Podcasts about Longs Peak

Send us a textJoin us for an inspiring conversation with Flannery Davis Love, an athlete who reveals her fascinating journey from soccer to becoming a two-time FKT holder on Longs Peak and an Olympic trials contender. Flannery discusses the unique mindsets athletes need in pursuit of their goals and how important it has been for her to navigate the shifting identities that come with competing at a high level. Hear her stories of triumph and perseverance and gain insight into the mental aspects that are often overlooked in the sports community. From balancing solo training with the need for camaraderie in Boulder to highlighting the significant role of mental health for athletes, Flannery's authentic perspective sheds light on why we run beyond performance metrics. This episode is not only a testament to Flannery's resilience but also serves as encouragement for anyone striving for their goals. Explore what fuels this passionate athlete, the challenges she faces, and what's on the horizon for her in 2025. Be inspired by Flannery's philosophy of living without regrets while pursuing ambitious goals intertwined with community support. Don't forget to subscribe and stay tuned for more enlightening episodes!Thanks so much to Ultimate Direction for the support for this episode ! Use code Steepstuffpod on your next order at ultimatedirection.com for 25% off your cart ! Be sure to check out the race & ultra vests ! Flannery Davis Love Instagram - @flannerydavislove

Listen in as Eric walks through his 1st 14er, Longs Peak. He and Zach detail the Keyhole Route from the eyes of a pure rookie, complete with struggles, stumbles, and surprises!

https://coloradosun.com/2023/02/26/wild-ice-skating-safety/ Today – We’re revisiting a conversation from last year with Sun reporter Jennifer Brown about trekking to the base of Longs Peak for a story on skating on wild ice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Shari Edelson. Shari is a PhD student researching human impacts in wilderness areas, specifically the impacts of human dookie in the backcountry. We chat about in which circumstances wagbags are warranted, the challenges with compliance when they are, when it's perfectly okay to bury your shit, and how future conservation efforts should be allocated to making this easier to understand for hikers. We also chat about Shari's thru-hike of the TA and are blessed with some plant fun facts, stemming from their background as a horticulturist. We wrap the show with how to score the most competitive long trail permits in 2025, if farts are pushing out poop or if poop is pushing out farts, and the triple crown of things that happen all the time but no one sees. Gossamer Gear: Use code “SNUGGLEBUG” for 20% off shelters at gossamergear.com.  Duer: Get 20% off your first purchase at shopduer.com/backpacker. [divider] Interview with Shari Edelson Shari's Trek author page Shari's email: sedelson@psu.edu Time stamps & Questions 00:02:27 - Reminders: Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content, join us in Denver on December 7th and apply to be a 2025 blogger! 00:07:00 - Introducing Shari 00:08:05 - What's the coolest plant fact you know? 00:11:30 - Do you have a favorite house plant? 00:13:16 - Tell us about your career managing public landscapes and gardens 00:16:40 - Is there a different soil type for a vegetable garden versus an arboretum? 00:17:40 - What tips do you have for someone who wants to start a vegetable garden? 00:20:20 - Tell us about hiking the Te Araroa in 2023 00:24:15 - What's your elevator pitch for hiking northbound on the Te Araroa? 00:27:15 - Discussion about Shari blogging for the Trek on the TA 00:28:40 - What's your background in studying poop? 00:35:00 - What were your interviews like on Longs Peak? 00:37:22 - Do people poop on day hikes? 00:42:22 - What did you learn about how many people were burying it? 00:46:20 - Discussion about the usage of wag bags 00:52:00 - What do you know about mycelium tabs? 00:55:06 - What was the conclusion of the Mt. Elbert study? 00:57:40 - Would it be feasible to have maps of poop zones? 00:59:37 - Has this been evaluated on backpacking trails? 01:02:40 - What's the next phase of the study? 01:04:20 - Discussion about where to carry out wag bags 01:06:53 - What do you want the listener's take away to be? 01:10:15 - Kumo Question: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Segments Trek Propaganda: How To Score 9 of the Most Competitive US Hiking Permits in 2025 by Ariella Nardizzi QOTD:  Are farts pushing out poop or is poop pushing out farts? Triple Crown of things that happen all the time but no one sees Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Ben Love, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Brent Stenberg, Bryan Alsop, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Derek Koch, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg McDaniel may he bring honor to his name, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Liz Seger, Old Man Murph's Coffee Roasters, Patrick Cianciolo, Rebecca Brave, Sawyer Products, SPAM, Timothy Hahn, Tracy ‘Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Bonnie Ackerman, Chris Pyle, David, Dcnerdlet, Emily Galusha, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Katharine Rudzitis, Lauren Cain, Luke Netjes, Merle Watkins, Peter, and Ruth S.

Was it a Giant or a fallen Angel!?

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Justin Simoni aka the Long Ranger. In addition to established routes like the Tour Divide and Nolan's 14, Justin also creates his own - he's traversed the Sangre de Cristo Range, Mosquito and Tenmile Ranges, and from Milner to Berthoud Pass along the divide. And while summiting all of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks is an effort in itself, Justin summited the top 100 highest mountains in the state after biking to them from his home in Boulder. We talk about all of the nitty gritty details of taking on these ridgeline routes, why he lives car-free, a detailed measurement of how much weight and water he lost over the course of a grueling day hike, some of his current favorite gear, and more. We wrap the show with an overview of some of the best loop hikes in the United States, what we would telepathically say to all 8 billion people on earth, and the triple crown of things on our bedside table. Zoleo: Use code “BACKPACKERRADIO” for free device activation at zoleo.com.  Gossamer Gear: Use code “SNUGGLEBUG” for 20% off shelters at gossamergear.com.  PATH Projects: Use code “THETREK10”  for 10% off at pathprojects.com/thetrek. [divider] Interview with Justin Simoni aka the Long Ranger Justin's Website Justin's Instagram Justin's Youtube Time stamps & Questions 00:04:50 - Reminders: Mark your calendar for our Brooklyn, NY meetup on September 16, support us on Patreon, check out Chaunce & Elise's TCT hike on Youtube, and leave us a voicemail! 00:13:10 - Introducing Justin 00:14:10 - Tell us about your water loss experiment 00:19:15 - Have you done other similar studies? 00:20:25 - What was your food intake like during the experiment? 00:22:15 - What is your primary focus in your personal trinity of mountain arts? 00:24:20 - You don't own a car? 00:26:00 - How did you originally get into the outdoors? 00:28:50 - How many times have you summitted Green Mountain? 00:31:50 - Tell us about the Milner to Berthoud Pass Traverse 00:34:25 - Is it stressful to do high consequence moves while trying to go quickly? 00:35:50 - How does this traverse compare to others that you've done? 00:37:40 - Did you notice an uptick in FKTs in 2020? 00:38:31 - What was the most challenging part of the Vanishing Point? 00:41:00 - What instrument do you play? 00:43:00 - What's your camping setup? 00:43:30 - How do you avoid thunderstorms? 00:47:00 - What does spike your anxiety? 00:48:00 - How do you prevent making careless errors? 00:50:10 - The Mosquito/Ten Mile Range Traverse 00:53:03 - How many scouting trips did you do for the Vanishing Point project? 00:54:12 - Do you get bored while hiking? 00:56:00 - What do you do for work? 00:57:50 - What are your thoughts on sun hoodies? 01:00:25 - How did it feel to be the first person to complete the Vanishing Point project? 01:01:33 - What are the most significant ways you've changed after completing projects? 01:03:00 - Do you experience post trail depression? 01:04:30 - What do you do for water on your trips? 01:07:50 - Tell us about the Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse 01:11:15 - What was the technicality like on this traverse? 01:13:44 - How should someone get familiar with class 5 pitches with a heavy pack? 01:17:30 - Have you noticed any drop in fitness as you've aged? 01:19:36 - Nolan's 14 description 01:21:35 - Discussion about sleep apnea and asthma 01:24:00 - Tell us about the Slowlans Traverse 01:27:40 - What is it about the ridge hikes that keep you coming back? 01:29:00 - Discussion about popularity trends 01:30:15 - Tell us about the Mosquito/Ten Mile Range Traverse 01:35:00 - Could someone who doesn't like exposure find an alternate route? 01:36:10 - Tell us about the Highest Hundred 01:39:44 - How did you logistically tackle this? 01:43:00 - Biking from Boulder to Longs Peak 01:47:45 - Do you feel pressure to keep coming up with new projects? 01:48:30 - Do you see your guides as an act of service? 01:52:00 - Discussion about the Colorado Trail FKT 01:56:00 - Do you have to train to sleep less for an FKT attempt? 01:59:45 - Do you ever plan trips based on the moon cycle? 02:00:20 - Kumo Question: What is the most useless skill you've ever learned? Segments Mail Bag Trek Propaganda:  12 Epic Multi-Night Loop Hikes in the US by Kelly Floro Dead Weight: 13 Thru-Hikers Reveal the Gear They Sent Home by Ariella Nardizzi QOTD: If you could telepathically say something to all 7.95 billion people on earth, what would you say? Triple Crown of things in your bedside table Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/. Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Austin Ford, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Brent Stenberg, Bryan Alsop, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Dayne, Derek Koch, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg McDaniel, Hailey Buckingham, Liz Seger, Patrick Cianciolo, Sawyer Products, SPAM, Timothy Hahn, Tracy ‘Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: 12 Trees Farms, Bonnie Ackerman, David, Dcnerdlet, Emily Galusha, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Joann Menzer, Katharine Rudzitis, Keith Dobie Jr, Merle Watkins, Peter, and Ruth S.

In this episode...We dive into a comprehensive conversation about how to find, cultivate, and nurture your tribe. If you long to make deep, meaningful connections and authentic relationships this episode is for you! Listen and learn more about: Intentional Friendship BuildingThe Psychological Benefits of FriendshipsStrategies for Conflict Resolution in FriendshipsThe Impact of Cultural Shifts on FriendshipsFree Downloadable Copy of "Lady in the Tribe -  Brenda offers listeners a free copy of her book, which includes:  - A blueprint for cultivating meaningful friendships.  - Stories of women who have found their wholeness through friendship.Gain actionable tips on how to be intentional in cultivating and maintaining friendships, understanding their value, and ensuring they contribute to your well-being without compromising your self-care.Mentioned in Show:GET YOUR FREE BOOK LADY AND THE TRIBE HERE: https://www.brendaridgley.com/freebookGuest bio:BRENDA RIDGLEY is a Mindvalley certified life coach, author, speaker, and girlfriend guru who loves helping women connect, find success, and discover joy through friendship. Her mission is to support women who have lost themselves in their roles as wife, mother and professional and help them connect to their passions, purpose and people. Through her coaching, workshops, retreats, and podcast ~ Find Your Lady Tribe, Brenda helps women connect and communicate with respect, love, and trust. She holds an MA in human resources and has spent decades cultivating her own Tribe. A Colorado girl at heart, Brenda lives in the Carbon Valley area with her husband, Parker, two kids, Parker Jr. and Gillian, and pooch, Perry. She enjoys hiking and has conquered Longs Peak and several other 14'ers. To connect with Brenda, visit her website at www.BrendaRidgley.com.  Her book Lady and the Tribe is available on Amazon and at Barnes & NobleGET YOUR FREE BOOK LADY AND THE TRIBE HERE: https://www.brendaridgley.com/freebookBrenda's Website: https://www.brendaridgley.com/Brenda's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendaridgley/Brenda's Retreat Events: https://www.brendaridgley.com/retreatHigh Vibe links:https://www.soulea.co/podcast I've launched a new affirmation card deck designed with YOU, the listeners in mind! The Body Deck offers 77 beautiful cards that address the three high-vibe killers of disconnection, negative-self talk & lack of self-care/coping practices. Best of all, it's portable & affordable at $33. Benefit from the transformative practice of affirmations anywhere you go. Stop self-sabotage & start being the highest version of YOU: Visit soulea.coSupport the Show.

