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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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

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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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. 

To escape record breaking crowds in Zion National Park, Marco Siler-Gonzales decides to take his girlfriend, Lena Ohlson, on an unmarked and seldom hiked trail. Heading back towards the car, Marco leads Lena around a wrong turn, leaving them in a dangerous situation. Years later he struggles to come to terms with his actions.    

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In March of 2025, Emily Ford lined up at the starting line of one of the world’s most difficult races – The Iditarod. To race this iconic event hadn’t been a lifelong dream but rather the next step on Emily’s pursuit of her passions – cold quiet places and four legged friends.

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3 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands are currently slated to be sold. Call your Senators and tell them: Don't Sell Public Lands.

Finding out what we’re capable of takes trial and error and a whole lot of trust. For Meg Morris and Emmye Vernet, they each had a guide who helped them see another side of the outdoors. 

For Meg, her dad fostered her love of fishing, from Maine to Alaska to Tijuana, and helped her navigate through an unexpected challenge. Though Emmye didn’t grow up feeling at home outside, her best friend Rose helps her revel in the outdoors, partnership and love. 

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And Then What Actions

3 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands are currently slated to be sold. Call your Senators and tell them: Don't Sell Public Lands.

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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Then What Actions

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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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

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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Public Lands in Public Hands Caucus

Find Your US Representative

Then What Actions

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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