The Diagnosis
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 Rogue River. Under the guidance of legendary kayaker and cancer survivor Willie Kerns, Matt’s week on the river left him with a lasting understanding of the difference between reacting and responding to the difficult stretches.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Beneath The Surface by Sigurd Jøhnk-Jensen • A Good Year by Jono Hill • Lariat Lane by Keen Collective • Chronos by Markus Huber • Delivered by Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided with permission from the artists or from Track Club
Growing Home
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 of person to see opportunity where others miss it and Corey went to work building a new future for himself and his community.
Check out the Grasstops Collective.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • The Switchblade by Drexler • Molalla by David Swensen • Father Father by Omgimjoe • Nighttime Cowboy by BBOOYYSS • Cactus Practice by BBOOYYSS • Hollyhock by Graham Barton • El Jefe by Topo Azul • Hazy Drake by Drexler • Hawthorne Bowl by Greg Jong • The Clincher by Graham Barton • Koog by Aero Ross • Delivered by Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided with permission from the artists or from Track Club.
Good, Good, Bad: Baja Cape Loop
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.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Bowing Heart Strings by Strings In The Kitchen
Tracks provided by Track Club or with permission from the artists.
Local: Alastair Humphreys
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.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Joyride by Boyé • Delivered by Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided by Track Club or with permission from the artists.
The Shorts– In Focus
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. 9 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 my skin, I’ve broken bones,” writes N.S. as she explores the complexities of sharing her joys with her mother and their relationship.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Dimensions Distilled by Frozen Mesa • Nostalgia by Joya • Colony Spring by Sigta • Pendulum by Sun Shapes • Delivered by Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided by Track Club or with permission from the artists.
