PODCAST! This episode is exciting because it is the first in the Trail Talk Nuggets Series. This style of episode will be published on Tuesdays (with interviews and longer form being published on Fridays still). That means TWO PODCAST EPISODES PER WEEK! The Trail Talk Nuggets Series will consist of shorter segments from out on the trail. Topics can and will include anything and everything that crosses my mind from current events to trips that I have taken or want to take. This is an effort to help myself better practice what I preach. Get outside as much as possible and you will see both the mental and physical benefits!

In this episode I talk about the:

1. 7 day local parks challenge and the premise behind the challenge.

2. My trip to Vermont from the weekend of November 10th and 11th, 2018 including TWO wintry hikes.

3. Warren Miller Ski Movie stoke

Stay tuned for A LOT of interviews coming up. We will have Dan Allen on next week talking about Adirondacks, New Zealand, and how having a dog has improved his adventure experiences. Super pumped to get this one out to you guys! Also, we have topics coming up including an attempt at doing all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in one trip and mental health as it relates to mountains and life. Lots of great episodes coming up!

If you like the podcast and To Summit Up, please consider sharing the mission on social media and through word of mouth! I ask that you consider a monthly donation (can be as little as $1!) to support and help grow To Summit Up. Please check out  https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup if you are interested in supporting and helping To Summit Up grow! Your support means the world and will go a long way towards growing To Summit Up. I appreciate your consideration.

To Summit Up Theme Song written and produced by Jordan Wolf, a great friend. Find him at https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

"Love, friendship, networking - these are all critical connections and the foundation of a healthy, happy life." - Whitney Wolfe Herd

This episode is another solo round! If there is anyone you would like to hear on the podcast, please send an email to [email protected]. In this episode, I talk about the importance of building up your LIFE network and how to develop the lasting relationships that will bring you towards the most fulfilled life that you can have. You probably already have many beautiful relationships with those around you that you have worked on for a while. But are you limiting yourself and stunting the potential for opportunities to reach a higher level of being and fulfillment? I hope that this podcast episode allows you to think about the relationships that you currently have and if you are doing everything in your power to both grow them and to create new relationships that will expand your life's network.

In this episode I talk about:

The definition of a true, meaningful relationship with another person.

The hub and spokes that make up my relationship wheel.

The path to forming and growing meaningful relationships and expanding your life network.

You will also hear me talk about an event that I am fund raising for called 29029 Everesting (https://29029everesting.com/). The event is a mountain endurance event that involves climbing vertically up a mountain as many times as it takes to match the elevation of Mount Everest. This means climbing up Mount Stratton in Vermont 17 times within 36 hours. Training and competing in this would be an endurance feat unlike anything I have done to date. There is just one thing. The event costs $4000 and I need your help to get there. Getting people aware of and exposed to the mental and physical benefits of the outdoors is something that I love. I get so pumped up about seeing people's reactions to views and experiences in the mountains! Eventually, I want to get To Summit Up to the point where I am guiding expeditions with it. For now, there are many organizations working to make mountains more accessible for those who don't have the easiest access. There is a charity that I am fond of called Big City Mountaineers. The organization is incredible and their mission aligns with that of To Summit Up. They work alongside the transformative powers of Mother Nature to leave a lasting impact on the lives of under-resourced youth. Their wilderness expeditions bring kids out of their comfort zones and into the wild, where they develop the confidence needed for more promising futures. My training, participation in, and any money raised beyond the $4k would go right to big city mountaineers. My awareness action plan will be to document my mental and physical journey through photos and videos.

To donate, check out https://www.gofundme.com/manage/everesting-for-outdoor-awareness.

To Summit Up Theme Song by Jordan Wolf https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/.

Be great and build your relationships.

"The night is darkest before the dawn." - Harvey Dent in the Dark Night

This episode is a solo round (just me 😃)! I get vulnerable about how I used mountains to develop myself to become more self aware and a better person through seeking forgiveness. Jealousy is a blinding fault and I was guilty of letting it control me at one point in my life. I let negativity into my inner workings and it began to show externally. I stepped away from a friendship with an ex-girlfriend to work on myself as a person and to develop myself to emit the positivity that I know I can. Sometimes you need to step away and help yourself before you can help others. I found that my worst moment woke me up and drove me to change my attitude and impact on others. This is an episode on how I used mountains to seek the clarity and passion to forgive and to grow into the happy and positive person that I am today.

In this episode, I talk about:

The start and end of my college relationship and how I found closure.

