Podcasts about Solitude

Tormented by dark visions, a woman must piece together memories about what happened to her before the shadows claim her forever.Genre: Literary horror / Ghost storyContent warnings: Implied sexual violence, self-harm imagery, death.Written by Sandra Becerril www.shamra.com.mxSandra Becerril (@escritora_serial) • Fotos y videos de InstagramPerformed by Mellisa MedinaCreated, produced, directed, sound designed by Jeff SchmidtSUPPORT OMINOUS THRILL for ad-free listening and other perksJOIN OUR PATREON ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/OMINOUSTHRILL⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE directly on APPLE PODCASTS or SPOTIFY Make a one-time donation:Ko-Fi - ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/ominousthrill⁠⁠Supercast - ⁠⁠https://ominousthrill.supercast.com/gifts/new⁠⁠Thank you! Episode cover design: Jeff SchmidtAssets licensed from iStockPhoto by Getty ImagesVisit ⁠⁠OMINOUS THRILL⁠⁠ Website https://ominousthrill.com/Follow on ⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠Message Jeff at ⁠⁠ominousthrill@gmail.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How easily do we sin not only through our spoken words, but within the hidden theater of our thoughts? Father Robert Nixon, OSB—Benedictine monk at New Norcia in Australia and translator for the TAN Resurrection Series—joins host Anna Mitchell on the Son Rise Morning Show to reflect on Thomas à Kempis's classic insights from Solitude and Silence: The Cloister of the Heart. Father Nixon breaks down the spiritual connection between thought, speech, and action, explaining how internal thoughts act as a form of interior speech before God, why Jesus repeatedly addressed the thoughts of the Pharisees, and how we can practically manage passing temptations and distractions without falling into scrupulosity. Stream now to listen!Support the show: https://www.sacredheartradio.com/donate-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ce mois-ci, Camille aborde le sujet de la solitude et de ses impacts sur les individus ainsi que la santé des populations. Êtes-vous plus de type folle au cocottes ou ministre du voisinage ? Écoutez jusqu'à la toute fin pour savoir pourquoi  « Pleine Lune est le Schitt's Creek du balado » (Marie-Anne, 2026). Suivez-nous sur Instragram et Facebook.Pour du contenu exclusif et du contenu sans pub, retrouvez-nous au Camp Pleine Lune

Parfois, il suffit d'une fleur, d'un café ou même... d'un yaourt pour créer du lien. À l'occasion de la Journée internationale des personnes âgées, l'initiative Samen Toujours invite les citoyens à aller à la rencontre de leurs voisins plus âgés. 11.000 fleurs sont distribuées à Bruxelles et dans plusieurs communes wallonnes avec une consigne toute simple : les offrir à une personne âgée de son quartier. Une manière de provoquer un bonjour, une discussion et, peut-être, une nouvelle relation.Car derrière ce geste symbolique se cache une réalité : la solitude touche de nombreux seniors. Heureusement, un peu partout, des initiatives tentent de recréer des occasions de se rencontrer.En Belgique, plusieurs communes organisent ainsi des Cafés Papote, parfois appelés cafés causette. Le principe ne pourrait pas être plus simple : proposer régulièrement un lieu où les seniors peuvent prendre un café, discuter, jouer et surtout rencontrer d'autres personnes. Des initiatives de ce type existent notamment à Wavre, Evere, Doische, Ans ou Chastre. Le bon réflexe ? Se renseigner auprès de sa commune pour découvrir ce qui existe près de chez soi. Direction ensuite la France avec Tom & Josette. Ce réseau développe un concept étonnant : installer de véritables micro-crèches au sein de maisons de retraite ou de lieux intergénérationnels.Attention, il ne s'agit pas de demander aux résidents de garder les enfants ! Une micro-crèche reste une structure professionnelle de la petite enfance accueillant un petit groupe d'enfants. La différence, c'est qu'ici, les générations se côtoient au quotidien.Les enfants peuvent écouter de la musique avec les résidents, jardiner ou participer à de petites activités communes. Et contrairement à une visite ponctuelle, les rencontres se répètent. Les enfants apprennent à connaître les résidents et inversement. L'objectif est de faire de l'intergénérationnel une partie naturelle du quotidien.Dernière escale : le Japon, où une activité commerciale s'est progressivement transformée en véritable outil de lien social.Depuis des décennies, les célèbres Yakult Ladies livrent des boissons probiotiques à domicile. À l'origine, la démarche était commerciale. Mais en revenant régulièrement chez les mêmes clients, les livreuses sont devenues des visages familiers, notamment pour certaines personnes âgées vivant seules.Leur passage peut alors devenir bien plus qu'une livraison : quelques mots échangés, une conversation et une occasion de vérifier que la personne va bien. Certaines participent ainsi à des visites de courtoisie et des actions de veille auprès des seniors.Trois pays, trois modèles très différents, mais finalement une même idée : pour lutter contre la solitude, il faut multiplier les occasions de se rencontrer. Un café, une activité avec des enfants, une livraison régulière ou simplement une fleur offerte à son voisin peuvent paraître anodins. Mais parfois, ce sont justement ces petits rendez-vous qui permettent de recréer du lien et de rompre l'isolement.Vous aimez ce contenu ? Alors n'hésitez pas à vous abonner, à lui donner des étoiles et à partager ce podcast autour de vous. Ça nous aide à nous faire connaitre et à essaimer les idées constructives qui rendent le monde plus joli ! Une chronique signée Leslie Rijmenams à retrouver (aussi) sur Nostalgie et www.nostalgie.be

This episode explores the balance between solitude, good company, and independent judgment.Hume and Seneca both saw value in stepping away to think clearly, then returning to relationships that strengthen character and enrich life.The danger is not society itself, but surrendering our judgment to the crowd and mistaking popularity for wisdom.If you'd like to practice these principles, this Micro Morning Meditation will be helpful:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Do You Value Both Solitude and Company?https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-do-you-value Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Stormy Reunions: Sibling's Heartfelt Bond in Arctic Solitude Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2026-09-30-07-38-20-no Story Transcript:No: Snøen lå som et hvitt teppe over Svalbard.En: The snow lay like a white blanket over Svalbard.No: Fjellene raget høyt mot den grå himmelen.En: The mountains towered high against the gray sky.No: En enslig hytte sto blant de iskalde fjordene, der inne satt tre søsken, forent igjen etter mange år.En: A solitary cabin stood among the icy fjords, where inside, three siblings sat, reunited after many years.No: Lars, Astrid, og Sondre fant ly fra kulden, men også ly for sine følelser.En: Lars, Astrid, and Sondre found shelter from the cold but also refuge for their feelings.No: Lars så ut av vinduet, observerte landskapet.En: Lars looked out the window, observing the landscape.No: Det var vakkert, men han følte tyngden av alt han bar med seg.En: It was beautiful, but he felt the weight of everything he carried with him.No: Astrid delte ut kopper med varm kakao, alltid den praktiske og omsorgsfulle mellom dem.En: Astrid handed out cups of hot cocoa, always the practical and caring one between them.No: Sondre lo lett, alltid med hodet fylt av nye ideer, men hungret etter Lars' godkjenning.En: Sondre laughed lightly, always full of new ideas, but hungry for Lars' approval.No: Det var høst på Svalbard, ingen turister, bare dem og naturens stillhet.En: It was autumn on Svalbard, no tourists, just them and the silence of nature.No: Utenfor begynte vinden å hvine.En: Outside, the wind began to howl.No: Lars følte at noe måtte sies.En: Lars felt that something needed to be said.No: "Vi har mye å snakke om, ikke sant?En: "We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"No: " begynte han.En: he began.No: Astrid nikket, mens Sondre kastet et spørrende blikk.En: Astrid nodded, while Sondre cast a questioning glance.No: "Ja, Lars, vi må.En: "Yes, Lars, we do."No: "De hadde latt uenigheter skape avstand.En: They had let disagreements create distance.No: Små uoverensstemmelser, misforståelser fra fortiden.En: Small misunderstandings from the past.No: Lars følte seg alltid forventet å lede, være den sterke.En: Lars always felt expected to lead, to be the strong one.No: Men det burde han dele med dem nå.En: But he should share that with them now.No: "Jeg har alltid følt meg alene i familien, ansvarlig for så mye, men ofte usikker," tilsto Lars.En: "I've always felt alone in the family, responsible for so much, but often unsure," confessed Lars.No: Astrid satte seg nær ham.En: Astrid sat closer to him.No: "Lars, vi vet at du har strevd.En: "Lars, we know you've struggled.No: Du trenger ikke bære alt alene," sa hun mykt.En: You don't have to carry it all alone," she said softly.No: Sondre, alltid leken, men alvorlig nå, bøyde seg frem.En: Sondre, always playful but serious now, leaned forward.No: "Vi er her for deg, Lars.En: "We're here for you, Lars."No: "Da blåste en plutselig arktisk storm opp.En: Then a sudden Arctic storm blew up.No: Hytta ristet under vindens angrep.En: The cabin shook under the wind's onslaught.No: Søskenene stirret på hverandre, lyttet til naturens raseri.En: The siblings stared at each other, listened to nature's fury.No: Det tvang dem å sitte tett, bokstavelig og følelsesmessig.En: It forced them to sit close, both literally and emotionally.No: I løpet av stormens intensitet kom ordene lettere.En: During the storm's intensity, the words came more easily.No: Lars åpnet seg, fortalte om usikkerhet og ønsker.En: Lars opened up, talked about insecurity and wishes.No: Astrid og Sondre delte også hvordan de alltid hadde sett opp til ham, men følt avstand.En: Astrid and Sondre also shared how they had always looked up to him, but felt distant.No: Sammen, i lyset av en knelende lampe, begynte de å forstå.En: Together, in the light of a kneeling lamp, they began to understand.No: Stormen la seg til slutt.En: The storm eventually subsided.No: Nattens lys viste seg, det himmelske dansen av nordlys over dem.En: The night's light appeared, the heavenly dance of the northern lights above them.No: Det var skjønnhet i det enkle, i forbindelsen de delte.En: There was beauty in the simple, in the connection they shared.No: Lars så opp, da skjønte han at han ikke var alene lenger.En: Lars looked up, realizing he was no longer alone.No: Han fyltes av ro, omsluttet av Astrid og Sondres varme.En: He felt at peace, embraced by Astrid and Sondre's warmth.No: "Vi klarer dette sammen," hvisket han, mer til seg selv enn noen andre.En: "We can do this together," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.No: Astrid smilte, og Sondre fniste.En: Astrid smiled, and Sondre giggled.No: De sto sammen utenfor hytta, mens nordlyset svevde over de snødraperte fjellene.En: They stood together outside the cabin, as the northern lights floated over the snow-covered mountains.No: Stillheten talt sitt klare språk, et språk av tilgivelse og nye begynnelser.En: The silence spoke its clear language, a language of forgiveness and new beginnings.No: Lars hadde endret seg.En: Lars had changed.No: Han lærte at det var greit å være sårbar, at han kunne stole på dem.En: He learned that it was okay to be vulnerable, that he could trust them.No: Mens de sto samlet der i kulden, visste han de var sterkere sammen.En: As they stood united there in the cold, he knew they were stronger together. Vocabulary Words:solitary: ensligreunited: forentrefuge: lyobserving: observertelandscape: landskapdisagreements: uenighetermisunderstandings: misforståelserconfessed: tilstostruggled: strevdplayful: lekenintensity: intensitetinsecurity: usikkerhetwishes: ønskerkneeling: knelendesubside: la segheavenly: himmelskeembraced: omsluttetfury: rasericonflict: konfliktapproval: godkjenningstrong: sterkobserved: såshelter: lyyearned for: hungret etteronset: angrepvulnerable: sårbarcomprehend: forståblanket: teppetoward: motconnection: forbindelse

What do men value more than sex?Peace? Freedom? God? Purpose? Money? Career? Family? Solitude?Men are often portrayed as though sexual desire drives virtually everything they do. But what happens when a man still desires women, sex, intimacy, and companionship—yet discovers he can live perfectly well without sex controlling his decisions? In this provocative episode of Snakz Thoughts, Eric J Broadus explores what men really want, male priorities, modern dating, relationships, marriage, celibacy, sexual desire, faith, purpose, peace, freedom, companionship, and personal autonomy.Then we're turning the question around.Women: Before hearing the men's answers, what do YOU predict they'll choose?And here's the question that might start an argument:If a man wants sex—but doesn't need it badly enough to sacrifice his peace, freedom, purpose, or values—does that change the relationship equation?Men: Give us ONE answer.Women: Make ONE prediction.Then compare the results.Created by Morgan L BrooksHosted by Eric J BroadusSnakz Thoughts — Real Talk. No Filter.

Dr. Keith Jagger is a university chaplain, Dean of Christian Formation and Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at John Brown University — a private Christian university in Arkansas. Dr. Jagger provides leadership for the ongoing spiritual growth of the university community. He holds a masters degree in New Testament from Asbury Theological Seminary (which I mention so I can give Asbury a shout-out) a certificate in Formative Spirituality from Epiphany Academy (led by Dr. Susan Muto) and a PhD in Early Christianity from the University of St Andrews, where N.T. Wright was his advisor. We're talking with Dr. Jagger about Thomas Merton, the 20th century Trappist monk who lived as a resident of the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky for 27 years and as a willing hermit for the final three years of his life.Thomas Merton was devoted to contemplative prayer and mysticism, always seeking a more direct, wordless communion with God. He wrestled with the Jesus prayer, which we'll explore in another episode, and with uncertainty and humility and trust. This is what led him to write what we now call Merton's Prayer of Unknowing, published in his book, Thoughts in Solitude. 

Why does solitude sometimes feel less like rest and more like a battlefield?In this teaching on the ancient practice of solitude, John Mark reveals what Jesus and the desert fathers and mothers knew: we don't always go into the quiet place to flee the noise of our lives, but to fight the enemies of our souls.If you'd like to continue exploring what it means to build a life with God in solitude, we have two invitations for you. First, John Mark's newest book, Into the Quiet, is now available for preorder at .intothequietexperience.com/preorder. Second, you can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Rosalia from Trabuco Canyon, California; Hannah from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, United Kingdom; Eric from Tomball, Texas; Nancy from Edgewood, Washington; and Christian from Fairhope, Alabama. Thank you all very much.If you'd like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous. Mentioned in this teaching:Matthew 4:1-11Talking Back: A Monastic Handbook for Combating Demons by Evagrius PonticusThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis"Christ in the Wilderness," painting by Moretto da BresciaOrder your copy of the Solitude Companion Guide at practicingtheway.org/solitude.

