Peeking into the Kingdom: A Story About Rock Climbing El Capitan's East Buttress in Yosemite, Piss Ants, and Fatherhood
Release Date: 01/10/2019
Running the Cloudsplitter 100 Mile Ultramarathon - Suffering Joy
Adventure Airwaves
Reflections and field recordings from my first 100 mile run, the in Norton, Virginia. This episode is not about how to run a hundred miles, but it is about why I ran and what I experienced. Music during the story played by me. The song played during the intro and outro is Benevolence by .
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Summer Update: Climbing Gym Beta Spray and 5 Panel Hat
Adventure Airwaves
Drinking a cup of coffee, the host delivers an unscripted update on the summer, discusses a climbing gym experience, and shares a new song called 5 Panel Hat. The song played during the intro and outro is
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Running the Art Loeb Trail
Adventure Airwaves
The Art Loeb Trail is one of the premier backpacking and running trails in Western North Carolina. It begins (or ends) at a Boy Scout Camp near Black Balsam Knob, crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway, traverses a prominent ridge in Pisgah National Forest, and terminates near the small town of Brevard. On Spring Equinox, I set out to run the length of the Art Loeb Trail with no goal other than to finish before dark.
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Mental Miles - A Trail Running Experiment
Adventure Airwaves
Sometimes one sets out to go for a reluctant run and, along the way, discovers something they knew all along. Location: Pisgah National Forest - Brevard, NC Music attribution at end of episode.
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The Five Stages of Whitewater Kayaking
Adventure Airwaves
“5 Stages of Whitewater Kayaking” is a story about moving from the coast to the mountains, trading flip flops for Chacos, letting go of what was, and accepting what is. Adventure Airwaves Episode 9 was written and recorded in Transylvania County North Carolina in September of 2020. This episode and my acceptance of adult-onset whitewater enjoyment would not have been possible without my friends in the Brevard radius who have shared their knowledge and time with me. Especially Jason.
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A Postcard from Brevard - A Song Called Pump Track
Adventure Airwaves
Brevard, North Carolina is a unique little mountain town. This episode will not tell you anything about Brevard, unless you listen closely. Do you hear the rain? The birds? The wind rustling through the trees? During these strange times, we have found solace in the simple joy of two wheeled gallivanting and strumming guitar on the porch. The song Pump Track was written on a rainy day and recorded by me and Russell on a different rainy day four months later. Thank you for tuning in.
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A Ballad of the John Muir Trail - Tuolumne to Mt. Whitney
Adventure Airwaves
An Untraditional Ballad of the John Muir Trail
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Coasting: A Dubious Bike Tour from Washington to California
Adventure Airwaves
Episode 6: A few years back, I took an unplanned solo bike tour through Washington, Oregon and most of California. The trip crossed rivers - like the Columbia, the Rogue and the Klamath, visited breweries - seventeen of them to be exact - and ended abruptly in the worst campsite on earth. This episode provides a glimpse into the quirky calamity of solo cycling and the understated joy of moments in between.
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Summer Summer Road Trip Part 2: Wild and Scenic Rogue River Beyond Grave Creek
Adventure Airwaves
Summer Road Trip Part 2: Wild and Scenic Rogue River Beyond Grave Creek A crew of Californians and Carolinians converge on Oregon’s Rogue River during the peak of summer. “Summer Road Trip Part 2: Wild and Scenic Rogue River Beyond Grave Creek” is the second part of the adventure and our first day on the river. Music Attribution Benevolence - available at Morchata - available at Banjo PFlanagan Honolulu - Follow - The Water Leads Me to Itself - Big East Ivy Ambient Sounds used on this episode can be found at This episode of Adventure Airwaves was written and...
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Adventure Airwaves #4 - Summer Road Trip Part 1: Going Rogue
Adventure Airwaves
A crew of Californians and Carolinians converge on Oregon’s Rogue River during the peak of summer. “Summer Road Trip Part 1: Going Rogue” is the first part of the adventure. This episode is a quick snapshot of the first 2,000 miles of driving in a mechanically challenged van full of kayaks and surfing gear. The crux comes early in Topeka, Kansas. During the episode introduction, Russell and I discuss bike riding and skipping rocks in creeks that are home to hellbender salamanders.
info_outlineIn an era of two-hour Nose ascents and El Capitan Free Solos here is a story about two middle-aged friends who climbed an intermediate route and it took all day. In fact, this story isn’t about climbing in as much as it is about life itself. The crux comes early when a drunk stranger poses a question, makes a prediction, and then walks away. This story relates to anybody who has ever wondered if they would spend their silver years camping alone.
Author’s Note: The East Buttress is technically part of El Capitan but it makes up the shoulder of the formation. Therefore, if you climb the East Buttress of El Cap the only folks who will say that you climbed “El Capitan” will be your parents. Unless your parents are rock climbers.
In this story, the protagonist urinates on a belay tree covered in ants and is subsequently punished by Mother Nature. The protagonist must have felt that he was not in a position to hold it or move. I am sure he regrets it now and would never do that again. The moral - Don’t whizz at the belay because it disrespects the other beings - like rock climbers and ants.
To read about this route from the legend, please see the article titled John Long’s Favorite 5.10.
Music Attribution (in order)
Benevolence - Seeking Madras available at http://seekingmadras.bandcamp.com
Taodella - Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons)
Closet Interlude - Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons)
Lakeside Path - Blue Dot Sessions(Creative Commons)
Acid Jazz - Kevin MacLeod (Creative Commons)
Slamming On The Brakes - Spencer Radclifffe (Creative Commons)
In The Afternoon - Seeking Madras
Peeking into the Kingdom was written and produced by Wes Davis for Adventure Airwaves Podcast, December 2018
Ambient Sounds used on this episode can be found at FreeSound.org