To Summit Up Podcast

"Find that comfort zone, take a step out of it and do that, because that's how you continue your own personal growth. That's how you continue finding who you are. There are so many things out there in life to experience. Expose yourself to all of it because how are you supposed to know what you really like? For me, I never thought in the world hiking would be anything I'd be interested in and here I am doing it every weekend." - Brittany Bowman Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is an exciting episode with a hiking power couple who recently just completed the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, Brian Twardy and Brittany Bowman. You may know them from instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brian_hikes_all_day/ and https://www.instagram.com/brittany_hikes_all_day/ ), where they both share their hiking journey with their community. They have embraced the journey of life and have realized that every single moment along each adventure is special. This is a truly inspiring episode In this episode we get into: Brittany and Brian's discovery of the Adirondacks and their dedication to completing the 46 High Peaks.The highs and the lows of completing the 46 High Peaks.Expanding beyond one's comfort zone.Using Social Media to positively affect people's experiences in the outdoors.Living true to yourself. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you listen most! Please check out Brian and Brittany's social media to follow along with their journey and reach out to connect :).

"When you've got 400 people climbing mountains all over the country and you're standing on the summit, you feel this overwhelming awe of the power that that holds. Everyone who is at the summit of all of these mountains put through the work to get there for this cause and you're not alone when you're out there." -Kolby Ziemendorf, co-founder of 46Climbs Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is all about a very relevant organization, 46Climbs. 46Climbs (46climbs.com) is an organization rooted in encouraging many individuals across the United States and the world to take on the challenge of conquering suicide through the physical challenge of climbing and hiking. This is done in an effort to end the stigma and promote overall positive mental health. This upcoming week, August 30th through September 8th is the 5th annual 46Climbs event benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This episode is all about the incredible connection between getting outside to the mountains and positive mental health. This episode contains clips from two previous shows that talk about mountains and positive mental health, the 46Climbs event and what it is. On the episode is Kolby Ziemendorf, the co-founder of 46Climbs and Cody Wiktorski, the co-founder of Wik Brothers. Both of these amazing people are climbing this week and, this upcoming Monday, I will be too. I'm taking on Mount Marshall, which will be my 40th Adirondack High Peak. This is an amazing episode where you will learn all about how 46Climbs started, the power behind getting outside to the mountains, and how you can get involved.

"The group in front of us was standing there looking out into the water with binoculars and they were like - 'is that a whale?' We stopped and turned and saw this enormous pool of water and it looked like a giant rock, but the people that were looking at it were like - 'yo, that's a whale.' " - Brandon Agostinelli Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is the second week in a row with a To Summit Up repeat guest. On the podcast this week is my great friend, Brandon Agostinelli. A year ago, Brandon and I went to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies and the outdoor flame was lit within him. Over the past year Brandon has grown and made the outdoors a staple in his life. He recently just took a trip to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine. I (Ryan) too have been to Maine and it is an incredible place with a wide variety of activities available for everyone. This is a really great episode where we talk about why you should go to Maine and what you should do there. In this episode Brandon and I talk about: The varieties of activities available in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine.Seeing whales in the Atlantic and what that experience was like.Accessible hiking for everyone in Acadia.Exploring new places.The importance of getting outside If you enjoy this episode, remember that the best way to help the podcast grow is to leave a positive review on itunes, subscribe on whatever platform you listen on, and to tell your friends to listen as well!

"The positive out of it was just being out there. I mean, being out on the trail, seeing a new section on the trail that I hadn't done yet, meeting new people, sharing the experience with them when I was hiking with them during the start, and meeting all of the people at the start. There's no bad day outside - no matter how much it sucks - it beats other things in life.  I am just very grateful to have still had that experience." - Mat Jobin This week's episode was an amazing conversation with a To Summit Up repeat guest and northeast mountain guide Mat Jobin. Mat owns his own guiding and gear company in Connecticut called Reach Your Summit. Mat was on episode 32 of the podcast earlier this year and one of the trips that he had mentioned he was taking this spring was the Allegheny 100. A few weeks ago, he attempted this 100 mile journey for the second time and I wanted to get him back on the podcast to see how the experience went and what he learned. This is a really great episode where we talk about the Allegheny 100 and so much more. You are definitely going to want to stick around through this whole episode as there are some great outdoor tips and lessons learned. In this episode Mat and I talk about: This year's Allegheny 100 - the full story.Hiking tips and gear to stay as dry as possible in soggy, muddy conditions.How to mentally deal with setbacks.How the outdoors are an opportunity for growth for everyone. To find out more about Mat and Reach Your Summit, check out reachyoursummit.net or https://www.instagram.com/rys_adventure/

"It's worth every single step. And really take your time. It's not a race and you don't have to beat the clock to get there. You're going to miss a lot of great things if you try to." - Randy Guyer  This week's episode was a great conversation with an inspiring Adirondacker named Randy Guyer. Randy has lived at the foothills of the Adirondacks for over 20 years but just recently began to explore hiking - and it changed him for the better. Randy has worked in the food industry and combined his love for food and his newfound love for mountains into an inspiring platform and challenge called sandwich and a summit. This is a really amazing conversation where Randy takes us through his whole journey going from zero hiking experience to itching to hike all the time. In this episode Randy and I talk about: Randy's non-hiking years in the food industry.What sparked him to hike after 20 years of living in the Adirondacks and not hiking and how hiking changed him mentally and physically.Keeping it local for hikes and food.The creation of Sandwich and a Summit.Community in the mountains. Check out sandwichandasummit.com and @sandwichandasummit on Instagram for more!

"Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey Spending time in nature has been scientifically proven to benefit mental and physical health. In this episode, I dive into an article by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that lays out some of the benefits of spending time outside including... Improved immune health Reduction in stress and anxietyLower blood pressureimproved ability to focus and a reduction in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms (ADHD)Quicker recovery from surgery. If you need more incentive to get outside beyond the adventure and views, this episode will provide you with reasons that may help you improve your overall health. Citation: Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html

"Enjoy the experience. Enjoy not just the summit, but enjoy the hike, enjoy the people that you're hiking with, enjoy nature, enjoy the summit, enjoy the snacks that you've brought - and then, after the hike, go to the local brewery and talk about the hike with your friends. That's a great experience." - Pat Barczys This week is challenge week! On the podcast is Pat Barczys, the founder of a new Adirondack Challenge called the ADK 6 Pack (www.adk6pack.com). This challenge combines two of my favorite things; mountains and beer. If you love taking on new challenges in the mountains and then rewarding yourself with a beer after, this episode and the ADK 6 Pack is for you. I am so excited for this challenge to go live on July 1st! In this episode Pat and I talk about: Pat's involvement in the Outdoor Club at the University at Buffalo. Who, What, Where, Why, How for the ADK 6 Pack Challenge.Spreading hikers around the entire Adirondacks rather than just the 46 High Peaks.How you can get involved and participate in the challenge. The fan of the week this week is Joyryde! To be featured as the fan of the week head over to itunes and spend 3 minutes leaving a review! Positive and constructive reviews will be featured on future episodes.

"Follow your gut instinct. It's always right and there is always this little, tiny voice in the back of your head that you're trying to push away or trying not to listen to, but it has always been right so follow that." - Brenda Zeelenberg This week's episode was a super fun conversation with an inspiring adventurer and traveler named Brenda Zeelenberg. Brenda is originally from the Netherlands and currently resides in British Columbia in Canada. Many people know Brenda from her Instagram account @backpackbren and her blog backpackbren.com, where she inspires people to travel and shows that it is not hard to travel and experience the world. In this conversation, we talk about: Go. Live. - Brenda's Life Motto.How to partake in and promote responsible adventure including social media.Doing activities that your body currently allows you to because someday you may not be able to do them.Importance of Avalanche Training.Building community in new places.