All Aboard the Innocent Train! We start this episode with many Banana Facts before we get into the main story. Macondo now has a railroad line thanks to Jose Arcadio Seguna and Aureliano Triste, and the town has changed. Gringos have planted their plantations, opened a company store, introduced cars to the town, and more advancements that Macondo cannot keep up with. Remedios continues to attract menfolk, to a unsettling degree. Aureliano gets buried alive, metaphorically. Check out our main website for all info, videos, and episodes:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sweetchildoftime.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Steve Barnes is guitarist for stoner metal band Introvoid, and also plays guitar for the cover band Electric Fist. He has been hosting the Sweet Child Of Time Podcast since 2021.Lindsey Dunn's writings, reviews, podcasts and music can be found at ⁠https://www.1ofmystories.com⁠Discord Channel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/aRdKmv9Ybc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our podcast is brought to you by Zencastr! Use "sweetchildoftime" as your promo code for 30% off if you join:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zen.ai/34YswfAyb8Tg_68Rugun28BAv0U3EeXAvPbnN9FTzpOU9gDo6uemPt2NxY_ET4N0⁠⁠⁠

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This week's scripture:Psalm 25Matthew 4v1-11This week, Adam continues to explore the idea of solitude with God. Does your with-God life leave room for a God who corrects? What if solitude is one of the ways we extend an invitation to God to lead us into repentance? 

On voit souvent la solitude comme un problème personnel : trop d'écrans, pas assez de sorties et de sociabilité… Et si cet esseulement généralisé était plutôt le résultat de choix politiques ? Effritement des services publics, villes pensées sans espaces de rencontre, marchandisation des relations : le repli sur soi a des causes bien concrètes.Quelles sont les conséquences de la solitude sur notre santé physique et mentale ? Comment dépasser l'illusion du développement personnel pour réhabiliter les liens de solidarité ? Et surtout, comment repenser nos modèles de société pour s'attaquer à cet isolement structurel ? Pour en parler, Camille Teste reçoit Alice Raybaud, journaliste et autrice de Nos solitudes (2026, La Découverte)CRÉDITS : Encore Heureux est un podcast de Binge Audio animé par Camille Teste. Réalisation : Octave Bothier. Production et édition : Charlotte Baix. Assistante de production et d'édition : Aude Miquel. Musique originale : Artuan de Lierrée. Identité graphique : Sébastien Brothier (Upian). Direction des programmes : Joël Ronez.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

How much do you trust what you feel? Does it come naturally, or does your self-belief depend on the day of the week?In episode two of The Mediumship Sessions, I'm joined again by Donna King for an honest, warm and occasionally very funny conversation about psychic development — and why it begins with getting to know yourself.We explore what we mean by psychic awareness, how it differs from mediumship, and why we place so much importance on building those foundations. From the gut feelings I followed in policing and recruitment to the sensitivity that can make a trip to the supermarket feel rather overwhelming, we talk about how this awareness shows up in everyday life.We also get personal about confidence, self-doubt, relationships and the times when trusting ourselves has felt much harder. What happens as you become more sensitive? How do your past experiences shape the way you interpret what you feel? And how can you give yourself permission to explore without expecting to get everything right?In this conversation, we explore:• Psychic awareness and the foundations of mediumship.• Recognising your own energy, feelings and intuitive impressions.• Overthinking, self-belief and learning to trust yourself.• Sensitivity, overwhelm and our perspectives on protection without unnecessary fear.• Solitude, changing relationships and finding people who understand you.• Self-awareness, personal growth and the freedom to experiment.The Mediumship Sessions is our ongoing series exploring the nuts and bolts of psychic and mediumistic development, with room for questions, real-life experiences and plenty of laughter. This episode lays the foundations for the practical experiments we'll explore as the series continues.If you're joining us here, you may also enjoy going back to session one, where we began with spirit guides and the foundations of our discussion.Develop with us onlineIf you'd like to explore your own awareness in a welcoming, encouraging space, join Donna and me for our online psychic and mediumship development classes. Through teaching, practical exercises and working with others, we'll give you opportunities to experiment and discover your own way of working.Psychic Development — The Power of You: explore the class and bookMediumship Development — explore the class and bookStay connectedFor readings, events and development opportunities, visit Jason Paul Medium. Sign up to the mailing list at the bottom of the homepage for news of free events, classes, meditations and new resources.Hosted by Jason Paul, with Donna King.Contact: hello@jasonpaulmedium.comWatch Soul Sync on YouTubeExplore more with Soul SyncDiscover free mediumship evenings, our free online development circle, classes, meditations and more at JasonPaulMedium.com.Scroll to the bottom of the homepage and join my mailing list to hear about upcoming events, new resources and ways to take part. I'd love you to join us. New online psychic & mediumship classes with Jason Paul & Donna King.Psychic: starts Sun 25 Oct Mediumship: starts Mon 26 OctDetails & booking: jasonpaulmedium.comSupport the show

Sept. 27,2026 Daily Devotional: “The Power of the Quiet Place”Mark 1:35 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." ​ ​In the preceding verses of Mark 1, Jesus had an extraordinarily demanding day. He taught in the synagogue, healed a demon-possessed man, cured Simon's mother-in-law, and spent the evening ministering to an entire city gathered at his doorstep. ​If anyone had an excuse to sleep in or skip prayer, it was Jesus. Yet, before the sun rose and before the demands of others rushed back in, Jesus prioritized solitude with the Father. Mark 1:35 serves as an enduring model for spiritual discipline: grounding identity and direction in intimate communion with God before engaging with the world's demands. Here are vital lessons from Jesus' morning routine. There is ​intention over convenience-Jesus didn't wait to see if he had free time at the end of the day.He intentionally set aside time first, rising while it was still dark. Intimate communion with God rarely happens by accident; it requires deliberate choice. Ministry, work, family, and daily responsibilities continuously pour out our energy. Jesus understood that to pour into others, he had to be continuously refilled by the Father. Solitude isn't isolation or escaping responsibility; it's spiritual preparation. Jesus went to a solitary place—free from the noise, distractions, and expectations of the crowd. In our hyper-connected world, true stillness is rare, yet it is precisely in the silence that God's voice becomesclearest. ​Find your "dark & early" -What is the time in your day when distractions are at a minimum? It doesn't have to be 5:00 AM, but it should be a dedicated window where God gets your undivided attention. ​Establish your solitary place and designate a physical space—a specific chair, a quiet room, or a porch—where you can consistently meet with God without phone notifications or interruptions. Pray before you produce by prioritizing presence over productivity. Connect with the Creator before engaging with your to-do list.

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What do a failed elk hunt, a sudden mountain storm, and a quiet canyon have to do with your spiritual life? More than you might think. Alan Gedde shares the hard, humbling lessons he pulls from three years of unsuccessful bow hunting and turns them into a powerful reflection on solitude, trust, and God's active presence. Alan walks through the rhythm of the hunt—the bugles, the cow calls, the near misses, the shifting wind, and the moment a storm forces the crew to make a life-or-death call to head out early. Along the way, he makes one thing clear: elk hunting is brutally humbling. The animals smell better, hear better, run faster, and see better, and that pressure becomes the backdrop for some deeply personal spiritual insight.

Fluent Fiction - Serbian: Milana's Serene Detour: Finding Peace in Beograd Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sr/episode/2026-09-25-07-38-19-sr Story Transcript:Sr: Милана је стигла у Београд у јесење поподне.En: Milana arrived in Beograd on an autumn afternoon.Sr: Лишће по Калемегдану је већ попримило светле боје, а ветар је носио хладноћу која је наговештавала прву мразну ноћ.En: The leaves in Kalemegdan had already taken on bright colors, and the wind carried a chill that hinted at the first frosty night.Sr: Није било ниједног празника, али њен долазак је значио породоично окупљање, иако далеко од њеног сталног пребивалишта.En: There was no holiday, but her arrival signified a family gathering, even though it was far from her permanent residence.Sr: Милана се осећала помало оптерећеном породичним обавезама.En: Milana felt somewhat burdened by family obligations.Sr: Управо је завршила дуго путовање и, иако је требало да жури на породични ручак, у срцу је осетила потребу за миром и тренуцима самоће.En: She had just completed a long journey, and although she was supposed to hurry to the family lunch, in her heart, she felt a need for peace and moments of solitude.Sr: Осећала је хаос у срцу, нешто што може само тишина да смири.En: She felt chaos in her heart, something only silence could calm.Sr: Уместо да директно крене ка кући рођака, одлучила је да направи мали заобилазак кроз Калемегдан парк.En: Instead of heading directly to her relatives' house, she decided to take a small detour through Kalemegdan park.Sr: Овај парк, најпознатији у Београду, познат је по својим широким стазама и погледима на Дунав.En: This park, the most famous in Beograd, is known for its wide paths and views of the Dunav.Sr: Задивљујући призор пружао је прилику за нови начин размишљања којег се надала.En: The stunning view offered the chance for a new way of thinking she hoped for.Sr: Милана је корачала споро, упијајући свежину ваздуха.En: Milana walked slowly, absorbing the freshness of the air.Sr: Вортићи ветра боре се с лишћем различитих боја, сваки корак доноси различите мирисе.En: Whirlwinds of wind tussled with leaves of various colors, each step bringing different scents.Sr: Добро познат звук река Дунава је носио нешто у себи и смиривао њено срце, као тихи бијел хор на којег су често певали њени преци.En: The well-known sound of the Dunav river carried something within it and soothed her heart, like a quiet white choir her ancestors often sang to.Sr: И управо у том тренутку, застајала је.En: And just at that moment, she paused.Sr: Пронашла је мали простор поред ограде.En: She found a small spot next to the fence.Sr: Гледала је како Дунав тече непрекидно.En: She watched the Dunav flow continually.Sr: Небо се ширило, готово облачно, али ипак широко и велико.En: The sky stretched out, almost cloudy, yet wide and vast.Sr: Њена срца је било лакше, а напетост исчезла.En: Her heart felt lighter, and the tension dissipated.Sr: Била је сама.En: She was alone.Sr: У миру.En: In peace.Sr: Нестварно, али стварно.En: Unreal, yet real.Sr: Осећала је тако јак смисао да је одузела тренутке за себе и осетила захвалност за све што јој је природа дала.En: She felt such a strong sense of having taken moments for herself and felt gratitude for everything that nature gave her.Sr: Када се поново окренула, била је спремна да се суочи с породицом.En: When she turned back, she was ready to face her family.Sr: Сада потпуно сређена, отишла је на сусрет са новооткривеним миром.En: Now completely settled, she went to meet them with newfound peace.Sr: Породични окупљање ће бити савршен тек након овог одмора који је сама себи дозволила.En: The family gathering would be perfect only after this rest she allowed herself.Sr: Милана је сада схватила колико је важно узети времена за себе, чак и у најзаузетијим данима.En: Milana now understood how important it is to take time for oneself, even on the busiest days. Vocabulary Words:arrived: стиглаautumn: јесењеsignified: значилоobligations: обавезамаpermanent: сталногresidence: пребивалиштаburdened: оптерећеномobligations: обавезамаdetour: заобилазакsolitude: самоћеtussled: бореfence: оградеsoothed: смириваоvast: великоwind: ветарwhirlwinds: вортићиpath: стазамаhinted: наговештавалаchill: хладноћуchaos: хаосdissipated: изчезлаreal: стварноunreal: нестварноgratitude: захвалностfrosty: мразнуscents: мирисеabsorbing: упијајућиtension: напетостsettled: сређенаsound: звук

Sometimes you need to isolate yourself—not because you hate people, but because you need time to hear your own thoughts. Spending time alone can help you reset, reflect, heal, grow, and discover who you really are without the opinions, expectations, drama, distractions, and negativity of everyone around you. Solitude can teach you patience, discipline, confidence, self-awareness, independence, peace, clarity, emotional strength, and self-love. When you constantly surround yourself with people, you can lose yourself trying to please everyone else. Sometimes you need to step back, disconnect from social media, stop answering every phone call, stop explaining yourself, and simply spend time with yourself. Being alone gives you an opportunity to think about your goals, dreams, purpose, relationships, friendships, family, career, finances, faith, future, and personal growth. Isolation can help you recognize who genuinely supports you and who only wants access to you. Alone time can reveal your habits, insecurities, fears, mistakes, strengths, weaknesses, values, boundaries, and priorities. You do not always need another opinion; sometimes you need your own answer. Learn to enjoy your own company. Learn to eat alone, drive alone, travel alone, pray alone, think alone, work alone, and grow alone. Protect your peace. Protect your energy. Protect your mental space. Not everyone deserves access to you, and not every relationship deserves your constant attention. Sometimes distance creates clarity. Sometimes silence reveals the truth. Sometimes being unavailable allows you to become available to yourself. Solitude is not loneliness. Loneliness is feeling disconnected; solitude can be intentionally choosing space to reconnect with yourself. Use your alone time wisely. Read, journal, exercise, pray, meditate, create, plan, dream, learn, and become better. Stop chasing validation. Stop needing everyone to understand you. Stop explaining every decision. Stop allowing other people's opinions to control your confidence. Your journey requires self-discovery, personal responsibility, emotional maturity, discipline, healing, forgiveness, boundaries, confidence, and faith. Sometimes God may use quiet seasons to redirect you, strengthen you, and prepare you for what comes next. Being alone can help you understand what you actually want instead of constantly reacting to what everybody else wants from you. Take a break from the crowd. Take a break from drama. Take a break from toxic relationships. Take a break from social media. Take a break from unnecessary conversations. Take a break from seeking approval. Give yourself permission to breathe. Give yourself permission to change. Give yourself permission to outgrow people, environments, habits, and situations that no longer serve your purpose. Solitude can become a season of transformation. When you become comfortable with yourself, you stop accepting unhealthy relationships simply because you are afraid of being alone. You stop confusing attention with love, popularity with friendship, and access with loyalty. You begin choosing quality over quantity. You begin understanding that peace is valuable. You begin building confidence from within instead of depending on outside validation. Alone time can strengthen your mindset and help you become more intentional about the person you are becoming. Sometimes you have to disappear from the noise so you can hear the vision. Sometimes you have to walk alone before you can walk confidently with others. Spend time alone. Get to know yourself. Heal yourself. Challenge yourself. Build yourself. Love yourself. Trust yourself. Pray over yourself. Work on yourself. Become the person you keep saying you want to become. Your solitude does not have to be permanent; it can simply be a necessary season of growth, reflection, preparation, and renewal.

