The Firn Line

On episode 18, we’ll delve into the first of a two-part series with venerable North American alpinist, Jack Tackle. With his unmistakable baritone and classic unassuming style, Jack is the epitome of a true Alaskan “hardman”. His gutsy first ascents up climbs like the Isis Face on Denali, the Diamond Arete on Mount Hunter, and the Elevator Shaft on Mount Johnson, have cemented his place in the storied history of Alaskan alpinism. • Recently, I got to sit down with Jack at his Castle Valley yurt, to talk about his forty year career as an alpinist, and the lessons learned along the way. We discussed everything from his early forays in the woods, to his most intense experiences in the mountains and in life. It was an enlightening and meaningful conversation that I felt privileged to be a part of. • Links: http://www.patreon.com/thefirnline http://www.thefirnline.com http://www.evanphillips.net http://www.alaskarockgym.com

It’s no accident that Brad Meiklejohn makes his home in a beautiful alpine valley outside of Anchorage, Alaska.  An avid pack rafter, climber and skier, Brad has spent much of his life exploring Alaska and other remote corners of the world.  But beyond his accomplishments in the outdoors, the mountains have always been a sacred place of reflection and self discovery, attributes that can certainly be traced to his deep family roots. • As a kid, Brad followed his grandmother and cousins on hiking and climbing adventures in The White Mountains of New Hampshire.  It was during these formative years that Brad would lay the foundation for his future outdoor ambitions.  But more than anything, his family instilled in him a deep loyalty to each other, as well as a sense of duty to protect the natural world they loved.   • This way of life was a natural progression for Brad, first as an avid climber, skier, and avalanche forecaster in Utah, then as Alaska Director of The Conservation Fund, a position he’s now held for

In June 2017, Aaron Kurland and Sam Novey planned to attempt the formidable and rarely-climbed Father and Sons wall, but when they found the face to be out of condition, they quickly turned their attention elsewhere. • The duo settled on the ultra-classic Cassin Ridge, a 9,000 foot spine of ice, snow and granite that snakes it’s way directly up the center of the south face. With a big storm scheduled to hit within the week, the duo planned a 3 day alpine-style ascent. Little did they know, they would soon be at the mercy of Denali’s weather, totally exposed, and fully committed on the Cassin. www.patreon.com/thefirnline www.thefirnline.com

When I was a kid growing up in Alaska, Vern Tejas was one of my heroes. Back in February of 1988, Tejas made the bold first solo winter ascent of Denali, and in doing so, captured the imagination of all Alaskans, including me. • The Denali climb changed Vern’s life. He wrote books, gave lectures and eventually became one of the most sought after high altitude guides in the world. But Alaska never remained far from Vern’s heart, and he returned each year to guide on The High One. To this date, Tejas has summited the mountain a staggering 57 times. A world record. • I recently had the privilege to sit down with Vern, and talk about his life in and out of the mountains. From his first adventurous forays of hitchhiking around the country, to his 1st winter ascent of the Lowe-Kennedy route on Mount Hunter, Vern is a larger-than-life figure and a great storyteller. • Links: https://patreon.com/thefirnline https://thefirnline.com https://evanphillips.net https://www.amazon.com/Seventy-Summits-Mountains-Vern-Te

A few weeks ago I got to sit down with outdoor educator and host of the excellent 'The Sharp End' podcast, Ashley Saupe. We talked about her upbringing in Alaska, her experiences teaching as an Outward Bound instructor as well as discussing what it takes to produce a monthly podcast about accidents in North American climbing. • Music: Space Song // Evan & Molly // 'Evan & Molly' (2012) Augusta // Evan Phillips // unreleased (2017) Sharp End // Evan Phillips // unreleased (2017) Traveller // Evan Phillips (written by Leeroy Stagger) // 'Lonely Mountain' (2017) • Show Links: https://patreon.com/thefirnline https://thefirnline.com https://evanphillips.net https://americanalpineclub.org/sharp-end-podcast/

