"Find that comfort zone, take a step out of it and do that, because that's how you continue your own personal growth. That's how you continue finding who you are. There are so many things out there in life to experience. Expose yourself to all of it because how are you supposed to know what you really like? For me, I never thought in the world hiking would be anything I'd be interested in and here I am doing it every weekend." - Brittany Bowman Welcome to the To Summit Up...

"When you've got 400 people climbing mountains all over the country and you're standing on the summit, you feel this overwhelming awe of the power that that holds. Everyone who is at the summit of all of these mountains put through the work to get there for this cause and you're not alone when you're out there." -Kolby Ziemendorf, co-founder of 46Climbs Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is all about a very relevant organization, 46Climbs. 46Climbs (46climbs.com)...

"The group in front of us was standing there looking out into the water with binoculars and they were like - 'is that a whale?' We stopped and turned and saw this enormous pool of water and it looked like a giant rock, but the people that were looking at it were like - 'yo, that's a whale.' " - Brandon Agostinelli Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is the second week in a row with a To Summit Up repeat guest. On the podcast this week is my great friend,...

"The positive out of it was just being out there. I mean, being out on the trail, seeing a new section on the trail that I hadn't done yet, meeting new people, sharing the experience with them when I was hiking with them during the start, and meeting all of the people at the start. There's no bad day outside - no matter how much it sucks - it beats other things in life.  I am just very grateful to have still had that experience." - Mat Jobin This week's episode was an amazing...

"It's worth every single step. And really take your time. It's not a race and you don't have to beat the clock to get there. You're going to miss a lot of great things if you try to." - Randy Guyer  This week's episode was a great conversation with an inspiring Adirondacker named Randy Guyer. Randy has lived at the foothills of the Adirondacks for over 20 years but just recently began to explore hiking - and it changed him for the better. Randy has worked in the food industry and...

"Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey Spending time in nature has been scientifically proven to benefit mental and physical health. In this episode, I dive into an article by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that lays out some of the benefits of spending time outside including... Improved immune health Reduction in stress and anxietyLower blood pressureimproved ability to focus and a reduction in Attention...

"Enjoy the experience. Enjoy not just the summit, but enjoy the hike, enjoy the people that you're hiking with, enjoy nature, enjoy the summit, enjoy the snacks that you've brought - and then, after the hike, go to the local brewery and talk about the hike with your friends. That's a great experience." - Pat Barczys This week is challenge week! On the podcast is Pat Barczys, the founder of a new Adirondack Challenge called the ADK 6 Pack (www.adk6pack.com). This challenge combines two...

"Follow your gut instinct. It's always right and there is always this little, tiny voice in the back of your head that you're trying to push away or trying not to listen to, but it has always been right so follow that." - Brenda Zeelenberg This week's episode was a super fun conversation with an inspiring adventurer and traveler named Brenda Zeelenberg. Brenda is originally from the Netherlands and currently resides in British Columbia in Canada. Many people know Brenda from her...

"I feel like relationships are built quicker and potentially deeper when you are outside - especially with something like a hike. You go through so much with a person - ups and downs...literally... - and you are put out of your comfort zone and that always brings people closer together." - Heidi Nixon Heidi Nixon is building her skills in the field of therapeutic recreation and is also a skier, fly fisher, and a stoked outdoor enthusiast. This is such a fun episode! In this...

This is a Ryck Proctor (Episode 25) Appalachian Trail update! Welcome back to the To Summit Up Podcast. I took a 2 month hiatus from posting and this is the first episode back. In this episode, I talk about: Reason for the 2 month hiatus.Recap of my trips to Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe to ski and Lake Placid in the Adirondacks to hike.APPALACHIAN TRAIL UPDATE! Ryck Proctor was on Episode 25 of the podcast and embarked on the AT approximately 60 days ago.Reminder on the Garden...

"Get outside. We only have one life to do it. Take the chance, make time and go for it. It's going to change your life. I mean, one of the things that I really love about long-distance hikes and thru-hikes is every day is different. You're waking up in a different town and you're seeing different things and experiencing different things - get out there!" -Mat Jobin Who is on: On this episode is Mat Jobin - an adventure guide who has his own company called Reach Your Summit based...

"I just wanted to get to the top of that mountain and I remember telling myself as I was walking up that mountain - and this got really deep -, I was like 'If you give up now, you are going to give up on anything that you try in your life.' I made it that extreme because that's how much it meant to me to get to the top of the mountain. I truly think that how you treat every challenge in your life - or any challenge in your life - is how you are going to treat every other challenge in your...