Invitée: Alice Raybaud. La solitude touche de nombreuses personnes, de tout âge. Avec des conséquences sérieuses sur la santé, psychique et physique. Selon lʹOrganisation mondiale de la santé, la solitude équivaut à fumer 15 cigarettes par jour. Pourquoi autant de personnes se sentent-elles seules? Est-ce une conséquence de nos sociétés de plus en plus individualistes, atomisées, numérisées? La solitude est-elle devenue un marché comme un autre? Tribu reçoit Alice Raybaud, journaliste au Monde et vous autrice de livre, "Nos solitudes. Déjouer les politiques de lʹisolement", paru aux éditions de La Découverte.

I talk about my climb to Legend in September and recount my final boss fight with Combo Drake Warlock! You can find the deck import code below the following contact links.  You can follow me @blisterguy on Twitch, Bluesky, and Youtube. Join our Discord community here or at discord.me/blisterguy. You can support this podcast and my other Hearthstone work at Patreon here. # 2x (1) Glacial Shard # 1x (1) Mortal Coil # 2x (2) Cursed Chains # 2x (2) Drain Soul # 1x (2) Shadow Rounds # 2x (2) Shadowsworn Disciple # 2x (3) Caged Cranium # 1x (3) Godfather Kazakus # 2x (3) Hellfire # 2x (3) Imp Gang Stooge # 1x (4) Godfrey the Betrayer # 2x (4) RAFAAM LADDER!! # 1x (5) Earthen Drake # 2x (5) Spire of Solitude # 1x (7) Chrono-Lord Deios # 2x (8) Annihilation # 1x (8) Bat Mask # 1x (9) M.O.T.H.E.R. # 2x (10) The Unseen Atlas #  AAECAcn1AgixnwSGnQeZsQet2QeO3Afb4Ae66AeE6QcLj58E56AE054Gqq0Hk74H4L4H3dcHsNkHsdkHt9kHjdwHAAA=

This week's scripture:Psalm 145Luke 5:12-16This week Adam starts a series on Solitude as an invitation, not an obligation. Why did Jesus value solitude and prayer? What if the greatest threat to your with-God life isn't your phone, your deviant desires, or secularism? What if it's your success?

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: From Solitude to Community: Jeroen's Unexpected Festival Win Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/nl/episode/2026-09-22-07-38-19-nl Story Transcript:Nl: Jeroen woonde in een rustige buitenwijk, waar de herfstbladeren in een zee van oranje en rood veranderden.En: Jeroen lived in a quiet suburb, where the autumn leaves transformed into a sea of orange and red.Nl: Het was de tijd van de herfstequinox, waar de nachten langer werden en de lucht fris aanvoelde.En: It was the time of the autumn equinox, when the nights grew longer and the air felt crisp.Nl: Jeroen, een rustige man van in de dertig, voelde zich vaak alleen.En: Jeroen, a quiet man in his thirties, often felt alone.Nl: In zijn tuin vond hij rust, maar hij verlangde naar verbondenheid met zijn buren.En: He found peace in his garden, but he longed for a connection with his neighbors.Nl: Die dag was er een buurtfestival in het park.En: That day, there was a neighborhood festival in the park.Nl: Kleine kraampjes stonden vol met warme dranken en zoete lekkernijen.En: Small stalls were filled with warm drinks and sweet treats.Nl: Saskia, een levendige vrouw vol energie, organiseerde dit evenement met enthousiasme.En: Saskia, a lively woman full of energy, organized this event with enthusiasm.Nl: Ze hoopte nieuwe buren, zoals Jeroen, welkom te heten.En: She hoped to welcome new neighbors like Jeroen.Nl: Jeroen aarzelde.En: Jeroen hesitated.Nl: Zijn verlangen om deel uit te maken van de gemeenschap was sterk, maar zijn angst hield hem tegen.En: His desire to be part of the community was strong, but his fear held him back.Nl: Uiteindelijk besloot hij toch te gaan.En: In the end, he decided to go.Nl: Misschien zou hij gewoon rondkijken.En: Maybe he would just look around.Nl: Het park was gevuld met lachende kinderen en gezinnen.En: The park was filled with laughing children and families.Nl: Overal hingen er pompoenen en herfstkransen.En: Everywhere there were pumpkins and autumn wreaths.Nl: Jeroen liep stilletjes door de menigte.En: Jeroen walked quietly through the crowd.Nl: Hij zag de jonge Bram druk bezig met zijn camera, gefascineerd door de kleuren en gezichten om hem heen.En: He saw the young Bram busy with his camera, fascinated by the colors and faces around him.Nl: Net toen Jeroen op het punt stond om terug naar huis te gaan, kwam Saskia naar hem toe.En: Just as Jeroen was about to go back home, Saskia came up to him.Nl: "Hoi Jeroen!"En: "Hi Jeroen!"Nl: zei ze stralend.En: she said brightly.Nl: "Heb je al aan de pompoenwedstrijd gedacht?En: "Have you thought about the pumpkin contest?Nl: Het is leuk!"En: It's fun!"Nl: Jeroen wist niet wat te zeggen.En: Jeroen did not know what to say.Nl: Maar Saskia's enthousiasme werkte aanstekelijk.En: But Saskia's enthusiasm was contagious.Nl: Ze sleurde hem naar de tafel vol pompoenen.En: She dragged him to the table full of pumpkins.Nl: Dichtbij stond Bram, scherpstellend op zijn lens en vastleggend hoe Jeroen begon te snijden.En: Nearby stood Bram, focusing his lens and capturing how Jeroen started carving.Nl: Jeroen's handen werden zekerder terwijl hij werkte.En: Jeroen's hands became more confident as he worked.Nl: Zijn pompoen kreeg verrassend veel karakter.En: His pumpkin surprisingly developed a lot of character.Nl: "De winnaar is...En: "The winner is...Nl: Jeroen!"En: Jeroen!"Nl: riep Saskia later door de microfoon.En: shouted Saskia later through the microphone.Nl: Jeroen kon het niet geloven.En: Jeroen couldn't believe it.Nl: Een gevoel van vreugde en verbazing vulde hem.En: A feeling of joy and amazement filled him.Nl: Saskia klopte op zijn schouder.En: Saskia patted his shoulder.Nl: "Je moet me helpen met het volgende evenement!"En: "You must help me with the next event!"Nl: lachte ze.En: she laughed.Nl: Na de wedstrijd kwam Bram naar Jeroen toe.En: After the contest, Bram came up to Jeroen.Nl: "Kijk," zei hij, terwijl hij de foto's liet zien.En: "Look," he said, showing the photos.Nl: Eén foto sprong eruit: Jeroen met een verbaasde glimlach, omgeven door een warme herfstgouden gloed.En: One picture stood out: Jeroen with a surprised smile, surrounded by a warm autumn golden glow.Nl: Jeroen voelde dat hij eindelijk een deel van deze gemeenschap was.En: Jeroen felt that he was finally a part of this community.Nl: Die avond liep Jeroen terug naar huis, zijn hart lichter en zijn toekomst gevuld met nieuwe mogelijkheden en vriendschappen.En: That evening, Jeroen walked back home, his heart lighter and his future filled with new possibilities and friendships.Nl: De vreugde van het buurtfestival bleef nagalmen in zijn gedachten.En: The joy of the neighborhood festival echoed in his thoughts.Nl: Vanaf dat moment wist hij dat hij echt thuishoorde.En: From that moment on, he knew that he truly belonged. Vocabulary Words:suburb: buitenwijktransformed: veranderdenautumn equinox: herfstequinoxcrisp: frislonged: verlangdedesire: verlangenfear: angstconnection: verbondenheidfestival: festivalstalls: kraampjesenthusiasm: enthousiasmehesitated: aarzeldecommunity: gemeenschappumpkins: pompoenenwreaths: kransencapturing: vastleggendcarving: snijdenconfident: zekerdercontest: wedstrijdamazed: verbijsterdpatted: klopteshoulder: schoudermicrophone: microfoonpossibilities: mogelijkhedenfriendships: vriendschappenechoed: nagalmenbelonged: thuishoordeglow: gloedfascinated: gefascineerddragged: sleurde

Jesus had a rhythm of pouring himself out and then slipping away to be alone with God. We'll look at why that rhythm matters for us too, and what God wants to do in the silence and stillness.

What are we afraid will surface when we leave the noise behind?In this teaching on the ancient practice of solitude, John Mark invites us to follow Jesus' path into solitude, where we can give our feelings, desires, and trust to God, and be shaped by His transforming love in return.If you'd like to continue exploring what it means to build a life with God in solitude, we have two invitations for you. First, John Mark's newest book, Into the Quiet, is now available for preorder at intothequietexperience.com/preorder. Second, you can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket a intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Jodi from Hillsboro, Oregon; Mallory from Yakima, Washington; Jordan from Robinson, Texas; Lauren from Moreland Hills, Ohio; and Quentin from Wilson, North Carolina. Thank you all very much.If you'd like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous. Mentioned in this teaching:Matthew 26:36-46Matthew 26:36 (cited specifically)The Way of the Heart by Henri NouwenThe Triumph of the Therapeutic by Philip RieffOrder your copy of the Solitude Companion Guide at practicingtheway.org/solitude.

Description: If you've spent years believing that being a good Christian means always saying yes, keeping everyone happy, or putting other people's needs ahead of your own, setting boundaries can feel selfish, or even unchristian. But Jesus modeled something very different. He loved people deeply without allowing them to control Him, manipulate Him, or determine His every move. In this episode, we'll look at the ways Jesus practiced healthy boundaries, including saying no, stepping away from the demands of others, making time for rest and prayer, and refusing to be pulled into unproductive arguments. We'll talk about why boundaries can be particularly difficult for trauma and abuse survivors, how guilt and fear can keep us from setting them, and how we can learn to establish boundaries without becoming harsh or unloving. Most importantly, we'll explore the difference between loving others and taking responsibility for them, and how saying “no” can sometimes be an honest and healthy expression of who God created us to be. We'll discuss both the faith and psychology sides of setting boundaries. If you've struggled with guilt when setting boundaries, this episode is an invitation to rethink what it means to love others while also caring for yourself. Breakdown of Episode  3:17 Intro to Topic and What Are Boundaries?16:37 Jesus Loved People Without Being Controlled by Them18:31 Jesus Prioritized Rest and Time With God22:06 Jesus Didn't Engage in Every Argument But Confronted Harmful Behavior27:59 Jesus, Boundaries, and Family Expectations29:41 The Psychology of Healthy Boundaries35:52 Practicing Christ-Like Boundaries and Handling PushbackSourcesBiblical SourcesHoly Bible, New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978)(Scriptures referenced: Matthew 5:37; Matthew 12:46–50; Matthew 21:12–13; Mark 1:35–38; Luke 5:16; Luke 20:1–8.)Psychological and Scientific SourcesAmerican Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychological Association.Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497–529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are. Hazelden.Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (1992). Boundaries: When to say yes, how to say no to take control of your life. Zondervan.Gross, J. J. (1998). Antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation: Divergent consequences for experience, expression, and physiology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(1), 224–237. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.1.224Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence—from domestic abuse to political terror. Basic Books.Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.  ⁠https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2016). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-compassion: Stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind. William Morrow.Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.Walker, P. (2013). Complex PTSD: From surviving to thriving. Azure Coyote Publishing. Additional Faith/Spiritual SourcesCloud, H., & Townsend, J. (2009). Boundaries: Updated and expanded edition. Zondervan.Cloud, H. (2026). Dr. Henry Cloud: Boundaries were never meant to push people away. RELEVANT Magazine. https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/dr-henry-cloud-boundaries-were-never-meant-to-push-people-away/Ortberg, J. (2002). The life you've always wanted: Spiritual disciplines for ordinary people. Zondervan.Willard, D. (1998). The divine conspiracy: Rediscovering our hidden life in God. HarperOneChristian Emotional Recovery Resources Christian Emotional Recovery. (n.d.). Boundaries (Podcast episode collection). Christian Emotional Recovery. https://christianemotionalrecovery.com/search/boundariesChristian Emotional Recovery. (n.d.). What to do when the past comes calling [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBqQ2KlmX_g Christian Emotional Recovery ResourcesPodcast WebsiteAccess Episodes, Get Free Resources, and MoreFacebook GroupJoin Community, Get Support, and Get Weekly EncouragementYouTube ChannelSubscribe for Exclusive Material Not on PodcastChristian Emotional Recovery StoreGet meditations, infographics, journals, and other resources for your healing journeyTrauma SurvivorsCheck out Resources Page for Trauma SurvivorsEmail ListGet updates on episodes, platform, resources, and productsFree ResourceFree Visual A.C.O.R.N Resource to Heal Difficult EmotionsDonate Monthly Through PatreonHelp More Trauma Survivors Through This Ministry  ...

Listening to God in Silence and Solitude

She spent years trapped in a cycle of love bombing, addiction, and violence with a man who once strangled her unconscious. Then one night, scrolling Facebook on her back porch, she watched his death unfold live on her screen before anyone told her.This week, Mac and Phil sit down with Randin Steed, who writes as Sunshine Faye, author of Dance With the Devil and The Manipulation Whisperer, and cohost of the podcast Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell.

Thomas spent years running at full speed. Job hopping, band hopping, saying yes to everything, it eventually caught up to him in the form of severe stress and burnout. A few years ago he walked away from a stable job to go all in as a full-time musician, and what followed were some of the hardest years. In this Formation Conversation, Thomas talks about the book that changed everything for him, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and the rhythms he's built since: a daily digital detox, a weekly Sabbath with his wife Emily and son Adam, and quiet mornings alone with God in the White Oak building before anyone else arrives. "It was almost a sin to rest," he says. "My mind was convincing me of that for a long time." Now on staff at White Oak and still playing drums on the worship team at both campuses, Thomas shares what it's actually looked like to slow down, and how it's changed the way he shows up for his family, his work tuning pianos around the city, and the people he meets along the way. In this conversation we talk about: • Job hopping, band hopping, and the years God felt distant • The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and why it completely floored him • A daily digital detox: no phone from 6-9am and again from 5-8pm • Building a weekly Sabbath rhythm with his wife and son • Finding silence and solitude alone in the church building before sunrise • Why slowing down has opened doors to share his faith with strangers ` Chapters 00:00 — Introduction: Meet Thomas Cheek 01:05 — Rapid Fire: Getting to Know Thomas 08:59 — Alone with God: Mornings in the Building 09:46 — Wandering: Job Hopping, Band Hopping, and Burnout 11:07 — The Turning Point: Betting on Full-Time Music 12:45 — Discovering The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry 15:20 — Digital Detox: No Phone Mornings and Evenings 19:16 — The Ripple Effect on His Marriage 21:12 — A Convicting Moment: Jesus's Burden Is Light 22:39 — Practicing Sabbath as a Family 26:23 — Hurry Sickness and Learning to Sit Still 29:00 — Silence and Solitude in an Empty Building 34:12 — No Screen Saturdays 38:19 — Becoming an Apprentice of Jesus 42:48 — Slowing Down Opens Doors to Share Faith 46:41 — Key Takeaway: One Day at a Time 52:27 — Closing Prayer — White Oak Christian Church Connecting people to Full Life in Jesus

In this sermon, Dave shows us how true rest is found only in Jesus, not in circumstances, achievements, or possessions.

