She Survived a Stabbing, then Climbed Mount Katahdin
And Axie Navas jumps from journalism to lead NM's promotion of outdoor activities
Hi everyone! I see a bunch of new folks in the mix this week, so welcome, thanks for subscribing, and you can expect this newsletter in your inbox every Monday or so. I usually try to provide a mix of links from around the web, but it’s one of those weeks where I’ve featured mostly Outside content—which, at the end of the day, means we’re covering important issues in our world, so I’ll take it.
Before we get started, I must know: Why do puppies grow so quickly? I feel like I blinked and mine doubled in size.
What I’m reading
She Survived a Stabbing, then Climbed Mount Katahdin: In May, Kirby Morrill was nearly murdered during a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Four months later, she climbed Maine's highest peak, the route's terminus. [Grayson Haver Currin for Outside]
Shenandoah National Park Is Confronting Its History: America's parks are confronting the past in an effort to create more inclusive wilderness spaces. [Kathryn Miles for Outside]
'Molly of Denali' Gives Native Kids a New Cartoon Hero: Princess Daazhraii Johnson, a creative producer for the PBS series, tells Outside that the show is a "way of saying that it’s OK to be who you are, you should be proud of that." [Krista Langlois for Outside]
New Mexico Names Former Outside Editor as OREC Director: Axie Navas jumps from journalism to lead the state's promotion of outdoor activities. (Sticks and Stones note: …And I’m so excited for her! I’m not crying, you’re crying.) [Amelia Arvesen for SNEWS]
Why Running’s Greatest Protest Still Matters: As John Carlos and Tommie Smith are about to be inducted in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, others face punishment for similar acts. [Martin Fritz Huber for Outside]
Running Kept These Sisters Close Through Tough Times: The siblings essentially crossed finish lines together in high school track. Moving far apart and facing their own demons, they found that the bond of running holds fast. [Hilary Oliver for Outside]
Photographing Nature While Black: One man’s quest to make green spaces less white. [Kate Yoder for Grist]
How One Move Can Make Climbing More Inclusive: Dynos are big, scary, and an excellent way to think about how we can be more supportive and intentional at the crag. [Anaheed Saatchi for Outside]
Tibet Is Still Burning: Over the past ten years, more than 160 Tibetans have committed self-immolation—the act of setting yourself on fire—to protest Chinese occupation of their country. Has this had any lasting effect? In an extraordinary journey to Dharamsala, India, the center of Tibetan culture in exile, a journalist and a scholar talk to family members about the meaning and costs of the ultimate political sacrifice. [Tracy Ross for Outside]
Happy Fat Bear Week
It’s that time of year again when the bears of Katmai National Park compete for chunk. To celebrate, reread Erin Berger’s work of art: The Glory of Otis, Fattest of the Fat Bears:
We want the rolls—especially rolls around the haunches, a sign of peak fatness. Much like a football player, a bear’s neck should get so large that its head starts looking disproportionately small. The belly should hang as close to the ground as possible, the fur coat should get glossy and thick enough to cover up scars, and the bear should have the lethargic and slow-moving demeanor of, well, an animal that’s about to mostly sleep for six months. When Fat Bear Week finally rolls around, the healthiest bears are cartoonishly rounded and majestic, so stuffed full that no other word fits better than “rotund.”