"I feel like relationships are built quicker and potentially deeper when you are outside - especially with something like a hike. You go through so much with a person - ups and downs...literally... - and you are put out of your comfort zone and that always brings people closer together." - Heidi Nixon Heidi Nixon is building her skills in the field of therapeutic recreation and is also a skier, fly fisher, and a stoked outdoor enthusiast. This is such a fun episode! In this conversation, Heidi and I get into: Embracing the outdoors and sharing outdoor experiences with others.Heidi's 35 month ski streak.Impact of Therapeutic recreation on teens during developmental years.Wilderness First Responder Courses.East Coast community vs. West Coast community. Check out this episode and more at tosummitup.com !

This is a Ryck Proctor (Episode 25) Appalachian Trail update! Welcome back to the To Summit Up Podcast. I took a 2 month hiatus from posting and this is the first episode back. In this episode, I talk about: Reason for the 2 month hiatus.Recap of my trips to Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe to ski and Lake Placid in the Adirondacks to hike.APPALACHIAN TRAIL UPDATE! Ryck Proctor was on Episode 25 of the podcast and embarked on the AT approximately 60 days ago.Reminder on the Garden Trailhead situation in the Adirondacks. Emily Giffin once said "Often I feel that projects overwhelm us when we look at how many hours are involved until completion. But just getting started is usually not that difficult." I appreciate your listening and am so glad to be back :)

"Get outside. We only have one life to do it. Take the chance, make time and go for it. It's going to change your life. I mean, one of the things that I really love about long-distance hikes and thru-hikes is every day is different. You're waking up in a different town and you're seeing different things and experiencing different things - get out there!" -Mat Jobin Who is on: On this episode is Mat Jobin - an adventure guide who has his own company called Reach Your Summit based out of Connecticut. Mat's mission with the company is to empower anyone who seeks to connect with themselves and with nature with the opportunity to do so. He does this by striving to make the wilderness responsibly accessible for people of all experience levels. We talk about: Guiding and Coaching through Reach Your Summit (RYS).The values Mat instills in each individual who hikes with RYS.The need for more diversity and equality in the outdoors. Distance hiking and backpacking.How Mat created his own backpacking loop and hiked it for National Trails Day. Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on Instagram @jwolfy3.

"I just wanted to get to the top of that mountain and I remember telling myself as I was walking up that mountain - and this got really deep -, I was like 'If you give up now, you are going to give up on anything that you try in your life.' I made it that extreme because that's how much it meant to me to get to the top of the mountain. I truly think that how you treat every challenge in your life - or any challenge in your life - is how you are going to treat every other challenge in your life." - Rose Hvisch Who is on? Rose Hvisch - a now avid outdoor enthusiast who had basically zero mountain experience as of a few years ago, however, she has now backpacked in the US and Canadian Rockies and climbed a peak in Banff National Park. Rose is a prime example of what never quitting and continuing to put one foot in front of the other can do to you. In this episode we talk about: How to mentally handle and conquer being at the back of a group on a hike.How hiking has pushed Rose to NEVER QUIT at anything in life.Our first backcountry experience in Montana and how we learned what not to do.Hike preparation which now includes running, stair-climber, and local hikesThe importance of writing down goals and looking at them every morning. Puppies: The organization Rose talks about at the end is labs 4 rescue. Check them out! Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on Instagram @jwolfy3.

"Some of the hardest situations - you look back and you're like 'wow. I'm so glad that happened... like that really sucked while it was happening.', but pushing yourself and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations is going to get you the greatest distance in the end." - Courtney Wilson In This Episode We Talk About: What makes the Adirondacks, Catskills, and hiking in Upstate New York special.Growing through putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.Heading West to live out the mountain dream in Colorado.Being a Spartan Athlete and competing at the highest level.Following your passion and knowing your limits. Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Check out the bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

"I want to inspire people to set their own goals and say yes to more opportunities in their life and to embrace the beauty around them." - Liz Rose On the pod this week is Liz Rose - the youngest Canadian to climb the Seven Summits. The seven summits are the highest mountain on each tectonic plate (yes, this includes Mount Everest). She began her journey in 2015 and finished it just about two years later and has been working on a book that reflects on her experiences and aims to inspire people to conquer their own mountains both literal and metaphorical. This is an amazing episode where we talk about Liz's journey and growth over the past few years. In this Episode we talk about: Hiking parts of the Seven Summits with her Parents and what that meant to her including Mount Kilimanjaro with her Dad and Mount Everest Base Camp with her Mom.Climbing Mount Everest and how she completed it just months after she hiked Mount Aconcagua in South America.Specifics on Liz's book called Written in the Snow The biggest lesson that completing the Seven Summits taught Liz. Liz's Book, Written in the Snow: https://www.amazon.ca/Written-Snow-Journey-Seven-Summits-ebook/dp/B07MXT3LLD/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549392868&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=written+in+the+snow&dpPl=1&dpID=41mWOgd-mPL&ref=plSrch Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Check out the bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

How many mountains do you climb in any given year? Chris Calabrese summits over 100 mountains per year and continues to fuel his passion in the mountains by peak bagging. There are many different mountain grouping lists that Chris keeps track of including the New Hampshire 48, Catskill 35, Winter 35, New Hampshire 52 with a view, New England 50 finest, Northeast 115, and Adirondack 46. You can bet he has had his fair share of crazy experiences in the mountains... "Scar Ridge was one that I was putting off for a while because people hate it and this is one of those hikes where it is guaranteed that you are going to go solo because, unless you know somebody else working on that list who's available that weekend to do it, nobody in their right mind would volunteer to do this hike with you." - Chris Calabrese What we talk about: The power of reading mountain-based books for inspiration and ideas.Why Chris hikes over 100 mountains per year.How hiking to complete mountain lists can lessen overall trail impacts. The Gear Chris uses.Insane stories about nearly getting lost alone in the woods.What Chris hopes those who see his content get out of it. Follow Chris's Journey: https://www.instagram.com/lives4summits/ https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/climber.aspx?cid=4768 Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together. Check out the bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

Smuggler's Notch is the best ski resort in Vermont. I said it. This weekend just bolstered my stance on this. Last weekend's storm DUMPED feet of snow in Vermont and I was fortunate to take full advantage. I skied the most powder I have ever skied! Family owned and operated with the best terrain and awesome vibe, it's no wonder Smuggler's was the feature in a huge ski magazine article in one of the recent editions. In this episode I talk about: Last weekend at Smuggs (it was DEEP) and my first time skiing in the backcountry.Mike Loucy's tips for skiing powder.Discounted lift tickets and finding the deals that make skiing affordable. Ski Cheap in Upstate New York with These Deals: For those of you in Upstate New York, here are some cheap ski dates that you can take advantage of. Labrador Mountain south of Syracuse has $7.99 lift tickets on February 17 and a $20 Saturday night on February 2. Pick up ticket vouchers at the Ski Company prior to the event.Song Mountain south of Syracuse has $9 Friday nights on January 25 and February 2nd. They also have a carpool day where it is $50 per vehicle on March 16. Lastly, Song Mountain has a Rochester day where you can get $20 vouchers at the ski company (Rochester or Bloomfield locations). Pick up all other ticket vouchers at the Ski Company prior to the event.Hunt Hollow in Naples south of Rochester has $15 tickets for the first ticket and $10 tickets for every ticket purchased after that for the following Sundays: February 3, February 17, and March 3. Pick up ticket vouchers at the Ski Company prior to the event.Swain Resort in the Southern tier has $15 lift tickets available at the resort itself for Saturdays February 9 and March 2.Holiday Valley in Ellicottville has $25.99 lift tickets for Thursday February 7 and Tuesday March 12. Tickets are available at The Ski Company one week prior to the events.Bristol Mountain in Naples south of Rochester has Weekend Family and Friends Fun Nights throughout the season. Pay $79 for 3 people and $30 for each additional person and ski 4PM to close any Saturday and Sunday throughout the season. Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. First is through https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together. Secondly, you can check out the bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