On today’s episode, we’ll get to know Alaskan alpinist Sam Johnson. Growing up in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains, Sam was exposed to the outdoors and mountain environments at a young age. But it wasn’t until his teenage years that he discovered a newfound focus and direction thru climbing. • Since that time, Johnson has climbed extensively Alaska, Canada, Europe and even the far reaches of the Karakoram. His quiet first ascents in Alaska’s Hayes Range, including a bold solo on the South East Face of Mount Hayes in 2013, highlight the spirit of adventure and self discovery that Sam seeks in climbing, and in life. • I recently sat down with Sam to talk about his trajectory as an alpinist, as well as the things that inspire him on a day to day basis. • Episode Music Space Song / E. Phillips / Evan & Molly (2012) Augusta / E. Phillips / Unreleased (2017) Instrumental #1 / E. Phillips / Songs From Lake Irene (2007) Hwy 395 / Easton Stagger Phillips / One For The Ditch (2008) Hell Of A Life / Easton

On this episode of Short Ropes, we revisit my conversation with legendary Alaskan alpinist Carl Tobin (See episode 11). • Tobin’s climbs in Alaska’s remote Hayes Range raised the bar for hard alpine climbing in North America in the late 70’s and early 80’s. His climb up the Valdez test piece “Wowie Zowie” is an honest grade 6 ice climb, and was way ahead of it’s time when he made the first ascent in 1981 with the late Andy Embick. • In this episode, Carl and I talk about the early days in Fairbanks, his relationship with the enigmatic alpinist Johnny Waterman as well as surviving a deadly avalanche in the Hayes Range in 1984. • Episode Music Space Song / E. Phillips / Evan & Molly (2012) Augusta / E. Phillips / Unreleased (2017) Fairbanks 75′ / E. Phillips / Unreleased (2017) Waterman / E. Phillips / Unreleased (2017) Avalanche / E. Phillips / Unreleased (2017) Ode To Easton / E. Phillips / Unreleased (2017)

On today’s episode, we’ll get to know legendary Alaskan alpinist Carl Tobin. With an alpine career that has spanned over 40 years, Tobin continues to be a force in Alaska’s climbing community to this day. • In the late 70’s and early 80’s, Tobin and a small group of committed partners, pioneered a number of first ascents in Alaska’s Hayes Range including the east face of Hess Mountain, the northeast face of peak 10,910′ and the historic east ridge of Mount Deborah. These climbs set the standard for hard alpine climbing in Alaska, and in doing so, inspired generations of climbers that would follow. • This last spring, I sat down with Carl at his home in Anchorage, to talk about his early days in Fairbanks, and the whirlwind years in the mountains that followed. Carl seemed wistful that day, as he recounted his years spent climbing in Alaska, the Canadian Rockies and the Himalaya. But it wasn’t just the climbing that had him thinking. It was also the important relationships he’d forged along the way.

I first came up with the idea to do The Firn Line in September 2016 - really not that long ago when you think about it.  I think the truth is that i’d always wanted to somehow combine my love for the mountains with my creative pursuits.  I just wasn’t sure how to do it.  I guess you could say I had a light bulb moment when I realized that I could combine my passion for storytelling, the mountains, and music all into one creative outlet.  Nine months and ten episodes in, I guess you could say I haven’t looked back. • My goal from the get-go was to create a podcast that I would have wanted to listen to back when climbing was the only thing that mattered to me.  I’ve thought back to all the endless nights sitting around campfires with friends, all the soggy drives to go ice climbing in Valdez, and all the storm days I whittled away in tents, counting the squares in the ripstop fabric.  Back then, I would have loved to have had a podcast like the firn line to listen to. • So as I look back today at the beginning

From a young age, Graham Zimmerman was inspired by the rugged peaks of the New Zealand alps, and later, the cascades of Washington and the pacific northwest. • During high school, Graham developed a keen interest in geology and it was then that he would experience his first involvement with mountaineering. But it wasn’t until he returned to New Zealand for University that climbing became the driving force in his life. • Since that time, Zimmerman has honed his craft, and over the last decade he’s pioneered a myriad of exploratory routes in Alaska, Patagonia, and most recently, The Karakoram. But for Graham, it’s not just about climbing. Rather, it’s about living an all-encompassing lifestyle that combines exploration, creativity and challenging alpinism. Getting to the top is one thing, but how you get there is everything. www.thefirnline.com www.evanphillips.net www.grahamzimmerman.com

