Carpe Diem: Live Your Dream

The Amazing World of Cave Photography

What's it like to go a mile deep into a cave to take photographs? Here's a fascinating episode with one of the world's top cave photographers describing how he combines the artistic flair for professional photography with the challenging environment of spelunking in the longest and deepest caves in the world. Such adventures from deep underground all around the world.

Aged to Perfection: The Arrowhead at 75

I appreciate meeting people who achieve way more than I believe I ever could. It gives me inspiration to strive harder to get there myself. This episode profiles a 75 year old who joined me in last week’s Arrowhead 135 Ultra winter trail race and became the oldest finisher in the race’s 22 year history. It was a tough race, but listen to the end and you'll discover he doesn't plan to stop there.

The Coldest I've Ever Been

Here’s another episode about your host’s own adventure – this one being about the coldest (and most fatigued) I’ve ever been in my life. It was during the Arrowhead 135 Ultra that I participated in the last week of January in Northern Minnesota. The idea to run this race came from my Episode #23 guest, so I signed up and somehow managed to finish despite the sub-zero temperatures and 55 hours on the trail pulling a way-too-heavy sled. Hear about my experience, the race director's perspective, and on-the-trail chats with two other participants.

How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives

The author of “Tough Broad” and “Gutsy Girl” knows a thing or two about adventure herself. She talks about the benefits of getting outdoors for adventure, about the power of awe, about leading with bravery in life rather than with fear, and about the 5 dimensions necessary for a long and fulfilling life. She’s inspirational for all, but is especially encouraging for women, old and young.

Ice Climbing Niagara Falls

You've heard of people trying to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, right? It's usually not successful. But here's a guy who seeks new and different adventures. He climbed Niagara Falls. In the winter. Up the ice. Successfully. And legally!  And while the half-day climb was challenging, the two years of seeking permission and arranging logistics was even more so. This guest is not only a world-class ice climber (he wrote the book on the sport), but also an all-around adventurer in unusual sports. Like, have you ever heard of vol-biv? It’s pretty cool. 

The Seven Summits - Squeezed Into a Busy Life

When I first met him, this doctor seemed like just a normal guy. It turns out he has climbed the Seven Summits while managing a career, raising a family, and maintaining a fantastic blog. His summiting of the Vinson Massif in Antartica was impressive, but so too were his two seasons on Mt. Everest – especially the first. Hear why, and how he squeezed so much into his life.

Adventures of a Chief Vibe Maker

An annual Great Norse Run across Iceland. Another across Tajikistan. A bicycle adventure from the UK to India. A charity relay across the U.S.  All with energy posing out at the seams. That's the kind of stuff a Chief Vibe Maker would do, and that's exactly what my guest this episode is - a Chief Vibe Maker. Tune in and hear what that's like. 

Packrafting Arctic Rivers

Four friends decide to try a new way to explore the Brooks Range above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. They stuff small whitewater rafts in their backpacks and spend a month pack-rafting hundreds of miles through seldom-seen wilderness. Listening to all four of them in this episode, it’s clear they had a great time!

500 Days in the Wild

My guest for this episode hiked, paddled, and skied the entire Trans-Canadian Trail connecting three oceans. She created a spectacular documentary film “500 Days in the Wild” from that adventure, naming the film before she realized her journey would actually require 6 years! Listen to this episode to hear why.

National Geographic Photographer: What Does It Take?

Here’s a dynamic, fascinating individual who picked up photography in his 30’s and has now had three National Geographic magazine cover stories. He’s roamed the Arctic and so many other far-flung places, capturing the essence of wildlife, scenery, and the indigenous cultures. If you think it just takes being a guru behind a camera lens to make it big with Nat Geo, listen in to this episode to hear the real story.