Joe Regenbogen's long career as a schoolteacher led to writing later in life, and has encompassed a series of thoughtful, researched and diverse works. Appearing on The Sunbury Press Books Show, Regenbogen discusses his experiences in the classroom, which led to his first two books: Questioning History and Relearning History were targeted at those bored with traditional methods of teaching. His following works were equally fulfilling: The Boys of Brookdale tells the stories of veterans of World War II, while Making a Difference details the work of Irl Solomon, who dedicated his career to teaching in the schools of East St. Louis. From here, Regenbogen stepped into fiction with his first novel, Longs Peak, and his latest, Dying of the Light, available on Sunbury's Ars Metaphysica imprint. When Ethan's wife of 40 years passes away, he realizes the guiding light of his life is now extinguished. Haunted as well by a decision made decades before, Ethan takes a road trip to rediscover himself, and find a way to make things right, after so many years. A native of New Orleans, Joe Regenbogen taught in the city's schools before moving to St. Louis, where he now resides. In addition to writing, he has hosted talks and penned op-ed pieces for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Unearth the transformative power of an ancient Japanese ritual that's more than just a grueling trial; it's a metamorphosis of mind, body, and spirit. Together, we traverse the concept of Misogi with Harvard's own Marcus Elliott and discover how it challenges modern notions of what we're truly capable of. Picture yourself moving a boulder underwater, confronting nature's raw challenge - it's this mental and physical odyssey that could redefine the boundaries of your resilience.In the communal forge of adversity, we find unexpected joy and camaraderie. Let's regale you with tales from the intense GoRuck challenge, where the weight on your back is only surpassed by the weight of your will. Surprisingly, it's not the strain that stays with you, but the silent epiphanies and the bond formed with fellow participants that etch deepest into the psyche. Learn how these rigorous rites of passage, though steeped in tradition, have morphed into vehicles for self-discovery and community in our modern tapestry.As laughter intermingles with vulnerability, we approach the precipice of the flow state, where life's harshest tests morph into sources of amusement and profound insight. We'll share how these challenges, from braving blizzards on birthdays to contemplating the ascent of Colorado's formidable Longs Peak, serve as defining moments in life's narrative. Let this episode be a siren call to embrace your own Misogi and, in doing so, uncover the strengths that lie dormant within your story.

Today, we're returning to the mountains of Colorado to hear about the adventures of Isabella Bird, a British explorer who famously ascended Longs Peak in 1873 with her guide and companion Jim Nugent. The story of Bird and Jim illuminates the early history and character of Estes Park, as her writings helped establish the town as a tourist destination, and parallels with the broader historic myth of the frontier and the American west. Bird remains an inspiration to the locals of Estes Park, including restaurateur Melissa Strong. We visit her new restaurant Bird & Jim to hear of her near-death experience and learn how Isabella's determination to break the conventions of the time was an inspiration for Melissa's subsequent recovery. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we enjoy some Independence Day rest and celebration we decided to re-air our most listened to podcast episode to date, "Lessons from Long's Peak." This is a great revisit for us as we go back down those memories of climbing our first 14'er! Write us at codeofmangen127@gmail.com A special thanks, as always, to Bruce Frye for the theme song, "Heart of a Champion." Check out more of Bruce's music and ministry at Bruce Frye Ministries - Singer, Songwriter & Evangelist | Online Christian Music and Book Store

Mile Marker 1- Lower Derby Lake and a wildlife viewing platform where you can witness many species of birds.Mile Marker 2- Grasslands which feature small birds, various species of frogs, and large mammals including the American bison.Mile Marker 3- You may see a bald eagles nest, black-footed ferrets, and swallows as well as sounds of frogs and toads.Mile Marker 4- Short grass prairies that play host to many small birds. You will also see a former U.S. Army Bunker.Mile Marker 5- Two U.S. Army landfills that hold building debris from World War II through the Cold War.Mile Marker 6- Restored prairie habitat & First Creek, which is home to wetland bird species, fish & the American Beaver. This mile includes beautiful mountain views like Longs Peak.Mile Marker 7- Short grass prairie that plays home to ground-nesting birds, songbirds, and predator animals such as the coyote.Mile Marker 8- Home to underground “towns” built by black-tailed prairie dog colonies and sightings of perched raptures like the red-tailed hawk, Swainson's hawk, and the ferruginous hawk.Mile Marker 9- You will see a bison corral, used to conduct the annual health check-up on the bison and the scenic overlook of Rattlesnake Hill.Mile Marker 10- Access to a variety of trails, Lake Mary and Ladora, and the Contact Station, as well as possible mule deer sightings.

We're talking to Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown about trekking to the base of Longs Peak for a story on skating on wild ice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steph Davis has been a professional climber since 1991. But simply calling the Moab, Utah local a climber seems inadequate. From three years old, Davis was trained in the Suzuki Method on the piano. She practiced everyday, sometimes for hours a day, until she discovered a passion for climbing. The piano fell silent as climbing became her primary focus. In 2004, Davis became only the second woman to free climb El Capitan in one day. The following year she freed the formation's Salathe Wall—the first woman ever to do so. She's logged climbing achievements all over the world, and has confronted fear while free soloing walls such as the Diamond on Longs Peak.  For Davis, climbing is about when to hold on, and when to let go. We talk about her evolution as an athlete—how she went from focusing exclusively on climbing to adding base jumping and wingsuit flying to her repertoire. She describes the sense of euphoria gained from free soloing, and why it can't be replicated. This episode is brought to you by The North Face. Alpinist Magazine Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Steph Davis Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn

Rundown -    John Fielder - 05:22   Troubadour Dave Gunders - 01:42:21   "Light Of The Morning" by Dave Gunders - 01:52:06   John Fielder is widely recognized, with good reason, as Colorado's most accomplished and talented landscape photographer. Find out here how Fielder is an accomplished businessman, environmentalist, author, community leader, conservationist, and a Colorado man to his core. For posterity's sake, Fielder just donated 5500 of his best images to the Colorado History museum.   Colorado captivated John Fielder as a young North Carolinian who had a Charlotte teacher who took him and six classmates on long summer journeys to explore the western half of North America. Learn how Fielder fell in love with the sight and name of Colorado upon first setting eyes on Longs Peak.   Fielder's father was a prominent East Coast department store developer. After graduating from Duke with an accounting degree, John Fielder seemed destined to follow in his father's footsteps after successfully managing the big Southglenn May D&F in the late 1970s. But John Fielder felt too drawn to the nearby mountains and photography.   Quitting his day job, John Fielder pursued his passion. For over forty years, Fielder has documented the grandeur of Colorado with his breathtaking photographs. Find out some secrets to Fielder's remarkable career. No photographer in Colorado history has enjoyed more success. www.johfielder.com   Fielder's a candid and terrific interviewee. He's been an environmentalist since recruited decades ago by Wren Wirth to help designate by photography some Colorado mountain property worth protecting. Fielder is a fierce advocate for environmental causes and conservation. He's authored fifty books about Colorado.   Fielder is renowned for photography capturing the natural beauty of Colorado.  Fielder's work has exceptional attention to detail, asymmetrical alignments (that he learned at department store displays), and exceptional use of light. Find out about John Fielder's many years raising a family in the Denver area.   Fielder helped found Colorado Great Outdoors in 1992 and talks about its historic impacts. Now a grandfather of six with more on the way, Fielder's not finished documenting the dire effects of climate change, and advocating for environmentalism through his photography and enterprises. https://goco.org/news/blog/on-great-outdoors-colorado-turning-20   Learn all about the wise man behind the camera. His role models were Ansel Adams and William Henry Jackson, two famous photographers from a century ago. Fans of fine landscape photography will long be studying the work of Colorado's photographer of this generation, John Fielder, and this podcast will add to their wisdom.   Making his usual spectacular contribution is show Troubadour Dave Gunders who is also a Colorado mountaineer appreciative of the special light at sunrise. He gifts us with Light of the Morning, a song with a supernatural story behind it. Gunders and host discuss disturbing camera images seen in Paul Pelosi and Tyre Nichols' violent victimizations.

Reporter Kevin Simpson speaks with Colorado author Eric Maikranz about his novel "The Reincarnationist Papers”, which was adapted into the 2021 movie “Infinite” starring Mark Wahlberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, I catch up on local news, including a search and recovery in Rocky Mountain National Park. Two separate plane crashes in the local area and speak with comedians Andre Ferrell and Joe Kashnow, who will be performing on the 24th at The Ridgeline Hotel in a benefit show for our local American Legion Riders here in Estes Park. Here is the press release from Rocky Mountain National Park talked about on the show: Rocky Mountain National Park News Release September 20, 2022 For Immediate Release Kyle Patterson 970-586-1363 Recovery Operations Completed Sunday Near The Keyhole On Longs Peak     On Sunday, September 18, recovery operations took place for Russell Jacobs, 25, from Westminster, Colorado near the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak.  Rocky Mountain National Park's Search and Rescue Team contracted with Trans Aero helicopter to assist with prepositioning park rangers and aerial recovery operations. Jacobs' body was recovered at approximately 5 p.m. Sunday night by helicopter and transferred to the Boulder County Coroner's Office.           Late Friday afternoon, September 16, Jacobs contacted a friend via cellular phone that he was lost and that the weather was deteriorating rapidly.  Jacobs was unprepared for winter conditions or to spend an unplanned night at elevations above 13,000 feet. This information was relayed to park rangers.  Park rangers were briefly able to contact Jacobs via text message to ascertain his location and learned he was going to try to move toward the Agnes Vaille Shelter. Communication with him was then lost.       Members from Rocky Mountain National Park's Search and Rescue Team began searching in the Boulder Field and Keyhole area of Longs Peak on Friday afternoon.  Search efforts were hampered by accumulating snow, ice, 35 plus mile per hour winds, below freezing temperatures, night fall and bitter wind chill.  Rangers were able to reach the Agnes Vaille Shelter and could not locate the subject.  The search team set up shelter in the Boulder Field overnight in case the subject was still attempting to reach the trailhead. Searchers in the field reported snow and sleet continuing through the night in the search area.      Search efforts were started prior to sunrise on Saturday morning. Rangers reported continued winter like conditions in the area. A clearing in the weather allowed for Northern Colorado Med Evac air ambulance to fly over the search area to look for anyone in distress while rangers continued to search in the Boulder Field.  The man's body was located approximately 80 feet above The Ledges by park visitors.       The Boulder County Coroner's office will release the cause of death.      -NPS- Picture of recovery operations on Longs Peak this weekend ~courtesy of RMNPI also didn't mention it, but here is a news segment out of Florida that I was interviewed in that was released today: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/state-of-hate/former-oath-keepers-propagandist-explains-his-redemption-and-the-danger-of-the-groupHere is the information regarding the comedy show talked about in the interview:Today's post is sponsored by: Get full access to The Colorado Switchblade at www.coloradoswitchblade.com/subscribe

Brenda shares her tips on how to continually build a girlfriend tribe to support all of life. Her book Lady and the Tribe goes into the how too's of it all.

Brenda shares her ideas. Explore your hobbies and find others that do things you like and listen to them. Get to know others by being interested in them. Build history and reconnect with old contacts. When you share the ugly and the good a bond builds strong. Watch venting.

Welcome to 8570. Today we relive the epic tale of climbing Longs Peak. Enjoy! www.patreon.com/eightysevenfifty 8750 hotline: 720 306 1171 Hoodies & Goodies: 8750.creator-spring.com Twitter @yetiyeff and @8750podcast Twitch: @yetiyeff YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzpREWrKjKpu2Xf71CrDkA TikTok: @yetiyeff

Are you discovering dissatisfaction with life, an empty feeling although all seemed to be going well. Brenda shares her experience and how women's relationships support a fulfilled life when this showed up. Her community book, Lady and The Tribe are about creating your own tribe. Where you are the leader and find inclusive relationships with kindred spirits. The power of connection!

The Long Ranger, Justin Simoni, is as much about the journey as the destination. Presented by Justin Simoni’s driveway is one of the loneliest places on Earth. After all, it’s been mostly empty for the last 6 years. See, the “Long Ranger” — Simoni’s nickname — has been car-free for the better part of a decade. And the only real use it sees is for the measly pair of tires that roll away in the wee pre-dawn hours when he rides his bike to his latest objective. See, Simoni views the entirety of an adventure as integral to the endpoint. So getting to the trailhead is as much a part of the fun as ascending it. The Long Ranger sits down to discuss his epic achievements, including the Tour 14er Duathlon (ascending the highest 58 peaks in Colorado, ridden to by bike, summited on foot, and completely self-powered and self-supported), the Longs Peak Project (summiting Longs Peak every month of the year in succession by a different route), and more. But, as we learn, Simoni’s accomplishments are only half the story. It’s his mindset and approach to both life and his endeavors that really set the Long Ranger apart!

