Oct

The Shorts — By Slim Chance

By Slim Chance

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114888678″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”300″ height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]”It’s the unpredictable elements that throw our lives off course, for better or for worse,” writes Niki Yoblonski. We leave a trailhead with some idea of what we’re seeking, but on true adventures, what we walk away with is never what we expected. When Niki and her boyfriend, Jason, set out to climb Mt. Darwin one Labor Day weekend, they didn’t take home a summit photo, or a bag of shiny coins, but, by a series of slim chances, they took home a treasure perhaps more valuable than anything they could have expected.

Music: Snow Cow Exodus by The Walthall Tango • Shadows by woodrowgerber • City of Lakes by Matt Mays

Music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley.

Sep

The Shorts — Cave Sweet Cave

Cave Sweet Cave

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/112479568″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”300″ height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]Walking into someone’s apartment, house, van, tent or trailer for the first time can feel sort of like flipping open the first page of their journal. The places we choose to call home and the way we assemble them say a lot about who we are and where our priorities lie. But at some point, our environments can start to construct us as well. In the two months between the end of a semester of college and the beginning of a seasonal job, Ethan Newman loaded all of his belongings into his Saturn sedan “like a champion Tetris player,” and drove to Bishop, California. He was thrilled to discover an alternative to pitching a tent every night or getting sand blown in his face while he slept. Until he woke up one morning to realize that the habitat he had constructed had started to change him.

Music: Snow Cow Exodus by The Walthall Tango • Shadows by woodrowgerber • City of Lakes by Matt Mays

Music Provided by Mevio’s Music Alley.

Sep

Rebirth of Belief

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/109173361″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”300″ height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]”We had the discussion around the campfire one night of trying to define ‘what is wilderness’,” John Stoneman remembers. “We determined that if you get hurt or you have a problem and there’s really no way out, you’re in the wilderness.” Despite the fact that 29,000 people raft down the Colorado River every year, the Grand Canyon is still unquestionably that–wilderness. But what happens if you do need to get out? When the one place you need to be is a thousand miles away and you are off the grid? In 2010, John put in at Lees Ferry and embarked upon the trip of a lifetime–but not in the way he imagined. Today, we bring you a story about a race against time and the lengths that perfect strangers will go to help others in need. Buckle up.

Music: O Lee O by O’Death • Secret Dancing Magpies by The King in Yellow • In the Beginning by woodrowgerber • Melody Day (Four Tet Remix) by Caribou • Back Home Weather by Matt Mays • Original Score by Amy Stolzenbach

Some music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley.

Jul

Home Front

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/104317814″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”300″ height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]There’s a story that you may have heard kicked around in the newspapers and nightly news for the last few months. It’s as unsettling as it is tragic. The rate of suicide among active military personnel, reservists, and veterans has increased to nearly 22 suicides a day. 22 every day, even as more resources are being allocated to prevent it–and finding a solution is likely as complicated as understanding why.

Veterans Stacy Bare and Nick Watson know the struggles that service members face as they readjust to civilian life. Addiction. Depression. An overwhelming feeling of being out of place. But over time, both found a place in the outdoors and the surrounding community to recreate what they missed from the military, and to feel like they had really come home. And they didn’t stop there–they became determined to find a way to make that transition easier for other veterans too. Today, we bring you their stories and the story of how these two veteran’s are creating a community for other veterans on the home front.

This episode does contain graphic descriptions of violence and adult language.

Music: LeadMaster by DJ Skyblast • Fall in Line by Aluminum Forest • Ghost Dance by Ken Christianson • Irene by Caribou • Sonny by Moondog Matinee • MK Ultra by The Black Angels • My My by Menomena

Some music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley.

Jul

The Shorts — The Making of a Patriot

The Making of a Patriot

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/101476475″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”300″ height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]”Three months ago, I’m not sure I would have considered myself a patriot,” writes Hilary Oliver. “Mentally, I separated my nation―government, states, and people―from my country: the mountains, deserts, plains and oceans that took my breath away. Maybe I had taken my privileges for granted, but I couldn’t tell you the last time my heart swelled with love or pride for my nation.”

Then she drove into Zion National Park. With it’s soaring sandstone walls, and man’s will imposed upon the landscape to make viewpoints accessible, Hilary found an appreciation for her country and nation.

Music: Twilight Hymn by Night’s Bright Colors • Mountain, Soul, Fire by woodrowgerber • Please Don’t Ask Me to Explain It by by The Walthall Tango • Staring At The Sun by TV On The Radio

Music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley.