She Explores

Lessons We Can Learn From Wilderness Therapy: Judith Sadora

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Judith Sadora, a licensed marriage & family therapist (LMFT) who practices wilderness therapy, shares how she applies some of her backcountry work int...

Leaning into the Unknown: Chris Fagan

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Fagan isn't a professional adventurer, but she’s spent a good deal of the leisure time in the last 30 years of her adult life seeing what she’...

Feeling the Loss of A Thru-Hike: Lindsey Falkenburg

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lindsey Falkenburg is feeling the loss of a 2020 thru-hike... and remembering what she's made of. Like a lot of 2020 thru-hikers, Lindsey canceled her...

Adventuring with Cerebral Palsy: Win Kelly Charles

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Win Kelly Charles says it best: "People with cerebral palsy are strong and people with cerebral palsy are determined." In this episode, we hear about ...

Our Outdoor Memories

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The memories of outdoor adventures are precious and nourishing. They connect us to our friends and certain versions of ourselves. They're our happy pl...

Creativity to Guide Us Through: Anna Brones

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For Anna Brones, the point of creating is rarely the end result - it's all about the satisfying act of doing. While a lot of us are missing the time w...

Owning Her Body on the Trail: Beth Bradley at No Man's Land Film Festival

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Beth Bradley can confidently say that hiking changed her life. Call it her hobby, her love, her self-care. Doing the 52 Hike Challenge has changed the...

A Blueprint for an Adventurous Life: Shon't Savage

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For Shon’t Savage, divorce was a bad thing that turned out to be a good thing. Ten years ago, while sharing custody of her then two year old son, sh...

To Get the Job Done: Hotshot Wildland Firefighter Amanda Monthei

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Amanda Monthei, a hotshot wildland firefighter and creative who has made it her mission to empower women and all qualified firefighters to know t...

Chasing Space on Earth: Dr. Sian Proctor

04 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ever dreamed of going to space? Analog astronaut and geoscientist Dr. Sian Proctor shares how she lives out her childhood dream of space exploration h...

Purpose and Perspective in the Superstition Mountains: The Cairn Project

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The power of a two-night backpacking trip in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona is multiplied when it's spent with women who are motivated by a com...

Connecting Two Worlds: The Porter Voice Collective

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's a well-kept secret in the international trekking industry. The Porter Voice Collective is raising up the backbone of the industry to advocate ...

Working Towards a Greater Good: Jennifer McLaren

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer McLaren doesn't have a five year plan for her career in the outdoor industry, but she knows her personal values will continue to align with t...

Dreaming (and Creating) Big in a Small Town: Briana Feola

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Briana Feola gets to wear the hats of biologist, geologist, and environmental scientist through her work at Brainstorm---all by creating affordable, n...

Climbing Our Own Mountains: Wasfia Nazreen

15 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In partnership with Sherpa Adventure Gear, guest host Laura Hughes interviews Wasfia Nazreen-- mountaineer, activist, and writer-- to learn about what...

All This Possibility: Jenny Bruso

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jenny Bruso's multi-day trek on the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru transformed what she thought was possible for herself; it's opened her up ...

Room to Play: Adventure Photographer Krystle Wright

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Krystle Wright is an Australian adventure photographer who's worked really hard to make a name for herself taking risks and creating images all over t...

A Big Exhale: Sydney Williams of Hiking My Feelings

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For Sydney Williams, “Hiking My Feelings” means identifying trauma, figuring out how it manifests in our bodies through physical and mental diseas...

Forever Unfolding: Kara Richardson Whitely

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kara Richardson Whitely is the author of Gorge, a memoir about her climb up Mount Kilimanjaro and her lifelong experience with binge eating disorder, ...

Running Towards the Sun: Verna Volker

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Verna is Navajo, a mother of four, and days away from running a 50-mile ultra run. She started running after having her second child 12 years ago. Hea...

What We Need to Fuel Ourselves: Chi Pham

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chi Pham wants you to know that you can fuel your body for success as an outdoor athlete, and it doesn't have to fit in the little boxes you see on so...

Shining a Light on Caving: Katt Greaser

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Katt Greaser shares her experience on a recent caving trip to Scapegoat Wilderness area in Montana, and encourages you to try the sport, too.Featured ...

If You Want to Try Backpacking, You're in Good Company

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With the help of listeners and Backpacking 101 author Heather Balogh Rochfort, we share stories of first-time backpackers and advice to get started. ...

A Beautiful Place of Healing: Emilee Struss

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes the hardest thing isn’t running an ultra marathon or topping out at a climbing competition, it’s showing up for yourself in small ways, ...