"It's like your biggest fear or whatever, you know, just do it. With Malawi - that was huge and I was just like 'you know what, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.' Don't pass those things up because you're going to say to yourself 10 years from now, I'll do that next year or I'll do that tomorrow, but, you know, just do it today." - Sarah Woychick, Physical Therapist On the show and IN THE HOUSE this week is a longtime friend, the one and only Sarah Woychick. Sarah works as a physical therapist and has had an amazing journey getting to where she got to experience many places across the United States and beyond as she learned the importance of her service. One place she went to serve was Malawi which is a part of her life that I am excited we got to in our chat. In this episode we talked about: Physical Therapy and its many applications.Service, teaching and a safari in Malawi.How service changed her perspective on many of the aspects of our life here in America. Becoming more aware of the words you use and what you say.Anacondas, Hippos, Crocodiles and Charging Elephants.Combining service and adventure to find the best opportunity to grow. Thank you: Check out tosummitup.com/shop for new hats, shirts, stickers, and patches! If you have any feedback, please email me at story@tosummitup.com with any constructive suggestions or questions you have. Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

"There were things that people told me I couldn't do at a physical level and people who didn't believe in me starting the Appalachian Trail and now I am to the point where in two months I leave. And people telling me that I probably wouldn't pick up hiking or be into it as much as possible and now I am. I kind of look back on those things and it just gives you a different perspective on how to look on life after you have completed so many challenges that maybe you didn't think were possible." - Ryck Proctor On the show this week is the one and only Ryck Proctor, an upstate New York native, aspiring Adirondack 46er, a restaurant manager, and the man behind the instagram account @i_need_mountains that has inspired so many people who follow his adventures and messages. Ryck is taking on the Appalachian Trail this year and has been preparing for the trek from Georgia to Maine for over a year now. In our conversation we talk about: The importance of preparation and what Ryck does to get himself ready for a trip.Using social media to spread positivity and information about certain areas.How to hike responsibly and safely.What makes the Adirondacks special.Planning for the Appalachian TrailHow mountains affect Ryck's mental state. Links that Ryck uses to prepare for a trip: Adirondack Backcountry Facebook Page https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9198.htmlhttps://www.mountain-forecast.com/https://www.adk.org/ Ryck's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i_need_mountains/ @i_need_mountains Thank you: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott's music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So thrown off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - H. Jackson Brown Jr. Happy New Year! This first episode of 2019 is all about saying YES and grabbing life by the adventure. We have inspirational insights from four incredible previous podcast guests; Jenna Celmer (e6), Cody Wiktorski (e18), Evan Lindenmayer (e22), and Lizzy Marks (e7). Each of these amazing adventurers will get you hyped up to take 2019 and make it the year that you go out and live your life to the fullest version possible. This episode covers taking advantage of adventure opportunities given to you, creating valuable connections with others in the outdoors, and pushing your boundaries to grow. Get out there and take the adventure! I am super excited to bring you these inspirational clips from previous episodes. Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scotts music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . The To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on instagram @jwolfy3. 2019 is your year. Live your best life and take the adventure. Set aside time to adventure as often as possible - no matter how big or small your trip is. Mountains Matter and so do you. Happy New Year everyone!

"Culturally, for some reason, we attribute mental illness as a weakness and that's definitely not the case." - Kolby Ziemendorf Climb a mountain to help conquer suicide. On this episode, we are fortunate to have Kolby Ziemendorf, co-founder of 46Climbs. 46Climbs is an annual event and organization that encourages many individuals across the United States and the world to take on the challenge of conquering suicide through the physical challenge of climbing and hiking. The connection between getting into the outdoors and strengthening mental health is so prevalent. Mountains have the power to heal and strengthen. About 46Climbs: Started in 2014, 46Climbs has grown from a dream of fundraising $10,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) through climbing the Adirondack 46 High Peaks in 1 week, to having people all over the world raise a total of over $200,000. Last year alone there were 400 participants! The premise of the event is as follows: Pick a mountain or group of mountains (large or small) and climb it between Sunday, September 8 and Saturday, September 14 (2019 National Suicide Prevention Week)Register your climb (beforehand) and fund raise towards your event.Post photos to #46ClimbsHelp spread the word that it is okay to talk about whatever you are going through. In This Episode: How 46Climbs started after the passing of a close friend.The importance of Community and how mountains encourage it.How mountains provide a platform to open up and talk about whatever we are going through.Dealing with stresses by going to the mountains.How to GET INVOLVED with 46Climbs in 2019. 46Climbs and AFSP Links: Email: contact@46climbs.com 46Climbs Website: http://46climbs.com Find a hike: http://46climbs.com/findahike/ AFSP Website: https://afsp.org How long should a hike take? Check out 46Climbs hike time calculator: http://46climbs.com/trip-planning-estimating-long-hike-will-take/ Donate Donations go to AFSP and help fund suicide prevention programs and the suicide prevention hotline. It would mean the absolute world to me if you would Head over to itunes and leave an honest review. In doing so, you could be featured as the fan of the week on an upcoming Friday episode. Tag @46Climbs and @_tosummitup and let us know what you think or if you'd like to get involved! The To Summit Up theme song was written and produced by the amazing Jordan Wolf. You can find him on instagram at @jwolfy3. You matter and this life is extraordinary. Go out there and make a difference in your life by being intentional about getting outside more in 2019.

"The number one rule in mountaineering is that summiting is optional, but making it down to try again is mandatory." Evan Lindenmayer This week's guest is the one and only Evan Lindenmayer. Evan currently lives in Los Angeles, California and runs an outdoor adventure club that brings people to adventures that invigorate life into them. Evan's mantra is bigger and badder - keeping a thirst for any type of adventure in his life's forecast. Evan recently took a trip to Mount Rainier in Washington State in an attempt to summit the awe-inspiring volcano. Here is his story of his trip which included a massive icefall near the summit. In this episode, Evan and I talk about: How scouting taught Evan to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.LA SportsNet; the Outdoor Adventure Club that Evan currently runs.Evan's recent "Almost Summit" of Mount Rainier and what he gained from the experience.Believing you can versus believing you can't.The importance of getting outside no matter how big or small of a trip. Check out Evan and his adventure club at their social media pages @LASportsNet and at lasportsnet.com. Evan's stories and stoke for the outdoors are FOR REAL! If you enjoy this episode, head over to iTunes and leave an honest review! If you'd like to support the podcast, check out the support page at tosummitup.com. To Summit Up theme song by Jordan Wolf instagram.com/jwolfy3 OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

