Dirtbag Diaries
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Live from 5Point Vol. 5
We're back for our third annual Live from 5Point event. The sun was shining, but Steve's Guitars was at capacity. Today we present the first two stories from Kevin Pearce and Chris Davenport. In 2009, Kevin was one of the best snowboarders in the world. On a training run, he had a major accident (his story is chronicled in the film "The Crash Reel"). Today, he talks about finding happiness after suffering a traumatic brain injury. Chris' career as a big mountain skier is impressive- numerous...
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Music + Photos: Live from 5 Point
Come join the fun next year! Fitz and Kevin Pearce Fitz and Chris Davenport Fitz and Kyle Dempster Music today Stargazing by Ken Christianson 100 by Cy Tru Music from Cy Tru provided by Mevio's Music Alley
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The Shorts--Ode to An Ice Chest
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...
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The Shorts--Hey, Bear!
"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...
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Benighted
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. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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The Pledge
Through the years, many of you have asked to give to the Diaries. To donate a few bucks. And we have said, "No," to this generosity. We said no because we believed the Diaries should be free. That there should be fewer barriers for inspiration to find its way into people's lives. That these stories that come from you, belong to you; we are merely the curators. We also realize, that if we are to survive, we need to evolve and mature. And we need to make sure that the Diaries belongs to its...
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The Shorts--Castleton Fall
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. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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Be Mine
Love- It's life's great surprise. You can try to pin its origins in brain chemistry and hormones. On 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...
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The Shorts- Just Make It Happen
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. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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The Magic of Serendipity
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 2005. 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...
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The Shorts--Pedaling to Silence
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...
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The Sufferthon
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? CLICK HERE...
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Making It
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'Neil share their stories of finding the spotlight and moving beyond it....
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Tales of Terror Volume 3
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...
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The Dirtbag's Playlist Volume 7
With summer upon us, it's time for some tunes as you head out to destinations near and far. We've selected a few of our favorite cuts from the last year of stories. Download your favorite(s) for free, then use them to solve this equation: music + road tripping + stoke + x = 40% better road trip. Try it. I promise you'll crack a smile. Or make your passenger laugh. Happy summer! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN FAWN "Pixels" (mp3) from "Coastlines" (Quite Scientific Records) More On This Album POLIA...
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The Shorts--Parking Lot Players
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. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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Stepping Stones
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. CLICK HERE...
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The Shorts--5 Types of B.O.
"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? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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Live From 5 Point Vol. 4
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. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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Live From 5Point Vol. 3
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...
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The Shorts-Pedal Your Turns
Our local ski hill is a two hour drive away. Getting out the door some mornings is a process, but always worth it for schussing downhill. But could I pedal there? Sure, maybe. Would I? Umm, I'll take the 5th. Fred Sproat knows he would. Last spring, Fred and his friend Sam pedaled 630 miles from Eugene, OR to the heart of the Sierra. Their mission was to ski couloirs by truly earning their turns and challenging the status quo of how we feed our backcountry addictions. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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The Shorts-Post-Emphatic Wilderness Disorder
"When you’re in a crowded movie theater or stadium, do you nervously fidget and plot an escape route? Does setting foot in Costco or Wal-Mart cause you to blackout and crash into discount clothing racks?" asks Dean Fleming. If so, you may be suffering from Post-Emphatic Wilderness Disorder. Never heard of it? Dean walks you through the symptoms and three steps to help you cope with this recently diagnosed disorder. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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Origins
The Dirtbag Diaries turns five. This also happens to be our 100th episode. To celebrate the occasion, we reached out to our collaborators, our contributors and our friends and asked for ideas. I pitched them a bunch of ideas. They shook their heads. Their response was resounding. "We want to hear your story, the story of the Diaries," they said. Our intern, Austin Siadak, stepped forward to do the interview and relay the story. The tables were turned. By nature, we like our creation stories...
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The Shorts--The Mobil
"I am a connoisseur of convenience stores," writes Brendan Leonard. On road trips, he always stops to check out the t-shirt rack, bumper stickers or display of trinkets unique to the area. And every stop is a chance to find the best, ever. But he hadn't quite found it. Until friends told him of a magical place huddled in the shadow of the Sierra. Instead of hot dogs endlessly spinning under heat lamps, steaks sizzled. People gathered and celebrated. Circus troops careened through the skies...
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Frozen Lemonade
When will it snow? It's the question on the lips of ski town locals throughout the West as fluttering flakes have been late to arrive. Sill, the winter provides opportunity. Tacky mountain bike trails usually buried under feet of snow. Ice climbing on routes normally inaccessible. And ice skating on remote alpine lakes. John Dittli says the skating has been epic in the high Sierra. While others have bemoaned the lack of snow, John has seized the extended window to ice skate on multiple...
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The Shorts--By Any Means Necessary
Growing up in Ireland, writer Lisa McGonigle wasn't immersed in snow and mountains. But a trip to the Pyrenees when she was 19 to try snowboarding realigned her priorities. Lisa scrimped her savings and made due with periodic trips until she graduated and set her sights on fulfilling her dream of ski bumming in British Columbia. While little rivals fresh lines on a powder day, she discovered the fine line between passionate and obsessed can be difficult to distinguish. What fuels your...
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Transitions--Efficiency Manifesto
No one skins uphill to put together a splitboard efficiently. They do it to shred down. Making a transition at a belay is part of the process, not the main event. Transitions may not be sexy, but they make or break us. They are the difference between a cold night spent shivering on a ledge and walking out in perfect evening light. Almost five years after I wrote the Monoboard and started The Diaries, I find myself in a metaphorical transition. My passions run from the mountains to the...
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Lifestyle Tips for the Committed
What have you given up for dirtbaggery? Regular car maintanence? Cable TV? Your favorite craft brew? Dean Fleming writes, " Like most rock climbers, I’m a control freak and I’m cheap. So I’ll share one lifestyle tip for the committed to put extra cash in your pocket." DIY haircuts. Dean lays out 3 simple steps to keeping the dirtbag dream alive. How committed are you? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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Tales of Terror Vol. 2
What frightful things get your heart racing? Ghosts? Unidentifiable sounds in the middle of the night? Or the person you might meet out in the woods? It can be difficult to separate an initial seed of fear from the growing tangle of possibility that can quickly emerge in your head, but sometimes that sprouting seed is very tangible. Today, we bring you stories from Sara Porterfield and Jeremy Allyn. They'll make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. You'll try to shudder them off. But...
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The Shorts--Wheels
The weekend ritual of loading up a car with gear, picking a destination, and watching out the window as the landscapes passes by is familiar to most of us. Whether it's two days or a month long, there is a method to organizing and assessing. Kelly Wilder writes, "We need the car; it's our ticket out of wherever we are in the world." Yet when you're trying to live by the ethos of local and low carbon, a car "saddles us with guilt." We may have a love-hate relationship with our vehicles, but...
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Music from Wheels
Here are links to the recent music. Dan Wilder "Fire in the Cold" from "New Ground" Download from Facebook Form and Fate "Tracking, North of 63 Latitude" (mp3) from "Sol Invictus" (500 Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Sarah MacDougall "Sometimes You Lose, Sometimes You Win" (mp3) from "The Greatest Ones Alive" (Rabbit Heart Music) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album
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The Way of the Underdog
The Underdog is the most potent myth in America. It pervades film, pop culture, music and sports. Politicians use it to frame their campaigns. Professional sports teams use it to psyche themselves up before big games. In theory, we've always liked the long shot. Is this special type of hero just a myth or is the underdog real? Contributor Brendan Leonard thinks it's real because he's seen it in person. Jayson Sime was a small town Iowa kid from the tough part of town. He was told he wouldn't...
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Music from The Way of the Underdog
Here are the latest songs. Remember you can download the songs for free. Hospital Ships "Phantom Limb" (mp3) from "Lonely Twin" (Graveface Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The Idle Hands "Dead Letter" (mp3) from "Life is Beautiful" (Pretty Kids Collective) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Sea of Bees "Gnomes" (mp3) from "Gnomes b/w Don't Fear the Reaper" (Crossbill Records) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Oax "Love and Crashing" (mp3) from "This...
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The Shorts--Drifting to a Fork in the River
"Each trip I return from is like a seed for the next one. I imagine finding solace through solitude and bliss in the backcountry," writes Fred Sproat. "At the same time that I think about endless wilderness pursuits I think about retuning home...to her." While in school, Fred successfully balanced his time between guiding and love. Guiding takes a commitment to dealing with Mother Nature's spontaneous eruptions- rainstorms, mosquitos, relentless winds- and the tenacity to keep clients happy....
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Music from Drifting to a Fork in the River
Here are the links to today's cuts. Dodd Ferrelle "Sucker Punch Town" (mp3) from "Hide the World" (Two Sheds Music) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Dawda Jobarteh "Namo" (mp3) from "Northern Light Gambian Night" (Sterns) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Typhoon "Starting Over (Bad Habits)" (mp3) from "Hunger and Thirst" (Tender Loving Empire) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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The Dirtbag's Playlist Volume 6
Aaah, August. A time to get outside and forget about computer screens. We hope you've been out there enjoying the summer. We certainly have. But don't worry, even though we took a break from publishing, we're still working away to bring you more stories this fall. This has been an amazing year at The Diaries- we hit one million downloads and we've continued to expand our circle of collaborators. We've been busy with other projects as well- The Season 2, Fringe Elements and The Love Letter-...
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You Are Not Alone
How do you start to see the complex relationships that make up a community? The first time I sat around a climber's campfire at 19, I could sense that though our lives were superficially different with jobs and responsibilities, something greater connected those gathered around the fire. It was the first time I felt a sense of belonging. Since then, my community has grown, and encompasses just about anyone who understands dawn light and type three fun. But getting into the spider-webbing...
