Taking the day off to climb some red rock and soak up some Colorado sunshine at 5Point Film Festival.

I’m thankful everyday for the wonderful group of people I get to work with. It seems that even on the busiest day, someone will pop out of nowhere with a quick email, message or phone call that reminds me to stop, breathe and be incredibly grateful for the work that I’m doing. Over the last month, I’ve teamed up with a few more friends and I’m excited about what we’ve tackled so far and what is yet to come. So big thanks to…

5Point Film Festival. I’d never been to 5Point Film Festival before last year. The road to and from the festival was paved with craziness, but while we were in Carbondale, I remember feeling a sense of community that I’d never felt at a festival before. We weren’t running around, having rushed conversations and trying to eek our way into the films we wanted to see. We had the days off to hang out with good folks, climb up some red rock and soak up some sweet Colorado sun, and then we all gathered into the same room and watched the same films, together. Afterward, we all shared cold brews and talked about what we had seen and experienced. It was awesome. And I was hooked.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all kumbaya and holding hands. There was plenty of debauchery, hot tubs and fireworks to balance it all out. As I’m working with the 5Point team to get ready for this year’s festival, I’m already excited for what’s in store. Justin Clifton, you’re going to kill it. Jake Marty, you better show me those dance moves. Jenny Nichols and Andy Maser, you’re going to Wild Love all over that place. Sarah Kuck, you’re never going to know what hit you.

The White Salmon River erupting through Condit Dam, free for the first time in a century. Photo © Andy Maser

American Rivers. Have I told you how much I love free-flowing rivers? How about explosive dam removal? Oh, and what about bulldozers knocking chunks of concrete out of the river’s way? I started my career with a river nonprofit up in Bellingham, Washington and have spent most of the last decade advocating for free-flowing rivers and wild salmon in one way or another. But I’m not going to lie, I burned out. I burned out big time. I was exhausted from working on a tough campaign and feeling like I was constantly banging my head against the damn concrete dams we were trying to remove on the lower Snake River.

But then something happened. I was in a room with a bunch of rad folks at the Patagonia Tools Conference with a friend from American Whitewater on the weekend that crews cut the first notches into Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on the Elwha River. I felt something. I felt like I was going to scream and shout and start crying. And then a month later while I was packed under a tent with hundreds of people and watched crews blast a hole in the base of Condit Dam. As soon as the White Salmon River erupted through that dam, I lost it. I screamed, I shouted and cried. I hugged everyone in sight. I was no longer burned out. I was fired up. 

Thanks American Rivers. I’m excited to be a part of this incredible fight. Want to fight? Do it here.

Jake Norton, renowned climber, guide and founder of Challenge21: Water For People, One Peak at a Time

Challenge21. I first met Jake Norton and Wende Valentine at Mountainfilm last year. But I first got to know them last August when they opened their home to Andy Maser, Jenny Nichols and me for our very first Wild Love interview. I was amazed by their generosity, their mindfulness and I was completely in awe at their ability to juggle two more than full-time careers, two adorable and very energetic children and still be completely in love with each other.

What’s even more amazing? They had recently kicked off a campaign called Challenge21. Jake, a renowned climber and guide, is aiming to be the first climber to complete the Triple Seven Summits – the three highest peaks on each continent – to help combat the world’s most pressing development needs: water and sanitation. His goal is to raise $2.1 million for the Denver-based non-profit Water For People and engage and impassion 2.1 million people in the global water and sanitation crisis. Wende works with Water For People and she and Jake dreamed this campaign up together. Climbing the Triple Seven Summits sounds impossible and kind of crazy, but the really crazy part is this statistic: unsafe water and sheer lack of sanitation in the developing world kills one child under the age of five every 30 seconds. A fact that drives Jake and Wende to tackle this problem each and every day.

Do your part to help here.

Thank you, and happy Friday!

