She Explores

Nicole Antoinette recently released a trail journal of her 2017 thru-hike of the Arizona Trail called “How to Be Alone.” And that’s what we met up to talk about on a trail near Boston: how her first thru hike came to be, how she persevered, and why she decided to add to the trail journal canon. While quitting can indeed be a kindness, Nicole solo hiked all 800 rugged miles of the Arizona Trail. An...

As a little girl, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant loved watching nature shows -- and she paid a lot of attention to the humans that showed up in front of the camera. Not seeing anyone in the host position who looked like her as a Black woman, Rae made it her goal to become a wildlife ecologist and to help change the face of who holds the expertise and shows up for some of the most unique animals in the world....

Rebecca Sperry was in the middle of a big hiking challenge when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2020: she was tracing all 1400+ miles of trails in the White Mountains. While she had to put that quest on pause during cancer treatment, it didn’t stop her from hiking. Once Rebecca got cleared by her doctor, she hiked every single week. Her reasons are multifold: exercise can help make...

Listen to this: About the Journey, the podcast that takes you on an audio road trip with travel lover Oneika Raymond. Each episode of About the Journey takes you on the road along routes like Miami to Key West, Oahu’s North Shore, or Wyoming’s National Parks. You get to ride along with host and travel journalist Oneika Raymond, who you might know from the Travel Channel or her incredible instagram...

Shaandiin Cedar is on the solution side of fighting the climate crisis and invites you to join in, too. A problem-solver by nature, Shaandiin is taking both a bottom-up and a top-down approach to activating climate solutions through her grassroots and corporate sustainability efforts. As an Indigenous woman and the daughter of activists, Shaandin’s commitment to justice for people and the environm...

For far too long, we were told that Man was the hunter and Woman the gatherer. Are we surprised to have witnessed a “hunting industry” that for decades has only catered to the interests of men? Recent studies actually contradict the beliefs that prehistoric women weren’t hunters and in this episode, residency host Gabaccia Moreno is our guide through the stories and reflections of women who have f...

In honor of WorldPride, we're revisiting our 2018 conversation with Elyse Rylander. Elyse is the founder and executive director of OUT There Adventures , a nonprofit dedicated to empowering queer young people through their connection with the natural world. Elyse believes nature is a disruptive force for queer youth and hopes to positively foster their identities and love of the outdoors. She's do...

Your stories of the unexpected kindness you’ve found in the outdoors - from strangers, from nature.  We’ve all been finding solace in nature after a hard year, and we wanted to gather your stories to inspire a kinder outdoor world. Of course, as we’ve talked about a lot on the show - the outdoors is not a utopia, or a place we can escape systemic issues. But kindness can create a chain reaction th...

Brianne Lauro was born and raised on Hawai’i Island and learned how to hunt, fish, and dive from her father at a young age. She’s carried this passion into adulthood, along with a commitment to honoring all the lands and waters of the island through giving back as they have given to her and her family. In conversation with Gabaccia Moreno, Brianne shares what drives her, how she would like to see...

Carrot Quinn joins us on the show again to talk about her latest memoir: The Sunset Route. For those who read and loved Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart, The Sunset Route fills in a lot of the backstory. Billed as an adventure memoir, (Carrot spent her early 20’s hopping freight trains and hitchhiking before discovering thru-hiking) the book really shines in telling the story of how Carrot found...

In our first episode on matrescence, we talked about continuing to carry a love for nature and time outside into pregnancy as we prepare for the major life change of becoming a parent. This episode continues into the next phase in the process, when the much-anticipated birth is over, and we step into this new role and all that it entails, indoors and out. From the tender early days of the fourth t...

Palinor Velasco has always pursued an adventurous life, even before she found her place in and love for the outdoors. While newly sober, Palinor found healing in climbing and mountain biking, but an accident that affected her mobility made her rethink the levels of risk she’s willing to take on. Luckily for her, having a partner who is also a fly fishing guide got her to try a new way to recreate...

Abby Ruhman is a professional makeup artist with Alopecia Totalis who uses her body as a canvas to advocate for change when it comes to outdated beauty standards. Art and creativity are central to the Mountain Games: public art around town, live music happening nightly, the mountainous backdrop of Vail Valley, even photo booths set up for puppy portraits. Abby was a big part of that too, and in he...

