Episode 18: Rekindling Childhood on the CDT

How learning to survive in the wilderness can make you younger

Meg Roussos, Chilton Tippin and Corey White celebrate reaching Hope Pass near Twin Lakes, Colorado.

A Continental Divide Trail Hiker pushes through a snowfield in the South San Juan Wilderness.

Chilton Tippin stands above a snowfield near Monarch Pass, Colorado.

Corey White and Meg Roussos descend a mountain flank above Colorado's Sanford Basin.

Corey White and Chilton Tippin pause for a break in the San Juan Mountains.

In the Spring of 2015, writer Chilton Tippin quit his job and set off on the Continental Divide Trail, a 3,000-mile hiking route that runs from Mexico to Canada along the Rocky Mountains.

In the five months he spent on the trail, Chilton made friends with fellow hikers, pushed himself to exhaustion, delighted in the natural splendor of the American West and got a taste for what it's like to live life as a vagabond.

In some ways, he learned lessons you'd expect someone to learn on a trip like this, like how to rely on himself in the wilderness. But the trail did something else to him too -- something quite unexpected. On this episode, he shares his story.

Photos courtesy Chilton Tippin.

Episode 17: High on Failure

A fog settles in over the Infinitus race course as Jordan runs.

Photo by Victoria Petryshyn

Jordan Wirfs-Brock

Photo by Mark McCaslin

Infinitus is put on by the Endurance Society, whose crest symbolizes that the greatest enemy an endurance athlete faces is herself.

Photo by Mark McCaslin

At the rustic Blueberry Hill ski center, Infinitus 888k runners slept on cots in a second-floor loft.

Photo by Victoria Petryshyn

Jordan eats ice cream while elevating her legs to curb the swelling in her feet.

Photo by Victoria Petryshyn

Runners in the 888k race tracked their progress on this chart.

Photo by Mark McCaslin

Jordan passes a clown dangling from a tree at the top of Mt. Romance.

Photo by Victoria Petryshyn

Trail signs for Infinitus near Goshen, VT.

Photo by Victoria Petryshyn

As the race went on, mysterious objects, always in a set of eight, appeared in the woods.

Photo by Mark McCaslin

Over the course of the 10-day race, "decorations" appeared in the woods, like these eight pairs of tighty whities.

Photo by Victoria Petryshyn

Runner Linda Bahnson and race director Andy Weinberg run from the cannon that was used to start the 88k race.

Photo by Mark McCaslin

Jordan treats blisters for 88k runner Rebecca Schubert.

Photo by Mark McCaslin

Jordan and her mom, Rebecca, celebrate at the end of the 888k race.

Photo by Mark McCaslin

How falling short of your goals can change your life for the better

“For me, running has always been this way to turn the impossible into the possible. ... When you succeed, something that used to be scary, unattainable, downright bananas, becomes real. Even becomes normal. So when my friend Greg suggested a 500+ mile mountain trail race, I knew I was in.”

— Jordan Wirfs-Brock

Last spring, Jordan Wirfs-Brock attempted one of the toughest trail running races in existence: a 550-miler called Infinitus, which took place in the rugged mountains of Vermont. 

Jordan wasn't new to ultra running, but this race was more extreme than anything she'd done before. And it broke her: she failed to finish.

Curiously, though, the failure didn't leave her feeling defeated. In fact, it turned out to be one of the best things that's ever happened to her. On today's episode, she shares her story.

Episode 16: The Wilds of Urbia

Becoming alive to beauty in the city's great outdoors

Photo by Elena Rossini

“My sometimes-tendency to overlook my physical environment is not only about preferring the world of ideas. It’s also about something more banal: a lack of patience, a tendency to rush. ”

— Jessica Gross

When we talk about the outdoors, we often think of mountains, rivers, or seashores -- places that are wild and untouched. But even in cities, there's a world outside our walls.

On this episode, New York-based writer Jessica Gross recounts how a simple experiment changed the way she sees the urban outdoors.

Episode 15: From the Mouths of Babes

"Grangers versus Grasshoppers, or the irrepressible conflict," carte-de-visite, c.1880. (image courtesy the minnesota historical society)

What makes a creature a pest, and what makes it right to kill one?

On this episode, writer-philosopher-entomologist Jeff Lockwood shares an essay that was inspired by his work as a grasshopper killer. The story takes us out into the grasslands, and grapples with a child's question about just when it is moral to kill other animals.

Episode 14: Love Is Not A Finish Line

photo by laura isensee

Taking a relationship to the next level, one pedal stroke at a time

You're finally in a relationship. You go out for dinners with your partner, meet for drinks, maybe take in some shows together. But how do you move from casual dating, to something more meaningful? 

On this episode, Houston-based reporter Laura Isensee recounts her attempt to become closer with her boyfriend by undertaking a major athletic endeavor: a 180-mile bike ride from Houston to Austin. 

“I thought if I could share Scott’s favorite hobby, then he would appreciate me, and our relationship, more.”

