National Geographic has announced it’s annual Adventurers of the Year and we’re psyched to see some familiar faces in the mix. 

For seven years, National Geographic has combed the globe to find Adventurers of the Year, each selected for his or her extraordinary achievement in exploration, conservation, and adventure sports. This year, in partnership with Glenfiddich, we selected men and women who are pioneering innovation in the world of adventure-by reinventing distance hiking on the Appalachian Trail, launching a backyard microadventure movement, skiing the Andes under human power, and much more. 

Here we present our 2012 Adventurers of the Year. Check them out, then vote every day for your favorite in the People’s Choice Award.

Congratulations! And kudos to Fitz Cahall for pulling together the stories so beautifully.

Here’s to all of your explorers out there. Whether you find adventure in your own backyard, or in the far-reaches of the globe, we’re grateful to have people like you continually stoking our collective fire and pushing the limit to bring incredible stories home. We’ll leave you with this wonderful and well-known quote from Steve Jobs…

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. 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 people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Happy Friday!

Image via. And thanks to Jen Woodward who passed it along to us.

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!

We’ve all had an epic. An adventure that gets a little too out of hand… Well, earlier this week, I had a bit of an epic.

There’s a little thing called Tipsy Tuesdee that happens over on the Middle White Salmon. It’s usually a group of girls (boys are allowed sometimes) who head over to the river on Tuesday after work and fit in a fun and splashy run to take advantage of the gloriously long days in the summertime. Oh, and there are some cans of beer involved too.

I’ve taken part with my sister and had pretty much the time of my life, or at least the time of my week with the fabulous ladies of the Gorge. So this time would be no different, right? Wrong. One, my sister couldn’t come, so my inflatable kayak (IK) felt huge and empty without her. And two, the river was WAY higher than I remembered.

When we reached the put-in I had a feeling in my gut that I shouldn’t run the river that day, but I was with three awesome and uber experienced kayakers, so I told myself to suck it up and go for it anyway. It took me five-ish Class IV rapids and one swim to realize I was in way over my head. My tandem IK was too much boat for me to maneuver alone. I was wheeli-ing all over the place and getting seriously pushed around in the whitewater. It felt like my boat wasn’t even touching the water it was so buoyant.

My friends said I was actually doing really well. I still don’t believe them. I was scared, felt out of control and wanted to run. But damn it, you can’t run on water and the basalt cliffs in the canyon made it near impossible to climb out. So, after a few deep breaths, several swigs of my tall boy and words of encouragement from my friends, I paddled back into the whitewater. Some more pushy rapids and another near-swim and my determination was toast. I paddled over to a steep, but manageable hillside, pulled my IK out of the water and told my friends I’d meet them by the road. They agreed that the road was pretty close to where I took out, so agreed and paddled away. I heaved a sigh of relief to be on dry land.

I pulled my boat up farther and stowed it behind a big Doug Fir tree and started climbing up the slope. My plan was to hike to the road, leave my paddle and drysuit and then hopefully retrieve my boat before my friends showed up. Entirely too optimistic: After reaching the top, I realized I was in for it… before me stood A LOT of thick forest and no sign of the road. I walked for about 30 minutes or so and didn’t find the road, so I retraced my steps back to the river.

By this time the sun had dipped below the trees and it was getting dark… quick. It only took me a few minutes to decide that my best option was to hike/scramble along the river until I reached the take-out or something else that would lead me to the road. So I finished my beer, scarfed down a Clif Bar and was on my way. Vine maple + slippery, mossy river rocks = REALLY tough going.