How often do you get bogged down by stress or caught up in the mundane? It happens to all of us far too often. In an effort to relieve stress and keep myself clear in the mind, I have been doing the #7DayLocalParkChallenge. I went to 7 different local parks for 7 straight days (almost...) and spent at least 15 minutes in that park. We have had some participation from people like John Alex Vespa from Bushwhack Podcast and Elissa Madonia. We have even had Charlie Blazer the Golden Doodle (@charlieblazerthedoodle) participate. I challenge YOU to step outside in a different place every day for 1 week. Let us know about your progress by taking a snapshot or a video and posting using #7DayLocalParksChallenge. This episode includes audio from my week of the challenge. In this episode, you'll hear topics including: Clean bedroom = clean mind (with previous guest Brandon Agostinelli tosummitup.com/e2 )Importance of getting out and using walks to breathe and decompressMy blunder of doing an entire podcast interview only to realize that the recorder wasn't actually recording audio (definitely the most embarrassing thing ever)Me taking a break from the Trail Talks to focus better on the Friday interviews and my desire to create videos! My 7 Day Local Parks Challenge Locations: Harris Whalen ParkFour Mile Creek PreserveWebster ParkA brief walk around my office building at lunchKillington Resort (not really local...but skiing)Killington ResortGenesee Valley Park I dare you to try the challenge. I triple dog dare you. To Summit Up Theme Song by Jordan Wolf instagram.com/jwolfy3

"If you want to do something, it is so corny, but the time is now. When else are you going to have the time to do it? You just don't know. So I think that if you make a plan and you want to do it, you just gotta get after it." - Elissa Madonia This is Part 2 of the attempted 46 Mountain Month in the Adirondacks with Elissa Madonia (@lissymadz)! Elissa embarked on an Adirondack quest about a month and a half ago with John Alex Vespa (Episode 16 -> tosummitup.com/e16) to climb all of the Adirondack High Peaks in one trip to determine her hiking compatibility with John Alex for the Appalachian Trail. Did they complete all 46? Will they be conquering the Appalachian Trail? Check out this episode to hear Elissa's side of this Adirondack Story. She also brought her Golden Doodle doggo, Charlie (@charlieblazerthedoodle), to the interview and you get to hear his thoughts at times as well! In this episode, we talk about: How Elissa got into trail running (where she met John Alex Vespa)How the idea of climbing 46 mountains in 1 month hatchedThe point at which morale was lowest on the tripHer favorite part of the tripFuture mountain plans This is such an exciting episode! Listen deeply and see if Elissa's take on the trip is similar or different from that of John Alex Vespa. If this episode resonates with you, go on social media and tag @lissymadz, @charlieblazerthedoodle and @_tosummitup. Head over to itunes and leave an honest review and you could be featured as the fan of the week on an upcoming Friday episode. If you'd like tosupport the podcast, reach out to story@tosummitup.com or check out the patreon link in the show notes to give a donation. Donations would mean the world and would allow me to continue to improve the overall To Summit Up Podcast listening experience (better equipment, editing, etc.). To Summit Up theme song by Jordan Wolf (@jwolfy3 on Instagram)

This brief episode is all about the #7DayLocalParksChallenge that I started this past fall in an effort to give local parks the attention they deserve and to encourage myself (and you all too!) to get outside regularly! I am bringing the challenge back and will be taking part over the next week and documenting the challenge through social media posts (@_tosummitup of the To Summit Up Facebook Page). Next week's Trail Talk will also be a compilation of audio snippets from the week. I challenge YOU to check out this episode and then to take part in the challenge yourself! Take action! The Challenge goes as follows:  1. For 7 straight days get to a different local park EACH DAY and spend at least 15 minutes there. You can google local parks around you and you'll find that a ton of them show up! 2. Take a photo at each location and caption it with the park name and what you did there. 3. Post it and use the hashtag #7dayLocalParksChallenge and tag @_tosummitup on twitter and Instagram or post to the To Summit Up Facebook page! 4. Enjoy the perks and resetting yourself that getting outside to a different location each day gives you!!! This Friday, part 2 of the attempted 46 mountain month with Elissa Madonia drops! On Episode 16, we had John Alex Vespa who gave his side of the attempt at climbing all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in 1 month. Now, we will hear from Elissa Madonia! Super exited to share this awesome story through two perspectives! If you enjoyed… If you enjoyed this episode, I ask that you consider leaving a review on iTunes. You will have the chance to be shouted out on a Friday episode as the fan of the week! Additionally, if you’d like to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and posts, check out https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup. Your support, whether in the form of a review or donation, will allow me to continue to build To Summit Up and to create content that you can find inspiration from. To Summit Up Theme Song by Jordan Wolf. https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

"I challenge every single one of you, no matter what field you guys are in - no matter what career you guys have, every single person can use where they are as a platform to affect the people around you. Be it mental health, be it the outdoors, you know, promoting the outdoors, be it cancer. There are so many ways you can help others and I think that every single person has the opportunity to do that." - Cody Wiktorski According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017, 47,173 Americans died by suicide. There were an estimated 1,300,000 suicide attempts. How do we change this? By telling every single person's story. Every individual has a story that needs to be told. Cody Wiktorski's Story: On this episode, we have the one and only Cody Wiktorski. Cody comes from a large family with 5 brothers and a sister and has embraced the meaning of family. A year and a half ago, Cody lost his younger brother, Casey, to suicide. Looking for a place to get away and think clearly, Cody went to the mountains. He found the Adirondacks a place where he could reconnect with the values and direction with which he was intending to lead his life. In the process, he learned of the power that mountains have to be a gateway into positive mental and physical health. He also discovered them as an avenue for mental health awareness. After the passing of Cody's younger brother, Casey, he and his brother Colby started an organization called Wik Brothers that is all about mental health awareness and suicide prevention. This episode is all about the connection between mountains and mental health and the immense power they have to connect us with what truly matters. Cody and I talk about: How mountain experiences and culture encourage community, mental clarity, and a place to open up and truly connect with others. The passing of Cody's younger brother, Casey, and the start of and mission behind Wik Brothers . Raising awareness for mental health through organizations and movements including 46 Climbs and Cont;nue. The importance of telling every single person's story. How YOU can set yourself up for positive mental health and make a difference in someone else's life. Reach out, take action and connect: Wik Brothers: Email: cw@wikbrothers.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wikbrothers/ Website: https://www.wikbrothers.com/ American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 available 24/7 46 Climbs: Website: http://46climbs.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/46Climbs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/46climbs/ To Summit Up: Email: story@tosummitup.com Website: https://tosummitup.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_tosummitup/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToSummitUp/ If you enjoyed... If you enjoyed this episode, I ask that you consider leaving a review on iTunes. You will have the chance to be shouted out on a Friday episode as the fan of the week! Additionally, if you’d like to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and posts, check out https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup. Your support, whether in the form of a review or donation, will allow me to continue to build To Summit Up and to create content that you can find inspiration from. To Summit Up Theme Song by Jordan Wolf. https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/   Cody Wiktorski

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney. To Summit Up's first birthday is coming up and it has come A LONG WAY since those early days. This entire progression has been an incredible learning process and I am super proud of what it is becoming. Let's continue to grow To Summit Up together and promote the positivity and benefits getting outside and to the mountains has. Reach out to me (tosummitup.story@gmail.com) and let's chat about ways that WE can create our best life story in the mountains. In this Trail Talk Nuggets Episode, I talk about: The early days of To Summit Up and the progression of getting started. The original blog name that ended up leading to google search results with a soft porn movie as the top search result (I like To Summit Up and the related searches quite a bit better!). This upcoming Friday's episode with Cody Wiktorski about mental health, suicide prevention, and the connection of mountains to mental stability. You don't want to miss this one. If you enjoyed this episode, I ask that you please leave a review on iTunes. You will have the chance to be shouted out on a Friday episode as the fan of the week! Additionally, if you’d like to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and posts, check out https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup. To Summit Up Theme Song by Jordan Wolf. https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

