In this week’s episode Doug finds trails after a rest period and Mathias submits is run to the Fastest Known Time database. Philipp Reiter’s Alpfronttrail project is discussed and the future of the American shopping mall decided.

…smoke on the water, a fire in the sky…
Doug discovers backcountry camping bliss on, not off ‘the beaten path’ and Mathias finally knocks off his biggest project to date: The Cushman 6: 6 peaks in one, probably-never-before-completed run along the mountains above Lake Cushman in the Olympics. These big projects deserve a big show, and this one lives up to it.

It’s smoke and fire season in the west and everything is burning…. ugh, your favorite podcast hosts had plans, and great plans for one more big adventure run before the winter. We also dive deep into the questionable inspiration of one of the most popular trail races in the world. Deep stuff, as always.

Doug gets almost blown off a mountain top and Mathias sneaks in a mid-week climb of the beloved Mt. Ellinor. And he find goats. Yes, there are still there, as well as photographers or at least people with camera gear. Oh, and the trail is getting spruced up, which is very nice, thank you Mt. Rose Trail Crew. Let’s get some more mountains in before snow falls, shall we?

Recent Wonderland running achievements have us all in awe. You ran how fast around that awesome mountain of ours? Speaking of mountains and running, there’s a lot of that happening right now, and we’re all here for it. Also, a long conversation about that post-adventure run fast food visit. What’s your poison? Let us know via the usual channels.

Jason Hardrath joins the show to share his journey to 100 FKTs. Calling in from Yosemite after just having completed the insane and awe-inspiring ‘Yosemite Picnic’ he shares his thoughts on how our adventures and physical exercise shape us as people and make us better humans.

Doug takes a deep dive into the usefulness of the Strava subscription and gives us an update on his new running belt. Mathias talks about gondolas and UTMB, of course. Peak Week is happening.
Neither of them talk about IPAs.

Enjoy this random picture of a bonfire on the beach to match the randomness of this episode. Douglas tries on a new running belt, Mathias wins a shirt, both are in a running low as summer is slowly turning.

Peak Week starts Monday – come and join us!

Are we seriously talking about the Enchantments again? Yes, yes, we are. We also share stories about running away from thunderstorms and into sunrises. Rock Candy hats are finally in stock and books are ready to ship. Get some!

Skating where the puck is going to be, your hosts discuss local sports news ad nauseam, say ‘farewell and good riddance’ to John Muir, and take a deep dive into their respective weekend adventures. Doug climbs the stunning Elephanthead Mountain in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area and Mathias explores a sneaky little trail linking up the Ellinor trail system with the Mt. Rose summit loop in the Olympics.