Intro

This blog is going to serve as a supplement to The Ascent podcast which will soon be found in iTunes. The podcast is going to cover various hikes, backpacking, snowshoeing, climbing, dirt biking and fishing trips mostly around the Pacific Northwest. I am going to co host along with my buddy Austen.

Now a little about me. I am Michael, an avid outdoors-man. I love doing being active and testing the physical and mental limits of myself in the wilderness. I am 22 years old and frankly like to get myself in trouble. During the entire year, I can be found all over the place. Sometimes trudging through the snow, flying down a hill on a shred stick, taking a berm in third gear on my dirt bike, or on the river casting my fly pole into the perfect hole. I've got a beautiful girlfriend who is just as adventurous as me and joins me whenever she can. I'm surrounded by supportive parents and the greatest group of friends anyone could have.

This blog is going to serve as a visual aid to the podcast featuring pictures of trips as well as route guides we took and the gear used. It will also be a place for listeners to submit questions and comments about the show and us in general.

I am going to run through my ever changing gear list in each category for an idea of what i am using.

Backpacking
-Deuter ATC Lite 65 Liter Backpack
-Vintage North Face 50 Liter Backpack
-Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy
-REI Halfdome 2 Tent
-MSR Microrocket Stove
-The Northface Cat's Meow Sleeping Bag
-GSI Pinnacle Soloist Cookset
-Petzl Tikka Plus Headlamp
-Katadyn Hiker Water Filter

Climbing
-Petzl Corax Harness
-La Sportiva Nago Climbing Shoes
-ATC-XP Belay

Winter Sports
-MSR Lightning Flash Snowshoes
-Black Diamond Deploy 7 Snow Shovel
-Stubai Ice Axe

Dirt Bike
-2001 YZ 250

Fishing
-Cabelas Prestige Fly Pole and Reel 6 wt.
-Various Freshwater Flies