The Outside Blog

7 Questions with David Roberts

2011-07-05T11:07:21-04:00

Finding Everett Ruess, By David Roberts

David Roberts discusses his book Finding Everett Ruess, the enduring mystery of the explorer's death, and why Jon Krakauer nearly quit before writing Into the Wild. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
--Stayton Bonner

In 1934, 20-year-old Everett Ruess disappeared in the red-rock canyons of southern Utah. Why are we still discussing him?
Ruess was a precocious teenage artist soloing for 10 months straight in the desert southwest. I’ve been to the more remote canyons and plateaus he visited and can appreciate just how out there he was in the 30s. Then there was the mystery of his death.

What happened?
His last known campsite is in Davis Gulch, 50 miles out in the desert from Escalante. Really remote. Five months went by and there’s no word from him. The parents got their letters sent back from the postmistress, beginning a lifelong search for their lost son. Today there are four theories: he decided to go native and live a secret life on the Navajo Res or in Mexico, had an accident and fell off a cliff or drowned in the Colorado or froze to death in a winter storm, committed suicide, or was murdered. I think this last option is the most likely.

Who would have killed him?
Anglo Mormon rustlers from in and around Escalante who had once been caught and sent to prison. In 1934, everyone was so poor that rustling was really a crime. If Everett had stumbled upon a couple rustlers butchering a cow, they may have killed him just to prevent the discovery of their crime.

In 2009, you mistakenly claimed to have found Everett’s remains. What happened?
A friend called and told a story about a Navajo sitting atop Comb Ridge in the 30s and watching this white kid with two pack animals going up and down Chimney Wash—an extremely rare occurrence for the Depression-era. The man's grandson heard this story and went out and found a hastily-disposed-of pile of bones. We had DNA tests done and they came back a perfect match. Then we made the mistake of announcing it to the world.

What went wrong?
It wasn’t bad science. It was a glitch in the software that gave a weirdly perfect false result. But for six months, we announced to the world we had found Everett. Doubters persuaded the family to take a second test, which resulted in a disproof. The scientists compared notes and agreed it was not a match. Emotionally, it was a horrible rollercoaster. Plus it meant we’d probably dug up a Native American, which is awful. I got a lot of shit from the bloggers.

In the book's intro, Jon Krakauer mentions the parallels between Ruess and Chris McCandless. Will this be as big a hit as Into the Wild?
The great irony is that I’m the one who convinced Jon to be a writer. I had been his teacher. He thought it was a pointless job and was about to go back to pounding nails and then came Into the Wild.

Is he paying you royalties?
I’m doing okay.

Galleries We Like: Camille Seaman's Icebergs

2011-06-15T12:00:00-04:00

In 1999, Camille Seaman gave up her seat on a one-hour flight from Oakland to L.A. and scored a round trip ticket anywhere in the world. She chose Alaska. Once there, she decided to walk from a coastal town named Kotzebue across the ice towards Russia. After feeling cold, lost, and somewhat panicked, she had a moment where she stopped, looked around, and felt a connection to the earth. That one moment ignited a passion for Arctic landscapes that she turned into a career.
--Joe Spring

Listen to the full podcast interview with Camille Seaman.
View a gallery of Camille Seaman's Icebergs.

When did you get started as a photographer?
Not until I was 32 did the switch come on that I needed to use the camera as the tool.

What caused that switch to come on?
It was two things. Most specifically it was the fact that I went to high school in Manhattan. One of the jobs I had was as a bike messenger, and I used to deliver things to the World Trade Center all the time. Also, just being a student in New York, all of these pictures of me and my punk rock friends had those towers in the back. So that, when they fell, I had these pictures that had a very different meaning. I understood for the first time the importance of a photograph as a historic document—you know, proof that these buildings existed.

At the same time, I had a child, and she was almost two, and it seemed strange to me that she wouldn't know those buildings the way that I did.

And so, I actually remember the moment. I was watching one of those CNN reports. We were attacking Iraq and there were all of these cool night vision scenes of bomb exploding, and I just remember thinking, What can I do to counter all this negative cynicism? It just seemed so bleak. I remember watching the TV and thinking the only thing I could do was make pictures. And just like that a switch came on. I knew that I wanted to use a camera to show that there were some pretty amazing things about life and about this planet.

What do you look for in your projects?
I can't claim credit for any ideas. It's very serendipitous. It's very organic. Even the Antarctic and Arctic thing. I never, ever once said, I'm going to go to these places and do this or that. Anything I've ever done has been out of curiosity, and then it leads to another thing, and another thing. Going to the Arctic for the first time, it was never in my vocabulary as something I wanted to do.

When I was 29, in 1999, I gave up my seat on an oversold flight. It was Oakland to L.A. So it was just a one hour flight, and they said they'd give a free round trip ticket to anyone who would give up their seat. It was Alaska Airlines. And I was like, ooh, I always wanted to go to Alaska. So it was in this place called Kotzebue, which is up near the supposed Bering Land Bridge. It was the first week of April, or late March. It was still really cold. I was really naive and quite stupid, and I bought a bunch of clothes that the airline lost. And then I decided, just out of curiosity, to start walking on the frozen sea toward Russia. And I started to have one of those experiences where you are way over your head and what are you going to do? But in that moment understood a lot of teachings of my grandparents and my family and my Indian heritage. This planet, this thing I was standing on, was my own.

Later, I went to the Arctic with my mother in law. I really fell in love with breaking the sea ice from the ship. So those pictures we're the beginning, but I didn't know what they were the beginning of.

What was your toughest shot?
In Greenland I was on this small Norwegian ice breaker called the polar star. The light was incredible. It was close to 10:00 at night, but because it was summer it wasn't going to get really dark. There was this really low cloud ceiling, less than 1,000 feet. This one [iceberg] I saw many miles away. And I was standing out on the bow, waiting and waiting. It was bloody cold. Having the wind and being on the bow didn't help. This camera that I was using was a Linhof 617.

It was metal, German, and really, really, unfriendly. To wind it was really hard. To load the film was a challenge. And it was set up so there was no way you could wear gloves and operate this camera. So I'm standing out there because I see this iceberg coming. And I have to say, the captains never, ever, go out of their way. You have to stand out there and be ready. It's kind of like drive by shooting for a lot of these things. And so I saw it coming. I only get four shots to a roll. And so I took 4 shots as we got close. And then the captain could see that I was really struggling to reload the camera because my hands were shaking and you can't use a tripod. There's just no point on a ship because it's tilting side to side. And so he—it was the one and only time the captain circled back around.

And I think it was because he saw me like, arghh. I was beyond feeling my fingers. It was pain. I could see they were starting to change colors. And he circled back around and I got the shot. And then I quickly ran in and had to deal with my fingers.

What are the conditions like?
As far as lighting conditions, I'm interested in a very certain type of light that I've only experienced in the polar regions. It's a very monochromatic world. But there is color, and it's very subtle. When you have it, it's really intense because everything else feels so millions of shades from white to grey to black. Of course, there are days when there are blue skies, but I cringe on those days. I walk around the ship just moping.

I was in Greenland for three months in 2009, and I almost slit my wrists because it was sunny every day. Not a cloud in the sky. Waiting and waiting.

When I'm on the ship, I'm usually not sleeping very much, and I like it that way. I really enjoy the lack of night. It's something I got used to very quickly.

So how long do you sleep for?
When I was in the far side of Antarctica it was so exciting and there was so much happening at two in the morning, three in the morning. We'd get these get these orcas chasing penguins. Just amazing stuff. I think for 30 days I probably slept an average of three hours a night, and I felt fine.

Do you have a favorite shot?
No

Is there any one shot that you think stands out for a reason that's important?
One of my favorite shots, that I personally enjoy and can look at for a long time, I took in Antarctica. It's one where there is a man standing on the rear of the heli-deck and he's looking out across the frozen sea and there are two icebergs on the horizon. There's something about that picture that reminds me of that feeling when I was walking across the ice. This extra terrestrial feeling. It could be a picture from outer space, or another planet, or a sci-fi thing, but it's this planet.

What do you hope people get out of these pictures of icebergs?
I want them to feel something. I want them to have an emotional response. It really has varied for different people. But I want them to feel a bit of what I feel when I'm there. I personally need people to understand that these things, these places, are so interconnected with our life here. Even though they seem so far away and so foreign, we don't get to have what we have here without those things existing there.

7 Questions with Alan Arnette

2011-06-10T10:31:55-04:00

Outside contributor Alan Arnette discusses his plan to climb the seven summits and raise more than $1 millon for Alzheimer's research—all within a year. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
--Stayton Bonner

What’s the goal?
I’m trying to raise a million dollars for Alzheimer’s research and awareness of the disease, and to give visibility to the caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.

Climbing background?
I didn’t live in my car and rock-climb as an 18-year-old. Around my mid-30s, I started climbing. Since my 38^th birthday, I’ve been on 25 expeditions around the world, including Broad Peak, K2, and Everest.