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Music from You Are Not Alone
You can watch the trailer for "23 feet" and keep up with Allie at Red Reel Media. Here are the cuts from You Are Not Alone: Fake Babies "LA" (mp3) from "We Started Blues" (Safety Meeting Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album This Will Destroy You "Woven Tears" (mp3) from "Moving on the Edges of Things - Single" (Magic Bullet) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Seth Glier "Lauralee" (mp3) from "The Next Right Thing" (MPress Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On...
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The Shorts--Conquering Sherman
We are a community that likes to push ourselves. Whether we set a goal of miles or grades or just getting out there, we prepare for our feats. When David King set out to ride his bike across the US, he had read the books, bought the right gear and trained tirelessly on hills back home. But biking day in and day out started to wear on him mentally, as well as physically. As he cranked up a steep pass early in the trip, David wondered whether he had the mental tenacity to complete the ride. A...
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Music from Conquering Sherman
Here are the songs from today's episode Typhoon "The Honest Truth" (mp3) from "A New Kind of House" (Tender Loving Empire) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Music For Animals "Red Cells" (mp3) from "Music For Animals" (Music For Animals) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Chikita Violenta "Laydown" (mp3) from "The Stars and Suns Sessions" (Violenta Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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The Shorts--Penance
Do as I say, not as I've done. It's the central paradox of many father-son relationships. We strive to learn from our mistakes and grow throughout our lives. We want to see our hard earned wisdom reflected to others. After road racing bicycles for seven years, and pushing his youthful limits of bravery and luck, Gary Visser settled into life in South Carolina. He discovered a new passion in the salt water marshes, raised a family, and taught his son, Garrett, to fly fish. As Garrett prepares...
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Music from Penance
Enjoy the music while relaxing on a summer afterooon! Selva de Mar "Reggae Ehad" (mp3) from "Selva de Mar" (Whatabout Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Aphasia "Big Wave" (mp3) from "IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2011" (ioda) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album "Pendulum" by Bradley Carter off the album The Real Job.
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Live From 5Point Volume II
Our long held dream of creating a live performance of The Dirtbag Diaries came true this spring at the 5Point Film Festival. We interviewed filmmakers and people who were in films and let the conversation flow as though we were sitting on the truck tailgate. If you haven't listened to the previous episode, check out the stories from Baybe Champ and Frank Smethhurst. Today we present the stories of the folks behind the camera. A surf photographer who created a viral video sensation that...
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Music from Live at 5Point II
Here are the cuts from the episode. Remember you can download them for free! Fredrik "Rites of Spring" (mp3) from "IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2011" (ioda) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album This Will Destroy You "Threads" (mp3) from "S/T" (Magic Bullet) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album boyChild "Counting What Ifs (feat. Soundmouse)" (mp3) from "Counting What Ifs (feat. Soundmouse)" (Three Sixty Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album IAME "Felt So Real...
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Live from 5Point Volume 1
For years, Becca and I have wanted to create a live performance of The Dirtbag Diaries. But with little extra time and money, the idea sat, waiting for its moment. When 5Point Film Festival gurus Julie Kennedy and Beda Calhoun approached me earlier this year about creating a onstage storytelling hour at the festival, I immediately said yes. We interviewed filmmakers and people who were in films featured at 5Point and let the conversation flow as though we were sitting on the truck tailgate....
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Films & Music for Live From 5Point Vol I
Here are the links to the films and music from today's episode. Baybe Champ was featured in the movie Scrapertownby Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari as part of the series,California Is A Place. You can stay up to date with Champ and The Original Scraper Bike Team, from where the next meet up is to donating to the movement by following their blog. Scrapertown won the Jury Special Selection at 5Point Film Festival. Felt Soul Mediacreated Running Down The Manin 2007, featuring Frank and William...
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The Shorts--Dispatch from the Middle
Would you be satisfied pursuing your outdoor activity for only a few weeks of every year? Geography can be heartless. Climbers find themselves in the heartland. Skiers in the South East's warmer climate. For surfer Wade Grocott, his local break is thousands of kilometers away. The weeks he's not surfing, he's surrounded by the prairies of Saskatchewan, reading surf magazines, swimming to stay in paddling shape, and scheming for vacation time to warmer, wavier climates. Answering the...
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Music from Dispatch From The Middle
Here are some cuts for springtime fun! Girls Names "Bury Me" (mp3) from "Dead To Me" (Slumberland Records) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Younger Brother "Night Lead Me Astray" (mp3) from "Vaccine" (SCI Fidelity Records) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Retrofoguetes "Ativar retrofoguetes!" (mp3) from "Ativar retrofoguetes" (Tratore) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The Heavenly States "Model Son" (mp3) from "Oui Camera Oui" (Hippies Are Dead Records) Buy at iTunes...
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Ditch Logic
In 2005, Gregg Bleakney was on the rise. He was crushing his job as a software executive. At 30, he owned a beautiful home complete with white picket fence in North Seattle. He had a serious girlfriend. He drove a fast car. His sofa was black Italian leather. He had all the trappings of a successful life, but Gregg also had a secret. Something he wasn't sharing with his boss, his family or friends, even his longtime girl friend. It was an idea that was about to change his life. Today, we...
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Music from Ditch Logic
Here are the cuts from Ditch Logic~ Special thanks to Seattle-based Maktub for the use of "The Alchemist" from their album FIVE. Melodium "Something You Lost" (mp3) from "Coloribus" (Abandon Building) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Danny Saul "Kinison, Part 1" (mp3) from "Kinison - Goldthwait" (Hibernate) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Ezra Furman & The Harpoons "Hard Time in a Terrible Land" (mp3) from "Mysterious Power" (Red Parlor Records) Buy at iTunes Music...
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The Love Letter Is Live
The Love Letter went live yesterday. Thank you for all the support. The response has been incredible. In less than 24 hours, hundreds of you have watched and shared this piece.The Love Letter Facebook page submissions have been incredible.There are four weekly prizes of packs, gear and subscriptions to Climbing Magazine, but it seems to have moved beyond a contest and become a collection of some pretty cool stories. If you are curious to read more about the trip, the Climbing Magazine...
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The Shorts--The Pee Tree
How do you choose the stories to retell when you get back from a trip? Finding those perfect moments that capture your travels, the scenery and the action, can make you feel as picky as Goldilocks. What to say? Shane Robinson writes, "At first, I tried to recount every amazing detail of my travels, only to watch my unsuspecting friends' eyes gloss over in bordom." He switched to the quick hit replies, "Soooo amazing! Can't wait to go back." A little too big, a little too small. And then the...
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Music from The Pee Tree
New music to brighten your spring Beach Fossils "What a Pleasure" (mp3) from "IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2011" (ioda) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Sound of Seventy Three "The Way we Feel" (mp3) from "The Way we Feel" (Magnatune) More On This Album Chikita Violenta "Tired" (mp3) from "TRE3S" (Arts & Crafts) More On This Album
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Sodade
Our sports transcend languages. Ever seen two climbers mime the sequence to a boulder problem? Smiles between skiers on a powder day? Our passions become a vehicle to explore a world outside of our own. Jacob Bain has traveled to SE Asia, Cuba, and Africa. And though he sometimes has climbing gear, he always has a guitar. Through music, Jacob has jammed with locals, incorporating the new sounds and experiences into his music. In the summer of 2010, Johnny Fernandes invited Jacob and his band...
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Music from Sodade
All of the music today is from Jacob and Publish the Quest. You can buy individual songs or their first album "The Threads" here or on iTunes. Check out their website or friend them on Facebook to keep up to date on the release of their new album "Then What!?" set for early June. Cuts from today: "Gotta Keep Movin'!" - Jacob met street musicians, Andres, Miguel, and Alex, while traveling in Cuba. He jammed with them, piecing together guitar riffs and horn lines, eventually convincing them to...
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The Shorts--Sitting In Silence
Mike Colpo went to guide school in search of a different life. His rugged instructor, Cody, taught him the basics of guiding climbers, but also pushed Mike and the other students towards something bigger. After spending many years in the outdoors, Cody had a wisdom beyond guiding that he wanted to convey to the young climbers. He spoke of the wilderness within, and encouraged the young guides to explore this frontier. What did it mean? Some bits of wisdom we accept easily, and others take...
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Music From The Shorts--Sitting in Silence
Here are the cuts from the episode. Enjoy! "Done with Dallas" by Bradley Carter off the album The Real Job. The Most Serene Republic "Sherry and Her Butterfly Net" (mp3) from "Population" (Arts & Crafts) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Zola Jesus "Night" (mp3) from "Stridulum - EP" (Sacred Bones Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Abigail Washburn "Chains" (mp3) from "City of Refuge" (Rounder Records) More On This Album
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What Is Hardcore?
Our sports have long heralded rating systems that let us know just how we're doing. We may bicker over their ratings, but we return to them again and again. They help us set goals, and push ourselves harder. But what happens when we go beyond the limits of these systems? How do you measure fatigue, thirst and mental reselience? When these elements merge together, we begin to enter the mythical realm of hardcore. Today, Brendan Leonard dives in with some simple ideas on who and what are hard...
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Music from What's Hardcore?
Here are the cuts from What's Hardcore? Kites Sail High "Climbing Trees" (mp3) from "Alone / Secrets" (Life's Blood) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Ill City "In The Middle" (mp3) from "The Collection" (PhanBase) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Super Stereo "Life Passed Me By" (mp3) from "THIS IS FUTUREPOP" (Fervor Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Chikita Violenta "All I Need's a Little More" (mp3) from "TRE3S" (Arts & Crafts) More On This Album...
