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. 

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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?

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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. 

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And Then What actions

Submit your comment about the Roadless Rule

Grand Canyon Trust’s form is specific to Utah and Arizona

Outdoor Alliance’s form works for all of the US

Explore Roadless Areas Near You

See if your Rep has co-sponsored Roadless Area Conservation Act  (2025)

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.

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When big transitional moments occur in our lives, the way we navigate them and what helps shift our perspective can often come from unexpected places. After graduation and a summer of feeling melancholy, Carol Doyle challenged herself to a 50 mile bike ride hoping it would remove the figurative goggles that obscured the world around her. Heartbroken and seeking solitude at his family’s cabin, Ben Burke is unexpectedly joined by his dad. 

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 Growing up as identical twins in England, Poppy and Thea Wardley were practically attached at the hip. Their lives finally diverged when Poppy enrolled in medical school and Thea attended university a few hours away. After a few years of burnout from the unrelenting pace of school, Poppy pitches Thea on a bold adventure thousands of miles away to reconnect their twinship– hiking the PCT. 

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For  Sam Webster, public lands have been interwoven with life from the earliest age. He followed a path into public service with the Park and Forest Service, choosing stability and the ability to contribute to the great good. Until Feb 14th changed that course forever. What happens when the foundation you've built a life on begins to crumble? 

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Every July, nearly 20,000 cyclists from around the world swarm the roads of Iowa for one week to ride across the state. It’s hot. It’s humid. And it’s not as flat as one may think. Iowa resident Caleb Smith shares his RAGBRAI journey, complete with a buffet of midwestern charm: homemade pies, barn parties, sunsets over fields of corn. But he doesn’t ride a bike, he inline skates. s.

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Runner, writer, illustrator and all around human Brendan Leonard made a career of doing what he loves. Yes it’s passion and wild creativity, but it’s also the unheralded traits of persistence, thoughtful compromise and perspective that keeps him doing what he loves. 

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Growth happens outside your comfort zone. Sometimes this comes by choice, like committing to guiding rafts on a new river and trading out your nimble kayak for the biggest barge in the fleet as Jessie Longe did. Sometimes you step out not even knowing it, like Lili Mitchell did when she showed up to a trailhead to an unexpected surprise. Either way, you must push through the rough waters ahead to walk away wiser.

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And Then What Actions

Learn more about the campaign at ⁠⁠Save The Boundary Waters⁠⁠.Raise your voice and call your Congress person to tell them why the Boundary Waters are important to you: 202-224-3121

Follow ⁠⁠Save the Boundary Waters⁠⁠ on Instagram to stay in the know.