What motivated you to use climbing as a means for raising awareness about Alzheimer’s?
My mother Ida died of Alzheimer’s about a year and a half ago. As we watched her going through the stages of Alzheimer’s—losing your short-term memory, your long-term memory, your ability to care for yourself, your identity, and then your life—we felt horribly frustrated. I learned more and came to understand it can hit people in their 50s. It’s not related to diet or exercise. There’s no way to prevent it. And, worst of all, there’s no cure. So I said, “I need to do something to raise awareness.”

What did you do?
I’ve posted videos on my website and Outside to hopefully bring people in. One of the most poignant moments was when I sat down to talk with her about my dad, who was going through some physical problems at the end of his life. I said, “Mom, Dad is in some serious shape.” She said, “I know, I know. But who are you again?” She had no idea who I was.

How did that feel?
It was a wake-up call. Mom was always the memory keeper in our family. She could tell you what cousin Bill’s brother’s uncle did yesterday. So for her all of a sudden to not even recognize her own son was frustrating and sad. Later, I just totally broke down. It was a devastating personal moment.

How are the climbs going?
I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of emails I’ve received from people who have parents going through Alzheimer’s. It’s important to note that I never even touch a penny of the donations. The links on the site go straight to the causes. None of the money supports me or my climbs. I ask people to make a pledge of a penny a foot. Every time I raise another foot higher, it’s another penny in the bank.

But you take donations on the metric system as well?
Metric, imperial, intergalactic, you name it.

7 Questions with Conrad Anker

2011-05-27T10:49:31-04:00

Mountaineer Conrad Anker discusses his new DVD The Wildest Dream, discovering George Mallory's body on Everest, and his plans to compete in the 2014 Olympics. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
--Stayton Bonner

How did you become a professional adventurer?
Well, it wasn’t a job option on the high school aptitude test. Once I graduated from university, I wanted to climb and be outdoors as much as possible. I worked as a part-time carpenter and kept up a relationship with The North Face. One thing led to another and I'm lucky to be where I am now. It was a circuitous path with lots of adventure throughout.

How did it feel coming across George Mallory’s remains on Everest?
It was a very humbling moment. Mallory set the stage for the subsequent Everest ascent in 1953. His body had been covered in snow for most of the time, save for an exceptionally windy winter. During those times he was exposed, his body had been eaten by the ravens encircling Everest. In a way, he was given a sky burial, which is part of Tibetan culture.

What was it like recreating his journey for The Wildest Dream DVD?
We now wear oil-based clothing, from synthetic insulation to foam-insulated boots and nylon. In the 1920s, everything was organic—leather, wool, silk, and cotton. My admiration for Mallory increased every time it got cold. Noodling around on the North Side of Everest in a button-down jacket most people would wear for a casual dinner function, you’re like, “Oh my God, these guys were really strong.”

Favorite climbing movie?
Cliffhanger is good fun if you turn the sound off and watch it with some PBRs.

How can we find adventure in the modern world?
Specifically choose not to take a GPS. Just create a challenge. You can climb Everest or walk across Antarctica with minimal gear and still have that sense of adventure. But in terms of exploration, Google Earth has this world mapped down to the square foot.

Have you seen climate change effect at high altitudes?
As a climber, I practice the sport on tall mountains. If you compare Everest photographs in 1953 with its current state, things are melting. I imagine if I were a golfer in Indiana, I’d be hard-pressed to believe in climate change because nothing’s going on there. But when you’re up in the mountains and seeing the glaciers melt away, it’s an obvious physical manifestation of a warming planet.

Will we see you competing in 2014?
Probably not. You’re more likely to see a competition ice-climber like Sam Elias. I mean, I’m 48. If I made it to the Olympics, it’s because the youth are a bunch of slackers.

State of the Salmon Address

2011-04-28T19:09:02-04:00

This is a big month for wild salmon advocates. On Sunday, May 1 at 8 PM Eastern, PBS will air a Nature special, Salmon: Running the Gauntlet, that offers a terrific broad-strokes history of the collapse of the fish in the once-prolific Columbia River basin. A more detailed look at that collapse, due primarily to four dams on the Lower Snake River in Washington, can be found in Steven Hawley’s new book, Recovering A Lost River: Removing Dams, Rewilding Salmon, Revitalizing Communities (Beacon Press, $27). Of course, the event that salmon junkies are most keenly anticipating isn’t a TV special or a book's publication. On May 9, enviro advocates will take on the Obama administration’s plan for salmon recovery—which doesn’t include dam removal—in federal court.

A mature Coho Salmon makes its way upstream to spawn. (Photo by Hannah Smith Walker)

Earlier this week I spoke with Hawley and Jim Norton, writer and producer of Salmon: Running the Gauntlet, about dams, Obama’s much-discussed salmon joke in the State of the Union Address, the administration’s commitment to hydropower, and what it will take to save a fish that’s become an object of so much contention. The conversation was at times fiery, at times wonky, and very informative—at least for me. These guys know their fish facts. Did you know we’re dumping more than 200 million hatchery-raised salmon—what Norton calls “techno-industrial” fish—into the Columbia every year? Or that less than one-half of one percent those fish return? Norton, who works as a river guide when he’s not writing or making films (you can read about him steering Patrick Symmes down the Yangtze in this classic Outside story) was optimistic, saying that “we’re not going back” to the era of dams and manipulation, and predicting that “we’ll effect one of the greatest environmental restoration projects available in the modern era” within 50 years. Hawley warned that “it might be too late” for wild salmon if “by 2025, if we’re not getting serious about dam removal.”

Listen to our conversation in this podcast.

Salmon: Running the Gauntlet airs Sunday, May 1 at 8 PM eastern on PBS; Recovering A Lost River: Removing Dams, Rewilding Salmon, Revitalizing Communities was recently published by Beacon Press.

—Abe Streep

Q&A with River Monsters' Jeremy Wade

2011-04-05T17:02:43-04:00

Jeremy Wade, Host of Animal Planet's River Monsters (Courtesy Animal Planet)

In the first two seasons of Animal Planet’s River Monsters, host Jeremy Wade has taken viewers around the world as he looks to discover the truth behind some of fishing’s tallest tales. Before Season 3 premiers on April 10, the former biology teacher and avid angler took some time to talk to Outside about using himself as human bait, the one that got away, and the best tasting fish he’s ever eaten. (Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview)
--Michael Webster

OUTSIDE: For those who might not be familiar with the show, where did the idea come from, and how did you take it from idea to reality?
WADE: I made a series set in India that was more of a conventional fishing show. The fish were very uncooperative, so we were casting around for other bits of local color. We heard local stories of something pulling people into the water. They called it the Kali man-eater. We did a bit of a feature on this, and if formed part of that series. A few years later, a friend of mine who’s a wildlife filmmaker saw my DVDs of that series. He said, I think there’s sort of a natural history detective story here. You still get to put a line in the water, but that’s not the focus of the program. It’s more about setting up a mystery, a fisherman’s tale, which most people tend to discount.

So you’ve heard plenty of tall tales. What stands out in your mind as the tallest tale you’ve ever heard?

Possibly even the very first one we looked into, the goonch catfish in India. They said people had been pulled into the river. It’s a very tumultuous, powerful river. You look at that river and think, If somebody falls in, they’re going to drown. Maybe that’s all it is. But all the stories came from pools where the water was relative calm, and the people were in shallow water. From the biological point of view, you can only have a really big animal if there’s a lot of food for it. You have this Hindu custom where when somebody dies, they’re cremated and put into the water. We heard from people there that this is the food source. Although they cremate the body, it’s not fully cremated before it goes into the water. So all the pieces did add up. I did catch a fish that was a 161 pounds, six-foot long, which certainly would be capable of grabbing somebody’s leg and pulling them under.

Some of the titles from Season 2 had some interesting names: Death Ray, Congo Killer, Alaskan Horror, Demon Fish. Season 3: Are we going to see anything else really scary?
One thing that is sometimes said [about the show] is that the titles are a bit sensational. I have two things to say about this. Generally speaking, each episode will start with a fisherman’s tale, and they are sort of sensational by their nature. Because it’s television, we dramatize it, and these stories generally are very dramatic. Then we try to find out what the truth is behind it. I think it’s true to say that everybody has a fascination with predators. It’s something that’s hardwired into us. We are descended from people who paid attention to dangerous things in the environment. People who didn’t pay attention to dangerous things in the environment didn’t get to survive and to breed. But I’ve got the titles, if you'd like to hear them: Flesh Ripper, Mutilator, Japanese Horrors, Chainsaw Predator, Electric Executioner, Wolf Fish, and Silent Assassin.

What’s the most frightening moment you’ve experienced filming the show?
Sometimes it’s to do with the imagination, even when nothing actually happens. One of the episodes in Season 3, we went to New Zealand and were looking there for freshwater eels. In one of Captain Cook’s journals he said that he was told by one of Maoris that there are these 8-foot-long creatures, they’re as thick as a man’s body, and they’re said to devour people. To test this particular theory, I turned myself into human bait. I smeared myself in fish guts and jumped in the river. From being completely clear water, in a matter of minutes there were about 30 eels all around me. Individually they weren’t huge—up to four or five feet long—but I did a sort of quick calculation and reckoned that in terms of biomass there’s probably about twice my body mass around me, all getting very interested, all getting very hungry, starting to nip—much more biomass than a shoal of piranhas coming in. It sort of got to the point where I thought, Yes, I think I’ve proved that point; it’s time to get out of the water.