It took me more than 2 hours to bushwhack my way to the road and find my friends. Way more of an adventure than any of us had planned for a Tuesday night. I had a lot of time to think and was reminded of a few things that I thought I’d share…

1. The wilderness is big, you are small. Respect it. Sometimes it takes getting rocked by a wave, pushed around by a rapid or climbing a big wall or mountain to make you realize how teeny, tiny you are. It’s not a bad thing at all. It’s a great thing. I think we could use more reminders of the vast power of nature. That deserves some serious respect.
2. Listen to your gut. It’s almost never wrong. Sure, nothing bad happened. Everyone made it out of this adventure okay, but when you’re gut is telling you that you shouldn’t do something, you should listen. It’s a fine line between challenging yourself and pushing it too far.
3. Relax. Take a few breaths and try again. Whatever you’re doing, don’t panic. That’s the worst thing you can do in challenging situations. Remember: you got this. And if it turns out you’ve pushed it too far, don’t be afraid to walk away. You’ll have a chance to challenge yourself again.
4. Love your friends. I mean give them some real LOVE! They encourage you when you’re freaking out on a river and they’ll pick your cold, wet and tired ass up on the side of the road in the dark and take you home and make you grilled cheese and tomato soup. Molly Downey, Andy Maser and Hayden Peters: I LOVE YOU!!!
5. Always, always carry a head lamp and snacks. That’s what the pocket in your life jacket, backpack and pants is for! Dear Clif Bar: thanks for keeping me going. Dear Emily: Always bring a head lamp! That scramble would have been a hell of a lot easier if I could see…

Moral of the story: respect nature, respect yourself and respect your friends… and have fun out there!

Happy Friday!

What does it mean to live simply? Renting a studio apartment with no car, no pets and no real estate to my name, some may say that I live simply. But I enjoy my creature comforts; I own too many fleece/windstopper/synthetic shell type jackets, I would be hard pressed to sell my wonderful couch and I like drinking wine out of regular wine glasses.

Living simply, after all, is relative.

I’ve been thinking about the idea of living simply a lot over the last several months. Last summer one our good friends Allie Bombach took off on what I thought was one of the coolest adventures anyone had dreamed up in quite some time.

She got rid of most of her possessions, scrounged up enough cash to buy an Airstream and committed the next phase of her life to not only living simply herself, but also finding and telling the stories of others that were doing the same. Many emails were sent back and forth as she built the foundation of 23 Feet, planned her route and got people excited about her project.

As she made her way from Durango to Portland, Emily and I followed along through email and Facebook updates. The truck broke down; we sent her positive vibes via text. She crossed the border into Oregon; we called her and screamed, “welcome!” into the phone. She finally pulled into Portland, drove down a long street in SE, the silver Airstream in tow; we ran down the street, jumping and dancing to welcome her to her new home.

Fast forward seven months later, to a conversation that went a little like this:

Me: “We have three various events to go to in Colorado during the month of May”

Emily: “Seems like a dumb idea to fly back and forth that many times, doesn’t it?”

Me: “Yup.”

Allie: “You should just come in the Airstream.”

Emily and I: “Ok”

Sometimes choosing to live simply is just that: simple.

And so we contemplated what it would take to help with the Colorado tour of 23 Feet and how exactly the four ladies of Red Reel and Under Solen would fare crammed into such a small space for weeks on end. “Pretty well” we decided.

A small brainstorm quickly turned into the “Month of Colorado” (MOC for short), a tour that would include backyards, organic beers and bringing like-minded, passionate people together. All to talk about what living simply in order to pursue your passions really means.

There are times in your life when you embark on journeys that you know will change you. This is one of them. Sure there will be wifi networks, so we can get the “day job” done (even MOC does not allow for auto responders), but in the end we’re all taking time to do what we love. To live.

We’re choosing beans and rice — ok, maybe some quinoa — over risotto, cowboy coffee over soy lattes, river dunks over daily showers and morning trail runs over carefully planned lunch break workouts, and I couldn’t be more excited.

It’s time to hit the reboot button. Work during the day, play in the afternoon. Step away from everyday routine and reality and push our boundaries a bit. Pack the tent and sleeping bag and hope for some starry nights outside. Brush the sand out of the mug before pouring in some wine. Don’t take a shower for a few days. The things that fuel our souls, and yet, are so often, so easy to neglect.