Régulièrement, l'équipe de Folie Douce partage avec vous les extraits les plus marquants des épisodes du podcast. Aujourd'hui, on vous propose de réécouter l'autrice et militante Louisa Yousfi.Dans cet extrait, Louisa Yousfi évoque le motif du trou, central dans son livre La Grande Méthode, qui symbolise l'endroit du sacré, inatteignable. Une manière de se demander comment transmettre lorsque l'héritage a été interrompu. Je n'en étais pas à la page 50 de La Grande Méthode de Louisa Yousfi que je savais qu'il fallait que je la reçoive dans Folie Douce. J'ai été cueillie telle une cerise mûre à chaque lecture de ce texte qui relève autant du journal de bord que du livre sacré, oscillant entre la spiritualité la plus élevée et l'odeur de café brûlé d'un local militant la veille d'une manif.Louisa Yousfi est journaliste de formation, militante décoloniale et écrivaine. Depuis l'enfance, elle passe sa vie à “chercher le bon mot” et semble presque subir “une sophistication de la pensée qui est une incapacité à juste vivre”. Elle dédie son livre à sa mère, “qui n'en ferait pas toute une histoire”.Elle qui a secoué le monde des essais politiques avec son premier livre, Rester barbare (2022), embrasse ici le deuil d'un père, et un voyage funéraire vers l'Algérie qui convoque à la fois l'histoire familiale et coloniale.Avec Louisa Yousfi, nous parlons de la catastrophe imminente, du fascisme, de la guerre, de ce que ça fait d'élever deux garçons arabes dans un monde dans lequel “elle n'a aucune confiance” et de la transmission des luttes, comme son père lui a transmis le mot “Palestine”, avec sa force et sa magie.Elle dit qu'elle a l'impression de “comparaître” quand elle doit expliquer son geste créatif aux médias. Mais elle parle si bien de son geste d'écriture en "spirale autour d'un lieu" qui est "un grand secret, un silence, un trou", autour duquel il faut danser. Elle préfère rendre politique ce que d'autres décriraient comme psychique et propose d'affronter la noirceur de l'avenir "comme une grande épreuve qu'on traverse en retenant son souffle", plutôt que de l'aborder en "petites monades fragiles et vulnérables". C'est peut-être ça, sa Grande Méthode. Bonne écoute et partagez en masse sur les réseaux, commentez et likez pour aider Folie Douce à essaimer !Photo : Anthony Francin/La fabrique éditions