Doug and Carl interview friend, neighbor, and FI enthusiast, Jake Simon. Investing – Why “Take Carl to Work Day” isn’t happening, despite Carl’s best efforts – How Jake overcame his fear of investing – Rental properties versus stocks – Leverage (Carl’s favorite topic!) Health – Jake’s routine – Longs Peak – Apple Watch – Sleep Links: FiDilettante Mad Fientist – Financial Independence and Early Retirement Join the Mile High FI Club – It's our email list! **Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.** ____ Brought To You By: The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles 1500 Days, Carl’s Blog about Early Retirement

Madaleine Sorkin travels to climb long, difficult rock walls from the Rockies to Yosemite where she has freed up to 5.13+ on El Capitan and the Diamond on Longs Peak. She has completed first free ascents as far as Kyrgyzstan, Patagonia and Jordan. Increasingly a self-described homebody, Madeleine and her wife live in an off-grid home near the Black Canyon National Park in Colorado. She still pushes her own performance edge and enjoys coaching other climbers to do the same.  In 2018, impacted by climbing-related tragedies in her community, Madaleine founded The Climbing Grief Fund (CGF) in partnership with the American Alpine Club. CGF works to evolve the conversation around grief in the climbing community and connect individuals to effective mental health professionals and resources.  For more information, please visit: https://americanalpineclub.org/grieffundI have known Madaleine since I moved to Colorado in 2011. I have always appreciated her calm energy and also knew there was a V8 engine hiding beneath that mellow vibe. She wouldn't do what she does, without fire and drive. This is what has inspired more than one conversation between the two of us. Relating to her stories and experiences has helped me understand my own relationship with ambition and the meaning of success.  For Madaleine, the drive to achieve crept up on here during her 20s. For a while, her passion for climbing led her to be less selective about who she would partner up with, as long as she could get on the route she was psyched on. At age twenty-four, a pretty severe rappelling accident that almost cost Madaleine her life, changed her perspective. Today at thirty-nine years old, she poses a question that inquires about her intentions, goals and reasons for doing something, whether in climbing or other areas of her life: “What am I up to?”. This allows Madaleine to check in with herself before getting on a long hard route, making sure the timing, partner and weather feel adequate. The urge to push her performance edge continues to bring great moments of success as well as feelings of ‘not doing enough'. She likes to call this ‘Failure Dysphoria'. On days, where Failure Dysphoria is turned up, it's almost impossible to be productive. In our conversation, we dive deep into all the lessons, tools and ways we have both learned to be kind to ourselves, go into our bodies and out of our minds. For Madaleine, the experience of listening to herself and doing what she needs to do (and that might be calling it a day at the crag and pulling out her journal) is really helpful in building the relationship she wants to have with herself, her partner and her work. 

Welcome to Wanderlust: Off the page, a travel podcast designed to help you discover the most fulfilling travel experiences on the planet! From culture and history to nature and wildlife, we're going to be taking you behind the scenes of the magazine to go deeper into our favorite destinations and meet the travel writers, experts, and personalities who will bring our stories to life.Hosted by founding editor Lyn Hughes and special features editor Rosie Fitzgerald, this episode chronicles the Colorado adventures of Isabella Bird, a British explorer who famously ascended Longs Peak in 1873 with her guide and companion Jim Nugent. The story of Bird and Jim illuminates the early history and character of Estes Park, as her writings helped establish the town as a tourist destination, and parallels with the broader historic myth of the frontier and the American west.Bird remains an inspiration to the locals of Estes Park, including restaurateur Melissa Strong. We visit her new restaurant Bird & Jim to hear of her near-death experience and learn how Isabella's determination to break the conventions of the time was an inspiration for Melissa's subsequent recovery.Wanderlust is the UK's leading independent travel magazine which has been taking the road less travelled since 1993.Learn more at wanderlustmagazine.comBecome a Wanderlust Club Member to join our community of serious travelers for just £35 a year. This will get you 6 beautiful collectible issues, exclusive member- only competitions and events, access to our entire online archive back to 2010, plus heaps of other benefits.Learn more about Estes Park at www.visitestespark.com/and search for "Exploring Estes Park" on your podcatcher to hear moreThis series is brought to you by Battleface travel insurance. Protect your trip at battleface.com/wanderlust

Anton was our very first podcast, 3 1/2 years ago!  He was very articulate even back then:  "Sometimes being successful means getting back to the car. Alive." He was also Episode 127 last year: "I don't identify with any one sport - it's about the pure experience" He's still crushing some huge, creative routes; last summer he cycled to the 6 highest peaks in 6 different mountain ranges, ran up them, then got back on the bike.  Alone, Unsupported. ""Sagebrush & Summits" was the focal point of my summer - it took most of July - and ultimately it set me up to race Leadville again in August." Indeed, after cycling 2,300 miles over 21 days, he finished 3rd in the Leadville Trail 100.   Besides prodigious endurance, Anton also remains a very thoughtful student of the sport, and an extremely articulate spokesperson - don't miss his thoughts: "When I set an objective for myself, I'm really trying to create an experience that's going to be meaningful to me, and put me in a situation that will force me into a headspace and orientation to surroundings I don't get in everyday life. Even having a partner will be a different experience." The 6 summits, from the blog post for La Sportiva: Kings Peak in the Uinta Range (Utah's high point, 13,528'); Grand Teton – the Teton Range's high point, 13,775'); Granite Peak in the Beartooth Range (Montana's high point, 12,807');  Cloud Peak – the highest mountain in Wyoming's Bighorn Range, 13,166';  Gannett Peak in the Wind River Range, Wyoming's high point, 13,804'; Longs Peak (14,255') in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, the dominant peak of the northern Front Range.

Here are on this Walden Wednesday, we are celebrating National Bird Day by taking a few moments out of our day to slow the heart and mind down enough to truly listen, and absorb the thoughts, ideas, philosophies and writings of great thinkers, naturalists and lovers of Nature like Emerson, Whitman, Muir and Thoreau. And then, as always, we give you a little time at the end to just “Be”, in a natural environment, and settle into a deeper state of awareness as you go through your day, fully-awake, fully-present, alive and intentionally growing into becoming your best self. Today we are visiting the writings of one of my heroes - naturalist, wildlife photographer, and Nature writer Enos Mills, who lived at the base of Longs Peak, one of the highest mountains in Colorado. Widely regarded as the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park”, he worked and fought hard for the legislation that, in 1915, eventually won the preservation and protection the 415 square miles of paradise in the Colorado Rockies that now make up what is the 10th oldest, and now the 3rd most visited national park in the U.S. This was all due to a “chance” meeting he had as a young man with the wizened old nature sage John Muir, who inspired and encouraged him to establish Rocky Mountain National Park, considered by many to be the “Crown Jewel” of the national park system. Mills went on to not only take on Muir's advice, but he wrote about the beautiful mountain wilderness of the area and its wildlife that he loved and treasured so much. It was said of him that he was a kind of evangelist of the wilderness, and that when he preached the gospel of the wilds, you were convinced of the sincerity of its divine invitation.   Today we will visit with Mills in a passage from his book, Wildlife on the Rockies, (one of my favorites), titled “Bob, and Some Other Birds”. Something to consider as you listen, is Mills's heart for educating people about the preservation of our precious wild lands. In fact he coined the term “Nature Guide” and is the founder of the nature interpretive program widely used by our rangers today. So now, in honor of National Bird Day, I invite you to sit back and enjoy this passage from Wildlife on the Rockies, one of his 18 beloved nature books. I love how he poetically reveals to us the “brave pines”, and the eagles soaring in the “quiet bending blue” sky over the Rockies. May you be inspired by the beauty and intimate connection with birds and nature that Enos Mills so greatly treasured.

After both spending 43 days connecting all of Colorado's 14ers in one self-supported wheel-less thru-hike and winning a bout against rhabdomyolysis, Pawel Szafruga joins the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  His record-breaking journey started at Barr Trail and ended at the bottom of Longs Peak.  We got to learn all about his ultra-lite gear, his route-planning, some unique connecting ridges, road hiking, and his re-supply methods.

Good Morning, Colorado, you're listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It's Thursday September 30th.   Today - Even as the state and federal government works to limit the environmental impacts of coal mining, Colorado has just allowed six coal mining companies to reduce their payments for access to public land.   But before we begin, let's go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett's book “Colorado Day by Day”:   Today, we're going back to September 30th, 1873 when a remarkable visitor achieved her goal of reaching the summit of Longs Peak, one of the most challenging mountains in Colorado. Isabella Bird, a globetrotting Briton, exhausted her vocabulary in lavishing praise on Estes Park and present-day Rocky Mountain National Park.   Now, our feature story.   Colorado is allowing all six companies mining coal in the state to reduce the payments they make to the federal and state government in exchange for access to public land. The annual reduction of royalty payments recently approved by Colorado means coal mining companies are paying less every year, even as both the state and federal government work to limit the impacts of coal mining.    Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth looked into why state officials approved these smaller payments from coal mining companies.    Read Michael's story at coloradosun dot com.    And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:   Colorado's Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission late Tuesday approved a new eight-district congressional map. Some Democrats are not pleased, even though incumbents remain in their districts under the proposed map, which now must be approved by the Supreme Court by Nov. 1 or sent back to the commission for revisions.   Telluride's Original Thinkers festival kicks off today, with an array of artists, activists, musicians and movie-makers exploring the world's triumphs and challenges in the last year.    The ACLU team that helped pass a recent slate of sweeping criminal justice reforms in Colorado resigned this month. The nonpartisan civil rights nonprofit is accused of being too aggressive in wielding its new status as one of the most influential groups in the state. Supporters say the ACLU's hard push for the end of the death penalty and police reform led to important change.    Colorado's rental assistance program offering up to 15 months of free rent to residents struggling during the pandemic has paid out only 15% of its available funds. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program is now distributing about $6 million a week and has helped about 18,000 Coloradans. But there are still thousands more applicants waiting to be approved for help with their rent payments.   For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don't forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.   The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.   Right  now you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member starting at $5 per month and if you bump it up to $20 per month you'll get access to our politics newsletter, 'The Unaffiliated,' as well as our outdoors newsletter, 'The Outsider,' and our new health and environment newsletter 'The Temperature,' -- All three exclusive newsletters delivered to your inbox every week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Nathan Hadley. We talked about his recent 10-day trip to RMNP, in which he sent ‘The Honeymoon is Over' and flashed the ‘Gambler's Fallacy' on The Diamond. We talked about how Nathan prepared for the trip, how he and his partner Mike Kerzhner sussed ‘The Honeymoon', and the day of the send.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:03:36.

Adventure racer and world-class endurance athlete, Heather Wildman,  is the Founder of the Malibu Fountain of Youth Fitness.  A marathoner, triathlete, mountaineer, paddle boarder, personal trainer, fitness model and loving mother, Heather joins husband and wife duo, Alison Pothier and Jules Williams for this episode of IBULIEVE.  Sharing about how adventure sports and extreme fitness helped her gain confidence and overcome childhood adversity, Heather speaks about how embracing what made her different helped her to dig deep ... and shine.     Finishing in the top 10 of her age grade in the legendary Hawaii Ironman, Heather has completed 12 marathons, numerous triathlons and climbed mountains near and far - including, The Matterhorn, Maroon Bells, Mt Rainier, Mont Blanc, Mt Jackson and Longs Peak.  An avid paddleboarder, Heather was the first woman to stand-up paddle board across Lake Michigan.  She is a living embodiment of her beliefs that health and fitness are the fountain of youth.Links referenced in this episode:IBULIEVE.comALISONPOTHIER.comJULESWILLIAMS.comTHE WEIGHFORWARD.comGuest Links:Malibu Fountain of Youth FitnessIBULIEVE Theme Song:Excerpt from the composition by Deepak RamapryianSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/IBULIEVE)

Our first episode chronicles the Colorado adventures of Isabella Bird, a British explorer who famously ascended Longs Peak in 1873 with her guide and companion Jim Nugent.  The story of Bird and Jim illuminates the early history and character of Estes Park, as her writings helped establish the town as a tourist destination, and parallels with the broader historic myth of the frontier and the American west. Bird remains an inspiration to the locals of Estes Park, including restaurateur Melissa Strong. We visit her new restaurant Bird & Jim to hear of her near-death experience and learn how Isabella's determination to break the conventions of the time was an inspiration for Melissa's subsequent recovery. 

Welcome to Estes Park, Colorado's Original Playground and the Basecamp to the Rocky Mountains. Hosted by travel writer Aaron Millar, this series will traverse mountains, alpine lakes and the dark skies above. You'll hear from the region's original inhabitants, the Ute and Arapaho Native American tribes, and the stories of the people who helped found this town. We are Exploring Estes Park. Episode 1 will be released on June 7th, 2021. We'll hear the story of Isabella Bird, an early explorer of the region that summited Longs Peak in 1873, and of restaurateur Melissa Strong, the owner of Bird & Jim.