Just moments after the blast, and after I tackled American Rivers' Amy Souers Kober in excitement. Courtesy Klean Kanteen

There are no words to describe how freaking awesome it was to witness the White Salmon River erupt through Condit Dam on Wednesday, so just watch the video here via Andy Maser and National Geographic and CELEBRATE! Powerful, powerful stuff.

PHOTO via Klean Kanteen’s FB page. Thanks for your support!

PHOTO of Marmot Dam explosion via

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the deconstruction of the dams on the Elwha River. I now have three chunks of concrete sitting on my mantle — two from Elwha Dam and one from Marmot Dam that was destroyed a couple of years ago. You might say I’m becoming a bit obsessed with dam removal… but hey, it’s pretty damn cool to see four dams come down in my lifetime and I’m not even 30 yet.

Our rockstar friend and filmmaker Andy Maser just released his most recent teaser for American Rivers’ Year of the River series celebrating the Elwha and White Salmon river restorations.

“I was so determined that the river run free and that the fish would return. I couldn’t stop. I always believed that Condit Dam would come down someday. What I didn’t think would happen, is that it would be in my lifetime.” — Phillis Clausen, a longtime resident of the White Salmon area and one of the most kick-ass river advocates I’ve ever known.

In less than two weeks, crews will pack the dam full of dynamite and blow it up, freeing the White Salmon almost immediately. They estimate the reservoir will drain in less than 6 hours. While no one can actually be there to see the blast, Andy is setting up several cameras at the site to catch all of the action. So stay tuned… and if you want to see some photos and updates leading up to the blast, visit Andy’s White Salmon Timelapse Project site.

And last, but not least, we want to give a major shout-out to New Belgium Brewery and Klean Kanteen who are supporting this incredible. Check out this great Skinny Dip ad on the White Salmon several years ago. Pretty cool to see it come full circle.

Happy Friday!

Love from under solen

I saw a post from a friend on Facebook as the news spread of Steve Jobs’ death and all that it said was “iSad”.  This simple and clever post made me laugh while the rest of the world was/is mourning the passing of an exceptional thinker. From this laughter came deep gratitude for all of the people that are in our lives and who fill it consistently with smiles, hope and grace.

I will borrow Steve Jobs words and Rihanna’s song (to be played extremely loud — don’t be ashamed) as we raise our glasses to YOU as we venture into another beautiful weekend:

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… you can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”  — Steve Jobs

Thank you to the brands who carefully select and build products that truly stand for something and better our world in some small or large way. Cheers to the musicians and filmmakers who bare their soul each and every time a microphone or camera covers their face. Thank you to the non-profits who exist out of pure passion for something that needs to be believed in. Cheers to the silent leaders that fill our world, I trust that your voices will be heard in those times of need.

We honor and send high fives out to you ALL!  HAPPY FRIDAY and we hope that you ROCK OUT HARD THIS WEEKEND!

“This is just breathtaking for me. This is not only an historic moment, but it’s going to lead to historic moments elsewhere across the country.” —Michael Connor, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on removing two dams on the Elwha River.

I took the leap into my first nonprofit gig with a salmon group in Bellingham, Washington. After getting dirty at a few work parties, teaching kids about rivers and seeing the first first run of salmon coming home… it didn’t take long — I was hooked. With conservation it’s all about winning — because winning means we’re making this world a better place. Oftentimes, we get so caught up in the seemingly impossible state of affairs — climate change and species extinction to name a few — that we can’t even see the little and big wins happening every day.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be a part of an incredible posse of movers and shakers at the Patagonia Tools Conference for Grassroots Activists. After meeting dozens of inspiring people fighting to protect a piece of this world, it was hard not to be motivated and energized about the work we all do. We spent a lot of time talking about celebrating the little wins, especially when you have a tough road to your final big win. The conference could not have happened at a better time because that same weekend crews began work on the largest river restoration project in history — removing two dams on the Elwha River. BOOM! That is no small feat. That is a huge win.

Thanks to Amy Kober of American Rivers for dropping off two chunks of Elwha dam. I've never been so happy to hold a piece of concrete in my hand.