The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast likes it when ski areas are run by people who are good at running ski areas. Please subscribe to the email newsletter to get new posts the moment they're live. Thank you for supporting independent ski journalism.About CamelbackOwned by: EPR Properties, managed by Peregrine Hospitality (formerly KSL Resorts)Located in: Tannersville, PennsylvaniaYear founded: 1963Pass affiliations:* Ikon Pass: 7 days, no blackouts* Ikon Base Pass: 5 days, holiday blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Shawnee Mountain (:24), Jack Frost (:26), Big Boulder (:27), Skytop Lodge (:29), Saw Creek (:37), Blue Mountain (:41), Pocono Ranchlands (:43), Montage (:44), Hideout (:51), Elk Mountain (1:05), Bear Creek (1:09), Ski Big Bear (1:16)Base elevation: 1,252 feetSummit elevation: 2,079 feetVertical drop: 827 feetSkiable Acres: 166Average annual snowfall: 50 inchesTrail count: 45, with three new trails for 2026-27 (not on the map below, but discussed on the podcast)Lift count: 12 (1 high-speed six-pack, 1 high-speed quad, 1 fixed-grip quad, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 5 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Camelback's lift fleet)For reference:The Zoom transcript (click “transcript” above for the Substack transcript, then click on any text block to teleport to the associated point in the video; timestamps below DO NOT MATCH THE VIDEO)00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:37.000Stuart Winchester: Welcome to The Storm! I'm your host, Stuart Winchester. Today is Wednesday, September 16th, 2026, and I've got a really good show for you today.00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:45.000Stuart Winchester: we're going to talk some Pennsylvania skiing. And Pennsylvania skiing is a really interesting thing. As I travel around the country.00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:56.000Stuart Winchester: and ski at all these different places in the Midwest, and out West, and in New England, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Uh, and as I talk to folks who… who don't ski that much, or only ski at the big mountains.00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:05.000Stuart Winchester: I'll often bring up some experience I had at a Pennsylvania ski area. Pennsylvania has quite a few ski areas as 21.00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:20.000Stuart Winchester: public chairlift-served ski areas, and it does 2.6 million skier visits on average per year. That is more than any state except for Colorado, California, Utah, Vermont, and New York.00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:26.000Stuart Winchester: It's more than Washington, it's more than Oregon, it's more than Montana, it's more than New.00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:39.000Stuart Winchester: So, Pennsylvania is a really important ski state, which is probably why Vail Resorts owns 8 ski areas there, because it is really close to a lot of population centers. In western PA, you have Pittsburgh.00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:54.000Stuart Winchester: and Seven Springs, and Laurel, and Hidden Valley, and then you have Philadelphia on the east side, and you can also draw up from Baltimore and D.C. for Round Top and Whitetail. And uh…00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.000Stuart Winchester: And Jack Frost's Big Boulder up in the Poconos. So…00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:00.000Stuart Winchester: Vail has a big presence there.00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:15.000Stuart Winchester: Icon has a presence there with Camelback and Blue Mountain. Uh, and then Indy Pass just signed their 8th ski area in Pennsylvania with Spring Mountain, uh, down near Philadelphia. So, so it's, it's a place where a lot of skiers start.00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:19.000Stuart Winchester: And it's a little bit of a funny place to ski, because…00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:29.000Stuart Winchester: it tends to have an outsized number of novice skiers, which is great. They're very good at doing that. Uh, but it can make it a little chaotic.00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:38.000Stuart Winchester: And the lift lines can get a little crazy, and people are all over the hill, and sometimes they're walking down the hill because they're frustrated and they're giving up.00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, and…00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.000Stuart Winchester: You take that as your baseline in Pennsylvania.00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.000Stuart Winchester: And you had any sort of complications.00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:54.000Stuart Winchester: And things get out of hand really quickly. And in general.00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:00.000Stuart Winchester: For that reason, the ski areas that have survived in Pennsylvania.00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:07.000Stuart Winchester: are among the best operators in the world, and I would put that up against anyone.00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:14.000Stuart Winchester: It's a very, very challenging environment, not only because you have a high number of novice skiers.00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, but also because you have…00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:31.000Stuart Winchester: not a ton of snow, sometimes in the west part of the state, where there's higher elevation, they do get a lot of snow, but… but not as a rule, you couldn't count on it for natural snow. Uh, you get a lot of rain, you get a lot of warm-ups.00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, and… and you, in general, have to rely on…00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:42.000Stuart Winchester: a very short season, generally mid-December-ish to mid-March-ish.00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.000Stuart Winchester: And the skiers there…00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:52.000Stuart Winchester: They're they're accustomed to a pretty high standard, so.00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:57.000Stuart Winchester: So when things do get out of control, uh…00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:04.000Stuart Winchester: They really rebelled, and they really noticed. So, a couple years ago, this is what happened at Camelback. So, Camelback…00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.000Stuart Winchester: You know, I don't generally do ops stories, uh…00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:10.000Stuart Winchester: You know.00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:19.000Stuart Winchester: ski area didn't groom this run, or they haven't opened this lift, or, uh, you know, they usually let this bump up, but they don't, or, or…00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:27.000Stuart Winchester: you know, they… they are trying to save money, or they're being cheap. I generally don't bother with those, even though I get a lot of messages.00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:32.000Stuart Winchester: Complaining about things like that, because there's almost always a pretty good reason.00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:38.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, and it's almost always temporary, and it's really not worth the effort.00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:48.000Stuart Winchester: to write the story if I'm just writing about, you know, why Stratton or Mount Snow or Magic Mountain didn't open a certain lift on a certain day.00:07:48.000 --> 00:08:04.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, it's, it's a lot to track down and it's a lot of, uh, this person said this and the other person said that. It's just not the kind of thing that I'm want to cover with the storm, right? I want to do bigger stories. I want to do trend stories. I want to look at the culture and evolution of skiing.00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:11.000Stuart Winchester: And the passes, and all the infrastructure, and all the fun stuff. So I don't generally cover the day-to-day stuff, just because…00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:18.000Stuart Winchester: The ski areas that remain in 2026 are, for the most part, run by really good operators.00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:32.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, it… because… and they've survived. Most of the bad ski areas that were either mismanaged or were in the wrong places, they went out of business a long time ago, which is why the number of ski areas has been stable for around 25 years now in America.00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:35.000Stuart Winchester: So I but I started to notice.00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:45.000Stuart Winchester: several years ago that I was getting an outsized number of complaints around one ski area in particular in the Poconos.00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:47.000Stuart Winchester: And it was Camelback.00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:51.000Stuart Winchester: And Camelback had a long history of being an independent.00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:52.000Stuart Winchester: And…00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.000Stuart Winchester: Really…00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:59.000Stuart Winchester: the way it's been described to me by… by season pass holders, and I've skied…00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:04.000Stuart Winchester: some at Camelback, but I don't have that depth of knowledge of having grown up there.00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:20.000Stuart Winchester: That Camelback for a long time, for decades, set the standard on snowmaking, on grooming, on just general maintenance of lifts in the ski area in the Poconos. And that was why they had chosen to ski there all those years.00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:30.000Stuart Winchester: But things had started to fall apart when a new owner showed up in 2019. It was at the time KSL Capital, who was.00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:43.000Stuart Winchester: was managing it for EPR Properties, which is the entity that bought it, and they own a bunch of ski areas, EPR Properties, including a bunch owned by Vail, including North Star, and a lot of the old Peak Resorts in Ohio and such.00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:50.000Stuart Winchester: And KSL Resorts was a division of KSL Capital.00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.000Stuart Winchester: which is a part owner of Altera.00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:58.000Stuart Winchester: But for some reason, Altera, which is very good at running ski resorts.00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.000Stuart Winchester: did not…00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:15.000Stuart Winchester: get assigned as the… as the owner of Camelback. And when KSL Resorts purchased Blue Mountain, not in Ontario, the Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania, that's about 45 minutes from Camelback, two years later, in 2021.00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:26.000Stuart Winchester: That ski area also did not fall under Altera's ownership. And it was an odd choice to make, because Altera's really good at running ski areas, and they run…00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:35.000Stuart Winchester: Mammoth, and Deer Valley, and Steamboat, and Solitude, and Palisades Tahoe, and Stratton, and Sugarbush, and they definitely have.00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:41.000Stuart Winchester: the institutional knowledge and internal firepower to be able to run these ski areas in the Poconos.00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, Blue Mountain…00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:47.000Stuart Winchester: Had the benefit of a long time tenured management team.00:10:47.000 --> 00:11:02.000Stuart Winchester: That kept the place, by all accounts, running pretty well. Camelback, on the other hand, seemed to be falling apart before our eyes, and before the eyes of the loyalist skiers who loved the place so much. And they were really, really concerned, and I started to…00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:08.000Stuart Winchester: Because they had put, uh, a management team in place, it seemed.00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.000Stuart Winchester: that…00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:22.000Stuart Winchester: was not familiar with the… with the inner workings of a ski area. Uh, I… I hosted Dave Makarski, the former general manager of Kalenbach, on this podcast.00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:33.000Stuart Winchester: and very nice guy. We had a great conversation. Uh, he's not a skier. And, and, you know, sometimes you can be not a skier and run a great ski resort. Uh, look at Bill Stritzler up at Smuggler's Notch.00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:43.000Stuart Winchester: Bill hasn't skied in years, and he snowboarded for a little bit, but he's not a daily skier. Look at Shawnee.00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:54.000Stuart Winchester: that where the owner… that's one of the most modern, nice ski areas in the Poconos, uh, and the owner has not skied in decades. So, so it's not always necessary, uh, but…00:11:55.000 --> 00:12:10.000Stuart Winchester: It does help and it's certainly a benefit. So everyone I talked to, I was, I was gathering all this stuff for a story and I was gonna write about Camelback and, and it, it really seemed like it was the worst run ski area anywhere that I could find based on the amount of feedback I was getting.00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:25.000Stuart Winchester: I was gathering all this feedback from all these long-time pass holders, and then they hired a new general manager, and so I scrapped the story, but I still wanted to get it, and by all accounts, Jason Bays, who I'll bring on the podcast in a moment.00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:34.000Stuart Winchester: has really done a nice job of turning CamelBak around. So, so let's go to Jason now.00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:16.000Stuart Winchester: My guest today is the Vice President and General Manager of Camelback Ski Area in Pennsylvania.00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:26.000Stuart Winchester: Camelback runs six chairlifts, or maybe seven. I might have had a typo there. Serving 45 trails on an 827-foot vertical drop.00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:41.000Stuart Winchester: Prior to taking the top job at Camelback, he was general manager for Great Wolf Resorts around the United States. He also spent time as chief operating officer and general manager of Mountain Creek Ski Area in New Jersey and director of operations.00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:54.000Stuart Winchester: for Jay Peak, Vermont. His very first jobs as a teenager were as a lifeguard and ski instructor at Camelback. Jason Bay is my guest. Jason, welcome to the Storm. Awesome to have you. How you doing today?00:14:53.000 --> 00:15:00.000Jason Bays: Thank you, Stuart. Great to be here. I've been a listener from day one, so excited to join you.00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:14.000Stuart Winchester: I love that. I'm so hyped to hear that. I know I started with a little Northeast focus. You know, you're the… you probably know this already, but you're the second straight guest I've had on. There was a Mountain Creek alum, Chris Haggerty, on yesterday. Are you acquainted with Chris?00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:18.000Jason Bays: Yeah, Chris and I worked together, um, back in our days at Mountain Creek, great guy.00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:33.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, yeah, I'm, uh, I'm not sure, I'm sure you're aware I'm based in New York City and Mountain Creek is one of my go-tos and, and was my home mountain before I started traveling all over the place for the storm. So, so, you know, Jason, I, I think it's awesome that you grew up at Camelback. Tal.00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:41.000Stuart Winchester: your childhood Camelback. What was the kingdom of Camelback like to you, uh, when you were growing up skiing there?00:15:40.000 --> 00:16:03.000Jason Bays: Yeah, look, I, you know, took, I grew up in Pocono Kid, born and raised 10 minutes from the resort. After school ski program was the first, you know, first sort of foray into life at Camelback and was immediately hooked in the summer as a swimming pool and two water slides. I thought that was the most awesome place in the world too.00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:21.000Jason Bays: And my parents thought it was a great babysitting service, you know, relative to that. So it was just an awesome, awesome place to grow up and, you know, be part of the small but mighty ski community that is Tannersville, Pennsylvania, in this area, in the Poconos.00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:39.000Jason Bays: um, you know, when it came to get a first job, uh, there's no place I was, uh, gonna consider other than Camelback. It's where all my friends were, it's where we all hung out all the time, and, um, you know, really just got introduced to, uh, to the sport, and, um, had some freedom. It was the first time I had some freedom, and it was to be at Camelback, so that's.00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:56.000Stuart Winchester: So you worked there, and you were part of the machine, so to speak, and I realized you were sort of on the peripheral of the machine, as opposed to in the center of it, as you are now. But, you know, you grew up in the Poconos, and had that experience, and you had this vision of Camelback in your head, right? Then you went off and had a big life, as…00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.000Jason Bays: Yes.00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:00.000Stuart Winchester: as people do, and you went and worked at all these places that I just mentioned.00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:03.000Stuart Winchester: And then you came back to Camelback.00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.000Stuart Winchester: When you, when you arrived.00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:10.000Stuart Winchester: How had the place changed? And I just want to tee this up. I, you know.00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:19.000Stuart Winchester: before you came on, I was talking about how I don't generally write operations stories, right? Because it… there's usually a good reason for why a trail is closed, a lift's not running.00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:26.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, but a few years ago, I started to get an outsized number of complaints about Camelback.00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:38.000Stuart Winchester: And so I started to write a story about it, and then when you came along, I shelved it, because honestly, everyone immediately was like, oh, this is so much better. So, you know, how had…00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.000Stuart Winchester: Camelback changed.00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:42.000Stuart Winchester: when you…00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.000Stuart Winchester: Came back to work there.00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:51.000Stuart Winchester: And what were the challenges facing the resort? What did you focus on immediately?00:17:50.000 --> 00:18:08.000Jason Bays: Yeah, I'll just back up to say, you know, just to contextualize, um, from when I was there as a teenager and, um, through college on the ski team, too, I would say that community was a really big word, um, that was used all the time. You, you felt like it was, it was the Camelback community, and there's a really big emphasis on the ski product.00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:28.000Jason Bays: Um, as a ski instructor, like, what we were putting out, how we were doing lessons, how many lessons we could do, and the experience that was surrounding that. And same thing on the water park side. And, you know, I think the, um, you know, some of the observations, um, coming back to Camelback was, um, I think there's a little bit of focus, um, focus direction for, for, like, to focus on the ski product.00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:44.000Jason Bays: and focusing on the water park product, and I sort of look at it as, like, a… as Disney World, right? Whereas we fill out… if we do the ski part well, we do the snow tubing part well, we do the water park well, that puts heads in beds, um, versus trying to put heads in beds.00:18:44.000 --> 00:19:01.000Jason Bays: And then have them do the activities. We're leading with an activity front and centered focus. And that means making the strategic investments in the ski product, in our recreational product, and making that the very best that it can be.00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:23.000Jason Bays: back in 2008 when I was here as a teenager, that was all there was. There was no hotel product, right? So the ski product got outsized attention just naturally because it was a 560-acre resort that identified as a ski area and a water park. And I think some of the context that was missing was that while there's been a great evolution of Camelback as a four-season resort.00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:16.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:40.000Jason Bays: It's really important that, to me, that each of those business units gets the time and attention that they would deserve if they were stand-alone units, particularly because a cog… it's a cog in the wheel, and that wheel is… it's a flywheel. It needs to… it all needs to turn at once, and so we lead with.00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:43.000Jason Bays: the recreational offerings first.00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:48.000Stuart Winchester: You know, you mentioned the community, and I wasn't aware…00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:59.000Stuart Winchester: that there was such a strong community around Camelback, and I'm not surprised, because most ski areas have that group of folks who, you know, they're retirees, and they boot up at 8am, and they take runs together.00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:14.000Stuart Winchester: But they were really passionate, and the running theme, Jason, in the emails and messages that I got from Camelback locals was that they loved Camelback. It wasn't that they hated Camelback, they hated to complain about Camelback.00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:18.000Stuart Winchester: They wanted to love it, but they couldn't. There was there was.00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:34.000Stuart Winchester: a lot of things they cited, uh, not making snowmaking when it's cold, understaffed grooming, uh, missed lift inspections. I don't know if this is true. This is what people were… they were reaching, I think, for answers. Uh, put it all together, and there was… it was definitely…00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:47.000Stuart Winchester: seemed as though the ski product was not the focus. So when you came in, what did you focus on right away and say, okay, this is what we gotta change, you know, we have to cover every trail 100% right away, or whatever it was?00:20:47.000 --> 00:21:09.000Jason Bays: Yeah, I think that's, look, I would start, you hit the nail on the head that there's a very passionate skiing community here at Camelback and in the Poconos and it means a lot to people. This is second, third generations that are learning to ski here, bring their families here and be part of this. And to your point, everyone wants to be prideful of Camelback, right?00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:24.000Jason Bays: This was the, this was family run for a really long time and, you know, very focused on sort of the, you know, season pass holders renewing year after year.00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:40.000Jason Bays: You know, a couple of things. One is I think that how we authentically tell our story isn't done in a way that is, you know, is done in a way that's authentic. A, bringing back the Camelback Mountain Facebook page that communicated ski related content.00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:39.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:21:40.000 --> 00:22:06.000Jason Bays: Right? I think that, you know, there's only so many things you can say about a hotel room and how exciting it is. Like, we really lead now first with authentically telling the story. Our snow report got a lot more detailed, gave granular information as to what was going on. So, you know, did we have a perfect winter last winter? By all means, no, but we communicated that authentically. And where we messed up, we took.00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:23.000Jason Bays: the blame for it, and said, hey, we didn't get this right, and where we were working to improve the experience, we communicated that… communicated that story. So, to me, it started from a communication standpoint, that we were authentic, that we were honest, that we were truthful, and that we were communicating on a medium that.00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:31.000Jason Bays: our guests would see, um, and relate to. So I think a big miss was, I think, admittedly, a big miss was removing the, um, Camelback Mountain.00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:53.000Jason Bays: social media pages, um, and bringing those back were really important so that, um, we could tell the story authentically. I think SKUs really appreciate, um, knowing what's going on, and to your point on, hey, there's sort of this rumor flying or that rumor flying, um, you know, we were able to, uh, sort of hone in and, and tell, tell that story. Secondarily, I think from an infrastructure standpoint.00:22:53.000 --> 00:23:09.000Jason Bays: um, we really needed to make sure that we had, um, the right team in place. And we have an amazingly talented team at Camelback, um, but we did not have key positions filled, um, in certain areas. Um, and so, we bolstered up the snowmaking. Snowmaking team went from.00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:05.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:08.000Stuart Winchester: Like, what areas?00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:30.000Jason Bays: you know, 3 to 4 to 30, um, this past winter, um, that makes a big difference, right? Our trail rollout was, um, you know, first to open in the East, uh, for Pennsylvania, um, and, uh, um, and, and focus on the core products. Um, same thing with lift operations. We brought in a really experienced lift, uh, maintenance manager.00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:13.000Stuart Winchester: Hey!00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:14.000Stuart Winchester: Wow.00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:16.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:21.000Stuart Winchester: Yep.00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:46.000Jason Bays: Um, to our team that really helped, um, support our Lyft, um, uh, operation. Um, decisions on when Lyfts ran and what time they ran, uh, you know, our thought was, let's, um, be more… like, you have to run the Terrain Park Lyft every day.00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:23:46.000 --> 00:24:06.000Jason Bays: to me, that's a commitment. We make that every day. We say we're running the Glen Lift every day. It services great novice terrain. It services the train park. And so, looking at the operational plan and saying, okay, what are ways that we can give back, you know, and make deposits back to our skiers? And in turn.00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:24.000Jason Bays: that builds momentum, right? People talk, and, like, the ski community is so connected, right? It's like, if you do something, like, people find out about it, because they're really, you know, they hear about it. And so, for us, focus on the core business was, um, you know, from a ski standpoint, was really important, and the infrastructure.00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:13.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:19.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:41.000Jason Bays: to be able to do it. And I would just, lastly, just say I go back to making sure that our team had the resources to do their job. We're supported, we're empowered, collaborative leadership, you know, we sat around the table and said, this is the operating plan, this is what we're going to do for our guests.00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:46.000Jason Bays: And then go out and execute it to the best we can.00:24:45.000 --> 00:25:03.000Stuart Winchester: You know, Jason, I, I, I think you could have run for governor with one of the first things that you did, which was get rid of paid parking. I, I, I don't think that I've ever, uh, heard people happier about anything. Now, now, and let me, let me qualify this, right? I think in, in some instances, paid parking and parking reservations.00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:05.000Stuart Winchester: make sense.00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:18.000Stuart Winchester: you know, super high volume days. Arapahoe Basin, I think, is a model in Colorado where they only charge for certain days and certain times, and they keep backing off which days as they learn when they really need it. Camelback was charging every day.00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:36.000Stuart Winchester: All day, you know, a Monday with, you know, 10 people on the mountain, they were charging for it. And, you know, acknowledging that sometimes it's appropriate, I think Camelback got pretty out of hand with it, and when I had Mr. Markowski on the podcast, great guy, we had a great conversation, but he was not backing off that. He said, nope, paid parking.00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:51.000Stuart Winchester: we're all in. You said no. So talk about that and how you sold. I'd imagine it was a revenue stream, right? And you had to sell management on that, and I don't know if I'm giving you credit for something someone else did, but talk to us about parking and the evolution there.00:25:51.000 --> 00:26:12.000Jason Bays: Yeah, that was a week one decision from the Camelback team when I got here made from our leadership team at Camelback that everyone was in alignment on our senior leadership team here at the property and myself to remove the paid parking. And I think definitely there's actually you have so many nice pictures behind you.00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:30.000Jason Bays: I have a picture of the old paid parking sign behind me there, if you can see it on the corner, and it actually serves to me as a reminder of the guest experience, because someone's put a sticker on that paid parking sign that you probably can't see there, but it says, Ski Camelback, we're not happy until you're not happy.00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:19.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:48.000Jason Bays: Um, and it's a reminder to, to me and our team, um, that we're here to have fun, and we're here for the guest experience, and we're here to live, live and breathe fun Camelback style. This is not a, um, you know, we want guests to look forward to, to being here. And I think, you know, yes, there was.00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:38.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:26:48.000 --> 00:27:05.000Jason Bays: So obviously we ran a financial model. We didn't just, you know, get rid of paid parking and not assume, you know, that there wasn't some revenue to be recaptured elsewhere with a strategy to do it. But I think more importantly, you know, think about it.00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:22.000Jason Bays: a non-busy day, it might even be raining, it's 40 degrees, the last thing you want is someone running around a parking lot telling you, like, hey, I need you to hand over $15, and by the way, then you're gonna schlep your stuff up two different levels of parking, um, you know, that might be even charged higher, and then get to.00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:19.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:38.000Jason Bays: uh, the mountain and go to guest services. You know, I have a 3-year-old. If my wife and I went skiing, that would be an incredible amount of friction, um, just to get to, uh, the front of the mountain. And so I think putting ourselves in the guest lens of saying, is that really what we want the guests to experience?00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:30.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:53.000Jason Bays: Um, it's not, and, and it was a burden to everyone at this, you know, you think I'm talking about, we talked to frontline associates too, like, the first thing that they had to tell people was that they had to pay for parking. You just imagine, sort of, the cascading effect that, that, that, uh, that that had, and we said, look, is there.00:27:53.000 --> 00:28:09.000Jason Bays: Um, is there a better way? Um, can we run shuttles to these lots and pick people up and bring them to the mountain and make them feel, um, you know, like our valued… like our valued guests? What does that arrival experience look like? Um, you know, that's really what we… what we looked at, and then said, okay.00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:25.000Jason Bays: can we… ultimately, will we drive more volume here? Will more people come because of a better guest experience? And I'll say that I would rather grow the sport, grow the industry. Our team would rather grow the sport and grow the industry than figuring out how to.00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:35.000Jason Bays: You know, sort of, you know, run a secondary ancillary business that's not to our core product and what we want our guests to experience here.00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:48.000Stuart Winchester: You know, it's a little counterintuitive, but sometimes, by removing a revenue stream, you get that less-is-more effect. Another example, your season pass, you know, according to my records.00:28:48.000 --> 00:29:04.000Stuart Winchester: Starting in 2020 to ‘21, the season pass was $599 at its early bird price, and it hovered between that and $649 for the next five years. This year, you put it on sale for $399. It's still at that price for unlimited Camelback.00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:20.000Stuart Winchester: That's a great bargain for, uh, for a season pass on the East Coast, and, you know, for the listeners, you are competing with the Epic Pass, which has Jack Frost, Big Boulder, right down the road, a couple exits down I-80, and their Northeast season pass is pretty affordable, and it's a pretty good deal.00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:33.000Stuart Winchester: So… so talk to us about that decision and… and… and how… how that $399 is worth it. You also wrote back, if you want to talk about, uh, the… the triple pack. I thought that was great, and I don't have the price right in front of me, but… but you've really done a lot to… to…00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:39.000Stuart Winchester: create more of a value experience for that loyal Camelback skier, from my point of view.00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:55.000Jason Bays: Yeah, thank you, and that's definitely the goal. Um, you know, I think our thought process here is let's get more people on Snow, um, and have them have a great experience while they're here. Um, I would love to tell you that there's some master business plan behind this.00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:29:55.000 --> 00:30:10.000Jason Bays: But, you know, truly, at the heart of what we do is, let's figure out how to get more people on snow, get them to a spot where they want to come back and learn and be part of it. And guess what I would just share to that is.00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:24.000Jason Bays: you know, we were charging a day ticket in 2025 of $169, um, at its highest point, right? And I would rather have a lifelong… I would rather have one per… I would much rather, I think from business proposition, we would rather have.00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:17.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:39.000Jason Bays: one person definitely not come and spend $15 to $40 to park and $169 and say, I'm never coming back, versus $399, now they're like, wow, this place is awesome, I'm getting a great value, I bring my family.00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:33.000Stuart Winchester: Damn.00:30:39.000 --> 00:31:01.000Jason Bays: I want to come enjoy food and beverage. And hey, by the way, we also have this great snow tubing park and this great water park. And would you like to stay at our hotel when you come with your season pass and enjoy Aquatopia? And we're debuting The Curse of Camelback this fall, right? Which is the Halloween, if you haven't heard, it's a Halloween 13 scare zones. Take a chair, lift up to it.00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:03.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:24.000Jason Bays: But I say all that to say we've got so many great cross marketing promotional opportunities at Camelback that that really becomes a super compelling business case for us. And I think it's the right thing to do for the sport is grow it, make it more accessible, allow more people to come here and see what we have to offer. I can't tell you how many people I meet, whether it's snow tubing, skiing.00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:41.000Jason Bays: water park, the hotel, whatever they're here for, CBKMA or Adventure Park, they have no idea that the other part exists to, um, the resort. And I'll share that that's been the case even in, like, when I was, uh, at Jay Peak running the water park.00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:34.000Stuart Winchester: Hmm. Okay.00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.000Jason Bays: People would come there, and they'd be like.00:31:43.000 --> 00:32:02.000Jason Bays: what is this mountain that is here? And it's Jay Peak, like, one of the most hardcore ski resorts in the world. And there were people that were coming there and were like, I had no idea there was a ski resort here. So, if it's true at Jay Peak, it certainly is true at Camelback, where.00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:49.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:52.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:53.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, thank you.00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:00.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:02.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, okay.00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:19.000Jason Bays: we have all these different offerings that people don't know about, maybe necessarily about all of them, so our fundamental business philosophy is make it accessible, make them lifelong, um, skiers and riders, and introduce them to everything that we have to offer here in the Poconos. And I would just argue, when I say Poconos.00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:41.000Jason Bays: Like go, like experience Shawnee and experience Jack Frost Big Boulder and experience, you know, the other great ski areas in this region and Mountain Creek and wherever else and get a flavor for it. I think that's, we could use more skiers in the industry and to grow the sport. So for us, that's sort of the long-term business model that we're using.00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:23.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:58.000Stuart Winchester: So, I just looked at the triple ticket, and it looks like $149, and I think that's no blackouts. $199 includes rentals. That's pretty amazing. So, talk about that product, and then you mentioned the $169 peak day ticket. Have you settled on prices yet for 2020?00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:03.000Stuart Winchester: 6, 27. I should have checked your site in advance, but I didn't. So I don't know if you've.00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:21.000Jason Bays: Yeah, we have not, uh, posted, uh, day ticket prices for this year. Last year, um, we didn't exceed around $110, um, on a day ticket. Uh, so we kept it, I think, pretty reasonable for, for, for a, for a Pocono offering. Um, triple tickets, massive, um, success, uh, for us.00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:12.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, okay.00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:15.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, yeah.00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:37.000Jason Bays: Um, and when we talk about, like, again, getting more people introduced to the sport, you don't necessarily pick up skiing on the first time. Um, you think about that rental product, which we, um, tremendously… whatever we had on the pro forma for that was, uh, blown by by, like.00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:30.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:53.000Jason Bays: 400% on the triple ticket with rentals. And what I really believe in is that, you know, you become a lifelong skier by getting repetition, not by going once a year. It's really hard to sustain as a skier going once a year.00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:52.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah. Okay.00:33:53.000 --> 00:34:11.000Jason Bays: and saying, oh yeah, that was our trip. We're really trying to create a guest for life and get them to return visit. That's in many ways more important to us than, again, trying to get, like, the highest yield on that one day that they picked. Like, come back and visit our resort and, um, you know, again, the business side to this is.00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:28.000Jason Bays: we're cross-marketing across all of our other offerings here that we have on this campus to say, come and visit us again. And again, to us, that's more important than, you know, the highest yield that we can get to. So the triple ticket's really successful. And I think one last thing I would share.00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:46.000Jason Bays: a lot of season passes in the market right now, um, the triple ticket's a great opportunity for people to get a couple of days at Camelback, even if they've committed somewhere else, and particularly, you know, our long season, um, there's plenty of time to use it, um, as well, uh, from the, uh, long season that we established from last year.00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:50.000Stuart Winchester: Jason, I think that's a really smart way to look at it as…00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:57.000Stuart Winchester: a… creating a habit rather than pulling as much yield as possible. And a lot of the larger operators.00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:11.000Stuart Winchester: get frustrated with me and the rest of the ski media because they don't understand why we focus on that peak price, right? Because the peak lift ticket this year at Beaver Creek is $392, set to be. Probably almost no one will pay that price, but…00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:28.000Stuart Winchester: What it does is it acts as a, a billboard for the rest of the ski industry and especially so, so Camelback for, for people who don't know when you're driving on I 80 I mean, you see it, it looms right over the highway. It is one of the major interstates in America, especially at night. The thing is lit up.00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:46.000Stuart Winchester: And so, chances are, if people think about skiing, and they think about where to go, they're gonna think about the most obvious one, and that's Camelback, and that's why, for many years, it was that, or Seven Springs was the busiest ski area in Pennsylvania, traditionally. So I think that's a really smart way to look at it, because if people show up that one time, and.00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:59.000Stuart Winchester: cost them, you know, $500 for 2 people, they're just not gonna come back, and they're not gonna try Shawnee, or… or Blue Mountain, or Jack Frost, or Elk Mountain, or Montage. So, um, I wanna talk about… Jason, I wanna talk about Lyft.00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:16.000Stuart Winchester: And… can you see this trail map? This is an old trail map. I mentioned that I know this, so for those watching on StormSkiing.com or YouTube, you can see this. So there's been a ton of changes, and I want to break all these down with you. The first I want to talk about is, over the past couple years.00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:32.000Stuart Winchester: Mark Antony and Cleopatra, these two lifts right here, an old triple and an old double, have been removed. Can you talk about why you took those lifts out of service, and if you plan to replace them with anything, or what you planned, or what the rationale was behind it?00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:49.000Jason Bays: Yeah, I appreciate that. Uh, that does predate my time here, that they had reached the end of their, um, uh, ability to operate. Um, and so they have, um, both been, um, sort of partially disassembled. Um, there is unfortunately not.00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:37.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:41.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:47.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:36:49.000 --> 00:37:05.000Jason Bays: I, by the way, two of my favorite lifts when I was a ski instructor, because you could get right up and not wait in long lines on the weekends, so absolutely realizing and recognizing the capacity that they brought, but no opportunity for us to.00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:02.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:23.000Jason Bays: um, reinstate those lifts as presently, um, as presently, uh, uh, sort of, um, situated, um, and, and not, not, not able to, uh, um, not able to, uh, rerun them. It will require a, um, new, uh, chairlift to, um, to ultimately replace.00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:37.000Jason Bays: those two lifts. It saddens me to share that, but that is, in fact, what has happened there, and I've been very open with our season pass holders about that messaging and the why behind it.00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:41.000Stuart Winchester: So, so in fantasy ski resort world, Jason.00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:46.000Stuart Winchester: Would you put a new lift here, and what would you put, if you could?00:37:45.000 --> 00:38:04.000Jason Bays: Yeah, absolutely. Um, same thing. We've, uh, we've made clear, uh, with no time, no official time frame to share, um, but certainly, uh, we've, we've, um, had, uh, preliminary conversations, um, about a fixed grip, um, quad that would, uh, would be able to take the place of both of those lifts, uh, and create that.00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:10.000Jason Bays: original redundancy that those two lifts brought to the resort when they were in operation.00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:27.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, that would be really nice. So, so, so these are gone and I, I have a, a current trail map now. So, um, and, and it's not completely current. We'll discuss the new trails in a moment, but this is the most current posted on your website. So, uh, we go over, these are the lifts that remain and see, uh, yeah, I, I miscounted in my intro, so sorry about that.00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:42.000Stuart Winchester: So this one is Stevenson, and Stevenson was, uh, it's a high-speed quad, uh, for the listeners, and it… it was a real junker. It was always stop, stop, stop, and, you know, it was… it was really… seemed to be falling apart and have a lot of issues. Now, uh, in 2020…00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:51.000Stuart Winchester: 5, this year, or 2024, I believe, Camelback, uh, McCarthy, the GM at the time, sent out a letter saying it was due for a…00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:53.000Stuart Winchester: Waltz.00:38:53.000 --> 00:39:02.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, let me see what he said… like, a complete modernization of Stevenson. So, so did that happen? And talk to us about Stevenson, and what kind of shape it's in right now.00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:20.000Jason Bays: Yeah, great, um, yes, that was a, uh, look, an amazing, um, project that was completed by, uh, by Dave and team, um, to modernize that lift. Um, it has, essentially, Doppelmayr came in and put in an entire new, uh, minus the, uh, minus the, uh, uh, the terminals and the.00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:35.000Jason Bays: Um, uh, and the structure itself, um, essentially all new components, all new electrical, um, uh, wiring components to it, a lot of the things that had plagued it. Um, and last year, uh, it operated 138 days.00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:36.000Stuart Winchester: Unbelievable.00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:53.000Jason Bays: Uh, which for Pennsylvania, uh, that's pretty darn good. I think we recognize it's a workhorse, um, it's key to accessing some really, um, fantastic terrain for us, um, and that modernization project with Doppel… in, um, partnership with Doppelmeyer that was done in the summer and fall of 2025.00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:54.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:53.000 --> 00:40:08.000Jason Bays: um, was, uh, very, uh, so it's all immediate impact, um, with, uh, Stevenson Reliability this past year, and we expect that to, uh, you know, knock on wood, to, uh, to continue going forward. We essentially, again, have a brand new lift, minus the, uh.00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:10.000Jason Bays: Uh, minus the physical pieces.00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:26.000Stuart Winchester: That's a really smart way to do it because they are tremendously expensive, these new lifts. And for folks who are watching or listening, this Stevenson is really important because you walk out of this giant hotel that's right here, that's not on the trail map with 400 and some rooms, and that is how you get up the mountain. Otherwise you got to.00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:41.000Stuart Winchester: pull your way over, so when that lift is not running or has problems, it's a real big issue. So, the alternative was, over here, Black Bear 6, uh, you replaced an old high-speed quad that was there, and… and I love this Black Bear 6 lift. It is…00:40:41.000 --> 00:41:01.000Stuart Winchester: Freakin' Ferrari, man. I think the price they gave me was something like $12 million that they spent, or maybe it was $10 to put that in. So that's the alternative, right? If you don't just modernize that current lift, you replace it. So, uh, Black Bear is awesome. I love it. It has bubbles. Is it too much? I mean, I know that KSL Now Peregrine had reasons for.00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:16.000Stuart Winchester: for putting it in, but what have you learned from a couple of years of having BlackBerry around, which is, again, probably the nicest lift in the state of Pennsylvania and one of the nicest in the Northeast, but maybe a little heavier than what you need for CamelBak, but I don't know, you tell me.00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:41.000Jason Bays: Yeah, you know, you know what I would share to that, um, you know, we, we brought it back for scenic chairlift rides this summer, and I mean, it's a massive hit. The summer, summer guests love, uh, the bubbles, they put them down when it's sunny, they put them down, um, probably gets more use in the summer as a bubble lift than the winter, uh, but look, it's, it's nice to, uh, have on the days where, you know, there's some liquid precipitation out here. It certainly happens in the Poconos.00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:24.000Stuart Winchester: Hmm.00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:35.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:58.000Jason Bays: um, and, uh, and, and or, um, uh, you know, other, other weather events, it's, it's, it's a nice to have, um, and it certainly, it gets you up in, you know, a little bit over two minutes. Um, it's a smooth ride, it's a great ride. Um, you are not going to get any complaints from me that we have a, um.00:41:47.000 --> 00:41:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:41:51.000 --> 00:41:52.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:11.000Jason Bays: bubble, D-line, six-pack, um, in place, uh, and able to operate as our main workhorse lift. Um, and, uh, I think the six-pack versus the quad was absolutely the right, uh, call. Um…00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:27.000Jason Bays: from my experience being here before with the Sullivan Express, um, with the four-seater, the six-seater, just the… the added, uh, ability, uh, there is, uh, is… is well worth it. So, uh, we're happy to have that… happy to have that lift. I… I wouldn't, uh… I wouldn't…00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:31.000Jason Bays: We won't be trading it in at this point. Let's put it that way.00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:38.000Stuart Winchester: It is a gorgeous machine, and I have to tell you, I'm that weird person who, if there's a line on one lift.00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:56.000Stuart Winchester: And no line on the lift next to it. Even if it's a slower lift, I'll take the slower lift, because I just would rather not deal with the hassle of the line. So right here, for those who are watching, is the Bailey Double, and this is an old chair lift. It's an old slow double, it runs almost exactly parallel to Black Bear 6, doesn't land quite as high.00:42:56.000 --> 00:43:16.000Stuart Winchester: on the mountain, but functionally, it does about the same thing for you. So I like Bailey, and I was glad to see that not only did you keep it, and it does run, and that was true even under the previous regime, but you got a new gearbox for it, which is a really big deal for a lift like this in several decades. Also, talk about the work you've done on Bailey, and how you hope to use that lift.00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:18.000Stuart Winchester: this year to complement Black Bear.00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:21.000Jason Bays: Yeah, so, um, Bailey Lift…00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:32.000Jason Bays: full disclosure, Bailey Lift, Meadows Lift, Raceway Lift, and our season pass holders are very aware of this. Um, unfortunately, uh, we're not, um…00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:41.000Jason Bays: ready for day one of last year, um, or even close. And so, uh, we had to do a lot of, um…00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:35.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:57.000Jason Bays: normal PM maintenance, um, throughout the, um, end of fall and into winter to have all of them operational. Um, what I share to that is, um, we will run, just level set here really quickly, we will run all the lifts that we have on this trail map.00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:44.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:57.000 --> 00:44:02.000Jason Bays: Um, and take care of them, maintain them, operate them.00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:18.000Jason Bays: Staff them, everything that you would do to run the extra capacity, we certainly need it. We'd like more capacity, actually. So that being said, Bailey Lift is critical. We got it back online.00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:10.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah. Okay.00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:34.000Jason Bays: End of January, it ran for 2 or 3 weekends, and we had a failed gearbox, um, on it, which is really unfortunate. Um, this off-season, uh, we've replaced the gearbox, we've done a full PM over the course of the summer on it, which is…00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:50.000Jason Bays: the, as you, as everyone knows, the ideal time, uh, to be, um, conducting such work, um, so that it is ready on, uh, day one. Um, it is a critical backup lift. We will run it every weekend.00:44:50.000 --> 00:45:07.000Jason Bays: Um, that we're, you know, in season, I would say in the heart of season, we're gonna run it. Won't be shy to not run it. Um, same thing with the Meadows, same thing with the Glen, same thing with the Raceway, which, um, you know, I know that that was, um, certainly chief among the complaints of.00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:22.000Jason Bays: locals and guests who were visiting from out of town alike was Lyft availability, Lyft reliability. That was something that we focused as fast as we could on last year, but we're setting ourselves up this year to be.00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:39.000Jason Bays: um, very proactive to that, and recognizing the importance of, of each of, uh, uh, you know, each of these. And look, every once in a while, uh, if the, you always want to have, like, Bailey is critical because it's the only other, if there's Black Bear, without Black Bear, it's the only other thing left, right?00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:38.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:45:39.000 --> 00:45:55.000Jason Bays: Um, and so, uh, you know, I think the, you know, back in the, when I was here, like, every Lyft ran on the weekends. It was Camelback. Um, it was busy, right? Like, everything was going. That's, that's essentially our, our, our philosophy, um, will continue to be our philosophy going forward.00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:45:55.000 --> 00:46:11.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, Jason, I'll admit, I didn't come to Camelback last season, so I wasn't able to experience it firsthand. I really wanted to come to your May thing, which I'll talk about, I'll get to in a minute, but I had a shoulder surgery, so I wasn't able to do that. But I wasn't only basing my perceptions of C.00:46:11.000 --> 00:46:19.000Stuart Winchester: on locals' reactions. I had skied there myself in recent years, and the lift line management, I have to say.00:46:19.000 --> 00:46:21.000Stuart Winchester: It was…00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:33.000Stuart Winchester: really frustrating from a skier point of view, when you're waiting for the Stevenson lift, and there's a big line, and every chair is going up with one or two people, and this is not peak COVID or anything else, this is several years later.00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:50.000Stuart Winchester: So, you know, and I had a lot of locals tell me, oh, we walk up Sun Bowl because the lift line is just too chaotic. People come from both sides. No, no, again, that was all before. What's your philosophy of lift line management? How have you tried to tame that? And there's always, it's always going to be a little wild and hard in Pennsylvan.00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:56.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, but they could definitely have been managed better. Is that something that was important to you, that you focused on?00:46:56.000 --> 00:47:15.000Jason Bays: Yeah, we focused on that. We have a new lift operations manager that was hired in November of 2025, who took the bull by the horns. We developed a supervisor team in fairly short order to that as well, to build out a well-rounded team. And then I would just share that our lift attendants.00:47:15.000 --> 00:47:32.000Jason Bays: All hired locally within the community. And I think that we were fully staffed in LiftOps this year, which was a big, very big win. It starts there, right? A, the people, and then B, the right people.00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:23.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:49.000Jason Bays: um, on the, uh, on the bus, um, as a catalyst to drive, uh, lift operations forward. Um, and then absolutely, uh, we focused on, uh, line management, queuing, um, we set new, in some cases, new queues. We had, um, uh, supervisors, in many cases, out.00:47:49.000 --> 00:48:04.000Jason Bays: um, putting up chairs, um, and, um, and managing the lift line. We added, once we got that right, and we felt like we were in a good spot, and we, you know, look, I think, admittedly, a couple technology hiccups here and there, it was not a perfect, uh.00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:17.000Jason Bays: we didn't, like, on opening day, it wasn't perfect, but, uh, we improved, it was a big focus for our team, and I think when we talk about fundamental ski operation, um, if we just were a ski area, we would absolutely be focusing on.00:48:06.000 --> 00:48:08.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:36.000Jason Bays: lift queuing, but we have to do that, like, we have to execute that every day because we are a ski area, um, and that's core to our business, and so that's important. Um, then we added, once we got queuing, uh, uh, correct, we added surprise and delights. Lift, uh, chocolate chip cookies were massively popular.00:48:36.000 --> 00:49:04.000Jason Bays: We handed out over 15,000 chocolate chip cookies this winter at the Stevenson lift line. And so, you know, then it becomes fun, right? Then it's the hospitality side of the business of how do we engage with our guests now that we have full chairs going up for the most part off of the Stevenson and the Black Bear and the Sun Bowl. So we hired extra associates to do that, to surprise and delight, to help our guests.00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:42.000Stuart Winchester: Cool.00:49:04.000 --> 00:49:20.000Jason Bays: The one other thing I would just share is Sunbowl is a great example. How many people get down to the Sunbowl and have never ridden a lift before? And so you need that extra human touch to be able to help. It's not even just putting people in groups of four. It's just helping them with like, here's where you go to load the lift. Here's what you do.00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:14.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:21.000Stuart Winchester: Yep.00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:33.000Jason Bays: Um, I think that that investment in our people to provide that service to our guests is very well worth it, and it's the difference between someone having a bad experience getting on a lift and never coming back.00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:43.000Jason Bays: or having a great experience, feeling well cared for, and wanting to try again. Um, and so that, that, that was, um, you know, I think that's a core, um, focus for us.00:49:43.000 --> 00:50:02.000Stuart Winchester: So, one of the ways that I can tell the resort is being run by a skier, in addition to all the things you just said, and your passion for the minutiae of things like lift lines, which I share, is that you're cutting 3 new trails in a resort that's 60 years old, and I love that. So, talk us through these trails, Jason. I'll do my best to trace them.00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:08.000Stuart Winchester: on the trail map. I don't have the updated trail map, I don't know if you've created it yet, but talk us through these three trails.00:50:08.000 --> 00:50:25.000Jason Bays: Yeah, so we're really excited. Look, this, you know, came after, you know, the so many guests, new guests that visited us at Camelback this past season. We said, you know what, let's do something fun and exciting. And like, you know, you think about how.00:50:25.000 --> 00:50:43.000Jason Bays: Um, yeah, I just, you know, if someone said, anyone puts in a new trail, uh, the skier in me wants to drive to that resort, no matter how big or small, and be like, alright, like, let's do it. Um, and our team feels, uh, you know, much of the same way. So, um, that being said, uh, we had a lot of natural snowfall this year, so…00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:33.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:50:33.000 --> 00:50:36.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:50:36.000 --> 00:50:37.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, sure. Yeah.00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:59.000Jason Bays: I was acutely paying attention to where people were skiing when we had natural snowfall, where they wanted to go, and then, you know, maybe following those lines, too, and seeing what the fun was about. So, my point to all of that is, we said, let's create some, and I think for Camelback, too.00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:50:59.000 --> 00:51:15.000Jason Bays: it's very, um, you know, we wanted to create something that was sort of unique. I didn't want to just put in, like, regular trails that, A, we don't have a lot of space for regular trails, and B, um, we really wanted to create sort of unique experience. So, right underneath Black Bear, um, in between Sullivan and John Bailey there.00:51:07.000 --> 00:51:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:30.000Jason Bays: um, there's a, um, there's a chute, um, where the old Alpine Slide used to go. Basculus goes back into Rocket, uh, but underneath there is some really fun rolling terrain. Like, it's, it's because the mountain, the, uh, Alpine Slide.00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:28.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, thank you.00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:54.000Jason Bays: back in the day did had several dips and curves and so we're going to lean into those dips and curves and create something sort of fun that you can get some you know launch some airtime off of if you want or carve a turn over it but it'll have some some really nice terrain variation in a way that most trails at Camelback don't have and they're coming off of an expert trail there so.00:51:54.000 --> 00:52:06.000Jason Bays: um, gives, uh, you know, anyone skiing Asp, Hump, Rocket, um, or Basilisk would be able to reach that trail, um, and, uh, and be able to, uh, just have a little bit more excitement on the way back down.00:52:06.000 --> 00:52:08.000Jason Bays: Um…00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:20.000Jason Bays: Upper Cleopatra there, if you go to the, uh, where the U is, uh, or where Upper is, we're gonna cut a trail through the woods there that's going to end up on the bottom of Big Pocono.00:52:19.000 --> 00:52:21.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:31.000Jason Bays: Um, so it's gonna go down and across. So, um, that… um, and I see where your cursor is. If you go to the… where it says Upper on Upper Cleopatra.00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:29.000Stuart Winchester: So, like, here? Or…00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:32.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, upper…00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:54.000Jason Bays: So, Big Pocono, that's Uncle B. Yeah, right there. Yep, we're going through there. Yeah, so that's gonna be, that's a narrow blue square. So, you know, I think one of the things that's fun for us is we're gonna create a blue square there. That used to be a trail back in the 60s and 70s, fun fact, when Walter Foger was designing Camelback.00:52:34.000 --> 00:52:37.000Stuart Winchester: Upper… oh, this one. Okay, so you're cutting through here?00:52:37.000 --> 00:52:39.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, cool. Okay.00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:51.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, cool.00:52:54.000 --> 00:53:09.000Jason Bays: Um, that being said, um, the… actually, it got filled in with pine trees, so it's gonna be really cool, because there's pine trees on both sides. Um, we made it narrow, so we kept the pine trees, um, and so that's gonna be a really fun, um, sort of narrow… I think about, like, the, um.00:52:58.000 --> 00:52:59.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:53:01.000 --> 00:53:03.000Stuart Winchester: That's cool. It's pretty.00:53:09.000 --> 00:53:26.000Jason Bays: the ending of Jay Peak with some of the blues at the very bottom there by Interstate. We're trying to sort of have that, obviously in a much smaller zone, have that same effect, though, where you're feeling like you're really in the trees, and you've got some nice twists and turns to it. It's not terribly steep.00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:13.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, okay.00:53:26.000 --> 00:53:44.000Jason Bays: Um, two things on that trail. One is, it takes traffic off of Honeymoon Lane, which is a main boulevard, it pushes it onto the Sphinx, which has much more trail capacity, which is great, um, comfortable carrying capacity, and secondarily, um, on weekends, we're gonna have a hot chocolate, um, hut that people can ski up to.00:53:31.000 --> 00:53:32.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:53:44.000 --> 00:53:52.000Jason Bays: Um, and get shots of hot chocolate, um, as well, so we're excited to, um, uh, to offer that to our guests. We think that'll be really fun.00:53:46.000 --> 00:53:47.000Stuart Winchester: That's cool.00:53:51.000 --> 00:53:53.000Stuart Winchester: That was awesome.00:53:53.000 --> 00:54:17.000Jason Bays: And then the Stevenson, it's going to drop on the cliffhanger side and drop down that lift line and go right down into the Faroe there and follow that lift line. Vermont skiing in a very short array but very much Vermont skiing, that's an intimidating drop. Stevenson for those that may not be familiar has a extremely.00:53:53.000 --> 00:53:55.000Stuart Winchester: And it.00:53:58.000 --> 00:53:59.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:09.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, I think so.00:54:17.000 --> 00:54:34.000Jason Bays: extremely tight, um, and high, uh, crest of the lift, because the mountain crests, um, really steeply. Well, we're gonna ski that, um, and, uh, and make snow on it, and, uh, and, and, uh, and allow our guests to, uh, um, and allow skiers to, uh, to, to, to test, um, you know, a more narrow.00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:44.000Jason Bays: um, uh, trail up there that has a really great expansive view ov

