Quinn Brett has been an endurance athlete for most of her adult life. From first ascents in Patagonia and Greenland to running across Zion and the Grand Canyon, her life revolved around putting one foot in front of the other. Then, after a life-changing accident in 2017, Quinn needed to find a new way to move through big landscapes.

Inspired by a pitch from a listener, we rounded up the Dirtbag Diaries team to chat about the most ridiculous places we’ve ever slept. 

Want to share an amusing story about where you’ve slept? Tag us on Instagram or send us a short audio file or note. 

With dirt under her fingernails and sun on her cheeks, Emily Benington’s thru-hike of the PCT eased the mental health struggles she’d had in London. But when she returned to the city, her anxiety and depression came back worse than before. Instead of running back to the mountains, Emily found a new path to happiness. 

Drive it until it dies. That’s the motto Fitz lived by as he crisscrossed the West in his truck, Crash. Family members would doubtfully ask, “Are you sure you want to drive there?” Friends asked about Crash’s well being as though he was an aging dog. Fitz said, “Though I knew the day was coming, I was still blindsided when the gears ground to a halt on my way to Yosemite. Could my belief in Crash transcend beyond the hulk of metal?”

This episode first aired in 2012.

Steven Walker has spent a lifetime canoeing and kayaking wild rivers throughout Canada. His idea of adventure consisted of a healthy dose of fear and first descents. In 2020, he had the opportunity to guide on Manitoba’s remote Bloodvein River. Steven usually thrives in remote conditions, but he quickly realized that guiding Rick Riewe, who had lost much of his mobility and speech to Parkinson’s disease, would present unique challenges and rewards.

Patrick Davison grew up on a bike, exploring his neighborhood with family and friends. But as he grew older, he began to forget the simple joy of seeing the world on two wheels. Years later, he rediscovers a lost love and finds a new love on the trails.

Nineteen year old Kiko Lopez had never set foot on a boat when he accepted an invitation to sail from Maine to the Bahamas with three friends. Choosing to leave the world of virtual classrooms behind, Kiko spent the next six months learning to tack and jibe, hoist sails, and de-escalate drama. For Kiko, this sailing adventure deepened his understanding of himself and his purpose.

When Gary Lacy heard his boss’s daughter was joining their company ski trip, he tried to bail. “She’s probably 13, and from Boulder so she'll be a wacko,” Gary remembers thinking. Leslie turned out to be a 20-year-old who skied circles around Gary as he tumbled head-over-heels– both down the run, and for Leslie. But because of a company policy, Gary had to decide whether he’d go out of bounds. 

When first-grade teacher Madeigh Winsor-McCarron’s life changed in 2020, she had a hard time coaxing herself to get out the door. Zoom classes, fear about the future, and isolation threatened her mental health. But fortunately, her best adventure buddy always tugged her back into the mountains, away from anxiety, and into the present moment.

Kyle McCrohan loves outdoor sports, and for years he chased the goals that many of us share – bigger, stronger, faster. But when he set out to make an ambitious winter ascent of an ice route on Sloan Peak, things didn’t go as planned. Since that day, Kyle has dedicated himself to finding different ways to grow in adventure that don’t involve taking bigger and bigger risks. He creates novel traverses through the Cascade Mountains that feel as artistic as they do athletic.