Outlandish

New York's Adirondack State Park is bigger than Yellowstone, the Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks... combined. This week, we're handing the mic off to producers Emily Russell and Brian Mann, who show us how the Adirondacks serve as a testing ground for ideas shaping public lands management across the U.S.

On the Idaho-Wyoming border, the future of a special piece of land hangs in the ether. It’s called the Palisades. Some people want to see it protected as Wilderness. Others want to preserve its wild character AND keep it open to motorized and mechanized uses. Producer Scott Stuntz wonders if the two sides have more in common than they think.

What happens when a professional skier/cliff jumper decides to start a trail running series? Well, let's just say running isn't the main focus. The Cirque Series in the brain child of famous cliff-jumper Julian Carr, and takes place on some of the most well-known ski resorts around the West. Producer Claire Jones sets off to learn more about the series and Julian, which leads her down a path to answer one question: What on earth draws people to run up and down 3000 vertical feet?

Trail magic is part serendipity, part heroism, part… well, magic. It's a helping hand when hikers need it most. Outlandish is partnering with the Out There podcast to bring you today's story. We'll meet Willow Belden, a radio-maker who's thru-hiked the Colorado Trail. She helps us answer the question of why trail angels are so kind. What makes an angel commit to offering repeated acts of altruism?

How many people know a gold miner? Producer Monica Gokey knew exactly zero before she set off into the backwoods of Idaho to find one. She thought she'd find grizzled old men hellbent on striking it rich. Instead, she found an eclectic community of people for whom gold mining is a hobby, a social connection, and their bridge to the great outdoors. 

Producer Nick Mott moved to Montana about a year ago. He’s an avid rock climber – and he noticed something really weird when he first moved there: It was super hard to find information on where and what all the climbs were. People were tight-lipped. At the same time, social media meant all kinds of public lands were getting busier than ever. So he started wonder: What does sharing information – or being secret about it – mean for the places we play?

Does getting better at something increase our enjoyment of it? In today's episode, producer Monica Gokey asks the question of whether aptitude affects how much we enjoy a particular activity - in this case, fly-fishing. We'll also hear from an expert on how waterway access differs from public land access. Pull out your fly rod, tie a fly, and put in your earbuds - Outlandish is heading to the river! 

Outlandish is in full-on production with season three around the corner... but in the meantime, we're re-releasing an interview with our favorite Iditarod musher, Jesse Royer. Jesse's running at the front of the pack in this year's race. We couldn't pass up the chance to put her amazing voice back on the airwaves. We're rooting for you, Jesse! Mush on.

On this episode of Outlandish we speak with Mark Bethke, Director of Planning and Budget for the U.S. Forest Service Region 4 (and Liz's boss!) to discuss why it's important for you to be engaged in your region and exactly how you can join the conversation.      

Team outlandish explores the intersection of public lands and public health.