The Dirtbag Diaries

More people reach the top of Mount Everest than hike the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail. It asks a lot of the human body. When writer Alissa Bohling and her longtime boyfriend Paul set out of the trail, they thought a trip of that significance would leave a mark on their relationship.  They didn't foresee that it would leave Paul hobbling and struggling to get healthy years after they reached the Canadian border. In today's Short, Alissa puts pen to paper and imagines a pain-free life for Paul.  If we write it down does it become true? I hope so.

 

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Ski filmmaker Nick Waggoner knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to be a skier of the diehard variety. There were two obvious hurdles.  First, he lived in New York City. Second, he was 11 years old. He found a way to make it work and before he was legally behind the wheel of a car, he was squeezing adventure out of skiing. In the last decade, his passion for skiing evolved into a passion for making films about skiing, but his approach has remained the same. Today, we bring you another Year of Big Ideas -- a time to turn daydreams into concrete goals. Professional athletes, weekend warriors, and full time dreamers present their goals for 2010.

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Here are the cuts from The Year Of Big Ideas 2010....Thanks Ioda Promonet and Sub Pop. If you go to Sub Pop's artist's page there is a bunch tracks for free download.

Artist: Wolf Parade  Track: Shine a Light

Artist: Vetiver  Tracks: Everyday, More of This

Efterklang, The Danish National Chamber Orchestra
"Illuminant" (mp3)
from "Performing Parades"
(Rumraket)

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Mason Lindahl
"Serrated Man Sound" (mp3)
from "Serrated Man Sound"
(Porter Records)

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For the last year and change, when I haven't been finding stories for the Diaries I've been working on a new project -- one that I've kept pretty quiet about. Yesterday, The Season kicked off. It's a 22-episode web television series shot in HD. It begins in earnest the last week of January. The idea, or maybe the question, behind the series is this:  Could we take compelling stories from our community, combine it with tightly crafted footage and create small installments that reveal a bigger story?  I teamed up with Bryan Smith, who you may remember from the New Conservationists, and we set off with this goal in mind. We followed five athletes -- men and women a lot like you -- through the course of a single season in the Northwest. These athletes aren't setting out on their seasons goals because there is monetary reward or they expect to get famous. They chased these goals because they are deeply passionate about their pursuits.  I'm thrilled to introduce them to you.  

The Season won't replace the Diaries; we've got great season of episodes planned for you.  The Season is merely a sister to what you have helped me create here. In April, the Season will run its course. The Diaries will continue. In the meantime, I hope you like what you see and that you continue to support independent media by subscribing, telling your friends about The Season (if you like it) and spreading the words. You are and have been my greatest allies in trying to bring stories back to outdoor media. I hope you enjoy.

Whether you swing a hammer or hammer on the keyboard, we all find ways to stay sane during the workweek. Maybe it’s a particularly good post-work bouldering session or an hour of yoga, which has been the case for me lately. When Scott Harvey’s poem “40 Miles of Inspiration” showed up in my Inbox, it was a like a breath of fresh air.  It’s hard not to smile at this refreshing cure for the mid-week blues.  Farm dogs. Wayward bats.  Coyotes. All in a day’s commute. 

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here are the cuts from 40 miles...

By Divine Right
"Que Paso?" (mp3)
from "Mutant Message"
(Hand Drawn Dracula)

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Mo Rooneh
"April" (mp3)
from "Cinematographic"
(Monochrome)

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Track A Tiger
"Don't Let The Nightlight Dance" (mp3)
from "I Felt The Bullet Hit My Heart"
(Deep Elm)

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As outdoor types, we love rating systems. We'll rate anything. Rapids. Climbs. Ski runs.  Now, we've gone and tried to rate the unrateable -- fun.  Fun divided by three -- it's this concept that has been floating around campfires for years.  It dictates that there are three types of fun. There is type one fun and type two fun, but today, we are going to explore type three fun. This is the epic. The suffer fest. This is collarbone breaking,  giardia-getting, soaked-to-the-bone, carnage. If it sounds horrible, that's because it probably is.  What does type three fun entail? Why do some people seem particularly drawn to these types of adventures and what could possibly motivate us to embrace type three fun?  Today, we bring you answers.  

here are the cuts from today's show...enjoy.