How mountains tie into personal development.

The development and growth of my self awareness as a result of immersing in mountains.

If you found value in this episode, please subscribe on whatever platform you listen on (On Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Soundcloud, and tosummitup.com/pod) and bring over at least one friend who would enjoy the content! Take a screenshot and share this with your friends. If you’d like a shot at being the guest of the week, leave a review and rating on your podcast app. Like, comment, share and spread the positivity and lessons that grow in the outdoors!

Adventure on!

This podcast episode’s affiliate partner is the ninth project company. If you love activewear that performs well, looks awesome, and inspires us to get out and explore, then the ninth project company is for you. I have been wearing my long sleeve escape often shirt on many of my recent adventures and fully back this company as an awesome activewear company. Guys, they are totally worth the check out. For being a to summit up podcast listener, you get 15 percent off of your order by using code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at check out. Head to ninthproject.com to get your awesome activewear.

Music today was courtesy of free music archive by Scott Holmes (Driven to Success). You can find more of his music at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/. The To Summit Up theme song was produced by friend Jordan Wolf.

"Morale was the lowest once we finished the steeper side of the front side coming down Colden. We hit the pretty much flat portion and had five miles left at that trail junction. I sat down for a second and I got rid of one of my layers and Ryan's like 'we should probably take our headlamps out now'. We were looking at five or six miles in the dark. Oh boy." - Roger Laistner

"I was definitely thinking about daylight waning away and it was definitely in my mind in terms of setting the pace that I was going at. I really wanted to see how far I could get. I got going real fast on the rocks and at that point it was just like sort of a process of just skipping from rock to rock and keeping momentum forward and letting the trail just guide me wherever it wanted me to go." - Wil Nagengast

In this episode, I have a great conversation about the Adirondack High Peaks and our most recent adventure with friends and adventurers Roger Laistner and Wil Nagengast. I met Roger and Wil in college and we began going on Adirondack adventures shortly thereafter. The weekend of Saturday, October 13th, 2018 was another Adirondack weekend where we were planning to hike Mount Colden via Avalanche Lake. We had a large group of 9 hikers and the three of us split off to try and do Mount Marshall in addition to Colden. We were unsuccessful. This is the story of a hike that could have ended a lot worse than it actually did.

We talk about:

1. Our late 10AM start on an October weekend and how that affected our hike of Mount Colden.

2. The challenges and upside of hiking with a large group.

3. The importance of doing research prior to a hike and communicating a clear and logical plan.

4. The issue of overpopulation in the Adirondacks and what we experienced on peak foliage weekend in the High Peaks Region.

If you found value in this episode, please subscribe on whatever platform you are listening on and bring over at least one friend to the podcast. I would appreciate it if you could like, comment, and share this episode on social media. This podcast grows with the help of YOU! I appreciate your feedback and reviews give you the chance to be the fan of the week in future episodes!

Stay curious and stay adventurous.

This podcast episode’s affiliate partner is the ninth project company. If you love activewear that performs well, looks awesome, and inspires us to get out and explore, then the ninth project company is for you. I have been wearing my long sleeve escape often shirt on many of my recent adventures and fully back this company as an awesome activewear company. Guys, they are totally worth the check out. For being a to summit up podcast listener, you get 15 percent off of your order by using code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at check out. Head to ninthproject.com to get your awesome activewear.

Music today was courtesy of free music archive by Scott Holmes (Driven to Success). You can find more of his music at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/. The To Summit Up theme song was produced by friend Jordan Wolf.

"It's easy to find a routine and be comfortable with it and be comfortable with home and be comfortable with the people that you are around, but there's a new freedom that you find in yourself and you learn SO much about yourself when you are put in an uncomfortable situation or a situation where you have to basically start over. There is such a beauty in it and, in terms of relocation, just because you are relocating doesn't mean that it's permanent."

In this episode, I have a great conversation with a longtime friend, Lizzy Marks while in California. Lizzy grew up in Western New York but now lives in Los Angeles following her dream to work in movies, TV, and media industry in Hollywood, CA. She is truly an inspiration and her willingness to talk about the ups and downs of relocation and how she has exponentially grown through it is amazing. She joined an adventure club and learned an immense amount about the social growth and connectivity that happens when you are put on a team in the outdoors.

We talk about:

1. Lizzy's move to LA from Western New York to follow her dream of working in the media industry and Hollywood.

2. The challenges that come with moving to a new city with no friends or connections to connect with right off the bat and how to deal with them.