Roger Briggs is an author and social entrepreneur, who served BVSD for over 30 years building social structures, including: a state-class distance running program that produced multiple championships, an outstanding science department and acclaimed advanced physics program, and a student-run Tech Team at Fairview High. A rock climber for over 50 years, Roger established himself as one of the pioneering climbers of his generation, known for his alpine free climbing on the Diamond of Longs Peak and his founding of the Boulder Climbing Community. Since retiring in 2005, Roger wrote the book, Journey to Civilization: The Science of How We Got Here. Briggs recently debut is his second book: Emerging World: The Evolution of Consciousness and the Future of Humanity which brings both a cautionary and optimistic vision of our future. Join us as we discuss Roger's legacy, the current state of human affairs, and where we go from here, on the Boulderista podcast. Published Books Available on Amazon Published Books Available at Atlantic Publishing Email Roger: rpbriggs17@gmail.com Psychology Today Book Review LinkedIn --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-boulderista/support

Picture this.You’ve taken vacation days from work and flown across the country to climb a Colorado 14er. Let’s say it’s Longs Peak.As you’re climbing, you look into the distance and see dark clouds gathering. You wonder if you should call it a day and head down, but you don’t want to miss your only shot at Longs.Also, all the people around you — the tourists in flip flops and jean shorts — are still heading up.In this moment, how do you sort through all the feelings and doubts and make the right decision?Well, the good news is that wilderness decision-making actually has some brain science behind it.Today on the podcast, we’re going to dive into the thought errors that might cloud your thinking so you can notice them when they’re happening and make safer choices.And we’re going to get some help from an avalanche educator who has studied lots of wilderness accidents, figured out what went wrong, and how we can all do better.Ready? Let’s do this.Read Detailed Show Notes At:https://missadventurepants.com/51Mountain Fit Course:https://missadventurepants.teachable.com/p/mountain-fit/Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/missadventurepants/Try Breathwork with Sarah:https://missadventurepants.com/breathwork

In the summer of 1954, John Gill took his first climbing trip to Colorado. Tired of trudging up the steep mountain peaks and without a partner, Gill hitched a ride with a milkman to solo the east face of Longs Peak, a remarkable feat for a 17-year-old beginner climber from Georgia. 

Bre calls Alan out for not getting enough sleep and that is probably part of the reason Alan is sick. Alan and Bre talk about some of the features of the Whoop strap and Heart Rate Variability. They talk about David Goggins and his book “Can't Hurt Me” and Jesse Itzler's book, “Living with a Seal”. Consistency is key! Bre leads us through an awesome breathing exercise connecting us to the rest of the world. And Alan is excited to be able to breathe out both nostrils for the first time in a couple of days. Bre asks Alan about how he adjusts his fitness routine when he is sick. Right now he is focused on recovery and getting over the crud he has because he is going to Arizona to visit his mother who was in the hospital for three weeks with COVID. She is now home and doing much better. Shout out to Sheryl Titone, a strong 70 year old woman. Alan is also going to AZ for a jiu jitsu camp with the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Globetrotters. Alan is focused on recovery because the Whoop strap is in his head and he is trying to listen to his body telling him to reduce stress. Bre mentions that 80% of doctor visits are stress related. If you want to get better at something you practice and train in that thing, the same is true for sleep. This then turns into a conversation about lack of sleep when bowhunting and bowhunting performance. This leads Bre to talk about why she made the switch to intermittent fasting to help with her endurance performance. Recovery and sleep is important, but how can you train yourself to be a badass, how do you become an outlier? Need to work smart and hard. The best way to get in shape for ice climbing is by ice climbing. Best elk shape is by elk hunting. The conversation continues talking about utilizing fat as fuel, aka keto. Alan shares a story about his friend Ganesh who is keto and his performance hiking Longs Peak. There is a lot of mental training that goes into both training and proper nutrition. Alan and Bre talk about mental training and fight or flight. 60-90 seconds is an automatic response by the sympathetic nervous system, then you have to start making conscious decisions. Alan talks about fight or flight in jiu jitsu, you must have a technical use of training to be able to fight appropriately. Shout out to Professor Howie. Bre shares about mental toughness & managing physiology in trail running. Being able to tap into the mind comes with tapping into the breath first. Bre mentions a technique to help with anxiety attacks to slow down your heart rate. Bre talks about how more people, like Wim Hof, are using ancient knowledge to get more people involved. Find the tools and adjunct therapies you need, know the purpose of these tools and when to use them. Use them to create the life you want. The secret is DO THE WORK. Once you start seeing the benefits you can't quit. You must be into the journey and the process as much as you are into the result. Alan and Bre talk about the importance of balance in all things. They cover strength, flexibility, mobility; hot yoga; physical therapy. Shout out to Nicole Fox, DPT. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED! Journal prompt: Write about your thoughts from the episode. Remember, the focus should be on direction instead of a specific plan. Forward is progress, plans change, what you want changes. HUGE THANK YOU to the Allyson Band https://allysonband.com/ for the podcast's music and Brianna Cote http://briannacote.com for photography and cover design. Podcast and Book referenced: Being conscious about what we consume, how we consume and where we consume, please support your local bookstore, they can typically order most books for you if they don't have it in the store. Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins Living with a Seal by Jesse Itzler I Hate Running by Semi Rad Breath by James Nestor Breathing for Warriors by Dr. Belisa Vranich and Brian Sabin Whoop Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/world-renowned-hrv-researcher-daniel-plews-discusses/id1445509665 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thehunterandthehippie/support

Join Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith, the mother-daughter travel team and publishers of Big Blend Magazines, for Big Blend Radio airing live from Austin, Texas. On this episode, travel writer and author Linda Ballou discusses her new novel, “Embrace of the Wild,” that's inspired by the life of equestrian explorer and travel writer Isabella Lucy Bird. It shares the story of raw courage and fierce strength of a plucky English woman’s un-flinching desire to be free. Impetuous, strong-willed Isabella defied her strict Evangelical upbringing and the societal expectations of the Victorian age to fulfill her dreams. She redeemed her body after botched surgeries on her spine resulting in years of chronic back pain. She jumped ship on a world tour to spend six months in the nurturing clime of the Sandwich Islands  There she mustered the stamina to ride on the flank of a living volcano in Hawai’i and venture deep into the sacred Waipio Valley. After reclaiming her body she ventured to Estes Park in Colorado. There she herded feral cattle in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains and convinced ruffian, Rocky Mountain Jim, to guide her up towering Longs Peak. She finds peace in the arms of Jim her  “dear desperado.”  Ride with this intrepid horsewoman on her 800-mile mountain tour in the Rockies in  winter depending upon the kindness of strangers and the stout heart of her mare Birdie to survive on her way to  becoming the best-loved travel writer of her time. Featured music is “Freedom Has a Way” by James Saunders.

Hey monkiis, I've never been a big New Year's resolution guy. However, I find that reflecting on the previous year is always a good exercise to revisit the joy from the highlights and on a darker note, to look into your own abyss and get an honest starting point from which to move forward. My reflections/highlights from 2020: The birth of my second daughter. Killing my first Elk with a bow. Climbing the Diamond twice (1,000 ft rock wall) on Longs Peak. 'Newborn starts' for mountain adventures. Microworkouts and 'All-Day' Workouts. Taking time off to let my body recover. Launching Stoic on Kickstarter. Two Challenges for 2021: 21 days in a row, do 21 reps of any movement. Take the first 7 days of January to come up with a Misogi for 2021. Email me your Misogi: Elders@monkii.co. Other links: David Goggins on Rich Roll's podcast. 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. Guy Raz Interviews Tim Ferriss. If you have questions, please send a note to info@monkii.co or send us a DM to @monkii.co on Instagram we can get more monkii Q&A sessions going. Thanks for tuning in and if you are enjoying the episodes we would be eternally grateful if you could leave a 5-star review. It helps to grow the monkii family and spread the good word of the Wild. Thank you. See you out there and monkii on, -monkii Dan www.monkii.co

On the morning of September 5, Annie Weinmann and her climbing partner started up the North Chimney, a broad 500-foot slot that leads climbers to the Diamond, Colorado's premier alpine wall. Annie had done the North Chimney before and was comfortable climbing the easy terrain unroped and in approach shoes. But when she got slightly off-route, a foot slip led to a terrible tumble. In Episode 39 of the Sharp End, Annie tells Ashley what happened and how she survived a 200-foot fall, plus some fascinating insight into the circumstances that brought her to this point. The Sharp End is presented by Mammut, with additional support from Desert Mountain Medicine and Suunto. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.

Chris Weidner and Bruce Miller worked four years on a new free climb up the Diamond, the northeast face of Longs Peak in Colorado. The Gambler's Fallacy (5.13b/8a) is one of the hardest routes up this cold granite wall, which rises to over 14,000 feet or 4,300 meters. In this episode, Chris talks about the process and partnership that led to this beautiful new free climb. The Cutting Edge is presented by Hilleberg the Tentmaker (Hilleberg.com). This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club. Photo courtesy of Jon Glassberg of Louder Than 11.

Mile Marker 1- Lower Derby Lake and a wildlife viewing platform where you can witness many species of birds.Mile Marker 2- Grasslands which feature small birds, various species of frogs, and large mammals including the American bison.Mile Marker 3- You may see a bald eagles nest, black-footed ferrets, and swallows as well as sounds of frogs and toads.Mile Marker 4- Short grass prairies that play host to many small birds. You will also see a former U.S. Army Bunker.Mile Marker 5- Two U.S. Army landfills that hold building debris from World War II through the Cold War.Mile Marker 6- Restored prairie habitat & First Creek, which is home to wetland bird species, fish & the American Beaver. This mile includes beautiful mountain views like Longs Peak.Mile Marker 7- Short grass prairie that plays home to ground-nesting birds, songbirds, and predator animals such as the coyote.Mile Marker 8- Home to underground “towns” built by black-tailed prairie dog colonies and sightings of perched raptures like the red-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, and the ferruginous hawk.Mile Marker 9- You will see a bison corral, used to conduct the annual health check-up on the bison and the scenic overlook of Rattlesnake Hill.Mile Marker 10- Access to a variety of trails, Lake Mary and Ladora, and the Contact Station, as well as possible mule deer sightings.

Almost every week, I get an email that goes like this:Sarah, I dream of hiking the AT or climbing Longs Peak or (insert your dream here), but I'm 50 pounds overweight, and I need to slim down first.Friends, as an inclusive fitness coach, nothing makes me sadder than when you put your dreams off because you think you're in the wrong body.I actually worked with a client whose previous coach told her that in order to climb her mountain, she had to "look the part." WTAF?Here's the truth.We're all carrying around years of negative programming about weight, performance, and what outdoor athletes should look like.And it's all bullshit.So in today's podcast, I want to inspire you to start training today.At the weight you're at. In the body you're in.You are beginning at the exact perfect place. So let's do this!Read detailed show notes at:https://missadventurepants.com/19Mountain Fit course: https://missadventurepants.teachable.com/p/mountain-fit/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/missadventurepants/

On today's episode of The Firn Line, we'll get to know climber, skier, high-school teacher and coach, Eddie Taylor.Eddie grew up in different parts of the country.  As a youth, he spent time in New Mexico, where he first learned how to ski.  It was these formative experiences, alongside trips to National Parks, that instilled a deep reverence and love for the outdoors.During his high school years, Eddie moved out to Minnesota with his mom and sister, where he excelled in sports - playing basketball, soccer and track and field.  But he also had an aptitude for academics, and by the time he graduated, he decided to move out west to Boulder, Colorado, to attend Colorado State University.Eddie focused on his education, majoring in both Mathematics and Chemistry.  But the allure of athletics pulled at him, and with the encouragement of some friends, he walked on to the track and field team.  It didn't take long for Eddie to impress the coaches with his all-around abilities, and before long, he'd earned a scholarship.By the time Eddie graduated from college, he had a lot to be proud of.  He'd accomplished a lot.  But like a lot of people in their twenties, Eddie ended up at different crossroads, pulling him in various directions.  Although his love for athletics was still there, some of the pull and excitement had waned, and injuries forced him to dial things back.  But sometimes adversity brings opportunity.Boulder, Colorado is a mecca for North American climbing, with classic arenas like Eldorado Canyon, Rifle, and Longs Peak just a stone's throw away.  It didn't take long for Eddie to get into the business, and before long, he was hooked.Links:The Firn LinePatreonEvan Phillips MusicSponsors:Alaska Rock GymThe Hoarding MarmotDeclination Roasting

Hey monkiis, This is essentially a part 2 episode of the 'Micro-Misogi' episode (#56) from last week. I went back up to the Diamond on Longs Peak and had an epic adventure. However, it wasn't the adventure that I found remarkable, but rather it was my evolving attitude towards setting goals. I hope you enjoy my thoughts and reflections. If you have questions, please send a note to info@monkii.co and we can get more monkii Q&A sessions going. Thanks for tuning in and if you are enjoying the episodes we would be eternally grateful if you could leave a 5-star review. It helps to grow the monkii family and spread the good word of the Wild. Thank you. See you out there and monkii on, -monkii Dan www.monkii.co

Hey monkiis, On this episode I talk about a little 'Micro-Misogi' that went down for me this past Friday. I climbed a route on the Diamond which is a ~1,000 foot vertical wall on the east face of Longs Peak. It was really challenging me me and definitely pushed me beyond my limits. However, it was also very eye-opening and open my imagination to what might be possible. This is exactly what the Misogi is for! Please enjoy. If you have questions, please send a note to info@monkii.co and we can get more monkii Q&A sessions going. Thanks for tuning in and if you are enjoying the episodes we would be eternally grateful if you could leave a 5-star review. It helps to grow the monkii family and spread the good word of the Wild. Thank you. See you out there and monkii on, -monkii Dan www.monkii.co

Overtrek and Easy Target reflect back on their four days in the Rockies and the culminating event of climbing Long's Peak, the 14, 259ft mountain in Colorado. What lessons they learned and how they apply to more than mountain climbing.

