"Find that comfort zone, take a step out of it and do that, because that's how you continue your own personal growth. That's how you continue finding who you are. There are so many things out there in life to experience. Expose yourself to all of it because how are you supposed to know what you really like? For me, I never thought in the world hiking would be anything I'd be interested in and here I am doing it every weekend." - Brittany Bowman Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is an exciting episode with a hiking power couple who recently just completed the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, Brian Twardy and Brittany Bowman. You may know them from instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brian_hikes_all_day/ and https://www.instagram.com/brittany_hikes_all_day/ ), where they both share their hiking journey with their community. They have embraced the journey of life and have realized that every single moment along each adventure is special. This is a truly inspiring episode In this episode we get into: Brittany and Brian's discovery of the Adirondacks and their dedication to completing the 46 High Peaks.The highs and the lows of completing the 46 High Peaks.Expanding beyond one's comfort zone.Using Social Media to positively affect people's experiences in the outdoors.Living true to yourself. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you listen most! Please check out Brian and Brittany's social media to follow along with their journey and reach out to connect :).

"When you've got 400 people climbing mountains all over the country and you're standing on the summit, you feel this overwhelming awe of the power that that holds. Everyone who is at the summit of all of these mountains put through the work to get there for this cause and you're not alone when you're out there." -Kolby Ziemendorf, co-founder of 46Climbs Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is all about a very relevant organization, 46Climbs. 46Climbs (46climbs.com) is an organization rooted in encouraging many individuals across the United States and the world to take on the challenge of conquering suicide through the physical challenge of climbing and hiking. This is done in an effort to end the stigma and promote overall positive mental health. This upcoming week, August 30th through September 8th is the 5th annual 46Climbs event benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This episode is all about the incredible connection between getting outside to the mountains and positive mental health. This episode contains clips from two previous shows that talk about mountains and positive mental health, the 46Climbs event and what it is. On the episode is Kolby Ziemendorf, the co-founder of 46Climbs and Cody Wiktorski, the co-founder of Wik Brothers. Both of these amazing people are climbing this week and, this upcoming Monday, I will be too. I'm taking on Mount Marshall, which will be my 40th Adirondack High Peak. This is an amazing episode where you will learn all about how 46Climbs started, the power behind getting outside to the mountains, and how you can get involved.

"The group in front of us was standing there looking out into the water with binoculars and they were like - 'is that a whale?' We stopped and turned and saw this enormous pool of water and it looked like a giant rock, but the people that were looking at it were like - 'yo, that's a whale.' " - Brandon Agostinelli Welcome to the To Summit Up Podcast! This week's episode is the second week in a row with a To Summit Up repeat guest. On the podcast this week is my great friend, Brandon Agostinelli. A year ago, Brandon and I went to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies and the outdoor flame was lit within him. Over the past year Brandon has grown and made the outdoors a staple in his life. He recently just took a trip to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine. I (Ryan) too have been to Maine and it is an incredible place with a wide variety of activities available for everyone. This is a really great episode where we talk about why you should go to Maine and what you should do there. In this episode Brandon and I talk about: The varieties of activities available in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine.Seeing whales in the Atlantic and what that experience was like.Accessible hiking for everyone in Acadia.Exploring new places.The importance of getting outside If you enjoy this episode, remember that the best way to help the podcast grow is to leave a positive review on itunes, subscribe on whatever platform you listen on, and to tell your friends to listen as well!

"The positive out of it was just being out there. I mean, being out on the trail, seeing a new section on the trail that I hadn't done yet, meeting new people, sharing the experience with them when I was hiking with them during the start, and meeting all of the people at the start. There's no bad day outside - no matter how much it sucks - it beats other things in life.  I am just very grateful to have still had that experience." - Mat Jobin This week's episode was an amazing conversation with a To Summit Up repeat guest and northeast mountain guide Mat Jobin. Mat owns his own guiding and gear company in Connecticut called Reach Your Summit. Mat was on episode 32 of the podcast earlier this year and one of the trips that he had mentioned he was taking this spring was the Allegheny 100. A few weeks ago, he attempted this 100 mile journey for the second time and I wanted to get him back on the podcast to see how the experience went and what he learned. This is a really great episode where we talk about the Allegheny 100 and so much more. You are definitely going to want to stick around through this whole episode as there are some great outdoor tips and lessons learned. In this episode Mat and I talk about: This year's Allegheny 100 - the full story.Hiking tips and gear to stay as dry as possible in soggy, muddy conditions.How to mentally deal with setbacks.How the outdoors are an opportunity for growth for everyone. To find out more about Mat and Reach Your Summit, check out reachyoursummit.net or https://www.instagram.com/rys_adventure/

"It's worth every single step. And really take your time. It's not a race and you don't have to beat the clock to get there. You're going to miss a lot of great things if you try to." - Randy Guyer  This week's episode was a great conversation with an inspiring Adirondacker named Randy Guyer. Randy has lived at the foothills of the Adirondacks for over 20 years but just recently began to explore hiking - and it changed him for the better. Randy has worked in the food industry and combined his love for food and his newfound love for mountains into an inspiring platform and challenge called sandwich and a summit. This is a really amazing conversation where Randy takes us through his whole journey going from zero hiking experience to itching to hike all the time. In this episode Randy and I talk about: Randy's non-hiking years in the food industry.What sparked him to hike after 20 years of living in the Adirondacks and not hiking and how hiking changed him mentally and physically.Keeping it local for hikes and food.The creation of Sandwich and a Summit.Community in the mountains. Check out sandwichandasummit.com and @sandwichandasummit on Instagram for more!

"Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey Spending time in nature has been scientifically proven to benefit mental and physical health. In this episode, I dive into an article by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that lays out some of the benefits of spending time outside including... Improved immune health Reduction in stress and anxietyLower blood pressureimproved ability to focus and a reduction in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms (ADHD)Quicker recovery from surgery. If you need more incentive to get outside beyond the adventure and views, this episode will provide you with reasons that may help you improve your overall health. Citation: Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html

"Enjoy the experience. Enjoy not just the summit, but enjoy the hike, enjoy the people that you're hiking with, enjoy nature, enjoy the summit, enjoy the snacks that you've brought - and then, after the hike, go to the local brewery and talk about the hike with your friends. That's a great experience." - Pat Barczys This week is challenge week! On the podcast is Pat Barczys, the founder of a new Adirondack Challenge called the ADK 6 Pack (www.adk6pack.com). This challenge combines two of my favorite things; mountains and beer. If you love taking on new challenges in the mountains and then rewarding yourself with a beer after, this episode and the ADK 6 Pack is for you. I am so excited for this challenge to go live on July 1st! In this episode Pat and I talk about: Pat's involvement in the Outdoor Club at the University at Buffalo. Who, What, Where, Why, How for the ADK 6 Pack Challenge.Spreading hikers around the entire Adirondacks rather than just the 46 High Peaks.How you can get involved and participate in the challenge. The fan of the week this week is Joyryde! To be featured as the fan of the week head over to itunes and spend 3 minutes leaving a review! Positive and constructive reviews will be featured on future episodes.

"Follow your gut instinct. It's always right and there is always this little, tiny voice in the back of your head that you're trying to push away or trying not to listen to, but it has always been right so follow that." - Brenda Zeelenberg This week's episode was a super fun conversation with an inspiring adventurer and traveler named Brenda Zeelenberg. Brenda is originally from the Netherlands and currently resides in British Columbia in Canada. Many people know Brenda from her Instagram account @backpackbren and her blog backpackbren.com, where she inspires people to travel and shows that it is not hard to travel and experience the world. In this conversation, we talk about: Go. Live. - Brenda's Life Motto.How to partake in and promote responsible adventure including social media.Doing activities that your body currently allows you to because someday you may not be able to do them.Importance of Avalanche Training.Building community in new places.

"I feel like relationships are built quicker and potentially deeper when you are outside - especially with something like a hike. You go through so much with a person - ups and downs...literally... - and you are put out of your comfort zone and that always brings people closer together." - Heidi Nixon Heidi Nixon is building her skills in the field of therapeutic recreation and is also a skier, fly fisher, and a stoked outdoor enthusiast. This is such a fun episode! In this conversation, Heidi and I get into: Embracing the outdoors and sharing outdoor experiences with others.Heidi's 35 month ski streak.Impact of Therapeutic recreation on teens during developmental years.Wilderness First Responder Courses.East Coast community vs. West Coast community. Check out this episode and more at tosummitup.com !

This is a Ryck Proctor (Episode 25) Appalachian Trail update! Welcome back to the To Summit Up Podcast. I took a 2 month hiatus from posting and this is the first episode back. In this episode, I talk about: Reason for the 2 month hiatus.Recap of my trips to Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe to ski and Lake Placid in the Adirondacks to hike.APPALACHIAN TRAIL UPDATE! Ryck Proctor was on Episode 25 of the podcast and embarked on the AT approximately 60 days ago.Reminder on the Garden Trailhead situation in the Adirondacks. Emily Giffin once said "Often I feel that projects overwhelm us when we look at how many hours are involved until completion. But just getting started is usually not that difficult." I appreciate your listening and am so glad to be back :)

"Get outside. We only have one life to do it. Take the chance, make time and go for it. It's going to change your life. I mean, one of the things that I really love about long-distance hikes and thru-hikes is every day is different. You're waking up in a different town and you're seeing different things and experiencing different things - get out there!" -Mat Jobin Who is on: On this episode is Mat Jobin - an adventure guide who has his own company called Reach Your Summit based out of Connecticut. Mat's mission with the company is to empower anyone who seeks to connect with themselves and with nature with the opportunity to do so. He does this by striving to make the wilderness responsibly accessible for people of all experience levels. We talk about: Guiding and Coaching through Reach Your Summit (RYS).The values Mat instills in each individual who hikes with RYS.The need for more diversity and equality in the outdoors. Distance hiking and backpacking.How Mat created his own backpacking loop and hiked it for National Trails Day. Support TSU and Make a Difference: If you want to support the podcast and graduate from freeloader to a full-on supporter, there are a few ways you can help out. https://www.patreon.com/tosummitup, which allows listeners to contribute as little as $1 to help cover the costs of putting the podcast together.Bumper stickers and apparel at tosummitup.com/shop. Hats, shirts, and patches…grab your swag and represent the community as you create your story in the outdoors. Thank You: Music for this episode was brought to you by Scott Holmes. Scott’s music is throughout many of the podcast episodes and is brought to you courtesy of free music archive. His music can be found at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/ . To Summit Up Theme Song was composed and produced by my good friend Jordan Wolf. Jordan can be found on Instagram @jwolfy3.