With Respect for Rolling Tundra: Ranger Sara Wolman

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sara Wolman is an interpretive park ranger for US Fish and Wildlife in King Salmon, Alaska. Find out how she's building a career, fostering community,...

The Vulnerability of Putting Your Voice Out There: Sarah Shimazaki

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How can you do what you love without losing yourself in the process? Putting your voice out there can be a very vulnerable thing: just take it from Ou...

Butterflies, Bison, and the Border Wall: Conservationist Krista Schlyer

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Conservation photographer Krista Schlyer describes the almost 2,000-mile border between the US and Mexico as a vibrant landscape teeming with life. Ra...

A Challenge from the Universe: Sharlene Jones

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sharlene Jones is allergic to exercise (literally) but because hiking feels like home, fear of what could happen isn't enough to keep her from hitting...

Giving Wildlife a Second Chance: Rescue, Rehab & Release

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We humans have a habit of getting in the way of wild animals, but wildlife rehab is one way we can give back. Sirena Rana Dufault has spent nine of th...

Adventure Moms: Getting Out There With (and Without) Your Kids

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming a mom doesn't mean you stop going outside. We pulled together five incredible adventure moms to talk about getting out there with (and withou...

A Few Big Leaps: Becky Marcelliano

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Becky Marcelliano shares how she pivoted from working as an art teacher to working her way up to be a marketing manager a marketing manager in the out...

Pushing Through: Meghan and Laurie Young

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Laurie Young stepped into her daughter Meghan's world by joining her on a trek to Annapurna base camp in Nepal. Together they pushed through every cha...

Revisiting Fifty Plus

03 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like to enjoy the outdoors after the age of 50? We're revisiting one of our favorite episodes that helps answer that question with the voice...

To Be Seen: Nikki Smith

28 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nikki Smith likes to say that she is a climber, photographer, and writer who just happens to be transgender. Professor Brené Brown inadvertently chan...

Two States to Go on the Appalachian Trail: Grizel Williams

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Grizel Williams is a fast hiker on a crowded Appalachian Trail, just two states away from finishing. We talk life on the trail: sexism, craving loneli...

Safer Alone in the Backcountry: Sarah Grothjan

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Grothjan believes solo hiking is one of the safest things she can do. Sarah explains why she feels safer alone in the backcountry than she does ...

After the Wildfire: Melissa Geissinger

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Melissa Geissinger lost her house in the Tubbs fire of Northern California in October 2017. Two months later, she had her son Apollo, and life changed...

Voices from PGM ONE

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What changes about the environmental movement when people of color are both the leaders and the audience? We teamed up with REI to send writer Amanda ...

When Your Path Finds You: Sam Ortiz

05 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Ortiz has gone from a beginner to a hiker to a climber to a mountaineer to a plus-size outdoor model in under five years. Her progression has happ...

Grit, Guts, and the Right Amount of Gall: Jen Gurecki

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jen Gurecki is a serial outdoor entrepreneur who isn’t afraid to go against the norm when it comes to the businesses she’s started in the industry...

Teaching by Example: Low Waste Camper and Garden Ranger Cindy Villaseñor

22 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cindy Villaseñor is an Enrich LA Garden Ranger who strives to live a low waste lifestyle. She also loves camping, gardening outside of work, and eats...

The Curvy Kili Crew

15 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For International Women's Day, 20 plus-size women hiked Mount Kilimanjaro. Each had a different reason and background, but they came together to take ...

Mothers & Daughters, Outdoors

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A celebration of motherhood, outdoors and otherwise. In this episode, you’ll hear from mothers and daughters; it's equal parts a letter of thanks an...

Work and Play: Weekend Adventurer Holly Johnson

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hiking has become both a side hustle and a form of therapy for weekend adventurer Holly Johnson. We talk about how work and play blend together in her...

Choosing Environmental Optimism

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This Earth Day, we’re looking on the bright side. We’re asking, how can a sense of environmental optimism keep us facing forward? What strength do...

On and Off the Icefield: Hannah Perrine Mode

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Anyone else a ‘bad’ science student in high school? For those who haven’t been indoctrinated, earth science can be all intimidating facts and ha...

When Nature Calls, SheFly has the Answer

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Shouldn't it be easier for women to use the bathroom outside? Shouldn't pants be made for female anatomy? The founders behind SheFly Apparel think so....

What Happened Next: Afghan Cycles & The Musical Mountaineers

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Both filmmaker Sarah Menzies and The Musical Mountaineers accomplished big things after our conversations last year. Sarah debuted her film Afghan Cyc...

Hike, Journal, Meditate: Kenya & Michelle Jackson-Saulters

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A little mindfulness goes a long way. Meet Kenya and Michelle Jackson-Saulters, founders of Outdoor Journal Tour and WE Hike to Heal. We have a lot on...

What We’ve Built Together: Special Bonus Episode

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How has the She Explores podcast impacted you? That's what we wanted to know. So Gale’s team member and host of Women on the Road, Laura Hughes, sec...

100 - Injured & Indoors

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when injury sidelines you from your favorite outdoor activities. First off, you're not alone. This episode features four nature-loving wo...

Making Time for Nature

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How to make time for nature, even in the winter season. It can be be all too easy to get into a groove that doesn't include the outdoor activities you...

The Power of Storytelling: Danielle Williams & Melanin Base Camp

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stories connect us, help us learn, and help us better understand each other. Melanin Base Camp founder Danielle Williams taps into the power of storyt...

The Pledge - Teresa Baker & Danielle Williams

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge? Teresa Baker and Danielle Williams share why it's important for diverse people to take the lead doing the wor...

Work in Progress: RANGE Founder Jeanine Pesce

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jeanine Pesce, creative connector and founder of RANGE, a creative agency and magazine inspired by the culture of the outdoor movement. We talk a...

Trust the Timing: Ski Mountaineer Caroline Gleich

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Caroline Gleich is a ski mountaineer who knows the meaning of scary but rewarding: whether she's climbing 8,000 meter mountains in the Himalayas or an...

Reading a River: Heather Hansman

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Heather Hansman went on a solo pack rafting adventure for the sake of conservation. Paddling the 730 mile Green River, she learned about the future of...

Looking Forward in Our Outdoor Lives

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We put out a call for voice submissions, asking questions like: how will you bring what you’ve learned in the outdoors this year into 2019? Are you ...

Quitting can be a Kindness: Nicole Antoinette

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nicole Antoinette quit her thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail after about 1,600 miles and she's ok with calling it a failure. In fact, Nicole questi...

Postpartum: Kristina Frost

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming a new mom has changed the way Kristina Frost experiences the outdoors. And she's realizing, it's not better or worse - it's just different. T...

What We Have to Give

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What we have (and want) to give to ourselves and to others is often clarified through time outside. At Lodged Out in the Adirondacks of New York, four...

Lost & Found

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lost in the mountains is a vulnerable place to be. Lydia Sturgis shares her experience losing the trail for a night in the Beartooth Mountains of Mont...

Alone with Her Thoughts on the Welsh Coastal Path: Hiranya de Alwis Jayasinghe

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hiranya de Alwis Jayasinghe set out to be the first BAME woman in the United Kingdom to thru hike the Welsh Coastal Trail. She didn't achieve her goal...

Down with Adventure: Melody Forsyth

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pregnant with her daughter Ruby, Melody Forsyth thought hiking would be her "last hurrah" when she found out Ruby has Down Syndrome (DS). Tu...

Nature as a Disruptive Force for Queer Youth: Elyse Rylander

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Elyse Rylander is the founder and executive director of OUT There Adventures, a nonprofit dedicated to empower queer young people through their connec...

Leading with Humility: Tsedo Sherpa-Ednalino

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tsedo Sherpa-Ednalino is the COO of Sherpa Adventure Gear. Leading with humility is part of her Sherpa heritage and it's a tenet of her life as an exe...

Lightening Trauma's Invisible Weight on the Trail: Sydney Williams

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sydney Williams is more than a weight loss story, or an outdoors person with Type II diabetes, or a trauma survivor. But hiking the Trans-Catalina tra...

Bike Touring is About More Than Just Bikes: Mary Ann Thomas

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Ann Thomas loves bike touring because it's accessible, it helps her care for her body, it connects her with people she might not otherwise meet, ...

Nature Up Close: Science Illustrator Kristin Link

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kristin Link is a science illustrator and an artist living off the grid in McCarthy, Alaska. She shares about her life there, why she loves helping pe...

Venturing in the Mountains and in Business: Georgina Miranda

05 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Georgina Miranda lives mindfully in business and while pursuing the Explorer Grand Slam: standing on the highest summits in each continent as well as ...

The Musical Mountaineers

22 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Anastasia and Rose hike their violin and keyboard, respectfully, into the mountains of Washington to play music to greet the rising sun. In doing so,...

Grandma's Ride

15 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Taryn's grandma Carol went on a bike tour in 1944 with her girlfriend Billie. We hear from Carol about the "ordinary adventure" she took at ...

Sharing Wisdom: Cheryl Strayed & Anna Brones

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cheryl Strayed never planned on giving advice professionally and doesn't love a guru, but she agrees with Anna Brones that everyone has wisdom to best...

Because Trails Inspire: Sirena Rana Dufault

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sirena Rana Dufault is an expert on trails, but that hasn't always been the case: hers is a hard-won expertise born of patience. Trails inspired her t...

Something New

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What’s up with the over-the-top uncertainty we sometimes feel when we try something new? We share two women’s stories of trying new things in the ...

The Story of an Adventure Friendship

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is the story of how Gretchen Powers and Alexandra Roberts became adventure partners. It's also about what it means to be an adventure friend, and...

Solo (But Not Quite Alone)

11 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Your stories of spending time solo in the outdoors. Including a bikepacker, a so-called fat hiker, an aspiring astronaut, an extrovert, two med studen...

How to Be a Role Model: Mirna Valerio

04 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ultrarunner Mirna Valerio is a role model for many because by doing what she loves, she shows others what is possible. She’s modeling being a black,...

Fifty Years as an Outdoor Entrepreneur: Sheri Tingey

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sheri Tingey has been making gear in the outdoor industry for the past 50 years, and she's done a lot of it with her own two hands. Learn about what d...

DIY: Advocating for Parks Near and Far

20 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A beginner's guide of sorts to advocating for land we can all love and enjoy. This week, we’re back camping with Amanda Machado, the National Parks ...

Breaking Ground for Others

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ever feel like you're alone in your relationship with the outdoors? Join a group of women who are leading by example in their communities by spending ...

One Step at a Time: Karla Amador

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Could a hike a week change your life? Interview with Karla Amador, co-founder of 52 Hike Challenge. We talk about why she chose to hike 52 times in a ...

Perfectly Capable of Climbing: Kareemah Batts

30 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kareemah Batts is a cancer survivor and the founder of Adaptive Climbing Group. After finding climbing after losing part of her leg to cancer, Kareema...

Fat and Outdoorsy: Jenny Bruso

23 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jenny Bruso is the founder of Unlikely Hikers. Her work is rooted in her belief that there is room for every body on the trail. Jenny is queer, fat, a...

Finding Nature in the In-Between: Simone Martin-Newberry

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Simone Martin-Newberry is a plant person. And the attention she pays to flora has led to her discovery that contrary to what most media would have you...

Playing to Her Strengths

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In climbing, it's key trust yourself and your community. Discover what it's like to attend the Flash Foxy Women's Climbing Festival through the ears ...

When You Just Have to Laugh

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Those moments on the trail when you just have to laugh because it's the only way forward. Live storytelling of mishaps in the outdoors and an intervi...

Risk Takers

18 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when we take risks when we’re spending time outside? How does it pay off and when does it backfire? These are your stories of taking r...

All In: Sarah Menzies

11 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Menzies is all in. Whether it's her adventure documentary film career or her relationships, Sarah is fully committed to following through on giv...

Offline: In Open Air

04 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when we go offline for a camping and hiking trip in the Olympic Peninsula with a plein air painter and a food blogger? We get really insp...

HumaNature: The Hunt

28 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jessi Johnson is a bowhunter and a public lands advocate. This week we're presenting a story from the HumaNature podcast about how one backcountry tri...

The Girls behind 'Granite Gals'

21 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sisters Alex and Sage Herr have been summiting peaks in the White Mountains since they were 5 years old. Now 15 and almost 13, respectively, their ent...

Are you allowed to change your dream?

07 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We often live with timelines in our minds. We’re really good at building a narrative for ourselves: "by this age, I want to do have accomplishe...

Abuela Afuera: Grandmother Outside

28 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Caro Luevanos-Garcia believes the key to closing the gaps between generations can be found in the outdoors. And she also believes the inverse: that pe...

An (Adventure) Book Club for the 21st Century

21 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A book is often just a jumping off point to talk about other topics we care deeply about. In this episode, we bring mountain guide and writer Charlott...

What They Have In Common: Pure Land

14 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When Annette says that she has something in common with a murderer, she’s right. And she also has something in common with a tourist from Japan, as ...

Fifty Plus

31 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What is it like to enjoy the outdoors after the age of 50? We asked and you answered. We're honored to be highlighting the wisdom and experience of wo...

Native Connection to the Land: Jaylyn Gough

24 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Interview with Jaylyn Gough, Navajo outdoors woman and founder of Native Women's Wilderness. Jaylyn has found strength and healing in the outdoors. Sh...

Commitment and Community: Nicole Brown

17 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nicole Brown is founder of Women Who Hike. In October, she set out to hike Southern California's three highest mountains in 24 hours. Nicole was con...

Never Too Late to Become a Mountain Nomad

10 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After 15 years working a practicing lawyer, Marinel de Jesus decided to leave her legal career to pursue her love of the mountains and run her trekkin...