More big races are cancelled for the year. The Enchanted Valley Chalet’s final fate is being decided. The Enchantments are overrun, again. Oh, and Hamilton is on Disney+.

On June 29th, 1938, Olympic National Park was officially designated as a National Park by President Franklin Roosevelt, forever changing the landscape of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. For the past 82 years, Olympic National Park has been captivating the hearts and imaginations of wilderness explorers of all ages, enticing a deeper connection with the great outdoors. Today, we get to wish it a very Happy Birthday. 

Seeing a bear in Yellowstone is a highlight for many, helping to cement the first National Park as a favorite place to return year after year. There is nothing quite like rounding a corner and seeing one of North America’s most magnificent creatures roaming through the sage or forests. The one thing that is often overlooked when we think of these bear sightings is that we won’t be the only people on the scene. More often than not, when you see a bear, you’ll encounter a bear jam.

What flavor do you want your hydration fuel to be? Why are watch straps so expensive? What happens when you wear sandals in the sun? How fun is it to run through an entire night?

This and many other important life lessons are being discussed in this week’s episode of your favorite trail running podcast.

Doug and Mathias discuss their respective runs for last weeks Summer of Vert 4HR Vertical event. Doug finds bliss in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness and Mathias stands twice on the summit of Mt. Rose. Also discussed are route building skills, beer encounters and how to overcome the fear of the unknown outdoors. Feels like a real running podcast around here.

The time is right for Doug and Mathias to go ‘there’. In this deep and serious episode we address the issues of the day. We’re also buying running socks in outdoor stores and listening to cassette tapes of our past.

Doug sees a bear and Mathias walks on snow. Both events are eye-opening and a bit more unsettling than they should be. But lessons are learned and pictures takes.

Mathias sleeps in his new tent and welcomes summer. Doug discovers trails and worries about bears after a long winter. The two discuss best practices to stay safe in the backcountry when traveling beyond cell coverage and especially lately, solo.

Doug gets a haircut, Mathias a Strava subscription, and UTMB gets cancelled. This week is full of new stuff, fun stuff, and sad stuff. The future of trail running is discussed and how timber harvesting changes local trails.

Let’s have a podcast to talk about another podcast – that’s new. But seriously, in this week’s episode we dive into the phenomena of the “Fastest Known Time” run, and find obscure routes for ourselves. Good Times. Five Stars.