Eight years ago, Jenny and Scott Jurek wanted to visit Japan for their honeymoon. But life got in the way, including Jenny’s career as an outdoor gear and apparel designer, Scott’s record-setting Appalachian Trail thru-hike, and the birth of their two children. With two toddlers in tow, the family shipped their bikes to Hokkaido, Japan. They covered 600 miles over a month while carrying their own gear. By the end, the kids didn’t want to go home. Tune in to the Out and Back podcast to get the inside scoop on the trip and the Jurek’s wild life.
Out and Back Podcast
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Geography always played a key role in bringing Denver educators Phoebe Novitsky and Ian Silberman together. From summiting the wrong peak to bonking on an epic gravel ride, the couple’s trials and triumphs outside taught them resilience and unconditional love. Ian knew geography would also play a key role in asking for Phoebe’s hand in marriage. Grab a box of tissues and tune in to the Out and Back podcast to learn how Ian used maps (and Gaia GPS, in fact!) to elevate the proposal to the next level.
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The famous Grizzly 399 and her four cubs are back! The grizzly bears survived the winter and continue charming Grand Teton National Park visitors. Learn more about Griz 399’s amazing life story, including the one time she attacked a man outside of Jackson Lake Lodge, on the Out and Back podcast.
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Packrafting expert Luc Mehl has spent decades creatively exploring Alaska. He worked his way up the learning curves of skiing, bikepacking, ice skating, and packrafting — sometimes at the expense of his own safety. But when a friend drowned in a packrafting accident, Luc critically examined his lifestyle. He decided to relearn how to packraft the right way. Buckle up as Luc takes listeners on a wild ride this week on the Out and Back podcast.
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Pacific Crest Trail “trail angels” Scout and Frodo have hosted thru-hikers — sometimes 40 per night — for over 15 years. This week on the Out and Back podcast, Scout gives the inside scoop on why he and his wife open up their doors to so many people without charging a cent. He talks about how the PCT has changed over time, and gives insight from his own PCT thru-hike.
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Dreaming up summer hiking and backpacking adventures? You can start getting ready for them right now, right from home. This week on Out and Back, personal trainer and founder of Backcountry Fitness Billy Gawron shares how you can get strong, fit, and mentally prepared to hit the backcountry. Minimal space, equipment, and time required.
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With eight Everest summits to his name — including one without supplemental oxygen — alpinist Adrian Ballinger is a giant in the mountaineering community. But he was never supposed to be a mountaineer in the first place.
This week on Out and Back, Adrian opens up about how his one-year deferment from medical school turned into 20. The mountain guide discusses the challenges of guiding clients up the world’s tallest mountains and how a fateful encounter on the side of Mount Everest led to meeting his fiancée, professional climber Emily Harrington.
Seven years after a life-threatening cycling crash, Alan Adams reclaimed his fitness, tenacity, and connection to nature through a new year’s resolution. He set out to cover two million vertical feet in a single calendar year — all under his own power. He ended up ski touring and cycling his way to the world record. Alan climbed over 2.5 million vertical feet, averaging over 7,000 vertical a day. Tune in to the Out and Back podcast to learn how Alan juggled this overwhelming feat while maintaining his job and a relationship.
Vasu Sojitra is a highly accomplished skier and mountaineer. Yet he finds summiting technical peaks, skiing narrow couloirs, and landing 720s are not really about the accomplishments themselves. It’s far more about how these activities make him feel. A self-described “brown kid with one leg,” Vasu found community in the mountains. Now he’s on a mission to empower everyone, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to discover courage, resiliency, and joy through moving their bodies outside. Tune in to Vasu’s story on the Out and Back podcast.
Professional rock climber Matt Segal knew that sport would never be enough for him. Plus, he was fed up with drinking bad coffee on climbing expeditions. So Segal founded Alpine Start, an artisan instant coffee company, while continuing to raise the bar in climbing. Tune in to the Out and Back podcast to learn how Segal balances his indoor and outdoor careers, and how a near-death paragliding accident inspired him to take his company to the next level.