In the fall of 2015, photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko embarked on a journey to rally support to protect one of our most awe-inspiring national treasures: the Grand Canyon. Their method? A 700+ mile sectional thru-hike of the wilderness that lies between the rim and the river. They knew the trek would challenge them, but they had no idea how quickly and completely the canyon would leave them demoralized and physically destroyed.

The two of them were contemplating giving up, when, as Kevin puts it, ‘A miracle happened’.

Today, a story about three people who have dedicated the better part of their lives to developing a unique skill–and a project so complicated and important that it required their cumulative experience to pull it off. It’s also a story about friendship, and how friends working together for a common goal can lead to something greater than the sum of its parts.

In addition to writing A Walk in the Park, Kevin also wrote The Emerald Mile. We talked with him about that process in The Threshold Moment (Apple | Spotify) 

Watch some of the highlights of Kevin and Peter’s hike.

Check out Pete’s photography and film work as well as Into The Canyon.

To learn more about the current threats to the Grand Canyon visit Save the Confluence

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In 1994, Forrest Gump took the box-office by storm and became a staple of cable TV reruns in the following decades. Its feel good message about a simple man who lived life heart first struck a chord, but hidden inside a six minute montage was a grueling test of the human limits -- a 15,000 mile ultrarun across the US almost five times. In 2018, Rob Pope became the first to complete this superhuman run, and became fascinated with others who push their limits.  

Listen to Rob talk with other superhuman folks on How To Be Superhuman

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Mild-mannered, elementary school teacher Jason Hardrath may be a superhero. After competing in college as a cross country athlete, he turned to triathlons and then Iron Mans to push the limits of his endurance. Simultaneously, he developed his skills in the mountains and soon sought to combine the two, setting an audacious goal-- the first person to complete 100 Fastest Known Time (FKT). Jason's endurance and commitment seemed unending. That is, until he got COVID.

Cascade Trifecta FKT

Long COVID resources

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Over the last few years, students at Utah State University built a weekly ritual at their school gym to grow the climbing community on campus. When Utah’s legislature passed a contentious bill last year, that routine was stripped away after. Students rallied to raise awareness, fighting to keep their weekly meet-up alive.     

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Shifting paradigms is hard work, but sometimes it can be a whole heap of Type II Fun as well. In 2019, Stratton Matteson sought to find out if he could get away with only human powered mountain access for a whole year. Five years into his quest, he shares what he’s learned.

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What does it take to run an ultramarathon? Or top out a boulder that makes you stretch what you think you're capable of? Tenacity. From our seat, we see it happen all the time in our community. Today, Coleman Wood and Brian Laidlaw bring us two stories about rising up and meeting the challenge that they laid out for themselves. 

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Just 10 years ago, the director of the Barkley Marathons declared that the race was too tough for any woman to complete it. Meanwhile, Jasmin Paris, a mild-mannered veterinarian from Scotland was smashing records in the ultramarathon world. It wasn’t too long before Jasmin set her sights on the Barkley. 

It’s not everyday you make history. For Jasmin, breaking barriers comes naturally. 

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Erik Grams has been taking trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for over 30 years. It's his favorite place in the world. But last year, a fatal accident on a fishing trip that Erik was leading changed his life.

On this episode from our friends at Points North, we hear Erik's harrowing story and how he has wrestled with his feelings about a place he’s loved for decades.

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After his personal life takes a surprise turn, Luis Alonzo dares to reinvent himself by trying something far outside his comfort zone– climbing Mt. Rainier. With a crew of other novice climbers, Luis spends six months prepping for summit day. Will the climb move him closer to being the person he wants to be?

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Loss. Grief. Healing. It’s part of being human. The emotions that almost tear us apart have the power to bring us together. Today, we bring you two powerful stories from Alison Kaplan and Monica Nigon. 

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Our book, States of Adventure, 30 stories adapted from The Diaries, is out in the wild. See if it's available on your local shelves or order it here: geni.us/StatesofAdventure