The Dirtbag Diaries

A campfire conversation with the Dirtbag Diaries staff about their favorite pieces of gear - from surfboards to secret potions - and whether a brand new pair of socks is better than a beloved, threadbare set.

“I didn’t need the phrase ‘send it’ explained to me the first time I heard it. I knew what it meant.” In their early 20’s, Forrest Wood sent everything they did. Skateboarding tricks. Dishes. Group projects. But after a series of gnarly injuries, Forrest had to spend years building back their confidence– both athletically and emotionally. And the phrase “send it” came to mean something very different to Forrest than it did before.

In 2016, Danika Gilbert, started teaching leadership and climbing skills to girls in Afghanistan. Beyond the technical skills, Danika hoped the experiences would translate to strength and confidence in their complicated lives. She met Shogufa Bayat, who joined the climbing team when she was 16. Shogufa fell in love with mountains and climbing right away. Following the chaos surrounding the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, Shogufa fled the country, wondering whether her dream of becoming a mountain guide would be on hold indefinitely.

25-year-old raft guides Tony Martin and Martin Lenz meet their clients for the week: 24 retired corporate oil and gas execs, who want their fancy river trip to go– Just. As. Planned. Ever had that adventure where nothing seems to go right? Well, this fabled trip on the Main Salmon would go down in history as one of the most epic, beyond-believable backcountry debacles.

For Sierra Meggitt, trail running was a way to heal from the trauma of sexual assault. On her biggest run yet, she embraces both pain and beauty.

Colorado is a mountain biking mecca. Yet some mountain-town locals have never experienced the wonders of singletrack trails. Today, we travel to Dillon, Colorado where one cycling nonprofit helps a gregarious group of bilingual chicas oil their chains, clip their helmets, and become the first females in their families to shred some trails.

“I definitely did not want to become a businessman,” remembers Rod Johnson, founder of Midwest Mountaineering. In the 1960’s, no Minneapolis outdoor shop sold climbing gear. So, Rod set up an impromptu gear shop in his apartment kitchen. Now, after 51 years of business, Midwest Mountaineering has become the community hub for people who live in the flatlands, but chase their dreams in the mountains.

The Colorado River is supposed to be chocolatey brown, not a vibrant blue-green like it is just below the Glen Canyon Dam. Chris Kalman had written off spending any time in those unnatural, human-affected waters– until a friend towed him along for a paddle.

Quinn Brett has been an endurance athlete for most of her adult life. From first ascents in Patagonia and Greenland to running across Zion and the Grand Canyon, her life revolved around putting one foot in front of the other. Then, after a life-changing accident in 2017, Quinn needed to find a new way to move through big landscapes.

Inspired by a pitch from a listener, we rounded up the Dirtbag Diaries team to chat about the most ridiculous places we’ve ever slept.  Want to share an amusing story about where you’ve slept? Tag us on Instagram or send us a short audio file or note. 

With dirt under her fingernails and sun on her cheeks, Emily Benington’s thru-hike of the PCT eased the mental health struggles she’d had in London. But when she returned to the city, her anxiety and depression came back worse than before. Instead of running back to the mountains, Emily found a new path to happiness. 

Drive it until it dies. That’s the motto Fitz lived by as he crisscrossed the West in his truck, Crash. Family members would doubtfully ask, “Are you sure you want to drive there?” Friends asked about Crash’s well being as though he was an aging dog. Fitz said, “Though I knew the day was coming, I was still blindsided when the gears ground to a halt on my way to Yosemite. Could my belief in Crash transcend beyond the hulk of metal?” This episode first aired in 2012.

Steven Walker has spent a lifetime canoeing and kayaking wild rivers throughout Canada. His idea of adventure consisted of a healthy dose of fear and first descents. In 2020, he had the opportunity to guide on Manitoba’s remote Bloodvein River. Steven usually thrives in remote conditions, but he quickly realized that guiding Rick Riewe, who had lost much of his mobility and speech to Parkinson’s disease, would present unique challenges and rewards.

Patrick Davison grew up on a bike, exploring his neighborhood with family and friends. But as he grew older, he began to forget the simple joy of seeing the world on two wheels. Years later, he rediscovers a lost love and finds a new love on the trails.

Nineteen year old Kiko Lopez had never set foot on a boat when he accepted an invitation to sail from Maine to the Bahamas with three friends. Choosing to leave the world of virtual classrooms behind, Kiko spent the next six months learning to tack and jibe, hoist sails, and de-escalate drama. For Kiko, this sailing adventure deepened his understanding of himself and his purpose.

When Gary Lacy heard his boss’s daughter was joining their company ski trip, he tried to bail. “She’s probably 13, and from Boulder so she'll be a wacko,” Gary remembers thinking. Leslie turned out to be a 20-year-old who skied circles around Gary as he tumbled head-over-heels– both down the run, and for Leslie. But because of a company policy, Gary had to decide whether he’d go out of bounds. 

When first-grade teacher Madeigh Winsor-McCarron’s life changed in 2020, she had a hard time coaxing herself to get out the door. Zoom classes, fear about the future, and isolation threatened her mental health. But fortunately, her best adventure buddy always tugged her back into the mountains, away from anxiety, and into the present moment.

Kyle McCrohan loves outdoor sports, and for years he chased the goals that many of us share – bigger, stronger, faster. But when he set out to make an ambitious winter ascent of an ice route on Sloan Peak, things didn’t go as planned. Since that day, Kyle has dedicated himself to finding different ways to grow in adventure that don’t involve taking bigger and bigger risks. He creates novel traverses through the Cascade Mountains that feel as artistic as they do athletic.

After Jon-Erick Anés moved from Puerto Rico to Florida, he struggled to find direction in his life. He kept repeating unhealthy patterns and feeling stuck in his relationships. When his older brother asked him to climb Half Dome together, Jon-Erick didn’t bat an eye. In our annual celebration of New Years’ goals, we bring you a story about the power of saying yes, followed by our community goals for 2022. Happy New Year!

While most people curled up on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa, Emily Ford set out in the frigid winter to thru-hike Wisconsin’s 1200 mile Ice Age Trail. Over the course of their two and a half month winter vacation, Emily and her borrowed sled dog, Diggins, tested their endurance and found solitude, friendship, and beauty to last a lifetime.