We’ll take photos. We’ll post updates. But mostly we’ll take time to appreciate where we are, who we’re with and the conversations that we’re having. All in the hopes of inspiring more individuals to truly think about what makes them passionate – what makes them feel alive – and how they’re going to start incorporating that into their daily life on a larger scale.

Environmental activist and ocean rower Roz Savage hits the water today to embark on her 5th expedition, taking her from Fremantle, Australia to Mumbia, India.

I met Roz several years ago, and since have been constantly inspired by her commitment to spreading a positive message wherever she goes. If you spend time with her you’ll quickly learn that she was not too long ago a member of “normal” society, with the 9-5 cubicle job, a fabulous London living situation, a car… the list goes on. But one day she decided that there might be more to life than a steady income and life in the suburbs. So she did what any adventurous soul would do: plotted out a course for change.

For Roz that meant rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Not everyone is going to give up everything and pursue a similar path to Roz’s. But what is inspiring about this woman is that she doesn’t expect that from any of us. What she does expect is that we start to think about and question what kind of an impact our everyday lifestyles have. This certainly puts her on our list of women that kick ass.

We caught up with Roz a few days before her scheduled departure to learn a little more about this expedition and what she hopes others will gain from her experiences.

How is this expedition different from the last?

With every voyage, I feel like I learn something new. The Atlantic was the personal journey. The Pacific became the environmental journey. It would be really cool if the Indian was the spiritual journey – but you can never tell in advance!

Why do you think adventure and activism go hand in hand?

My rowing adventures make a great metaphor for how we can tackle our environmental challenges. There are probably times when we all wonder what we can do to make a difference, and feel that our individual actions are just a tiny drop in a very big ocean. But rowing an ocean demonstrates that a million (literally!) tiny actions add up to something really significant. We can achieve almost anything, if we just take it one oarstroke at a time.

How do you inspire other women to pursue their passions?

I hope it’s not just women I inspire! But seriously, I used to seriously limit myself by not believing I could have an adventure. I’m short (five-foot-four on a good day) and not very athletic, and not all that young any more (43). Then I read about a woman, about my size, who had continued to row alone across the Atlantic after her big, strapping, six-foot-five husband completely crumbled mentally, and had to be taken off their boat for his own good. It made me realize that it’s more about the strength of your spirit than the strength of your muscles.

If you could encourage people to do just one thing to make this world a better place, what would it be?

I would ask them to never again use a single-use plastic item. Plastic bags, water bottles, drinking straws, plastic silverware…. it’s so easy to carry your own. It simply makes no sense to make “disposable” items, with a useful life of about 20 minutes, out of an indestructible substance that is with us for decades. And once you get that whole concept, that on a finite Earth, when you throw something “away” it doesn’t really go away, it starts to make you so much more conscious of where things come from, and where they go to. And once you get THAT, you don’t have much choice but to be much more mindful about your actions. Every time we buy something, or throw something “away”, or choose how to get from A to B, we are casting a vote for the kind of future that we want. Every action counts!

We love this video. Enough said.

Via: Wend Magazine

Our friend John of Uncage the Soul Productions just got back from a 20-day trip in the Grand Canyon, and he’s already managed to put this inspirational clip together. Like John says, watch and “fall in love with our planet all over again.”

Grand Canyon 2010 from Uncage the Soul Productions on Vimeo.

Here at Under Solen we get to hang out and work with some pretty inspirational people. Allie Bombach is certainly part of that crowd. A fellow 20-something-kick-ass-female-that-does-her-own-thing, Allie is taking on the world of adventure, video camera in hand. Beyond running Red Reel Video Media, she’s currently working on one of the most intriguing projects we’ve come across in awhile: 23 feet.