Seth is one of those 'fast guys'. On one of the legendary CU track teams. He ran a 1:06:50 Half Marathon - while running a full Marathon. Meanwhile, Seth set FKTs on many of the Colorado 14ers, from Longs Peak to Mount Elbert ... where he tied Anton Krupicka's 8 year old FKT ... to the second. The very next day, Ryan Phebus broke it by a mere 3 seconds! "After the pressure of college, I took 4-5 years off, which allowed me to get the fire back." Seth is interesting, with a lot of knowledge and a unique perspective. And definitely check out his YouTube Channel - he does a good job with video - 93,700 Subscribers! http://youtube.com/sethdemoor

Andy Anderson started running and climbing in Chattanooga, Tennessee at age 13. In high school he started working at Rock Creek Outfitters. He ran competitively through college and annoyed his coaches and professors by climbing and skiing way too much. Andy worked as a climbing ranger in National Park Service for 15 summers. Since leaving the Park Service, Andy spends his summers being a dad, programming computers, guiding, running and climbing as much as he can, and keeping up with his wife (a biathete, runner, climber, skier, and climate scientist) and 10 year old son who says his favorite things are running, skiing, and biking. In the winters Andy is an avalanche forecaster for the Sierra Avalanche Center where he spend his days going up and down mountains on skis and digging holes in the snow. Andy currently hold the fastest known times on Longs Peak and the Grand Teton and the second fastest time on Mt. Whitney. He regularly places in the top five of most of the trail races he enters. Andy is also an athlete for Mammut. Since turning 40, he is hoping that his baldness will make him more aerodynamic and that he will be able to tap into that elusive “old-man-strength.” Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Today, we discuss how COVID-19 is impacting labor and delivery units.  Carla shares the challenges and positive aspects of working with families during birth and postpartum. She also talks about how this pandemic is changing her outlook and self care, for the better.   Carla has been in the healthcare field since 2000 and a nurse since 2003. The primary focus of her nursing is Women and Family Services with 17 years as a Labor and Delivery Nurse. She now works as a Charge Nurse at Longs Peak Hospital, which is a community hospital in the UCHealth system in Colorado. She loves her job and taking care of people in her community.  Listen and Learn:  Temporary policy changes to keep everyone safe  How the staff is alerted to changes in the system, including 36 updates so far  The differences in protocol if a mom has COVID-19 or is PUI  How nurses are keeping themselves and their families protected from the virus  How her team is becoming stronger as a result of the crisis   Resources & Mentions:  Care of Pregnant Women with COVID-10 in Labor and Delivery  InJoy Resources for COVID-19    Related Products from InJoy:  Understanding Birth  Pain Management, Vol 1 and 2  Understanding Mother & Baby Care  

Today, we discuss how COVID-19 is impacting labor and delivery units.  Carla shares the challenges and positive aspects of working with families during birth and postpartum. She also talks about how this pandemic is changing her outlook and self care, for the better.   Carla has been in the healthcare field since 2000 and a nurse since 2003. The primary focus of her nursing is Women and Family Services with 17 years as a Labor and Delivery Nurse. She now works as a Charge Nurse at Longs Peak Hospital, which is a community hospital in the UCHealth system in Colorado. She loves her job and taking care of people in her community.  Listen and Learn:  Temporary policy changes to keep everyone safe  How the staff is alerted to changes in the system, including 36 updates so far  The differences in protocol if a mom has COVID-19 or is PUI  How nurses are keeping themselves and their families protected from the virus  How her team is becoming stronger as a result of the crisis   Resources & Mentions:  Care of Pregnant Women with COVID-10 in Labor and Delivery  InJoy Resources for COVID-19    Related Products from InJoy:  Understanding Birth  Pain Management, Vol 1 and 2  Understanding Mother & Baby Care  

Kyle Richardson is a Colorado-based professional runner and mountain athlete who is best known for his high-stakes, high-speed endurance feats in the Rocky Mountains. Over the past two years, Kyle has set several Fastest Known Time (“FKT”) records in the Colorado mountains—most notably on Boulder’s First and Third Flatirons, as well as the renowned LA Freeway route that stretches from Longs Peak to Arapahoe Peak. Away from his endurance feats, Kyle is a formally trained musician, and he composes original music for filmmakers and outdoor brands such as Black Diamond and La Sportiva. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Kyle’s youth was defined by time in the outdoors with his family and a deep commitment to music and playing the drums. His love of the West’s wide-open spaces led him to college at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he began to realize his talent for endurance and moving quickly through the mountains. After several years of running and climbing throughout Colorado, he captured the attention of the endurance community with his record-setting time on the LA Freeway, a difficult and exposed route that combines running, scrambling, and rock climbing. Since then, he has earned sponsorships from major outdoor brands that have allowed him to pursue his adventures in the mountains with full focus and intensity. I met up with Kyle in Boulder, where we had a wide-ranging conversation about his passion for the mountains and music. We started by discussing his athletic career and some of the details around his fastest known times on well-known mountain routes. We also discussed Kyle’s love of the process of training—in both athletics and music—and how his commitment to preparation gives him the confidence to pursue challenging and sometimes dangerous goals. We discuss the common skills required to be great in both endurance sports and music, and Kyle talks about some of the mentors and heroes who have shaped his career. Kyle is a voracious reader, so we talk a lot about books, and Kyle reveals a very interesting personal tie to one of my favorite history books, "Empire of the Summer Moon." Kyle is humble and thoughtful, and it was a real pleasure getting to know him. Hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. --- Full episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/kyle-richardson/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - How Kyle describes his athletic pursuits 6:00 - Kyle and Fastest Known Times (“FKT”) 10:30 - FKTs in the Boulder’s Flatirons 16:00 - Training routine 18:00 - Growing up in Texas 20:30 - Music and how it informs athletics 22:50 - Film scoring, composing, and music industry 26:30 - Heroes and mentors in the music world 28:00 - Drums, running, and excess energy as a kid 29:30 - When people began to take note of Kyles running 32:30 - Athletic mentors 38:30 - Artistic, cerebral aspects to mountain sports 39:30 - Assessing risk in the mountains 42:30 - Nature making you feel small 46:30 - Kyle’s parent’s support for his career 48:30 - Running goals for 2020 52:00 - Books he’s currently reading 54:15 - Favorite books about the West 56:00 - Limiting screens and social media 57:30 - Favorite location in the West 58:45 - Most powerful outdoor experience 1:00:25 - Parting words of wisdom ---- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie Podcast Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie  

My guest this week is embarking on a journey only few have ever completed…alive...Terrence Steinberg is up for the challenge! He’s an ultra-endurance athlete that has completed two Ironman’s with top 5% finishes in both. He runs ultra marathons - up to 145 miles, and he scales mountains like Longs Peak in Colorado, which by the way – is just north of 14 thousand feet in elevation. Pretty impressive to say the least! His next epic challenge, let me just say…I couldn’t believe it when I heard it for the first time, but as you’re about to hear, it’s very real. You see, Terrence is on a purpose filled mission to inspire a more courageous world, raise scholarships, protect the oceans and much more. How is he going about all of this? By solo rowing across the Pacific Ocean. San Francisco to Hawaii – 2,500 miles completely self-supported. So, get ready to meet ‘Tez’ as his friends call him, as we dive in to “Becoming Your own Inspiration” a journey across the Pacific With Terrence Steinberg. Peace Love Plants ~Marco Special Guest: Terrence "TEZ" Steinberg.

Chris Weidner began climbing as a teenager in the Pacific Northwest and is no stranger to being pinned on the summit of Mt. Rainier in a storm. The 45-year-old climbs 5.14 sport routes and continues to establish new free routes on the Diamond of Longs Peak and elsewhere. He has also written more than 300 articles related to climbing—for the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper, Alpinist and other climbing magazines—since about 2007. Weidner recently told Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz, "I think it's important to say that, along with these close relationships and the family feeling that climbing has given me over the years, I feel like it's also made me value lightheartedness.... And it's helped me realize that there's pretty much nothing in life worth stressing too hard about.... The other thing it reminds me of is just how important it is to be kind to people."

Ramcast 2019 at Longs Peak MS by Sandy Heiser

This episode of the OutThere Colorado Podcast takes a look at Longs Peak, perhaps the most iconic mountain in Colorado, digging into what the climb is like and what makes it so dangerous. Hosted & Written by: Spencer McKee

From the time he led his dad up the Diamond of Longs Peak at age fifteen, Derek Franz has long been “obsessed with all things climbing.” After graduating college with a journalism degree, Franz has worked as a freelancer while living crag-side and written an award-winning column for the Post Independent. He joined Alpinist as the digital editor in the autumn of 2016. In this episode, Franz talks with associate editor Paula Wright about the highs and lows of chronicling life in the mountains.

Kyle Richardson was only 22 years old on Aug 1, when he set the new FKT on the high and technical LA Freeway. His time of 16hrs 28mins 53secs bettered the time of 16hrs 59mins set by Matthias Messner just last year. “The LA Freeway links Longs Peak, the tallest in Rocky Mountain National Park, with Arapaho Peak, the tallest in the Indian Peaks. It’s above 12,000 feet the entire time. It’s an iconic line - this is what you see on the skyline looking west.” “For 14 hours I didn’t see a soul, even though I was right above Boulder, almost in sight of Denver”. There was no water the entire distance, so Kyle describes how he stashed 3 liters of water in two locations, and why this Self-Supported style made the most sense. The route is rated 5.6 in difficulty, but Kyle was ready for it: “Find what inspires you. Then put in the time to learn the route; respect the route. Practice."

Chris McNamera is the founder of Outdoor Gear Lab, Tech Gear Lab, and Supertopo. If you are a climber or gear head, there’s a chance you’ve heard of these. He’s also well respected climber, holds some serious big wall speed records and has climbed El Cap 80 plus times. In the early 2000s, Chris was one of the pioneers of wingsuit base jumping, but he eventually quit the sport because of it's risk. Today, he's reinventing South Lake Tahoe one of the best mountain towns in the US. In today’s Company Spotlight, we feature Sufferfest Beer Co., and it’s founder, Caitlin Landesberg. Sufferfest is a beer built to reward you post-adventure – or maybe during your adventure, depending on what you’re in to! After the interview, Hannah Van Wetter and I review the beer and have a few drinks. For 20% off at their online store, use the code “meister” at www.sufferfestbeer.com. You can buy the beer online at Craft City - https://www.craftcity.com/all-beers/all-breweries/sufferfest This summer I am reporting on Big City Mountaineers and their Summit for Someone trip on Longs Peak from September 7th to 9th. I have reported on these trips in the past, and this year, we’ll be promoting their Corporate Challenges program, where a company can host a trip of it’s own. I think it’d be a cool story about team-building and corporate social responsibility (plus your company will get some good PR out of the whole thing). Everyone who signs up gets a 70L pack, Mountainsmith trekking poles, a BCM t-shirt, and their voice on MtnMeister! If you or your company are interested in getting involved, shoot me an email at ben@mtnmeister.com. Links Outdoor Gear Lab - https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/ Tech Gear Lab - https://www.techgearlab.com/ Supertopo - http://www.supertopo.com/ South Lake Tahoe - https://tahoesouth.com/ Buy Sufferfest Beer - https://www.craftcity.com/all-beers/all-breweries/sufferfest Chris McNamara on Enormocast - https://enormocast.com/episode-88-chris-mcnamara-living-the-ever-changing-dream/

Longs Peak rises above Rocky Mountain National Park, enticing climbers of all skills and abilities. We join Everett Phillips, a climbing ranger at Rocky, to learn what being a climbing ranger is all about and how to plan a successful climb on the Keyhole Route. #rmnpod

It's our first special edition, non numbered episode! Terri is in the studio with Brian today. They got together to talk about backpacking and mountaineering. Enjoy!

