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In November 1934, 20-year-old artist and adventurer Everett Ruess disappeared into the remote canyons of southern Utah with two burros and a desire to explore some of the wildest country in the American West. He was never seen again.When searchers eventually retraced his route, what they discovered raised more questions than answers. And as the years passed, the mystery surrounding his disappearance only deepened. Did Everett fall victim to the unforgiving desert landscape? Did he encounter someone dangerous? Or was there something else behind his disappearance? In this episode of The Crux True Survival Stories: Disaster Strikes, Kaycee and Julie investigate one of the American West's most enduring mysteries—a disappearance that has puzzled investigators, historians, and adventurers for more than 90 years. SOURCES & REFERENCES BOOKS David Roberts - Finding Everett Ruess W.L. Rusho - Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for Beauty W.L. Rusho - Wilderness Journals of Everett Ruess W.L. Rusho - On Desert Trails with Everett Ruess Scott Thybony - The Disappearances: Three Stories of Lost People in the American West ARTICLES & REPORTING John Upton Terrell - The Fate of Everett Ruess, Salt Lake Tribune (1935) Bob Silbernagel - Efforts to Find Everett Ruess Proved More Difficult Than Anticipated, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (2023) David Roberts - Solved: The Mystery of the Missing Artist, National Geographic Adventure (2009) Jim Scott - Solving a Mysterious Disappearance, CU Boulder Coloradan (2009) Howard Berkes - Mystery Endures: Remains Found Not Those of Artist, NPR (2009) Nicole Cowdell - Legacy of the Lost: Exploring One of Utah's Most Enduring Mysteries, University of Utah (2018) HISTORICAL RECORDS & ARCHIVES Everett Ruess family correspondence and journals, compiled by W.L. Rusho University of Utah Marriott Library - W.L. Rusho Collection University of Colorado Boulder - Anthropological and DNA research (2009) Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory - DNA reanalysis (2009) Oakland Museum of California - Dorothea Lange portrait of Everett Ruess (1933) Historical accounts of Clayton Porter, Addlin Lay, and Aneth Nez Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

Introducing EZRA FRECH: "I Was Put on This Earth to Change the Way We See Disability" from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Ezra Frech shares the mindset, discipline, and determination that have shaped his career and led him to win two Paralympic gold medals. From turning heartbreak in Tokyo into motivation to using visualization and meditation to perform under pressure, Ezra reveals how he prepares for the biggest moments of his career. He also opens up about competing on Dancing With the Stars, breaking down misconceptions about disability, and founding Angel City Sports to make adaptive sports more accessible to the next generation. Instagram Teen Accounts: Built-in protections for teens. Learn More. At https://chase.com/sapphirereserve JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 01:20 "Pressure Doesn't Exist" 02:51 The Day Ezra Was Born 06:24 The 15-Hour Surgery At Age 3 11:15 The Kindergarten Letter 13:29 Learning To Handle The Stares 16:21 Overcoming Stigma And Bullying 23:18 Falling In Love With Sports 27:00 Changing Culture & Looking Ahead to LA 2028 31:09 Mentorship From Pau Gasol 33:56 A Message From Novak Djokovic 36:53 How Do You Define Confidence? 40:43 The Moment That Inspired His Paralympic Dream 44:35 Making Team USA At 14 48:41 How Running Blades Actually Work 52:09 Tokyo Heartbreak & "The Man In The Arena" 58:53 Visualizing Paris Gold Every Morning 01:04:50 Protecting His Good Leg 01:11:33 Winning Double Gold & The 20-Minute Rule 01:17:00 Meditation Under Pressure 01:20:34 A Lifelong Dream to Compete on Dancing With the Stars 01:24:14 Inside the Dancing With the Stars Family 01:27:19 Learning To Dance On A Blade 01:30:12 Pressure Is A Privilege 01:32:10 Making Adaptive Sports Mainstream 01:37:10 Ezra On Final 5 Episode Resources Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/ezrafrech/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@ezrafrech Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/teamezra05/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