3. The importance of getting involved and joining clubs (college and adult life) and how Lizzy got involved in an adventure club in LA. We go on to talk about a whitewater rafting trip that she went on with the club and what she learned about the social growth that happens on teams in the outdoors.

4. How it is okay to feel like you are not connecting with someone and realizing that you still fit in somewhere.

5. Dealing with the transition from athlete life to post-athlete life in adulthood and not letting herself be defined only as an athlete.

6. The power of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and the growth that comes from doing that.

If you found value in this episode, please subscribe on whatever platform you are listening on and bring over at least one friend to the podcast. I would appreciate it if you could like, comment, and share this episode on social media. This podcast grows with the help of YOU!

Get out there and make a positive difference in both your life and the lives of those around you today.

This podcast episode's affiliate partner is the ninth project company. If you love activewear that performs well, looks awesome, and inspires us to get out and explore, then the ninth project company is for you. I have been wearing my long sleeve escape often shirt on many of my recent adventures and fully back this company as an awesome activewear company. Guys, they are totally worth the check out. For being a to summit up podcast listener, you get 15 percent off of your order by using code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at check out. Head to ninthproject.com to get your awesome activewear.

Music today was courtesy of free music archive by Scott Holmes (Driven to Success). You can find more of his music at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/. The To Summit Up theme song was produced by friend Jordan Wolf.

"(I am most proud of) the shift to seeing myself as someone that goes and adventures and is capable of anything - I am super proud of that. That, saying yes to everything, I wasn't always like that. I used to wait for the right time to do things. I used to want to wait until I looked a certain way or I had a certain amount of money or certain conditions were ideal or perfect. Shedding myself of that and understanding that the perfect is the enemy of the good is something that I am so proud of. Your experiences are crafted by the story that you tell yourself. Like that is literally the most potent story you can tell yourself - the one in your own head."

In this episode, we welcome the always HYPE Jenna Celmer. Jenna has an inspiring story which she created by her giving herself permission to be who she wants to be and do what she wants to do. Jenna is an avid power lifter, works for the Olympic Committee advocating for anti-doping programs and clean competition, adventures as often as possible, and is a self-proclaimed swagger coach. Jenna has a passion for adventure and she makes it happen.

In our conversation we discuss:

1. Jenna's work with the US Olympic Committee Partnership for clean competition and her work in the arena of anti-doping.

2. How power lifting switched her mindset from liking her body for what it looked like to LOVING her body for what it can do.

3. Prioritizing and committing to your top priorities.

4. Social media and the authenticity of the connections she has made.

5. Benefits of being passionate and bringing your own hype.

This episode is so freaking valuable! Jenna is such an inspiration and there are great points that she makes throughout that we all can take and apply to our own lives. If you find value in this episode, I'd appreciate it if you could please subscribe, share, and bring one friend to the podcast. This podcast grows with YOUR help! I appreciate you!

This episode is brought to you with the help of To Summit Up's affiliate partner, The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project lives and breathes in the outdoors and strives to make performance wear and gear that will keep you moving at your best in style. Ninth Project encourages us to escape often. Use code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout to receive 15% off of your order and to support the podcast :) Thanks for being awesome! www.ninthproject.com/

Music courtesy of Free Music Archive: The Inventors.

freemusicarchive.org/music/The_Inventors/

To Summit Up theme song produced by Jordan Wolf. www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

Episode Date: September 28, 2018

Adventurer: Solo Round - Ryan O'Malley

Location: Rochester, NY

Description:

"Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint." - Angela Duckworth.

Running a marathon is mind over matter. I would have crawled over the finish line if I had to. On Sunday, September 23, 2018, I ran my first full marathon and finished along with my two friends, Brandon and Sarah. We had been training for the summer months leading up to the race. A few weeks before, I ran into knee troubles to the point where I basically stopped the training program and became nervous for the race. I needed to alter my mindset if I was to finish the 26.2 mile trek through Rochester, NY. I changed my inner story and adopted the marathon mentality - using extensive visualization to help push me through the mental and physical ups and downs of a marathon. Check out this episode that explores the marathon mentality and the benefit of implementing it throughout life. If your goals don't sound crazy when you say them out loud, you aren't dreaming big enough.

