navajo cultural traditions of the mountains he comes from with his new love-- skiing.

The Shorts -- Balancing Act

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Today, Carly Rushford and Paddy O’Connell find their edge on the snowy mountain slopes. In our first double-short episode, we hear how downhill skiing has helped Carly and Paddy shape their place and purpose in the world.

Introducing Climbing Gold

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 21:10:00 -0000

What connects the past, present and future of rock climbing?

In season one of Climbing Gold, the sport’s biggest star Alex Honnold and co-host Fitz Cahall take you on a tour through climbing, from the early days of the lunatic fringe where dirtbag climbers gambled with their lives to chase the edge of human imagination, to today’s new generation of athletes who have risen to the top of their sport without ever having touched the world’s most famous summits. Pushing the boundaries of climbing has always meant challenging the assumptions and status quo of the previous generation.

Athletes. Risk takers. Dirtbags. Pioneers. Community builders. Outsiders. Leaders. Please join us to hear the voices and stories of climbing’s past and future.

False Summit

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 12:00:00 -0000

“From here, it’s going to be easy.” Ryan Wichelns and Gabe Messercola repeated this phrase throughout their 21 day expedition in Denali National Park in 2015. From crossing scree-covered glaciers, to traversing ridgelines and downclimbing icy cliffs, to fording waist-deep rivers, Alaska taught these young mountaineers a lesson in making and letting go of plans.

See an overview of their route.

The Perfect Pace

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0000

“I think being on foot just allows you to walk past a person's front door. I think that's really important," says Rickey Gates.

Rickey learned a lot about his country when ran across the United States. But when he finished, he realized his trip was incomplete and he set out to run every single street in San Francisco. His efforts to get to know the place he calls home ignited a movement of people getting to know their local communities all over the world.

Find maps, photos, and more at Rickey's website http://www.rickeygates.com/

The Shorts -- Little White Canoe

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0000

“Thru-hiking started to feel like a compulsion: I had to hike the same way I had to breathe,” writes Eloise Robbins. After she fell in love with another thru-hiker on the PCT, she uprooted her life to be with him in Canada. Deprived of a job, a community, and most of all--mountains, Eloise wondered if the sacrifice for love was worth it.

Invaluable

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0000

“There should be no friction in the system. If someone wants to come and climb, they should be able to come and climb,” says Abby Dione, owner of Coral Cliffs in Florida. When Abby had to close her doors in March 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions, she wasn’t sure how long she could keep the business afloat. Faced with losing its only climbing gym, and fueled by a spark of ingenuity, the community had to consider how much they valued the gym beyond the climbing holds.

The Year of Big Ideas 2021

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0000

When Doug Barclift decided to start a business, he headed to an untraditional spot to buy his real estate-- a junkyard. There he found the school bus, wedged between a trailer and a stack of cars, that he would transform into his own paddleboard company. And when a pandemic, civil unrest, and forest fires all threatened to thwart him, Doug kept paddling out to stay positive in a difficult year.

And friends and previous contributors share their goals to keep you dreaming and scheming, even when it feels like we’re just trying to get through another year.

The Gift

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 11:00:00 -0000

“No one is going to talk me out of doing this because this is a great idea,” says Becca Skinner. “I just gave the best Christmas gift and everyone is going to thank me later.” When Becca surprised her family with an overnight stay in a fire lookout cabin, she expected their holiday vacation to be a little more cozy than it turned out to be. In this episode, we follow the Skinner family through a frozen holiday and are reminded sometimes misadventures bring us closer together.

The Shorts--The Inlet

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0000

In 2019, Will Dunlap began having existential questions about his place in the world. So he bought a plane ticket to Alaska, rented a kayak, and set out for the Taku Inlet. Through bitter rains and long days of paddling, Will experienced an inner journey he would never forget.

¡Venga, Venga!

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 20:00:00 -0000

Growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, Fernanda Rodriguez had never heard of “climbing” until she stumbled across a group of boulderers in the forest. That day, she remembers feeling “like a flame was lit inside my heart.” At 15, despite the tide of economic and cultural challenge that faced her, Fernanda made up her mind to become one of the best climbers in her country.

The Shorts -- Backyard Adventures

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 12:00:00 -0000

When Carmen Kuntz thinks “adventure,” it doesn’t always mean a mega-trip many miles from home. Instead, she challenged herself and her friends to invent an adventure just out the backdoor. With skis, skins and paddles, they rediscover a familiar landscape in the Coastal Mountains of British Columbia.

Tales of Terror Vol. 11

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 10:00:00 -0000

Bloody tracks on a dark road. Hooded figures juggling lights. Eerie handprints appearing. We hope you’re ready to get spooky with our annual Tales of Terror! We have three stories from the backcountry that will send chills down your spine. Turn down the lights and grab your teddy bear. Happy Halloween!

What Unites Us

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 09:00:00 -0000

“Everything that we love is affected by politics for better or worse, and we can't afford to not be engaged with it,” says Canyon Woodward.

Today we hear stories from two people who’ve leaned in and worked directly with elected leaders to have a say in the future of the places we love. Canyon Woodward explains how trail running is a lot like running for office, and Kareemah Batts shares what it’s like to Climb The Hill on behalf of public lands and the outdoor community. We also hear from a broad set of voices across our country about why participation in the democratic process matters. We’re all in this together.

Setting New Sights

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:00:00 -0000

“I'm stubborn,” reflects Steve Baskis. “When my mind tells me not to do something because I'm afraid or nervous, I tend to tell myself to do it.” What happens when you lose something fundamental to how you function in the world in a single second? For ex-infantryman Steve Baskis wounded in Iraq, it meant staying on the bright side, looking forward, and never giving up.

The Land That Never Has Been Yet

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:57:56 -0000

Today, we are sharing one of our favorite podcasts-- Scene on Radio. Over the course of twelve episodes, host John Biewen and collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika explore a theme both evergreen and immediately urgent: democracy in America. Fitz talks with John about the recent season and shares the trailer.

From Scene On Radio: “Our season-long series will touch on concerns like authoritarianism, voter suppression and gerrymandering, foreign intervention, and the role of money in politics, but we’ll go much deeper, effectively retelling the story of the United States from its beginnings up to the present. Through field recordings and interviews with leading thinkers, we’ll tell under-told stories and explore critical questions like—How democratic was the U.S. ever meant to be, anyway? American democracy is clearly in crisis today, but . . . when was it not? Along the way, there’s a good chance that we’ll complicate, maybe upend, our listeners’ understanding of American history.”

Hide-N-Seek

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 09:00:00 -0000

“I do not remember the ‘first time’ we played hide-n-seek in the barn,” recalls producer Cordelia Zars, “it just always happened.” How do you stay positive when you’re hiding from a pandemic and wildfire smoke with no end in sight? For Cordelia, reflecting on her favorite childhood game brought her some perspective.

Credimus

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:00:00 -0000

Bailey, Colorado is a rural town in the Rocky Mountains. “Bailey is boating hell. There is no water around us at all,” says high school teacher Steve Hanford. Now, imagine 13 high school students building a triple-hulled canoe from scratch and racing it on the ocean. Despite the critics who said they couldn’t, the students and teachers believed in their own power to succeed.

Programming Pause

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 20:00:00 -0000

The Shorts -- Twindom

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0000

Sarah Lann and her twin sister, Becca, had their lives planned out together. They’d raise their kids hiking, berry-picking, and stargazing together. But after their plans went astray, they scheduled a backpacking trip together on the John Muir Trail to stay connected despite the different path their lives had taken.

Dream Job

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 10:00:00 -0000

When John Temple and Dean Goodman’s dream job fell into their laps in the summer of 1971, they quickly said yes. From June through August, they lived alone- without supervision or communication- in a lineman's cabin along Coastal BC surveying an area of old-growth rainforest for the Sierra Club. As they documented landmarks, wildlife, potential campsites, and treacherous portages, they also found their place and purpose in the world that would carry forth into the rest of their adult lives.

Endangered Spaces--The Elwha River Recovery

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 10:00:00 -0000

After a decades long battle on Washington State’s Elwha River, a coalition of environmentalists, scientists and locals succeeded in having two dams demolished. Six years later, scientists are monitoring the river and larger ecosystem as they recover from a century of abuse. And one of the best ways to do the research? Snorkeling Class III whitewater.

The Shorts -- The F You Wait

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:00:00 -0000

When life pedals ahead on the trail, how do you catch up? You can downshift and sweat harder, or accept that maybe you’ll always feel a little behind. Anya Miller has learned to embrace the struggle on the ups and savor the flow of the downs.

Brave Like Gabe

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0000

When Ladia Albertson-Junkans’ best friend and running teammate, Gabe Grunewald, was diagnosed with cancer, they resolved that it wouldn’t slow them down. But after Gabe’s death, grief finally caught up to Ladia. She was unmotivated and struggled to get out of the door some days. With the hope of honoring Gabe’s life, Ladia reluctantly said “yes” to a special and spontaneous FKT (Fastest Known Time) attempt around Mount Hood’s Timberline Trail. In running and in life, time matters - but maybe not always in the ways we imagine.

A Tale of Two Saves

Fri, 22 May 2020 10:00:00 -0000

Get ready for big waves and two epic ocean rescues. Before becoming a photographer, Jeff Johnson was a young lifeguard, determined to prove himself. And Kohl Christensen, a North Shore veteran whose work to save other surfers’ lives...ended up saving him.

This episode first appeared on Outside Podcast.

Unexpecting

Fri, 08 May 2020 10:00:00 -0000

In her early 20’s, Rachel James would run 10,000 vertical feet every week and ski deep into the Alaskan backcountry in her free time. When her life took an unexpected turn, she drew on her experience in the outdoors to help her navigate the most difficult chapter of her life. When the world feels like it’s closing in on you, where do you find your strength? Happy Mother’s Day, everyone.

Shenanigans

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 10:00:00 -0000

When Scott Guinn received a letter in the mail from his friend Mike Flanigan, he didn’t expect to find a page-long, typed challenge to climb 10 tricky boulder problems within an hour at the nearby bouldering area. Gauntlet thrown, Scott stepped up to the task, launching what’s become an epic series of challenges that keeps building their friendship through adventure.

The Shorts -- Number 67

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 10:00:00 -0000

When Ryan Smith set out to hike all sixty-seven 4,000 foot mountains in New England, he expected to be finished in a handful of years. But life threw him a curve ball. A shooting pain in his groin led him on a different kind of journey with his body, his partner, and his understanding of what is important.

The Great Indoors

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 13:00:00 -0000

In an unprecedented time, a lot of us are confined to our homes, yet looking for ways to connect, to create and to be of service. As our community tries to adapt to a quickly shifting reality, it seems like a good time to slow down and have a conversation. Here’s to doing our part, looking for the positive, and finding ways to support each other. We’re in this together.

The UnderDonkey

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 13:00:00 -0000

Leadville, Colorado is a mecca for endurance racing in the United States and home to some of the country's hardest trails and toughest athletes. In the summer of 2019, ultra runners Marvin Sandoval and Buttercup became unlikely partners and show us what happens when you combine a love of sport, hard work, a 10 foot lead rope, and a dash of crazy. One thing Marvin learned, "hang on and see what happens."

The Shorts -- Franked

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:00:00 -0000

“In the Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness, getting “Franked” means waking up mid-summer to a foot of snow on your tent, or losing your sleeping bag to a rapid on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River,” writes Allison Fowle. And, when you’re in the middle of the largest wilderness area in the lower 48, navigating the joys and perils of romance can be just as challenging.

Bolder Love

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 13:00:00 -0000

When a dirtbag romance starts with a burrito shop and a fire alarm, adventure is bound to follow. Climbers Allen Schaidle and Sara Al-Awadhi who, despite differences in cultures and faiths, fall in love by exploring and climbing together in the UAE. Happy Valentines Day, everyone.

Mr. Hodges

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 14:00:00 -0000

The Year of Big Ideas 2020

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0000

When the DC metro shut down the line that Dylan Lewis used daily, he had to refigure his commute. Borrow a car? Uber? Walk 11 miles? What started as an obstacle became an opportunity, with a little ‘out of the blue’ inspiration. Every January, we bring you big goals from our community for the New Year. Whether it’s your goal, a friend’s, or a stranger’s, you might just try something new. Dream big. Happy New Year, everybody.

Shop Magic

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 15:00:00 -0000

Great gear shops are like a toy stores filled with skis and bikes, ropes and chalk. Walking through the door can sow the seeds for the next adventure. Friendships begin. Knowledge gets dropped. When a beloved gear shop unexpectedly closed in Seattle, it shocked the local community and left them wondering whether it could be rekindled. In a day of online, convenience shopping, is there still room for the local gear shop?

All In The Family

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 14:00:00 -0000

How many feet of snow would you shovel each year to own a rad backcountry ski lodge? Well if you’re the Schaffer family, the answer is 60. Today, we bring you the story of an incredible family business high in the mountains of British Columbia where a love of skiing, hard work and entrepreneurship has been passed between generations.

