It started out as just a 15 minute break from computer work on a busy and exhausting Tuesday morning. But before she knew it, Amy was having an adventure in rewilding. Hear what she discovered when she took the advice of one recent Humans Outside podcast guest. Listen now.

[:45] Favorite podcasting stuff

[1:07] Which is how I got here on a Tuesday

[1:28] It all started with a walk break

[2:00] The question was the next step

[3:02] When one thing leads to another

[3:25] And when it was over. …

When it comes to nature, the idea of “pristine, untouched wilderness” is part of the American ethos. But the reality is most land was touched, valued and used — by indigenous landholders.

Recreating outside today means using that land in new ways. Yet honoring the past not only doesn’t have to be complicated, it can also broaden our appreciation for the land and what it gives us by connecting us with those who called it home for centuries before we arrived.

In this episode Aaron Leggett, president of the Native Village of Eklunta near Anchorage, Alaska and senior curator of Alaska History and Indigenous Culture at the Anchorage Museum shares with us his perspective on use of traditional Dena’ina lands and how outdoor lovers today can respect and honor the past.

[3:03] Aaron Leggett’s favorite outdoor space

[5:15] About the Native Village of Eklutna

[7:39] About growing up in Anchorage and getting passionate about Native history

[11:13] Who are the Dena’ina and what is their land?

[13:46] What is a Native Corporation?

[21:12] How to tell where Native land is and isn’t

[24:50] What the Native place name project is and why it matters

[34:00] What are the best practices for using traditional indigenous lands for recreation?

[35:50] What “leave no trace” has to do with it

[39:30] How to give back to a space while using it

[41:00] What just having it in mind does

[48:41] Aaron’s favorite outdoor memory

Blame it on the optimism of Past Me: she really felt like Future Me was going to have it so much more together than she actually does.

But making actionable outdoor plans for the upcoming winter season is key to getting out the door when it’s hard to want to. That means we’re spending time right now making some commitments for things we’ll do in the future — and hoping that it’s not the optimism coming to bite us yet again. Listen now.

[:45] We’re helping winter me

[1:10] The problem of the three Mes

[1:46] Facing the music

[2:15] This isn’t really a winter me problem

[3:00] Doing winter me a favor by making some plans

[3:40] Why now is great for this

[4:14] A quick privilege acknowledgement

[4:50] What I’ve got on tap for this winter

[6:15] Why having a new skill goal matters

[7:05] What I’ve been up to now

So you want to learn how to handle tough challenges in life, both those you encounter while playing outside and those you find just going about your day-to-day, indoor life and job. But how do you make it happen?

Steve Magness, a world-famous coach, human performance expert and author of the new book Do Hard Thing: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness says part of the reason toughness against life’s challenges is so create is that we are going about it wrong.

In this episode, Steve walks us through what the research shows about building a lifestyle around getting and staying tough, why that matters and what heading outside has to do with it.

[2:52] Steve Magness’s favorite outdoor space

[3:48] How Steve became someone who likes to go outside

[6:00] Why going outside is so important to him now

[9:18] What’s the difference between toughness and resilience?

[10:41] Examples of awareness

[15:28] What’s wrong with how we tend to think about toughness

[18:06] How do you build toughness?

[21:40] The difference between thoughtful response and reaction

[28:10] How this applies to everyday life

[29:35] Creating a strong why — and why it matters

[35:41] What this has to do with setting incremental goals

[38:07] Why the Humans Outside 365 challenge is great for this

[41:48] Is toughness a muscle you have to maintain or something you only have to learn once?

[46:44] Steve’s favorite outdoor moment

What happens when you head outside way past your comfort zone into a risky area like staying up after bedtime? You might just see what Amy got to see in the early morning light on Resurrection Pass, Alaska during the Resurrection Pass 100 race. Amy recently presented a version of this story at Trail Tales in Anchorage and had such a good time doing so, she decided to share it here, too.

[:46] Invited to Trail Tales and it was oh so fun

[1:30] What this story is about

[1:40] The first thing you need to know

[2:02] The next thing you need to know

[2:22] An entirely different kind of risk I don’t like

[2:38] Why that made me try to run 100 miles, which is crazy

[3:00] Your Resurrection Pass briefing

[4:15] What I found thanks to the risk

[4:30] And so the run begins + snacks

[5:00] The thing we saw worth seeing

[6:10] Why it was worth the risk

[6:33] What I’ve been seeing recently

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