What is 23 feet? In a short answer: One film, three women, 23 feet of Airstream, and 2600 miles. With a love of adventure travel, Allie scored herself a sweet vintage rig and is planning on spending the next little while exploring the wild lands of the west, advocating “activism and awareness of conservation through promoting organizations that dedicate themselves to preserving these wild lands, and encourage people to get outside and see these places for themselves.”

We caught up with Allie to learn more about the project and what keeps her inspired.

Airstreams are hot these days. What was the first thing that happened that made you think, “I should get one of those?”

Being an outdoor videographer, my job keeps me on the road. I think the moment of realization came when my roommates were surprised to see me at home, and when I could sleep better in my car then my own bed. I have had a crush on old Airstreams since I was a kid and after traveling from place to place and only spending a few days a month at the room I was renting, it just made sense to get a home on wheels. I love the classic look, and that they are light and aerodynamic. Lasting through generations, they are meant for the roads and not the landfills and to me it resembles buying an old historic house verses a cookie cutter – more funky, fun, and the ability to have restoration creativity. I also love simple living. I’m excited to have limited space, so only the necessities are inside.

Did you think about buying the Airstream and then figure out the idea for the film, or vice versa?

I bought the Airstream first and was planning on moving to Portland, OR in the summer of 2010. After attending the 5point film festival and being overwhelmingly inspired to create by the filmmakers, I felt the story I wanted to tell was already there, it just needed to be set it in motion.

How did the idea for 23 Feet evolve?

At first it was about challenging myself. I am happily addicted to change, risk, and putting myself out of my element and the undertaking of living full-time on the road was a welcomed adventure. After discussing the challenges with others who had been on the road pursuing their passions, I realized that a lot of the conversations came back to community. It’s easy to feel alone out there when you’re always showing up in new place without knowing a soul. But, people who are passionate about the outdoors and getting outside are usually a pretty easy group to approach, and it’s hard to leave that new place without making a friend or two. So, it evolved into a story about the traveling community. A big theme of the film is enjoying our wild lands which, ultimately, go hand in hand with taking responsibility for them. Every day we are reminded that we cannot take these spaces for granted – every day we lose more and more precious wilderness. We are striving to stir people to action by reminding them of how lucky we are to have access to nature, and to bring awareness to conservation efforts throughout the West.

Who’s involved in 23 Feet?

When I offered to take friends with me on my trip across the West, I really didn’t expect anyone to say yes. After all, taking over a month off of work isn’t really something most people can do. And it’s not like this would be a vacation! Filming production is a lot of work, especially on the road. But Greer Glasser and Lisa Montierth not only said yes, they are drastically changing their own lives in the name of this adventure. I love that these two ladies are willing jump onboard, let me throw them into some pretty hairy situations, and at the end of the day crawl into some pretty tight quarters for some shut-eye. Greer is a long time friend and a very solid gal to have at your side. I’m sure I wouldn’t have made it out of many a foreign train station if it not for her savvy travel skills. Not to mention, as our designated events manager, she knows how to throw a damn good party! Lisa is also a welcome companion on this trip because as a talented writer she is able to see the beauty and fun in almost any situation. When the travel days are long and Greer and I are about to put on our cranky pants, Lisa will be there to help us appreciate our surroundings. As Red Reel Video Media’s writer, she’ll have a vital role in telling the story of 23 Feet, and she’s also going to teach us some well needed Yoga skills…

Tell us what it’s like to take on this project as a group of three women?

It’s easy to see this project as three young ladies headed out for an adventure, and part of that we embrace. However, our true dedication lies in telling a story that has not much to do with gender, but the inspirational stories of many individuals and their passion for the outdoors. Taking on any film project presents some unique challenges and we are so lucky to be backed by a diverse community of rockstar people who understand and care about the story we are striving to tell. The fact that we do happen to be three young women is, of course, part of that story. I think it will be really interesting to see what that will ultimately mean to the project and how people will respond to us throughout our travels.