Widge

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 15:00:00 -0000

“It’s like you’re scared to move forward– you just need something to give you a little nudge,” says Jonah Manning. “You can call it support, but really it’s just like a little bit of a shove forward. And I’ll never forget it, because Widge was certainly that for me.” Today, we bring you the story of Widge, the ultimate adventure partner. Sometimes when that metaphorical door of adventure opens, you need someone to walk through by your side.

This episode originally aired on June 26, 2014.

The Shorts-- Dada Needs Ski Patrol

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 15:00:00 -0000

When Dan Kostrzewski had an accident with his daughter on the bunny hill, he gained a new perspective on a lifetime of skiing— both as a career and a personal passion.

Tales of Terror Vol. 10

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 15:00:00 -0000

Disembodied footsteps, screams in the dark, hooded figures: our tenth annual Tales of Terror might have you questioning who -- or what -- else shares the trail with you at night. Ryan Cronin, Natalie Rooker, and Bryce Williams bring us their stories today -- get ready, you might need a friendly hand to hold.

Happy Halloween!

The 50,000 Ft. View

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 18:10:00 -0000

“When I think about it, I'm not happy because I got to the top of some point on the planet,” says Steve Swenson. “I'm happy because of all the things we had to do to get there.” In the summer of 2019, Steve and his climbing partners, Graham Zimmerman, Chris Wright, and Mark Richey, made a first ascent of Link Sar, a 7,041 meter peak in the Karakorum. Steve has been climbing for 50 years and has broken a different kind of trail that younger climbers like Graham can follow.

Better Than I Found It

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 15:00:00 -0000

"The land doesn't belong to me, it doesn’t belong to any of us,” says Joshua Tree resident Rand Abbott. “We’re guests here on this earth. It's my responsibility to make sure that my daughter's children's children get to see what Joshua Tree is really like not just from a video or from a book.” Joshua Tree National Park feels like an extension of Rand’s backyard-- - a place where he can climb, watch wildlife or find solace through big changes in his life. When a partial shutdown of the US government in December 2018 left J-Tree open but unmonitored, Rand became a voice of reason to take care of a place he cherishes.

The Shorts -- Out and Back

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 15:00:00 -0000

"A lot of folks like a loop trail or a point-to-point run, but I find something really magical about a good out-and-back. On the way out, I feel one way. Then I turn around and run the same steps back, but I feel different,” writes Anya Miller. When Anya learned that her stepdad had passed away, she immediately headed to her favorite Colorado trail in the Indian Peaks Wilderness to start moving through the overwhelming grief that she felt.

Tandemonium

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Say the word bike, and words like, fun, freedom, fast, come to mind. But does a tandem bike double the fun or divide the freedom? One thing seems certain, whether you’re headed to collaboration or catastrophe, you’ll get there quicker on a tandem. From adventures with loved ones to cycling with strangers, we bring you five stories of the mythical unicorns of the bicycle community and fates linked by a bike frame and chain. Tandemonium!

The Shorts--Beyond Failure

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Leah Breen had always been taught to embrace failure. You can't win every mountain bike race, or make it to the top of every pitch. Learn from it, and keep going. But when she felt her partner's climbing rope careen through her hands over a cliff, she realized in an instant that the consequences of her failure could be much larger than individual defeat. Are there some failures you can’t embrace?

Fit To Print

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 16:00:00 -0000

When Steve Casimiro moved across the country to write for Powder magazine in the 1980’s, he wasn’t sure his work was going to matter. But after 30 years living and breathing outdoor publication, and starting his own magazine, Steve reflects on the importance of storytelling in our culture.

Endangered Spaces - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 15:30:00 -0000

Boulder, Utah. Population 250. Sitting in the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, this small town of ranchers and settled-down dirtbags prides itself on staying out of the spotlight. It’s the right amount of quiet here. The ranchers ranch. A few small businesses cater to hikers and wanderers. Visitors come and go. Boulder was thrust into the spotlight in 1996 when President Clinton declared the monument. And in 2017, Boulder again found itself at the center of the debate when President Trump issued an order to cut the size of the monument by nearly half.

For this installment of Endangered Spaces, we traveled to Boulder to capture a snapshot of a community thrust into a fight they did not choose. A fight they may have little influence over. And a fight about how to protect public lands and who decides. The outcome of that fight will have lasting implications not just for Boulder, but to all communities who rely on public lands.

For a population of 250, Boulder had a lot to say.

The Shorts-- Fistful of Hearts

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 16:00:00 -0000

“We biked through wind, rain, and snow. If lightning struck, we kept going. We only stopped if it got too close. We outran tornadoes in Oklahoma. We waited out a storm in an old horse barn in Montana, huddled like penguins, our bikes cast carelessly aside in the mud,” writes John Flynn. After John lost his mom to cancer, he biked with a group of friends from Texas to Alaska to try to find her again-- in the mountains, the rivers, and the solitude of the open road.

The Dreamer

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:00:00 -0000

“I’ve spent my entire life going on adventures, but I wasn’t ever really the creator of these adventures,” says Kathy Holcombe. “My role is as the dream maker. And, I have a lot of pride in that role.”

Exist in a relationship long enough and we fall into roles. Life is busy. It doesn’t make sense to double up on work. Cultural gender dynamics come into play. One partner excels at certain things.

But what happens when we step out of our role? In the fall of 2017, Kathy Holcombe stepped out of her role in the family, and embarked on a year of adventures that challenged her in ways she never expected, and profoundly changed her view of herself.

Flip Of A Coin

Fri, 24 May 2019 14:00:00 -0000

Last spring, Andy and Katherine Wyatt set up basecamp on the Powell Glacier in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains.After years of individual rad mountain accomplishments in climbing and skiing, they realized they’d never taken a large trip together. The trip started perfectly and then it all went wrong. At full volume, the power of the natural world is terrifying and the limitations of our physical forms so evident. Survival stories are powerful. To the listener, they pose a question. What would you do? Would you make it? What would run through your mind? It’s all theoretical — until it’s not.

The Shorts -- Restless for Roots

Fri, 10 May 2019 15:00:00 -0000

Carmen Kuntz has lived a dirtbag life for over a decade. She’s moved every year since graduating high school, and has explored some of the world’s most remote places in her kayak and hiking boots. But with all the moving around, Carmen began to wonder if she was missing out on something. Specifically, a home — and the connections to the community and landscape that come with it. Does home have to be a place, or can it be a feeling?

The Land And Water Conservation Fund

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 13:00:00 -0000

After more than 50 years of bipartisan support, Congress failed to re-authorize the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the fall of 2018. LWCF grants have protected over 2.3M acres of natural areas and cultural heritage sites and provided recreational opportunities to all Americans across the 50 states. With more than $22 billion on the table, the team at Outdoor Alliance, comprised of avid kayakers, climbers and all-around (reformed) dirtbags, are faced with the daunting task of convincing Congress to reauthorize the funding amidst a contentious political climate.

Solo She Rides

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 13:30:00 -0000

In this week’s double-feature episode, Amie Begg and Jessica Kelley head out solo into the Himalayan and Alaskan wildernesses--on their bikes. Through the challenges they face--from negative 20 degree temperatures to near-collisions with moose--both women find new perspective on what it means to adventure alone.

The Shorts-- My Cathedral

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 15:30:00 -0000

Mitch Breton grew up as as devout member of the Catholic Church. He ascended the religious ranks through his childhood, and assumed that one day he would become a priest. Then, he found whitewater paddling. A summer of raft guiding rerouted Mitch’s spiritual journey -- from one that had existed within four walls and an altar, to one that flowed with the current of the Kennebec River.

The Shorts-- The Van Fan

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 18:00:00 -0000

Jeanie Adamson, a 50-something Mom, decided to switch things up last year for spring break. When she told her son, Luke, she wanted to ski at every resort between Dallas and Lake Tahoe, he offered up Sherrod, his newly-renovated 1990 Dodge Ram van for the job. The two of them threw in their skis, buckled up, and embarked on what would become a memorable mother-son trip.

Living For The Lost

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 16:00:00 -0000

There is no clear way to cope with death and grief. Moving forward is often heartbreaking, baffling, and uncertain. So, how do we best honor those we’ve lost? When he was 12-years-old, Navy Seal and backcountry snowboarder Josh Jespersen tragically lost his father. Confused and angry, Josh drifted in school and got into legal trouble. He joined the Navy Seals, where death was a constant. Josh would drink to celebrate the life of his fallen friends, but this led to more legal trouble, more confusion, more anger. Ultimately, Josh realized that the best way to honor the dead was to embark on an outdoor adventure that would amplify their memory. He realized he had to live for those he had lost.

Walk To Connect

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:30:00 -0000

After a childhood of moving from one suburban neighborhood to the next, Jonathon Stalls felt starved for connection--to anything or anyone. In a quest to find community, he set out with nothing but his own two feet to carry him from Delaware to California. The awkward, exhilarating, and at times terrifying challenges he faced over the next 8 months helped him tear down the walls around his long-standing isolation.

Novel Inspiration

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 20:00:00 -0000

After falling in love with John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Charlie Turnbull and Leon Morton set out to recreate the 1,615-mile journey described in the novel – but on bikes. In July. With camera gear and a few buddies in tow, they followed historic Route 66 from Oklahoma to Southern California. And along the way, they found a place that really brought Steinbeck’s book home.

The Year of Big Ideas 2019

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 23:30:00 -0000

“For better or for worse, ideas are infectious. They become our goals, and the struggle to realize them becomes memory, the story of our lives,” says Fitz Cahall.

When Brian O’Dell decided it was time to stop driving his Honda Civic, he didn’t list in on Craigslist. Instead, he posted in to outdoor forums in the PNW. The cost? Free, but there was one catch. This year, we hear how Brian’s idea for engaging with his community changed another person’s life, and what goals contributors, staff, and community at the Dirtbag Diaries have for 2019. Our ideas are what make us keep growing as individuals--and as a community. Happy New Year!

Mountain Hollow Dreams

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0000

Chris Kalman, Austin Siadak and Miranda Oakley got to go on what should have been a climber’s dream trip--fully funded first ascents of granite big walls in the Coast Range of British Columbia, helicopter transport in and out, and good team dynamics. But, by the end, Chris realized that this dream trip left him feeling a little hollow and he needed to redefine how he pursues meaningful adventures.

The Shorts-- Saving Santa

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 17:00:00 -0000

"To work in tourism is to witness the human comedy," says Joe Aultman-Moore. "Every guide has stories that start with, "You'll never believe this...'. Nowhere, it seems, do people go further from the familiar that on cruises to Alaska." Working as a seasonal guide at a remote camp in rural Alaska with ten other men, Joe Aultman-Moore figured it would take nothing less than a request to Santa and his team of flying reindeer to meet a girl. Can Christmas wishes still come true?

Endangered Spaces--Cook Inlet

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 17:37:00 -0000

Drew Hamilton makes a living by taking people out into the remote Alaskan wilderness to hang out with brown bears. These days, he does it, in large part, as a unique way to protect this magnificent landscape from the proposed Pebble Mine. For the fifth installment of our Endangered Spaces series, we travel to the mainland of southern Alaska to meet Drew and the bears and to better understand the threats to this landscape.

Hit Pause

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 21:23:00 -0000

What if you could hit pause on life? This last summer, Fitz did, and biked the 670-mile-long Oregon Timber Trail. A groove and a rut look different when perched on the saddle day after day.

Tales of Terror Vol. 9

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:00:00 -0000

Our ninth annual Tales of Terror brings you three stories that will send shivers down your spine. From ghost-like figures walking silently through the snow, to shadows lurking in a backcountry hut and canyon, these stories will keep you peering over your shoulder.

Moto Gypsy

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 21:00:00 -0000

For the past five years, Janelle Kaz has traveled on her motorcycle fighting against the worldwide problem of wildlife trafficking. Travel along, as she follows jungle roads in Colombia into the incredible indigenous culture of the Kogi.

Anti-Gravity

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:31:00 -0000

“I have really good reason to believe that if I hadn’t have been walking down the strip and found that 72-foot tower to climb, that I would be dead or in prison. I have no doubts about that,” says Juan Rodriguez. Juan is an American citizen, an immigrant and a climber. Today, we follow Juan’s journey from Mexico to climbing shop owner, through illegal border crossings and to the first rock wall he ever climbed on the Las Vegas strip--a chance encounter that altered the trajectory of his life.

Hootin' & Hollerin'

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:00:00 -0000

“I was certain I was paralyzed. My legs were totally limp, I was hanging upside down and the only thing stopping me from falling 160-feet headfirst into the talus below, was this rope that was wrapped around my foot,” remembers Craig Gorder. In November, 2016, Craig took a fall climbing that injured him badly, and dramatically altered the course of his life. We follow Craig through the first year of his recovery--the day to day questions and decisions, setbacks and victories, mini-crises and mini-epiphanies that really make up the recovery process.