Last month I sat down to chat with Alaskan climber and mountain explorer Katie Strong. Katie is an ambitious adventurer, as well as a driven environmental lawyer, which means her career often-times takes center stage, leaving her with limited amounts of free time.But that doesn’t keep her from spending time in the mountains. Rather, it just means she has to pack big trips into shorter blocks. Enter the "micro-expedition”.  Music by Evan PhillipsSupport the show at PatreonSponsors:Alaska Rock Gym

Growing up in the village of McGrath, Luc Mehl was inspired at a young age by the simplicity of rural living, and the vast Alaskan wilderness surrounding him. As a teenager, Luc moved to Anchorage to attend high school, and it was during this period that he would first experience rock climbing and other outdoor sports. But at that junction, his passion for academics and learning would take center stage. After earning his undergraduate degree in geology, Luc attended UC Santa Barbara where he would earn his first master's degree. But as much as Luc enjoyed school, he’d always struggled to find balance between the rigid structure of academia, and the more dynamic lifestyle he’d known as a kid. Ultimately, he returned to Alaska in 2003, deeply depressed, and unsure which direction to take. It was during this period, a time Luc refers to as his "dark year", that he would literally stumble his way into the mountains, only to come out on the other side with a restored sense of purpose, and a new way of

Nestled in the heart of the Alaska Range, lies what many believe to be one of the most beautiful mountains in the world: Mount Huntington. Rising on all sides to form a 12,241 ft symmetrical pyramid of rock, snow and ice, Huntington has captured the imagination of bold and dedicated alpinists for decades. • When the French Ridge was first climbed in 1964, the mountaineering world took notice. Then just a year later, when a young David Roberts and crew climbed the stunning west face, the mountaineering world was shocked. Both of these climbs raised the standard of what could be done in Alaska’s mountains, as well as setting a precedent for what future alpinists could expect on Huntington: remoteness, sustained, hard climbing, total commitment. • By 2016, most of Huntington’s major features had been climbed. But one line, perhaps the most committing of them all, had yet to be ascended: The complete south ridge. • Rising nearly 7,000 feet, the south ridge follows a serpentine spine of four jagged sub-peaks,

Mark Westman is one of Alaska's most prolific alpinists. On Denali alone, Westman has climbed a myriad of monumental routes including the Cassin Ridge, Isis Face, Denali Diamond and Slovak Direct. On episdode 05, Westman traces his roots in the outdoors, the important partnerships in his life and the challenges he's faced in and out of the mountains.

Cover: Dustin Eroh leads Blackbird Falls in Chitina, Alaska (Photo: Andrew Burr) In February, 2016 Dusty Eroh, Andrew Burr, Scott Adamson and Todd Tumolo rode, pushed and postholed their fatbikes up the Nizina River to the mythical frozen waterfalls of the Chitistone valley. In Episode 04, Dusty tells the story first-hand, reflects on his time with Scott and discusses how he got his nickname, "Dirty D."

Clint Helander left home at 18 years old, hoping to escape a tense relationship with his mother, and to start finding his own way through life. When he came to Alaska a year later to attend college, a chance encounter with a new group of friends would expose Clint to the outdoors, and eventually lead him to the mythical Revelation Mountains. Little did he know that along the way, he’d learn more about the importance of relationships with his friends, and ultimately his mother, than he ever could have imagined. Recorded & Produced by Evan Phillips Music by Evan Phillips with additional tunes by Ryan Giorgioff www.thefirnline.com www.evanphillips.net

In this follow up to episode 01, Alaksan alpinist Charlie Sassara talks about attempting the west pillar of Makalu in 1984, as well as his transition to Alaska climbing back in the day. Recorded, Edited & Produced by Evan Phillips All Music by Evan Phillips

Growing up in the wilds of Alaska, Charlie Sassara always yearned for adventure. But it wasn't until he found the "expression" of climbing that his life's path changed forever. From early harrowing ascents on Mount Deborah and Denali in winter, to visionary climbs and bold rescues in the Wrangell-St. Elias, Charlie is a compelling character, and one of Alaska's most enduring alpinists.Music by Evan PhillipsLinks:PatreonSponsors:Alaska Rock Gym