What’s the best tasting fish you’ve ever eaten?
Without a doubt a fish in the Amazon called tambaqui—if you know where to go. The places tend to be closely guarded secrets. They’re fruit eaters, so the tend to congregate by certain trees. They gorge themselves of fruits and seeds and nuts, so they have this very rich, high-protein organic diet. For half the year they just pile on the weight and fat. If you grill them slowly over an open fire, they just sort of sizzle away in their own fat.

(Photos courtesy Animal Planet)

Season 3 of River Monsters premiers Wednesday, April 10, at 10 p.m. on Animal Planet.

Galleries We Like: Peter McBride's Colorado River

2011-03-28T10:36:27-04:00

The Colorado River, Photo by Peter McBride

As a boy growing up on a cattle ranch in Colorado, Peter McBride sat on the perfect perch from which to view the effects of water. From his haybine seat 10 feet above the ground he'd look over the fields and wonder—after the excess water flowed over the land, snaked down small creeks, rushed into the Roaring Fork, and then spilled into the Colorado River, just how long did it take to get to the sea?

As a man, after traveling to six continents taking photographs for numerous publications—including this one—he took an even higher perch. He accepted a magazine assignment to photograph the Colorado River from the air. That project morphed into a three year labor of love—during which he flew over Canyonlands National Park with his father in the pilot's chair, hung out of a helicopter flying at 75 miles per hour while U.S. border patrol agents on board scanned for illegal immigrants, and hung on for dear life as a crop duster flew under telephone poles.

While collecting the photos and information that would become a book, a documentary, and a talk, he also rafted over rapids rushing at 50,000 cubic feet a second, dove into a silty section of the Little Colorado river to photograph one of the world's most elusive fish, and hiked the parched delta of the Colorado—where he got the answer to the question he'd wondered about as a boy.

A boat left in the Upper Gulf of the California at low tide, Photo by Peter McBride

How did this project start?
So this project started about three years ago. I worked as a photographer for a variety of magazines on assignments in over 60 countries. I wanted to do something closer to home, and I have a personal interest in the river. I grew up on a cattle ranch in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado and we used Colorado River water—snowmelt that ends up in the basin—to irrigate our fields. I used to spend long hours in the morning irrigating and looking and studying water—seeing where it would flow. I knew it went to the Colorado River and I used to wonder how long it takes to get to the sea. I found my answer doing this project. Sadly, the answer is it never makes the sea today. [Since 1998, it has dried up after the U.S. Mexico border.]

The Hoover Dam, Photo by Peter McBride

What are the main sources draining the river?
Everyone likes to point their finger at California or Las Vegas, and the reality is that we're all users of the water in the Colorado River. It supplies water to 30 million people in the West. Colorado is the second largest user, but you guys in New Mexico use a little bit. Las Vegas doesn't get very much, which was interesting to me. They've actually become one of the most progressive water users on the river. They actually pay people to remove their front lawns. There's not one big culprit.

But why does it not not reach the sea anymore? That's because of a simple error from when they made the law of the river, which is called the Colorado Compact. Considering the amount of controversy over water they made a pretty good agreement, but they made one giant error. They thought—and they didn't have the data to know then—that the river ran at a certain level, over 17 million acre feet. A million acre feet is a football field about a foot deep—enough to give two American families enough water for a year. So they thought it ran at x. We've since learned, from flow stream data and tree ring studies, that the river runs at much less—at about 14 million acre feet.

A canal taking water from Lake Havasu, Photo by Peter McBride

Is there really no simple solution to get the water all the way back to the sea?
One simple solution would be changing the entire Colorado Compact agreement to a percentage based law, not a fixed allocation. For example, each user, whether it's a state or a city, gets a percentage of water based on their share of the compact. During drought years, like now, they would get proportionately less. The upper basin does this to an extent, but the lower basin of the river doesn't do it at all. Another simple solution would be buying water rights and dedicating them to the river. It would be the equivalent of a land conservation easement. They've done it in my valley here, where they transfer water rights and dedicate them to the river, and there's quite a few groups working on that.

Horses depend on hay, the predominant crop of the river, Photo by Peter McBride

How much water would it take to restore the delta? That's a big question. People think it's 60,000 CFS, 120,000 CFS. Whatever the number is—it's left to be decided. The reason the number is hard to figure out—not only are we pulling from the river, but everyone's pulling from groundwater. So it may take more than we think, but there are some positive signs.

One thing about the river, just to give it a human side. In the early 1900s, if you wanted to go from Yuma, Arizona to San Francisco, you'd get on a steamship and go down the delta and then you'd get on a cargo ship and go up around Baja California. In just 100 years we've changed something that was a giant estuary that stretched miles—that steamships ran—into a wasteland that I've since walked.

You have perspectives of the river from the water, from the air, from farmers' fields. What was your toughest shot?
Some of the aerial shots were hard. There's a shot of the loop, which was the cover of the book, that I had to go back to twice with my father. The second time we had to take off before the airport even opened in Moab to get over Canyonlands during sunrise. Aerial photography as a whole can be hard. I shoot with the door off. It's loud. It's windy. You're moving at about 100 miles per hour, hanging your body out the window and trying to coordinate with the pilot, who was often times my father. We were a good team. I like to joke that I got to be the boss.

We also had a few scares. There's a picture of the Grand Canyon from the air where we had an engine hiccup. If you have an engine failure over the Grand Canyon it's pretty much adios.

The endangered Humbpack Chub, Photo by Peter McBride

Then there's a picture of a humpback chub in the Little Colorado, which is a tributary of the Grand Canyon. There's about 6,000 humbpack chub in total, and the biggest population lives in the Little Colorado. They're one of four endangered species on the river. The Little Colorado has a lot of calcium in the water. It's really milky. So one, it's not very clear. Two, the humpback chub are endangered so there are not that many. And three, I'm trying to get an underwater picture of a fish that's hard to see. So that one took about a day.

Is there one specific ending you'd like to see come out of this book, this movie, the museum show?
I think my most objective goal to create a conversation. I'm not a water lawyer. I'm not a water engineer. I don't consider myself an expert. I'm just a curious person that followed a beautiful river. The goal for me would just be awareness—to get peple to stop and go, Wow, Really? I didn't know the river stopped. How did this happen? Let's fix this.

The Colorado River Delta is as dry as the surrounding Sonoran Desert, Photo by Peter McBride

ONLINE EXTRAS and SOURCES
View a gallery of Peter McBride's photos on outsideonline.com.
Find out details about Peter McBride's show at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which begins April 1, 2011.
Watch for McBride's documentary, Chasing Water, at Telluride Mountainfilm. You can watch a teaser here.
Visit Peter McBride and Jon Waterman's book, The Colorado River: Flowing Through Conflict.
Listen to the full interview as a podcast.

--Joe Spring
@joespring

7 Questions with Alexandra Horowitz

2011-03-21T12:57:52-04:00

Alexandra Horowitz on her bestseller Inside of a Dog, summer tips for your pooch, and why the Far Side gets it right. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.—Stayton Bonner

How does a Columbia University psychologist end up writing about dogs?
Accidentally. I was curious about my dog Pumpernickel’s mental life and realized dogs had never been taken seriously as cognitive subjects. I studied play behavior, thinking that might give us insight into what animals know and understand. Dogs are the pre-eminent players of the animal kingdom.

For our Outsidek9.com readers, what are some of the better outdoor activities this summer?
If you watch how dogs and wolves run, they don’t do six miles and then stop. They sprint and then stop. So running is great if you’re in a position where you can be off-leash with them. They’re great hikers. Really good climbers. Anything in which they can participate is a good outdoor activity. They want to be with you, more than anything else.

Is the Far Side cartoon where the owner gives a long speech and the dog just hears “blah, blah, blah, Fido, blah, blah, blah” accurate?
Larson’s a pretty good observer of animal behavior. A dog will simply pick out his name because that’s the word we mostly use with him. But if you’re very careful to use the same words when describing objects or events every single time, then your dog will become attuned to those words. Recent research underscored the dog’s capacity to understand when John Pilley trained his dog Chaser to recognize the names of 1,022 different toys. The fact that dogs can take on another species’ use of nouns and verbs is wild. The cross-species gap is big and we don’t bridge it, so it’s interesting they do.

Inside of a Dog, Photo by Erin Vey

Why do they go nuts for playing fetch?
All cells of the eye function by converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical activity. We’re really taking little snapshots of the world when we have our eyes open. The rate at which we take these snap-shots—the flicker-fusion—is for humans 1/60^th of a second. Our brains smooth these over. Dogs have a higher rate. They’re taking more snapshots. They might actually see something happening a split-second before we do and could react a split-second faster. So maybe the ability to snap something out of the air isn’t just due to muscular prowess or predatory instinct but also due to their eyes working a little faster than ours.