Ethan and G-Pop

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 20:52:00 -0000

“I have a pretty young grandfather, but he was starting to get old and knew he had one or two more big expeditions in him,” says Ethan Roebuck. “He wanted to put together a big trip, because he’s getting older, but also because I’m getting older. When Ethan’s grandfather proposed that they go on a tandem kayaking expedition along the Canadian coast the summer before Ethan’s senior year of high school, Ethan was onboard. Producer Cordelia Zars brings you the story of a wild adventure, a passing of the torch, and the special bond that emerges and evades the constraints of words.

The Glacier Project

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 15:00:00 -0000

“Any time I ski a steep line, I’ve done it hundreds of times, and still every time for me there is that moment of fear on top, where I am like, ‘Do I really want to do this?’,” says Jason Hummel. “But, also, anytime you do anything scary, it really ties you down to the moment, the instant, to that second, and all that matters is the next turn.” Just as Jason had started to feel like he knew what his home mountains had to offer, he stumbled into this idea that made him reconsider how much he still had to explore. Today, we bring you Jason’s journey to ski all of the glaciers in Washington--a story about how sometimes, by placing a constraint on adventure, we can deepen our relationships with the places we consider most familiar.

The Shorts--A Story of My Own

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:00:00 -0000

For most of his adult life, Cam Fenton has fought against climate change--and particularly to protect the Arctic. “The funny thing was, for most of that time, I couldn’t tell you why,” says Cam. He traveled to the Arctic hoping for revelations about climate change and renewed purpose to fight the good fight. He did walk away with a revelation--just a very different one than he expected.

The Elephant in the Boat - Part II

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 19:25:00 -0000

Expedition kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic have what is perhaps the longest running, most successful partnerships in outdoor adventure, but, in April 2017, on an expedition to the Colombian Amazon, the team dynamics grew so strained that being held hostage by an armed rebel group didn’t seem like the worst thing that could have happened. In Part II, we’ll get into the history of this epic partnership, what went so wrong, and what happens moving forward.

The Shorts-- Better Than Good Enough

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 16:00:00 -0000

After a breakup and a drinking habit sent John Gray in a downward spiral, he decided that he needed something radical to shake him out of his "life avoidance stupor." So, he signed up for a semester-long Outward Bound course that would take hime from the Appalachians to the Everglades to Costa Rica-- and change his outlook in a lasting way.

The Elephant in the Boat - Part I

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 16:20:00 -0000

Expedition kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic have what is perhaps the longest running, most successful partnerships in outdoor adventure, but, in April 2017, on an expedition to the Colombian Amazon, the team dynamics grew so strained that being held hostage by an armed rebel group didn’t seem like the worst thing that could have happened. In Part I, we’ll follow Ben and Chris down Colombia’s remote Apaporis River.

Introducing Safety Third: Channel Risk Into Reward

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 01:00:00 -0000

Today, we bring you the first episode of Duct Tape Then Beer's new show, "Safety Third." Big wall climber and former wingsuit flyer Chris McNamara believes risky outdoor pursuits are essential. But, what happens when something vital has the potential to kill you? You find different ways to take risks.

The Shorts--Spirit B

Fri, 25 May 2018 15:00:00 -0000

“In the early stages of my pregnancy, I was intrigued and ready for the changes that would take place,” says Chelsey Magness. “As an athlete, I expected body image and performance challenges. I expected exhaustion. I expected attachment issues to my newborn twins. I never expected what was actually to come.”

Chelsey and her husband Jason have built unique lives as professional adventure racers and partner acrobatics and slacklining instructors--among other things. When unimaginable tragedy struck their family, they came up with a unique way to move through their grief.

Flyathlon

Fri, 11 May 2018 15:00:00 -0000

There are a lot of serious problems in this world, but the solutions don’t always have to be serious. Fly-fisherman and runner Andrew Todd channeled his concern for Colorado’s native trout and the watersheds that support them into the creation of a joyful, irreverent, event: The Flyathlon.

The Shorts--The Amazement Meter

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 21:30:00 -0000

Chronic depression and the deaths of a few friends launched Tyler Dunning on a mission to visit all of the National Parks. He constructed an identity around the project, started writing a book and making a short film about his journey. But part way through his project, he lost interest, and was again left with the question, ‘Now what’?

Venture Out

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 00:42:00 -0000

“I was working this corporate job, and, every day, I looked out the window and thought, ‘Man, those mountains are so beautiful, I wish I was out there’,” remembers Perry Cohen.

Growing up, Perry was an outdoorsy kid--hiking and cross-country skiing in rural New Hampshire. He was thrilled when, as a teenager, he got to sign up for an Outward Bound course. But the experience left him disappointed. For the first time, he didn’t click with the group.

Perry reconnected strongly with the outdoors in his late thirties, as he transitioned from female to male. Being outside helped Perry have an appreciation for a body that he had felt alienated from. Looking out that window, he realized that he wanted to help other transgender folks get outside.

“I thought there must be some queer outdoor organization leading trips that I could go work for, but I didn’t find one. So, I got despondent for about twenty-four hours, and then I thought to myself, ‘I’ve led a corporate HR department, I understand how to run a business, maybe I should just start one’. And so I did.”

The Shorts--Unlearning Adventure Sports

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 17:02:00 -0000

Carmen Kuntz had just started to break into the world of competitive, freestyle whitewater kayaking when she sustained a mild traumatic brain injury. For the past four years, she has had to confront a new kind of challenge: learning to balance the risk of re-injuring her head and the risk of losing who she is.

Escape From Beacon Rock

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 01:00:00 -0000

“For me, it was a way to stay connected—literally: tied to my free-range daughter by a length of 10-millimeter climbing rope, and connected to my own dream of being an adventurer,” says David Altschul. “And that was how I found myself on a ledge, high above the Columbia River, in the dark.”

For the past decade, David has told the story of the infamous “Escape From Beacon Rock”–a failed attempt to climb a basalt monolith with his daughter, our producer, Jen. At age 72, it dawned on him that, rather than continue to tell the story of the failed climb, he could connect with his daughter by actually climbing Beacon Rock, and doing it this time as a ‘real’ climber.

The Shorts--Aloha Life

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 18:57:00 -0000

“Here I was, a professional wilderness instructor with no food or water, a sopping wet tent and wetter sleeping bag, no way to banish the chills or signal that I needed help,” says Emma Walker. “For the first time in my career, I began to think I might need a rescue.”

Emma’s husband Bix has also worked for years as an outdoor guide and educator. So, when the two of them set out on an overnight backpacking trip to a beach on Hawaii’s big island, they were unconcerned--maybe a little too unconcerned.

Emma Walker and her husband, Bix, have both worked for years as wilderness instructors, so when the two of them set out on an overnight backpacking trip to a beach on Hawaii's big island, they were unconcerned. Maybe a little too unconcerned.

The Punk Rockers of Ski Mountaineering

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 16:00:00 -0000

"The notion that there's one dream that we're all after and agreed upon ways in which you can verify that you are indeed living that dream drives me crazy," says Forest McBrian. "Everyone's dream is a little bit different. In May of 2017, Forest and Trevor Kostanich spent a month traversing the North Cascades from Snoqualmie Pass to the Canadian Border (well, almost) in a style that broke all the rules of an epic mountaineering expedition--in the best way possible.

Endangered Spaces--Prince of Wales

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 22:30:00 -0000

"It's like being caught in a spiderweb. You'll find yourself pushing with every part of your body, and no part of your body will be able to move. You're totally trapped by--held by plants," says Elsa Sebastian. She bushwhacked through the overgrown clearcuts of Southeast Alaska in a creative effort to defend the remaining old growth on her home island, Prince of Wales, from a proposed bill that would transfer up to 2-million acres of the Tongass National Forest to the State of Alaska. For the fourth installment of our Endangered Spaces series, we follow Elsa and her companions as they trek across the island to see for themselves what's been lost and what remains to be saved.

The Year of Big Ideas 2018

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 23:40:00 -0000

"I think the jack of all trades gets a bum rap. The jack is the master of none, but I think the jack probably has a lot of fun," says Fitz Cahall. We open our annual Year of Big Ideas with an ode to “mediocrity” from Fitz, then turn, as always, to our community for inspiration for the coming year.

Growing Down

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Some people grow upward and outward; some people root down. For Fitz Cahall, what growth means has changed over time.

The Shorts--Zarsian Adventures

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Cordelia Zars shares stories of her family's unconventional adventures--like dragged a 90-lb keyboard 10-miles through the snow on a 9-degree Colorado evening--and she reflects on how those excursions shaped her and her siblings.

The Shorts--T-Day

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Katie Wallace learns to see family holidays as a privilege rather than an obligation.

Over the Line

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 01:42:00 -0000

"It's like the Iditarod with a chance of drowning," says Jake Beatty, one of the organizers of the Race to Alaska. What's crazier than trying to race from WA to AK on a boat without a motor? Karl Kruger's decision to enter the race on a SUP.

Tales of Terror Vol. 8

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 00:23:00 -0000

For our eighth annual Tales of Terror episode, we have five stories that span the range of things to fear--from angry men with shotguns, to bears and mountain lions, to things that really don't have any explanation in the world of science.

The Shorts--Yard Sale

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 19:13:00 -0000

When Tyler Neese and four friends loaded up the truck for a spring break ski vacation in Colorado, the stoke was high. Until, just minutes from the slopes black ice and a distracted driver flipped their trip upside down. Sometimes, it's not about what happens to you, it's about how you react.

Endangered Spaces--Boundary Waters

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 15:00:00 -0000

For our third Endangered Spaces episode, we travel to Northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to follow Dave and Amy Freeman on "Paddle to D.C." and "A Year in the Wilderness," two adventures that had a real impact in advocating for the protection of the place they love most.

The Shorts--Thirst

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 20:56:00 -0000

"If you're thirsty, you're probably already dehydrated. That's what they say. Those perfect people who always have a clean, happily-colored, reusable adult sippy bottle on hand," says Anya Miller. "Most often, I only realize that I'm thirty when someone offers me a drink. My friend Jesse Bushey brought up climbing El Cap. I didn't even know I wanted to--until he suggested it."

Winnebago Warriors

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 20:24:00 -0000

"When we were living in a house, we were always compromising what we thought we should be doing," remembers Kathy Holcombe. Until, the day she, her husband, Peter, and their daughter Abby moved into a Winnebago to travel and work from the road. "I want her to see that... whatever her wildest dreams are, to chase them and not stop until they come true," says Kathy. 12 year old Abby's dream? To kayak the 280-miles of the classic Grand Canyon run.

The Shorts--Double Vision

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 15:00:00 -0000

"I looked like some mountain man's girlfriend, and sometimes, that's all I felt like," remembers Andrea Ross. But after an accident on Mt. Humphreys forced Andrea to draw on her EMT training, she reached a turning point in her relationship and the way she imagined her life.

081

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 16:06:00 -0000

Roland Thompson used to rob banks. Now he climbs and snowboards.

Endangered Spaces--Katahdin Woods and Waters

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 15:00:00 -0000

"The reason that I was able to do it is because I was incredibly naive," says Lucas St. Clair. "I had no idea how much work it was going to be, when I started. Not a clue."

The thing Lucas did: work to establish Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in the North Woods of Maine.

We started this "Endangered Spaces" series for two reasons. First, we want to take a deeper look at a handful of important, active land battles. Second, and every bit as important, we want to follow the stories of a handful of people who, in their own, quirky ways, have stepped up to protect the threatened spaces they hold dear.

For Lucas, the endangered space wasn't the land he was working to protect, but the communities that surround it.

The comment period for the 27 monuments on Zinke's list ends July 10th. Outdoor Alliance makes it easy to speak out for the places that are important to you.

To plan your trip to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, visit Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters.

The Shorts--Exit Strategy

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:34:00 -0000

"Three days from the end of the trip, I started to panic," writes Emma Walker. "I still didn't know what to do with my summer, let alone the rest of my life. Inspiration, as I'd imagined it, hadn't struck. Now, I had to face the realization that I didn't have an exit strategy. This had been it, and it would inevitably end."

The summer after her first year of graduate school, Emma enrolled in an Alaska Pacific University Expedition Mountaineering course. She told her family she signed up because it meant she'd earn graduate credits to traipse around the Harding Icefield. But she also hoped the trip would bring some clarity on the bigger questions, like whether or not grad school had been a mistake and what she was still doing in Alaska.

No lightning bolts of clarity struck during her trip, but looking back a year later, she could see that, perhaps, her month in the Alaska mountains had given her the inspiration she needed after all.

You can find more of Emma's writing at myalaskanodyssey.com or listen to her first Short, "I Poo: A Love Story"

Pedal Strokes and Perspective

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 19:14:00 -0000

"As a brown woman, I stand out," says Mary Ann Thomas. "People came up to me just because they were curious, just because they were like, 'There aren't a lot of strangers here, we're just interested in who you are as a person-- as a whole person.'"

Mary Ann is the daughter of Indian immigrants, she's queer and she had always lived in the liberal bubble of big cities on the East Coast. When she embarked on a six-month, 6600-mile bike tour across the country, she worried most about the prejudice she might encounter as she pedaled through middle America. She was surprised to discover that the stereotypes she had to confront in a profound way were her own.

