Tragedy with a View

Climbing a mountain can be complicated, and enticing and even when life hangs in the balance, men still want more of it. This, is part of the allure for the North Face of the Eiger. The first attempt up the north face had a 100% mortality rate, and for 4 years after that the mortality rate was 50%. The wall became known as the “murder wall”, and with a name like that, rescue parties wanted nothing...

In this surprise episode (at least for those of us at Tragedy with a View), Danielle and Maegan from Off the Trails invited me to join them in their final Sunday Scary series which airs the month of October. Here we are talking about spooky and haunted trails, and figments of our imagination so frightening that it makes me want to stay far away from some of these beautiful and pristine areas. Take...

When people discovered the comfort of entering a large cave it developed a new way for the general population to explore and experience caving. But the caves were still dangerous and not all who went in were able to climb out. Join Kayla in this week’s free solo episode discovering Sand Cave and the ghost of Floyd Collins. The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and ma...

Sometimes, despite our very best efforts, when death comes knocking we find that the door is already open. Join Kayla and Michelle this week as they discuss the devastating attempt to rescue a fisherman from a death trap in Prince William Sound. And even when things go right, it all seems to go wrong. GET YOUR MERCH: https://5c8ffc-3.myshopify.com

Join Kayla in this Free Solo episode where she discusses the disappearance of not just one, but two 23 year old men. The details leave more questions than answers- even with the likelyhood that the disappearances aren’t connected. Pre-order new merch here: https://5c8ffc-3.myshopify.com/ The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many different ways to bring yourself...

Humans, while often brilliant, are usually the cause of their own miss step that leads to their demise. Hosted by Kayla, Tragedy with a View is an outdoor enthusiast’s podcast for those who love true tales of tragic loss and unbelievable survival involving the wilderness, wildlife and weather. Listening to Tragedy with a View, you will hear stories of death and survival, strength and beauty and an...

A less tragic tale, and one for inspiration. Join me in this episode as we discuss a historic event on the slopes of Mount Rainier. The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many different ways to bring yourself closer to those you love and yourself. But they can also be filled with terror and death, imminent and oppressive. Join me as we dig into these stories that...

*warning: we discuss sex crimes and murder in this episode. In 1979, a gruesome and heinous crime is committed against a woman, who was simply trying to live her life to the fullest. Olympic National Park would host is very first murder inside park bounds, and thankfully, the violent offender would be captured quickly. Of course we want to consider national parks a safe place and think that if any...

*Trigger Warning: Suicide is briefly discussed at the end* Ernest Hemingway. You know the name, but not the man. Here, we cover a brief overview of his life- and more particularly how he survived not one, but two plane crashes. Welcome back to Tragedy with a View The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many different ways to bring yourself closer to those you love...

Life can be hard, but children are resilient.  As a child, you can find fascination in the simplest of objects, find friends in birds flittering by over your head, and companionship with the trees and leaves.  You play eagerly, and learn without intention, letting the elements of the earth breathe life into your skin and soul. The sun dances on your cheeks and the wind rustles your hair.  Helping...

Twisters release has reignited the love that most midwesterners have for severe weather and the need to be the first to see a tornado on its way.  Standing on our front lawns, eyes shielded with a hand to the wind and rain, we often find ourselves either disappointed or relieved that the skies didn’t produce the unpredictable and violent torrent of wind we call Tornados.  Listen now, as Kayla and...

We never know when life will end. The most we can hope for is that when our time comes, that it is peaceful, and maybe even while we are doing something we love.  While, by large accounts, that is not the case, Ewa Wisnierska, almost had it that way. Until she was jolt back to consciousness by the very thing that saved her life.  Welcome back to Tragedy with a View.  I’m glad you’re here!  The out...

When this podcast began I never imagined so many people would listen, and I never would have thought the brother of a victim would reach out to me. Here, in today’s episode, I will read you his words as well as provide you the original audio from episode 2, and I hope they provide you with a bit more context to this story. Enjoy. The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss...

Do the things you love. Don’t let the hard times beat you down. To achieve your amazing and crazy dreams, you have to push past fear and pain and times so dark they feel all encompassing.  But, these become a much larger burden in America’s last frontier.  Listen now as Sam and Kayla discuss a moose attack on a woman and her dog sled team as she was training for the 2022 Iditarod. The outdoors are...

In 1925 an epic relay race occurred and the winner won more than gold. The winner, wasn't the first to arrive to the finish line. Every man started from a different place. And the award on the line was children's lives. This is the real story of Balto and the 1925 Serum Run to Nome, Alaska. The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many different ways to bring yourse...

Every now and then, we are blessed with incredible people to walk beside, to learn from, and to adventure with. And these people easily grasp the importance of how their actions today, can impact the future.  Join Sam and Kayla as they discuss the Legend that is Douglas Tompkins, and how he left behind more than anyone could possible conceive.  The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with...

Mountains are beautiful and terrifying. The ability to swallow a life whole without a trace can be unnerving to some. But, there are others who revel in the risk.  Join me this week as we discuss 4 men who set out with confidence, and then fought to be brought back alive.  The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many different ways to bring yourself closer to those...

No matter how you look at World War 2, it was tragic on levels beyond our own comprehension. Life was severed and lost and many parents went their entire lives without confirmation of when or how their children died. The Crane family experienced the same fate in 1944 when their youngest son went missing.  But no one knew he was the shadow walking through Alaska in the middle of winter.  The outdoo...

The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many different ways to bring yourself closer to those you love and yourself. But they can also be filled with terror and death, imminent and oppressive. Join me as we dig into these stories that inspire you to be just a little bit more careful while you’re in the outdoors. Please rate and subscribe from whatever listening pla...

Once in your life, if you’re lucky, you experience something so profound it changes the course of your life for the rest of your days. This is Hugh Herr’s story.  This episode is blip in time to discuss how he went from a child prodigy in rock climbing, to a front line career in bionic limbs.  Thank you for listening!  The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many d...

As we discussed in part one, some horrendous things occurred at the summit of half dome, and while the men who lived sat in an immense amount of pain, dozens and dozens of people were acting in each of their greatest capacities to save their lives.  Listen now to hear more about this heroic rescue and Amanda’s really incredible point the thought that was likely at the very front of their minds.  T...

You know those moments where you feel so alive and so in love? Your friends are by your side and you can completely let down your guard and be yourself and let the full weight of happiness sink in?  That’s what climbing Half Dome did for Tom and Adrian and the others they’d brought with them.  What they didn’t know was that this moment, this time, would be fleeting. As fast as a strike of lighting...

When you sign up for survival course you expect to walk away at the end with a head full of knowledge, first hand experience and a lifetime of stories you will never forget. So what about when that isn’t the case? What about when you don’t get to walk away with your life? Welcome back to Tragedy with a View. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light...

** THIS EPISODE DOES DISCUSS SUICIDE BRIEFLY. If you are having any thoughts or feelings that lead you down the path of contemplating taking your own life, please contact 988 the suicide and crisis hotline. Help is always available!** In 1968 nine men would set sail all striving to reach the same goal: be the first to sail around the world non-stop, alone, and without assistance.  Tune in to learn...

What do you do when a normal day of work becomes something a little more….. deadly?  Well, that’s exactly what Harrison Okene experienced when the tug boat he was working on sunk to the bottom of the ocean, and his only path to freedom was waiting in the only air bubble in a room.  Welcome back to Tragedy with a View. The outdoors are a beautiful that can be filled with light and bliss and many di...