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The Shorts--How She Got There
Christine McMahon read Ranger Rick, stole her brother's Boy Scouts Manual to learn survival tricks and was driving by age 9. She grew up relatively carefree surrounded by friends and family who made sure she feared nothing. Until the day circled in red on her calendar arrived. The day when she would try to walk again. In the rare moments when the self we imagined collides with reality the intensity can be terrifying. Yet that moment can also propel us along a path that we've dreamed about...
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Music from How She Got There
Here are the cuts from the latest episode~ Shedding "Idealize" (mp3) from "Tear In The Sun" (Hometapes) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album David Arkenstone "Acquiring Satellites" (mp3) from "Ambient World" (Domo Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Loch Lomond "Elephants & Little Girls" (mp3) from "Little Me Will Start A Storm" (Tender Loving Empire) More On This Album
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Buckle Down
James Q Martin has an incredible, carefree life. For the last five years he's traveled the world, often to warm locals to photograph beautiful athletes in stunning places. It would be hard to let go of that kind of job, but two years ago, James stumbled upon a blog post about the impending damming of the Rio Baker in Chile's Asyen region. It set off a powerful reaction. A decade earlier, James had traveled through the Asyen region, and the great wilderness left a lasting impression. Now,...
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Music from Buckle Down
Here's some music to get you going on your goals for 2011 Weekend "Coma Summer" (mp3) from "Sports" (Slumberland Records) More On This Album Danny Saul "Kinison, Part 1" (mp3) from "Kinison - Goldthwait" (Hibernate) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Planes "Pyramid" (mp3) from "Mountainside" (Planes) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Do Make Say Think "Do" (mp3) from "Other Truths" (Constellation) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album
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What We Had
Mark Rutherford and John Merritt grew up sharing the same sand box. As they grew up, they each followed separate paths. John had a successful career in the Chicago financial world. Mark moved to Alaska and raised a family in tiny cabin he built with his own hands. Twenty years ago, Mark began a successful adventure fly fishing guide service in the Bristol Bay region. An avid fisherman, John got in touch with Mark and scheduled a trip. On that first trip, John revealed that he had been...
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Music from What We Had
Becca and I are stoked to share the new release from We Are Augustines. We have been awaiting this debut from some of our favorite musicians. We Are Augustines is the continued collaboration between Billy McCarthy and Eric Sanderson, formerly of Pela who we loved rocking out to in Seattle. We love the powerful lyrics and fist-pumping beats. They are every bit as passionate about their music as we are about the outdoors. Check out their website for their incredible story of family, loss, and...
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The Shorts-Cardboard Canadian
If you've ever stuck your thumb out to catch a ride, you understand the highs and lows of hitchhiking. Passing cars, sandy highway shoulders, cardboard signs, and a belief that mental telepathy can lure cars to slow down are tools of the trade. After hitchhiking in Canada and Arizona, Graham Waugh thought he'd easily catch a ride from Needles to Joshua Tree. He didn't account for the nearly deserted 100 odd miles on California's highway 95. He scrawled "Canadian" on his last piece of...
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Music from The Shorts--Carboard Canadian
Here are the cuts from the latest episode. Remember you can download the songs you like! The Snakes "Cumberland Breeze" (mp3) from "Sometime Soon..." (Red Eye Music) Buy at Napster More On This Album Invisible Allies "Ghost Bridge" (mp3) from "Hyperdimensional Animals" (Native State Records) More On This Album Not in Love (featuring Robert Smith) by Crystal Castles from "Not in Love"
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Unseen But Felt
This last fall, Becca and I embarked on a trip of a lifetime. We began on foot in Sequoia National Park and hiked north through Yosemite. Along the way, we would climb as many routes as our rations, our bodies and the weather would allow. It was a slightly inefficient approach to a climbing trip that begged an explanation. To those who asked, I offered a slew of reasons. My heroes, John Muir and David Brower, had taken the same route. I wanted to prove we are capable of world class adventure...
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Music from Unseen But Felt
Here are the songs from the latest episode. Enjoy. Gold Panda "You" (mp3) from "Lucky Shiner" (Ghostly International) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Fredrik "White on White" (mp3) from "Origami" (The Kora Records) More On This Album Home Video "The Smoke" (mp3) from "The Automatic Process" (Defend Music Inc.) More On This Album Zola Jesus "Poor Animal" (mp3) from "Valusia - EP" (Sacred Bones Records) Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album "Our Hearts" by Firehorse from the album...
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The Shorts--The Lost Art
Surfer. Waves. Design. Surfboard. In 25 years of surfing, Will Ranken never thought much about how those four elements interrelated to one another. When he needed a new board, he would buy one off the racks, hand over the cash, and soon he was paddling into the line up again. That was the status quo, until he read an article about making and shaping wooden surfboards. He writes, "Buying a new board suddenly seemed so boring. Like I was missing out on the really important part, like I was...
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Music From The Lost Art
Here are the cuts from the latest episode "Machete Gang Holiday" by Firehorse off the album And So They Ran Faster... I've really been digging Leah Siegel's voice. "Underdog" by Bradley "Chum" Carter off the album The Real Job Climber and a musician. How he keeps his fingertips in shape, I'll never know. Trek Life "As The World Turns (feat. Olivier Daysoul)" (mp3) from "Everything Changed Nothing" (Mello Music Group) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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Tales of Terror
It's that time of year. Leaves line the sidewalks. Darkness tugs at the soul. A cold wind blows. Today, we present Tales of Terror, two stories from the most terrifying moments of our contributor's lives. This year's contest winners reminded me why I love working on the Diaries. Sometimes the stories are serious. Sometimes they're funny. They come from all over the world. Our first story was recorded in the field somewhere in Afghanistan. The second comes from my old stomping ground --...
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Music from Tales of Terror
Here are the cuts from the latest show Tumbledown "Dead Man Walking" (mp3) from "Empty Bottle" (End Sounds) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Gold Panda "Snow & Taxis" (mp3) from "Lucky Shiner" (Ghostly International) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The Left "Battle Axe (feat. Mu)" (mp3) from "Gas Mask" (Mello Music Group) More On This Album Head Like a Kite "She's Wearing That Costume" (mp3) from "Dreams Suspend Night" (Head Like a Kite) Buy at iTunes Music Store...
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The Shorts -- Packing
Whether you're going to the crag for the day or embarking on a long adventure overseas, packing is a fact of life. Some of us make lists, others calculate every ounce, and still others throw every possible thing that might be needed into the back of the truck. Best to be prepared after all. When writer and biker Dean Campbell packs he "always forgets one thing and always brings too much to read." Can your packing style influence how you experience a new place? After traveling by bike for...
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Music From Packing
Here are the cuts from today's show... David Karsten Daniels, Fight The Big Bull "The Funeral Bell" (mp3) from "I Mean to Live Here Still" (Fat Cat Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Oh No Ono "Eleanor Speaks" (mp3) from "Internet Warrior" (Friendly Fire Recordings) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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Embrace This
I love bikes. I like riding them through the woods. I like working on them. I even like riding bikes on roads, but I've never been a road biker. To me road biking has always seemed a bit like raw oysters. I take one look at it and I think, "I don't want to try it." Despite their slimy demeanor, I really like oysters. Once I got over their looks, they taste pretty damn good. Maybe road biking would be like that for me. This summer I decided to not only try road biking, I decided to embrace it...
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Music from Embrace This
By the way, the hill I'm riding in the end of the episode extends from the top of First Hill down into the International District through various cultural sections. I love it. So many good restaurants. Here are the tracks DREAMEND "Magnesium Light" (mp3) from "So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite" (Graveface Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Matthew Dear "I Can't Feel" (mp3) from "Black City" (Ghostly International) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3...
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The Shorts -- Zones of Subduction
Growing up, inheritance and parenthood – these themes have quietly woven their way into the Diaries’ Fabric. Whether it’s Brendan Leonard’s Go West or Steve Bohrer’s Balance, we’ve explored how parents introduce their children to the natural world. Today, Bob Nydam presents a story about the sometimes painful process of watching a child grow up. It’s a little like geologic processes at hyper-speed. Moments of calm serenity are punctuated by violent upheaval. Even when seemingly, we are in...
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Music from Zones
Here are the cuts from the show... Asleep at the Wheel, Leon Rausch "Truck Driver's Blues (feat. Willie Nelson)" (mp3) from "It's a Good Day" (Bismeaux Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Breton "The Well" (mp3) from "Sharing Notes" (youWILLBEfollowing) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Carly Comando "Bear" (mp3) from "One Take" (Deep Elm) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album
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The Dirtbag's Playlist Volume 5
August has arrived and that means a little break for the Dirtbag Diaries, but that doesn't mean rest. Becca and I are working ahead. There will be new episodes in September, and we are really excited to announce that we are going to embark on one of my long time dreams -- a six week climbing trip through the Sierra. All backcountry. A lot of walking. A lot of climbing. Most of all, some time to think and some time to check back in with one of the places and friends that have helped make me...
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Music from Go West
Sorry this failed to publish. Thanks for the heads up people. Much appreciated. All the songs from Brendan's episode come from Seattle singer/songwriter Gabriel Mintz off of us his new album Volume one. Here is a little bit about Gabe. Seattle-based GABRIEL MINTZ has a need to write songs. Lots of them. It’s like blood or breathing. From his West Village days on Bleeker Street to his Greyhound Bus desert individuations, Mintz has written more than a hundred songs that tell of characters and...
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Go West
"There aren't so many real cowboys left in America, just a lot of folks who dress like them," writes Brendan Leonard. Maybe the cowboy is gone, but the tradition of going West to reinvent oneself has remained a part of our culture. Where does that desire come from? Is it a part the American Psyche? In Brendan's case, it came from his father's passion for the West. In small town Iowa, the only way Brendan and his dad, Joe, could foster the dream of red rock and sage was by watching westerns....