Check out the blog from Mary Ann's trip, or find more of her writing here.

Picaflor

Fri, 26 May 2017 15:00:00 -0000

When a bad breakup sent him spiraling into a deep depression, Tom Ireson fixated on an unconventional way to get his head straight:

"I really needed something to focus my mind on to pull me out of that," Tom says, "and about the biggest thing I could think of was to try and do a new route on a big wall."

Not just any big wall, a big wall on the other side of the world in the remote and wild valley of Cochamo, Chile. When he latched on to the idea, Tom had never been to Cochamo and never climbed a big wall, much less established a new route on one.

Today, we've got one for you about how, if you find yourself at the bottom of an impossibly deep hole, sometimes it takes an equally impossible goal to pull yourself out of it.

If you want to hear more from Tom, check out his 2014 Short, 'Go For It'.

The Shorts--Let Joy Rule Your Life

Fri, 12 May 2017 15:00:00 -0000

"I used to go climbing in the same way people would go to a well, a source of life equally routine and sacred. It would fill me up--leave me refreshed and full after a hard day in the mountains," writes Keith Erps. "After Ryan's death, climbing appeared dark and ugly. I wanted to love it, but had to find a new answer to the 'why' questions."

For many of us, the relationship we have with the outdoors stretches back longer than most of our friendships. But what do we do when what should have been a type one fun day in the mountains turns into the worst day of our lives? How do we redefine our relationships with the activities we love?

Ryan's family started a scholarship in his name to help underserved youth get outside. You can donate here.

You can find more of Keith's writing here.

The Bet

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 18:35:00 -0000

Matt Muchna and Peter Journel are best friends, and complete opposites. Matt is spontaneous. Peter is a planner. Matt is an idealist, Peter in a realist. And a few years ago, they made a bet: Peter bet that Matt couldn't climb one of the highest continental peaks for less than $3,000. If he did, Peter would pay him back for the trip.

"When I made this bet, I had maybe two or three pairs of cut off pants that were now shorts--or jorts--a pair of sandals, and maybe six or seven pretty nice Hawaiian shirts," remembers Matt. "And that was it."

Today, producer Francesca Fenzi brings you a story of mountain climbing on a budget, friendship, and idealism versus realism.

You can find more of Francesca's work at: francescafenzi.com

The Shorts--Catching Hope

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 15:00:00 -0000

"Every day on the mountain and every night at the bar, drinking and partying was as much a part of my life as skiing," remembers Paddy O'Connell. "That is until, of course, they became the only part."

We've heard the stories of addicts who found salvation in the outdoors and the outdoor community, but that's not the way the narrative arcs for everyone. For Paddy, recovery looked less like slashing pow turns with his ski-bum buddies, and more like a game of catch with his dad on the back lawn of a treatment facility in Minnesota.

Endangered Spaces--Bears Ears

Sat, 25 Mar 2017 00:13:00 -0000

Josh Ewing's metamorphosis from climber to climber-activist and the battle to protect Bears Ears.

The Fear is Real

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Loosely speaking, there are two kinds of fear. There's the fear of external, objective hazards--like getting caught in an avalanche, or taking a bad fall climbing or getting mauled by a grizzly bear. Then, there's the internal, more slippery kind of fear, like the fear of not being pretty enough, or not being popular enough or not being perfect enough.

When Kat Cannell embarked on a 350-mile, solo horse-packing trip through the mountains of Idaho and Montana, across snowy mountain passes and through a large swath of grizzly bear country, she had to confront both kinds of fears. She realized that maybe conquering the fear of having a head on with a grizzly and conquering the fear of not being pretty enough really isn't all that different.

This April, Kat and activist Katelyn Spradley plan to ride 900-miles from the Washington Coast to Redfish Lake, Idaho, following the path of Idaho's wild salmon up the Columbia, Snake and Salmon Rivers to their spawning grounds in the Sawtooth Basin. Learn more at RideforRedd.org, or follow the trip on Facebook or Instagram.

Leaving the Races Behind

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 19:55:00 -0000

If you travel down to Ushuaia, Argentina, you might just find a bus plastered with a massive photograph of Sam Evans-Brown. In that photo, he's sprinting, shoulder to shoulder, with Olympic cross-country ski-racer Martin Bianchi in the final stretch of the 2008 national ski championship of Argentina.

Today, Sam brings us the backstory to that photograph--a story about a split-second act of kindness that altered the course of Martin's life, and about figuring out when it's time to leave the races behind.

Sam hosts the podcast 'Outside In', a show from New Hampshire Public Radio about the natural world and how we use it.

A version of this story originally aired on 'Outside In'. You can find "Don't Cheer for Me Argentina" here.

The Shorts--The Chute

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 16:00:00 -0000

"'Oh, shoot', my dad muttered for the tenth or fifteenth time in the last five minutes. Then, he burst into exhausted chuckles," remembers Deron Daugherty. "I looked up the chute that we were trying to march out of: thirty degrees of slop, several hundred feet to go. 'Shoot', I agreed, and laughed, the dark laugh of those initiated to the secrets of redlined exertion. Type 2 fun before I knew its name.

When Deron's uncle coerced him and his father on a trip to Vasey's Paradise, an oasis at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, they had no idea what they'd find down there. They didn't know about the chute. They also had no idea what truths they would uncover about one another, the bonds that would form between the three of them or how long those bonds would last.

The Year of Big Ideas 2017

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 23:27:00 -0000

No matter who they voted for, right now, a lot of people in this country would agree that things could be better. In the long term, if want thing to go well or if we want to move forward or to grow, then two, almost evenly divided, sides of the country can't remain at intellectual war.

So, this year, we bring you our annual Year of Big Ideas, but with a twist. With the current state of our country, asking people about their personal goals to get rad outside didn't quite feel right. Instead, we went out the simple/utterly confounding question: How do we move forward?

Today, our friends, contributors and listeners weigh in with their thoughts and goals on what we do in 2017 and in the years to come. Happy New Year!

The Shorts--Vanlife

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 16:00:00 -0000

"I have now officially sold out," writes Chris Kalman. "I work more than I climb. I pay rent and sleep in a house I'm getting rich off of writing--so rich, in fact, that I do my grocery shopping inside the store now."

Today, we bring you the story of Chris's life through the eras of three vans, "Ford," "Chevy" and "Van," to his current, nameless fancypants car. How do you reconcile a dirtbag soul with changing goals and dreams?

You can find more of Chris's writing at FringesFolly.com

To Infinity

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 15:30:00 -0000

Chad Kellogg. September 22nd, 1971 to February 14th, 2014. Seattle climbing community legend. Dear friend to many. And the toughest guy around.

"For Chad, not eating and shivering on ledges--that was like skiing powder for him. It was just that fun," remembers Jens Holsten.

Today, we take a look at what gets left behind when someone like Chad leaves us, and what grows in that vacant space. In part one, we hear from Jens, Chad's climbing partner, good friend and mentee during the final years of his life. In part two, we follow Ras Vaughan and Gavin Woody as they pick up the torch on a project Chad dreamed up, but never completed: the Rainier Infinity Loop. An idea so grand, it seemed almost inhuman.

The Shorts--The Skin Track

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 16:00:00 -0000

With a professional ski guide for a dad and a skin instructor for a mom, Nina Hance learned early how to set a steep skin track and charge hard. At 20, she started to work toward her ski guide certification and got a job as an apprentice guide for a heli operation in Alaska. Imagine her delight when, her first week of college, she met Olivia, climber skier and aspiring avalanche forecaster: the ultimate female adventure companion.

"She taught me how to party hard, and I made her wake up early for powder days," says Nina. "Whether in deep conversation over a bottle of wine, swapping leads on a multi-pitch, or giggling in the skin track, we couldn't get enough of each other."

Then, one morning, Nina awoke to a phone full of missed calls from mutual friends, and the terrible realization that she would have to find a new way to love the mountains.

coMOMdo

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 18:53:00 -0000

"As a mom, you have no book that tells you the right way to take care of your kids through bad times," says Bonnie Elozory, mother of four.

For seven-years, the Elozory family weathered a relentless streak of bad luck. With no instructions on how to pull her family out of the muck, Bonnie got creative. When her husband nudged Bonnie to rekindle her dream to hike the Appalachian Trail, she latched on to the idea. And decided to take the kids.

"Oh my gosh," Bonnie remembers thinking, "this is going to save our lives."

*This episode contains discussions about assault. If you're listening with young ears, or have sensitive ears, you may want to skip this one.

Click here to read Bonnie's blog from the trail.

What's Next?

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 16:00:00 -0000

"This is the part that I never anticipated: the boots have taken on a life of their own. They've just worked magic with people," says M'Lynn. "I'd like to see Paul's boots continue to be an inspiration, continue to get people off the couch and out into the fresh air and paying attention to what they're doing with their lives."

Paul's boots have now covered all 2,189-miles of the AT. All three pairs have summited Katahdin. Now, we've got quite the collection of size 13 hiking boots at the office. And we agree with M'Lynn: we think it would be a shame to let them sit in the corner and collect dust.

For our third and final episode on the Paul's Boots project, we bring you the story of thru-hiker Alex Newlon, who carried a pair of boots the entire length of the AT, and we have one last ask for you:

Where do these boots go next?

Email ideas to boots@ducttapethenbeer.com

Watch the full Paul's Boots film.

Listen to the first Paul's Boots episode and the Update from the Trail episode.

Tales of Terror Vol. 7

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:15:00 -0000

This is our seventh annual Tales of Terror episode. Over the past seven years, we've read a lot of scary stories about things that happen out in the woods. We've discovered that there are all kinds of frightening things that can happen out there, but there are two ingredients that, mixed together, seem to lead to a terrifying experience more often than anything else:

1. Going out alone

2. Trying to go to sleep

Today, we bring you three stories of what happens when you try to go to sleep alone in the woods. First, we'll hear from Ryan Taylor, then from Jason Prinster and then from Duct Tape Then Beer's very own Isaiah Branch-Boyle. Happy Halloween, everyone. Maybe go camping with a buddy.

Mileposts--Greater than the Sum of its Parts

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 15:00:00 -0000

In the fall of 2015, photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko embarked upon a journey to rally support to protect one of our most awe-inspiring national treasures: the Grand Canyon. Their method? A 700+ mile sectional thru-hike of the wilderness that lies between the rim and the river. They knew the trek would challenge them, but they had no idea how quickly and completely the canyon would leave them demoralized and physically destroyed.

The two of them were contemplating giving up when, as Kevin puts it, 'A miracle happened'.

Today, a story about three people who have dedicated the better part of their lives to developing a unique skill--and a project so complicated and important that it required their cumulative experience to pull it off. It's also a story about friendship, and how friends working toward a common goal can lead to something greater than the sum of its parts.

You can find Pete's photography and film at: www.petemcbride.com/

To hear more from Kevin, pick up a copy of his book, The Emerald Mile, or listen to the Diaries episode, "The Threshold Moment."

To learn more about Pete and Kevin's journey, check out these two articles: "6 Painful Lessons I Learned by Hiking the Grand Canyon" and "Are We Losing the Grand Canyon?"

To learn more about the current threats to the Grand Canyon and what you can do to help, visit: savetheconfluence.com

The Shorts--The Dirtbag Ministry Co-Op

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 15:00:00 -0000

"The days and months on the road had unspooled before us and we'd simply followed the thread. But the bobbin was empty now," writes Dave McAllister. "Fine Jade would be the last cumulative "now" we shared, the final adventure we'd have as a group. At least on this trip. Maybe ever."

Last spring, Dave and his band of dirtbag travelers celebrated their last moments together and helped their friends get hitched in style--atop a desert tower. Today, we bring you a story of gumby ingenuity, spring in the desert, feather boas and a little tale of 'dirtbag theology' in motion.

You can find more of Dave's writing at: Thundercling.com

Paul's Boots--An Update from the Trail

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 16:00:00 -0000

Last winter, we received an email from M'Lynn. Her late husband, Paul, had a dream to hike the Appalachian Trail. He never made it to the AT--but, M'Lynn thought, maybe his boots could?

Maybe they could serve as a reminder for all of us to live our dreams while we can. Maybe they could go one step further and literally pull someone off the couch and onto the trail.

We asked you, our community, to help us make that dream a reality. More than 400 emails poured in, from seasoned thru-hikers to first-time backpackers. We heard a resounding, 'Let me know how I can help'. We knew we were part of an incredible community, but damn. We're floored.

Today, we bring you an update on the journey Paul's boots have made over the past nine months, introduce you to some of the hikers who carried Paul's boots and hear M'Lynn's reaction.

Listen to the first Paul's Boots episode. Learn more about the Paul's Boots Project.

