The Dirtbag Diaries

We've all been down that odd, potentially hallucinogenic path of calorie miscalculation. A campfire conversation about the moments when we bonked. Got a bonk story? Leave us a message at 206-705-3006 and your story might be included in one of our next episodes. Want to hear more? Subscribe to Dirtbag Diaries+

After years of turning to nature for relief from his inner turmoil, Andrew Shults finally reached his breaking point and faced it head-on. This decision forced him to reckon with identity, spirituality, and relationship to the outdoors. Support comes from Patagonia Athletic Greens Kuat Racks Rumpl Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today

A young man hungry to learn how to recreate in the mountains, and a veteran guide leading the NOLS course in the Waddington Range of British Columbia. Their recollections of the trip, the challenges they face and the moments they find memorable, do not always line up. Support comes from Patagonia Athletic Greens Kuat Racks Rumpl Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today

How has being an adaptive athlete changed and evolved over the years? Fitz talks with climber Craig DeMartino, a leader not just in the adaptive sports community, but the greater outdoor community. Want to hear more? Subscribe to Dirtbag Diaries+

Kate and Ani Williams have been adventuring together for more than two decades. Last year, they leveled up on a backpacking trip to Argentine Patagonia, where a challenging river crossing marked a shift in their relationship as mother and daughter. Support comes from Patagonia Athletic Greens Kuat Racks Rumpl Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today

When Kari Hedin’s life is turned upside down, she found solace on her habitual lunchtime trail runs in the wooded eskers of Minnesota. Support comes from Patagonia Athletic Greens Kuat Racks Global Rescue

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

For 12-year-old Rory Rielly and 77-year-old James Niehues, the ski map is an object of wonder and a portal to adventure. Their love for depicting mountain landscapes enriches their passion for skiing and demonstrates the importance of having someone to show us the way. Check out more of James’ art and his recently published book, The Man Behind The Maps, with over 200 ski maps. Support comes from Patagonia Athletic Greens Kuat Racks Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today

In 2018, backcountry skier Kjell Redal decided he wanted to try his hand at bowhunting for elk. The only trouble is, he had no prior experience or mentors and was living in Miami, FL. Over the course of four years Kjell goes from a newbie, thrashing his way off trail and never seeing an elk, to a once in a lifetime experience. Support comes from Patagonia Athletic Greens Kuat Racks Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today

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

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

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

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

In 2021, Dirtbag Diaries producer Cordelia Zars launched a theater company. For two years it was a side hustle where she used her strengths as an artist, storyteller and songwriter. Now, she’s taking the leap to directing full time with Empathy Theatre Project. Plus, friends and contributors share their goals to keep you dreaming and scheming for the year to come. Happy New Year! Support comes from Patagonia Athletic Greens Kuat Racks Global Rescue

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

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

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

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

Fitz talks with the directors of BURIED, Jared Drake and Steven Siig. In 1982 a massive avalanche descended on Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, CA that triggered a five day search for eight missing people. BURIED chronicles the third deadliest avalanche in US history, the miraculous rescue efforts and the trauma that still haunts the survivors today. If you haven't watched the film yet, we highly recommend it before listening to this episode. You can watch it on Apple TV.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inspired by a pitch from a listener, we rounded up the Dirtbag Diaries team to chat about the most ridiculous places we’ve ever slept. Want to share an amusing story about where you’ve slept? Tag us on Instagram or send us a short audio file or note.

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

Drive it until it dies. That’s the motto Fitz lived by as he crisscrossed the West in his truck, Crash. Family members would doubtfully ask, “Are you sure you want to drive there?” Friends asked about Crash’s well being as though he was an aging dog. Fitz said, “Though I knew the day was coming, I was still blindsided when the gears ground to a halt on my way to Yosemite. Could my belief in Crash transcend beyond the hulk of metal?” This episode first aired in 2012.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The most memorable gifts often aren’t purchased online. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the time we give to one another. A favorite recipe. An old bike that needs a new set of legs to pedal it. The gifts can be grand or small. For the upcoming holiday season, we’re looking for stories about gifts that weren’t purchased for a special mini series with our friends at Patagonia.