She Explores

We often talk on this show about what we learn about ourselves in the outdoors. We share solo experiences that help us rethink what we’re made of. But there’s a special kind of intimacy that we can cultivate with family, friends, and loved ones when we’re outside. This week, we're sharing memories that celebrate togetherness.

Our hope? That you’ll listen, call a loved one, and relive an outdoor memory, too.

Featured in this episode: Claire Hudson, Karen Viola, Meryl Willett, Kaleigh Wood, Beth Stewart, Ashley Neufeld, Sensi Graves, and Lora Straub

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Salomon & Cusa Tea

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Some Featured on the episode:
  • Beth Stewart: Instagram
  • Sensi Graves: Instagram
  • Karen Viola: Instagram  & Blog
  • Lora Straub: Instagram
• Outdoor Memory Episode: Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, She-Explores.com
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Salomon: Learn more at Salomon.com
  • Featured in midroll: Melody Forsyth of Down with Adventure
• Cusa Tea: Use code "EXPLORE" to get 30% off your first purchase or get a free sample pack by heading to CusaTea.com.

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Meydan, Lee Rosevere, Josh Woodward, & Kai Engel

Judith Sadora, a licensed marriage & family therapist (LMFT) who practices wilderness therapy, shares how she applies some of her backcountry work into her everyday life, and how we might be able to use those tools in the front country, too.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s difficult to get out the way we’d like to. Here in the US, states have been under varying levels of lockdown for the last two months. And it’s been wearing on us all in different ways - whether it’s coping with loss, the stress of isolation, grappling with the unknown, or trying to make sense of the inequities and injustices that continue to harm our fellow Americans.

Judith joins us on the podcast to talk through some tips for tapping into nature to manage stress during this time and into the future. We also get to learn what wilderness therapy is and why Judith is so connected to and moved by the practice.

Featured in this episode: Judith Sadora, LMFT & Wilderness Therapist

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Salomon

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Judith Sadora: Instagram
• Judith's Recent Writing
  • On Adventure Mamas: "Prepped in the Woods for Everyday Life"
• Judith on Finding You, Evoke Therapy's Podcast
• READ: The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
• Mental Health Resources
  • Betterhelp is a remote therapy option and a spring/summer sponsor of She Explores - you can get 10% off your first month by heading to Betterhelp.com/explore 
  • Grizel Williams does a great series on her Instagram called "Mental Health Mondays." Follow along here!
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Salomon: Learn more at Salomon.com
  • Featured in midroll: Chelsea Murphy of @she_colorsnature

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Chris Fagan isn't a professional adventurer, but she’s spent a good deal of the leisure time in the last 30 years of her adult life seeing what she’s made of. Chris has skied unguided to the South Pole, run 100-mile ultras, sailed and paddled thought the Inside Passage, and cycled in Tanzania. Adventure is a big part of her alone time, but it’s also formed the foundation of her marriage and family life. Today, it's helping her lean into the unknown of her husband Marty's cancer diagnosis. 

Chris is also a really thoughtful mom. And though Mother’s Day is a holiday that many of us have our reasons for choosing to celebrate or choosing not to celebrate, what Chris says about caring for family really resonates, especially living during this global pandemic. We recommend listening to this conversation through a COVID-19 filter: what Chris says about small moments, resilience, and appreciating the people in your life feels especially poignant today.

Featured in this episode: Chris Fagan

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Salomon and Deuter

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Chris Fagan: Website & Instagram
• Chris's Book: The Expedition
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Salomon: Learn more at Salomon.com
• Deuter: Learn more at Deuter.com
  • Featured in midroll: Nicole Brown, founder of @womenwhohike

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Lindsey Falkenburg is feeling the loss of a 2020 thru-hike... and remembering what she's made of. Like a lot of 2020 thru-hikers, Lindsey canceled her plan to hike the Continental Divide Trail in June. In its absence, she's allowing herself to feel the loss - and also filling her cup with urban hiking, art, and re-discovering her resilience.

Featured in this episode: Lindsey Falkenburg & outdoor memory voice memo by Sarina Clark

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Salomon, Deuter, and Travel South Dakota.