Mothers Have It Hardest - Kyle Dempster Tribute

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 21:30:00 -0000

"Maybe you and I would have the same recommendation--from my standpoint to the climbers out there, and from your standpoint to the mother's of those climbers out there," Kyle Dempster said to his mother. "Talk about the worst case scenario. Don't pretend that it doesn't exist. Express the love that you have for each other, and also the insurance that, in the event of worst case scenario, life will go on."

On August 22nd, 2016, Kyle and his climbing partner Scott Adamson went missing on Pakistan's Ogre II. After days of bad weather, friends and family, with incredible help from the Pakistani government, were able to conduct a search, but found no trace of the two climbers.

Our hearts go out to Terry and to all of Kyle's friends and loved ones. We know that he understood the risks involved in the activities he did, and we know that still doesn't it any easier for the people close to him to live with the hole he's left in their lives. Kyle was one in a billion.

We originally aired a version of this episode in 2014--a story from Kyle and his mother, Terry, about the struggle of loving an adventurer. The struggle between loving them so much that you don't want to see them hurt, and loving them so much that you want to support them in pursuing their dreams and doing the things that make them tick.

Last year, we reworked this piece to submit to the Third Coast Audio Festival. We have never aired this version publicly. It seemed like the right moment.

No Way Around It

Fri, 02 Sep 2016 16:50:00 -0000

Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic are the expedition kayakers. Over the past decade, the duo have made first descents of over 120 rivers in wildly remote locations across 36 countries and 6 continents. In 2016, Ben and Chris traveled to Myanmar to complete a source to sea descent of the Irrawaddy River.

The both say it was the first time they failed completely to accomplish their objective--and also one of the richest experiences they've ever had.

"Had we floated freely down the Irrawaddy, I don't know that we would've learned nearly as much about what actually was going on," says Ben. "The corruption that's occurring in that area stopped us from running the river. It wasn't just a side note. It was directly in front of us."

Today we, bring you a story about the intersection of politics and adventure, and about the richness in failure.

You can read more about Ben and Chris's trip to Myanmar here.

Mileposts--Calling Home

Fri, 19 Aug 2016 15:00:00 -0000

"I think all of us -- dad, me, my brother -- recognized a window of opportunity in which our flexibility as freelancers overlapped with dad's entrance into the golden years of being both retired and fit," says David Hanson. "Plus, it felt like dad and I had some things to figure out. Our differences weren't just that he liked park lodges and I preferred remote bivy sites."

For the past five years, David's father, Scott, has visited a cluster of National Parks. And every year, David and his brother take turns accompanying him. Today, we travel with David and his father to Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend in search of two of the greatest gifts our public lands give us: family time and common ground.

You can find David's writing, photos and video at: davidhandson3.com

Start Saying Yes

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:00:00 -0000

"Over two weeks I went from pretty 'fine'--I have to say 'fine' with air quotes and an eye roll because it's that kind of fine--so, I went from 'fine' to 'I'm out'! I just needed a life restart," says Katie Crafts.

For her thirtieth birthday, Katie gave herself a trip on a cruise to Antarctica. In the other, older passengers on the ship, she caught a glimpse of her future if she continued on the path she was on. In the ship's crew, she saw something else: a superwoman equivalent of herself. Today, we bring you the story of a journey to the far reaches of our planet, and of what it takes to see the person you want to be, and then become that person. It starts with saying 'yes'.

Mileposts--The Grit to Make it Happen

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 15:00:00 -0000

"If you go on some really big, really ambitious trip or you have some enormous goal, if you look at the big picture all the time, it's too intimidating, it's too big, it seems too insurmountable," says Jim Harris. "If you break it down into the next move, or the next pitch, or the next day of hiking, or the next rapid or whatever it is, those chunks are manageable. And there's a lot of aspects to spine injuries that are that same way."

A year and a half ago, Jim traveled to Patagonia to attempt a 350-mile traverse of the Patagonian ice cap via kite-ski and packraft. But before the team even made it out of town, Jim was practicing with his kite when an errant gust of wind pulled him into the air and the slammed him back into the ground, breaking seven vertebrae and rendering him paralyzed.

For the fifth installment of our Mileposts series, we travel to Grand Teton National Park to bring you a story of how much these places we love can take away from us, and about how, sometimes, those same places can teach us the skills we need to come back.

You can find Jim's photography at: http://www.perpetualweekend.com/

The Suffer Vest

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 14:30:00 -0000

"I'm not what you'd call a 'runner.' I prefer it to getting fat, but not by a lot," writes Brendan Leonard. "The most I'd run in the past fews years was probably close to 12 kn. I ran a marathon once, and although it felt pretty recent, it was nine years ago." So what's a non-runner to do? Sign up for a 50K trail race with less than 25 days to train, of course. Ready, set, race.

You can find more of Brendan's writing at semi-rad.com

The Ultimate Weekend Warrior

Fri, 24 Jun 2016 15:00:00 -0000

Jim Herson and Anne Smith live in the Bay Area. They're in their fifties. Jim has worked the same computer science job since he graduated college in 1982, and he and Anne have been together nearly that long. They have two kids, a 17 year old daughter and a 13 year old son, who they shuttle around the city in a maroon Subaru wagon. An all-around American family.

Except for one thing-- Jim and his kids get their family bonding time a thousand feet off the deck on Yosemite's classic routes.

Little Explorers Club

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 15:00:00 -0000

"Tommy grew up in Estes, but you notice that so many families and so many kids just don't go into the the National Park," says Becca Caldwell. While Rocky Mountain National Park is just a short drive from Estes Park, CO., Becca found parents gravitated to the local playground and coffee shops for playdates. "Why aren't we going out on the trails and letting the kids run loose? How can we change that for my sons's generation?" she asked. It's a question that many experts have been asking too.

Today, for the fourth episode of our Mileposts series, we hike with the Little Explorers in Rocky Mountain National Park, and see how Becca's simple act is forming a community of kids and parents out on the trails.

Live From 5Point Vol. 9

Thu, 26 May 2016 23:56:00 -0000

Before Semi-Rad.com, Brendan Leonard wrote a Short for The Dirtbag Diaries called Sixty Meters to Anywhere. He recently published a book with the same title, documenting his journey from handcuffs to hand-jams, from rural Iowa to the mountains of Colorado and from business casual to assignments for Climbing magazine. We returned from our sixth annual pilgrimage to the 5Point Film Festival with something a little different this year: a lightly edited version of the presentation Brendan gave to a packed house. See you there next year?

You can order your own copy of Sixty Meters to Anywhere, see the schedule for Brendan's 2016 book tour and find more of his writing at Semi-Rad.com.

Green Light

Fri, 13 May 2016 16:00:00 -0000

Looking west from Seattle, the skyline of Olympic National Park is defined by the notched peak of The Brothers. "I see it stuck in traffic. I see it from meeting rooms in downtown Seattle. I see it on my evening runs that I use to stay in shape for my days in the mountains. I've looked at that skyline and imagined the light, the wind and thought, 'I could be standing on that peak,' -- instead of dealing with 'this', whatever 'this' is," writes Fitz Cahall.

It can be easy to wallow in the constraints, responsibilities, and duties of life. It can be so damn easy to play the grass is greener game. When Fitz takes a spring Friday to go and climb The Brothers, he gets a chance to look back in the opposite direction and realizes that it's not about which side is greener. It can be as simple as going when you get a green light.

The Shorts--I Poo, A Love Story

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 16:00:00 -0000

"My new husband, Bix, consulted the map and asked if I thought we'd make it to Bowknot Bend that day. Lots of honeymooners probably have similar conversations, except for one small detail," writes Emma Walker. "Unlike those couples who coyly take their twos at the gas station down the street, my spouse of less than a week sat discussing the finer points of canoe rigging from his perch atop of the river toilet."

Today, Emma shares her take on the ingredients for an awesome relationship: honesty, openness, unconditional acceptance of ourselves and of each other--and a solid foundation of poop jokes.

You can find more of Emma's writing at: https://myalaskanodyssey.com/

Trespassers

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 15:00:00 -0000

"You have to imagine that you're on the frozen Arctic Ocean. You're six miles from shore, you can't really tell where the ocean stops and the white shore begins. All you see is white--and this thing where they're dumping crap into the ocean to make this island," says Dan Ritzman. "And there, stuck in the ice, is a sign that says 'No Trespassing'."

It was 1999, the beginning of the climate movement. Oil companies had started to talk about green energy, but continued their dogged search for fossil fuel. At the time, Dan worked for Greenpeace, who was determined to expose that hypocrisy by any means necessary.

Today, we bring you the story of a Danish ex-special forces trainer, some very cold weather, some crooked State Troopers, a group of activists and the sometimes thin line between standing up for our wild places and adventuring in them.

Mileposts--The Miracle of Darkness

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 16:00:00 -0000

"The sky above you goes on forever, and the landscape appears as endless as the sky. The world is expansive and you are tiny. All of your problems shrink down to the head of a pin," writes Melina Coogan. "This is why places like this matter--places like Great Smoky National Park: they give us perspective."

Just months after Melina got married, she walked out of a doctor's office with a sobering health diagnosis. Today, for the second episode of our Mileposts series, we travel with her to Great Smoky National Park to see what perspective we can take home.

You can find more of Melina's writing at: http://www.thewildercoast.com

A Slosh in the Bucket

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 17:38:00 -0000

Eric Johnson lives in Sturgis, South Dakota with his wife and three young daughters. He works as a high school English teacher. He's responsible--well, most of the time.

Half way into his thirties, Eric emptied his retirement account to buy a raft, despite the fact that he lives in a state without any navigable whitewater. Just over a year later, he found something too good to be true: a group of experienced guides advertising an open spot on a pre-season trip down Idaho's Main Salmon.

Today, we bring you the story of what happens when you ignore the red flags that pop up when something is actually too good to be true and of what it feels like to bob around in the bucket of someone else's bucket list.

The Shorts--Tower Climbing, Baby!

Fri, 04 Mar 2016 21:05:00 -0000

"I unclipped the hot belay device from my harness. I looked over at Conor, smiled and announced, 'This is the best part of my day so far'!" writes Jen Altschul. "For a moment, a smile of pure joy spread across his face--which, just as quickly, flipped into disappointment when he realized that I was talking about being back on the ground."

The first time Jen tried to climb a desert tower, her and her partner bailed after the third pitch and returned the guidebook. Today, we bring you a story of abrasions, frustrations, failure and an eventual, unlikely love for the peculiar formations of the desert southwest.

Mileposts--Celebrate with a Milkshake

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:06:00 -0000

"Sometimes, when I'm hiking somewhere near Moab and chatting with other people, I think about saying something like, 'You know what's great about this hike? In about 75-minutes, you can be at Milt's Stop & Eat'," says Brendan Leonard. "Milt's is a 19-mile drive from Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, it's 55-miles from Indian Creek and 75-miles to Canyonlands' towering red and white striped sandstone needles. I mean, when you think about it, it's kind of the nucleus of all that rad stuff."

In the first episode of our Mileposts series, we explore the national parks around Moab, Utah--and celebrate with a milkshake.

You can find more of Brendan's writing at: www.semi-rad.com/

Roll The Dice

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 17:00:00 -0000

"We started the trip without much of a purpose," writes Fil Corbitt. "We wanted to be pushed around. Wanted to find something we didn't know we were looking for. We wanted to take some small chance and see where we landed. And see which side was facing up."

But how do you find that kind of serendipity when you only have a week? Fil created a game. Each morning, he and his friend would wake up and roll a single dice. The rules? A one meant go north. 2 = east, 3 = south, 4 = west, 5 = stay put and 6 meant to cross the nearest state border. The only rule? No backtracking.

Today, we follow Fil as he and his friend Brian figuratively and literally roll the dice and see where they land. And which side is facing up.

This episode originally aired as a six-part series on Fil's awesome podcast, Van Sounds. We cut quite a bit of material to turn it into a single piece. You can listen to the full version of the Dice series as well as other awesome travel stories, like the Freight Train episode, at: http://vansounds.org/

Paul's Boots

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 19:51:00 -0000

We got a call from Australia. M'Lynn's husband, Paul, passed away this past July. He left behind three pairs of polished hiking boots and a backpack packed for his dream hike: the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail.

M'Lynn reached out to us. She had an idea for one final gift for her husband. "How good would it be," she asked, "for his boots to make the journey even if Paul could not?" We want to make it happen. Give a listen. We need your help.

Want to help? To learn more, click here.

The Shorts--If The Shoe Fits

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 17:00:00 -0000

"I followed my friend through the small, dark weight room in a crusty garage-like building left over from the station's army days and up a narrow, twisted staircase," Hilary Oliver remembers. "Behind the door at the top of those stairs hid a magical place."

Drudgery and boredom ruled most of Hilary's season at Antartica's McMurdo Station, but she also got an unlikely introduction--one that opened up a whole different world.

You can find more of Hilary's writing at thegription.com

Everybody Loves LeeRoy

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 17:00:00 -0000

God told Steve Wescott to walk from the Space Needle to Times Square, NYC, with a goat named LeeRoy, to raise $200,000 for an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Or at least that's the elevator pitch. In truth, when Steve started out of Seattle in 2011, it had much less to do with God, and much more to do with running away from himself and the mistakes he had made as a Christian rock star and sex-and-love-aholic. You probably don't want to listen to this one with your kids.