“Community” is a common theme in your idea for this film. What’s your own definition of community and how do you think this adventure might change that?

Community to me is really a bond where people share a similar passion. I think what pops into my head first is physical locations, like the community of a town. Although, when I think of my own community, I am unable to name just one place. I’d say that my community is defined more by a feeling then a location and I hope that this adventure proves it to be stronger then I thought.

Since embarking on this project, what’s one of the main things that you’ve learned? What do you think you’ll learn over the next several months?

There have been a lot of hurdles up to this point in the process of making this project a reality. While rebuilding the 40 year old Airstream I kept asking “Is that possible?” in reference to things like plumbing and electricity. My step dad, who has been a HUGE help in the restoration, always replies without hesitation or concern “Allie… nothing is impossible”. At first, I thought he was talking about installing solar power or having a collapsible rain barrel, but I think his simple reply has had a deeper meaning to me in the last few months. I’ve come to realize that many of my friends and family have traveled in their lives for extended periods of time. My grandparents traveled the United States for 10 years while I was growing up. From Vancouver, BC to New Orleans, LA, visiting grandma’s house was an adventure because it was always somewhere different. I have come across many people that not only live on the road, but work full-time in converted Euro vans or trailers. It’s becoming more and more apparent that many have taken on this lifestyle if not now, at some time in their lives. Every now and then I hear from friends that they too would love to travel, but it’s just not possible. I can hear my step dad speaking up at this point. I hope to learn more about how people perceive what is possible, and what is pushing them forward or maybe…holding them back? ….And I hope Lisa will teach me some Yoga skills.

What’s the plan for the project?

Our dates aren’t really set in stone, but we will head out from Durango to Silverton, CO on the 4th of July for the famous firework show. Then, through the month of July we’ll head through Utah, Nevada, California, and Oregon. We’ll pull into Portland OR in early August and will premier the film in later in the Fall. We encourage people to follow along on our Facebook page as well as on our site www.23feet.org. We’ll be keeping in touch through words, photos, and short video clips. We also encourage people who are out there right now to let us know their own stories and meet up with us for a high five!

We will be having a 23 feet launch party at Serious Texas BBQ in Durango, CO on June 30th as a farewell and a high five to the Durangatang community. Local music, tacos, and brewskis will be on from 4-8 pm and the Airstream will be there to tour!

You’re making a film that’s certainly about inspiration. What inspires you on a daily basis?

Inspiration comes in so many forms for me. Something that keeps inspiring me lately is what happens after inspiration has taken hold of others; the drive in people who are determined to take what inspires them and turn it into action. One talk motivates someone to be active in a nonprofit, one film pushes someone to change their purchasing habits, one person challenges another to take on life as a precious gift, it’s endless. I feel so lucky to have such a great group of friends that inspire me in this way on a daily basis; people who are taking charge, setting goals, and making change.

Photo courtesy Save Our Wild Salmon. © Matt Leidecker

I started my love affair with rivers at a very early age — spending every day possible splashing, swimming, boating or camping on wild waterways in the Inland Northwest.

My mother and I used to stand on the bridge above Spokane Falls and let the spray hit our face. And I’ll never forget the day she told me that salmon used to make it all the way to these falls — massive 100-pound “June hogs” — but I would never see those salmon in my lifetime. Grand Coulee dam, upon its completion, successfully cut off salmon populations from their upstream spawning grounds and stifled one of the most powerful rivers in the world.

From that moment, my passion for rivers and salmon snowballed to where we are today. It is why we’re working with the kick-ass folks of Save Our Wild Salmon, who have channeled their passion to one river — the Snake River that begins in the heart of the Tetons and flows through the rugged Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho to feed the mighty Columbia. This dedicated group is taking on the federal government to remove four dams, restore a free-flowing Snake River and recover the iconic Snake River salmon in the rugged Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho.