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The Shorts -- Dirtbag Resume
The M.O. was familiar -- work hard at a series of bizarre jobs, make money and then hit the road to travel. During his twenties, writer and Diaries contributor Ryan Nickum went around the world and drifted across the Pacific Northwest. When it came time to settle down after returning from a Peace Corps stint, the economy tanked. Once Ryan finally wanted a steady job, it seemed impossible to get one. He authored standard resume after standard resume. The results were disheartening. Ryan...
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Music from Dirtbag Resume
Here are the cuts from the show...enjoy. Regina "Saanko jd yksi?" (mp3) from "Puutarhatrilogia" (Friendly Fire Recordings) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The Glitch Mob "Drive It Like You Stole It" (mp3) from "Drink The Sea" (Glass Air) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Boy Eats Drum Machine "Gold in the Hills" (mp3) from "Hoop + Wire" (Tender Loving Empire) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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The Accidental Journalist
As a child, Freddie Wilkinson was fascinated by K2 and the adventure narratives from 8,000 meter peaks. It led to an incredible career as an alpinist seeking out difficult routes on obscure peaks across the globe, but his interest in climbing the trophy peaks waned. In August 2008, 11 climbers lost their lives on K2. The ensuing media frenzy was just that -- a frenzy. Facts were hazy and right from the start people began making broad generalizations even though the details had yet to emerge....
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Music from The Accidental Journalist
Here are the cuts from today's show...enjoy. The Glitch Mob "Animus Vox" (mp3) from "Drink The Sea" (Glass Air) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The Glitch Mob "Between Two Points (feat. Swan)" (mp3) from "Drink The Sea" (Glass Air) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Also, today we featured two songs from Wolf Parade off of the upcoming album "Expo 86." You can download them at Sub Pop's website. I'm particularly happy about this album. Wolf Parade's "Apologies to the...
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The Shorts -- Yosemite's Next Top Idol
Yosemite has always been a crucible of hard climbing and big egos. Every year the sport's stars, die-hard dirtbags and hungry youngsters flock here to throw themselves at the big stone. Only the great will become legend. There is Surfer Bob, Mr. Magoo and Platinum Rob. James Lucas had dreams of rock stardom. He wanted to cast a shadow longer than El Cap. He wanted to live forever in camp fire conversation. He wanted to be Yosemite's Next Top Idol. What would it take? He would have to chisel...
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Music from Yosemite Idol
here are the cuts from today's show....Beach Fossils "Vacation" (mp3) from "Beach Fossils" (Captured Tracks) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Head Like a Kite "She's Wearing That Costume" (mp3) from "Dreams Suspend Night" (Head Like a Kite) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Head Like a Kite "Director's Cut (feat. Tilson)" (mp3) from "Dreams Suspend Night" (Head Like a Kite) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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The Pugilist
"Fantasies happen from a safe distance. It's one thing to say you want something, even convince yourself of it. It's another thing all together to stand under a 3,500-foot nightmare you've feared for 15 years and try to actually climb it," writes climber and writer Kelly Cordes. At a quick consideration boxing and alpinism have little in common. Ponder if for a second and you might see the similarities. After years in the ring and even longer in the vertical life, Kelly certainly does. Each...
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Music from The Pugilist
Man I dug that story. Kelly always puts a smile on my face. Here are the tracks from the show... Mux Mool "Skulltaste" (mp3) from "Skulltaste" (Ghostly International/Moodgadget Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Magic Bullets "Lying Around" (mp3) from "Magic Bullets" (Mon Amie Records) More On This Album Geographer "Kites" (mp3) from "Animal Shapes - EP" (Tricycle Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album ZLOX "Song of Night" (mp3) from "eXpo" (Undercover...
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The Shorts-Scars
"There is a wonderment in scars, the remnant of a body able to heal itself," writes Becca Cahall. "I love that my skin has chosen to retain memories that I might have otherwise have forgotten." We've all got them. War wounds. Battle scars. We get them from crashing bikes in the woods, surgeon's scalpels and cheese grating falls on granite. If you look back at each scar, each of them tells an incredible story, tales to share around campfires and over beers. The real incredible thing is that...
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Music from Scars
Here are the songs from todays show... yU "Fine" (mp3) from "Before Taxes" (Mello Music Group) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Typhoon "White Liars" (mp3) from "Hunger and Thirst" (Tender Loving Empire) More On This Album Javelin "Vibrationz" (mp3) from "No Ms" (Luaka Bop) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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A Successful Life
Success. What is it? How does each of us define it in our lives? It’s a question that has hovered over many of the stories we’ve told in the last three years. Aimee Brown has been many things in her life – a snowboarder, a hydrologist, a pastry chef, a goat farmer and a writer. Always a writer. Being a wordsmith and making a living as one are two different things. Last year, Aimee got the opportunity of a lifetime a job writing for National Geographic. Excited, she packed her Subaru, threw...
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Music from A Successful Life
here are the cuts from todays show.... Jason Collett "Love Is A Dirty Word" (mp3) from "Rat A Tat Tat" (Arts & Crafts) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Slow Six "These Rivers Between Us" (mp3) from "Tomorrow Becomes You" (Western Vinyl) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Balmorhea "Bowsprit" (mp3) from "Constellations" (Western Vinyl) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album The Besnard Lakes "Albatross" (mp3) from "The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night"...
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The Shorts--Upward Mobility
Throughout the course of the Diaries, I'd hazard to guess that hundreds of you have written in about the struggle many of us -- me included -- experience between work and our passions. Even if work is one of your passions, the mountains, rivers, all the tiny places in this great wide world can seem impossibly far away. We are put in positions where we have to decide between pragmatism and passion. Harini Ayer's story epitomized this struggle. She came to the States from Southern India almost...
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Music from Upward Mobility
here are the cuts from Harini's short.... Summer People "Two Hearted River" (mp3) from "Good Problems" (Red Leader Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Faunts "M4 (Part II)" (mp3) from "M4" (Friendly Fire Recordings) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Nedry "A42" (mp3) from "Condors" (Monotreme Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album
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The Adventures of Beansprout
Ryan Nickum was a 20-year-old college athlete with a passion for brutal tackles and body checks. He had yet to grow out of the angst and rebelliousness of his teenage years. Socializing involved cases of Coors, rehashing high school exploits and running from the cops. He wasn't exactly prime recruitment material for Earth First. Spring break of his sophomore year, Nickum and his best friend Woodchuck were too broke for Cancun's party scene and opted instead to join a band of radical...
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Music from Beansprout
here are the tunes from the show. If you heard something you like you can download it through the links below. Dios "Stare At Wheel" (mp3) from "We Are Dios" (Buddyhead Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Bear in Heaven "Wholehearted Mess" (mp3) from "IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2010" (ioda) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album A Sunny Day in Glasgow "Shy" (mp3) from "IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2010" (ioda) Buy at...
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The Shorts -- Trekker's Blues
More people reach the top of Mount Everest than hike the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail. It asks a lot of the human body. When writer Alissa Bohling and her longtime boyfriend Paul set out of the trail, they thought a trip of that significance would leave a mark on their relationship. They didn't foresee that it would leave Paul hobbling and struggling to get healthy years after they reached the Canadian border. In today's Short, Alissa puts pen to paper and imagines a pain-free...
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Music from the Trekker's Blues
Hey all. Here are the cuts and information from Trekker's Blues. Hope you enjoy the show... Band of Horses -- No One's Gonna Love You Beach House -- Norway Charlie Hunter "You Look Good In Orange" (mp3) from "Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid" (reapandsow, Inc.) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Napster More On This Album
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Fueled By Strawberry Jam
Ski filmmaker Nick Waggoner knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to be a skier of the diehard variety. There were two obvious hurdles. First, he lived in New York City. Second, he was 11 years old. He found a way to make it work and before he was legally behind the wheel of a car, he was squeezing adventure out of skiing. In the last decade, his passion for skiing evolved into a passion for making films about skiing, but his approach has remained the same. Today, we bring you...
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Music from Episode 34
Here are the cuts from The Year Of Big Ideas 2010....Thanks Ioda Promonet and Sub Pop. If you go to Sub Pop's artist's page there is a bunch tracks for free download.Artist: Wolf Parade Track: Shine a LightArtist: Vetiver Tracks: Everyday, More of ThisEfterklang, The Danish National Chamber Orchestra "Illuminant" (mp3) from "Performing Parades" (Rumraket) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Mason Lindahl "Serrated Man Sound" (mp3) from "Serrated Man Sound" (Porter...
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Forty Miles A Poem
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Music from 40 Miles
here are the cuts from 40 miles... By Divine Right "Que Paso?" (mp3) from "Mutant Message" (Hand Drawn Dracula) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Mo Rooneh "April" (mp3) from "Cinematographic" (Monochrome) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Track A Tiger "Don't Let The Nightlight Dance" (mp3) from "I Felt The Bullet Hit My Heart" (Deep Elm) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album
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Fun Divided By Three
As outdoor types, we love rating systems. We'll rate anything. Rapids. Climbs. Ski runs. Now, we've gone and tried to rate the unrateable -- fun. Fun divided by three -- it's this concept that has been floating around campfires for years. It dictates that there are three types of fun. There is type one fun and type two fun, but today, we are going to explore type three fun. This is the epic. The suffer fest. This is collarbone breaking, giardia-getting, soaked-to-the-bone, carnage. If it...
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Music From Fun Divided By Three
here are the cuts from today's show...enjoy. Andrew Jackson Jihad "Heartilation" (mp3) from "Can't Maintain" (Asian Man Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody These United States "I Want You To Keep Everything" (mp3) from "Everything Touches Everything" (United Interests) Buy at Napster Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album General Elektriks "Raid the Radio" (mp3) from "Good City For Dreamers" (Quannum Projects) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This...
