She Explores

On the trail, is confidence good, bad, or something in between? We talk with Lisa Michelle, a woman who lost her hiking partner tragically while hiking solo. We discover how Lisa is able to reconcile still doing what she loves when there's risk involved. Lisa doesn’t know the full details of her friend’s death (allegedly she fell while hiking in a foreign country), but she knows that her friend felt most confident (maybe too confident) in her hiking boots with a pack on. But is it OK for Lisa to still feel good about backpacking solo? Read Lisa's essay at www.she-explores.com/podcast. Thanks to our sponsor, Oru Kayak. Music is by Kai Engel, Evan Schaeffer, Soft & Furious, and Josh Woodward.

Can failure bring out the best in you? We're excited to share one of our favorite outdoor podcasts with you, "Out There Podcast." This week, we chat with host Willow Belden and share her award-winning episode, "High On Failure." Last spring, Jordan Wirfs-Brock attempted one of the toughest trail running races in existence: a 550-miler called Infinitus, which took place in the rugged mountains of Vermont. Jordan wasn't new to ultra running, but this race was more extreme than anything she'd done before. And it broke her: she failed to finish. Curiously, though, the failure didn't leave her feeling defeated. In fact, it turned out to be one of the best things that's ever happened to her. Thanks to our sponsor, Oru Kayak. Learn more at the episode page at www.outtherepodcast.com and She-Explores.com/podcast. Join our facebook group and chat about this episode! Music by MindsEye and Soft & Furious.

What do you do when your life looks great "on paper" but it isn't the life you want? We talk with Shelby Stanger, journalist and host of the podcast "Wild Ideas Worth Living" about what she gained when she left a high paying job 9 years ago to pursue a freelance journalism career. For Shelby, what looked good on paper, a job that looked fantastic in other people’s eyes and that she’d told herself should look great in her own, resulted in a dissonance that lead her to make a big life change. It’s a feeling we can all relate to - that friction in our mind when everything is not as it appears. Shelby is a big personality: she's warm, confident and funny. She loves surfing, diving deep into other people's stories, and teaching - whether its through her work or guiding women to learn how to surf. Learn more about Shelby through our episode page via she-explores.com/podcast. Shelby interviews She Explores Host Gale Straub on "Wild Ideas Worth Living." Check out our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group! Music by Mise, Lee Rosevere, Josh Woodward, and Chris Zabriskie. Links Mentioned in This Episode: Falling Up Surf Diva Wild Ideas Worth Living

Crystal Brindle is the park ranger only child of two park rangers. She was born to work for the National Park Service in the United States, so why did she decide to start a career as a biodiversity ranger in New Zealand? After a childhood on the move, Crystal found a home of her own. The Spanish notion of querencia that Crystal describes is core to her story - that indescribable feeling that draws you to a place. Yet, her story is also about growing up, following in her parents footsteps but ultimately gaining independence as she figures out what she wants in a career and a place. And most importantly, it’s about listening to your gut when it tells you to go. Learn more on the episode page via She-Explores.com/podcast. See Crystal's photography on her portfolio site. Sponsored by Oru Kayak Join our Facebook Group for She Explores listeners -> Music by Lee Rosevere, Josh Woodward, and Chris Zabriskie

What's top of mind for women in the outdoor industry right now? We go to the inaugural "Women's Outdoor Summit for Empowerment" in the Presidio Trust of San Francisco with that question in the back of our mind. We find out that "empowerment" is more dynamic than the story we often tell ourselves. Featuring Teresa Baker, Alyssa Ravasio, Kelly Martin, Cicely Muldoon, Jarre Hamilton, Erin Thiem, Kate Mullen, Ava Holliday, Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, Stephanie Barron, and Andrea Thomas. Learn more on the episode page via She-Explores.com Sponsored by Oru Kayak Links mentioned in this episode: Women's Outdoor Summit for Empowerment High Country News Coverage Sylvia Ann Hewlett Sponsorship Article She Explores Facebook Group She-Explores.com Music by Lee Rosevere and Josh Woodward

We talk with Chloe O’Neill, founder of "More Than Lyme." She’s had Lyme Disease for most of her young life. For Chloe, the vague, intermittent, but often debilitating symptoms of the disease have impacted her life view in both negative and remarkably positive ways. Many of the lessons its taught her are surprisingly universal - whether that's becoming more at ease with gray areas or redefining personal strength. Stay tuned for the end of the episode, there's a sneak peak of our new podcast, "Women on the Road," hosted by Laura Hughes. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Google Play, and wherever you stream stories. Learn more about it in an essay by Laura. Sponsored by Oru Kayak. Music is by Lee Rosevere and Josh Woodward via the freemusicarchive.org. Find out more at She-Explores.com/podcast and www.morethanlyme.org.

Annie Nyborg isn’t an entrepreneur or an extreme athlete or a thru hiker. She’s as passionate about the environment as she is about spending time in the backcountry as she is about being a mother. After years of feeling like the “grass was greener” everywhere but where she was - Annie let go of her expectations and in doing so, found the closest thing possible to the life work she was searching for. Learn more on She-Explores.com/podcast Sponsored by Oru Kayak Music is by Lee Rosevere via freemusicarchive.org

Agnes Vianzon has been working hard. After years of experience with the California Conservation Corps (CCC), Agnes decided to take start her own Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps (ESCC), described as a youth and young adult "development and leadership program committed to building a stronger and more inclusive community... through transformational backcountry experiences." Agnes understands the power of the backcountry because she first immersed in it herself as a 20-something in the CCC. Agnes is laying the groundwork for more than just a nonprofit, she's training and mentoring a new generation to be leaders and environmental stewards. We learn from Agnes about how her life turned out differently than her parents expected, what it's like to start a nonprofit, a bit about the work of Conservation Corps, and why she's so passionate about "Women in the Wilderness," an all-women's backpacking trip for women of color hosted by ESCC. Sponsored by Oru Kayak Links Mentioned in this episode: Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps Shingle Springs Racheria History She Explores Tank Tops Music by Soft and Furious, Tours, Lee Rosevere, and MindsEye CC by A Learn more at She-Explores.com/podcast

Sisters Julie Hotz and Shelly Blacketer grew up together in rural Texas but took very separate paths. Living 1,500 miles away, they decided to train for their first race together: a half-ironman. This episode is kind of about that race, but it's more about two sisters coming together in a novel way. You might remember thru hiker and filmmaker Julie Hotz from our second podcast episode, "On Fear: Human Powered Travel." We talked with Julie about hiking the PNT, PCT, and bike packing from LA to Glacier. She was on the precipice of big life changes: going completely freelance and deciding to call LA home. In some ways, this episode picks up where we left off. Learn about how pain can be integral to growth, the subtle bonds that tie family together, and why it's important to do hard things. Sponsored by Oru Kayak Learn more about this episode on the episode page at www.she-explores.com/podcast Music is by Lee Rosevere

How has your dad shaped your experiences in the outdoors? Prompted by a message from a new father, we asked you to share your stories and received a breadth of responses. We found that our dads have had a profound impact on our relationship with the natural world, even in his absence. Included in this episode are 21 voice memos from women of all ages and backgrounds. It's a big Venn Diagram - some overlap, but each is uniquely her own. Learn more via the episode page at www.she-explores.com/podcast Sponsored by Oru Kayak Music by Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, Komiku, Mise, PC One, Nihilore, Chris Zabriskie