What we as eco warriors need to remember that every win, large or small is part of a larger movement. Whether you live in the Northwest or not, whether you have been part of this fight or not — this victory is your to celebrate. With every win, we get stronger, smarter and more energized. So, this Friday it’s time to celebrate this huge win… we’ve got more on the way.

Happy Friday!

It’s no secret that Anna and bonded over our love of Northwest-inspired animal costumes… Last night Buster the Wild Salmon and Sassy the Sustainable Sasquatch were back in action at our Wild Salmon Rising throw down. We had so much fun that we had to put together a little Sassy +  Buster montage…

Happy Friday!

For weeks (okay months), I’ve watched Andy Maser of EP Films throw everything he had into a 22-minute long film about salmon. Sure, salmon are cold, slimy creatures that many people go through a day without thinking about. But on Wednesday night here in Portland, I watched 150+ people packed into Keen Footwear‘s great room completely transfixed by these fish and the journey they make and the battle they fight to survive. The real film premiere will happen in January at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, but the trailer will give you a good idea on why it’s so awesome.

I’ve watched that salmon film dozens of times and every time I get chills when I see those fish throw everything they have into clearing the next waterfall (or dam) on their migration home and my heart beats faster when I hear Horace, a tribal elder, of the Nez Perce Tribe talk about salmon, and that “You can hear them coming.”

For just being a fish, they are everything to the Pacific Northwest. We are inextricably linked to salmon. Our culture, our heritage, our economy and our environment. And we’re letting them go extinct. A woman asked last night if we can actually do anything about that. Of course we can. Sure, the fate of wild salmon is just one issue in a mountain of other national and world problems. But the second we decide to give up, is the second that we stop living. Even if you don’t care about salmon. Care about something. Tell your neighbor, tell your friend and for goodness sake scream and shout at your elected leaders until they listen…

I’m writing this on Thursday night after watching several films on tour with the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. I watched professional skiers and snowboarders talk about how climate change is affecting their snow and what they’ve done in their daily lives to fight for what they have left, I watched a little kid so in awe of millions of lady bugs crawling all over a log and climbing onto his pudgy, little fingers, and I watched a diverse crew of young folks blazing a trail to a food revolution that I hope and pray takes over this country like wildfire.

“It takes a very strong mind to stop doing things the way their parents and grandparents did it… There’s no money in that, even though there’s salvation in that.” Michael Pollan said in the film The Greenhorns.

So can we do it? Well, we sure as hell have to try. Today, do something. Fight for something as if your life depended on it — even if that’s just telling someone the story of the salmon or riding your bike to the grocery store. Because at the end of the day, it’s those very actions that will change the world — and save it.

And if you feel like giving up, just remember those salmon. Humans have thrown every obstacle in their way and they are fighting back so hard to survive. Watching a female salmon at the end of her journey high in the mountains of Idaho use her last ounce of strength, knocking the flesh off of her own body to build a nest for her babies has taught me one thing, if nothing else… Fight. Give it everything you have. They sure are. Out of respect, we should be doing the same. For the salmon, for the earth and for ourselves.

PHOTOS: Neil Ever Osborne, iLCP

It finally feels like fall… and although we’re grieving the loss of warm summer afternoons, we’re also looking forward to the changing leaves, autumn hikes and donning our rain gear. No really, we’re from the NW… we’re into that kind of thing.

A few things that are getting us excited about the season:

Bike rides

Today is PARK(ing) Day! Ok, so this has nothing to do with fall at all except that the event happens to take place in September, but we like it anyway. We’ll be cruising around town this afternoon (on bikes of course) to check out all of the parking spaces turned temporary, mini-parks. Hopefully that’s the kick-off to lots of urban autumn rides, complete with ample stops for coffee refills.

Salmon returns

Fall river hikes teamed with watching salmon return to the waters that they hatched several years before is at the top of the list for outdoor fall activities. Seriously. Don’t think salmon are amazing. Just watch this trailer. Then tell us you’re not impressed.