Beginning October 1, a new season - Ominous Thrill: Her Horrorween15 fearsome tales from the feral minds of fearless women.Her Horrorween celebrates women authored horror with 15 stories spanning dark comedy, literary, body, folk, transgrressive, reproductive, & psychological horror, queer supernatural romance, Indigenous mythology, and allegorical accusation. Stories that will make you wince, cringe, feel creeped out and leave you with all the feels.HER HORRORWEEN cover art by: Andrea M. NightEpisode Release Schedule:Thu Oct 1 — The Solitude of BirdsThu Oct 1 — NailbedFri Oct 2 — Fill The PotMon Oct 5 — Three Deaths of the Blue Moon RipperWed Oct 7 — Maternity LeaveFri Oct 9 — The WeightMon Oct 12 — Brown WidowsWed Oct 14 — Gray Rock MethodFri Oct 16 — The Lycanthropy Is Not a MetaphorMon Oct 19 — Watcher of the WispsWed Oct 21 — PlacentophagyFri Oct 23 — Stella in the Belly of the BeastMon Oct 26 — You Are in the Heart of the Corn MazeWed Oct 29 — We Are But ConduitsFri Oct 30 — When the Motherfucker Just Won't DieREDROOM subscribers on Apple Podcasts and Patreon will enjoy all 15 episodes, ad-free on October 1st.JOIN OUR PATREON ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/OMINOUSTHRILL⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE directly on APPLE PODCASTS or SPOTIFY Make a one-time donation:Ko-Fi - ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/ominousthrill⁠⁠Supercast - ⁠⁠https://ominousthrill.supercast.com/gifts/new⁠⁠Thank you! All funds raised go toward the making of Ominous ThrillVisit ⁠⁠OMINOUS THRILL⁠⁠ WebsiteFollow Jeff Schmidt on ⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠Message Jeff at ⁠⁠OMINOUSTHRILL@GMAIL.COM⁠⁠ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did you know that sharing harmful truths about someone behind their back can actually be a sin? Fr. Robert Nixon, O.S.B., translator of Thomas à Kempis’s Solitude and Silence, joins Anna Mitchell on the Son Rise Morning Show to break down the sin of detraction. Fr. Nixon explains why a person's reputation is an asset we must protect, how casual gossip easily slips into detraction, and why leaders are especially vulnerable to constant judgment. Tune in to learn practical ways to guard your speech and strive for higher spiritual standards!Support the show: https://www.sacredheartradio.com/donate-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all have parts of ourselves that feel uncomfortable to look at. Often, we don't even realize the memories, emotions, needs, longings, and stressors that strain our relationship with Jesus and the ministry we offer others. Thankfully the Good Shepherd wants to meet us in the tender places that need God's healing and care.Tune in for this episode of Soul Talks as Bill and Kristi talk about the Inner Journey stage of faith. What does following Jesus look like when the Spirit draws you to pay more attention to your interior life? You'll learn how to set limits and cultivate a space for the Wonderful Counselor to do a deep work of grace inside your soul.Resources for this EpisodeJourney of the Soul: A Practical Guide to Emotional and Spiritual GrowthAttend a Soul Shepherding RetreatMeet with a Soul Shepherding Spiritual DirectorDonate to Support Soul Shepherding and Soul Talks