Morgan Hartley shares a tale about his ongoing battle with his nemesis: Longs Peak at the "First Denver Anything" Raconteur event on November 3

Join us today on Elevation Trail as we welcome my long-time friend, Jeff Valliere, who is an accomplished mountaineer. We recall an adventure he and I had climbing Longs Peak (14er in Colorado) and how our decisions that day were critical. The report of the day on JV’s blog: http://jeffvalliere.blogspot.com/2009/03/longs-peak-full-version.html Direct .mp3 file

  In this short, Jim tells his story about the time he threw all caution to the Wind and decided to go climb a mountain in between Chemo sessions. Ill advised? Probably, but he learned an important lesson. 

Urantia During the Early Land-Life Era (685.1) 60:0.1 THE era of exclusive marine life has ended. Land elevation, cooling crust and cooling oceans, sea restriction and consequent deepening, together with a great increase of land in northern latitudes, all conspired greatly to change the world’s climate in all regions far removed from the equatorial zone. (685.2) 60:0.2 The closing epochs of the preceding era were indeed the age of frogs, but these ancestors of the land vertebrates were no longer dominant, having survived in greatly reduced numbers. Very few types outlived the rigorous trials of the preceding period of biologic tribulation. Even the spore-bearing plants were nearly extinct. 1. The Early Reptilian Age (685.3) 60:1.1 The erosion deposits of this period were mostly conglomerates, shale, and sandstone. The gypsum and red layers throughout these sedimentations over both America and Europe indicate that the climate of these continents was arid. These arid districts were subjected to great erosion from the violent and periodic cloudbursts on the surrounding highlands. (685.4) 60:1.2 Few fossils are to be found in these layers, but numerous sandstone footprints of the land reptiles may be observed. In many regions the one thousand feet of red sandstone deposit of this period contains no fossils. The life of land animals was continuous only in certain parts of Africa. (685.5) 60:1.3 These deposits vary in thickness from 3,000 to 10,000 feet, even being 18,000 on the Pacific coast. Lava was later forced in between many of these layers. The Palisades of the Hudson River were formed by the extrusion of basalt lava between these Triassic strata. Volcanic action was extensive in different parts of the world. (685.6) 60:1.4 Over Europe, especially Germany and Russia, may be found deposits of this period. In England the New Red Sandstone belongs to this epoch. Limestone was laid down in the southern Alps as the result of a sea invasion and may now be seen as the peculiar dolomite limestone walls, peaks, and pillars of those regions. This layer is to be found all over Africa and Australia. The Carrara marble comes from such modified limestone. Nothing of this period will be found in the southern regions of South America as that part of the continent remained down and hence presents only a water or marine deposit continuous with the preceding and succeeding epochs. (686.1) 60:1.5 150,000,000 years ago the early land-life periods of the world’s history began. Life, in general, did not fare well but did better than at the strenuous and hostile close of the marine-life era. (686.2) 60:1.6 As this era opens, the eastern and central parts of North America, the northern half of South America, most of Europe, and all of Asia are well above water. North America for the first time is geographically isolated, but not for long as the Bering Strait land bridge soon again emerges, connecting the continent with Asia. (686.3) 60:1.7 Great troughs developed in North America, paralleling the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The great eastern-Connecticut fault appeared, one side eventually sinking two miles. Many of these North American troughs were later filled with erosion deposits, as also were many of the basins of the fresh- and salt-water lakes of the mountain regions. Later on, these filled land depressions were greatly elevated by lava flows which occurred underground. The petrified forests of many regions belong to this epoch. (686.4) 60:1.8 The Pacific coast, usually above water during the continental submergences, went down excepting the southern part of California and a large island which then existed in what is now the Pacific Ocean. This ancient California sea was rich in marine life and extended eastward to connect with the old sea basin of the midwestern region. (686.5) 60:1.9 140,000,000 years ago, suddenly and with only the hint of the two prereptilian ancestors that developed in Africa during the preceding epoch, the reptiles appeared in full-fledged form. They developed rapidly, soon yielding crocodiles, scaled reptiles, and eventually both sea serpents and flying reptiles. Their transition ancestors speedily disappeared. (686.6) 60:1.10 These rapidly evolving reptilian dinosaurs soon became the monarchs of this age. They were egg layers and are distinguished from all animals by their small brains, having brains weighing less than one pound to control bodies later weighing as much as forty tons. But earlier reptiles were smaller, carnivorous, and walked kangaroolike on their hind legs. They had hollow avian bones and subsequently developed only three toes on their hind feet, and many of their fossil footprints have been mistaken for those of giant birds. Later on, the herbivorous dinosaurs evolved. They walked on all fours, and one branch of this group developed a protective armor. (686.7) 60:1.11 Several million years later the first mammals appeared. They were nonplacental and proved a speedy failure; none survived. This was an experimental effort to improve mammalian types, but it did not succeed on Urantia. (686.8) 60:1.12 The marine life of this period was meager but improved rapidly with the new invasion of the sea, which again produced extensive coast lines of shallow waters. Since there was more shallow water around Europe and Asia, the richest fossil beds are to be found about these continents. Today, if you would study the life of this age, examine the Himalayan, Siberian, and Mediterranean regions, as well as India and the islands of the southern Pacific basin. A prominent feature of the marine life was the presence of hosts of the beautiful ammonites, whose fossil remains are found all over the world. (686.9) 60:1.13 130,000,000 years ago the seas had changed very little. Siberia and North America were connected by the Bering Strait land bridge. A rich and unique marine life appeared on the Californian Pacific coast, where over one thousand species of ammonites developed from the higher types of cephalopods. The life changes of this period were indeed revolutionary notwithstanding that they were transitional and gradual. (687.1) 60:1.14 This period extended over twenty-five million years and is known as the Triassic. 2. The Later Reptilian Age (687.2) 60:2.1 120,000,000 years ago a new phase of the reptilian age began. The great event of this period was the evolution and decline of the dinosaurs. Land-animal life reached its greatest development, in point of size, and had virtually perished from the face of the earth by the end of this age. The dinosaurs evolved in all sizes from a species less than two feet long up to the huge noncarnivorous dinosaurs, seventy-five feet long, that have never since been equaled in bulk by any living creature. (687.3) 60:2.2 The largest of the dinosaurs originated in western North America. These monstrous reptiles are buried throughout the Rocky Mountain regions, along the whole of the Atlantic coast of North America, over western Europe, South Africa, and India, but not in Australia. (687.4) 60:2.3 These massive creatures became less active and strong as they grew larger and larger; but they required such an enormous amount of food and the land was so overrun by them that they literally starved to death and became extinct — they lacked the intelligence to cope with the situation. (687.5) 60:2.4 By this time most of the eastern part of North America, which had long been elevated, had been leveled down and washed into the Atlantic Ocean so that the coast extended several hundred miles farther out than now. The western part of the continent was still up, but even these regions were later invaded by both the northern sea and the Pacific, which extended eastward to the Dakota Black Hills region. (687.6) 60:2.5 This was a fresh-water age characterized by many inland lakes, as is shown by the abundant fresh-water fossils of the so-called Morrison beds of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. The thickness of these combined salt- and fresh-water deposits varies from 2,000 to 5,000 feet; but very little limestone is present in these layers. (687.7) 60:2.6 The same polar sea that extended so far down over North America likewise covered all of South America except the soon appearing Andes Mountains. Most of China and Russia was inundated, but the water invasion was greatest in Europe. It was during this submergence that the beautiful lithographic stone of southern Germany was laid down, those strata in which fossils, such as the most delicate wings of olden insects, are preserved as of but yesterday. (687.8) 60:2.7 The flora of this age was much like that of the preceding. Ferns persisted, while conifers and pines became more and more like the present-day varieties. Some coal was still being formed along the northern Mediterranean shores. (687.9) 60:2.8 The return of the seas improved the weather. Corals spread to European waters, testifying that the climate was still mild and even, but they never again appeared in the slowly cooling polar seas. The marine life of these times improved and developed greatly, especially in European waters. Both corals and crinoids temporarily appeared in larger numbers than heretofore, but the ammonites dominated the invertebrate life of the oceans, their average size ranging from three to four inches, though one species attained a diameter of eight feet. Sponges were everywhere, and both cuttlefish and oysters continued to evolve. (688.1) 60:2.9 110,000,000 years ago the potentials of marine life were continuing to unfold. The sea urchin was one of the outstanding mutations of this epoch. Crabs, lobsters, and the modern types of crustaceans matured. Marked changes occurred in the fish family, a sturgeon type first appearing, but the ferocious sea serpents, descended from the land reptiles, still infested all the seas, and they threatened the destruction of the entire fish family. (688.2) 60:2.10 This continued to be, pre-eminently, the age of the dinosaurs. They so overran the land that two species had taken to the water for sustenance during the preceding period of sea encroachment. These sea serpents represent a backward step in evolution. While some new species are progressing, certain strains remain stationary and others gravitate backward, reverting to a former state. And this is what happened when these two types of reptiles forsook the land. (688.3) 60:2.11 As time passed, the sea serpents grew to such size that they became very sluggish and eventually perished because they did not have brains large enough to afford protection for their immense bodies. Their brains weighed less than two ounces notwithstanding the fact that these huge ichthyosaurs sometimes grew to be fifty feet long, the majority being over thirty-five feet in length. The marine crocodilians were also a reversion from the land type of reptile, but unlike the sea serpents, these animals always returned to the land to lay their eggs. (688.4) 60:2.12 Soon after two species of dinosaurs migrated to the water in a futile attempt at self-preservation, two other types were driven to the air by the bitter competition of life on land. But these flying pterosaurs were not the ancestors of the true birds of subsequent ages. They evolved from the hollow-boned leaping dinosaurs, and their wings were of batlike formation with a spread of twenty to twenty-five feet. These ancient flying reptiles grew to be ten feet long, and they had separable jaws much like those of modern snakes. For a time these flying reptiles appeared to be a success, but they failed to evolve along lines which would enable them to survive as air navigators. They represent the nonsurviving strains of bird ancestry. (688.5) 60:2.13 Turtles increased during this period, first appearing in North America. Their ancestors came over from Asia by way of the northern land bridge. (688.6) 60:2.14 One hundred million years ago the reptilian age was drawing to a close. The dinosaurs, for all their enormous mass, were all but brainless animals, lacking the intelligence to provide sufficient food to nourish such enormous bodies. And so did these sluggish land reptiles perish in ever-increasing numbers. Henceforth, evolution will follow the growth of brains, not physical bulk, and the development of brains will characterize each succeeding epoch of animal evolution and planetary progress. (688.7) 60:2.15 This period, embracing the height and the beginning decline of the reptiles, extended nearly twenty-five million years and is known as the Jurassic. 