— Laura Isensee

Episode 13: When a Thru-Hike Falls Through

Photo by Erin Jones

Photo by Erin Jones

Photo by Erin Jones

Photo by Erin Jones

Failing the journey of a lifetime, the quest to 'know yourself'

“I craved certainty, and I felt that I wouldn’t get it in my current frenzied routine. I wanted to know myself again. I wanted to find out what I wanted. And so, I decided to hike.”

— Erin Jones

Last summer, writer Erin Jones set out to hike the Colorado Trial, a 500-mile footpath through the Rocky Mountains. (In case you're wondering, it's the same trail that Out There host Willow Belden hiked in 2014, described in Episode 9). 

Erin was pursuing her master's degree, and as is so often the case for grad students, her future seemed uncertain. She felt powerless, oppressed by adulthood. And so, she decided to hike. The journey, she hoped, would help her figure out what she wanted, allow her soul to unfurl. 

But it didn't work out that way. On this episode, Erin shares the story of her hike -- the story of what happens when you strive for something big, and fail.

Episode 12: Dreading Nature

Living with, and striving to cure, a deathly fear of plants

tiara lin in chitwan national park, nepal (photo courtesy tiara lin)

“Whenever I saw a plant, I would feel like I could not breathe. ... I felt like I was going to die.”

— Tiara Lin

Tranquility; meditation; serenity. These are words that many of us might use to describe what we feel when we’re in the woods. But for Tiara Lin, a different word comes to mind: terror. Since she was a teen, Tiara has had botanophobia—a crippling fear of plants. Most people laugh in disbelief when she first tells them that such a phobia exists. But the laughter stops when they see her dissolve into panic near a tree, or when they hear that she has broken up with boyfriends for sending her flowers.

On this episode, reporter Chelsea Davis brings us Tiara’s story. It’s a story about a fear so powerful that it disrupts how you function in society. And it’s a story about the struggle to overcome that fear – to experience nature the way others do. 

Episode 11: Failure in Success

How doing something you love can make you miserable

This summer, I signed up for a 70-mile mountain bike race called the Laramie Enduro.

I've always liked big athletic challenges, like triathlons and half marathons. But this race was different. This time, pushing my limits turned out to be a big mistake.

On today's episode, I share the story of that mistake. It's a story about trying to prove yourself, about testing what you're capable of. And ultimately, it's about learning when to say no.

willow belden rolls into the fourth 'aid station' at the laramie enduro. (photo by leigh paterson)

Episode 10: Life Beneath the Ice

How an ecosystem survives underneath the Antarctic ice sheet

“Understanding what’s happening in these lakes allows us to kind of put together another piece of what’s affecting the oceans, and what that might mean ... as climate is changing in Antarctica.”

— Trista Vick-Majors

On Episode 5, a scientist named Trista Vick-Majors shared a first-person account of her team's quest to find out if there's life in lakes that are buried deep beneath the ice in Antarctica. After the story aired, several listeners asked to know more about the discoveries that Trista and her colleagues had made. So we invited her back on the show.

In this episode, Trista explains how tiny organisms cling to life in one of the least hospitable places on the planet.

Cells from Subglacial Lake Whillans, fluorescing under the microscope. Photo by Trista Vick-Majors

Episode 9: Solace in Solitude

How a 500-mile hike put my life back on track

Last year, I quit my job, packed everything I needed into a backpack, and started walking. The plan was to thru-hike the Colorado Trail, a long-distance footpath through the Rocky Mountains.

I was a total novice at backpacking, but I craved an escape from the daily grind of work and life. And so, I decided to escape from society for a summer and head to the wilderness.

In this episode, poet Amy Strieter interviews me about the hike, and how it changed both my career path, and my mental health. 

Campsite near Cataract Lake. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

Morning coffee. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

Wildflowers on the Ten Mile Range, just outside Breckenridge. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

A joyful moment above treeline. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

My trusty Osprey pack. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

After a 105-mile stretch between resupply points, a mostly empty jar of peanut butter was all that was left. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

Upon arriving in towns, ice cream was always a priority. PHOTO COURTESY WILLOW BELDEN

Monsoon. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

The headwaters of Elk Creek. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

Crossing the Animas River, near Silverton. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

Storm clouds brewing over Black Hawk Pass. PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

To learn more about my Colorado Trail hike, you can visit my blog, or read this story I wrote for Quartz. 

Episode 8: Better Than Fun

Why vacationing alone is the opposite of pathetic

This spring, I found myself in a lonely situation: I craved a vacation (and actually had time for one), but I had no one to go with.

This is the story of what transpired -- how I turned a social failure into an emotional victory.

PHOTO BY WILLOW BELDEN

Episode 7: One More Run

How much should you sacrifice for the sport you love?

What happens when something you love keeps hurting you? Many of the activities that draw us to the outdoors are inherently risky, and millions of sports injuries are documented in the U.S. each year.

On this episode, Denver-based reporter Dan Boyce shares a personal story about pushing onward, injury after injury. And we talk with a sports psychologist about the challenges --- and merits -- of giving up a sport that has come to define you.

Dan Boyce at Steamboat, Colorado. (Photo courtesy Dan Boyce)

This 2010 skiing trip was one of many that resulted in injury. (Photo courtesy Dan Boyce)

Post-surgery fishing trip on crutches. (Photo courtesy Dan Boyce)

“If you have multiple injuries, over time they start to feel less like battle scars and more like limitations.”

