Tales of Terror Vol.16
We seek solitude. We find that place a little further out to camp, a couple of extra miles down trail. Sometimes curiosity pulls us farther off the beaten path. Maybe the late afternoon feels just a little more perfect in an isolated basin. But what happens when the darkness closes in, leaving us with only a bubble of tepid light from a headlamp?
Welcome to our annual Tales of Terror.
Stories from Lydia Syme, Brian Glenn, Ray Fitch, Meghan Bartz and Lachlan Mackenzie.
Music: Haunted Playground by Kevin Hendrickson • Somnolence by Kai Engel • Alabama Hills by MCV • Delirium by Kai Engel • Reaper Rewards by Glenspired • Halloween Dance Macabre by David Beard
Tracks provided with permission from the artists or from Track Club
Good Good Bad: Kilian Jornet
Some people look at ranges and imagine lines. Kílian Jornet looks at continents. Last week, Kílian completed a truly incredible adventure that was hiding in plain sight. Over the course of 31 days, the renowned mountain athlete climbed 72 fourteeners in the lower, 48 connecting them all by bike. Before he left Washington, we had a chance to sit down and talk about how he approaches projects like States of Elevation.
Want to write a Short for the Diaries? We’re accepting submissions through Nov 16, 2025. More info
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Delivered by Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided with permission from the artists.
The Shorts– Family Ties
The bonds we forge during mountain adventures and shared experiences, especially with family, can profoundly shape us. Explorer and author Mark Jenkins reflects on learning to rock climb in Vedauwoo from his swim Coach, and how those lessons permeated his life and eventually into teaching his own daughters how to climb.
Oak Jones’s childhood was defined by keeping pace with his two older brothers. Though their paths have diverged, Oak organized a raft trip, because, he writes, “Relationships, like plants, need fresh water to grow.” Would their flimsy paddles be enough to navigate the Arkansas river?
Music: Padelm • Evan Andee • Garland • Llamo • Joanna Katcher • Sun Shapes. • Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided with permission from the artists or from Track Club
Magic River
The Mississippi River. The Big Muddy. The Great River. When musician JW Francis left the river’s source in northern Minnesota and started heading for the sea, he’d had about two hours in canoeing to his name and little idea of what to expect. What he learned and the people he met left a mark on his creativity and perspective.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Don’t Fall Apart by JW Francis • Hundred Acre Wood by JW Francis • Feel It by JW Francis • WanderKid by JW Francis
Tracks provided with permission from the artists
Good Good Bad: White Mountain Direttissima
Five days, 231.82 miles, 85,967 vertical feet, nearly 94 hours of moving time – this is the White Mountain Direttissima as experienced by ultra-athlete Andrew Drummond. A rugged DIY run that connects all 48 of the White Mountains’ 4,000ft peaks in New Hampshire, the Direttissima has developed a lore of its own. Andrew shares his multi-year journey through the spectrum of microclimates, peaks, valleys, and stages of exhaustion.
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • Delivered by Brendan O’Connell
Tracks provided with permission from the artists or from Track Club