How do dogs “smell time”?
It’s my way of trying to understand how being a creature of the nose shapes your perception of the world. For example, tracking dogs are able to tell the odor difference between a left and right footstep. Sniffing something under foot is like smelling the past and sniffing something on the breeze is like smelling the future. Their experience of time has olfaction as a major part of it. What an expanded view of the present moment. It has a little of both the past and future in it.

Are they marking territory when they pee on hydrants?
It doesn’t look like they’re marking territory. Wolves do this, but how many dogs walk around an apartment peeing on the wall? It seems that marking for dogs has changed to where it’s simply information leaving for other dogs. So another dog peeing in the same spot is less an act of marking territory and more an, “Oh, this is a good spot because someone else has been here.” It’s like a bulletin board.

It’s like their Facebook.
They were way ahead of us in this particular game. Theirs is a smellier Facebook.

Want to volunteer your dog for science and treats? Go to canidcognition.com.

Checking in with Sailor Ryan Breymaier

2011-02-16T12:29:07-05:00

On December 31, professional sailor Ryan Breymaier left Spain as the lone American in the Barcelona World Race, a double-handed, nonstop race around the world. (He's co-skippering a vessel with German Boris Herrmann.) The 35-year-old Maryland native is expected to finish sometime in March. Breymaier recently talked with Outside from the Southern Ocean via satellite phone about being the lone American in this year’s race, how sailing was better than lacrosse, and his daydreams of hamburgers. Click here to listen to the full interview, or download it from iTunes.
--Michael Webster

Where are you at the moment?
We’re more or less in the middle of nowhere to be honest, north of the Kerguelen Islands by about 250 miles, halfway between Africa and Australia and south of both of those places.

What place are you currently in?
At the moment we’re in seventh place. We have the sixth-place boat within 15 miles of us. There’s a pack of four boats that are 450 miles ahead of us and one boat about a thousand miles ahead of us.

How far are you through the race?
Maybe a little more than a third of the race is finished. The race is quite long. In real miles through the water, it’s something like 27,000 miles; we’ve probably done 10,000 of that now.

An around-the-world race is hardly a novice endeavor. How did you get into sailing?
I went to university at a place called St. Mary’s College of Maryland, which had a very nice sailing team. When I arrived there I wasn’t involved in sailing at all. I was a lacrosse player at the time. I saw an advertisement that said, “Come check out the sailing team. Beginners welcome.” I said, hell, that might be something fun to do on the weekends. So I walked on and went sailing a few times and was hooked. I never went back to lacrosse after that. After school I started sailing professionally straight away and never stopped.

It seems like in the United States, sailing a relatively small sport, but the people who are involved in it are extremely passionate. Why do you think that is?
Sailing is something that captures people’s hearts in the same way that any big sport does. Plus all the stories associated with sailing, the man against nature story. The idea of what we do is just so huge that everybody who gets into it becomes passionate about it very quickly. The idea of sailing a boat with two people on it 27,000 miles through areas where no one goes is pretty appealing to people who have the adventure spirit.

You’re the only American in this year’s Barcelona World Race. How have you been received over there?
The European community who’s involved in this type of ocean and who puts these races on are super happy to have other nationalities involved. In order to have a small sport like sailing grow, you need people from all over the world to be doing it. If Formula 1 was only people from England, or if rugby was only from South Africa, they would be very, very small sports. For me to be here as an American competing in this sport, they welcome it, they’re very happy for it, and they see it as a very positive growth mechanism and way of getting more exposure. They welcome us with open arms.

This race is supposed to take three months to complete. That sounds like an awfully long time to be confined with one other crew member. How do you manage that?
Boris and I have known each other since March and have been training together since then for this race. Don’t forget that this is not just an adventure. We’re both professional yachtsmen, and we’re here for two things: to have the adventure of sailing around the world with just two people on board and to have a competition. That alleviates a lot of the stress you might find with just two people in a small space all the time. It’s a combination of a personal relationship, which is sometimes difficult, and a professional relationship, which is good. Between those two things we’re definitely capable of sticking it out for the 90 days or so it’ll take to do the race.

You've been at sea now for 39 days. What kind of things do you daydream about?
Food! Totally about nice food and about drinking, because we don’t have either of those things on board. Even normal food like a hamburger you miss because all we do is add boiling water to packages of freeze-dried food. After a while it gets to be pretty boring. That and normal family life for me. I left my wife behind, and it’s hard being away this long.

Taking on Tyson...And His New Reaility TV Show

2011-02-14T13:37:52-05:00

The first fight former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson ever got in was over a pigeon. Yep, some acquaintences taunted him about one of his pet pigeons and his passion for keeping the birds. He fought back when one of them killed the pigeon and, as the onetime "Baddest Man On the Planet" says in our exclusive interview, "I didn't really kill the guy, but I clearly won the fight."

Now Tyson's love for pigeons is on dsiplay in his new show,"Taking On Tyson," about his foray into the world of racing pigeons, which premieres March 6th at 10 p.m. ET on the Animal Planet.

Click here to listen to our full interview with Mike Tyson, in which he weighs in on our natural connection to birds, how the de Rothschild banking family made its money, and what it's really like to live with man-eating tigers. Or download the podcast from iTunes.

—Ryan Krogh

7 Questions with Donovan Hohn

2011-02-10T12:51:13-05:00

Donovan Hohn discusses his book Moby Duck, the science behind ocean currents, and how Sesame Street saved our childhoods. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
—Stayton Bonner

What’s up with the bath toys?
Bath toys became popular in the middle of the 20^th century, partly due to a government ad campaign for little boys to play with toys in the tub as opposed to playing with themselves. But I think their current popularity can mainly be traced back to Ernie and his tub. They’re an iconic symbol of childhood innocence.

Why’d you follow the duckies?
I read about 7,200 hollow plastic ducks, beavers, turtles, and frogs going overboard from a container ship in the Pacific. The iconic bath toy—this symbol of childhood—out there on the ocean, the most sublime wilderness on earth, was an interesting incongruity. Imagine you’re walking on a beach in Maine—one of the tantalizing reports was that someone thought they saw one there—and see this old faded battered duck atop the seaweed. You ask yourself, “Where did this thing come from?” The book tries to answer that in an oceanographic way—their travel along the currents.

How little do we still know about the ocean?
Very little. There are underwater storms in the ocean. Only a small fraction has been explored. Looking at a globe with little arrows, you might think we understand ocean currents, but that’s only a cartoon of them. In reality, the ocean’s movements are chaotic and often unpredictable. I quickly followed these toys into the mysteries of climate science.

Mysteries?
Most scientists will tell you we need to better map the ocean if we’re going to refine our predictions of climate to come. Drones are capturing the necessary intelligence for us to bring it into better focus. But even so they can’t go into parts of the Arctic. There are depths they can’t reach. I’m inclined to agree with Rachel Carson that the last and darkest mysteries of the sea may never be entirely solved.

What’s the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Currents converge and encircle these calms, trapping man’s floating detritus. I imagined it as something solid, like you’d have to poke things out of the way as you kayaked through it. In fact, it’s spread across millions of miles of ocean and moves seasonally with the currents. They’ve pulled 50-year-old Mickey Mouse watches from the northern Pacific.

If you were reincarnated as a rubber bath toy, what would you be?
I learned there was a fifth floatee discontinued as a potential choking hazard shortly before the spill. It was the purple whale.

Call me Ishmael.
Yeah, Melville was a touchstone for thinking about my journey. While the mythic beast in his 19^th century tale was a godlike white sperm whale and the hunt a primal undertaking/investigation of the nature of the cosmos, it seemed appropriate for me in the 21st century to chase after a hollow plastic duck.

7 Questions with Julia Mancuso

2011-01-30T10:53:04-05:00

Julia Mancuso discusses her current racing season, her relationship with Norwegian skier Aksel Lund Svindal, and whether little sister Sara will be competing in 2014. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
—Stayton Bonner

How do you stay competitive during the season?
I believe in myself, focus on making the right turns, and then let the competition do what they do. Whenever I’m having a bad day, I put on my free-skis, cruise around, and remember why my job is so awesome. You go, “Wait a minute, I’m staying at a five-star hotel for free and skiing the most amazing spots in the world.”

Still traveling in an RV with bunkbeds and tie-dyed sarongs on the wall?
I still have the tie-dyed sarongs but I’ve downsized to a VW California. I’m driving, cooking, and hanging out in there. It’s got a fridge, propane cooker, and seat that moves into a bed. There’s also a pop-top so you can sleep up there when it’s warmer.

Any truth to the rumor you’re engaged to gold medal skier Aksel Lund Svindal?

I’m not engaged but it’s true we’re dating.

What’s on the iPod?
I’m a mellow music person. Ben Harper. My sister’s an artist so I’m always listening to some Sara Mancuso. Also rock out to the Black Keys and MGMT.

