The Dirtbag Diaries

Our baptism in wild places is different for each of us.  For some, it's ingrained so early in life that it hardly registers as a memory.  For most, it was probably a little awkward, a bit daunting, yet so compelling that we wanted to do it again.  For Wendy Irwin, it began with, "a soft-shell cooler, a MacGyver like trust in the magical properties of duct tape, and a 'Tent for Sale' ad in the clas...

Our second installment from the third annual Live from 5Point in April at the 5Point Film Festival. If you missed the last episode, we talked with snowboarder Kevin Pearce and skier Chris Davenport. Today, we present stories from James Walsh and Kyle Dempster. James has focused his camera lens on the biking culture within African. But the creative process can be a frustrating journey where you hav...

We're back for our third annual Live from 5Point event. Today we present two stories from snowboarder Kevin Pearce, about finding happiness after suffering a traumatic brain injury, and big mountain skier Chris Davenport, about the aesthetics of the lines he chooses and what he loves about mountains, especially those close to home. 

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 ca...

"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 cou...

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...

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, a...

Love- It's life's great surprise. You can try to pin its origins in brain chemistry and hormones. Or the right timing. But those don't explain why tough guys make slow rock mixes or why a timid person suddenly introduces themselves to the person of their dreams. Why it works for one couple and not another is beyond me, so I've stopped trying to guess. Your mate could be across the ocean or right n...

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 stor...

You might remember a story about climbers in the Magic Kingdom. It sounded like a dream job- climbing, secret lairs and cutting to the front of the roller coaster line. Our inbox flooded with emails about how to apply. But the program was canceled in 2007. Until last year. In an audition room filled with sponsored climbers and underground crushers, Susanica Tam felt her resume paled in comparison....

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 pushin...

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 i...

In 2010, Seth Adams worked in Ecuador with Round River Conservation Studies. He was there as part of an effort to show the locals the importance of conserving the surrounding forest and wildlife. Yet, the longer that he was there, interacting with locals like Don Manuel and Stu, the more he began to reflect on his own perspective. Could the Ecuadorians show Seth something about himself? CLICK HERE...

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? Z...

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 a...

Steve's typical weekend would make any dirtbag jealous. Concerts by the river, sunrise climbs, hiking a new trailhead just because. He's living his own version of the dirtbag dream; the one he wanted to achieve for so many years. Until one day, he realized the dream he chased, wasn't all that he'd imagined it to be. Could he change his dream to reflect the reality he now wanted?  CLICK HERE TO LIS...

"A friend of mine said that it was worth getting a budget flight to Morocco just to eat an orange.  After that you could turn around and fly home content." Writer, photographer, and surfer Mat Arney was ready for a break from his routine; and really ready to go surfing. While driving or flying was the simple solution, Mat made the journey equal to the destination, taking the train from England to...

Drive it until it dies. That's the motto I lived by as my truck, Crash, crisscrossed the West. Family members would doubtfully ask, "Are you sure you want to drive there?" I did. Friends would ask about Crash's well being as though he was my aging dog. Though I knew the day was coming, I was still blindsided when the gears ground to a halt on my way to Yosemite. Could my belief in Crash transcend...

"My father would collected me in the summer and we would range farther in our explorations of the West.  We would find small towns on the edge of wilderness and he would tell me, 'If I ever disappear, look for me here.' These trips nurtured a love of the outdoors that I cannot imagine being without.”  Deron Daugherty pays tribute to his father as they take one last hike together into the San Franc...

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...

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 an...

"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....

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...

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 a...

Last spring, Fred Sproat 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.