Andrew Jackson Jihad
"Heartilation" (mp3)
from "Can't Maintain"
(Asian Man Records)

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These United States
"I Want You To Keep Everything" (mp3)
from "Everything Touches Everything"
(United Interests)

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General Elektriks
"Raid the Radio" (mp3)
from "Good City For Dreamers"
(Quannum Projects)

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This Morning Call
"Whistle" (mp3)
from "Tides"
(Substream)

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Egadz!
"Going Home" (mp3)
from "Egadz is Dead"
(Kid Without Radio)

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Climber and Diaries contributor Kelly Cordes is what you would call an early adopter. Kelly may live in a shack at 8,000 feet, but the guy is no cretin. He’s had an email account for four years now. He knows how to program a VCR. He’s even considered buying one of those new-fangled Blueberry phones.  What can I say? Kelly is a mover and a shaker.  The guy’s approach to new technology is as cutting edge as his alpine endeavors, but even seasoned pros have the occasional misstep. Two and a half years, Kelly signed up for a Facebook account, promptly forgot the password and found out that negotiating social media can be every bit as difficult as picking a path through gaping crevasses, rotten ice and snow-covered rock. It’s certainly just as time consuming.

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Here are the cuts from our Facebook episode...

The Mother Hips
"One Way Out" (mp3)
from "Pacific Dust"
(Camera Records)

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CYNE
"Pretty Apollo" (mp3)
from "Water For Mars"
(Hometapes)

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Sugar & Gold
"Slice Me Nice" (mp3)
from "¡AYA! Remix EP"
(Antenna Farm Records)

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Track A Tiger
"Light" (mp3)
from "We Moved Like Ghosts"
(Deep Elm)

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Our sports, our passions provide a special opportunity to visit the natural world's wildest places.  This tradition began with climber, writer and godfather of conservation John Muir. He was a dirtbag before he was an icon.  Now, there are members of our community -- boaters, skiers and photographers -- who are following in Muir's footsteps. They don't necessarily come from traditional activist roots, but have chosen to take stand for little places and big ideas. Today, we present three stories.  A city girl sheds caution to start a farm. A kayaker becomes a journalist. An adventure photographer forgoes a career traveling the globe to run for office back at home.   I am John Muir. You are John Muir.  We all have a Yosemite.

Here are the cuts from the New Conservationists. I think I accidentally called St. George...St. Gross in a section of the episode.  Total mistake. Freudian slip.

 

The Most Serene Republic
"Heavens To Purgatory" (mp3)
from "...And The Ever Expanding Universe"
(Arts & Crafts)

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Herman Dune
"Don't Lie About Me" (mp3)
from "Don't Lie About Me!"
(Everloving)

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Balmorhea
"The Winter" (mp3)
from "Rivers Arms"
(Western Vinyl)

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Egadz!
"Have Some Guts Kid" (mp3)
from "Egadz is Dead"
(Kid Without Radio)

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Do Make Say Think
"Do" (mp3)
from "Other Truths"
(Constellation)

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Can you insure adventure?  Last summer, climber and writer Majka Burhardt embarked on an adventure two years in the making. In the last moments before leaving, Burhardt decided to purchase travel insurance. Her trip to Namibia was an insurance underwriter’s nightmare. It turns out that climbing is blacklisted. On top of that, while abroad Burhardt couldn’t partake in sleigh rides, play American Football or Zorb. She didn’t even know what Zorbing was, but suddenly she wanted to try it. After all the work to make her trip happen, she wanted more than insurance. Burhardt wanted assurance that her adventure would be a success.  The thing is – you can’t plan adventure.  

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Music from Underwriting Adventure....

Tinariwen
"Imidiwan Afrik Temdam" (mp3)
from "Imidiwan: Companions"
(World Village)

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Mantis
"What? (feat. Justis)" (mp3)
from "Still Life"
(Brick Records)

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Selva de Mar
"Reggae Ehad" (mp3)
from "Selva de Mar"
(Whatabout Music)

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It was a tough summer in the climbing community. We lost heroes, friends, mentors, legends, sons and parents. We celebrate their lives with stories and memorials, but after the glasses are raised and the happy times recounted, those closest to the deceased are left in the vacuum their lives once inhabited.  The living confront hard questions and dark emotions. This year, 22-year-old Evan Piche’s world turned upside down. He discovered, that even in the worst moments there are seeds of growth.

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