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Yakima River Canyon Formation
Not your average canyon. The Yakima River was there first and then the canyon walls around it lifted up!
The Astonishing Underground Life of Aspen Trees!
The Aspen Tree. The coolest tree ever? Groves clone themselves! Groves can be hundreds, if not thousands of years old. This 7-minute video explores the uniqueness of the Aspen Tree via the Pando clone in Utah that is approximately 80,000 years old.
Tree Conservation Through Photography with TJ Watt
Meet TJ Watt, Big Tree Hunter, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance and an award-winning nature and conservation photographer from British Columbia whose images have helped bolster campaigns to secure the protection of important environmental areas.
In this episode, TJ explains how he got interested in big trees, what it’s like to climb into old-growths, and how he came about his Before & After photography series. And he explains his connection to the Big Lonely Doug, the 2nd largest Douglas Fir in Canada that is located in South West Vancouver Island.
The Ride! Hart’s Pass / Slate Peak (Part 2)
A quick 2-minute video of part 2 of the ride (on the descent), where things start to get a bit interesting with the weather.
Yachats and The Amanda Story
In Yachats, Oregon the town pays tribute to indigenous heritage through a story about Amanda. How did this one story come to represent the history of the local tribe? Joanne Kittel started out wanting to donate 1/2 miles of land in Yachats, Oregon to support the Oregon Coast Trail. This turned into 30 years of research and advocacy work about the local tribes. Joanne has written numerous articles on the history of the tribes (with their explicit involvement and approval.).
Listen in as she explains the fascinating story of the indigenous coast tribes, why a key component of the story is focused on a woman named Amanda, and how the tribes remember their heritage today. The interview also includes the stories about how grizzly bears also once roamed this area.
Joy Ride
This podcast explorers Kristen and Ville Jokinen met and fell in love while scuba diving in Vietnam. Ville then left his native Finland to join Kristen in Oregon, and together they embarked on a life-changing two-year cycling adventure covering 18,000 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina.
Despite never having cycled further than around the block, they persevered unrelenting, punishing rain and wind, altitude sickness, dog attacks, bike accidents, and countless flat tires to cycle between the ends of the earth. Kristen and Ville believe that kindness connects us to our shared humanity. They held babies, attended quinceañeras, drank pulque, played soccer, and visited schools. People in Mexico, Central America, and South America invited them into their hearts and homes, allowed them to camp in their fields and farms, and acted as personal tour guides. Kristen and Ville are love on wheels, and who doesn’t need a little more love in their lives?
Sculpture Representing First Woman to Bicycle Around the World
In March 2022, Chris Cole, a local Bend artist, installed a new sculpture in the Discovery West neighborhood. This new public art in Bend, Oregon is a tribute to Annie Londonderry, the first women to bicycle around the world in 1894 and 1895. The seven foot tall, inverted pyramid design includes decorative bike cogs, ship window, and illuminated image of Annie and a descriptive plaque. Visitors can get a peek into Annie’s life and history through the porthole. Hear Chris’s story on this podcast and how he connects to the story of Annie Londonderry.
The Endangered Sonoran Pronghorn
In Southern Arizona you might be lucky enough to see Sonoran pronghorns. In this podcast, we learn from Stephanie Fuest, the lead wildlife biologist for the recovery of the endangered Sonoran pronghorn. She walks us through the history of the species in the area, recovery efforts, and best practices should you encounter one while riding. She also explains what is different about them, compared to pronghorns found further north.
Sonoran pronghorns can be found on several of our gravel bike routes in the southwest corner of Arizona that take you through the Cabeza Preita National Wildlife Refuge or the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. They both represent spectacular ecoscapes of Sonoran Desert beauty.
Photo credit: USFWS.
How the Rajneesh Cult Overran Antelope
What exactly happened when the Rajneesh cult took over Antelope, Oregon?
Fish Hatcheries: The Insider View
What is a fish hatchery? Why are they important? What fish do they raise? What impacts the survival of the fish? Our guest is Kyle Bratcher who is a District Fish Biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and he will discuss fish hatcheries with an emphasis on the Wallowa Hatchery in Enterprise, OR.
We promise, the next time you ride by a fish hatchery, you are going to have a whole new perspective. The process of how a fish hatchery works is amazing. If you are looking for a perfect bike route that includes a fish hatchery, check out Fish Trophy in Joseph, Oregon.
Big Lonely Doug
READ Harley Rustad’s Big Lonely Doug to learn about the old-growth trees on southwest Vancouver Island. Then RIDE Dirty Freehub’s gravel routes to meet the trees in-person.
Big Lonely Doug
Ever visited a location from your favorite book? Cool, right? Dirty Freehub’s new READ & RIDE allows you to do just that! READ & RIDE matches 5-star gravel routes with books to create a memorable journey. Read to learn, then ride to bring the pages to life! No worries if books aren’t your jam — you can still learn about the places you’ll ride through podcasts, videos, and more.
In this podcast, Sarah Burch from Dirty Freehub introduces the first episode of the Read & Ride program featuring Big Lonely Doug, the tree that has become a symbol for saving old-growth forests.
This tree is the story behind a long-form article in The Walrus that garnered a National Magazine Award; the Big Lonely Doug weaves through the ecology of old-growth forests, the legend of these trees, and the ups and downs in logging and preservation. And this tree becomes the bases of the Big Lonely Doug book by Harly Rustad.
Find out in this podcast how Dirty Freehub combines these amazing stories with route guides that will take you out to see actual tree which is located on Vancouver Island in Canada.
Untangling the Geological History of the Wallowa Mountains
The Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon have the most complicated and longest geological history of any range in Oregon. In this podcast, we talk with Dr. Kim Ely, a geologist, about this unique and beautiful area. Learn how to “untangle what you see” when riding in the Wallowas!
The Desert Bighorn Sheep
Learn a bit more about the majestic, and endangered, Desert Bighorn Sheep in this 3-minute video by the Park Service.
Pace Groups in Gravel Cycling at the Gorge Gravel Grinder
“I was so busy meeting the people in my pace group that I forgot to be nervous,” commented one of the cyclists at the Gorge Gravel Grinder. The idea of pace groups is nothing new to those of you who came out of the running world. Large running events offer up designated runners who have […]
Indigenous Peoples
Purpose Statement: Within its broader mission of fostering connections, Dirty Freehub places emphasis on gaining a deeper understanding of Indigenous communities and their role as stewards of the lands they inhabit. Specifically, our guiding principles are to: Understand the complicated history of Indigenous peoples and white settlers on this continent. Understand the good, and the […]
Orchard View Farms
Orchard View Farms is located in The Dalles. The orchard, which has been owned and operated for generations by the same family, is the nation’s largest sweet cherry farm.
Biocrust – Don’t step on it!
Ecologist Kristina Young talks about the importance of Biocrust to the Moab desert. It’s the glue that holds everything together! Learn more in this 3-minute video.
The White Rim Road
Know before you go! This is a must watch. It has helpful tips and advice to help you plan your trip and Leave No Trace while out in these pristine areas.
Giant Tree Hunters
Big tree photographer and wilderness explorer, TJ Watt, searches to find the biggest tree in Canada in the rainforests on southern Vancouver Island. In Port Renfrew, he’s joined by two big tree climbers in an attempt to break a world record.