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What thru-hiking has added to LIndsey's life
• A bit about Lindsey's previous hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail
• Why she's intentional about building a career and balanced life between thru-hikes
• The decision that went into canceling her 2020 southbound thru-hike of the CDT
• Why Lindsey feels a sense of community with fellow thru-hikers
• Why Lindsey thinks it's important for outdoor-lovers to grieve the loss of what they were hoping for this season
• Advice for thru-hikers who had to cancel their hikes
• Advice for all  people who are experiencing the outdoors differently today

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Lindsey Falkenburg: Website & Instagram
• Sarina Clark: Website & Instagram
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Salomon: Learn more at Salomon.com
• Deuter: Learn more at Deuter.com
  • Featured in midroll: Nicole Brown, founder of @womenwhohike
• Travel South Dakota: Download the vacation guide for your future trips at TravelSouthDakota.com

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Win Kelly Charles says it best: "People with cerebral palsy are strong and people with cerebral palsy are determined." In this episode, we hear about all the different ways she finds joy outdoors (snowboarding, climbing, and e-cycling to name a few activities), as well as why she's so motivated to share her life with CP with more people.

Plus, we'll listen to Cherie Schaller's outdoor memory of comfortable silence on an alpine hike in Colorado.

Featured in this episode: Win Kelly Charles & Cherie Schaller

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by  Appalachian Gear Company, Cusa Tea, and Travel South Dakota.

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Win Kelly Charles: Website & Instagram
• Win's Podcasts
• Win's Books
• Challenge Aspen
• Watch Win Snowboardin
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Cusa Tea: Try a FREE sample pack at CusaTea.com or get 30% OFF your first order using code EXPLORE at checkout!
• Travel South Dakota: Learn more about your future trips by heading to TravelSouthDakota.com.
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie. Get 10% off at checkout using code SHEEXPLORES.

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, Meydan, Swelling, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

The memories of outdoor adventures are precious and nourishing. They connect us to our friends and certain versions of ourselves. They're our happy places. And they give us the fortitude to push through hard times. This is a compilation of listener outdoor memories that feel especially salient today.

There’s a palpable sense of longing in the air, so we created an  episode that provides space for that longing — and the potential for celebration for the moments we've lived outside, too. 

Featured in this episode:  Becky Marcelliano, Fran Turauskis, Genevieve, Madi Salvati, Mary Straub, Gretchen Powers, Amber, Iz La Motte, Nikki Smith, Andrea Di Maio, Jasmine Jones, Erin Espinosa, Lindsay, Paola Lopez, Annelise Del Rio, Julie Hotz, Sharlene, and Somang Lee.

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Deuter, Appalachian Gear Company & Travel South Dakota

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Becky Marcelliano: Instagram
• Andrea DiMaio: Ample Movement Instagram  & Adventure Instagram
• Annelise Del Rio: Instagram
• Fran Turauskis: Instagram & Seize Your Adventure website
• Gretchen Powers: Instagram
• Mary Straub: Instagram
• Iz La Motte: Instagram & Website
• Jasmine Jones: Instagram
• Julie Hotz: Instagram
• Madi Salvati: Instagram
• Paola Lopez: Instagram
• Sharlene: Instagram
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Deuter
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.
• Travel South Dakota

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

For Anna Brones, the point of creating is rarely the end result - it's all about the satisfying act of doing. While a lot of us are missing the time we normally spend outside, Anna reassures us that there's inspiration to be found with the materials we have on hand. 

In this episode, we talk with Anna about the Creative Fuel Challenge she started for anyone who wants to join in and Women's Wisdom Project. The latter is the culmination of two years of work and celebrates the wisdom of inspirational women through beautiful, deceptively simple papercut portraits. These women are environmentalists, artists, writers, advocates, and more.

Featured in this episode: Anna Brones

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Danner & Appalachian Gear Company

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why creativity is so important in the age of COVID-19
• About Anna's Creative Fuel challenge - creative prompts sent to your inbox that anyone can do to step outside of their daily routine
• How Anna is experiencing the outdoors, very close to home
• Anna's Women's Wisdom Project: 100 paper cuts of inspiring women
• Why quotes need context
• What Anna learned from taking on such a big creative challenge

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Anna Brones: Website & Instagram
• Creative Fuel Challenge
• Anna's books
• Women's Wisdom Project:  Vashon Center for the Arts
• Cheryl Strayed on She Explores
• Learn a bit About Word Choice: Spaz and others
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Danner: Learn more about the Trail 2650 hiking shoe at Danner.com.
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie. Get 10% off at checkout using code SHEEXPLORES.

