The Shorts–The Van Life
Jeanie Adamson, a 50-something mom, decided to switch things up last year for spring break. When she told her son, Luke, she wanted to ski every mountain between Dallas and Lake Tahoe, he offered up his newly-renovated 1990 Dodge Ram van, Sherrod, for the job. The two of them threw in their skis, buckled up, and embarked on what would become a memorable mother-son trip.
Music: It Comes Back by Bradley Carter • Graze by Evan Schaeffer • 41 South by John Berry • The Biddy Bong Song by Publish The Quest
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive and with permission from the artists.
Living For The Lost
There is no clear way to cope with death and grief. Moving forward is often heartbreaking, baffling, and uncertain. So, how do we best honor those we’ve lost? When he was 12-years-old, Navy Seal and backcountry snowboarder Josh Jespersen tragically lost his father. Confused and angry, Josh drifted in school and got into legal trouble. He joined the Navy Seals, where death was a constant. Josh would drink to celebrate the life of his fallen friends, but this led to more legal trouble, more confusion, more anger. Ultimately, Josh realized that the best way to honor the dead was to embark on an outdoor adventure that would amplify their memory. He realized he had to live for those he had lost.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain and Nis Kotto • Original Score by Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided with permission from the artists.
Walk To Connect
After a childhood of moving from one suburban neighborhood to the next, Jonathon Stalls felt starved for connection–to anything or anyone. In a quest to find community, he set out with nothing but his own two feet to carry him from Delaware to California. The awkward, exhilarating, and at times terrifying challenges he faced over the next 8 months helped him tear down the walls around his long-standing isolation.
You can learn more about two projects that Jonathon has started, Walk2Connect, which hosts 50-70 walks across the country each week, and Intrinsic Paths.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Caterpillar by Little Glass Men • American Dream by Jason Tyler Burton • Big North by John Berry • All Together by Cleod9 • Gotta Keep Movin! by Publish the Quest • Harbor by Kai Engel • Anxiety by Kai Engel • Happy Little Dance by Ken Christianson • Moved By You by Cordelia Zars
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive or with permission from the artists.
Novel Inspiration
After falling in love with John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Charlie and Leon set out to recreate the 1,615-mile journey described in the novel – but on bikes. In July. With camera gear and a few buddies in tow, they followed historic Route 66 from Oklahoma to Southern California. And along the way, they found a place that really brought Steinbeck’s book home.
Watch the Bikes of Wrath trailer.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • October Morning by Bradley Carter • Snippet #3 by Jacob Bain • Walk By Night by Ketsa • What’s Inside by Publish the Quest
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive or with permission from the artists.
The Year of Big Ideas 2019
“For better or for worse, ideas are infectious. They become our goals, and the struggle to realize them becomes memory, the story of our lives,” says Fitz Cahall.
When Brian O’Dell decided it was time to stop driving his Honda Civic, he didn’t list in on Craigslist. Instead, he posted in to outdoor forums in the PNW. The cost? Free, but there was one catch. This year, we hear how Brian’s idea for engaging with his community changed another person’s life, and what goals contributors, staff, and community at the Dirtbag Diaries have for 2019. Our ideas are what make us keep growing as individuals–and as a community.
Happy New Year!
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • The Approach by Chumples (Bradley Carter) • Little Lily Swing by Tri-Tachyon • Underdog by Bradley Carter • Desert Castles by Bradley Carter • High Country Waltz by Bradley Carter • Primary Colors by Ken Christianson
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive and with permission from the artists.