Kicking off Season 8 of The GenSend Podcast, Shane Pruitt, Paul Worcester, and Lacey Villasenor dig into a topic every campus minister has seen but few talk about openly: the “isolation cycle” that can derail Christian college students before they even know what's happening. Drawing on his 20+ years of discipling students, Paul shares eight roadblocks that keep young believers stuck—from compromise and shame to loneliness and burnout—and shows how they can be flipped into a launchpad for spiritual growth. Whether you're sending a freshman off to campus this fall, leading a college ministry, or discipling students in your youth group toward lifelong faithfulness, this episode gives you a practical, gospel-centered framework you can start using this week.Also in This Episode, Learn: Learn to identify the “isolation cycle,” the sin-shame-hiding-withdrawal spiral that can trap even outwardly healthy students and leaders. Understand why "compromise" (80–90% surrender) may be the most under-recognized spiritual issue among students today. Hear a practical distinction between the danger of isolation and the formative nature of solitude that you can teach directly to students. Discover a strategy for reaching harder-to-disciple populations such as international students, commuters, and community college students. See how to “reverse engineer” discipleship, starting with middle schoolers and youth, so college faith isn't a fresh start but a continuation. Helpful Resources:Thrive: Cultivating a Faith That Endures, Paul Worcester 5 Leadership Principles for Collegiate Ministry, Paul Worcester and Shane Pruitt GenSend on Instagram and YouTube ★ Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at https://GenSend.org ★ Subscribe to The GenSend Podcast on your favorite podcast platform ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shareable Quotes: “Social media did not make a generation more social. The thing that was supposed to connect the world actually made loneliness go up.” —Shane Pruitt  “It's impossible to overdo time alone in God's presence. I've never gotten done with an hour alone with God and felt like that was a waste of time.” —Paul Worcester  “There's a difference between isolation and solitude. Isolation is unplanned and alone, typically where sin thrives. Solitude is intentional time with the Lord where your soul thrives.” —Shane Pruitt  “Bonhoeffer said, ‘The enemy loves to see a man by himself.' Because the more alone they are, the tighter sin's stranglehold on the person.” —Paul Worcester Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the reason you're struggling to hear God isn't that He isn't speaking—but that you're listening through the wrong picture of Him?Many of us grew up believing that if God speaks, He'll probably ask us to do something difficult, uncomfortable, or something we don't want to do. But what if God actually enjoys being with you? What if some of His invitations sound more like, “Come rest,” “Slow down,” “Go play,” or even, “Let's do this together”?In this conversation, I sit down with Christian speaker and spiritual director Kari Bartkus to explore what it looks like to hear God in ordinary life.We talk about:• Why hearing God doesn't have to look the same for everyone• Finding the ways you naturally connect with God• Silence, journaling, nature, music, baking, and everyday life with Jesus• Why God may be inviting you to slow down instead of accomplish more• How fear can distort the way we interpret God's voice• What it means to believe that God genuinely delights in being with you• A simple journaling question you can use to begin hearing God todayIf you've been trying harder and harder to hear God, this conversation may invite you to try something different: stop striving for the perfect spiritual experience and start noticing the God who is already with you.