Ariel Tweto is passionate about taking chances and trying new things in the outdoors -- and sharing her experiences with others. Ariel’s Inupiaq Inuit, born and raised in Unalakleet, Alaska. She’s a pilot, a TV personality, and the founder of the nonprofit Popping Bubbles.  Ariel’s first time at the Mountain Games gave her the opportunity to compete in her very first e-bike race. That’s one of the...

Emily Jackson is a professional kayaker and a mother of two. Kayaking is in her blood—her dad, Eric Jackson, is a World Champion freestyle kayaker and more often than not, you can find Emily on the water. Emily’s been competing at the Mountain Games for years, and this year she won all three of her events—a first for her.  Just as community and competition are a big part of the Mountain Games, so...

Arielle Shipe is someone who shares her health and adventure story for the service of others. She understands that we all have a lifelong relationship with our bodies, and that relationship is changing all the time. This year at the Mountain Games, she taught yoga surrounded by nature, helping participants center themselves and prime their bodies for a day of adventure and community. Arielle and G...

Pregnancy is a time of drastic physical change, and one full of expectation and anxieties, pressure and pain, hope and uncertainty. And for those of us who value time spent outside, it’s natural that we'd carry that forward into our pregnancies as much as we can. Continuing to hike, or surf, or whatever else we like to do, lets us still feel like ourselves and helps us cope with the symptoms and s...

Lindsey Ingram has long-haul COVID, which means she is constantly renegotiating what's possible for herself in the outdoors. But just like she's not just a mom, or a hiker, or a gardener -- the uncertainty of her chronic illness doesn't define her.  She simply has to meet herself where she's at. Over the past year Lindsey has been redefining her relationship with the outdoors, her body, and how sh...

Demiesha Dennis is an angler, mom, and community leader who is passionate about spreading the joy she’s found outdoors. Her reflections on time spent outside as an immigrant and Woman of Color provide many insights into industry gaps, misconceptions of people in the outdoors, and the privilege of recreating through hiking and fly fishing. In this episode, we hear about how Demiesha started flyfish...

Kylie Yang is a dog owner, thru-hiker, trail lover, and the New Jersey program coordinator for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. We talk about the rewards and compromises of hiking with her 4-legged companion Sullivan, the many ways Kylie has woven trails into the fabric of her life, and the consideration for others we should all take with us into the outdoors. Fe atured in this episode: K...

Catch-up with Mirna Valerio aka The Mirnavator. Mirna is an ultra runner, adventurer, author, former teacher, more. Her blog, Fat Girl Running, took off shortly after she took on the sport back in 2008 and she’s been showcasing what’s possible ever since. In an Instagram live catch-up Gale did with Mirna on Thursday,  we talk about her found home of Vermont, Stowe Trails, how she picked up cycling...

We all have something to give when it comes to making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible for all. But we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, we can reach out and support existing organizations. In this episode, created in partnership with Sierra Designs, learn about four incredible nonprofits doing the work to help create more opportunities in the outdoors for People of Color, LGBTQ+, disabl...

Serene Cusack wants to build more community in the fly fishing world, especially amongst those folks who haven’t always been included. Whether through her own social media handle, “Fatty on the Fly” or the community she’s building via “Outcast Anglers,” Serene is passionate about sharing the joy she finds in fly fishing with more people.  In this episode, the first of Gabaccia Moreno’s hosting res...

You don’t have to head out on a multi-day road trip to enjoy the benefits of time away: a micro-adventure can be just what you need to help you reset in your own backyard. Host Gale Straub heads out for a New Hampshire coast-to-mountains and back day trip and reflects on the ways her relationship with travel and adventure have shifted post-pandemic with the help of other creative women. Stay tuned...

In more ways than one, our circles have tightened in the last year. And while for some family has been out of reach, for others, it's been a constant. In this episode we hear from a new mom, Aly Nicklas, and a daughter, Paulina Dao, as they reflect on the ways in which their relationships with family have shifted during the pandemic. We also explore how getting out in the outdoors together, away f...