The Dirtbag Diaries

A campfire conversation with the Dirtbag Diaries staff about their favorite pieces of gear - from surfboards to secret potions - and whether a brand new pair of socks is better than a beloved, threadbare set.

“I didn’t need the phrase ‘send it’ explained to me the first time I heard it. I knew what it meant.” In their early 20’s, Forrest Wood sent everything they did. Skateboarding tricks. Dishes. Group projects. But after a series of gnarly injuries, Forrest had to spend years building back their confidence– both athletically and emotionally. And the phrase “send it” came to mean something very different to Forrest than it did before.

In 2016, Danika Gilbert, started teaching leadership and climbing skills to girls in Afghanistan. Beyond the technical skills, Danika hoped the experiences would translate to strength and confidence in their complicated lives. She met Shogufa Bayat, who joined the climbing team when she was 16. Shogufa fell in love with mountains and climbing right away. Following the chaos surrounding the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, Shogufa fled the country, wondering whether her dream of becoming a mountain guide would be on hold indefinitely.

25-year-old raft guides Tony Martin and Martin Lenz meet their clients for the week: 24 retired corporate oil and gas execs, who want their fancy river trip to go– Just. As. Planned. Ever had that adventure where nothing seems to go right? Well, this fabled trip on the Main Salmon would go down in history as one of the most epic, beyond-believable backcountry debacles.

For Sierra Meggitt, trail running was a way to heal from the trauma of sexual assault. On her biggest run yet, she embraces both pain and beauty.

Colorado is a mountain biking mecca. Yet some mountain-town locals have never experienced the wonders of singletrack trails. Today, we travel to Dillon, Colorado where one cycling nonprofit helps a gregarious group of bilingual chicas oil their chains, clip their helmets, and become the first females in their families to shred some trails.

“I definitely did not want to become a businessman,” remembers Rod Johnson, founder of Midwest Mountaineering. In the 1960’s, no Minneapolis outdoor shop sold climbing gear. So, Rod set up an impromptu gear shop in his apartment kitchen. Now, after 51 years of business, Midwest Mountaineering has become the community hub for people who live in the flatlands, but chase their dreams in the mountains.

The Colorado River is supposed to be chocolatey brown, not a vibrant blue-green like it is just below the Glen Canyon Dam. Chris Kalman had written off spending any time in those unnatural, human-affected waters– until a friend towed him along for a paddle.

Quinn Brett has been an endurance athlete for most of her adult life. From first ascents in Patagonia and Greenland to running across Zion and the Grand Canyon, her life revolved around putting one foot in front of the other. Then, after a life-changing accident in 2017, Quinn needed to find a new way to move through big landscapes.

Inspired by a pitch from a listener, we rounded up the Dirtbag Diaries team to chat about the most ridiculous places we’ve ever slept. Want to share an amusing story about where you’ve slept? Tag us on Instagram or send us a short audio file or note.