"So this whole thing started basically with Elissa Madonia.  Her and I met at the gym and running. She got me into trail running this summer. Then it was like 'hey, why don't we go and take a trip to the Adirondacks with the dogs just for a weekend - because why not?'. Then it turned into her asking me to do the Appalachian Trail. And then it turned into 'alright, we'll do a little test run up in the Adirondacks' - which turned into (instead of a weekend) a month of trying to hit all 46 high peaks." - John Alex Vespa On the podcast this week is John Alex Vespa. He grew up in Rochester, NY for the first 18 years of his life and started training dogs in the area when he was 16 years old. He even went to dog training school. He then moved down to New Jersey when he was 18 and started his own business there. He had this business for just about 10 years and decided it was time for a change so he moved back to Rochester, NY. Little did he know the impact that the move would have on his desire to be outside. Nature called and John Alex answered. In this episode we talk about: Crazy idea to use the 46 Adirondack High Peaks as a trial run for the Appalachian Trail for John Alex and Elissa to see if they were compatible hiking partners. The many setbacks and Adirondack Adversity that they faced throughout the entirety of the trip. Well...did they complete all 46 mountains in a month? The lowest of the low and the highest of the high from the trip. What the Adirondacks have taught John Alex so far. Check out the Bushwhack Podcast that John Alex just started! https://soundcloud.com/bushwhackpodcast Your weekly reminder to educate yourself on Leave No Trace -> https://lnt.org/learn If you enjoyed this episode, I ask that you please leave a review on iTunes. You will have the chance to be shouted out on a Friday episode as the fan of the week! Additionally, if you’d like to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and posts, check out https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup. To Summit Up Theme Song by Jordan Wolf. https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

New Trail Talk Nuggets! What is the farthest that you would drive to ski knowing that you would be waking up and going to sleep in your own bed? How far would you go for the thrill of blasting through powder? Freshman year of college, my Dad, brother and I left our house in Rochester, NY at 2 AM and drove 7 hours to ski all day in Vermont at Sugarbush Mountain... and then we drove back home (I should say that my Dad drove the ENTIRE way). 14 hours of driving for one full day of skiing. It was worth every second. I get a lot of my drive and ambition from my Dad, who showed his dedication to go big or go home. He wanted to ski in Vermont and use our free passes from the Warren Miller Ski Movie Tour, so he got us up at 2 and we drove to Vermont. Kind of crazy, right? I don't think it is as crazy as it seems. Especially when we got to ski in Vermont for the day. In this episode, I talk about: A day trip to Sugarbush, Vermont from Rochester, NY (2 AM to 11 PM). Upcoming podcast guests (Friday segments) including John Alex Vespa (Attempted to do all 46 Adirondack High Peaks at once), Cody Wiktorski (mental health and the power of mountains to heal and bring us together), Elissa Madonia (Also attempted to do all 46 Adirondack High Peaks at once with John Alex). If you enjoyed this episode, I ask that you please leave a review on iTunes. You will have the chance to be shouted out on a Friday episode as the fan of the week! Additionally, if you’d like to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and posts, check out https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup/ .

"If you want to go into nature, you need to respect nature. It comes down to that basic principle. You can't go in there with a machete and just start chopping it up, you know? It comes down to Leave No Trace. It comes down to just the basic 'don't ruin it'. It's not going to be there if we ruin it." - Dan Allen Fantastic interview with a fantastic friend and adventure buddy. On the podcast this week is Dan Allen. Dan grew up adventuring in the Adirondack mountains and has a deep appreciation and understanding of the region and it's history. He also took part in a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in New Zealand. Dan is well traveled, curious, and eager to continue to learn and respect nature. In this episode we chat about: Aspects of the history of the Adirondacks that fascinate Dan including logging camps, the Irondequoit Inn (built in the 1800s), dams, and the people of Adirondack past who shaped the region and are now recognized throughout it. National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Dan's multi-month trip to New Zealand including lost luggage, the native Maori culture, hiking to a scene from Lord of the Rings, bonding with new people, and preparing for reentry into the "real world" at the end of the trip. Dan's perspective on and definition of failure in the mountains. Ski touring - what is it and why Dan is getting into it. Educate yourself about Leave No Trace: https://lnt.org/learn Check out NOLS Programs: https://www.nols.edu/en/ If you enjoyed this episode, I ask that you please leave a review on iTunes. You will have the chance to be shouted out on a Friday episode as the fan of the week! Additionally, if you’d like to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and posts, check out https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup.

Happy Tuesday! This podcast episode is another Trail Talk Nuggets segment and the 13th overall To Summit Up Podcast. I recorded this episode on a short walk in Webster, NY after a day in the office. The trail talk nugget segments are turning out to be pretty decompressing and therapeutic. The premise behind them is to help me ensure that I practice what I preach. Not all time spent in the outdoors has to be on huge elaborate trips. Spending a little time each day to get out and walk (even if it is only for 10 minutes) can go a long way mentally and physically. In this episode I talk about: Thanksgiving and the traditions that I am looking forward to including the 8th annual Turkey Bowl Football Game. My life outside of mountains including my current day job and my band. Podcast guests coming up (interviews come out on Fridays) with topics of Adirondacks, New Zealand, and the connection between mental health and mountains. If you enjoyed this episode, I ask that you please leave a review on iTunes. You will have the chance to be shouted out on a Friday episode as the fan of the week! Additionally, if you'd like to support the podcast and get access to exclusive content and posts, check out https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup. Be sure to check out Friday's episode with my good friend Dan Allen who talks about his ties to the Adirondacks and his post-graduation National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) trip to New Zealand. You aren't going to want to miss this one!

PODCAST! This episode is exciting because it is the first in the Trail Talk Nuggets Series. This style of episode will be published on Tuesdays (with interviews and longer form being published on Fridays still). That means TWO PODCAST EPISODES PER WEEK! The Trail Talk Nuggets Series will consist of shorter segments from out on the trail. Topics can and will include anything and everything that crosses my mind from current events to trips that I have taken or want to take. This is an effort to help myself better practice what I preach. Get outside as much as possible and you will see both the mental and physical benefits! In this episode I talk about the: 1. 7 day local parks challenge and the premise behind the challenge. 2. My trip to Vermont from the weekend of November 10th and 11th, 2018 including TWO wintry hikes. 3. Warren Miller Ski Movie stoke Stay tuned for A LOT of interviews coming up. We will have Dan Allen on next week talking about Adirondacks, New Zealand, and how having a dog has improved his adventure experiences. Super pumped to get this one out to you guys! Also, we have topics coming up including an attempt at doing all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in one trip and mental health as it relates to mountains and life. Lots of great episodes coming up! If you like the podcast and To Summit Up, please consider sharing the mission on social media and through word of mouth! I ask that you consider a monthly donation (can be as little as $1!) to support and help grow To Summit Up. Please check out  https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup if you are interested in supporting and helping To Summit Up grow! Your support means the world and will go a long way towards growing To Summit Up. I appreciate your consideration. To Summit Up Theme Song written and produced by Jordan Wolf, a great friend. Find him at https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