— Dan Boyce

Episode 6: A New Conservation

Why humans might have to alter nature, in order to save it

What should conservation look like, in a world where people have affected every inch of the planet?

“The places that we think of as wilderness are highly managed, and the places that we think of as trash are really wild.”

— Emma Marris

Environmental writer Emma Marris, author of Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World, joins us to discuss a new approach to caring for the earth.

She argues that we shouldn't just focus on preserving "pristine" environments -- shouldn't try to freeze every landscape in time. Instead, she says, we need to expand our definition of wildness, and celebrate change.

Copyright Harley Soltes

Episode 5: Life In The Antarctic

A scientist recounts the harrowing quest for life beneath the ice

Trista Vick-Majors carries samples from the ice cave freezer at Subglacial Lake Whillans to the lab. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

The traverse of equipment makes its way across the ice. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

Shrine to Subglacial Lake Whillans, at McMurdo Station. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Students attempt to hitch a ride to Subglacial Lake Whillans, as the wait at McMurdo drags on. Hitchhiking in Antarctica is not very effective. PHOTO BY SUSAN KELLY

A Twin Otter prepares to drop off team members as Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Peyton Adkins drives a Pisten Bully, one of the team's modes of transport from McMurdo to the drill test site. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The camp at Subglacial Lake Whillans, with yellow tents for sleeping and red shipping containers for the drill and labs. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

Sleeping tents at Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Inside the rack tent, where the team ate and relaxed. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

A crane lifts a large instrument to prepare it for its trip down the borehole. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

John Priscu of Montana State University and Brent Christner of Louisiana State University deploy the sampling bottle down the borehole. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Trista Vick-Majors and Amanda Achberger wait for samples to arrive. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The microbiology/chemistry lab at Subglacial Lake Whillans, set up to receive a water sample, with a black cradle to hold the sample bottle. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The first view of the bottom of Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Montana State University professor John Priscu carries the first sample from the drill platform to the lab. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Water from Subglacial Lake Whillans, ready to be filtered.

Scientists retrieve sediment samples from Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The microbiology team in the "ice cave freezer," a pit dug into the snow and ice in which samples were kept. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

Microbes from Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Antarctica is dotted with a series of lakes buried deep beneath the ice. Several years ago, scientists set out to discover whether those subglacial lakes contain life. Team member Trista Vick-Majors joins us to offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse at what it’s like to work in one of the most extreme places on the planet – a place so remote and unforgiving that failure seems imminent every step of the way. 

To find out more about the discoveries Trista's team made at Subglacial Lake Whillans, check out the paper they published in the journal Nature.

Episode 4: Racing Marathons in a Wheelchair

How a woman with a disability became a world-class athlete

Photo courtesy Cheri Blauwet

Photo courtesy Cheri Blauwet

Photo courtesy Cheri Blauwet

Photo courtesy Cheri Blauwet

Photo courtesy Cheri Blauwet

Cheri Blauwet has been a wheelchair user since earliest childhood. But that hasn't kept her away from outdoor sports. She's won some of the country’s most competitive marathons and come home with several medals, including a gold, in the Paralympics. In this episode, we discuss what it was like becoming a world class racer, when you have a disability like hers – a disability that would stop many of us from pursuing any kind of significant outdoor activities.

Cheri Blauwet was featured in one of the 2008 Olympic/Paralympic Go World Campaign spots. Video courtesy Cheri Blauwet.

Episode 3: Pedaling and Paddling

What happens when the person you love doesn't love what you do?

This is a story about love. Love between two people who bonded over their passion for the outdoors, but who eventually realized that the thing they had in common was also one of their biggest differences. Their story will take us to the mountains of Wyoming, and the rivers of Arizona. And it’ll show us how hard it can be to share the thing you love most, with the person you love most.

photo courtesy dewey gallegos

photo courtesy jessica flock

Photo courtesy dewey Gallegos

Episode 2: Over The Hill

How one woman became an Olympic athlete at 'retirement age'

Biathlete Sarah Konrad skies in Kontiolahti, Finland. (photo courtesy sarah konrad)

Sarah Konrad is an Olympian who's competed in both cross-country skiing and biathlon, a sport that combines skiing and rifle shooting. Unlike most Olympic-level athletes, she did not grow up doing these sports. In fact, she didn’t start competing seriously until the age that many athletes are already retiring.

Episode 1: Living With The Deer

Wyoming naturalist joins game herd, 'becomes' a mule deer

Joe Hutto has spent the past eight years living with a herd of deer. He's a wildlife researcher, and he felt that the best way to understand the animals he was studying, was to essentially become one of them. This is the story of how he did that. It’s a story of love, of curiosity, and ultimately of sadness. And it’s a story about what happens when the line between fact and feeling becomes blurred. 

Joe Hutto stands with members of his herd of mule deer near Lander, Wyoming. (photo courtesy joe hutto)

Preview of Out There

Out There will launch officially later this week. Until then, here's a taste of what's to come on Episode 1. Stay tuned!