In the vast, frozen wilderness of Nunavut, Canada, even the most experienced hunters know that a routine trip can become dangerous in an instant.When Inuit hunter Ernie Etak headed out onto the Arctic tundra in December 2021, he couldn't have imagined the ordeal that lay ahead—or just how far he would be pushed to survive.In this episode of The Crux, Kaycee and Julie share Ernie's extraordinary true story and explore the traditional Inuit knowledge, survival instincts, and remarkable physiology that can mean the difference between life and death in one of the harshest environments on Earth.What happens when the human body reaches its limits? And what allows some people to survive when the odds seem impossible?Join us for a gripping story of survival in the Canadian Arctic. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

On a clear July evening in 2025, a seasoned hunting guide scouting for mule deer in Utah's Uinta Mountains felt his side-by-side begin to tilt at zero miles an hour. Minutes later, he lay on a steep slope with a shattered leg, his satellite messenger, radio, and phone scattered somewhere in the darkening brush, and only one companion left. What followed was an arduous journey of cold creek crossings, yipping coyotes, and a light no bigger than a quarter. Jake Schmitt thought he understood his dog, but somewhere in the dark, Buddy started doing something Jake still can't explain. Jake's GoFundMe Link - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jake-rebuild-after-his-5mile-crawl-to-safety References FOX 13 News Utah, "Man crawls 11 hours to rescue himself after getting injured on Uinta Mountains," July 29–30, 2025. https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/northern-utah/man-crawls-11-hours-to-rescue-himself-after-getting-injured-on-uinta-mountainsKSL, "Ogden man crawls, drags self for 11 hours after side-by-side rollover in Uintas," July 31, 2025. https://ksltv.com/local-news/ogden-man-crawls-drags-self-for-11-hours-after-side-by-side-rollover-in-uintas/802952/The Park Record, "Hunter crawls 11 hours to safety after a crash in the Uintas," Aug. 12, 2025. https://www.parkrecord.com/2025/08/12/hunter-crawls-11-hours-to-safety-after-a-crash-in-the-uintas/Outdoor Life, "After Rolling His UTV, This Man Crawled 11 Hours Through the Mountains with Only His Dog to Guide Him," July 31, 2025. https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/utah-hunter-crawls-mountains-with-dog/WIVB News 4 Buffalo, "East Aurora native survives serious accident in Utah," July 30–31, 2025. https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/east-aurora-native-survives-serious-accident-in-utah/The Salt Lake Tribune, "How a dog helped a Utah man survive an 11-hour night crawl through the Uintas," Aug. 10, 2025 https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2025/08/10/he-shattered-his-ankles-utv-crash/Outside, "After Breaking Both Ankles, a Utah Man Crawled for Hours with His Dog Beside Him," Aug. 14, 2025. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/hunter-crashed-utv-dog-helped-survive/Mike Force Podcast, interview with Jake Schmitt, published around Aug. 4, 2025. https://youtu.be/Xu95PrMOoDMHushlife Podcast, interview with Jake Schmitt, early August 2025. https://youtu.be/kKLHd8GEUvgTeam Never Quit Podcast, "Jake Schmitt," around Oct. 1, 2025. https://teamneverquit.com/podcast/jake-schmitt/GoFundMe, "Help Jake Rebuild After His 5-Mile Crawl to Safety," organized by Kaitlynn Cline. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jake-rebuild-after-his-5mile-crawl-to-safety Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