"Love, friendship, networking - these are all critical connections and the foundation of a healthy, happy life." - Whitney Wolfe Herd This episode is another solo round! If there is anyone you would like to hear on the podcast, please send an email to tosummitup.story@gmail.com. In this episode, I talk about the importance of building up your LIFE network and how to develop the lasting relationships that will bring you towards the most fulfilled life that you can have. You probably already have many beautiful relationships with those around you that you have worked on for a while. But are you limiting yourself and stunting the potential for opportunities to reach a higher level of being and fulfillment? I hope that this podcast episode allows you to think about the relationships that you currently have and if you are doing everything in your power to both grow them and to create new relationships that will expand your life's network. In this episode I talk about: The definition of a true, meaningful relationship with another person. The hub and spokes that make up my relationship wheel. The path to forming and growing meaningful relationships and expanding your life network. You will also hear me talk about an event that I am fund raising for called 29029 Everesting (https://29029everesting.com/). The event is a mountain endurance event that involves climbing vertically up a mountain as many times as it takes to match the elevation of Mount Everest. This means climbing up Mount Stratton in Vermont 17 times within 36 hours. Training and competing in this would be an endurance feat unlike anything I have done to date. There is just one thing. The event costs $4000 and I need your help to get there. Getting people aware of and exposed to the mental and physical benefits of the outdoors is something that I love. I get so pumped up about seeing people's reactions to views and experiences in the mountains! Eventually, I want to get To Summit Up to the point where I am guiding expeditions with it. For now, there are many organizations working to make mountains more accessible for those who don't have the easiest access. There is a charity that I am fond of called Big City Mountaineers. The organization is incredible and their mission aligns with that of To Summit Up. They work alongside the transformative powers of Mother Nature to leave a lasting impact on the lives of under-resourced youth. Their wilderness expeditions bring kids out of their comfort zones and into the wild, where they develop the confidence needed for more promising futures. My training, participation in, and any money raised beyond the $4k would go right to big city mountaineers. My awareness action plan will be to document my mental and physical journey through photos and videos. To donate, check out https://www.gofundme.com/manage/everesting-for-outdoor-awareness. To Summit Up Theme Song by Jordan Wolf https://www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/. Be great and build your relationships.

"The night is darkest before the dawn." - Harvey Dent in the Dark Night This episode is a solo round (just me

"When you are on the mountain you often find that your limits aren't so black and white. You can push them and that's the great thing about mountains. I don't think I had the confidence in myself to do a lot of things until I started spending time in the mountains. I just love the mountains." - Matthew Lilley In this episode, I had the pleasure of phone interviewing Matthew Lilley (@crestone_ on Instagram), a Colorado adventurer, runner, long distance biker, occasional mountaineer, and incredible photographer. Matthew has learned so many lessons over his years adventuring and we are fortunate to have a sliver of them noted throughout this podcast. Trip preparation is key and Matthew learned this the hard way in his early 20's. We talk about: A preparation mishap as a 20 year old with his father on a Colorado 14er that led to a night spent under a tree during a snowstorm and some hospital time thereafter. Overpacking vs. underpacking for mountaineering, hiking and cycling and how to find the balance of gear that is right for YOU. The importance of social media as it relates to connections, public lands, answering questions, and whether or not social media will ultimately be positive or negative for the outdoors. The outdoor values and lifestyle Matthew would instill on any future kids he may or may not have some day. A bicycle trip across Alaska at age 25. If you found value in this episode, please subscribe on whatever platform you listen on and bring over at least one friend who would enjoy the content! Take a screenshot and share this with your friends. If you'd like a shot at being the guest of the week, leave a review and rating on your podcast app. Like, comment, share and spread the positivity and lessons that grow in the outdoors! Adventure on! This podcast episode’s affiliate partner is the ninth project company. If you love activewear that performs well, looks awesome, and inspires us to get out and explore, then the ninth project company is for you. I have been wearing my long sleeve escape often shirt on many of my recent adventures and fully back this company as an awesome activewear company. Guys, they are totally worth the check out. For being a to summit up podcast listener, you get 15 percent off of your order by using code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at check out. Head to ninthproject.com to get your awesome activewear. Music today was courtesy of free music archive by Scott Holmes (Driven to Success). You can find more of his music at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/. The To Summit Up theme song was produced by friend Jordan Wolf.

"Morale was the lowest once we finished the steeper side of the front side coming down Colden. We hit the pretty much flat portion and had five miles left at that trail junction. I sat down for a second and I got rid of one of my layers and Ryan's like 'we should probably take our headlamps out now'. We were looking at five or six miles in the dark. Oh boy." - Roger Laistner "I was definitely thinking about daylight waning away and it was definitely in my mind in terms of setting the pace that I was going at. I really wanted to see how far I could get. I got going real fast on the rocks and at that point it was just like sort of a process of just skipping from rock to rock and keeping momentum forward and letting the trail just guide me wherever it wanted me to go." - Wil Nagengast In this episode, I have a great conversation about the Adirondack High Peaks and our most recent adventure with friends and adventurers Roger Laistner and Wil Nagengast. I met Roger and Wil in college and we began going on Adirondack adventures shortly thereafter. The weekend of Saturday, October 13th, 2018 was another Adirondack weekend where we were planning to hike Mount Colden via Avalanche Lake. We had a large group of 9 hikers and the three of us split off to try and do Mount Marshall in addition to Colden. We were unsuccessful. This is the story of a hike that could have ended a lot worse than it actually did. We talk about: 1. Our late 10AM start on an October weekend and how that affected our hike of Mount Colden. 2. The challenges and upside of hiking with a large group. 3. The importance of doing research prior to a hike and communicating a clear and logical plan. 4. The issue of overpopulation in the Adirondacks and what we experienced on peak foliage weekend in the High Peaks Region. If you found value in this episode, please subscribe on whatever platform you are listening on and bring over at least one friend to the podcast. I would appreciate it if you could like, comment, and share this episode on social media. This podcast grows with the help of YOU! I appreciate your feedback and reviews give you the chance to be the fan of the week in future episodes! Stay curious and stay adventurous. This podcast episode’s affiliate partner is the ninth project company. If you love activewear that performs well, looks awesome, and inspires us to get out and explore, then the ninth project company is for you. I have been wearing my long sleeve escape often shirt on many of my recent adventures and fully back this company as an awesome activewear company. Guys, they are totally worth the check out. For being a to summit up podcast listener, you get 15 percent off of your order by using code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at check out. Head to ninthproject.com to get your awesome activewear. Music today was courtesy of free music archive by Scott Holmes (Driven to Success). You can find more of his music at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/. The To Summit Up theme song was produced by friend Jordan Wolf.

"It's easy to find a routine and be comfortable with it and be comfortable with home and be comfortable with the people that you are around, but there's a new freedom that you find in yourself and you learn SO much about yourself when you are put in an uncomfortable situation or a situation where you have to basically start over. There is such a beauty in it and, in terms of relocation, just because you are relocating doesn't mean that it's permanent." In this episode, I have a great conversation with a longtime friend, Lizzy Marks while in California. Lizzy grew up in Western New York but now lives in Los Angeles following her dream to work in movies, TV, and media industry in Hollywood, CA. She is truly an inspiration and her willingness to talk about the ups and downs of relocation and how she has exponentially grown through it is amazing. She joined an adventure club and learned an immense amount about the social growth and connectivity that happens when you are put on a team in the outdoors. We talk about: 1. Lizzy's move to LA from Western New York to follow her dream of working in the media industry and Hollywood. 2. The challenges that come with moving to a new city with no friends or connections to connect with right off the bat and how to deal with them. 3. The importance of getting involved and joining clubs (college and adult life) and how Lizzy got involved in an adventure club in LA. We go on to talk about a whitewater rafting trip that she went on with the club and what she learned about the social growth that happens on teams in the outdoors. 4. How it is okay to feel like you are not connecting with someone and realizing that you still fit in somewhere. 5. Dealing with the transition from athlete life to post-athlete life in adulthood and not letting herself be defined only as an athlete. 6. The power of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and the growth that comes from doing that. If you found value in this episode, please subscribe on whatever platform you are listening on and bring over at least one friend to the podcast. I would appreciate it if you could like, comment, and share this episode on social media. This podcast grows with the help of YOU! Get out there and make a positive difference in both your life and the lives of those around you today. This podcast episode's affiliate partner is the ninth project company. If you love activewear that performs well, looks awesome, and inspires us to get out and explore, then the ninth project company is for you. I have been wearing my long sleeve escape often shirt on many of my recent adventures and fully back this company as an awesome activewear company. Guys, they are totally worth the check out. For being a to summit up podcast listener, you get 15 percent off of your order by using code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at check out. Head to ninthproject.com to get your awesome activewear. Music today was courtesy of free music archive by Scott Holmes (Driven to Success). You can find more of his music at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/. The To Summit Up theme song was produced by friend Jordan Wolf.