Any chance of you and little sis competing together in 2014?
Actually, I’m trying to convince Sara to try her luck in skiercross. So maybe I can convince her to do that and she might make the 2014 Winter Olympics. That’d be fun.

Why'd you recently launched your own lingerie line Kiss My Tiara?
I started wearing lucky underwear when I won my first national title. I made it into “Super Jules” underwear, started wearing a tiara, and combined the two together, calling it “Kiss My Tiara”.

Some athletes never wash their lucky socks. Was that the case?
Ew, no.

Podcast: In a House by the River

2011-01-14T11:37:25-05:00

Megan Michelson and her stepfather

Sixteen years ago, the man who helped raise Megan Michelson was shot to death at a remote kayaking lodge in Northern California. A nightmare episode that her mother has refused to discuss until now. In this podcast, Michelson interviews the killer to find out what really happened and why.

Listen to the podcast.

Download the podcast from iTunes.

Read Megan Michelson's Outside February feature, "In a House by the River."

7 Questions with Steven Rinella

2011-01-07T10:23:06-05:00

Steven Rinella discusses his new Travel Channel show The Wild Within, the merits of eating wild game, and how a Hawaiian octopus tore his tooth out. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
--Stayton Bonner

Why the TV show?
Reality shows present some British guy falling off an airplane equipped with nothing but a knife and he’s going to eat platypus eyeballs or whatever. He wants to quickly get out of the woods before something bad happens to him. I don’t understand that impulse. This show is about getting into the woods.

There’s so much noise with iPads, smartphones, and laptops. How close to the surface is our inner wildness?
I don’t think living in a city has to mean you’re disconnected from nature. I travel to many places but choose to come here to New York in my off-time. I think of it like this—If you’re a SCUBA diver who loves to swim in the ocean, you’re still spending most of your time above the water’s surface.You're breathing air captured above the water’s surface. So you love and live this thing but still rely on the products of the world you’ve rejected. I feel like we could all be SCUBA divers, breathing oxygen.

The show chronicles you providing all your family’s meat and fish through hunting. Why should non-hunters tune in?
A new crop of hunters is emerging. They’re often urbanites curious about where their food is coming from and wanting to have a stronger connection to their food. I think avid hunters will appreciate this show and those who disagree with everything I have to say will love to hate this show, but I’m most interested in those on the fence who want to better understand the core things in their life.

You ever sit down over coffee with fellow Brooklyn writer Jonathan Safran Foer—whose 2010 memoir Eating Animals chronicles his struggles with becoming a vegetarian—and hash out viewpoints?
I’d love to, man. A lot of people look at my lifestyle and assume I must hate vegetarians. That’s the last thing that pops in my mind. I think he’s a skilled, technically proficient, extremely funny writer. I’d hang out with him in a second. I’d cook broccoli or something.

If you were reincarnated as an animal, what would you hope to come back as?
A woolly mammoth.

In episode three, you spearfish for Hawaiian octopuses and then bite behind their eyeballs to kill them. What’s up with that?
I thought the locals were screwing with me. But there’s a nerve center behind the eyes so it incapacitates the octopus. It tasted like oysters. When we were kids, my brother shot out my tooth with a blowgun and I have a fake one up front. It peeled apart.

You had to work for that dinner.
The octopus exacted his revenge on me. I’m now caught up in this dental nightmare trying to get my tooth repaired.

The Wild Within premieres on the Travel Channel this Sunday, January 9 at 9 E/P.

7 Questions with David Vann

2011-01-03T12:08:50-05:00

Author David Vann discusses his new novel Caribou Island, Sarah Palin's Alaska, and how to defend yourself from Mexican pirates. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
--Stayton Bonner

You’re an Alaska native. For us Lower 48ers, how accurate is Sarah Palin’s new show?
Wilderness is a giant mirror. Sarah Palin’s Alaska is about her hypocritical family values and is nothing like the Alaska I know. She’s oblivious and breaking rules, as in when she’s too close to the bears and hassling them while trying to use them as a metaphor for how she’s a momma bear. But actually the momma bear in that footage is trying to protect her cubs from Sarah Palin.

Okay, what’s your Alaska?
As a kid, I’d run through the Ketchikan-area rainforest and fall through the floor to hit a second floor of old growth. I always felt as if bears and wolves were chasing me. The first king salmon I caught was taller than I was. It was a 45-minute battle and I thought the salmon might win. My grandfather caught a 250-pound halibut. My father helped him pull it up inch by inch for 300 feet. I remember looking into dark brown and green water, seeing the halibut start out small and then get bigger as it neared the surface. I always think of that as a metaphor for how imagination and the Alaskan landscape work for me.

For our 2010 Life List, you wrote about traveling the world on a teacher’s salary. What’s the secret?
A willingness to be sketchy.

Such as?
Nobody would publish my first book for 12 years so I got a 200-ton master’s license and ran charters along the coast of Turkey, the BVI, and Mexico. I once hit a freak storm in the Caribbean where it went from flat calm to 60-foot seas in one hour. It was far worse than The Perfect Storm. Our 90-foot, 200,000-pound boat went up a wave and then fell off it. We popped out like a cork and were then broadsided by another wave and dropped. Our ½ inch steel plate in the hull cracked. It literally broke us.

You wrote about Mexican pirates for our October 2008 issue.
I ended up on a boat with a broken engine in a drug-running port on the Mexico/Guatemala border along the Pacific coast. A place called Puerto Madero. It took me four months to get the boat out of there. While trying to leave in a disabled boat that could only travel at one knot, I was circled by two pangas whose pilots began ramming the boat, demanding cocaine, trying to climb aboard, and threatening to return with guns. They weren’t professional pirates like you come across in Somalia. They eventually went away and I sailed straight out to sea with no lights on.

So writing’s a pretty boring job.
The Mexican navy once bound, beat me, and searched my boat for drugs. One of my crew members had left a bong in my bilge. I thought I was going to Mexican prison. I was stiff and had trouble walking from where they’d hit me in the back with a rifle butt. One of the beggar kids I’d given peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a couple weeks came up and handed me the pipe. The little pickpocket had stolen it from the police—whom had taken it as evidence—to keep me from going to prison.

This is good stuff. Why bother with fiction?
If that memoir ever gets published no one will believe it.

7 Questions with Laird Hamilton

2010-12-02T14:50:49-05:00

Laird Hamilton (Photo by Tom Servais)

Big wave surfer Laird Hamilton discusses the bestseller The Wave, Andy Irons' death, and George Clooney's abilities on the board. To listen to the extended interview click here, or subscribe to our iTunes podcasts.
--Stayton Bonner

You helped author Susan Casey research her bestseller The Wave. How does it feel to ride a wave the size of a 10-story building?
It's a little bit like racing a car on a moving track. Definitely one of the most exciting things you can do on the planet.

As an eight-year-old, you jumped off a 60-foot cliff at Waimea Falls. Have you always been nuts?
A little bit, yeah. I'm missing the gene that tells you, "It's dangerous." But Bill Hamilton said big wave surfers are born and not made. I was fortunate to be raised in a place like Hawaii where I could use that daredevil trait for functional purposes.

What are your thoughts on the speculation surrounding Andy Irons' recent death?
At the end of the day, does the cause of someone's death change who they were or what they did? In my mind, no. Dying is easy. It's the living that's hard. And Andy made more of an impact on the surfing world in his lifetime than a lot of other riders combined.

How do you balance being a husband and father with the dangers of big wave surfing?
Pretty normally. Dad just goes to work, where he happens to be riding giant waves.

You were in our 2002 Shape of Your Life workout plan. Eight years later, has your routine changed?
It's always adapting. Good fitness is always growing. A lot of my training involves pain, whether through stretches or standing on golf balls. It makes your life better. When you can catch twice as many waves as a 20-year-old, you have to laugh.

You obsessively listen to music before hitting the beach. What's playing these days?
I was real small today so I had some Gypsy Kings going. But I've got a 20,000-song iPod. When the surf's bigger, the music gets harder. I bust out some Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower" to get my heart-rate up.

You're featured in the upcoming George Clooney movie The Descendants. Is he now ready to tackle a giant wave?
George is a gentleman. He can do anything he wants to do. But I'm not pushing him. When he's ready, he can call me. That way it's not my fault.

Extended interview? Download 7 Questions with Laird Hamilton podcast

10 Things You Should Know About 127 Hours

2010-11-11T18:11:27-05:00

James Franco, Photo by Chuck Zlotnick

The new movie 127 Hours will reach theatres all over the country this Friday. If you haven't been reading our blog, here's the part where we tell you again that it's the story about Aron Ralston's struggle to stay alive after a 800-lb. boulder falls on his arm in Blue John Canyon. To get you prepped for the movie, here's a quick list of the things to know before you sit down with your bucket of popcorn and pail of Coke to watch Aron Ralston drink his own urine while he slowly starves in the desert.

10 People Fainted During the Previews
Yes, you've probably heard this already. It happened in the scene where James Franco, playing Aron, sawed his arm off. Here's a quick link or two in case you want to read more about it. Just keep in mind, this film isn't The Exorcist or Saw.