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The Shorts -- Friends In High Places
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Music from the Shorts
Here are the cuts from our Facebook episode... The Mother Hips "One Way Out" (mp3) from "Pacific Dust" (Camera Records) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album CYNE "Pretty Apollo" (mp3) from "Water For Mars" (Hometapes) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Sugar & Gold "Slice Me Nice" (mp3) from "AYA! Remix EP" (Antenna Farm Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Track A Tiger "Light" (mp3) from "We Moved Like...
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The New Conservationists
Our sports, our passions provide a special opportunity to visit the natural world's wildest places. This tradition began with climber, writer and godfather of conservation John Muir. He was a dirtbag before he was an icon. Now, there are members of our community -- boaters, skiers and photographers -- who are following in Muir's footsteps. They don't necessarily come from traditional activist roots, but have chosen to take stand for little places and big ideas. Today, we present three...
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Music from Episode 32
Here are the cuts from the New Conservationists. I think I accidentally called St. George...St. Gross in a section of the episode. Total mistake. Freudian slip. The Most Serene Republic "Heavens To Purgatory" (mp3) from "...And The Ever Expanding Universe" (Arts & Crafts) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Herman Dune "Don't Lie About Me" (mp3) from "Don't Lie About Me!" (Everloving) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Balmorhea "The Winter" (mp3)...
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The Shorts -- Underwriting Adventure
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Music from the Shorts
Music from Underwriting Adventure.... Tinariwen "Imidiwan Afrik Temdam" (mp3) from "Imidiwan: Companions" (World Village) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Mantis "What? (feat. Justis)" (mp3) from "Still Life" (Brick Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Selva de Mar "Reggae Ehad" (mp3) from "Selva de Mar" (Whatabout Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album
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Seeds
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Music from Seeds
Here are the cuts from Episode 31... Peter Broderick "The Path to Recovery" (mp3) from "Music for Falling from Trees" (Western Vinyl) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album We Were Promised Jetpacks "Ships With Holes Will Sink" (mp3) from "These Four Walls" (Fat Cat Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album ZAZA "Sooner or Later" (mp3) from "Cameo" (Kanine Records LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album
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Music From Dirtbag Diaries Vol 4
I hope everyone is out on vacation. At the moment, I'm running around gathering stories and trying to keep up with my tomato plants. This fall we will have some familiar voices and some new ones. There will be some laughter and one very serious story. There will be tales from afar and ones a little closer to home. I'm excited. I've also been working on a new project -- one that will compliment what I've been trying to do with the Diaries. It will go live in January, but you can grab a sneak...
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The Shorts -- Knees and Weather Permitting
Some of us were lucky enough to hoist a bulging pack onto our shoulders, stumble into the mountains and return changed at a young age. Some of us heard the mountains’ calling later in life. That doesn’t mean the passion burns any less bright. When writer Sarah Wroot took her first hike through Scottland’s craggy hills, she was overwhelmed with a surprising notion. “If I had a pack and a tent, I could keep going. I could be free to go wherever I want,” she thought. The idea took hold. Today,...
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Three Eighths to Eternity
“The planks of my boat are three eighths of an inch thick. Three eighths – this is the distance between myself and the depths,” writes surfer and adventurer Christian Beamish. Two years ago, Beamish crafted an 18-foot-long sailboat in his San Clemente garage. His obsession with sailboat-assisted surfing began with small week-long voyages and evolved into preposterous idea – sail the entire length of Baja looking for waves. It would be a solo mission. The proposed trip left his friends...
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Music From Episode 30
Here are the cuts from today's show. Remember we're looking for leads on some of my story projects this summer. If you've got a tip please pass it along.... Deer Tick "Easy" (mp3) from "Born on Flag Day" (Partisan Records) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody West Indian Girl "Beach" (mp3) from "We Believe" (Origami Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Sunparlour Players "Battle Of 77" (mp3) from "Wave North" (Outside Music) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Sinkane...
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The Shorts -- Summer Invocation
Up in the Northwest, we say that summer doesn’t actually start until July 4th. Right now, we’re experiencing our annual June gloom. So I thought it was time to invoke blue skies and warmer temps. A season’s worth of summits, single track and lounging on the riverbank is just around the corner. It’s time for me to do my part in the changing of the seasons. Happy summer.CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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music from the shorts
here are the cuts from Summer Invocation.... Lymbyc Systym "Carved By Glaciers" (mp3) from "Carved By Glaciers" (Magic Bullet) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Seekret Socyetee "For Whom The Bell Tolls" (mp3) from "The IL2 Word" (Quickstar Productions) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album
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Call for Stories
The Summer break is coming up in August and I will be out gathering stories. We’ve got some cool stories already planned for next fall, but there were a couple of ideas I wanted to work on and I’m hoping to get people’s input. So if you’ve got an idea or a story that fits within these concepts, let me know by dropping us an email. The Dirtbag Diaries is driven by listener input. Your thoughts matter. 1. Partners – I’m hoping to compile a story about partnerships. We rely on our closest...
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The Dreamers
“I had convinced myself at that point that my goal was so important it was worth dying for,” says alpine master Steve House about his 15-year-old dream of climbing the Rupal Face. Big Dreams require big commitment. We may not all dream on the same scale and commitment levels, but we all share dreams. They pull us through our lives on solid ground. Today writer and climber Sarah Garlick presents: The Dreamers — reflections from four generations of the world’s best climbers: Steve House, Henry...
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Music from Episode 29
Today's music came from our friends, The Secret Life of Sofia. This Brooklyn-based band aren't your typical indie rockers -- they've got an affinity for the wide open space and big mountains. Their latest album Seven Summits is featured here today. "It is in some ways a concept album - part historical fiction, part personal experience. Its writing was largely influenced by an obsession with the mountains and my relationship with them," lead singer Kyle Wilson told me. You can purchase the...
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Sixty Meters to Anywhere
“Is there a statute of limitations on finding something you’re passionate about? Is there a certain age when learning something new becomes too much to take on, or we become to afraid to fail or afraid to let others see us fail?” writes Brendan Leonard. A few Christmases back, Brendan received a rather strange gift from his brother - an old rope. Brendan wasn’t a climber. He had no intention of becoming of climber. Sometimes though gifts can change our lives. It turns out that 60-meters of...
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Music from Episode 28
here are the cuts from the latest show. You can download them by left clicking on the mp3 link. Clues "Perfect Fit" (mp3) from "Clues" (Constellation) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Clues "Remember Severed Head" (mp3) from "Clues" (Constellation) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Kokolo "Trouble Come, Trouble Go" (mp3) from "The Rough Guide To Afrobeat Revival" (Rough Guides/World Music Network) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Rodriguez "Heikki's...
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The Shorts -- Great White Book
“Life isn’t a bolted sport route,” says writer Scotty Kennedy. “The gear is sketchy and the route is difficult to read.” In 2001, Scott and his wife Sophie were living in the States. Scott was interning at a magazine. Sophie was dirtbagging it in Camp Four. On weekends, they would meet up to climb in Yosemite’s high country, Tuolumne. Sometimes small choices reverberate through our lives. Something as simple as the day’s route can carve the bedrock of our personalities. On the Great White...
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Music from Great White Book
here are the cuts from the show CunninLynguists "Don't Leave (When Winter Comes) [feat. Slug]" (mp3) from "Strange Journey Volume One" (QN5, Inc.) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Dengue Fever "March of the Balloon Animals" (mp3) from "Dengue Fever Presents: Sleepwalking Through the Mekong" (M80) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Great Northern "Warning" (mp3) from "Remind Me Where The Light Is" (Eenie Meenie Records) More On This Album
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Update: Climbing for Cancer Research
Megan Sturdy first wrote me about a year ago. She had two distinct and seemingly incongruent passions – climbing and curing cancer. In Sturdy’s mind, there was no reason that her dual passions had to conflict. I invited her to participate in 2009’s Year of Big Ideas. A PhD student in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Sturdy has figured out how to harness the energy of our community to further her lab’s research into Cyanobacteria’s potential role in curing cancer....
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The Cowboy and the Maiden
In September 2008, Chad Kellogg and climbing partner Dylan Johnson stood atop 6250-meter Siguniang in Western China after completing the 10,000-foot-long SW Ridge. It was a mind-bending ascent through a massive big wall, a razor edge ridge and high altitude ice climbing. The two friends endured days without water and several sleepless nights. Dylan lost 30 pounds over the course of their ascent. If that sounds epic, it pales in comparison to what Kellogg went through to even return to the...
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Music From Episode 27
Here are the cuts from The Cowboy and the Maiden. Balmorhea "Harm & Boon" (mp3) from "All Is Wild, All Is Silent" (Western Vinyl) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Los Fabulosos Cadillacs "Malbicho" (mp3) from "La Luz Del Ritmo" (Nacional Records) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This Album Egadz! "Grim Advantage Pt. 1" (mp3) from "Shining Hours" (Kid Without Radio) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album Suburban Dark "Comms" (mp3) from "Expeditions" (The...
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The Outdoor Parent
Today, The Dirtbag Diaries launches a new companion site – The Outdoor Parent. Our goal: provide stoke. Stoke to get you out of bed before dawn for a long run through the woods or a solid surf session at a favorite break. Stoke to rally the kids out for a weekend of camping beneath dark, starry skies or just around the corner to the edges of your local park. We celebrate skinned knees, hand-me-down jeans and big smiles. We believe in unchecked imagination and learning by doing. Already,...
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Beginner's Mind
“As beginners, the foreign language of awkward body movements communicates a commonality and leaves an ego naked. In this fragile moment, we are able to lay a foundation, a connection,” writes Becca. It’s hard to forget the first time you wedged fingers into a granite crack or careened wildly out of control down a ski slope. I bet you remember who was alongside of you. In the outdoor world, as we age, we can become picky. We are able to discern choss from splitter granite or hard packed...