"(I am most proud of) the shift to seeing myself as someone that goes and adventures and is capable of anything - I am super proud of that. That, saying yes to everything, I wasn't always like that. I used to wait for the right time to do things. I used to want to wait until I looked a certain way or I had a certain amount of money or certain conditions were ideal or perfect. Shedding myself of that and understanding that the perfect is the enemy of the good is something that I am so proud of. Your experiences are crafted by the story that you tell yourself. Like that is literally the most potent story you can tell yourself - the one in your own head." In this episode, we welcome the always HYPE Jenna Celmer. Jenna has an inspiring story which she created by her giving herself permission to be who she wants to be and do what she wants to do. Jenna is an avid power lifter, works for the Olympic Committee advocating for anti-doping programs and clean competition, adventures as often as possible, and is a self-proclaimed swagger coach. Jenna has a passion for adventure and she makes it happen. In our conversation we discuss: 1. Jenna's work with the US Olympic Committee Partnership for clean competition and her work in the arena of anti-doping. 2. How power lifting switched her mindset from liking her body for what it looked like to LOVING her body for what it can do. 3. Prioritizing and committing to your top priorities. 4. Social media and the authenticity of the connections she has made. 5. Benefits of being passionate and bringing your own hype. This episode is so freaking valuable! Jenna is such an inspiration and there are great points that she makes throughout that we all can take and apply to our own lives. If you find value in this episode, I'd appreciate it if you could please subscribe, share, and bring one friend to the podcast. This podcast grows with YOUR help! I appreciate you! This episode is brought to you with the help of To Summit Up's affiliate partner, The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project lives and breathes in the outdoors and strives to make performance wear and gear that will keep you moving at your best in style. Ninth Project encourages us to escape often. Use code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout to receive 15% off of your order and to support the podcast :) Thanks for being awesome! www.ninthproject.com/ Music courtesy of Free Music Archive: The Inventors. freemusicarchive.org/music/The_Inventors/ To Summit Up theme song produced by Jordan Wolf. www.instagram.com/jwolfy3/

Episode Date: September 28, 2018 Adventurer: Solo Round - Ryan O'Malley Location: Rochester, NY Description: "Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint." - Angela Duckworth. Running a marathon is mind over matter. I would have crawled over the finish line if I had to. On Sunday, September 23, 2018, I ran my first full marathon and finished along with my two friends, Brandon and Sarah. We had been training for the summer months leading up to the race. A few weeks before, I ran into knee troubles to the point where I basically stopped the training program and became nervous for the race. I needed to alter my mindset if I was to finish the 26.2 mile trek through Rochester, NY. I changed my inner story and adopted the marathon mentality - using extensive visualization to help push me through the mental and physical ups and downs of a marathon. Check out this episode that explores the marathon mentality and the benefit of implementing it throughout life. If your goals don't sound crazy when you say them out loud, you aren't dreaming big enough. Affiliate Help: This episode is brought to you with the help of To Summit Up’s affiliate partner, The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project lives and breathes in the outdoors and strives to make performance wear and gear that will keep you moving at your best in style. Ninth Project encourages us to escape often. Use code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout to receive 15% off of your order and to support the podcast

Episode Date: September 21, 2018 Adventurer: Neil Ferguson Location: White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA Description:  “It’s a journey, you know, each mountain is a journey. I think maybe I’ve transitioned from (from the first few I’ve climbed) always being about the destination and getting to the top – getting to the views at the top. I think now I am more enjoying the entire adventure on the entire way up.” – Neil Ferguson In Episode 4, I interviewed a great friend Neil Ferguson while on a trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Always down for adventure, Neil’s desire for mountains continues to grow. In this episode, we talk about: 1. Neil’s 1st big mountain experience in the Rocky Mountains. 2. The importance of spontaneity on adventures. 3. Backcountry stupidity (on our part) and what happened when we went to take a dip in Glacier Lake in Banff, National Park, Alberta, Canada. 4. The importance, pros, and cons of social media as it relates to adventures. 5. What Neil would say to anyone contemplating trying mountains for the first time. Super exited about this episode! Stick around until the end because there is an exciting To Summit Up announcement! As always, this podcast grown with YOUR help! Please share this, comment, like, and download if you found value and entertainment out of this episode. Affiliate Help: This episode is brought to you with the help of To Summit Up’s affiliate partner, The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project lives and breathes in the outdoors and strives to make performance wear and gear that will keep you moving at your best in style. Ninth Project encourages us to escape often. Use code TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout to receive 15% off of your order and to support the podcast

Episode Date: September 7, 2018 Adventurer: Allie Reynolds Location: Los Angeles, CA and Bolivia Description: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi. In this episode, the wonderful Allie Reynolds and I dive into her dedication to service and the adventures that coincided over the past two years. Allie began volunteering for the Good Shepherd Volunteers after college and spent her time and effort over the past two years changing the lives of domestic violence victims in Los Angeles and Bolivia. In Episode 3, we explore Allie’s role in mentoring those she worked with, travelling in South America, venturing to the mountains of Peru and other nearby regions and living in a mountainous third world country. This is the story of how selflessness and serving others leads to awesome gratitude. Allie thought that she would find the greatest gratitude in serving others, but she found that she has just as much gratitude in realizing her own accomplishments of service, travel, and impacting others. Learn about the importance of travel and immersion in other, less fortunate cultures. If you’d like to learn more about the Good Shepherd Volunteers and the great impact that they make, visit https://www.gsvolunteers.org/ or follow them on Instagram at @gsvolunteers. To Summit Up theme song by Jordan Wolf and music by Scott Holmes courtesy of Free Music Archive. Podcast Episode Partner: The Ninth Project Company. The Ninth Project Company is an outdoor clothing brand that radiates excitement for escaping to the wild while doing good for the earth. The Ninth Project has sweet products including shirts, hats, ladies wear including leggings, wood prints, mugs, notebooks, and so much more! I just got a long sleeve performance shirt and love it! It is light and keeps me feeling good no matter what I am doing in it. With every purchase, they plant a tree. USE CODE TOSUMMITUPBLOG at checkout for 15% off of your order and plant a tree, get some sweet swag, and support the podcast. Visit https://www.ninthproject.com/ for more.

