The Dirtbag Diaries

The Dirtbag Diaries turns five.  This also happens to be our 100th episode.  To celebrate the occasion, we reached out to our collaborators, our contributors and our friends and asked for ideas. Their response was resounding. "We want to hear your story, the story of the Diaries," they said.  Our intern, Austin Siadak, stepped forward to do the interview and relay the story.  

On road trips, Brendan Leonard always stops to check out the t-shirt rack, bumper stickers or display of trinkets unique to the area. And every stop is a chance to find the best, ever. But he hadn't quite found it. Until friends told him of a magical place huddled in the shadow of the Sierra. Indeed, this was a magical place, but could it exceed his checklist of expectations?

John Dittli says the skating has been epic in the high Sierra. While others have bemoaned the lack of snow, John has seized the extended window to ice skate on multiple lakes. In the spirit of making the most out of a situation. we present the Year of Big Ideas- goals from friends, pros and creative thinkers. And no matter what 2012 brings, we'll make sure there's more lemonade in all we do.

Growing up in Ireland, writer Lisa McGonigle wasn't immersed in snow and mountains. But a trip to the Pyrenees when she was 19 to try snowboarding realigned her priorities. While little rivals fresh lines on a powder day, she discovered the fine line between passionate and obsessed can be difficult to distinguish. 

Transitions may not be sexy, but they make or break us. Almost five years after I wrote the Monoboard and started The Diaries, I find myself in a metaphorical transition.  My passions run from the mountains to the Seattle music scene and I've become adept at moving between them. My life is about to change. My passions won't.  It's time to refine the transition.

Dean Fleming writes, " Like most rock climbers, I’m a control freak and I’m cheap.  So I’ll share one lifestyle tip for the committed to put extra cash in your pocket." DIY haircuts. Dean lays out 3 simple steps to keeping the dirtbag dream alive. 

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.