The Dirtbag Diaries

The Shorts– Almost Wild

The Dirtbag Diaries

Show Notes

Loss can create an emotional cocktail when something or someone is unceremoniously ripped from our life. Amie Renaud and Joanna Henry invite us along through their circuitous roads through grief.

After the sudden end of a relationship, Amie embarks on a grand bikepacking trip. Right as she’s finally settling in, she finds herself picking up the pieces again. Joanna hadn’t reconciled the loss of her brother. But a visit from an uninvited, and surprisingly tenacious, guest, forces her to reckon with those unresolved feelings.

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More from The Dirtbag Diaries

Oct 9, 2026

In October of 2025, the Trump administration green lit the Ambler Road in Alaska, a proposed mining access road that would cut through 211 miles of pristine Alaskan wilderness in the Brooks Range, crossing over 3,000 waterways and could forever change access to subsistence resources in Northwest Alaska.  In collaboration with More Than Just Parks, the Dirtbag Diaries presents a two part story. Karmen Monigold and John Gaedeke each rely on the southern Brooks Range for their livelihood and have joined a grassroots effort to fight back against the Ambler Road. A pair of young conservationists, Robert Lester and Ben Kaden set out to walk the proposed Ambler Road and experience the wilderness first hand.

Sep 25, 2026

When Somira Sao and James Burwick were expecting their first child, they made a vow not to stop traveling-- and they took that promise to the extreme. In 2009, after two years of living in a van traveling around South America, they took their growing family and moved onto a 40' monohull sailboat. Four years later, they had navigated a de-masting off the coast of Chile, sailed around the globe, added more kids to the mix, and created a unique philosophy on adventure parenting.

Sep 18, 2026

We never know where our life’s important lessons will come from. After years of chasing first ascents in the PNW Cascade mountain, Cam Fenton stumbles upon a new focus for his mountain exploits: grizzly bears. For Emma Brophy, collecting red rubber bands while on a 600 mile river trip down the Thelon River in Canada becomes a reminder of how far she’s traveled.

Sep 11, 2026

Drew Smith is one of the most highly respected outdoor adventure photographers in the game. His work has brought him to more than two dozen countries, and his skills in the mountains make him a top choice for professional athletes looking for a photographer who can keep up. In this episode, he takes us through four projects that have shaped his career as a creator, and we talk about the important lessons he's learned along the way.

Aug 28, 2026

Mark Kenyon and Fitz Cahall may not appear to have much in common. Mark got his start in the outdoors at a family hunting cabin in the forest lands of Northern Michigan, and Fitz dirtbagged around the American West in the back of his Tacoma. Their passions in the outdoors might be different, but their resolve to protect public lands is just the same.

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