Salmon Film Teaser from Epicocity Project on Vimeo.

Photo excursions

Fall colors anyone? Come on, it’s the best time to get outside and hone your photo skills. Need tips on capturing them? Check out 6 Ways to Get Great Color in Your Photos Without Photoshop on Matador.

Farmers market harvest

Chantrelles. Pumpkins. Winter Squash. Need we say more?

Birthdays!

That’s right, we’re less than two months away from Under Solen’s 1 year birthday! Who’s ready to celebrate??

Wrote this over on Elephant Journal, but figured we should pop it up here as well… Enjoy!

In the world of new media, time is of the essence. But the constant need to produce daily content and up-to-date information means that sometimes we don’t take the necessary distance to contemplate, consider and meditate upon how we really feel about something.

Or at least that’s my excuse for not having written about the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market which took place at the beginning of August.

Outdoor Retailer, otherwise known as OR, is a mad-fest of outdoor brands, retailers and other industry folks all crammed into one big convention center. Try to imagine every single outdoor brand that you can think of, put them all in fancy booths, add in a mix of dirtbag climbers, and media professionals, and complete with daily rounds of happy hour…and you start to get the feel of what this event looks like.

There are two ORs a year, one in summer and one in winter, and in the months leading up to ‘em it seems like the only thing any of us in the industry can talk about.

“Don’t you have that crazy trade show where you check out a bunch of new products to go to again?” ask our friends.

“Umm… yeah,” we respond, slightly stressed and intimidated by the long list of meetings that we’ve scheduled.

After four intense, sleepless days it’s all over, and we return home to: “How was that crazy trade show? Did you see anything cool?”

How does one even begin to answer that question? One of the industry media stars that I look up to, Steve Casimiro of The Adventure Life, recently tried to answer that question, and he put into words what I was already thinking: at the end of the day,this industry isn’t about the products, it’s about the people. That’s why we all stick around.

I’ll admit to being a bit of a gear nerd, but in all honesty, during the four days at OR it wasn’t even the products that any single brand was touting that I was concerned with, it was the causes they were promoting. That’s the great thing about the outdoor industry: it’s good people using business to promote conservation causes. Because at the end of the day, without beautiful, accessible natural spaces, us outdoor types would have nowhere to play, and therefore if we want to buy new tents and rainjackets, we better do our damnedest to protect the places that we plan on using them.

So forget about the products…what were some of the coolest causes I saw? That’s only a difficult question to answer because there were so many.

Here’s a quick selection:

1. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance – SUWA encouraged OR attendees to let Ken Salazar know that they wanted to Keep Utah Wild in a creative way: by posing with a cardboard version of the Secretary of the Interior himself. Pucker up and protect those wild lands!

2. Save Our Wild Salmon – Salmon have become a cause near and dear to my heart, and partnering with Patagonia, Save Our Wild Salmon hosted a party andshowed a film trailer to celebrate the one-of-a-kind fish that swim more than 900 miles inland and climb over 7,000 feet to spawn. Seriously, I’m sure that’s wayyy more effort than any of us will every put into procreating.

3. Conservation Alliance – I can’t say enough about Conservation Alliance. If you don’t know this organization, you should. It’s a class example of how competing businesses can come together for the common good. Case and point: theConservation Alliance announced at this summer’s OR a new level of membership that recognizes companies contributing at least $100,000 annually. That’s a lot of cash going directly to conservation causes.

Back to that timing thing…I could have written this post three weeks ago. But the farther away I get from OR the more I realize that what’s left in my memory aren’t the newest products; it’s the necessity to get out and work to protect the places we love.

This isn’t a choice; we have to do it.

So get out and get active. Support a cause, sign a petition, or go on a trip to your favorite backcountry spot in order to get re-inspired by the beauty of nature.

Because there’s no excuse for complacency—and it’s a lot of fun.