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

Beth Bradley can confidently say that hiking changed her life. Call it her hobby, her love, her self-care. Doing the 52 Hike Challenge has changed the voice in her head from one that says "I'm too fat" to one that believes, without a doubt, that we need to change who we think of when we think of a hiker. 

We interviewed Beth live at No Man's Land Film Festival on March 8th PLUS Gale checked in with Beth this past Monday over the phone because a lot has changed in the world since they met up in Denver.

Featured in this episode: Beth Bradley

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Deuter, Appalachian Gear Company, and  South Dakota Tourism

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Beth Bradley: Instagram
• Beth's First Moth Grandslam Story
• No Man's Land Film Festival: Website & Instagram
• 52 Hike Challenge
• Unlikely HIkers: Instagram
• Fat Girls Hiking: Instagram
• Down With Adventure: Instagram & Film
• Curvy Kili Crew: Instagram & She Explores Episode
• A Moment of Growth: She Explores Podcast Episode
• Jenny Bruso on She Explores
• Leave No Trace Guidelines: Outdoors & COVID-19
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Deuter: Learn more about Deuter's outdoor and travel bags at Deuter.com.
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.
• South Dakota Tourism - Get your FREE South Dakota vacation guide at travelsouthdakota.com

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, and Lee Rosevere using a Creative Commons Attribution License

For Shon’t Savage, divorce was a bad thing that turned out to be a good thing. Ten years ago, while sharing custody of her then two year old son, she found herself with free time. Shon’t grieved the days she lost with her son, but filled the space with a newfound love for hiking, camping, backpacking, and cross-country skiing. In doing so, Shon’t found herself once more -- which ultimately made her a better mother.

Featured in this episode: Shon’t Savage

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Danner, Appalachian Gear Company,  South Dakota Tourism, and BetterHelp

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

Visit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on Instagram

Resources

• Shon’t’s Instagram
• She Explores Episode 119: Adventure Moms
• Women on the Road Podcast
• Adventure Mamas
• Adventure Mamas Instagram
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Danner: Learn more about the Women's Trail 2650's at Danner.com
• Appalachian Gear Company: Learn more about the All-Paca  Fleece Hoodie.
• South Dakota Tourism - Get your FREE South Dakota vacation guide at travelsouthdakota.com
• BetterHelp - Get 10% off your first month by heading to Betterhelp.com/explore and use code 'EXPLORE' at checkout

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Music is by Kai Engel, Josh Woodward, Meydan, and Swelling using a Creative Commons Attribution License

Meet Amanda Monthei, a hotshot wildland firefighter and creative who has made it her mission to empower women and all qualified firefighters to know there is space for them in wildland firefighting. We spoke to Amanda about her path to fighting fires as well as her project “The Women Before Me” that celebrates the women of the Zig Zag hotshot crew, the legacies they humbly left behind, and the qualities they brought to the US Forest Service.

In this episode, we learn how the common traits women bring to the firefighting field are important and why it’s valuable to have those traits in any typically male-dominant field. Amanda wants more women to be wildland firefighters, as well to do other outdoor work like trail building or outdoor management. She encourages them by showcasing the impact and lives of the women who have paved the way for her and asking others to be open to alternative career paths.

Featured in this episode: Amanda Monthei

Hosted & Produced by Gale Straub

A production of Ravel Media

Sponsored by Sierra Designs, South Dakota Tourism, and Better Help

Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Amanda got from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest to become a wildland firefighter.
• What a hotshot firefighter is and what the job entails.
• How women bring a unique and important perspective to the group dynamic of a crew.
• About the legacy other female firefighters have left Amanda to carry on and why she wants to honor them.
• How Amanda’s “The Women Before Me” project came about and how she came to pursue it.
• Why everyone should believe they belong in the jobs they might not see themselves in yet.
• The value of feeling companionship while breaking barriers.

Resources

• Amanda Monthei’s Website
• Amanda Monthei’s Instagram
• “The Women Before Me”
• Outdoor And Travel Work: Instagram & Website
• Getting Started in Outdoor & Travel Work: Guide
• She Explores Landing Page
• Ravel Media

Sponsors and Discount Codes

• Sierra Designs: Learn about their Reach Out Initiative.
• SheJumps: Find out more about what they do to empower girls and women in the outdoors
• Travel South Dakota - Get your FREE South Dakota vacation guide at travelsouthdakota.com
• Better Help - Get 10% off your first month by heading to Betterhelp.com/explore using the code EXPLORE

Episodes air weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.