9 What You Should Do If You Feel Like Fainting
We had to include this, just for fun. New York wrote a long piece with advice from both Ralston and Franco on what viewers should do if they feel dizzy or light-headed in the theater.

"Stay seated," Aron Ralston told Vulture last week. "It's okay if you're in your seat and you feel like you need to pass out for a few seconds. It only becomes dangerous if you decide you need to leave the theater and you stand up and then you're falling from a standing position."

"If you're feeling woozy, just cover your eyes. There's nothing wrong with covering your eyes. It took 40 minutes [for Aron to cut his arm off], so what Danny showed is mercifully short. It's visceral, but it's about the exhilaration of getting free and leaving in the end."
--James Franco

8 About That Pocket Knife
It was an imitation leatherman—so not exactly a precision instrument for sawing off a limb. Not that we should be casting any stones. At one point we asked Ralston for an honest review of the pocket knife we give to subscribers. Here's what he had to say.
1. Hey, Hey, bone saw!
2. Say you bust a strap on your backless leather chaps. No problem—its got an awl.
3. Pewter color makes it less identifiable than the old yellow Outside knife. Owner is therefore less likely to be mocked as too cheap to plop down $6.97 for a real Wal-mart knockoff.
4. No pliers, toothpick, or tweezers—but a fish scaler? It'll more likely be cleaning resin out of a pipe than scales off any fish.
5. Flimsy bottle opener would keep Lindsay Lohan sober.
6. Right-handed can opener. 'Nuff said.

7 The Question
Was Aron Ralston a hero or just a reckless adventurer? Steve Casimiro, a consultant to the film, writes his opinion on Adventure Journal.

6 It's Not Showing in Every City, Yet
Fox Searchlight released the film the weekend of November 5th in just New York and Los Angeles, but the film's distribution will expand quickly. The studio has a growing list of locations, with the movie hitting a number of new theatres this weekend. Click here to find a theatre near you.

5 What It Takes To Survive in a Desert Canyon
Survival expert Breck Crystal talks about why Aron's situation resonates with him. Then he shares his secrets for surviving in the desert during this video. If you still have more questions about desert survival, you can always ask Outside's Survival Guru, Tony Nester.

4 Ralston Was On Set, A Lot
Aron Ralston visited the set often to watch the progress of the movie and collaborate with Boyle and Franco on the project. A lot of that filming took place in the acutal location where Ralston was trapped, called Blue John Canyon. Ralston said that Boyle invited him to be a part of the film, "Because we shared a common vision for this," said Ralston. "... What was important to me was the authenticity of my story being shared with people, that we also inspire audiences, instead of using it maybe as a horror film or something that just would have -- perhaps left people in a hole, we wanted -- I wanted people to be uplifted with it, to have that hope in the end."

James Franco, By Chuck Zlotnick

3 Critics Love The Movie
But “127 Hours,” a chronicle of accident and determination, is nearly flawless. Mr. Franco’s goofball energy connects the viewer to the character almost instantly, and Mr. Boyle’s speedy, jumpy style sends us out into the desert on a wave of caffeine and rock ’n’ roll.
--A.O. Scott, The New York Times

2 Ralston's Written Account
It won't ruin the movie. It's in this Outside article or in his book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place.
"IT'S 3:05 ON SUNDAY. This marks my 24-hour mark of being stuck in Blue John Canyon. My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and Larry Ralston, of Englewood, Colorado. Whoever finds this, please make an attempt to get this to them. Be sure of it. I would appreciate it."

Danny Boyle, Photo by Chuck Zlotnick

1 Danny Boyle Fought To Make This Movie
Outside's Editorial Director Alex Heard interviews director Danny Boyle about the film in the below podcast. Boyle shares why Ralston first told him no to the film, Ralston's reaction after seeing the movie for the first time, and what he considers the climax of the story—it's not what you think.

Download The Podcast Interview with 127 Hours Director Danny Boyle

You can download more Outside podcasts on iTunes.

--Joe Spring
@joespring

7 Questions with Susan Casey

2010-10-27T15:24:22-04:00

Susan Casey (Photo by Ruven Afanador)

Bestselling author Susan Casey discusses her new book The Wave, swimming with a tiger shark, and how—as newly appointed editor-in-chief of O Magazine—she’s showing her new boss how to catch a break.
--Stayton Bonner

How’d you make the leap from Outside creative director to bestselling author?
I went to the University of Arizona on a swimming scholarship and graduated with a degree in French literature and philosophy, which basically qualifies you to run the cappuccino machine at Starbucks. I was depressed, bartending, and didn’t have a work visa. So I went back to Toronto, where I really really didn’t want to be. But it turned out to be a good thing. In a small pond, I was able to quickly do some significant work in magazines. You did everything. During my first two weeks, they were like, “Hey, you want to interview Hunter S. Thompson?”

What was it like with Hunter?

I saw him do a lot of drugs.

How did Laird Hamilton and other big-wave surfers receive you during research for The Wave, your book on the science of 100-foot-plus waves and those who ride them?
They did a little hazing but my background as a swimmer helped. I did some four-mile swims with them. They were willing to take me into some pretty extreme situations because they knew I had a pretty good chance of surviving a fall out there.

And you surfed a 50-foot wave?
I went down the face of a 50-foot wave—Jaws—with Laird. I was on the back of a jet-ski, riding with Laird as he was towing another surfer. We felt the G-forces. It was so steep I thought we were going to flip over. It’s like a ski hill moving through the water at you. A lot of sensory stuff happens when it breaks. There’s spray, noise, and force. You can actually feel the mass of the water pressing at you.

Did you nearly squeeze Laird to death?
You don’t want to hold onto the person driving because you can screw them up. So I held onto a little piece of vinyl on the seat. The next day I woke up and my thighs were bruised form squeezing the jet-ski so tightly.

Intense.
I also had an unplanned encounter with a very large tiger shark more than a mile off the coast of Maui while swimming. I was with two other people when we came across it feeding. The shark circled us for five minutes. It was really thinking about what it was going to do. It wasn’t very far away. I watched its eye. We were right on the surface of the water. Its dorsal fin was just below the surface.

How do you—as newly appointed editor-in-chief of O Magazine—go from sharks to 10-minute makeover tips?
I think you should keep an eye on the magazine.

Extended interview? Download 7 Questions with Susan Casey podcast

7 Questions with Thomas Haden Church

2010-10-03T13:27:05-04:00

Oscar-nominated actor Thomas Haden Church discusses moonshine, Disco-flavored Conway Twitty, and his new FearNet webseries Zombie Roadkill.
--Stayton Bonner

Any real-life ranger experience?
My ex was a park ranger in Massachusetts during college. I periodically asked her about the nuance and protocol of rangers when we got close to shooting. But given the fact that the guy is desperately fighting for his survival, I threw out the rules of decorum and decided that even though he happens to have on a uniform, his sole purpose is to kill as many zombies as possible.

Is fire the preferred method for killing zombies?
I think fire is widely regarded as a complete method for extermination. I know cutting their heads off is hands down the most circumspect but setting them on fire is pretty reliable.

Any roadkill from your 2000-acre Texas ranch looking for revenge?
You drive around enough on winding Hill Country roads and unfortunately you’ll clip more than your share. I don’t shed too many tears running over rattlesnakes. I grew up hunting but haven’t in 10 years. I mean, I’ve got pet deer. One named Sissy is 10 feet from the window right now, waiting to be fed some Fig Newtons. She’s been on the Tonight Show twice. Both Conan and Jay.

Ghosts on the ranch?
Nanny, my cattle partner’s 101-year-old grandmother, said cowboys used to drink shine and take prostitutes to a draw just behind my house. She said I should take a metal detector there because ‘there’s no telling what those cowboys lost when their trousers were down around their ankles.’ That’s a verbatim quote.

Rowdy.
One of the old ranchers I met at the Vanderpool store brought a mason jar full of moonshine. It was horrible. Corn liquor’s made from turpentine and instantaneously changes the nitrogen level in your blood chemistry. That’s where that saying “Strip the paint off” comes from.

You auditioned naked for Sideways. Anything scare you?
I got my start in radio and remember Conway Twitty’s disco phase. It would just melt your eardrums.

Your character fights a zombie bunny. Any undead critter you wouldn’t want to meet?
A zombie grizzly bear would probably ruin your day.

Download the podcast for the extended interview:
7 Questions With Thomas Haden Church

7 Questions with Sebastian Junger

2010-09-26T22:24:12-04:00

Bestselling author Sebastian Junger on his new book War, documentary Restrepo, and Afghanistan’s recent election.

--Stayton Bonner

The Perfect Storm began as an October 1994 Outside story. How did you go from freelance war reporting to bestselling author?

Good question. I’m still trying to figure it out. In 1991, I was working as a climber for tree companies in Gloucester. While recovering from a chainsaw wound, I read about a local boat that sunk with six men during a huge storm. I’d started thinking about writing on dangerous work—partly due to my injury—and was going to do a book with six different chapters about forest fighters, loggers, commercial fishermen, war reporters, etc. I wrote about the local boat that sank as a trial chapter to demonstrate the dangers of commercial fishing, later turning it into an Outside story and then book proposal that went out while I was overseas in Bosnia as a war reporter.

