Creativity Archives - The Firn Line

Miranda climbing at a crag developed by Tim Bruns and Will Harris who founded Wadi Climbing, the climbing Gym in Ramallah, Palestine. This area is in Area A of the occupied Palestinian territory. Photo Credit: Julie Ellison.

A Conversation with Miranda Oakley

Evan Phillips on February 6, 2022

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know rock climber, big-wall soloist and AMGA certified rock climbing guide, Miranda Oakley.

Growing up in Maryland, Miranda learned from a young age the values of compassion, teaching, and working with others. Born to a Palestinian mother, and an American father, Miranda grew in a family that cared deeply about social justice issues, whether it was participating in peaceful anti-war rallies, or attending meetings of the Palestine Aid Society with her mother.

Later, in her teens, Miranda started rock climbing at the local gym – and it was during that time, she discovered the calling that would begin to shape her life. In college, she started a climbing club and began making her first road trips with friends. But it wasn’t until she headed west in 2006, to the big walls of Yosemite Valley, that her life’s vision truly came into focus.

Since that time, Miranda has become a force in the climbing world. With the support of her longtime sponsor, Mountain Hardware, She’s established herself as a seasoned guide with the Yosemite Mountaineering School, while simultaneously becoming one of the most prolific female trad climbers in the United States. Some of her remarkable ascents include linking Half Dome and El Cap in a day, as well as becoming the first female to rope-solo The Nose on El Cap in under 24 hours.

I recently caught up with Miranda, to talk about her remarkable life journey. Our conversation begins during Miranda’s college years – the formative time when her passion for climbing became the driving force in her life.

Learn more about Miranda Oakley

Written & Produced by Evan Phillips
Editing & Sound Design by Pod Peak
Original Music by Evan Phillips

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The Creative Path: Tony Perelli

Evan Phillips on July 19, 2019

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know Alaskan-based wilderness adventurer, woodworker, potter and teacher, Tony Perelli.

Tony grew up in the farm country of Wisconsin, playing sports as a kid, but also developing a passion for the outdoors, fishing and canoeing with his family and grandparents. After college, Tony found himself in Alaska, working as a teacher for the Anchorage School District, and also meeting a group of friends that would introduce him to mountaineering and packrafting. These formative experiences would shape his life, and instill a deeper sense of love and respect, for the wilderness.

Since that time, Tony has continued refining his life, stripping away the excesses, and focusing instead on living simply, working with his hands, and sharing unique life experiences and connections with others.

Last winter, I got to sit down with Tony, to talk about his life in the mountains and wilderness, as well as the creative endeavors he chooses to pursue, and share with others. Like many conversations on The Firn Line, we started by talking about Tony’s inspirations as a kid – and later, how a random encounter after college, would lead him to Alaska.

Links

Tony Perelli

Evan Phillips

Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

Photo: Austin Siadak

Chris Kalman descends after bailing from an attempt on an unclimbed granite bigwall. Location: A remote valley in Coastal British Columbia. Photo: Austin Siadak

Chris Kalman racks up and prepares for the descent after summiting a previously unclimbed granite bigwall. Location: A remote valley in Coastal British Columbia. Photo: Austin Siadak

Wandering Writer: Chris Kalman

Evan Phillips on November 30, 2018

Growing up in the suburbs of northern Virginia, Chris Kalman was exposed to academia and team sports from a young age. But by the time he reached high school, he discovered rock climbing, and was instantly hooked. Always a deep thinker, the solitary process of combining fitness with problem solving appealed to him.

But it wasn’t until Kalman moved out west after college, to work trail crew at Rocky Mountain National Park, that a new world of adventure and self-discovery emerged.

Since that time, Kalman has forged an adventurous, almost Kerouac-style path thru life. This quest has taken him from the technical granite test pieces of Index, WA, to the sweeping big walls of Cochamo in southern Chile. But Chris’s search isn’t just about climbing. Rather, it’s a pursuit of self-examination, meaningful relationships with others, and a journey toward a deeper understanding of life.