What are we missing by never sitting in the quiet?Welcome to a new series of teachings on the ancient practice of solitude. Together we'll explore how to step away from the noise of modern life and into the still, peaceful presence of God. In this teaching, John Mark explains what true solitude with God is, what it isn't, and what might be waiting for us if we follow Jesus into the quiet place.If you'd like to continue exploring what it means to build a life with God in solitude, we have two invitations for you. First, John Mark's newest book, Into the Quiet, is now available for preorder at intothequietexperience.com/preorder. Second, you can join John Mark in person for the Into the Quiet Experience, coming to a city near you between now and November 12. Purchase your ticket at intothequietexperience.com.This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Amy from Boulder, Colorado; Elizabeth from San Carlos, California; Catherine from Durham, North Carolina; Maryssa from Lake Oswego, Oregon; and Adam from Edmonds, Washington. Thank you all very much.If you'd like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/generous.Mentioned in this teaching:Luke 5:15–16Digital Minimalism by Cal NewportCelebration of Discipline by Richard FosterInvitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley BartonOrder your copy of the Solitude Companion Guide at practicingtheway.org/solitude.

We kick off this episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors with a discussion about Jason's elitism when it comes to accents. We reminisce about our favorite coming-of-age films, and then discuss whether there is any merit to the objections over NYC Mayor Mamdani being sworn in using a Quran instead of a Bible. We play a reel about dating from a man's perspective, and then interact with another video about the relevance of older pop music. We conclude with another segment of "Pastor Jack's Off" about godliness and the national debt.

Tracklist: 01. I.M.D & Suduaya - Spellbound 02. Grooved Terrain - Ice Volcano (Original Mix) 03. Jaydee - Sleep Forever 04. Raul Ojamaa & NOËP - We Get Lost (Original Mix) 05. Cephas Azariah & Kidnap - Lightning 06. Leaving Laurel - a lifetime has passed 07. dj poolboi - new romance 08. Marsh - Aloft 09. Pyrrhus - Haçienda (Ambient Mix) 10. Braxton - Wilderness (Braxton Revisit) 11. Dusky - Bindweed (Original Mix) 12. CHILL OF THE MOMENT: FKN & Tom Bro feat. Emily Orchard - Fading Blue (Extended Ambient Mix) 13. Leaving Laurel - in the velvet night 14. Olsvangèr - Some Air (Original Mix) 15. Noé Solange - Stay 16. PALLADIAN - Will-O'-Wisp (Original Mix) 17. RumTum - Aspect of a Dream 18. Hernan Cattaneo x Cass - Dum Dums (Framewerk Chronicles Ambient Remix) 19. Gai Barone - All About Her (Ambient Mix) 20. Tigerforest with Aly Frank - Sunset Avenue (Original Mix) 21. Olsvangèr - Source Of Thought (Original Mix) 22. Julian Del Agranda - Into The Deep (Extended Mix) 23. Golan Zocher feat. Dana Cohen - Himalayan Moonheart (Original Mix) 24. Aubrey Fry x Norman H - Sayulita (Beatless Sunset at the Playa Mix) 25. Holen & Fløa - Exhale 26. Victor Ruiz - Life Is But A Dream 27. SOLITUDES CLASSIC: Chicane feat. Justine Suissa - Autumn Tactics (Jody Wisternoff Remix)

100 Years of Solitude continues with episode 3, named for our newest member of the family- Fernanda Del Carpio, a new character who upsets the precarious balance of peace in the Buendia household. Aureliano Segunda finds solace in his old flame Petra Cote, while Jose Arcadio and Aureliano Triste work towards their mysterious dream of rail tracks. But first, a quiz for Lindsey, and the meanings and differences between the two names Aureliano and Jose Arcadio.Check out our main website for all info, videos, and episodes:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sweetchildoftime.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Steve Barnes is guitarist for stoner metal band Introvoid, and also plays guitar for the cover band Electric Fist. He has been hosting the Sweet Child Of Time Podcast since 2021.Lindsey Dunn's writings, reviews, podcasts and music can be found at https://www.1ofmystories.comDiscord Channel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/aRdKmv9Ybc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our podcast is brought to you by Zencastr! Use "sweetchildoftime" as your promo code for 30% off if you join:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zen.ai/34YswfAyb8Tg_68Rugun28BAv0U3EeXAvPbnN9FTzpOU9gDo6uemPt2NxY_ET4N0⁠⁠⁠

What can extreme adventure teach us about leadership, resilience and being truly present? In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, Adam Pacifico sits down with explorer and adventure travel writer Charlie Walker, whose extraordinary journeys have taken him more than 100,000 kilometres across the world by bicycle, foot, horse, ski and dugout canoe. Charlie shares the stories behind cycling through 60 countries, crossing the Gobi Desert, surviving temperatures approaching -50°C, travelling through Tibet, and walking hundreds of miles across the Siberian Arctic. He also reveals what happened when his 2022 expedition in Russia ended with his arrest, imprisonment and deportation. But this conversation goes far beyond extreme adventure. Charlie and Adam explore risk, resilience, curiosity, solitude, loneliness, boredom, presence and self-awareness — and what spending weeks alone in some of the world's most remote environments can teach us about ourselves and how we lead others. From Arctic survival and Russian imprisonment to the surprising power of boredom and solitude, this is a fascinating conversation about human resilience and human-centred leadership. Topics include: • Extreme adventure and calculated risk • Resilience and overcoming adversity • Solitude vs loneliness • The power of boredom and stillness • Presence and self-awareness • Leadership lessons from exploration • Charlie's arrest and imprisonment in Russia • Siberia, Tibet and Arctic exploration • Curiosity, failure and learning from mistakes • Human-centred leadership #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast #TheLeadershipEnigma #CharlieWalker #Adventure #Resilience #Exploration #LeadershipLessons #HumanCenteredLeadership #RiskManagement Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This lecture discusses key ideas from the Renaissance-era philosopher, critic, and essayist Michel De Montaigne's work Essays, specifically his essay "On Solitude" (De la Solitude). It discusses the last portion of that essay, where he examines three main sets of motivations for retiring into solitude: religion, pleasure, and ambition. The first of these he acknowledges to be something great, but admits that it isn't something he can relate to. Pleasure is a legitimate reason for going into retirement, and Montaigne provides a number of principles and considerations for making one's solitude as pleasant as it can be. Ambition in his view is rather counter-productive, since you effectively bring the world and the esteem of others into your very retirement. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 4,000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can find Montaigne's Essays here - amzn.to/4l3iKfH

"Beyond Sunday" are episodes from Adam and Narrate staff that dive deeper into our life with Christ. On September 20th, we're starting a series on Solitude. Adam, Hannah, and Leslie talk through the meaning of solitude and the goal of this upcoming series. 

durée : 00:40:06 - Les Matins de France Culture - par : Guillaume Erner - Yannick Haenel veut montrer que la vie des professeurs est romanesque. "La solitude des professeurs est infinie", c'est le titre de son nouveau roman publié chez Gallimard. - équipe : Félicie Faugère, Jean Brossier, Victoria Géraut-Velmont, Angelico Gaymard, Marianne Dubar, Bahia Bricaud - invités : Yannick Haenel Ecrivain Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France

This lecture discusses key ideas from the Renaissance-era philosopher, critic, and essayist Michel De Montaigne's work Essays, specifically his essay "On Solitude" (De la Solitude). It discusses how people might best cultivate solitude in the later portions of their life, when they withdraw from many of their active involvements, duties, and relationships, and learn to be on their own. One needs to determine what occupations will be enjoyable for oneself and avoid those that will just bring troubles and cares. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 4,000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can find Montaigne's Essays here - amzn.to/4l3iKfH

A camera battery that is allowed to run completely down takes far longer to recharge than one that is topped up consistently after a few uses. The same principle applies to human beings — and yet most of us wait until we are nearly drained before we give ourselves permission to rest. The result is a life perpetually running on low, with less to give to others and less capacity for the work God has placed in front of us. Mark 6:31 shows Jesus stepping away from the crowd with His disciples — not because the need had diminished, but because people were coming and going in such volume that the disciples had not even had a chance to eat. The invitation was deliberate and unhurried: come with me to a quiet place and rest. Recharging was not optional for Jesus and His disciples, and it is not optional for us. Jesus modeled solitude, fun, laughter, and sleep — including napping on a cushion in the stern of a boat during a storm. A God who napped gives us full permission to do the same. The key is not finding one perfect method of recharging but making the decision to do it consistently and intentionally, before the battery runs out entirely. There will always be something else competing for that time. Without a deliberate, scheduled commitment to regular renewal — spiritual, physical, and mental — we will always find ourselves running too depleted to do the things that matter most. Bible Verse "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."— Mark 6:31, NIV Ponder Today Recharging consistently is far easier than recovering from depletion. A battery maintained at a healthy level recharges quickly. One allowed to drain completely takes far longer to restore. The same is true of our physical, spiritual, and emotional reserves. Jesus modeled recharging — intentionally and regularly. Solitude, celebration, laughter, and sleep were all part of how He sustained His ministry. If the Son of God needed to step away and rest, we have no valid argument for why we do not. Too many demands draining the same battery will always result in running on empty. The more we allow every need and responsibility to draw from the same source without replenishment, the less we have to give to anything or anyone — including God. Recharging must be scheduled or it will always be displaced. There will always be something more urgent competing for that time. A deliberate, protected window for renewal is the only way it happens consistently. Solitude, fun, laughter, and napping are all biblically endorsed methods of recharging. God's Word does not just permit these things — it models them. Being a doer of the Word includes taking the rest and renewal it so clearly commends. A Prayer for You Today Father God, we are grateful that in Your great wisdom You call us to come away from the world and rest. Without proper care for ourselves, we become drained and susceptible to the enemy's attacks. Just as Jesus took time to recharge, we can too, without guilt or shame. May we choose to do the things that restore us spiritually, physically, and mentally. Thank You for reminding us to come away with You. With grateful hearts, Amen. Want More? Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This lecture discusses key ideas from the Renaissance-era philosopher, critic, and essayist Michel De Montaigne's work Essays, specifically his essay "On Solitude" (De la Solitude). It discusses the first portion of the essay, where he tells us that nothing is more insociable and sociable as a human being, the one by our vice, and the other by our nature. Our vices prevent us from actually enjoying solitude from other human beings, since we are unable to be a good friend or companion to ourselves. Montaigne advocates learning how to be on our own by improving our own character. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 4,000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can find Montaigne's Essays here - amzn.to/4l3iKfH

Welcome to Spooky Season 2026! Join Charlie and Michael as they warm up the ol' microphones and talk about one of our favorite and most-requested topics: big cats in the Carolinas! Charlie's built a very cool site for folks, and we spend some time talking about sightings, theories, and maybe a future project... Links for this Episode: Arcane Carolinas BIG CAT TRACKER! (external site) Charlie's big cat adventures, Part 1 (Instagram) Charlie's big cat adventures, Part 2 (Instagram) Charlie's big cat adventures, Part 3 (Instagram) Charlie b-roll in which he walks and talks about how awesome Laurel bushes are (Instagram) Spooky Season Kickoff FREE Tickets: Arcane Carolinas Spooky Season Kickoff on 10/1 (FREE tickets!) Upcoming Events & Appearances: 9/12: Rainbow Exchange Market @ Speakeasy (Michael solo - Carrboro, NC) 9/18: South Carolina State Library (Charlie & Michael together! - Columbia, SC) 10/1: Spooky Season Kickoff (Charlie & Michael together! - Durham, NC) 10/3-10/4: Rainbow Space Magic (Michael solo - online) 10/15: Spooky Season is My Safe Space (Charlie & Michael together! - Pittsboro, NC) 10/18: PBO Pride (Michael solo - Pittsboro, NC) 3/5/27-3/7/27: Ret-Con (Charlie & Michael together! - Durham, NC) Events Information: HWA NC events calendar HWA NC newsletter Michael's events calendar Michael's newsletter Links in General: Arcane Carolinas Vol. 3 (Charlie's newest entry in our series of nonfiction volumes!) Children of Solitude (Michael's latest horror novel!) Michael's Patreon Follow us! Arcane Carolinas on Patreon Michael G. Williams on Patreon Arcane Carolinas on Facebook Arcane Carolinas on Instagram Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr Contact us! arcanecarolinas@gmail.com