"Some of the hardest situations - you look back and you're like 'wow. I'm so glad that happened... like that really sucked while it was happening.', but pushing yourself and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations is going to get you the greatest distance in the end." - Courtney Wilson In This Episode We Talk About: What makes the Adirondacks, Catskills, and hiking in Upstate New York special.Growing through putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.Heading West to live...

"I want to inspire people to set their own goals and say yes to more opportunities in their life and to embrace the beauty around them." - Liz Rose On the pod this week is Liz Rose - the youngest Canadian to climb the Seven Summits. The seven summits are the highest mountain on each tectonic plate (yes, this includes Mount Everest). She began her journey in 2015 and finished it just about two years later and has been working on a book that reflects on her experiences and aims...

How many mountains do you climb in any given year? Chris Calabrese summits over 100 mountains per year and continues to fuel his passion in the mountains by peak bagging. There are many different mountain grouping lists that Chris keeps track of including the New Hampshire 48, Catskill 35, Winter 35, New Hampshire 52 with a view, New England 50 finest, Northeast 115, and Adirondack 46. You can bet he has had his fair share of crazy experiences in the...

Smuggler's Notch is the best ski resort in Vermont. I said it. This weekend just bolstered my stance on this. Last weekend's storm DUMPED feet of snow in Vermont and I was fortunate to take full advantage. I skied the most powder I have ever skied! Family owned and operated with the best terrain and awesome vibe, it's no wonder Smuggler's was the feature in a huge ski magazine article in one of the recent editions. In this episode I talk about: Last weekend at Smuggs (it was...

"It's like your biggest fear or whatever, you know, just do it. With Malawi - that was huge and I was just like 'you know what, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.' Don't pass those things up because you're going to say to yourself 10 years from now, I'll do that next year or I'll do that tomorrow, but, you know, just do it today." - Sarah Woychick, Physical Therapist On the show and IN THE HOUSE this week is a longtime friend, the one and only Sarah Woychick. Sarah works as a...

"There were things that people told me I couldn't do at a physical level and people who didn't believe in me starting the Appalachian Trail and now I am to the point where in two months I leave. And people telling me that I probably wouldn't pick up hiking or be into it as much as possible and now I am. I kind of look back on those things and it just gives you a different perspective on how to look on life after you have completed so many challenges that maybe you didn't think were possible."...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So thrown off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - H. Jackson Brown Jr. Happy New Year! This first episode of 2019 is all about saying YES and grabbing life by the adventure. We have inspirational insights from four incredible previous podcast guests; Jenna Celmer (e6), Cody Wiktorski (e18), Evan...

"Culturally, for some reason, we attribute mental illness as a weakness and that's definitely not the case." - Kolby Ziemendorf Climb a mountain to help conquer suicide. On this episode, we are fortunate to have Kolby Ziemendorf, co-founder of 46Climbs. 46Climbs is an annual event and organization that encourages many individuals across the United States and the world to take on the challenge of conquering suicide through the physical challenge of climbing and hiking. The connection...

"The number one rule in mountaineering is that summiting is optional, but making it down to try again is mandatory." Evan Lindenmayer This week's guest is the one and only Evan Lindenmayer. Evan currently lives in Los Angeles, California and runs an outdoor adventure club that brings people to adventures that invigorate life into them. Evan's mantra is bigger and badder - keeping a thirst for any type of adventure in his life's forecast. Evan recently took a trip to Mount Rainier in...

How often do you get bogged down by stress or caught up in the mundane? It happens to all of us far too often. In an effort to relieve stress and keep myself clear in the mind, I have been doing the #7DayLocalParkChallenge. I went to 7 different local parks for 7 straight days (almost...) and spent at least 15 minutes in that park. We have had some participation from people like John Alex Vespa from Bushwhack Podcast and Elissa Madonia. We have even had Charlie Blazer the Golden Doodle...

"If you want to do something, it is so corny, but the time is now. When else are you going to have the time to do it? You just don't know. So I think that if you make a plan and you want to do it, you just gotta get after it." - Elissa Madonia This is Part 2 of the attempted 46 Mountain Month in the Adirondacks with Elissa Madonia (@lissymadz)! Elissa embarked on an Adirondack quest about a month and a half ago with John Alex Vespa (Episode 16 -> tosummitup.com/e16) to climb all of...

This brief episode is all about the #7DayLocalParksChallenge that I started this past fall in an effort to give local parks the attention they deserve and to encourage myself (and you all too!) to get outside regularly! I am bringing the challenge back and will be taking part over the next week and documenting the challenge through social media posts (@_tosummitup of the To Summit Up Facebook Page). Next week's Trail Talk will also be a compilation of audio snippets from the week. I challenge...