Were you surprised by the book’s success?

Very surprised. Since the Stone Age, societies have sent groups of young men off to do dangerous things. Like love and childbirth, it’s a universal theme. I think that resonated with people. My only standards for a good book were how it measured with John McPhee. After finishing it, I thought, “Well, I’m getting there.”

Why do some soldiers in War seem to find combat more reassuring than civilian life?

Brotherhood. A shared understanding that every person will put the group’s welfare above his own individual welfare. That group safety is incredibly reassuring for a 19-year-old who doesn’t yet have a fully formed social identity. In combat, you know who you are and what’s expected of you. If you act with courage, you’re respected. End of story. Back in society, you’re judged by how you look, whether your dad makes a lot of money, or other things over which you have no control. In combat, you have complete control over this baseline view of what others think of you. That’s liberating and intoxicating for a young man.

Have they liked the book and documentary?

They’ve loved it. They felt I explained things they couldn’t articulate but their girlfriends and families wanted to understand. At a recent talk, a guy with my book in hand came up and said, “I’m 80. Having heard you talk, I understand for the first time why I felt the things I did back when I was fighting in Korea.” He began tearing up and walked away.

How is alleged corruption in Afghanistan elections affecting the country?

I think the entire problem over there is that we’re defending a government that has been discredited by the Afghan people. If NATO leaves behind a corrupt government, the Taliban will enter as it did in 1996. The people hated the Taliban but let them in because they were a lesser evil than the corrupt violence that was ruining their lives. Until we force Karzai to tackle corruption head-on, I don’t think there’s a military solution. Once we destroy corruption, the Afghans will defeat the Taliban themselves.

Is it in U.S. interest to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan?

Most major attacks have originated in Afghanistan because Al-Qaeda had operational capability. They don’t have that now in the borderlines of Pakistan. We have not suffered a major attack like 9/11 since we’ve been in Afghanistan. That doesn’t prove our military presence has prevented one but it’s certainly something to think about.

What’s more difficult—humping it across mountains in Afghanistan or keeping your Manhattan bar The Half King afloat?

The bar business is terrifying and confusing in its own way. We recently had our 10-year anniversary—an eternity for a New York bar. Scott Anderson and I had some extra money and just thought it’d be cool to own a bar.

Download 7 Questions with Sebastian Junger podcast

7 Questions With Mary Roach

2010-09-15T10:31:46-04:00

Bestselling author Mary Roach on laboratory sex, space condoms, and Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking attempt to jump from 23 miles above sea level.
--Stayton Bonner

What’s the deal with people jumping from really high places?
As a BASE-jumper, Felix’s day job is more dangerous than this stunt. People just have an inexplicable drive to break records.

What are Felix’s dangers?
He’s jumping in an atmosphere that’s a tiny fraction of ours. It’s very difficult to control your body there so he has to carefully position himself. If he starts spinning at 175 RPMs, he could literally spin his brain off its stem. Traveling at supersonic speeds, he could shake his organs off their stocks or emulsify his brain. Nobody knows what will happen.

So...Is he crazy?
Felix is a very anal guy. BASE-jumpers find trouble when they get lazy and forget to do something. He'll also have a specially made suit. But there’s a certain amount of risk that even all this planning can’t eliminate.

Speaking of crazy, any wild stories from your years of science reporting?
That’s easy. My husband and I were subjects in an experiment where a scientist used ultrasound to scan genitals in sexual congress. You know the little wand they hold to your belly when you’re pregnant? The guy was right there holding one of those things to us. We asked about candlelight and soft music. Doc offered to play the soundtrack to Le Misérables from his laptop. I said, “No, really, that’s okay.”

How’d you delve into the nitty-gritty of space travel in Packing for Mars?
A lot of weird stuff happens in space because it’s an environment where our bodies aren’t meant to be. I visited a bed rest facility where scientists study the effects of zero-gravity (where bones and muscle begin to deteriorate) by having people lie in bed for three months. You don’t ever get up. The job appeals to hardcore video-gamers. Then they hear about the bedpan and they’re slightly less enthused.

Space condoms?
They’re urine collection devices you slip on like a condom. They originally came in Small, Medium, and Large. Astronauts never ordered the Small, which was a problem because they’d slip off. So they changed the sizes to L, XL, and XXL.

Size matters even in space?
Apparently.

To listen to an extended interview with Mary Roach, click on the link below.

Download 7 Questions With Mary Roach

--Stayton Bonner

7 Questions with Anthony Bourdain

2010-08-31T18:37:27-04:00

Anthony Bourdain's new book is Medium Raw.

What's more difficult—writing or cooking?
Cooking is physical, which is why I have feelings of self-loathing and guilt about the way things are going for me. It doesn’t feel like work. After work, you hurt at the end of the day. Try 28 years in a kitchen. Deep inside myself, work will always be sweaty and slaving over a stove in the middle of a rush. Writing is done while seated. It’s not a team sport. There are no quantifiable stats for success or failure. Or fewer and less rigid ones. It irritates me when writers talk about how difficult writing is. Try working a busy fish station in a 300-seat-restaurant. Try rice farming for a while and then complain about writer’s block.

Eating oysters as a child at sea inspired your love for all things gastronomical. Is raw food best served in the wild?
I’m not an outdoorsy guy. For me, a good weekend does not involve being dirty or sleeping on the ground. But we do that a fair amount for work because there’s no other option. Staying with a local tribe in a Liberian province, the Iban in Borneo, or Sami of northern Sweden, that’s where you sleep. You’re camping. When you stay with indigenous people in the Darién Gap, there’s not a Ramada Inn down the road. I like a comfortable thread-count as much as the next guy, but that’s not always an option.

Well, uh, if you did go camping, what would be over the fire?
Wild boar. I like wild game. That would be appropriate and delicious. And a true good bottle of red wine. I camp Jim Harrison style, you know? A really expensive bottle of Cotes du Rhone and something somebody shot nearby recently.

You’re a music fan. What would be the food equivalent for The Stooges?
Steak tartar.

Aerosmith?
Red M&Ms.

Snoop Dogg?
Gin and juice.

Abba?
Shit on a stick. Or rotten candy.

To listen to a longer version of the interview, click on the podcast below.

Download 7 Questions with Anthony Bourdain Podcast

--Stayton Bonner

Athlete Interview, Dave Hahn

2010-08-31T00:50:00-04:00

In October 2006, Jackson, Wyoming's Kit DesLauriers became the first woman to ski from the top of Everest—and the first person to carve the Seven Summits. In an Outside exclusive, superguide Dave Hahn went along for the seminal schussing.

In this podcast, Hahn talks to Anthony Cerretani about the record-breaking descent and his Outside story, The No Fall Zone.

Outside Magazine, January 2007

Download Athlete Interview: Dave Hahn

Outside Interview, Chris Carmichael

2010-08-31T00:49:00-04:00

Chris Carmichael, founder of Carmichael Training Systems and Lance Armstrong's former coach, gives fitness tips, talks about how he built his fitness empire, and discusses what's next for him.

Interview by Anthony Cerretani

Outside Magazine, May 2007

Download Outside Interview: Chris Carmichael

Athlete Interview, Laird Hamilton

2010-08-31T00:48:00-04:00

Uber-athlete Laird Hamilton talks to Outside editor Mike Roberts about catching big waves and staying in peak shape. Want Hamilton's abs? Listen up.

Outside Magazine, June 2007

Download Athlete Interview: Laird Hamilton

Feature, Mr. Cool

2010-08-31T00:47:00-04:00

Guess who's hot in Hollywood? Will Steger. With producers suddenly primed to make environmental films, the legendary polar explorer hit L.A. with a scary pitch about global warming—and he was a smash.

In this podcast, Senior Editor, Stephanie Pearson, reads her profile of Minnesota's Will Steger, a polar explorer for over 30 years and global warming activist turned Hollywood darling.

Outside Magazine, April 2007

Download Feature: Mr. Cool

Outside Interview, Jean-Michel Cousteau

2010-08-31T00:46:00-04:00

The new patriarch of the first family of the sea, Jean-Michel, 68-year-old son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, is founder and president of the Ocean Futures Society, a nonprofit dedicated to ocean conservation and education.

Son of the legendary Jaques Cousteau, Jean-Michel, talks to Anthony Cerretani about his latest adventures.

Read Cerretani's article.

Outside Magazine, April 2007

Download Author Interview: Jean Michel Cousteau

Outside Interview, Greg MacGillivray

2010-08-31T00:45:00-04:00

Greg MacGillivray, 61-year-old cofounder of Laguna Beach, California–based MacGillivray Freeman Films and director of the 1998 Imax hit Everest, is as passionate about water conservation as he is about filmmaking.

His film Grand Canyon Adventure 3D, made in partnership with Teva and the Waterkeeper Alliance, debuted in March 2008.