Chris Kassar feels the power of the raw free flowing Rio Baker at the beautiful water fall - Hydro Asyens proposal to put a dam here would forever change Chile's longest and wildest river. Courtesy Rios Libres.

And today, I read a post over on the Osprey blog from Craig Childs who is on the Rio Baker in Patagonia with the Rios Libres group working to protect the free-flowing river from proposed hydropower dams:

I don’t know why I want this river to run. I could not sit at a table with a microphone and explain it. I don’t know why the heart breaks when we have drawn and quartered yet another landscape, named it as ours, used it to fuel our every global ambition from paper clips to plastic cups. But god do I want this river to move, another dark thread binding the surface of this planet, another path uninterrupted.

Read more about the Rio Baker…

That is exactly why we’re fighting so hard for free-flowing rivers. Because our heart demands it. Because we’re it. We’re the last generation who can save these rivers for our kids and grandkids. To the folks at Save Our Wild Salmon: Keep up the good fight. We’re with you every step of the way!

Kick-ass photo of Spirit Falls on the Little White Salmon River. © Erik Boomer

When you’re constantly working with a bunch of crazy cool adventurers and causes, how can you not be inspired to get out and explore?

So, we thought we’d take this week to highlight a couple of groups that exemplify the phrase “work hard, play harder.”

The Epicocity Project is best known for traveling to the most remote rivers on the planet and executing first descents down these biologically rich and endangered waterways. They bring their stories home, producing adventure media to inspire people to take action.

This week in celebration of World Water Day, Epicocity’s Andy Maser took a look at rivers in his own backyard in the Northwest.

From Andy’s Dagger Kayaks blog:

As paddlers, we have a special connection to the rivers, lakes and streams where we all love to play. We anxiously await spring runoff and consistent winter storms to fill our favorite streams with the fresh water that allows us to do what we love — get outdoors and go for a paddle…

So today, when the world is focused on our freshwater resources, let’s all take some time to think about our favorite river. Is it clean and healthy? My favorite river, the Little White Salmon River in Washington, is abnormally low because of a dismal snowpack. But it’s running for now, and I’m taking today to celebrate the fact that I’m able to paddle its cool waters.

I caught up with Andy, who said:

Looking at the meager flows in our rivers this season, it’s a good reminder that we should take every day to celebrate and protect our water and our rivers. We come to the river to be challenged, motivated and to play. We’ve made protecting the world’s waterways our life’s work, so while World Water Day gave us a day to celebrate, we’re going to go ahead and extend our appreciation to rivers every single day of the year. We’ll never stop celebrating, we’ll never stop exploring and we’ll never stop protecting our rivers.

ConservationNEXT is a community of people committed to protecting North America’s wild places. It’s the outreach arm of The Conservation Alliance, an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots conservation organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have helped to protect more than 49 million acres of land, stop or remove 27 dams, and preserve access to thousands of miles of rivers and several climbing areas.

But last week, their mission was to protect just one place — the Ventura River and Surfers Point Beach — in the year’s first Backyard Collective. The Backyard Collective is a roving volunteer event that brings together outdoor industry employees and Alliance grantees for a day of hands on environmental stewardship.

In one afternoon, more than 100 volunteers from Patagonia, Deckers outdoor and Horny Toad removed nearly 4 tons of trash from Ventura River and beach

Deanna Lloyd – ConservationNEXT board member said:

The Backyard Collectives are a great way to bring outdoor industry companies together to help with an environmental service project in their own backyard. And these types of events can make a huge difference. This group of volunteers made a significant contribution to the overall maintenance and beauty of this area.”

ConservationNEXT provides people with opportunities to take online action in support of conservation. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and helps people get their hands dirty in their own communities. Learn more Backyard Collectives coming to your neck of the woods!

As people in the outdoor community, we have a responsibility to protect the wild places we all love to explore. I hope these stories inspired you to keep working hard… And to get out and play even harder!

Happy Friday!