To learn more about Steve's project and the orphanage, Uzima Outreach, visit: http://www.needle2square.com/

The Shorts--Powder and Hookah Smoke

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 17:00:00 -0000

"In the end, Iran's spirit took me completely and pleasantly by surprise," writes Greg Buzulencia. "The benevolence I received inspired me to approach every situation with a more open mind. Doing so opened up the world in a way I hadn't expected." Greg left for the Middle East with dreams of powder turns, but returned with the best gifts that travel can offer: new friends, shattered assumptions and a refreshed perspective on the world and the people in it.

Tales of Terror Vol. 6

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 17:30:00 -0000

Phantasmal footsteps, strange silhouettes, inexplicable movements and unaccountable sounds. In our sixth annual Tales of Terror, Bix Firer, Lorraine Campbell and Kealan Sojack share three stories of 'What the *&@! was that'? A dream? Or an indication that, perhaps, we are not as alone in the woods as we like to think. Happy Halloween.

The Shorts--Commit Fully

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 16:00:00 -0000

"Our four seater plane touched down on a small gravel bar in the heart of the Brooks Range. We unloaded. The engine roared back to life, and the plane disappeared down valley into the blue-gray mountains. Then, the mosquitos came," writes Fitz Cahall. In May, Fitz received an email that contained a golden ticket--a float trip down the Kongakut River through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There was just one problem: the timeline collided with prior commitments to family and friends. How one email, one trip and one decision to say yes crystallized Fitz's commitment to responsibility and desire.

The Shorts--Squalls

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 16:00:00 -0000

"This was one of those rare moments in life where you must act or die and everything was therefore very simple--although the outcome remained unclear," writes Kim Campbell. "If I lived, I knew that I could manage what followed. It was like a dare and a promise."

Today, we bring you the story of Kim's first sailing trip, of horizontal masts and lightning strikes and, in her words, a "kernel of confidence that bloomed over the years."

You can find more of Kim's writing at: http://blog.kimzyn.com/

Beyond the Lines

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 16:00:00 -0000

Maps. We've all studied them. Stuffed them into backpacks or the seatback pocket of our car. Maybe we've even been led astray by a map. But have you ever thought about the person who made that map? Or how that person might influence your initial impression of a landscape?

"A map in not a perfect representation of a landscape. It's an abstract representation." says cartographer Marty Schnure. Today, we have a sotry about a mapmaker, Patagonia Park, and the process Marty uses to create a map--a map that she hope will connect you to a place.

The Shorts--The Hourglass

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 16:00:00 -0000

"By midweek, I can't focus on my duties at work, and spend most of my time on Summitpost and Mountain Project," writes Niki Yoblonski. "There are so many things in the world I want to see--so many mountains to climb, things to discover. I have to get out of there." Yet, inevitably, Sunday evening has her praying for the trailhead, a burger and a soft bed. Niki's theory on achieving the work-outdoor life balance? Just turn the hourglass.

You can find more of Niki's work at: TheMilesTickAway.squarespace.com. And you can listen to her previous Short, "By Slim Chance."

700

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 23:30:00 -0000

"I was looking for no less than a new way of living in this world for our entire society," says Clay Shank. "Like, 'What's the alternative to this capitalistic system that we have here'?"

Today, we bring you "700," the story of Clay Shank's ambitious goal to find a new way of life and his unlikely method: skateboarding 700-miles through the state of California, hiking the 210-mile John Muir Trail, climbing Mt. Whitney and Half Dome and, all the while, capturing a video portrait of the people living in California. But, first, Clay had to learn to talk to strangers.

You can find Clay's videos, including his newest film "Up To Us" and the trailer for his feature-length film "700-Miles" on his website: http://www.clayshank.com/

The Shorts--Painkillers and Perspective

Thu, 11 Jun 2015 16:00:00 -0000

"All of my friends kayaked. All of the trips we went on were kayaking trips. When not kayaking, we talked about kayaking," writes Sarah Paul. In the four years since she left home, Sarah had constructed her whole identity around whitewater kayaking. Then, on the first day of a whitewater rafting guide course, she felt something shift inside her shoulder. In a bad way. As recovery dragged on, Sarah had to figure out who she was-- other than a kayaker.

Live from 5Point Vol. 8

Thu, 28 May 2015 16:00:00 -0000

In our fifth annual "Live from 5Point" Film Festival, we interviewed Frank Sanders and Tommy Caldwell.

Frank spent his youth climbing on the East Coast. His path took a turn in 1972, when he hitchhiked west and saw Devil's Tower for the first time. Now, at 63, Frank owns and guides out of Devil's Tower Lodge. He shares the story of his journey and what it's like having found his place.

Over the last seven years, Tommy has spent months at a time focused on climbing The Dawn Wall, the hardest big wall climb in history. On January 14th, he and his partner, Kevin Jorgenson, pulled over the top of El Capitan into a swarm of cameras and microphones. He talks to Fitz about what it's like to end a seven-year relationship with a project and how his life has changed now that people outside the climbing world recognize him.

The Shorts--Sleeping Bag Metamorphosis

Thu, 14 May 2015 19:43:00 -0000

"After a summer of bussing tables and lifeguarding, I had saved up enough and I was finally going to get it. My ticket to anywhere I wanted to be," writes Anya Miller. "I was a little worried about the money, but I was in complete realization that anything I actually wanted to do in life -- literally, anything -- depended on it." Today, Anya shares the story of her first sleeping bag, and the person she became with the help of the women's medium, right-hand zip cocoon. When you can sleep anywhere, you can go anywhere.

The Modern Dirtbag

Fri, 01 May 2015 22:08:00 -0000

In the golden days, dirtbags lived to climb. They didn't work, have permanent addresses or sponsors. They ate leftovers off of tourists' plates and slept in beater cars or caves. They stayed in one place only as long as teh weather allowed for climbing. Now, our modern world of fees, time limits and locked dumpsters has made it nearly impossible to live that way anymore. Dirtbagging is dying-- or at least that's what some people claim.

Join Matt Van Biene for a day on Yosemite's Camp 4 as he talks to climbers of all different ages, nationalities and backgrounds. Is dirtbagging dead or alive? And what does the modern dirtbag look like? Tune in.

The Shorts--Two Wheels to Anywhere

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 16:00:00 -0000

"We opened my aunt's basement door and walked into the dusty room. Among cardboard boxes and carpentry tools stood a bright red bicycle. The frame had a few patches of rust. The components looked clunky and the gears grated roughly when I spun the pedals. It had no seat post or saddle. It was unrideable, but it had character," writes Graeme Lee Rowlands. He had a few months before he would move from Oakland, CA to start college in Squamish, BC. And he had decided that he would make the 1000-mile trip on a bicycle that he would build himself. He didn't know anything about building a bike, nor had he ever ridden more than 40-miles in a day. But he was determined.

The Shorts--Blind Date with the Desert

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 16:00:00 -0000

"My first few days in Moab's red rock desert were like a blind date where everything went wrong," writes Hilary Oliver. "For one, it was August. My metal aviator sunglasses got so hot in the sun that I couldn't smile or they'd burn my cheeks."

Four years later, Hilary and the desert got a second chance at their botched first encounter. Over the past ten years, they have developed a relationship with one another. Now, she has to learn how to share her place with all of the other people who have had their hearts stoled by the landscape of juniper trees and red and orange sandstone.

You can find more of Hilary's writing at thegription.com

The Threshold Moment

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 16:00:00 -0000

When Kevin Fedarko stepped through the door of the O.A.R.S. boathouse in Flagstaff, AZ, he didn't realize he had crossed a figurative threshold as well as a literal one. Kevin had planned on rafting the Grand Canyon for a wilderness medicine course. Then, he planned to go back to his life as a successful freelance writer. But what he saw in that first week on the Colorado River left him desperate to find a way to keep coming back. Kevin spent the next smelly, humiliating, beautiful and life-altering decade of his life developing a relationship with the Grand Canyon, writing about the Grand Canyon, and, ultimately, figting to protect it.

To learn more about the current threats to the Grand Canyon and how you can help, visit Save the Confluence and Grand Canyon Trust.

You can purchase Kevin's book, The Emerald Mile, here.

Brendan Leonard wrote and narrated this episode. You can find more of his work at Semi-Rad.com.

The Shorts--The Swallow and the Anchor

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 17:00:00 -0000

"My future captain interviewed me with three questions," remembers Joe Aultman-Moore. "Had I ever sailed before? No. Did I get seasick? I don't know. And, could I leave tomorrow? Yes." As Joe learned to sail while hitchhiking a sailboat across the Atlantic Ocean, he also discovered the unexpected ways in which travel could explode his perceptions of normal.

Check out "Going Into the Wild," another essay Joe wrote on hitchhiking--but this time thumbing cars, not boats, through Interior Alaska.

El Avalanchisto

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 17:00:00 -0000

When Matt McKee first heard about the position forecasting avalanches for Minera Pimenton, a gold mine in the Chilean Andes, it sounded like the snow geek's dream job. But, mere hours after his plane touched down in Santiago, Matt started getting hints that maybe he had walked into a situation that more closely resembled a nightmare: a den of avalanche paths, a mine full of workers who didn't believe in avalanches and a country that looked for someone to blame if things went wrong. Today, we bring you Matt's story of trying to make it out alive.

The Shorts--365 Days

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 17:00:00 -0000

"In the day to day tangle of life, it's easy to let go of the things that provide focus, and calm and perspective," writes Fitz Cahall. "I find that serenity so easily in wilderness. How do we carry that home?" While on a trip to Minnesota's Boundary Waters, Fitz resolved to do something back in "regular life" to try to tap into that quietness every day, for one year.

Adventure 1000

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 17:00:00 -0000

It's January. Time for our annual "Year of Big Ideas." This year, we talked to Alastair Humphreys, a 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. Among other things, Alastair has walked across India and 1000 miles through the largest sand desert in the world, cycled 46,000 miles around the world and rowed across the Atlantic.

People often come up to him after his talks and tell him they wish they could go on the kinds of adventures that he does. Alastair believes that they can. Today, he explains what he's learned about what it takes to make an adventure happen. Here's to another year of big ideas, and committing to them. Happy 2015!

Flying Deep

Tue, 06 Jan 2015 20:00:00 -0000

There comes a stage in a great athlete's career when the pursuit of the technical difficulty take a backseat. It gives way to simplicity, an aesthetic, and possibly to an iconic style that leaves an impression on a sport. Will Gadd is one of the most accomplished mountain athletes ever. Most people know him as a climbing legend, but he also holds that stature in the fringe sport of paragliding where he's won competitions and held the single flight distance record for a decade. Last year, Will and renowned pilot Gavin McClurg embarked on a truly incredible trip down the spine of the Canadian Rockies. The goal was to create a continuous line through the air. At night, they landed in the alpine, slept and repeated the process for 35 days. The trip changed Will's perspective, not just on the craft, but on how he pursues adventure.

The Journey Within

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:00:00 -0000

"I'm thirty-year-old, and a complete and utter failure," writes Chris Kalman. "My mom is a PhD astrophysicist, my dad, a PhD mathematician, and my sister has a Master's in epidemiology. They all have jobs, children, houses. I, on the other hand, am a dirtbag."

Earlier this fall, Chris moved away from his favorite climbing haunts toward something bigger and more intimidating than giant rock walls. As he helped care for an extended family member thousands of miles from the place he had called home, he had to figure out how to take a journey very different than an annual pilgrimage to climb in Patagonia: a journey within.

You can find more of Chris Kalman's writing on his blog, Fringe's Folly, "for the purists, dirtbags and salty oldtimers who live climbing."

More Than Just a Camping Trip

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:00:00 -0000

"Death-by-lightning-strike statistics kept swirling through my head, causing me to push my 13-year-old daughter to the very limits of her physical ability. We were on her Trip," writes Otto Gallaher. Today, we bring you the story of a rite-of-passage tradition in Otto's family simply known as 'The Trip'. What outdoor traditions does your family keep?

You can find more photos of Otto and Riley's trip on Otto's photography website.

What You're Handed

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:00:00 -0000

Regardless of how you choose to play outside, if someone gets hurt in the mountains, the first step on the checklist remains the same: "scene safety"--you make sure the thing that hurt your buddy isn't going to hurt you too. But there's no checklist for emotional safety when things go wrong. Today we bring you the story of a family, an accident and the repercussions they navigated for years afterwards.

Tales of Terror Vol. 5

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:00:00 -0000

Ghost stories. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, ghost stories have a way of seeping into your mind. And, if they're really good, suddenly, that soft rapping on the window or the flickering lights become more ominous--like we've primed out minds to seek another explanation. In part, that's the fun of ghost stories. But how do we explain those things we had no intention of seeing? Our Tales of Terror winners, Justin Gero and Melina Coogan, present tales of seeing something they really, really didn't want to.