Photo: Jason Gebauer // https://jasongebauerphotography.wordpress.com/

Open Book: Kathy Karlo

Evan Phillips on November 16, 2018

If you’re a climber, who consumes climbing related media like writing, video and podcasts – well, chances are, you’ve heard of Kathy Karlo.

Kathy is the creative force behind For The Love Of Climbing, an entertaining and insightful blog that combines honest, to the point writing about life on and off the walls, mixed with a good dose of self-deprecating humor.

I had heard of Kathy’s blog probably sometime in 2017. Although I perused thru some of her stories and photos, I have to admit, I never really took the time to sit down and actually delve into her work. But when I heard she was starting a new podcast, I eagerly awaited her first episode. Let’s just say, I was not let down.

For me, listening to Kathy’s podcast for the first time was an emotional gut punch that had me laughing one minute, crying the next and at the end of it all – feeling astonished at the level of creativity and production quality. A true lesson in the power of audio.

That’s why I was stoked to connect with Kathy a few months ago when she came thru Alaska on assignment with her job with the No Man’s Land Film Festival. We got to sit down for an engaging conversation about the ups and downs of life on the road, how she first started writing a blog, and how that eventually led to her starting a podcast.

Music

• Lonely Mountain / Evan Phillips / Silhouettes (2015)
• Augusta / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2018)
• Going To The Gunks / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2018)
• Space Song / Evan & Molly / Evan & Molly (2012)
• Baby Come Home / Easton Stagger Phillips / Overseas (2014)
• She Was Gone /Easton Stagger Phillips / One For The Ditch (2009)
• Falling Down / Evan Phillips / Silhouettes (2015)
• Close To Me / Evan Phillips / Cabin Vibes (2018)

Links

For The Love Of Climbing
Evan Phillips
Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym
Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria
The Hoarding Marmot
Behind The Sun Therapeutics

Waterman wearing his Denali ranger attire. Circa 1984

Waterman in the arctic.

Waterman with son. 2015.

Ranger training. 2016

Jon Waterman

Full Circle: Jon Waterman

Evan Phillips on October 25, 2018

When I think back to my formative time as a young Alaskan climber, I’m often filled with memories and nostalgia that are overwhelming. The wonder I felt when I first roped up to cross a boundless icefield, littered with crevasses, and dotted with sabre-like nunataks. My first uneasy solo climb up a 2,000 foot ice face in the western Chugach. Seeing my life flash before my eyes when a river crossing went bad, sending me thru a turbulent cauldron of boulders and snags, only to walk away unscathed. And the first time I felt the cold finality of death, when my 19 year old friend was buried under 15 feet of snow in Hatcher Pass.

Like many young alpinists, my early experiences in and out of the mountains were defined by a succession of monumental highs tempered with desperate lows. Maybe that’s why Jonathan Waterman’s book, In The Shadow Of Denali – made such an indelible mark on me. The collection of short stories, which is a a mountaineering classic, followed Waterman’s years as an alpinist and mountaineering ranger on Denali in the 1970’s and 80’. As a neophyte Alaskan climber, just out of high school – it affected me deeply.

Although I was fascinated with the climbing stories Waterman penned, I was equally entranced by the characters he described. Tales of legendary figures like Mugs Stump and Ray Genet kept me turning the pages at a frantic pace. But it was the stories of the people living their lives in the shadow of the mountain, that hit me the hardest. The descriptions of the hard drinking Herb Atwater, and the ill-fated journey of Gretta Berglund – painted a brutally honest picture of a darker side of Alaska.

Needless to say, the book left a lasting impression on me, and I can honestly say In The Shadow Of Denali is the most influential climbing-related book I’ve ever read.

That’s why I was excited to get a chance to interview Jon Waterman this last week. We talked about everything – from his bitter 1982 winter ascent of The Cassin Ridge, to a 2,000 mile paddle trip across the northwest passage, as well as his new book ‘Chasing Denali’.