In this podcast, Dianna Delling speaks to MacGillivray about his conservation efforts and his Grand Canyon Adventure.

Read the article.

Outside Magazine, April 2007

Download Author Interview: Greg MacGillivray

Author Interview, John Harlin

2010-08-31T00:44:00-04:00

John Harlin talks to Anthony Cerretani about his quest to climb the mountain that claimed his father's life and his book about the journey: The Eiger Obsession.

Read an excerpt from The Eiger Obsession.

Outside Magazine, March 2007

Download Author Interview: John Harlin

Author Interview, Josh Hammer

2010-08-31T00:43:00-04:00

Welcome to the new Bolivia, where former coca grower Evo Morales has made the leaf a symbol of his two-year-old government. Now everybody's growing it, everybody's chewing it, and the war on drugs has taken a very strange turn.

In this podcast, reporter Josh Hammer talks to Anthony Cerretani about his journey to Bolivia to track the resurgence of the coca plant.

Read Hammer's article.

Outside Magazine, December 2007

Download Author Interview: Josh Hammer

Feature, The No Fall Zone

2010-08-31T00:42:00-04:00

When freeskier Kit DesLauriers dropped in at 29,035 feet on Mount Everest in October, she became the first person to ski off the Seven Summits. Kit, her husband, Rob, and photographer Jimmy Chin—whose exclusive images appear here—also became the first Americans to ski from the top of the world's tallest mountain.

In this podcast, Jimmy Chin talks to Anthony Cerretani about the record-setting descent.

Read Dave Hahn's account of the expedition.

Outside Magazine, January 2007

Download Feature: The No Fall Zone

Lab Rat, Revving up

2010-08-31T00:41:00-04:00

Can a performance supplement be legal, healthy, and effective? Our Lab Rat pops a few to find out.

Nick Heil reads his story on Optygen, made by First Endurance.

Outside Magazine, February 2007

Download Lab Rat: Revving Up

Lab Rat, Pace Setter

2010-08-31T00:40:00-04:00

With the latest iPod evolution, our human guinea pig turns on, tunes in, and...drops out? Outside's Lab Rat puts Nike's new iPod training system through its paces.

In this podcast, Nick Heil reads his review of the Nike + iPod Sport Kit.

Outside Magazine, January 2007

Download Lab Rat: Pace Setter

The Big Idea, Be Afraid, Please

2010-08-31T00:39:00-04:00

As average Americans travel farther afield, a veteran traveler starts to feel, well, average.

Travel writer Tim Neville shares his view on the growing trend of Americans traveling to dangerous places. (His advice? Be afraid. Please.)

Read Neville's story.

Outside Magazine, January 2007

Download The Big Idea: Be Afraid Please

Author Interview, John Falk

2010-08-31T00:38:00-04:00

Welcome to the tropical Philippine island of Jolo, where life is like a Corona ad—coconut trees, white-sand beaches, bathtub-warm seas. Except those guys in the water are U.S. Green Berets, and those kids on dirt bikes are jihadists known for kidnapping Western tourists. Even stranger? On this front, at least, America seems to be winning.

In this podcast, reporter John Falk talks to Anthony Cerretani about his trip to the Philippines to report on the war on terror.

Read Falk's story, This is the War on Terror. Wish You Were Here!

Outside Magazine, February 2007

Download Author Interview: John Falk

Feature, High Times

2010-08-31T00:37:00-04:00

You were told that Everest base camp is an insult to the true spirit of mountaineering. But why weren't you told about the excellent bars, the butter people, and that friendly playboy bunny from Poland? Kevin Fedarko spent a month at the world's most exclusive party town for his July 2007 feature, "High Times."

In this podcast, Kevin Fedarko reads his feature.

Outside Magazine, July 2007

Download the Feature: High Times

Feature, Dead Weight

2010-08-31T00:36:00-04:00

Poor Eric Hansen. After heading all the way over to Nepal to take a stab at the Way of the Sherpa, he found out that all those wiry, diminutive porters are actually pretty big badasses, and your average dude probably shouldn't attempt to do their thankless job. But it seems the hardest part was actually shouldering all that humility.

In this podcast, Hansen reads his story, "Dead Weight."

Outside Magazine, June 2007

Download the Feature: Dead Weight

Athlete Interview, Conrad Anker

2010-08-31T00:35:00-04:00

Montana-based mountaineer Conrad Anker is no stranger to big mountain challenges. At 44, he's made first ascents in Antarctica and the Himalayas; in May 1999, he discovered the frozen body of British climber George Mallory at 27,000 feet on Everest's North Face. But the question remains: Did Mallory and partner Sandy Irvine reach the top before the mountain claimed them in 1924?

Listen to Anthony Cerretani talk to Montana-based climber, Conrad Anker, just before Anker's attempt to retrace Mallory's steps.

Read Cerretani's interview.

Outside Magazine, June 2007

Download Athlete Interview: Conrad Anker

Lab Rat, Chill Out

2010-08-31T00:34:00-04:00

Our aching Lab Rat put the world's most expensive ice pack to the test.

In this podcast, Nick Heil reads his article on Game Ready, a $2,500 healing machine.

Read Heil's article.

Outside Magazine, March 2007

Download Lab Rat: Chill Out

Outside Interview, Mike Rowe

2009-05-02T01:00:00-04:00

Mike Rowe discusses his evolution from stuttering theater geek to nighttime QVC salesman to everyman's hero as host of Dirty Jobs.

Read more about Mike Rowe and his adventures.

Outside Magazine, May 2009

Download the May, 2008 Outside interview with Mike Rowe

Outside Interview, Larry Burke

2008-10-02T00:54:00-04:00

Outside founder Larry Burke talks about the evolution of Outside Magazine, from a Caribbean sailing trip to a small quarterly named Mariah to the magazine as we know it today.

Interview by Anthony Cerretani.

Outside Magazine, October 2010

Download Author Interview: Larry Burke

Author Interview, Eric Hansen

2008-04-02T00:58:00-04:00

Author Eric Hansen discusses his mission to find out if people in Iceland are happy or not by hitchhiking around the country and asking--everyone. So, are Icelanders happy?

Interview by Micah Cratty

Outside Magazine, April 2008

Download Author Interview: Eric Hansen

Outside Interview, Conrad, Jimmy, Ivo

2008-02-02T00:57:00-05:00

THE IDEA: Make one of the world's greatest Everest guides face his fear of heights.
THE PLAN: Send him 3,000 feet up El Capitan with Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Ivo Ninov.
THE RESULT: Panic attacks, cold sweats, and one order of Depends.

Anthony Cerretani talks to Dave Hahn, Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Ivo Ninov about Hahn's nerve-wracking climb.

Read the story here.

Outside Magazine, February 2008

Download the February 2008 Outside interview with Conrad, Jimmy, and Ivo

Photographer Interview, Danny Clinch

2007-10-02T00:56:00-04:00

From Pearl Jam to Bruce Springsteen to Matt Damon, Danny Clinch has photographed them all. For our December cover, we sent Clinch to JFK's airport tarmac to shoot billionaire adventurer/ biofuels crusader Sir Richard Branson and his son Sam.

In this podcast, Clinch talks about the challenges of shooting the Bransons, his favorite moments on the set, and how he gets the right shot.

Interview by Anthony Cerretani

Watch a video of the shoot.

Read the article on Branson

Outside Magazine, October 2007

Download Outside Interview: Danny Clinch

Author Interview, Hampton Sides

2007-10-02T00:53:00-04:00

Contributing editor and best-selling author, Hampton Sides, discusses his career and his 2007 assignment for Outside: to cross the Mississippi River...by swimming in it.

"Since I was a kid," wrote Sides in Anyone for a Dip? "I've been warned that the mighty Mississippi is a deadly stew of swirling eddies—and that swimming across it is one of the stupidest things a person can do. Naturally, I had to give it a try."

Interview by Anthony Cerretani

Outside Magazine, October 2007

Download Author Interview: Hampton Sides

Author Interview, Chris Keyes

2007-09-02T00:52:00-04:00

John Krakauer's article for Outside, "Death in the Wild" later became the best-selling book, "Into the Wild." Then Sean Penn took on the story for the big screen. Outside editor Chris Keyes talks about reporting on Penn and his cast's quest to bring the fatal journey of "Alexander Supertramp" to the big screen.

Read Keyes' story here.

Interview by Anthony Cerretani

Outside Magazine, September 2007

Download Author Interview: Chris Keyes

Author Interview, Kevin Fedarko

2007-07-02T00:51:00-04:00

Kevin Fedarko talks to Anthony Cerretani about what it's really like to hang out at Mount Everest's base camp--an experience Fedarko documented for Outside in "High Times." It's a party on Everest.

Outside Magazine, July 2007

Download Author Interview: Kevin Fedarko

The Big Idea, Unchain My Heart

2006-08-31T00:59:00-04:00

John Bradley is addicted to pro cycling. But if pro cycling is so dirty, why can't he make a clean break?

Bradley reads his column, Unchain My Heart, in this podcast.

Outside Magazine, December 2006

Download The Big Idea: Unchain My Heart