3. The Cretaceous Stage The Flowering-Plant Period The Age of Birds (688.8) 60:3.1 The great Cretaceous period derives its name from the predominance of the prolific chalk-making foraminifers in the seas. This period brings Urantia to near the end of the long reptilian dominance and witnesses the appearance of flowering plants and bird life on land. These are also the times of the termination of the westward and southward drift of the continents, accompanied by tremendous crustal deformations and concomitant widespread lava flows and great volcanic activities. (689.1) 60:3.2 Near the close of the preceding geologic period much of the continental land was up above water, although as yet there were no mountain peaks. But as the continental land drift continued, it met with the first great obstruction on the deep floor of the Pacific. This contention of geologic forces gave impetus to the formation of the whole vast north and south mountain range extending from Alaska down through Mexico to Cape Horn. (689.2) 60:3.3 This period thus becomes the modern mountain-building stage of geologic history. Prior to this time there were few mountain peaks, merely elevated land ridges of great width. Now the Pacific coast range was beginning to elevate, but it was located seven hundred miles west of the present shore line. The Sierras were beginning to form, their gold-bearing quartz strata being the product of lava flows of this epoch. In the eastern part of North America, Atlantic sea pressure was also working to cause land elevation. (689.3) 60:3.4 100,000,000 years ago the North American continent and a part of Europe were well above water. The warping of the American continents continued, resulting in the metamorphosing of the South American Andes and in the gradual elevation of the western plains of North America. Most of Mexico sank beneath the sea, and the southern Atlantic encroached on the eastern coast of South America, eventually reaching the present shore line. The Atlantic and Indian Oceans were then about as they are today. (689.4) 60:3.5 95,000,000 years ago the American and European land masses again began to sink. The southern seas commenced the invasion of North America and gradually extended northward to connect with the Arctic Ocean, constituting the second greatest submergence of the continent. When this sea finally withdrew, it left the continent about as it now is. Before this great submergence began, the eastern Appalachian highlands had been almost completely worn down to the water’s level. The many colored layers of pure clay now used for the manufacture of earthenware were laid down over the Atlantic coast regions during this age, their average thickness being about 2,000 feet. (689.5) 60:3.6 Great volcanic actions occurred south of the Alps and along the line of the present California coast-range mountains. The greatest crustal deformations in millions upon millions of years took place in Mexico. Great changes also occurred in Europe, Russia, Japan, and southern South America. The climate became increasingly diversified. (689.6) 60:3.7 90,000,000 years ago the angiosperms emerged from these early Cretaceous seas and soon overran the continents. These land plants suddenly appeared along with fig trees, magnolias, and tulip trees. Soon after this time fig trees, breadfruit trees, and palms overspread Europe and the western plains of North America. No new land animals appeared. (689.7) 60:3.8 85,000,000 years ago the Bering Strait closed, shutting off the cooling waters of the northern seas. Theretofore the marine life of the Atlantic-Gulf waters and that of the Pacific Ocean had differed greatly, owing to the temperature variations of these two bodies of water, which now became uniform.* (689.8) 60:3.9 The deposits of chalk and greensand marl give name to this period. The sedimentations of these times are variegated, consisting of chalk, shale, sandstone, and small amounts of limestone, together with inferior coal or lignite, and in many regions they contain oil. These layers vary in thickness from 200 feet in some places to 10,000 feet in western North America and numerous European localities. Along the eastern borders of the Rocky Mountains these deposits may be observed in the uptilted foothills. (690.1) 60:3.10 All over the world these strata are permeated with chalk, and these layers of porous semirock pick up water at upturned outcrops and convey it downward to furnish the water supply of much of the earth’s present arid regions. (690.2) 60:3.11 80,000,000 years ago great disturbances occurred in the earth’s crust. The western advance of the continental drift was coming to a standstill, and the enormous energy of the sluggish momentum of the hinter continental mass upcrumpled the Pacific shore line of both North and South America and initiated profound repercussional changes along the Pacific shores of Asia. This circumpacific land elevation, which culminated in present-day mountain ranges, is more than twenty-five thousand miles long. And the upheavals attendant upon its birth were the greatest surface distortions to take place since life appeared on Urantia. The lava flows, both above and below ground, were extensive and widespread. (690.3) 60:3.12 75,000,000 years ago marks the end of the continental drift. From Alaska to Cape Horn the long Pacific coast mountain ranges were completed, but there were as yet few peaks. (690.4) 60:3.13 The backthrust of the halted continental drift continued the elevation of the western plains of North America, while in the east the worn-down Appalachian Mountains of the Atlantic coast region were projected straight up, with little or no tilting. (690.5) 60:3.14 70,000,000 years ago the crustal distortions connected with the maximum elevation of the Rocky Mountain region took place. A large segment of rock was overthrust fifteen miles at the surface in British Columbia; here the Cambrian rocks are obliquely thrust out over the Cretaceous layers. On the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, near the Canadian border, there was another spectacular overthrust; here may be found the prelife stone layers shoved out over the then recent Cretaceous deposits. (690.6) 60:3.15 This was an age of volcanic activity all over the world, giving rise to numerous small isolated volcanic cones. Submarine volcanoes broke out in the submerged Himalayan region. Much of the rest of Asia, including Siberia, was also still under water. (690.7) 60:3.16 65,000,000 years ago there occurred one of the greatest lava flows of all time. The deposition layers of these and preceding lava flows are to be found all over the Americas, North and South Africa, Australia, and parts of Europe. (690.8) 60:3.17 The land animals were little changed, but because of greater continental emergence, especially in North America, they rapidly multiplied. North America was the great field of the land-animal evolution of these times, most of Europe being under water. (690.9) 60:3.18 The climate was still warm and uniform. The arctic regions were enjoying weather much like that of the present climate in central and southern North America. (690.10) 60:3.19 Great plant-life evolution was taking place. Among the land plants the angiosperms predominated, and many present-day trees first appeared, including beech, birch, oak, walnut, sycamore, maple, and modern palms. Fruits, grasses, and cereals were abundant, and these seed-bearing grasses and trees were to the plant world what the ancestors of man were to the animal world — they were second in evolutionary importance only to the appearance of man himself. Suddenly and without previous gradation, the great family of flowering plants mutated. And this new flora soon overspread the entire world. (691.1) 60:3.20 60,000,000 years ago, though the land reptiles were on the decline, the dinosaurs continued as monarchs of the land, the lead now being taken by the more agile and active types of the smaller leaping kangaroo varieties of the carnivorous dinosaurs. But sometime previously there had appeared new types of the herbivorous dinosaurs, whose rapid increase was due to the appearance of the grass family of land plants. One of these new grass-eating dinosaurs was a true quadruped having two horns and a capelike shoulder flange. The land type of turtle, twenty feet across, appeared as did also the modern crocodile and true snakes of the modern type. Great changes were also occurring among the fishes and other forms of marine life.* (691.2) 60:3.21 The wading and swimming prebirds of earlier ages had not been a success in the air, nor had the flying dinosaurs. They were a short-lived species, soon becoming extinct. They, too, were subject to the dinosaur doom, destruction, because of having too little brain substance in comparison with body size. This second attempt to produce animals that could navigate the atmosphere failed, as did the abortive attempt to produce mammals during this and a preceding age. (691.3) 60:3.22 55,000,000 years ago the evolutionary march was marked by the sudden appearance of the first of the true birds, a small pigeonlike creature which was the ancestor of all bird life. This was the third type of flying creature to appear on earth, and it sprang directly from the reptilian group, not from the contemporary flying dinosaurs nor from the earlier types of toothed land birds. And so this becomes known as the age of birds as well as the declining age of reptiles. 4. The End of the Chalk Period (691.4) 60:4.1 The great Cretaceous period was drawing to a close, and its termination marks the end of the great sea invasions of the continents. Particularly is this true of North America, where there had been just twenty-four great inundations. And though there were subsequent minor submergences, none of these can be compared with the extensive and lengthy marine invasions of this and previous ages. These alternate periods of land and sea dominance have occurred in million-year cycles. There has been an agelong rhythm associated with this rise and fall of ocean floor and continental land levels. And these same rhythmical crustal movements will continue from this time on throughout the earth’s history but with diminishing frequency and extent. (691.5) 60:4.2 This period also witnesses the end of the continental drift and the building of the modern mountains of Urantia. But the pressure of the continental masses and the thwarted momentum of their agelong drift are not the exclusive influences in mountain building. The chief and underlying factor in determining the location of a mountain range is the pre-existent lowland, or trough, which has become filled up with the comparatively lighter deposits of the land erosion and marine drifts of the preceding ages. These lighter areas of land are sometimes 15,000 to 20,000 feet thick; therefore, when the crust is subjected to pressure from any cause, these lighter areas are the first to crumple up, fold, and rise upward to afford compensatory adjustment for the contending and conflicting forces and pressures at work in the earth’s crust or underneath the crust. Sometimes these upthrusts of land occur without folding. But in connection with the rise of the Rocky Mountains, great folding and tilting occurred, coupled with enormous overthrusts of the various layers, both underground and at the surface. (692.1) 60:4.3 The oldest mountains of the world are located in Asia, Greenland, and northern Europe among those of the older east-west systems. The mid-age mountains are in the circumpacific group and in the second European east-west system, which was born at about the same time. This gigantic uprising is almost ten thousand miles long, extending from Europe over into the West Indies land elevations. The youngest mountains are in the Rocky Mountain system, where, for ages, land elevations had occurred only to be successively covered by the sea, though some of the higher lands remained as islands. Subsequent to the formation of the mid-age mountains, a real mountain highland was elevated which was destined, subsequently, to be carved into the present Rocky Mountains by the combined artistry of nature’s elements. (692.2) 60:4.4 The present North American Rocky Mountain region is not the original elevation of land; that elevation had been long since leveled by erosion and then re-elevated. The present front range of mountains is what is left of the remains of the original range which was re-elevated. Pikes Peak and Longs Peak are outstanding examples of this mountain activity, extending over two or more generations of mountain lives. These two peaks held their heads above water during several of the preceding inundations. (692.3) 60:4.5 Biologically as well as geologically this was an eventful and active age on land and under water. Sea urchins increased while corals and crinoids decreased. The ammonites, of preponderant influence during a previous age, also rapidly declined. On land the fern forests were largely replaced by pine and other modern trees, including the gigantic redwoods. By the end of this period, while the placental mammal has not yet evolved, the biologic stage is fully set for the appearance, in a subsequent age, of the early ancestors of the future mammalian types. (692.4) 60:4.6 And thus ends a long era of world evolution, extending from the early appearance of land life down to the more recent times of the immediate ancestors of the human species and its collateral branches. This, the Cretaceous age, covers fifty million years and brings to a close the premammalian era of land life, which extends over a period of one hundred million years and is known as the Mesozoic. (692.5) 60:4.7 [Presented by a Life Carrier of Nebadon assigned to Satania and now functioning on Urantia.]

