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Adventure Activism, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud / 08.06.2013

The Expedition Denali team arrived today that the National Outdoor Leadership School base in Palmer, Alaska. The day was spent outfitting the gear necessary to be in the field for three weeks. These photographs illustrate a few moments throughout the day. [fsg_gallery id="7"] The Joy Trip Project coverage of Expedition Denali is made possible thanks to the generous support of MAKO Surgical Corp. Ask your doctor if you're a candidate for MAKOPlasty....

Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Commentary, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud / 07.06.2013

I woke this morning after a peaceful night’s sleep to the vision of a dream. Crashed in a sleeping bag on the floor of a modern cabin I could see the glorious view from Talkeetna. A cascading image came pouring through the window in a stream of light reflecting snow from the summit of Denali. But rolling over before rising something else caught my eye. On a low shelf beneath an old television set with rabbit-ear antenna and a VCR was a row of tired paperbacks. There I found...

Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud, Photography / 06.06.2013

It’s a beautiful day in Alaska. A light breeze beneath a clear blue ski make for exquisite spring weather in the days leading up to Expedition Denali. At the branch office of the National Outdoor Leader School in Palmer the primary instructors and the media team gathered for the first of several mission briefs. The team arrives on Friday and in these remaining hours the meticulous planning of almost two years enters the final stages of a grand conclusion. This weekend the first majority African-American group of climbers...

Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud / 03.06.2013

Sunday mornings after yoga Shamane and I typically head to the grocery store. This week instead of a big shopping we went to Woodman’s on the Westside of Madison just to pick up a few odds and ends. My wife would be eating dinner alone with our two dogs over the next few weeks as I was heading for a month-long assignment in Alaska. As a freelance journalist I have been given the rare privilege of writing a book and documentary film script to chronicle the first all-African-American...

Life Out Loud, Stand Up Paddling, SUP The Mag.com / 02.06.2013

A long, cold winter brought a late start to the standup paddling season in Wisconsin. With ice on the lakes around Madison clear through the first week of April, warm spring days we’ve been hoping for took their own sweet time coming around. But the weather seemed to open up with perfect timing to welcome a special guest from the islands of Hawaii. Courtesy of the local shop, Paddleboard Specialists, and Sandwich Island Composites (SIC) pro board rider Jeremy Riggs brought a little Pacific Ocean sunshine to the Dairyland, as well...

Adventure Activism, Commentary, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud / 27.05.2013

On this Memorial Day I want to recognize the accomplishments of veteran Charles M. Crenchaw. In 1964 he became the first African-American to reach the summit of Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, the highest peak in North America. But in the years leading up to that historic climb during World War II Crenchaw served as a Master Sargent in the U.S. Army Air Corps. As flight engineer he was in charge of maintenance for a squadron of airplanes flown by the Tuskegee Airmen. An experiment designed to...