The Dirtbag Diaries

It started so harmlessly. Four years ago, professional skier Brody Leven embarked on a simple challenge – exercise outdoors everyday. In a complicated moment in time and life, it was a way to exert some control over his day to day. It was never supposed to last forever.  Support comes from Kuat Racks  Terns Use code DIRTBAG to save 25% off your first order Diaries+ Members-- Their support is power...

Matt Martin and his fiancé, Hannah, were just starting out on their shared life, when a breast cancer diagnosis rewrote the script they’d imagined for life. Matt stepped into a new role – caregiver. Life became a blur of treatment, worry and existing with unknown outcomes. After a year of caring for Hannah, Matt received the chance to attend one of First Descent's week-long trips down the famed Ro...

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

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

To celebrate a new year and new ideas, we bring you a conversation with Alastair Humphreys, adventurer, writer, and connoisseur of the microadventure. His new book, Local, flips the idea of what it means to explore on its head. Sometimes, you can go bigger by going smaller. Submissions for The Shorts are open through January 19, 2025. Learn more or submit your essay today. Support comes from Kuat...

As the year comes to a close, two beautiful stories about stepping back, reflecting and moving forward from Phil Herbert and N.S. David. “I had one roll of film for the whole trip, which gave me eight frames. Nine if I was lucky,” begins Phil.  “I’ve done my fair share of wishing I was warm in my bed while strapped to the side of a granite monolith at 12,000 feet. I’ve torn holes in my clothes and...

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

In 2020, partners Niki Choo and Jared Gentz started dreaming of an epic canoeing adventure. Two years later, they started paddling on the Pacific Ocean, embarking on a thousand-mile journey towards the Arctic that would test their skills, grit, and adaptability.  Support comes from Kuat Racks  Duer Through Dec 2, 2024, save 50% off your first order at shopduer.com/Diaries Diaries+ Members-- Their...

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

In our annual Tales of Terror, we bring you three terrifying tales. Disembodied voices. Eyes in the alder. An enchanted clearing in the forest. Grab a friend (and maybe their hand) as these tales will have you peering over your shoulder. Happy Halloween! Support comes from Kuat Racks  Duer shopduer.com/Diaries to save 20% off your first order Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diarie...

Tucked away in a corner of Chilean Patagonia, Valle Cochamó wasn’t going to stay hidden forever. The soaring unclimbed granite walls instilled dreams of first ascents in climbers. Industrialists eyed its free flowing rivers with their potential for hydroelectric power. Conservationists hoped it could provide a final puzzle piece of an incredible protected wildlife corridor. To the families who liv...

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

Wyn Wiley, often better known as Pattie Gonia, went out on a backpacking trip with an inkling of an idea and emerged walking a path. Today, Pattie Gonia’s feed is filled with joy– making music with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, headlining pride festivals, gravel biking– and most of the time it looks fun. But it’s what Wyn and Pattie have done with th...

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

Some of the most powerful learning can happen outside the classroom. In the summer of 1975, public school teacher Mr. Hodges took 22 of his students on an unforgettable bike trip that would impact the rest of their lives. Grab your cut-off shorts, a 10-speed bike, and a sense of humor, and you’ll be along for the ride. Submit your story for the 15th annual Tales of Terror episode Support comes fro...

Luke, Job, and Jonah have been best friends since childhood, and with the end of high school looming, they set out on their biggest adventure yet. During a month-long quest to canoe from Job’s backyard in Franklin, Tennessee, to the Gulf of Mexico, they encounter storms, venomous spiders, and alligators putting their skills and stoke are put to the test. Submit your story for the 15th annual Tales...

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

Love is a journey full of twists and turns. RC Shaw and Scott Johnson each found this out on their romps in the wild. Both barely made it, and their stories warn weary listeners of the dangers that lurk when falling too fast. Support Comes From Diaries+ Subscribers-- Thank you! Want more episodes? Become a member today. Incogni States of Adventure– 30 stories adapted from The Diaries into a book–...

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

When their lives felt out of their control, both Cindy Hong and Dierdre Wolownick turned to running for solace. Each of their stories is a reminder of the value of putting one foot in front of the other, no matter the speed or destination.  Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today Support comes from Kuat Racks  AeroPress Use code DIARIES to save 20% Incogni Learn more at https://incogni.com...

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

We're sharing an episode from our friends at Outside/In. Their team of reporters combine solid reporting and long-form narrative storytelling that sits at the crossroads of the outdoors, science and the environment and how those themes interact with the rest of our world. Til the landslide brings it down explores what happens when a growing threat of landslides collides with a housing crisis. Host...

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

We made a book! For the last year, Fitz and Becca have been working on adapting 30 episodes into essays and pairing them with incredible imagery. And we are really excited to be able to (nearly) share it with you. You can pre-order States of Adventure: 30 Outdoor Adventure Stories About Finding Yourself By Getting Lost now through July 22nd. The book will hit shelves worldwide July 23rd. Pre-order...

Thirteen years ago Fitz got talked into doing our first live Dirtbag Diaries at 5Point Film Festival. So, we were thrilled to to return again for the 2024 festival and talk with Dr. John Francis, Taylor Rees and Renan Ozturk.  In 1971, John gave up motorized transportation after seeing the effects of an oil spill on wildlife. Months later he took a vow of silence that lasted 17 years. A forerunner...