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Burton Chill/Music from the Show
The Chill Program is a non-profit, learn-to-ride program for under-served youth in urban areas across the U.S. In short, it's a kick-ass program started by Jake and Donna Burton of Burton Snowboards fame that gets 2,200 youth who have never ridden before and probably wouldn't have the opportunity to do so other wise out on the slopes. It's not some photo-op program either. The Chill people do it right. This isn't just a chance to try snowboarding; it's a chance to learn. The program last six...
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Urgent Update: Rio Baker Dam Construction Begins
International Rivers emailed last night. The construction of dams in the Rio Baker watershed is underway. Despite not having formal approval to begin the project, HidroAysen has built a workers encampment, started blasting and building tunnels. Please, if our latest episode, the Adventurer's Parable rang true, please take a moment to help. Here is some more information from International Rivers:....express your outrage at HidroAysn's flagrant disrespect of corporate environmental...
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The Adventurer's Parable
Today’s episode has it all. Steep descents. A battle to save South America’s pristine rivers. Backyard adventure. Eye candy. Photographers and activists Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson present stories and photos from wild ski terrain and their struggle to become a piece of the conservation puzzle rather than a cog in the problem. If adventure is the reflection of the human spirit, do we need to travel half a world away to find it in distant ranges, wild rivers and unpaved roads? And if the very...
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Rio Baker and Music
The Rio Baker hangs in a delicate balance. I won't get to into depth here as numerous groups have gathered together to fight the dams. Please click on the links. You too can contribute to the preservation of the Aysen Region. Numerous groups have taken up the cause. Conservacion Patagonica has already helped preserve a half million acres and established a National Park in Argentina. Consider taking a few moments to draft a letter to Enel, the Italian power giant that is now spearheading the...
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731 Days Later...
Two years ago, I was staring fruitlessly at a computer screen. In between half-hearted stabs at the keyboard, I thought about going back to grad school even though I had sworn that when I finished my undergrad at UW, I wouldn’t be back. I wanted to simultaneously feel alive and afraid atop a 1,500-foot ribbon of Tahoe snow. I wished I was shaking my way through fragile hook placements on El Cap’s flanks. I wanted to be a malnourished and under-washed 22-year-old again, whose only appointment...
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Music From the Monoboard
music from the Monoboard remixed.... Andy McKee "Art of Motion" (mp3) from "Art of Motion" (Candy Rat Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Gregory & The Hawk "Grey Weather" (mp3) from "Moenie And Kitchi" (Fat Cat Records) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody The American Analog Set "Born On The Cusp" (mp3) from "Set Free" (Arts & Crafts) Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Rhapsody
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Into the Dark
"Climbing -- this one act saves me," says Portland rock climber Bob Grunau. Throughout his life, Grunau has struggled with the lingering clouds of depression. Until he discovered climbing, the only way to weather the darker cycles was to retreat inward into his mind. That approach worked until he became a part of a family. Grunau had to be present. In those hard moments, he turned to climbing. High, lonesome places can provide respite and joy. We can love them deeply, but ice and rock will...
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Music from the Shorts
Benjamin Dewey is Portland musician and friend of today's contributor Bob Grunau. Dewey is also an artist and has some pretty cool comics over at Melee Comics. Also appearing on todays show. The Hylozoists "Bras d'Or Lakes" (mp3) from "L'�le De Sept Villes" (Outside Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Red Room Cinema "The Nation Is On Fire" (mp3) from "The Black Friday Session EP" (New Granada Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Y La Bamba "Alida St." (mp3) from "Alida St" (GypsyPop Records) Buy...
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News and Notes
I've gotten a bunch of emails pointing out I had overlooked something. In Mr. Smart Goes Big (Year of Big Ideas 2009), two of the contributors have really cool projects in the works. Megan Sturdy is a climber and scientist working at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has figured out a way to incorporate here two seemingly incongruent passions -- cancer research and climbing -- into a singular project. Last year, Sturdy launched Climbing for Cancer Research. Her mission is two-fold....
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Mister Smart Goes Big
Rangi Smart was riding a small spur of his favorite single-track trail when he stumbled upon a perfectly designed mountain bike jump. A platform of two by fours and plywood launched a rider outward and 20-feet down the steep hillside. It was the kind of thing Rangi had only seen pro riders stomp on mountain bike videos. The 33-year-old math teacher thought to himself, “What kind of nut-job rides off something like that?”Then Rangi imagined that he was that nut-job. We can bide our time, wait...
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Publish the Quest
You may remember Jacob Bain from Episode 5. He's got a a goal for the new year -- get serious about making music. His new band -- Publish the Quest -- is the real deal. Visit the band's site or their myspace page to stream cuts and buy the album.
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The Peach
Taco Bell. Pizza Hut. Climber and writer, Kelly Cordes had one hell of resume by the time he applied for a position baking bread. The work was simple, came with food and the early starts would teach Cordes to like the dreaded 3 a.m. starts demanded of cutting edge alpinism. It was an ideal job for a dirtbag who lived and breathed climbing, and once resided in a 77-square-foot shack. Then Cordes ran into Bosszilla. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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New Year Goals and Music
"Give the people what they want," my little brother told me. For the last couple weeks there have been calls for another edition of the Year of Big Ideas. Little brother had a point. They grow up so fast. In the next week I'll be collecting goals and dreams from friends, weekend warrior and professionals alike. This year though, I wanted to include the Dirtbag Nation. If you got something to say, drop us a line via email. I'm not big on resolutions -- to me the word sounds like a...
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Bedtime Stories for Wanderers
If stories are the currency of travel, then writer Ryan Nickum is a very wealthy man. By the time he turned 30, Nickum's passport was chock full of the brightly colored patchwork of entry and exit stamps from dozens of distant countries. He was consumed by a desire to travel and haunted by the inability to sit still. The gaps in his resume developed into oceans between jobs. Cynicism grew. The overwhelming urge to quit the job and pack a bag sprang up every six months like a song that would...
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Music from Episode 24
here are the tracks from the latest show....enjoy! Hauschka "Freibad" (mp3) from "Ferndorf" (Fat Cat Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Frightened Rabbit "Old Old Fashioned" (mp3) from "Liver! Lung! FR!" (Fat Cat Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band "Backrow Politics" (mp3) from "Act Your Age" (Immergent) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody The Coast "Tight Rope" (mp3) from "Killing Off Our Friends" (Aporia...
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O Tannenbaum
Warning: This episode contains radio nudity and Christmas carols.Christmas trees are a massive business. Americans spent $2.5 billion on Christmas trees in 2007. For the last five years, I have been stingier than Scrooge when it comes to a Yule Tree. In 2008, I’m a changed man. Armed with a handsaw and empowered by a National Forest permit, I wandered out into the Cascades to search for the perfect Christmas tree. Sometimes in the darkest days of winter, a little light isn’t a bad...
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Music from Episode 23
here are the cuts from the latest episode... Mahalia Jackson "Silent Night" (mp3) from "Christmas Remixed 2" (Rock River Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody +/- {Plus/Minus} "Snowblind" (mp3) from "Xs On Your Eyes" (Absolutely Kosher) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Blitzen Trapper "Christmas Is Coming Soon" (mp3) from "I'll Stay 'Til After Christmas" (Animal World) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody School of Seven Bells "Connjur" (mp3) from...
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The Shorts -- Friendship is a Used Bicycle
“’You should get a bike. It will change your life,’ my friend Nick said. I heard this over and over again like a nagging brake pad rubbing on the one wobbly spot on a dented wheel,” writes Colorado-based writer Brendan Leonard. Leonard wasn’t a believer until his friend showed up his doorstep with a gift – a 1989 red Trek bicycle. As he began riding, Leonard found his life falling into the smooth order of a finely tuned bike. To find a center, some people practice Yoga. Others meditate. All...
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Fear Squared
What scares dirtbags? Global warming? Nine to five? Johnny Law? The unequivocal answer – bears. After sifting through the entries for the “Night of the Living Dirtbag”, it became clear – bears scare the daylights out of you all. To celebrate Halloween, we bring you two tales of terror. Contest winner Chris Peters explains why it pays to listen to the safety talk and a very special guest remembers a family vacation to the Alaskan wilderness gone wrong. Fear is a funny thing. Whether the...
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Music from Episode 22
here are the cuts from the latest show... John Carpenter, Alan Howarth "Chariots of Pumpkins" (mp3) from "Halloween III: Complete Original Motion Picture Score" (Halloween Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Charlie Hunter "Welcome to Frankfurt" (mp3) from "Baboon Strength" (reapandsow, Inc.) clear="all"> Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody adcBicycle "And Who Could Love A Man She Couldn't See?" (mp3) from "adcBicycle" (Noise Factory) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody...
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The Shorts -- Balance
The Bohrer clan isn’t your average Idaho Falls family. “Our neighbors have trampolines to break neighborhood children’s ankles and wrists. We’ve installed a slack line for that purpose,” writes father of five, Steve Bohrer. Juggling goals in the mountain with parenting is no simple task. Sometimes balancing competing passions requires combining them into a lifestyle. After all, whether you’re old or young, everyone likes to play hooky if there is snow on the hill. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
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Muisc from the Shorts
here are the countrified cuts from the latest show. Walt Wilkins "Seven Hillsides" (mp3) from "Rivertown" (Palo Duro Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Elliott Brood "Oh, Alberta" (mp3) from "Tin Type" (Weewerk) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Also featured:Sub Pop Records' singer/songwriter Sera Cahoone.