Episode Date: August 24th, 2018 Adventurer: Brandon Agostinelli Location: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada Description: “Each mountain represents its own challenge. Everything has its own things that you’ll be worried about. You have that one goal in mind to get to the top but there’s only one way to get there and it’s to not worry too much about what you are afraid of.” – Brandon Agostinelli A great friend, Brandon Agostinelli, joined me and 7 others in a week-long mountain indulgence in the immaculate Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Brandon has always been drawn to the beach and hasn’t really fully immersed himself in anything like the adventures that were had in the Canadian Rockies. Entering the week with an excited outlook, Brandon experienced new challenges and adventures every single day that exposed him to the fulfillment and gratification that comes with trying and achieving new things beyond the comfort zone. The better the view, the more you have to work for it. This is the case with anything in life. Here is the story of an amazing trip that brought a new perspective on the possibilities of what can be accomplished when you try new things and step out of your comfort zone.  

Episode Date: August 9th, 2018 Adventurer: Lisa O’Malley Location: Adirondack Mountains, NY Description: In Episode 1, we meet my mom, Lisa O’Malley, on the trail in the Adirondacks after completing her first Adirondack High Peak – Macomb Mountain in the Dix Range. We engaged in an ambitious weekend in the mainly unmarked Dix Range and she discovered the beauty of mountains. Not all beautiful things are easy to attain. 3 weeks after the hike, I followed up to see what she felt looking back on the experience. This a story of learning limits. Please download, comment and share!

What do you do when the higher Adirondack elevations are muddy, wet, and fragile and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation asks hikers to consider remaining below 2,500 feet in elevation to let the peaks dry? Hike to the half way point just below 2,500 feet on the originally-planned hike and then use the rest of the afternoon to jump off some cliffs, obviously. Spontaneity feeds adventure and curiosity and this change of plan ended up being just as fun as the original plan would have been. The initial plan for friends Neil, Rose, Andrew and myself was to conquer Mount Colvin and Blake Peak via Lake Road off of the Ausable Club. We decided to still hike in this way to hit Indian Head, one of the Adirondacks' more beautiful and iconic sights. Map of Route to Indian Head (out of Ausable Club) We started the day off parking at the far Ausable Club parking lot located at the "P" in the above map (free lot) and hiked past the always beautiful Ausable Club towards the huge timber AMR gate to Lake Road. This access point serves as a means of getting to the Great Range including the Lower and Upper Wolfjaw, Armstrong, and Gothics  and the edge of the Dix Mountain Wilderness including Mt. Colvin and Blake. When we signed in at the check-in, a post-it note said "muddy, bugs are bad, go home." Knowing that we would still be below 2,500 feet in elevation and that a decent portion of the hike would be along the access road, we began walking. This was the soothing start of the first part of the day - a part that would be filled with a timber bridge in the woods and lots of waterfalls. When TLC tells you "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls", they are wrong. Definitely chase waterfalls. Totally Appreciate a Nice Bridge in the Woods Waterfalls....Waterfalls Everywhere. And Neil. Chasing Waterfalls Once we started to gain in elevation, Indian Head quickly approached. This is not a super intensive hike, but the rewards are incredible. As you get close to Indian Head, there is a junction with a branch to an outlook, which we eagerly took. This was the first taste of views. The Outlook is Certainly Worth The Exploration Neil and Andrew on the Outlook We made short time at the outlook knowing that Indian Head was right around the corner. We were ready to sit down, snack, and take in the Indian Head views for a little while now that we had our first taste of the lush greenery in the mountains along Lower Ausable Lake. Boom. We made it. Indian Head Required Candid Pose (Photo Credit: Rose) View Looking North from Indian Head We climbed around the rocks for about a half an hour (it only took us about 2.5 hours to get to Indian Head). This is a great spot if you're looking for a moderate hike that will allow you plenty of time to snack, eat lunch, and soak in the views. I imagine Indian Head is majestic at sunrise and sunset as well and wouldn't be too difficult to get to to experience them. We took a slightly alternate route back to Lake Road, cutting down as soon as possible as we left Indian Head. This allowed us to check out the awesome dam at the end of Lower Ausable Lake. Sweet! Dam at the Edge of Lower Ausable Lake From this point on, we took the gravelly Lake Road back to the Ausable Club and eventually to the car. Surprisingly, the black flies weren't nearly as bad as we thought they were going to be (maybe due to the weather?). We were warned ahead of the hike that "the black flies are thick and chewy this year. Prepare to give blood." Nice!...very descriptive indeed! We were prepped for Armageddon but never really encountered it. With how wet many of the areas in the high peaks are right now, I'm not surprised that other areas may be a war zone. Anyways, we finished the hike around 1:30pm and still had the entire afternoon to explore, so naturally we went cliff jumping. None of the others had been to Split Rock Falls on the way to Elizabethtown, so that's where we went.

Sunday, January 14th: The Second Ski Day. ** As always, head over to the gallery from Whistler Blackcomb - January 2018 to see all photos from my adventures! ** Somewhat adjusting to the Pacific timezone (or maybe it was just how much the skiing wiped us out), my Dad, brother, and I all got a full night of sleep on Saturday night. I'm pretty sure that I was knocked out within 5 minutes of my head hitting the pillow. The few beers had the night before probably helped the process as well. We woke around 6:30 AM (with Shawn waking at 7 when I pile-drove him into the bed to get him up) and made breakfast. Today was to be our first full Whistler Mountain day. We got our gear on and headed to the basement to get our skis and snowboard out of the locker that we were provided and required to keep our gear in. We ventured outside the Lost Lake Lodge to the shuttle stop located at the end of the driveway and hopped on the free shuttle to get to Whistler Village. **Side note...the entire lodging operation was seamless and made getting our gear and travelling to the mountain extremely easy and accessible. I would highly recommend staying at any place near Whistler Village that has access to the free shuttle. Many of the lodges/hotels are independently run but majority have great accessibility to all of the Whistler Blackcomb amenities. ** We arrived at the same base near the Excalibur Gondola that we had taken the day before to get to Blackcomb. This time, we took the Fitzsimmons Express chair lift to access Whistler Mountain. There was the same cloud cover over the village as the day before. We were quickly learning that there seems to always be some form of a cloud layer or fog in the pacific northwest valleys - more times than not it seems. Luckily, the forecast called for breaks of sun with some clouds. Looking back at the village from the chair, we were able to see a break in the clouds and noticed the distant mountain peaks illuminated by the vibrant morning sun. Little did we know the sweetness of the bluebird treat that we would soon be served once we broke through the bottom layer of clouds. A peek through the clouds at the bluebird skies waiting above the clouds The sneak preview turned out to be right. We would soon find out how right it would be. Once we got above the base layer of clouds, there was NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY. We got to experience early morning skiing with views more expansive than anything we had ever experienced before. We strapped in and geared up, ready to soak in the sun and the views during a day we would never forget. Strapping in and gearing up - our first blue-sky view of the Canadian Rockies We had the Whistler Peak on our mind and wanted to check out the Whistler bowl at some point on this day. We made our way up another lift and got over to the base of the Whistler peak chair. Whistler Mountain backbone glistening in the morning sun We would go on to ride the Whistler Peak chair to get to the top of the world. This lift became the most terrifying, awesome, and adrenaline-pumping part of the entire trip. The chairs were normal chairs with just a single bar with foot rests restraining you. The lift passes over two cliffs at which you are 100 or more feet in the air (this may or may not be accurate...but I can tell you that you get UP THERE to the point where falling off would be painless). I was white knuckled hanging onto my poles and the restraint bar. I felt alive. See the photo below that shows the height of the first cliff that the chair climbs. In the ski day 3 blog and photos there are some great photos of the whistler peak chair from alternate angles, so be on the lookout for those. Whistler Peak chair Once we reached the summit, our amazement peaked. The views were breathtaking and I was speechless. The Whistler Mountain summit left an impression that will forever be tattooed into my memory. Canadian Rockies from Whistler Mountain Peak At this point,