Mark Rutherford and John Merritt grew up sharing the same sand box. Twenty years ago, Mark began a successful adventure fly fishing guide service in the Bristol Bay region. An avid fisherman, John got in touch with Mark and scheduled a trip. That first trip marked the beginning of a decade of trips, each more adventurous than the last.  Today, we are headed up stream to the confluence of several lives. 

After hitchhiking in Canada and Arizona, Graham Waugh thought he'd easily catch a ride from Needles to Joshua Tree. He didn't account for the nearly deserted 100 odd miles on California's highway 95. He scrawled "Canadian" on his last piece of cardboard, and only then did he discovered something wonderful.

This last fall, Becca and I embarked on a trip of a lifetime. To those who asked, I offered a slew of reasons. Those closest to me knew better. I was trying to save myself.  At its core, The Diaries has always been about the joy of wild places and our community's profound optimism, but at times contributors have stepped forward to provide stories about personal struggle, sorrow and depression Today, I present my own story.

Surfer. Waves. Design. Surfboard. In 25 years of surfing, Will Ranken never thought much about how those four elements interrelated to one another. When he needed a new board, he would buy one off the racks, hand over the cash, and soon he was paddling into the line up again. That was the status quo, until he read an article about making and shaping wooden surfboards. 

Today, we present Tales of Terror, two stories from the most terrifying moments of our contributor's lives. Our first story was recorded in the field somewhere in Afghanistan. The second comes from my old stomping ground -- Tahoe.  Despite the differences, both stories are the result of passion, imagination and creativity. 

When writer and biker Dean Campbell packs he "always forgets one thing and always brings too much to read." Can your packing style influence how you experience a new place? After traveling by bike for four months through Africa, Dean understands that what we bring dictates what we take home from our distant travels.

This summer I decided to not only try road biking, I decided to embrace it in all its spandex glory. My climbing could suffer. The mountain bike could collect cobwebs in the garage. Along the way, I discovered the joy of riding through my city.

Growing up, inheritance and parenthood – these themes have quietly woven their way into the Diaries’ Fabric. Today, Bob Nydam presents a story about the sometimes painful process of watching a child grow up.  

On Thursday August 26th, my new project with Bryan Smith launches on Patagonia's website. Tracing the Edge is a 10-part series following three of world's best outdoor athletes -- alpine climbing phenom Colin Haley, ultra-runner Krissy Moehl and surfing legend Gerry Lopez.  What made them who they are today?  Look for new episodes every Thursday. You can also find new episodes on our supporting sponsors Sportiva and Vasque.  If you are interested in getting HD files for download, leave a comment and let us know. I hope you enjoy the show.

August has arrived and that means a little break for the Dirtbag Diaries, but that doesn't mean rest.  Becca and I are working ahead. There will be new episodes in September, and we are really excited to announce that we are going to embark on one of my long time dreams -- a six week climbing trip through the Sierra. All backcountry. A lot of walking. A lot of climbing. Most of all, some time to think and some time to check back in with one of the places and friends that have helped make me who I am. 

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ZLOX
"Song of Night" (mp3)
from "eXpo"
(Undercover Culture Music)

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Mux Mool
"Skulltaste" (mp3)
from "Skulltaste"
(Ghostly International/Moodgadget Records)

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Geographer
"Kites" (mp3)
from "Animal Shapes - EP"
(Tricycle Records)

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Magic Bullets
"Lying Around" (mp3)
from "Magic Bullets"
(Mon Amie Records)

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yU
"Fine" (mp3)
from "Before Taxes"
(Mello Music Group)

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We Were Promised Jetpacks
"Ships With Holes Will Sink" (mp3)
from "These Four Walls"
(Fat Cat Records)

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Stream from Rhapsody
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Also on this show....

our main man Ken Christianson.

And Wolf Parade. you can get this cut here on sub pop's site.