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No Car No Problem
A 1,200-foot rock wall in a wilderness area – that’s standard summer fare. In a day and back before dinner? Sounds easy. Without a car? That’s when my climbing partners stopped returning my phone calls. Even with growing environmental pressures and climbing gas prices, we’ll drive hundreds of miles to exist in landscapes devoid of gridlock and angry horns. The irony can be hard to ignore. Recreating without a car might seem impossible, but this summer I set out to test the preconceived...
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Music from Episode 21
Here's the playlist from the latest show. Michna "Swiss Glide" (mp3) from "Magic Monday" (Ghostly International) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Starfucker "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" (mp3) from "Starfucker" (Badman Recording Co) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Delta Spirit "Trashcan" (mp3) from "Ode to Sunshine" (Rounder Records) More On This Album Windmill "Tokyo Moon" (mp3) from "Puddle City Racing Lights" (Friendly Fire Recordings) Buy at iTunes...
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The Shorts: The Simple Joy of Moving Upward
If you plan on calling Craig DeMartino inspirational, he would prefer you wait to see if he can even drag his butt off the ground. After loosing his leg in a climbing accident, DeMartino had to retrain his body and learn his craft all over again. He hoped one day he would compete against the able-bodied, but taking on Chris Sharma in a World Cup? That was beyond dreams. Craig DeMartino takes us to Vail and the Teva Mountain Games. Behind the bright lights, big names and massive crowds,...
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Music from the Shorts
Music from the show... Numbers "New Life" (mp3) from "Now You Are This" (Kill Rock Stars) Buy at iTunes Music Store Feral Children "Jaundice Giraffe" (mp3) from "Second to the Last Frontier" (Sarathan Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This AlbumAlso...we're very lucky to have The Helio Sequence song "Can't Say No." I'm not sure if this Portland-based act has made it out of the Northwest, but everyone up here has been rocking out to this album for the last six months.
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The Dirtbag Playlist Vol. 2
August has arrived and it's time for me to get out and enjoy some of the summer weather before gray skies return to Seattle. That means hitting the road to record some stories. I'll be back on the air with a whole new season of stories the first week of September, but in the meantime I wanted to leave you with a little tide me over....The Dirtbag Playlist Vol. 2 -- my favorite music from the last six months' episodes. Enjoy.Tracks1. Music for 18 Musicians - GVSU New Music Ensemble2. Martha...
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The Shorts -- The Pig
A mythical, semi-secret, surf spot on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast – that’s as descriptive Australian Duncan McNee would get. This secret break, a quick bike ride from McNee’s day job as a high school teacher, requires the perfect synchronicity of swell, tide and windless days. On average, the variables come together once every two years. Sometimes the world shines on us. The wind dies. The tide drops. School lets out early. It’s up to us to catch the wave of a lifetime. At long last, we...
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Music from The Pig
Kassin+2 "Tranquilo (Super Stereo Sound System)" (mp3) from "Futurismo" (Luaka Bop) Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Rhapsody Yes King, Dawn Penn, Mystro, Kenny Knotts "Rock This World" (mp3) from "Rock This World" (LOOP) Buy at iTunes Music Store More On This Album James Blackshaw "Infinite Circle" (mp3) from "Litany of Echoes" (Tompkins Square) More On This Album
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Enhance This! --
Finally, we’ve got a special treat for you – The Crusade Enhanced. Photos by Jason Hummel, Sky Sjue and Ben Manfredi. Video by Phil Fortier. There are some sweet shots from over a decade of Cascade steep skiing. Skiing these peaks is a feat in itself – stopping to take the photos is another epic task in itself. The file is big, so you’re going to need a fast connection and a little patience. I won’t bore you with the details, but our first foray into video and photos was interesting. Walker...
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The Crusade
True or False? Standard pushing is for the pros. If you want to shape skiing or climbing, you have to ditch the job, move into the car and find a deep-pocketed sponsor. The tiny window afforded to weekend warriors couldn’t possibly be enough time with which to make an impact. Right? Today, we bring you the Crusade, the story of two stockbrokers, an engineer and a nuclear physicist who, with a little help from the Internet, helped shaped American ski mountaineering without ever leaving their...
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Music from Episode 20
Friend of Mine is a collection of U.K.-based of musicians, artists and surfers. The provided much of the ambiance for this episode. Check them out. Also on todays show...collection of UK-based musicians, artists and surfers. They provided the subtle beats and ambiance for much of the episode.Check them out. Also on the show... collection of UK-based musicians, artists and surfers. They provided the subtle beats and ambiance for much of the episode.Check them out. Also on the show... Lyrics...
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The Shorts: Year of Big Ideas Reprieve
In the Year of Big Ideas, my childhood friend Brad laid it out – he was going to climb El Cap in 2008. Never mind that he had minimal climbing experience or had never even been to Yosemite. We schemed and scheduled “vacation.” We planned and tried to convince others to join us, but in the end, Brad and I were on our own to wrestle with one very big – arguably bad – idea. We had four days to pull it off. We would have to climb faster than we could manufacture excuses. A third of the way...
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Music from the Shorts
Here are the cuts from the Year of Big Ideas Reprieve....You can stream them by clicking on the song title. Dosh "If You Want To, You Have To" (mp3) from "Wolves and Wishes" (anticon) Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Santogold "L.E.S Artistes" (mp3) from "L.E.S Artistes" (Lizard King) Buy at iTunes Music Store Mobius Band "Friends Like These" (mp3) from "Heaven" (Misra) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody
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The Human Mule
Life was good. The approaches were short. The routes straightforward. The work wonderfully mindless. After a long dry-spell of writing, a job as a climbing guide at Smith Rock was like a vacation from life. I was 22 again, not a failing writer struggling to pay the rent. It was too good to last.Through the years, I’ve tried to escape words and journalism, but the writing life always has a funny way of creeping back into my world. This time it came in the form of a 230-pound cameraman with a...
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Music from Episode 19
you can stream the cuts by clicking on the song title...I love this cut by David Karsten Daniels.David Karsten Daniels "Martha Ann" (mp3) from "Fear of Flying" (Fat Cat Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Golden Shoulders "Golden Soldiers" (mp3) from "Friendship Is Deep (Reissue)" (Welcome Home Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights "Laughter Be Your Slave" (mp3) from "Heart Palpitations of the Rich and Famous" (Eskimo Kiss...
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The Earth Throne
What defines you? Is it your past? How you look? I doubt it. It’s the course we chart from dawn to dusk that makes us who we are. Seventeen years ago, Sean O’Neill – artist athlete and big brother to pro climber Timmy O’Neill – lost the use of his legs after jumping from a bridge into the Mississippi River. After the accident, Timmy dreamed about helping his older brother climb El Capitan. In 2005, the brothers decided it was time to act. Reporter and podcaster James Mills brings us a story...
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Music from Episode 18
here's the music from the show. You can listen by clicking on the song...Cake "Ruby Sees All" (mp3) from "Motorcade of Generosity" (Upbeat Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Beatundercontrol "All The Way [To Heaven]" (mp3) from "Cosmic Repackage" (Malicious Damage) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody The New Rochelle Rotary Club "Air Currents" (mp3) from "Air Currents" (Radar Recordings) Buy at iTunes Music Store Stream from Rhapsody Daturah "Hybrisma" (mp3)...
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The Shorts -- Indiana Powder Day
Great outdoor writing lacks ego. When listener Andy Guinigundo’s email appeared in the inbox on a rainy spring day, I read through it, read it again and thought “Damn, I wish I could have been there.? That’s because no matter where you ski, whether it’s the Alaskan steeps or a local hill in Southeast Indiana, a powder day is a magical thing. That’s the great thing about skiing, climbing or mountain biking – you don’t have to be a professional playing beneath stadium lights to understand the...
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Music from the Shorts
Bradley Carter claims to be a reformed rock climber. He's found music and changed his ways. Joined a band -- Max Gross Weight. He's traded dirtbag living in Yosemite for the life of a hard working professional musician. He swears it. Personally, I don't believe him for a second, mostly because he talked me into to playing hooky from work tomorrow to go clip bolts...oops did I say that out loud.Also music by....The New Rochelle Rotary Club "Air Currents" (mp3) from "Air Currents" (Radar...
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The Golden Hour
In spring of 1991, Tom Broxson survived a 200-foot fall – a full rope length -- off the top of Yosemite Valley’s Washington Column. To this day, Tom, his climbing partner Pat and the rescuers who saved his life aren’t exactly sure what happened. There are guesses and conjectures, but the exact moment that changed Tom’s life will always remain a mystery. Dr. R. Adams Cowley, the physician who pioneered our modern Emergency Medicine System, once said, “There is a golden hour between life and...
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Music from Episode 17
Sorry for the delay....here are the cuts.Bradley Carter is a reformed rock climber turned musician. You can hear his guitar work throughout the episode. It's fitting too -- Carter was actually on YOSAR. Friend Ken Christianson keeps bumping the cuts here at the Dirtbag Diaries. Ken provided the music for All These Things. Son Lux "Break" (mp3) from "At War With Walls and Mazes" (anticon) Buy at RhapsodyThe Out_Circuit "Across The Light" (mp3) from "Pierce The Empire With A Sound" (Lujo...
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All These Things
The Weather Channel’s Local on the 8’s. NOAA. Surf cams. We’ve all been there – staring at the places we would like to be through a computer or television screen. We shut our eyes at our desks and try to imagine the feel of cutting through powder or climbing on a sun drenched cliff.Success in the high country requires early starts and leaps of faith. The same can be said of careers, school and family. Our dreams in the flatlands take nurturing. They require our love and time, and when our...