The Shorts--Hooch

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 16:00:00 -0000

"It's never encouraging to be awoken in a tent by headlights. I wanted to play possum--roll over, and pretend to sleep until they left," writes David Hanson. "But this was exactly why I was here, a few hundred miles into a 500-mile canoe float down Georgia's Chattahoochee. I came here to see the river, but I really came here to see its people. And here they were."

Today, we bring you David's story of discovering a culture at once foreign and strangely familiar--and all within a day's drive of the place where he grew up.

David recently returned to the Chattahoochee to create a documentary, Who Owns Water, that chronicles a tri-state water war that threatens the river and the communities that depend on it.

The Shorts--5 Steps to Bailing

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 16:00:00 -0000

"The reality of climbing is, if you climb long enough, you're bound to bail," writes Dean Fleming. "I've left rappel biners on sport bolted 5.8s. I've bailed from trees, chockstones, fixed cams, and Manzanita bushes. Sure, sometimes my pride gets a little dinged, but so far I've survived some pretty weird situations."

We figured with that kind of experience, Dean could teach us a thing or two. Today, Dean presents another Lifestyle Tip for the Committed, with his five step guide to convinving your climbing partner to rig a retreat.

Find more of Dean's words + photos at California Climber Magazine.

The Shorts--Go For It!

Thu, 11 Sep 2014 23:30:00 -0000

"Encouragement. Peer Pressure. Bullying. Call it what you like," writes Tom Ireson, "but the climbing community is full of it."

We rely on our friends, mentors and coaches to push us past our own self-doubt--help us realize what we're capable of. And yet, we never actually know what someone is capable of ahead of time. Today, we bring you a story on searching for the line between pushing someone to succeed, and pushing them too far.

You can hear more of Tom's stories if you visit him at The Olive Branch in El Chorro, Spain--a family run hostel for adventurers of all kinds--where he works as a chef.

You can find Paul's music here.

Mothers Have it Hardest

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 16:00:00 -0000

"I remember really quickly going from, 'Wow, I'm home, this feels great', to 'Holy s***, what did I do to my mom'?" says alpinist Kyle Dempster. "And that was the first time I saw how truly difficult it is for mothers."

Today, we bring you two stories--one from Hilary Oliver, and one from Kyle Dempster and his mother, Terry--about the struggle of loving an adventurer. The struggle between loving them so much that you don't want to see them hurt, and loving them so much that you want to support them in pursuing their dreams--in doing the things that make them tick.

This story was originally inspired by one of Kyle's blog posts by the same title. You can find more of Kyle's writing at Through My Eyes.

You can find Hilary's writing at TheGription.

The Shorts--The Drowning Machine

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:00:00 -0000

"I was disoriented beneath the cold water. I kicked toward the surface, but the force of the water held me down. I twisted and hung underwater for a moment. A thought passed through my head--this is what it feels like to drown," writes Dan Gingold. Dan and three friends planned to raft the Musconetcong River into the larger Delaware River over three days. With the river running high with spring rains and little prior recon, their mellow trip became more than they bargained for as they navigated multiple dams.

Widge

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0000

"It's like you're scared to move forward-- you just need something to give you a little nudge," says Jonah Manning. "You can call it support, but, really it's just like a little bit of a shove forward. And I'll never forget it, because Widge was certainly that for me." Today, we bring you the story of Widge, the ultimate adventure partner. Sometimes when that metaphorical door of adventure opens, you need someone to walk through by your side.

The Shorts--My Bluebird of Happiness

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0000

"Standing up in my pedals, I dug so deep to make it to the top of the hill I wasn't positive that my butt could bear sitting back down on my bike seat when I got to the top," Hilary Oliver remembers. "I'd hardly said a word to another human being all day, and began to wonder: What the hell was I doing out there, anyway?" Hilary had driven that stretch of asphalt between Fort Collins and Denver many times, but she didn't know what it had to teach her about herself and where she came from until she got out from behind the windshield.

You can find more of Hilary's writing at TheGription.com.

Live from 5Point Vol. 7

Wed, 28 May 2014 16:00:00 -0000

A month ago, we headed south for our annual pilgrimage to the 5 Point Film Festival and our live Dirtbag Diaries. Today, we share stories from two women, from two different generations who share a love for rivers. In 2013, Amber Valenti had the opportunity to paddle one of the last great free-flowing rivers in the world-- The Amur River. Amber, along with three other women paddlers, documented the river from its remote headwaters in Mongolia to the wide-ribboned channels in Russia. Amber wrote and produced the film, "Nobody's River," filled with hilarious antics and the soulful exploration of a new place and oneself.

Our next guest, Katie Lee, was a force to have on stage. Feisty, poignant and ready to tell you what she thinkS, Katie is not your typical nonagenarian. Katie started her career as an actress in Hollywood, but soon left it behind after taking her first trip down the Grand Canyon. But it was Glen Canyon that she fell in love with. When it was flooded in 1963, Katie used her voice to write songs and books about the river and the west. And she's still using her voice as an activist for the environment.

This episode contains strong language.

The World By Bike

Thu, 01 May 2014 17:01:00 -0000

Committed. It’s a word we use to describe people we know, our friends, even ourselves. Committed to a sport. A ski line. A lifestyle. It can be easy to commit to those daily or short term goals. But carving out time to achieve a bigger dream, something that may take weeks or months, even years–it can feel really hard to take that first step. To even know what that first step is. And sometimes, the very goal we set for ourselves can define the duration of our commitment. Twelve years ago, Pablo Garcia left Argentina to pedal around the world. And he’s still pedaling.

The Treewok

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0000

The average American spends a third of their income on housing. Almost as much as the next two greatest expenses--food and transportation--combined. So, theoretically, if you just stopped paying for housing, you could earn a living working three days a week. Or two thirds of the year.

Today, we bring you a story about the pursuit of snow, world domination and cheap rent. It's imperfect. It comes with inconveniences. Trade-offs. But, at the end of the day, what would you rather trade in? Convenience? Or time chasing down dry rock or fluffy snow?

The Shorts--Denial on Denali

Fri, 04 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0000

Brody Leven applied for a climbing permit for Denali from a rented Subaru parked outside a closed cafe. In a blizzard. In Iceland. Weeks later, he would fly to Alaska to meet up with his team of overly accomplished athletes with the goal of climbing and skiing from Denali's summit. Determined not to be the weak link, he spent his two week layover in Salt Lake City obsessing over his gear. “I packed, unpacked, checked and repacked,” remembers Brody. “I read every online gear checklist I could find, packed my warmest clothes, and measured the length of my prussiks.” Yet, despite all of his careful planning, Brody made one dire miscalculation.

The Shorts-- Dreams Coming True

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:00:00 -0000

There are two kinds of dreams. An honest dream. “The kind of dream,” writes Luke Mehall “that keeps you up at night, and wakes you up in the morning with a knot in your stomach that can only be untied with blood sweat and tears.” For Luke, climbing El Cap was that kind of dream. And then there’s the other kind of dream. The kind that starts out as a joke, then escalates to the level of the ridiculous. When Luke drove west towards Yosemite National Park, he was determined to realize one of each.

The Remotest

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:30:00 -0000

We all know the feeling of remoteness. The stillness. The perspective. It's part of what keeps drawing us outside. But what does it feel like to be standing, literally, in the most remote place in a state? In the country? And what might those places reveal about the fate of our country's wild lands? In 2010, Ryan and Rebecca Means embarked upon Project Remote to find out.

The Shorts--Zen and the Art of Skiing Powder

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 17:00:00 -0000

“With steely determination, I pointed my tips downhill and tried to power through the deep snow, but I was doomed,” remembers Julia Rosen. “I started to do the super slow splits as my skis drifted further and further apart under two piles of snow that felt like wet concrete. My feet stopped, but my body lurched forward and I was thrust into an unwelcome downward dog.” Anyone who’s skied powder remembers this fall. Anyone who, like Julia, learned to ski pow as an adult remembers it more clearly. But Julia did make it through the painful learning process—only to discover that, perhaps, the wisdom she had gained might just serve her in the horizontal world as well.

Starting Small

Wed, 22 Jan 2014 18:06:00 -0000

Plastic bags. They clog drawers, landfills, coastlines and trailheads. Recycling them is confusing and inefficient. But what if there was a way to turn the trash into something of value? Enter Industrial Designer Will Wells. Today, we bring you our annual Year of Big Ideas. We talked to contributors and friends about their goals for the coming year. Here's to going big, traveling to new places and trying something new. And here's to making something that will inspire others, even if it's small.

Happy 2014.

If You Build It

Fri, 03 Jan 2014 22:33:00 -0000

Powerful ideas often demand that we leave the comfort of a safety net. We quit a nine to five. We take out a second mortgage on our house. Along the way, we can expect to be called a crazy one day and brilliant the next. In the late 1990's, Jeff Pensiero had an idea--to build a backcountry ski lodge that catered to snowboarders. It was outlandish--targeting a market that barely existed—and yet perfect. But, like any dream, it took years of sweat, worry, right people-right time connections, and damn good perseverance to make it all look seamless. From the shores of Lake Tahoe to the world renowned slopes of Baldface Lodge, we bring you one snowboarder’s journey to create his dream. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

The Shorts--Fighting With Our Feet

Fri, 13 Dec 2013 16:00:00 -0000

Significant life tumult propelled Nick Triolo to leave his home and move to Todos Santos, Baja earlier this year. As an ultra-runner, he instinctively explored the area on foot. As he settled into the town and its community, he became aware of a growing resistance to proposed mining in the area. And he knew he wanted to help. But how? It might have been easy for Nick to shrug off the feeling. Instead he thought big-- he would organize a protest run across the 70-mile wide stretch of the Baja Peninsula-- through the heart of where the mining was proposed. And he would run it in a day. Now, could he get anyone to join him?

See Nick's photos from the run here and here. This story was adapted from Nick's post on The Jasmine Dialogues

Special thanks to Montana Public Radio KUFM in Missoula and Sherie Newman for volunteering time to help with the recording.

Tales of Terror Vol. 4

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 17:00:00 -0000

Is there something out there? It’s a question that lurks in the back of my mind. Probably in yours too. It’s one of the very reasons why I love the outdoors: the unpredictability. Over the years, I’ve collected experiences. Moments, like bits of data, that, collectively guide my intuition. And yet. We’ve all had that moment where hairs stand up on the back of our neck. Was it heightened perception? Or did the wind just blow in just the right way? And if you convince yourself it was the wind, does some lump of doubt sit in your stomach? Because sometimes you just won’t believe something is out there. Until it’s right there.

The Shorts--By Slim Chance

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 16:48:00 -0000

"It's the unpredictable elements that throw our lives off course, for better or for worse," writes Niki Yoblonski. We leave a trailhead with some idea of what we're seeking, but on true adventures, what we walk away with is never what we expected. When Niki and her boyfriend, Jason, set out to climb Mt. Darwin one Labor Day weekend, they didn't take home a summit photo, or a bag of shiny coins, but, by a series of slim chances, they took home a treasure perhaps more valuable than anything they could have expected. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

The Shorts--Cave Sweet Cave

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 15:00:00 -0000

Walking into someone's apartment, house, van, tent or trailer for the first time can feel sort of like flipping open the first page of their journal. The places we choose to call home and the way we assemble them say a lot about who we are and where our priorities lie. But at some point, our environments can start to construct us as well. In the two months between the end of a semester of college and the beginning of a seasonal job, Ethan Newman loaded all of his belongings into his Saturn sedan "like a champion Tetris player," and drove to Bishop, California. He was thrilled to discover an alternative to pitching a tent every night or getting sand blown in his face while he slept. Until he woke up one morning to realize that the habitat he had constructed had started to change him.

Rebirth of Belief

Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:00:00 -0000

"We had the discussion around the campfire one night of trying to define 'what is wilderness'," John Stoneman remembers. "We determined that if you get hurt or you have a problem and there's really no way out, you're in the wilderness." Despite the fact that 29,000 people raft down the Colorado River every year, the Grand Canyon is still unquestionably that-- wilderness. But what happens if you do need to get out? When the one place you need to be is a thousand miles away and you are off the grid? In 2010, John put in at Lees Ferry and embarked upon the trip of a lifetime - but not in the way he imagined. Today, we bring you a story about a race against time and the lengths that perfect strangers will go to help others in need. Buckle up.

Home Front

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:00:00 -0000

There's a story that you may have heard kicked around in the newspapers and nightly news for the last few months. It's as unsettling as it is tragic. The rate of suicide among active military personnel, reservists, and veterans has increased to nearly 22 suicides a day. 22 every day, even as more resources are being allocated to prevent it--and finding a solution is likely as complicated as understanding why.

Veterans Stacy Bare and Nick Watson know the struggles that service members face as they readjust to civilian life. Addiction. Depression. An overwhelming feeling of being out of place. But over time, both found a place in the outdoors and the surrounding community to recreate what they missed from the military, and to feel like they had really come home. And they didn’t stop there--they became determined to find a way to make that transition easier for other veterans too. Today, we bring you their stories and the story of how these two veteran's are creating a community for other veterans on the home front.

