It can be difficult to separate an initial seed of fear from the growing tangle of possibility that can quickly emerge in your head, but sometimes that sprouting seed is very tangible. Today, we bring you stories from Sara Porterfield and Jeremy Allyn. They'll make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. You'll try to shudder them off. But the seed- the seed will remain. 

The weekend ritual of loading up a car with gear, picking a destination, and watching out the window as the landscapes passes by is familiar to most of us. We may have a love-hate relationship with our vehicles, but they are able to take us to the places that help clear our heads and restore our souls. Is that rationalization enough?

The Underdog is the most potent myth in America. Is this special type of hero just a myth or is the underdog real? Jayson Sime was a small town Iowa kid from the tough part of town. He was told he wouldn't amount to much by his teachers and hazed by his peers. From north of nowhere to a career in politics to Mount Shasta's summit, Jayson has overcome.  Maybe heroes are real.  

While in school, Fred Sproat successfully balanced his time between guiding and love. Guiding takes a commitment to dealing with Mother Nature's spontaneous eruptions and the tenacity to keep clients happy. But you are able to pursue you passion, even if it means leaving somethings- or someone- behind.  

Aaah, August. A time to get outside and forget about computer screens. We hope you've been out there enjoying the summer. We certainly have. But don't worry, even though we took a break from publishing, we're still working away to bring you more stories this fall.  This has been an amazing year at The Diaries- we hit one million downloads and we've continued to expand our circle of collaborators. We've been busy with other projects as well- The Season 2, Fringe Elements and The Love Letter- but we remain committed to bringing you stories from the community told for the community. Until then, here are some of our favorite songs that we used on episodes in the last year. Pack the car, open the windowns and crank the cuts.

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"You Never Know Who You're Gonna Meet"

by Publish the Quest from "Then What!?"

Buy at iTunes

Withered Hand
"New Dawn" (mp3)
from "Good News"
(Absolutely Kosher)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

The Heavenly States
"Model Son" (mp3)
from "Oui Camera Oui"
(Hippies Are Dead Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Gold Panda
"You" (mp3)
from "Lucky Shiner"
(Ghostly International)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

IAME
"Felt So Real (ft. Toni Hill)" (mp3)
from "Lame"
(Taxidermy Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Breathe Owl Breathe
"Own Stunts" (mp3)
from "Magic Central"
(Hometapes)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Chikita Violenta
"All I Need's a Little More" (mp3)
from "TRE3S"
(Arts & Crafts)

Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Zola Jesus
"Poor Animal" (mp3)
from "Valusia - EP"
(Sacred Bones Records)

Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

"Chapel Song"

by We Are Augustines from "Rise Ye Sunken Ships"

Buy at iTunes

After a year of hard work, Bryan Smith and I present The Season 2, five stories from a whole new set of athletes. This 22-episode web TV series following five athletes through the course of a year is available first at arcteryx.com and then as a download from iTunes. Visit theseasontv.com to subscribe and find information about the songs and download the cuts. The series begins in earnest Tuesday, September 6th.

Those are the nuts and bolts.  A release is always a crazy moment in my life. I dread them up until the moment they happen. There are so many details to be worked out that it can be difficult to sleep, remember to turn the stove off or keep track of what day of the week it is.  It is consuming. The reward is obvious.  You -- the community -- makes this all worthwhile. Your feedback, both good and bad (but always thoughtful), is deeply appreciated.  When Bryan and I started out on round 2, we had you in mind.  How do we make The Season better? The answer was clear- feed off the energy you all put into the first installment.  So we invested time and money. And committed to spending more time with each athlete and more time in the field.  We feel we've achieved our goals. I hope you are pleased with our efforts.  

Rise up. Become legend. Welcome to The Season 2.

The first time I sat around a climber's campfire at 19, I could sense that though our lives were superficially different with jobs and responsibilities, something greater connected those gathered around the fire. Today, we present two stories from women- one a climber and one a creator- about the moment when the random became connected at a time when it mattered most. 

When David King set out to ride his bike across the US, he had read the books, bought the right gear and trained tirelessly on hills back home.  But biking day in and day out started to wear on him mentally, as well as physically. As he cranked up a steep pass early in the trip, David wondered whether he had the mental tenacity to complete the ride. 

After road racing bicycles for seven years, Gary Visser settled into life in South Carolina. He discovered a new passion in the salt water marshes, raised a family, and taught his son, Garrett, to fly fish. As Garrett prepares to leave for college, Gary appreciates that letting go, much like his parents did more than 30 years ago, is harder than one might think. 

Our long held dream of creating a live performance of The Dirtbag Diaries came true this spring at the 5Point Film Festival. Today we present the stories of the folks behind the camera. Mickey Smith and Nick Waggoner join us on stage. Welcome to the 5Point Film Festival.