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A little bit about the artist... Anya Miller
Great friendships often begin in the most average ways. Sometimes just a simple introduction during an after work climbing session can lead to a lifelong friendship. Since that first handshake, Anya Miller has become a collaborator, a climbing and ski partner and precious friend to both Becca and me. She’s continually made my text look better with her unique illustrations and even helped drag me out of the Joshua Tree backcountry after I busted my ankle. I’ve watched her grow as both an...
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Music from Episode 16
Indie music – who knows what that term means anymore? About a million musical pundits have offered unwanted opinions. I’ll let it rest, but I do know is this – I know true indie music when I see it. Los Angeles-based musician, Ken Christianson lives in Hollywood, but life isn’t glamorous. He shares a small studio apartment with another musician. His “room? is the closet, which he has partitioned into two stories. The upper level of this spacious abode is so small that Ken has trouble sitting...
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Little Brother Goes Big
As some of you may know, Walker Cahall handles most of the design work here at the Dirtbag Diaries, and as the name suggests, he is my brother – seven years my junior. Now, all the older brothers out there know that complimenting a younger sibling is a risky and delicate business. Their heads may balloon with pride before eventually imploding like a dying galaxy. When Walker began destroying me in video games, I was forced to retire in order to save him from himself. I may have to do the...
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Duct Tape Marketing
Today marks the first anniversary of the Dirtbag Diaries. Along the way, hundreds of you have written in offering words of encouragement, story ideas and suggestions for improvement. Some of you have even offered to donate money, which is so very kind, but totally unnecessary. That said I have a way for you to help us grow and improve. While the Google machine is powerful, it can’t tell us everything. So in an attempt to pigeon hole you and get your feedback, we’re going to have to do this...
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Inside the Abysmo
The photo-enhanced version of Datos Insuficientes is up and running. The Range Life’s Andrew Oberhardt and Todd Gilman milked their hard drives to come up with a set of images to fit with Shane’s words. It’s the only way to get a sense of scale. El Rio Apurimac, which roughly translates into divine oracle, is massive. Look for the details. Check out the high water mark on the canyon walls. It may take five to ten seconds to load. You’ve got two options:Click here for the full-sized version:...
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Datos Insuficientes
In the summer of 2007, kayaker and blogger Shane Robinson found himself paddling down Peru’s isolated Apurimac River, one of the Amazon’s five major tributaries. Ahead of him lay the Abysmo – a deep, daunting gash in the earth. Thousand foot cliffs rose from the river bottom. Once inside, bailing would be next to impossible. Shane and his partners, Andrew Oberhardt and Bryan Smith, knew two things about the stretch of river that they were paddling into. First, the Abysmo was going to be big....
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Music from Episode 15
A couple of notes. Some of you may have heard the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble a couple weeks back on NPR's weekend edition. After forgetting to turn of my alarm, I woke up to their version of Steven Reich's piece, Music for 18 Musicians, after imbibing several light beers at the prior evening's house warming party. It was way too early, but I just loved what I heard. In order of appearance:Siba -- Vale Do Juca (mp3)Buy at Napster Grand Valley State University New Music...
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The Year of Big Ideas
“You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things -- to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals." -- Sir Edmund HillaryThere is nothing more fulfilling than grabbing an idea out of the air, giving it shape and realizing it. Our dreams, hopes and goals give shape to the year’s course and ultimately our lives. Today we bring you the “Year of Big Ideas? – a show all about goals, some big, some small. We’ve interviewed friends,...
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Music from Episode 14
Music from the Year of Big IdeasGift of Gab -- Way of the Light (mp3)-- Buy at iTunes Music Store Modaji -- Bar Blues (mp3)-- Buy at iTunes Music Store The Antlers -- The Universe is Going To Catch You (mp3)-- Buy at iTunes Music Store
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The Dirtbag's Playlist
Now for the moment you've all been waiting for -- the Dirtbag’s 2007 Playlist. Actually it’s probably not the moment you’ve been waiting for, but during the holidays I got a little behind on work. The next episode will be out any day now. Stay tuned, but in the meantime I thought I’d give those who wrote in asking about music and bands a little treat. I sorted and tallied emails, picked a few of my personal favorites and compiled the songs together. It was hard to condense it down into a...
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A Lifeline Home
There was nothing exceptional about how Ryan Utz and Micah Helser became friends. After nodding at each other in the office hallways for weeks, they happened to discover that they shared an interest in sustainable building. They got to talking and pretty soon found that they both shared a love for climbing and the great outdoors. While the beginnings of their friendship sound average, the circumstances were anything but. Micah and Ryan were members of Charlie Company, a medevac unit serving...
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Music from Episode 13
Here are the tracks and links for the artists featured in Episode 13. If you're a hip-hop fan, the Blue Scholars' Bayani was one of my favorite albums of 2007. Definitely worth a listen -- they are one of the hardest working acts in West Coast Hip Hop. Blue Scholars -- Joe Metro (mp3)Buy at iTunes Music Store Carly Commando -- Everyday (mp3)Buy at iTunes Music Store Badun -- Fyrtrn (mp3)Buy at Rhapsody Tinariwen -- Cler Achel (mp3)Buy at iTunes Music Store
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The Reckoning
Every aspiring photographer dreams of capturing an iconic image. It’s the same kind of motivation that draws young skiers to intimidating lines in foreboding ranges and pulls ambitious climbers to Yosemite. We imagine these moments a thousand times in advance, but when we finally arrive, we are often surprised and humbled. Epiphanies require stumbling. In 2005, photographer, writer and avid cyclist Blake Gordon set out to take the trip of a lifetime. With camera in hand, he joined brothers...
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Help Wanted
There’s no such thing as a perfect job. There’s always a catch – nagging bosses, gossiping co-workers, crummy benefits. That’s why we get paid to work. But what if there was a magical place where you could get paid to climb? At the center of this kingdom is a mountain, and all you have to do is climb it. The job pays well and during your four hours of paid break you have the run of the place because your boss is too busy moonlighting as a talking duck to discipline you. It also comes with...
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Prayer for a Friend
How do people remember the dead? Some people stuff wrinkled snapshots into wallets. Others build ornate mausoleums. Others ensure their friends’ memories by creating goals that can never fully be realized. In 2003, my friend John Bombard lost his battle to cancer. On the day of his passing, I stumbled across an unclimbed route on Washington’s famed Prusik Peak. It was so beautiful, challenging and improbable that I would probably never complete it, yet my youthful enthusiasm and commitment...
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Part Five
Part Five: Snowboarding can't change a life. Snow melts, but life doesn't get any easier. Deep seeded change can only come from within. Today, we're headed all the way from New York City's notorious Bushwick neighborhood to Whistler Blackcomb's ski slopes to discover how snowboarding helped transform a young woman headed for trouble. Stephanie McLawrence, a self-described bookworm from Brooklyn, brings us a story about finding a second chance in a first time.
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Part Four
Part Four: In the last decade, Steve House has pulled off some incredible ascents in the Canadian Rockies, Alaska and the Himalaya. Today, we're going to look back through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy. House tells us about the day his pursuit of high places began and very nearly ended.
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Part Three
Part Three: For listener Erin Shea, February 14th will always be linked to cold, darkness and the sound of falling ice. Now that's our kind of love affair. We bring you the story of a lonely M.I.T. undergrad who has a very special Valentine's Day.
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Part Two
Part Two: Pro kayaker Tanya Shuman tells us about her search for the perfect wave. It's a journey that took her around the globe before leading her back to the place where it all began -- Skookumchuck Narrows.
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Part One
Part One: A 22-year-old Coast Guard ensign finds his inner child in the Alaskan mountains and barely escapes.
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No Big Deal
In 1996, photographer John Burcham and three friends completed the first foot traverse of the 650-mile long Alaska Range. Together, they forded streams, chased off curious grizzlies and crossed crevassed glaciers. After 75 days, they had become a single unit. After delays mounted, Burcham decided to leave the group at the very end of the trip in order to make it to his sister's wedding. He said goodbye and parted ways. He was alone in the continent's last great wilderness with a sobering...
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Anatomy of an Accident
In May of 2007, I made a mistake that should have cost me my life when I slipped high on a Central Oregon volcano. I fell between 250-300 feet, over a cliff, through rock bands before grabbing a rock out cropping and stopping my fall. I'm still not sure how I stopped myself. Amazingly, I walked away with a sprained thumb. This week the Dirtbag Diaries presents the Anatomy of an Accident. What do you take away from a near-death experience? Is there meaning in it? If so, what does it say about...
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A Brief Moment in a Beautiful Place
There is a fine line between a life-lasting memory and disaster. Whatever the discipline -- alpinism, big wave surfing, foreign travel -- we calculate risk, formulate plans and sometimes we have the spunk to see them through. This week we're headed for Laos to recount the story of two friends and one spectacularly bad idea. Join us as we follow Jacob Bain, Colin Brynn and a bamboo raft down a river at the edge of the world. Sometimes bad ideas work out for the better...sometimes.For the...
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A Thousand Words
There is no textbook on adventure journalism, but if there were one, it would contain one single, steadfast rule -- you can't photograph adventure from a safe distance. There are no sidelines in wilderness. El Capitan doesn't have a press booth. Even for the most safety-conscious, danger can come in many forms -- falling rock, toxic jellyfish, even a bad case of the Itch. This week, adventure photographer Corey Rich gives us photos and the untold stories behind them. They say a picture is...
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the Great Big Garage in the Sky
Episode 3 -- Many of us associate our vehicles with freedom, independence and youth. Even as we come to terms with the fact that automobiles may be an unnecessary evil, it's hard not to think back to that first surf or climbing trip and day dream about open windows, loud music and a best friend riding shotgun. Can a hunk of metal have a soul? What happens when the motor finally stops running? This week we bring you the sometimes-true tale of a 1974 Mitsubishi Sigma, a boy on the cusp of...
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- Seattle, WA
- Outdoors
- English
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