This episode does contain graphic descriptions of violence and adult language.

The Shorts--The Making Of A Patriot

Wed, 17 Jul 2013 20:30:00 -0000

"Three months ago, I'm not sure I would have considered myself a patriot," writes Hilary Oliver. "Mentally, I separated my nation―government, states, and people―from my country: the mountains, deserts, plains and oceans that took my breath away. Maybe I had taken my privileges for granted, but I couldn't tell you the last time my heart swelled with love or pride for my nation."

Then she drove into Zion National Park. With it's soaring sandstone walls, and man's will imposed upon the landscape to make viewpoints accessible, Hilary found an appreciation for her country and nation.

Mikey Buys a House

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 17:44:00 -0000

We've told stories about people quitting jobs, ditching mortgages and selling worldly possessions to go live life on their own terms. But what if you had lived your entire adult life on the road? If you'd never signed a lease or even paid rent. Passion can lead to the most incredible places, even to the most American of dreams -- Buying a home.

The Shorts--Bootstrapping

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:01:00 -0000

Our baptism in wild places is different for each of us. For some, it's ingrained so early in life that it hardly registers as a memory. For most, it was probably a little awkward, a bit daunting, yet so compelling that we wanted to do it again. For Wendy Irwin, it began with, "a soft-shell cooler, a MacGyver like trust in the magical properties of duct tape, and a 'Tent for Sale' ad in the classifieds." Though much went wrong on Wendy's first backpacking trip, the tendrils of nature's beauty wound themselves into her mind and around her heart. And years later, when she met a teenager hiking the John Muir trail carrying two backpacks, she knew to smile and wish him luck. Because if you love it, you'll figure it out.

Live from 5Point Vol. 6

Fri, 31 May 2013 22:46:00 -0000

Our second installment from the third annual Live from 5Point in April at the 5Point Film Festival. If you missed the last episode, we talked with snowboarder Kevin Pearce and skier Chris Davenport. Today, we present stories from James Walsh and Kyle Dempster. James has focused his camera lens on the biking culture within African. But the creative process can be a frustrating journey where you have to be doggedly determined to succeed. Today, James talks about the odyssey of being a filmmaker.

Kyle's path as an alpinist is firmly rooted in first ascents around the world and a good humor. He's won the Piolet d'Or twice. And in 2012, he traded in a climbing partner for a bike as he journeyed through Krygystan in search of more first ascents. Today, Kyle talks about the origins for his trip, how it evolved, and how his dad helped an alpinist take a bike trip.

Live from 5Point Vol. 5

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:30:00 -0000

We're back for our third annual Live from 5Point event. Today we present two stories from snowboarder Kevin Pearce, about finding happiness after suffering a traumatic brain injury, and big mountain skier Chris Davenport, about the aesthetics of the lines he chooses and what he loves about mountains, especially those close to home.

The Shorts--Ode to An Ice Chest

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:00 -0000

As the days grow longer and warmer, the road beckons us. And while we can pile gear into the car until we can’t cram anything else in, packing some items take a bit more thought. Like, how will I keep the cheese cold? “The ice chest is the vagrant’s culinary miracle. It allows you to transport cold, somewhat-fresh food to almost anywhere your beater car can haul it,” writes Dean Fleming. But it can still break the bank. Fortunately, he has extensive experience living on the road and scraping by on a budget. Today, Dean presents another Lifestyle Tip for the Committed– his secrets for eating well, but cheaply, while you’re out on the road.

The Shorts--Hey, Bear!

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:00:00 -0000

"We traveled in an ode to that particular brand of privileged American adventure, the cross-country drive, funded in equal parts by savings from crappy after-school jobs at a camping store and graduation money from loving parents," writes Graham T. Beck. Fresh out of high school, Graham and his friend, Tim, headed to Yellowstone National Park for a backpacking trip. They knew they were in bear country. But only after they'd hiked 40 miles in could they begin to understand the horribilis of the grizzly bear.

An earlier version of this story appeared on The Morning News.

Benighted

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:58:00 -0000

Great stories often have these 5 words, “and then it got dark.” But how can carefully executed alpine starts and planned summits turn into watching stars dot the sky? Well, getting benighted can happen for a few reasons. One- unforeseen circumstances. Two- complete denial of reality. Or three- getting too comfortable in the dark. Kelly Cordes, Ryan Peterson, and Jay Puckhaber share their tales of being out, long after the sun has set.

The Shorts--Castleton Fall

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:54:00 -0000

While climbing Castleton Tower, Brendan Leonard watched a climber cruise past him, take on a piece of gear, and then fall onto a ledge right at his feet. The immediate moment had Brendan dealing with the logistics of how to help someone when you're a pitch off the ground and initiating a rescue for the climber. But the image of what he saw lingered long after the ambulance left the parking lot, and had him questioning his own climbing motivations.

Be Mine

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:49:00 -0000

Love- It's life's great surprise. You can try to pin its origins in brain chemistry and hormones. Or the right timing. But those don't explain why tough guys make slow rock mixes or why a timid person suddenly introduces themselves to the person of their dreams. Why it works for one couple and not another is beyond me, so I've stopped trying to guess. Your mate could be across the ocean or right next door. But if you find him or her, it feels as though every moment lead to the perfect culmination, even the awkward middle bits. And even if you need the help of a voodoo doctor. Today, we present two stories about finding love.

CLICK TO LISTEN

The Shorts- Just Make It Happen

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:44:00 -0000

Ever managed to talk yourself into an adventure or a job only to realize you have gotten yourself in way over your head? Sometimes these scenarios lead to embarrassment. Sometimes they begin horror stories. But, sometimes, they provide unexpected opportunities for growth. In 2007, Jen Altschul talked her way into a job as a ski patroller. And then the snow began to fall. Today, we present her story of learning how to be one.

The Magic of Serendipity

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:24:00 -0000

You might remember a story about climbers in the Magic Kingdom. It sounded like a dream job- climbing, secret lairs and cutting to the front of the roller coaster line. Our inbox flooded with emails about how to apply. But the program was canceled in 2007. Until last year. In an audition room filled with sponsored climbers and underground crushers, Susanica Tam felt her resume paled in comparison. Could climbing a mini-Matterhorn change Susanica's outlook on climbing?

Today, we present our annual Year of Big Ideas. We went out into our community and listened to what you want to do in 2013. Here's to saying yes to new opportunities, stretching ourselves, and embracing a little spontaneity.

The Shorts--Pedaling to Silence

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 01:00:00 -0000

Greg May signed up as a rookie for the 24 Hours of Exposure at the heckling of his friends. But as he stood on the start line he felt under prepared, under biked, and overweight. "Probably not the thought you want before your first 24 hour mountain bike race." Though Greg wanted to finish, he'd also needed a distraction from writing his Ph.D. thesis. Laps spun to hours, and Greg found that pushing his body stopped the whir of thoughts. As he nerared the finish line, he wondered whether his body could finish what he had started.

The Sufferthon

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:27:00 -0000

Alastair Humphreys has biked around the world, crossed glacial highlands and desert lands. But in 2011, he stayed in Britain, focusing on trips close to home. The idea of backyard adventure wasn't new, but he put it in terms everyone could understand. While Alastair was perfecting the microadventure, Josh Norris and Ty Atwater were distilling down the elements of past adventure and cramming them into an all day-- well, Sufferthon. Can they create Type 3 fun without leaving Oregon?

The Shorts-Don Manuel's Nails

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:46:00 -0000

In 2010, Seth Adams worked in Ecuador with Round River Conservation Studies. He was there as part of an effort to show the locals the importance of conserving the surrounding forest and wildlife. Yet, the longer that he was there, interacting with locals like Don Manuel and Stu, the more he began to reflect on his own perspective. Could the Ecuadorians show Seth something about himself?

Making It

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:30:00 -0000

We've all day dreamed about it - becoming a pro. What would it be like? Well, besides getting to do the thing you love everyday, you'd probably get free gear, meet incredible people, get your photo taken, maybe travel the world. You might even get paid. We call it living the dream. And it's good work if you can get it. But, how do you get the gig? And is it really all that it's cracked up to be? Zack Giffin and Timmy O'Neill share their stories of finding the spotlight and moving beyond it.

Tales of Terror Vol. 3

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:20:00 -0000

Ever walked through the woods late at night and felt like you were being followed? Had a strange feeling about someone you just met? Encountered the strictly inexplicable that led you, abruptly, to pack up and bail? Often, we rationalize these instincts – just a bird in the trees cracking limbs, just a strange fellow with good intentions, or, well, our senses simply must have failed us. But what about when these warning signals don’t go off? Today, Micah McNulty, Trey Johnson, and George Braun bring us stories of the times that intuition didn’t kick in when maybe it should have.

The Shorts--Dream, Interrupted

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 03:55:00 -0000

Steve's typical weekend would make any dirtbag jealous. Concerts by the river, sunrise climbs, hiking a new trailhead just because. He's living his own version of the dirtbag dream; the one he wanted to achieve for so many years. Until one day, he realized the dream he chased, wasn't all that he'd imagined it to be. Could he change his dream to reflect the reality he now wanted?

The Shorts-Meditation in Motion

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:00:00 -0000

"A friend of mine said that it was worth getting a budget flight to Morocco just to eat an orange. After that you could turn around and fly home content." Writer, photographer, and surfer Mat Arney was ready for a break from his routine; and really ready to go surfing. While driving or flying was the simple solution, Mat made the journey equal to the destination, taking the train from England to Morocco. As the landscape outside the train's window subtly change, he enjoyed the slow release and focus of travel.

Crash and Burn

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 17:30:00 -0000

Drive it until it dies. That's the motto I lived by as my truck, Crash, crisscrossed the West. Family members would doubtfully ask, "Are you sure you want to drive there?" I did. Friends would ask about Crash's well being as though he was my aging dog. Though I knew the day was coming, I was still blindsided when the gears ground to a halt on my way to Yosemite. Could my belief in Crash transcend beyond the hulk of metal?

The Shorts--One Last Hike

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:01:00 -0000

"My father would collected me in the summer and we would range farther in our explorations of the West. We would find small towns on the edge of wilderness and he would tell me, 'If I ever disappear, look for me here.' These trips nurtured a love of the outdoors that I cannot imagine being without.” Deron Daugherty pays tribute to his father as they take one last hike together into the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona.

The Shorts--Parking Lot Players

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 19:07:00 -0000

Next time you're out at a popular trailhead, take 30 minutes, crack a beer and take a look around the parking lot. You'll start to see that there are a few distinct types of people you can meet in the parking lot. Each has their merits that can help you achieve a spectacular day. And each has its drawback too. It’s up to you to decide which player you want to be in the parking lot.

Stepping Stones

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 19:15:00 -0000

Jessie Stone has a resume that would make any dirtbag proud -- raft guide, pro whitewater kayaker and member of the US freestyle kayak team. At the end of that list is medical doctor. And the director of the Soft Power Health Clinic in Uganda. She is a career shape shifter. who followed her passions and ended up in an unexpected place. How do you know when it's time to step out of the current and follow an alternative path? Trevor Clark traveled to Uganda to tell Jessie's story.

The Shorts--5 Types of B.O.

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:01:00 -0000

"If there are three types of fun, there should be five types of B.O." It happens to all of us. You're out camping for a few days, maybe more. Free from the hygienic shackles of society, you sniff and think, "I'm good." Brendan Leonard's been there. He'll go multiple days without a shower, because one isn't readily available, or he doesn't want to find the soap buried in his car. It's gotten bad. Really bad. Brendan breaks down the B.O. levels. What's your rank?

Live From 5 Point Vol. 4

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:30:00 -0000

Welcome to the second half of our 2012 Live From 5 Point show. This week we continue the show from Steve's Guitars in downtown Carbondale, CO. Photographer Ben Moon presents his story about overcoming cancer, the community that rose up to support him and his thoughts on fear. Veteran alpine climber Mark Richey recounts the incident that almost took his climbing partner's life during their ascent of Sasser Kangri II. Colorful language included.

Live From 5Point Vol. 3

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:05:00 -0000

5Point Film Festival invited us back for another live Dirtbag Diaries. And of course, we said, "Yes!" We invited four people up on stage to to talk about a moment in their lives when it all seemed to go wrong. And where those moments have led them, as the effects have rippled through their lives. Today we present the first two stories. At 23, free skier Josh Dueck overshot the landing of a jump and fell 100 feet out of the air. He returned to skiing the following winter in a sit ski. And he rips! You owe it to yourself to watch The Freedom Chair and Josh hucking a backflip.

Kayaker Chris Korbulic was nearing the end of a 7 week trip through central Africa with Ben Stookesberry and Hendri Coetzee. After paddling the difficult stretch of the Lacuga River, a crocodile pulled Hendri underwater. The film Kadoma (full version available on iTunes) tells the story of their trip. Chris has continued to return to Africa pursuing the rivers that brought him together with Hendri.