Affiliate Help: This episode is brought to you with the help of To Summit Up’s affiliate partner, The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project lives and breathes in the outdoors and strives to make performance wear and gear that will keep you moving at your best in style. Ninth Project encourages us to escape often. Use code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout to receive 15% off of your order and to support the podcast 🙂 Thanks for being awesome! www.ninthproject.com/

Music and Theme Song: Music courtesy of Free Music Archive: The Whips

To Summit Up theme song produced by Jordan Wolf. www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

Episode Date: September 21, 2018

Adventurer: Neil Ferguson

Location: White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA

Description: 

“It’s a journey, you know, each mountain is a journey. I think maybe I’ve transitioned from (from the first few I’ve climbed) always being about the destination and getting to the top – getting to the views at the top. I think now I am more enjoying the entire adventure on the entire way up.” – Neil Ferguson

In Episode 4, I interviewed a great friend Neil Ferguson while on a trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Always down for adventure, Neil’s desire for mountains continues to grow. In this episode, we talk about:

1. Neil’s 1st big mountain experience in the Rocky Mountains.

2. The importance of spontaneity on adventures.

3. Backcountry stupidity (on our part) and what happened when we went to take a dip in Glacier Lake in Banff, National Park, Alberta, Canada.

4. The importance, pros, and cons of social media as it relates to adventures.

5. What Neil would say to anyone contemplating trying mountains for the first time.

Super exited about this episode! Stick around until the end because there is an exciting To Summit Up announcement! As always, this podcast grown with YOUR help! Please share this, comment, like, and download if you found value and entertainment out of this episode.

Affiliate Help: This episode is brought to you with the help of To Summit Up’s affiliate partner, The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project lives and breathes in the outdoors and strives to make performance wear and gear that will keep you moving at your best in style. Ninth Project encourages us to escape often. Use code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout to receive 15% off of your order and to support the podcast 🙂 Thanks for being awesome! www.ninthproject.com/

Music and Theme Song: Music courtesy of Free Music Archive: Scott Holmes and Deaf Wish.

freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/

freemusicarchive.org/music/deaf_wish/

To Summit Up theme song produced by Jordan Wolf. www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

Episode Date: September 7, 2018

Adventurer: Allie Reynolds

Location: Los Angeles, CA and Bolivia

Description: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi. In this episode, the wonderful Allie Reynolds and I dive into her dedication to service and the adventures that coincided over the past two years. Allie began volunteering for the Good Shepherd Volunteers after college and spent her time and effort over the past two years changing the lives of domestic violence victims in Los Angeles and Bolivia. In Episode 3, we explore Allie’s role in mentoring those she worked with, travelling in South America, venturing to the mountains of Peru and other nearby regions and living in a mountainous third world country. This is the story of how selflessness and serving others leads to awesome gratitude. Allie thought that she would find the greatest gratitude in serving others, but she found that she has just as much gratitude in realizing her own accomplishments of service, travel, and impacting others. Learn about the importance of travel and immersion in other, less fortunate cultures.

If you’d like to learn more about the Good Shepherd Volunteers and the great impact that they make, visit https://www.gsvolunteers.org/ or follow them on Instagram at @gsvolunteers.

To Summit Up theme song by Jordan Wolf and music by Scott Holmes courtesy of Free Music Archive.

Podcast Episode Partner: The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project Company is an outdoor clothing brand that radiates excitement for escaping to the wild while doing good for the earth. The Ninth Project has sweet products including shirts, hats, ladies wear including leggings, wood prints, mugs, notebooks, and so much more! I just got a long sleeve performance shirt and love it! It is light and keeps me feeling good no matter what I am doing in it. With every purchase, they plant a tree. USE CODE TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout for 15% off of your order and plant a tree, get some sweet swag, and support the podcast. Visit https://www.ninthproject.com/ for more.

Episode Date: August 24th, 2018

Adventurer: Brandon Agostinelli

Location: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Description: “Each mountain represents its own challenge. Everything has its own things that you’ll be worried about. You have that one goal in mind to get to the top but there’s only one way to get there and it’s to not worry too much about what you are afraid of.” – Brandon Agostinelli

A great friend, Brandon Agostinelli, joined me and 7 others in a week-long mountain indulgence in the immaculate Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Brandon has always been drawn to the beach and hasn’t really fully immersed himself in anything like the adventures that were had in the Canadian Rockies. Entering the week with an excited outlook, Brandon experienced new challenges and adventures every single day that exposed him to the fulfillment and gratification that comes with trying and achieving new things beyond the comfort zone. The better the view, the more you have to work for it. This is the case with anything in life. Here is the story of an amazing trip that brought a new perspective on the possibilities of what can be accomplished when you try new things and step out of your comfort zone.