The Dirtbag Diaries – Details, episodes & analysis

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 from Kuat Racks  Duer shopduer.com/Diaries to save 20% off your first order Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diaries- thank you! You can join today. Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure This story first aired in 2020.

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 of Terror episode Support comes from Kuat Racks  Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diaries- thank you! You can join today. Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure

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 in the intersectional environmentalist movement, we talked about the influence of the Beatles, loneliness, and finding home.  In the last 15 years, the creative lights of Taylor and Renan have shown as bright as any through art, through photography and film. They hold an incredible duality of bearing witness to the human spirit and on the flip side, they aren’t afraid to look at the difficult parts of human nature and its impact on animals, humans and our planet.  A Symphony of Tiny Lights Trailer John’s book: Human Kindness: True stories of compassion and generosity that changed the world Support comes from Ketone.com/DirtbagDiaries Get 30% off your first subscription Kuat Racks  Want more episodes? Join Dirtbag Diaries+ today 

Michelle Baker and her husband John both fell in love with mountains before they fell in love with each other. As they started a family of their own, they hoped to pass down their passion for outdoor adventure and a respect for the dangers that go with it. While climbing the Grand Teton with their 12 year old son, a lightning storm soon had Michelle questioning whether she’d pushed too far.

Two mountains, one in California and one in Nevada, named after the president of the Confederate States decades ago. How can a name be changed? Producer Fil Corbitt takes us through the wonky and lengthy process involved in renaming a place. A version of this episode first appeared on The Wind Podcast.

“The dread was there, strong and palpable. I just hoped my will was stronger,” writes Luke Hinz. After losing both his father and his brother in the month of May, Luke always had a feeling that something bad would befall him as well. When he set out to ski an ambitious line in Utah’s Wasatch Range on May 2nd, 2019, he had to face that fear in the mountains.

 “I felt as though the Monarch Butterfly contained some special sort of wisdom that I could connect with,” says Benjamin Jordan. Inspired by the Monarch, he set out to do what no one had ever done before: recreate the migration of the Monarch Butterfly--by paraglider. Through this 5-month journey, Benjamin gained a deep respect for this fragile creature and a humble awareness of his own place in nature.

“I did the skiing thing, I did the Navajo thing, and those worlds didn’t cross,” says Len Necefer. After learning how to ski-mountaineer in the winter of 2017, Len set out on an ambitious goal: to connect the Navajo cultural traditions of the mountains he comes from with his new love-- skiing.

Today, Carly Rushford and Paddy O’Connell find their edge on the snowy mountain slopes. In our first double-short episode, we hear how downhill skiing has helped Carly and Paddy shape their place and purpose in the world.

What connects the past, present and future of rock climbing?  In season one of Climbing Gold, the sport’s biggest star Alex Honnold and co-host Fitz Cahall take you on a tour through climbing, from the early days of the lunatic fringe where dirtbag climbers gambled with their lives to chase the edge of human imagination, to today’s new generation of athletes who have risen to the top of their sport without ever having touched the world’s most famous summits. Pushing the boundaries of climbing has always meant challenging the assumptions and status quo of the previous generation.  Athletes. Risk takers. Dirtbags. Pioneers. Community builders. Outsiders. Leaders. Please join us to hear the voices and stories of climbing’s past and future.