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.

Jul

Mikey Buys a House

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/99547607″ 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’ve told stories about people quitting jobs, ditching mortgages and selling worldly possessions to go live life on their own terms. The road is ubiquitous with freedom, and sometimes we hear its call later in life. But what if you heard the call at 13 years old? If you had lived your entire adult life on the road? If you’d never signed a lease or even paid rent. Would there come a time to settle down? Meet climber and photographer Mikey Schaefer. Passion can lead to the most incredible places, even to the most American of dreams–Buying a home. This is our version of the picket fence.

Music: We Are Nowhere and It’s Now by Bright Eyes • She’s the One by Caribou • The Waydown by Modest Mouse • Small Answering Machine mix by Cassettes Won’t Listen

Music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley.

Jun

The Shorts — Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/97425353″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”300″ height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]Our baptism in wild places is different for each of us. For some, it’s ingrained so early in life that it hardly registers as a memory. For most, it was probably a little awkward, a bit daunting, yet so compelling that we wanted to do it again. For Wendy Irwin, it began with, “a soft-shell cooler, a MacGyver like trust in the magical properties of duct tape, and a ‘Tent for Sale’ ad in the classifieds.” Though much went wrong on Wendy’s first backpacking trip, the tendrils of nature’s beauty wound themselves into her mind and around her heart. And years later, when she met a teenager hiking the John Muir trail carrying two backpacks, she knew to smile and wish him luck. Because if you love it, you’ll figure it out.

Music: Swimming by Manuel Da Costa • Angeline The Baker/Leather Britches by Bradley Carter • High Country by The Maybe Sometimes

Some music provided by Mevio’s Music Alley.