Audio File:  Download MP3Transcript: An Interview with Elaine Wherry Co-founder, meebo.com Date: June 19, 2007 NCWIT Interview with Elaine Wherry BIO: Elaine Wherry is co-founder of meebo.com and responsible for meebo's product development. meebo provides free web-based instant messaging to all of the major network services and records approximately 1.5 million logons per day. Elaine grew up on a goat farm in southwest Missouri and then migrated west to California where she majored in Symbolic Systems at Stanford University. After graduating, she became the Manager of the Usability & Design team at Synaptics and joined forces with Seth Sternberg and Sandy Jen in 2005 to co-found meebo.com. Lucy Sanders: Hi. This is Lucy Sanders. And I'm the CEO of The National Center for Women in Information Technology. And this is part of a series that we're doing with just outstanding women IT entrepreneurs. Today we are talking to Elaine Wherry, the co‑founder of Meebo.com. Larry Nelson is here with me from w3w3.com. And Larry why don't you say a minute or two about w3w3. Larry Nelson: Well, just quick I have to congratulate you and your team for gathering together some of the top female entrepreneurs in all of America. And it's our honor at w3w3.com just to participate. We're an online Internet radio show. We archive everything. And we just like to share it with the rest of the folks. Lucy: So, Elaine, I have to ask you this question before we get started with the interview. Meebo, what's it mean? Does it mean anything? It's a very cool website by the way. I've been on there looking around. And I just love the fact that you can do all types of instant messaging from the site. And that it's got community around it and people talking to each other. But then I got very curious to if Meebo meant anything. Elaine Wherry: Yes. That's an excellent question. Actually, the name Meebo came about two years prior to our launch in 2005. And so Seth, Sandy and I were at California Pizza Kitchen. And we had been tinkering away on our weeknights and our free weekend just building different types of projects which eventually led to Meebo.com. But around then we realized that we really needed to put a name to our project. And so we sat down and we were looking for two syllable names. We were looking for something that didn't have any higher meaning. And then I had a preference for things that started with M. And one of our greatest limitations was what names were available. So Meebo was available. And our second choice, if it hadn't been Meebo, was Chiba. C‑H‑I‑B‑A. But Meebo was the one that stuck and that we ended up going with. Lucy: So, now Chiba's very cool. I hope you reserved that domain name as well. Elaine: It was already taken. Lucy: Well, Meebo is great. I loved it... Larry: Me too. Lucy: And I noticed that you've got some good vocabulary going there. Meebo me? Meebo.me? Elaine: There's Meebo.com which allows anybody from anywhere, as long as they have a computer terminal, to be able to get web based instant messaging with all of the major networking protocol at anytime. And then Meebo Me allows you to extend that experience beyond just the Meebo.com website. So, you can take a small snippet of embed code and put that on your website or on your blog. And what we've seen is that allows you to be able to communicate with any people who are visiting your site at that time. And so we've seen a lot of people take their Meebo Me and put it... Small businesses love it because then they can see who's visiting their site. And for instance real estate agents, they really like to know, “Hey is there anything I can help you out with?” We've seen librarians really pick it up. And then we actually use it on our jobs page at Meebo.com. So we like to just have an opportunity to just introduce ourselves and give a little bit more information about the job descriptions on our site. Lucy: That's what you need for w3w3.com. Elaine: Radio stations love it. Lucy: Larry. Larry: Well, you're going to have to check us out and let's work out a deal. Lucy: We really could. Well, I think it's a great company. You guys are on a roll. You just had a Series B of Funding. And so congratulations on a great start. Elaine: Oh, thank you so much. Lucy: I think it's also very cool when Walter Mossberg mentions you in the Wall Street Journal. Larry: That's a fact. Elaine: It's a good day. Lucy: That was a good day. Well in talking about the technology, I know you guys are using a lot of cool technology with Ajax and other things. You know that kind of gets us into our first question. How you first got interested in technology and what technologies you think are really cool today. Elaine: Okay. That's a great question. I think personally I think I would probably be considered kind of a late bloomer. I did not get into computer science or into really a scientific field until I entered college. And I think my freshman year I had a calculus course. And I had to buy a graphing calculator. And so when I was on the plane coming back home I found myself trying to program a graphing calculator to do a simple tic‑tac‑toe program and I just couldn't let it go. And I was trying to figure out how to do it. I remember pinging one my friends and asking them how do you try to do randomness? And they're response was, forget the graphing calculator. You really just need to take an introductory computer science course. And I said OK, that's good advice. So winter quarter I enrolled in my first computer science course at Stanford and it went from there. Larry: Wow. Lucy: Wow. And so as you look out in the technology space today. I love technology. I'm quite knowledgeous myself. And I just think there's so many cool things. What things are you seeing that really catch your eye today? Elaine: Yeah. Absolutely. It's an exciting time. I think that one of the things that's happening right now is you see this movement of taking a typical what used to be download applications and all of that, even things like Photoshop‑like applications, are all moving to the web. That was the idea behind Meebo as well. Was how do you take that instant messaging, typically something that's reserved for a client and move that to a browser experience? I think the other thing that's exciting right now is you're seeing a lot of applications revolve around the community experience. And so if you look at things like Wikipedia and a look at Craig's list. All of these products and these experiences, they don't try to define the user experience. They try and put in enough hooks and enough places where the community can contribute to basically evolve their own product. And I think that's incredibly exciting. And I think the third thing that makes this an exciting time to be an entrepreneur is just that the barrier to creating new technology and the cost of just having servers and that. The initial setup it's definitely reduced. And so this is just an exciting time to be able to do prototype. To be able to kind of get out there and look at the open source community and see what tools are already available. Lucy: Absolutely. And I have to say as a side on this. I'm on commission. I'm with the National Academies looking at the IT ecosystem and how it's changing. And all the things you mention are incredibly important trends in the way technology is getting created. Elaine: Absolutely. Larry: You know, I wonder Elaine, if there are many more young women and young girls that are looking into IT and really looking at getting involved. But then you went on to be an entrepreneur. So what is it that drew you to that? Elaine: You know it probably goes back to that late bloomer technology experience that I was talking about when I first came into school. I really hadn't worked that much with computers before. And I think my mother still has her trusty word processor that she prefers much more to her computer that's sitting in a corner. And so when I was approaching computer science for the first time, I was really approaching it with completely fresh eyes. And I remember seeing things that, how to turn on a computer even seemed foreign to me or how to do simple things, like being able to do cut and copy operations right. And there was also this entire jargon around it. And there was just this expectation that you already knew how things worked. And so for me what was really exciting was trying to figure out, after I had gotten over the initial learning curve and deep into C and CQuest Plus coding, was trying to figure out how to make computers and how to make applications be easier for people who were not as familiar with computers. So I think it's probably having been on both sides of being both an office computer science person and also having more experience with it, and just trying to figure out how to create a compelling user experience. Lucy: Moving on in terms of your career and the influences on you in terms of this career path. It sounds like the graphing calculator certainly had a major impact on your journey down the computer science career path. But from a human perspective, you know, who influenced you? Who were your role models? Elaine: Yeah. That's an excellent question. I think that it probably isn't just one single person. I think it really comes down to, for me personally; it comes down to the entrepreneurial spirit that I found within Stanford University. They do a fantastic job in their computer science and their symbolic systems program of exposing students to fellow entrepreneurs in the area and making you feel like everything is possible. Larry: Well, that's fantastic. I bet you've been through quite a few things. But let me just point this out. My wife Pat and I have been married for over 35 years. And we've been in business together all of that time. One of the toughest experiences I had was migrating from my slide rule that my dad gave me to finally getting on to a computer. What is the toughest thing that you had to try to do in developing your career? Elaine: That's a good question. I think people would expect me to say that the toughest thing in my career was probably deciding to leave my previous employer Synaptics, before we had a completely working product. Before we had an audience, before we had investments. But I actually think that my toughest point in my career probably came when I was 18. And when I was 18 I had a full music scholarship at a local university. And I was en route to become, to pursue music, specifically the violin. And so, about two weeks before I was supposed to enter fall quarter, I had this realization that I wasn't entirely sure if that was really what I wanted to do. I had worked very, very hard in high school; and I told my father that I wanted to take a year off. And that was really difficult, because all of my peers were going to the same university. There was definitely a certain path that I was expected to go down. And, just kind of taking a moment to reflect, I realized hey, I'm not entirely sure what I want to be right now. And even though this is the path that is available to me, I really want to spend some more time thinking about that. So I spent a year doing volunteer work, practicing, applying to different conservatories and also applying to different schools, and just getting out into the world and seeing what things were like outside of the experience before I went into university. Lucy: To me, it sounds like an incredible amount of courage. Too often, people don't put their foot on the brake for just a moment and really consider where they're headed and what they're doing. And hats off to you. I think that it probably won't be the last time you do it in your career. Larry: That's right. Elaine: Absolutely. And I have to give credit to my father, who took me seriously that late evening when I came to him and asked if I could do that. Lucy: I think that's great, and I think it just gives you so much more information about which way to head. And speaking of that, we have a lot of people today who asked us about entrepreneurship and if it's a good path for them. What kind of advice would you give them from where you're sitting now, since you're going down the road with entrepreneurship and Meebo? What kinds of things would you say to them? Elaine: I think the first thing would be, it's really hard to be an entrepreneur by yourself. And so I think the first thing that was really important to me was finding good team members, people that you can work beside, when you initially set up on the project. And it's much easier to be able to set deadlines and hold each other accountable if you have another team member besides you. Sammy and Seth are the two best co‑founders that I could ever imagine. And it's just been absolutely fantastic being able to build Meebo beside them. And I think the second thing, after you've found the team members, would be to have built the product and then focus on the business plan second. Just because I think that, often times when you are thinking about the business plan first, you don't necessarily realize all of the value that your product could hold. And it's more important just to get the product out and get it in front of people and get that feedback so you understand how it's going to be used before you start focusing too much on the business aspect of it. And I think the third thing is, after you have a product and it's something that you've initially shown and you have some early adoption, the third thing, once you have the beginning of a business, is to put excellent hiring practices into place. And just to really focus on that early on. Lucy: I have to tell you I'm pumping my fist in the air because, as a computer scientist myself, I totally subscribe to that. I totally subscribe to that. The best products we ever built were the ones where, will I offend listeners if I say where the market plan was kind of done later? Larry: That's good, yeah. Lucy: And they were early prototype. You get them out in front of people. You get the reaction, and you push the technology. Elaine: Exactly. When we initially launched Meebo.com, we really didn't know how many people had similar problems that we did. It all started from Sandy saying that she was having a difficult time being able to do instant messaging from her home and from the library and when she went to visit her friends. And so we initially launched it. And we thought that the initial audience would be people in Internet cafs. And we were wrong. It turned out to be people in the office environment. Lucy: That's right. And all of a sudden you go, whoa! Larry: Whoa‑ho! Lucy: Even better. And in fact, one of my friends today was telling me he uses Meebo and he says, but the IT guys can't catch it! Larry: That's really good. Elaine: Yeah. Actually, it's beginning to reverse itself. Originally, it was something that people would use in order to be able to get around their IT. But now we're finding that a lot of IT people are realizing that it doesn't require download. It doesn't have the viruses associated with it. And so a lot of IT people are now beginning to promote Meebo within their organizations, which is fantastic. Larry: And they should. Lucy: And they should. Larry: And, by the way, I think it's so fantastic that you've got a great team, and the fact that you really honor and respect and appreciate them. That's even better. But I want to go back to you for a second. What would be your one, or two or whatever, personal characteristics that really has given you the advantage of being an entrepreneur? Elaine: I think resourcefulness, just because you have to think about problems from different areas. When you're being an entrepreneur, it probably means that you're solving problems that other people haven't done before. So it's not as easy as plugging your question into Google or into Yahoo! And seeing if anybody has an answer. It's something that you really just have to be able to figure out and kind of really be able to break down problems and think through everything. And I think the second thing kind of is along the same lines, which is perseverance and just not hiring out. And really liking problems and really maintain a passion all the way through. And the third thing is just the respect for teams, just because being able to work beside two other people has been a fantastic experience. And it's really important just to always make sure that the communication is good. Always make sure that you really value what the other people are contributing as well. Lucy: I would probably add one characteristic that I know you have, because it just shows up so much, is passion. Elaine: Oh. Yeah. Lucy: I mean it's just all over everything you're saying and it's so much fun. In terms of you switching a little bit to you balancing your work life and personal life, what kinds of things do you do to bring balance to your days? Elaine: I have to be honest. I really think that probably I'm the worst person of the three of us to ask about the balance between my personal and my professional life. Just because I really enjoy working on Meebo and that's something that definitely extends into my personal life as well. And I think that what does add balance is having a lot of friends in the same space. So, having a lot of people who are doing startups and contributing to startups, who have similar hours, who know where to get all of the pizza places at 11 P.M. on University Street. Just being able to surround yourself with people who are like‑minded really helps. Lucy: Well, and I think the other thing that's really helping, and I think you said it, is what you're working on at Meebo is so well integrated with your passion that that in itself helps bring balance. Elaine: Absolutely. I think that's really true. Lucy: I think it is, too. And actually, I'm a fan of the word integration, as well, in this space. Elaine: Uh‑huh. Larry: She's a really fan of integration. Lucy: Yeah, I'm a real fan of integration. In fact, I've written a blog or two about that. Larry: Isn't that the truth? Elaine: I think it's telling that our original office was my apartment. And so I still have all of the screens and still have the original setup there. So it's just something that's extended into my personal space as well. Lucy: But we also know that you play the violin. Elaine: I do play the violin. I enjoy reading. I enjoy biking. I do a lot of things on the weekends, just to make sure that I have a little bit of contrast to sitting and programming and leading the team. Lucy: Well, and you've also promised to come out here to Colorado to see us and climb Longs Peak. Elaine: That's right, that's right. Larry: There you go. Elaine: Yeah, I did Longs Peak twice when I was in high school, so Colorado is a favorite place of mine. Larry: That's wonderful. Lucy: OK, so we'll count all those things as balance. Larry: That sounds balanced to me. Lucy: The balance to me. Larry: You know, Elaine, at a young age, you have really accomplished a great deal. And I know you are really in the process, knee‑deep, into moving Meebo to a next level and the next level. But, in addition to that, what's next for you? Elaine: That's a good question. I think my first priority...I'm not going to promise. I don't have all the answers. So I think that right now, my immediate focus is just doing whatever I possibly can to make Meebo as successful as it can be. And I think my secondary focus is just making sure that I meet as many excellent, excellent team members and people that I want to work on, work with, so that if there ever is a project beyond Meebo, that I'd be able to continue on there as well. So I think it's really just about meeting other people and surrounding myself with good team players. Lucy: Well, I have no doubt that Meebo is going to be extremely successful. Elaine: Thank you. Lucy: And that you'll go on to lots and lots of extremely cool, fun things. Elaine: Thank you so much. Larry: Well that's a fact. I couldn't agree more. And Lucy was just getting excited hearing the things you were saying. And this is the type of thing that we have to share with many other people, the young people, with their parents. How about them? Lucy: Us old people. Larry: Why did you look at me? Lucy: Haha, sorry. Larry: Well, and by the way, her answer also gave us a very good excuse for calling her back down the road and following up on that. Lucy: Absolutely. So thank you very much, Elaine. This has been really, really fun. And I just wanted to remind listeners where this is hosted. This podcast will be hosted on the NCWIT website, www.ncwit.org, and also on w3w3.com. Larry: You betcha. Lucy: So thanks very much. We really appreciate it. Elaine: Thank you so much. Larry: Thanks Elaine. Series: Entrepreneurial HeroesInterviewee: Elaine WherryInterview Summary: Elaine Wherry is co-founder of meebo.com, which provides free, web-based instant messaging to all of the major network services. Release Date: June 19, 2007Interview Subject: Elaine WherryInterviewer(s): Lucy Sanders, Larry NelsonDuration: 16:42