On May 24, 1998, a Canadian climber lost his footing on Denali's West Buttress and disappeared down the north face toward the Peters Glacier. Two National Park Service volunteer rangers were a hundred feet ahead of him. One of them radioed for permission to go down and look, got it, and started descending — and somewhere on that slope a decision was made that two separate federal investigations would spend the following year trying to explain. What happened next left one man clipped to a single ice screw in a storm, with no radio, waiting to find out whether anyone knew where he was. Thirteen days later, on the same stretch of ridge, it happened again. 00:00 Disaster Strikes Intro 00:41 Whiteout On The Ice 03:38 Denali Setup And Stakes 04:18 High Camp And Ranger Program 08:10 Gear Limits And Descent Plan 10:13 Burrito Brothers And The Thumb 13:41 Daniel Falls Off The Ridge 15:13 Radio Call And Rescue Choice 18:07 Unroped Descent Into Danger 24:22 Mike Disappears, Hurtado Waits 27:42 Rescue Team Rope By Rope 31:09 Bodies Packs And Missing Mike 34:34 Search Findings And Crampon Test 37:00 Rescue Fever And System Lessons 40:48 Aftermath; Another Fatal Fall 42:59 Scholarship And Farewell REFERENCES American Alpine Club, Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1999 — "Fall on Ice/Snow, Unable to Self-Arrest, Weather: Alaska, Mount McKinley, West Buttress."NIOSH / Alaska FACE Investigation 98AK012, "Volunteer Ranger Dies from Fall on Denali," June 1, 1999.NIOSH / Alaska FACE Investigation 98AK016, "Assistant Mountaineering Guide Falls on Denali," June 22, 1999.American Alpine Club, Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1999 — "Fall on Snow, Unable to Self-Arrest, Descending Unroped, Weather: Alaska, Mount McKinley, West Buttress."Porco, Peter. "Ridge Turns Killer." Anchorage Daily News, June 9, 1998.Anchorage Daily News, contemporaneous search coverage, May–June 1998, archived at akfatal.net."Denali Claims Another Climber." Mountain Zone. "Climber's Body Found — Man Loved Adventure, Family, Friends." Seattle Times, June 15, 1998."From a charmed life to learning how to cope with losing a son." Post Independent, April 18, 2011.Find a Grave memorial #28083415, Michael Adrian "Mike" Vanderbeek, Talkeetna Cemetery, Alaska. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!

A day hike in Glacier National Park turns into a fight for survival when 19-year-old Matthew Read encounters deep spring snow near Huckleberry Lookout.What begins as an ordinary hike quickly goes wrong, leaving Matthew stranded in steep, heavily forested terrain as changing weather and cold exposure raise the stakes.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, we follow Matthew’s three-night ordeal and the massive search effort unfolding around him. Along the way, we break down postholing in deep snow, wilderness survival strategy, hypothermia versus frostbite, and the challenges search-and-rescue teams face trying to locate one person in Glacier’s vast backcountry.How do you survive when a simple step into the snow changes everything? 00:00 Snow Trap Begins 00:45 Meet the Hosts 01:01 Huckleberry Trail and Terrain 04:17 Meet Matthew Read 06:22 A Warning on the Trail 08:09 Postholing Explained 09:25 Losing His Shoes and Sliding Off Trail 11:39 Building a Debris Shelter 13:32 Why Staying Put Matters 15:33 Hypothermia vs. Frostbite 20:06 Waiting and Signaling for Rescue 22:13 Search and Rescue Begins 24:55 Thermal Imaging Breakthrough 27:51 The Nighttime Hoist Rescue 29:46 Treating Severe Frostbite 33:35 Recovery and Survival Lessons 35:43 Final Takeaways Resources / ReferencesThese are the ones I'd actually put in your show notes rather than padding the list with generic sources: National Park Service — “Missing Hiker Rescued in Glacier National Park” — the primary official account of the search, Matthew's location, thermal detection and 175-foot hoist. National Park Service National Park Service rescue reportNational Park Service — “Search Underway in Glacier National Park for Missing 19-Year-Old” — contemporary search announcement documenting winter-like upper-trail conditions and the agencies involved. National Park Service National Park Service search announcementFlathead Beacon — “Stranded Glacier National Park Hiker Shares Story of Survival and Hope” — the best detailed account, including Matthew's own description of losing his shoes, building shelter, staying put and the Two Bear Air search. Flathead Beacon Flathead Beacon feature on Matthew ReadDaily Inter Lake — “19-year-old rescued from Huckleberry Mountain in May avoids double amputation” — follow-up reporting on Matthew's frostbite treatment and recovery. Daily Inter Lake Daily Inter Lake recovery follow-upUndark — “The Burgeoning Science of Search and Rescue” — later reporting that uses Matthew's case to explain lost-person behavior and search strategy. Undark Magazine Undark search-and-rescue feature Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

Doug Scott broke both his legs 23,900 feet above sea level on one of the world's most technically demanding mountains. No rescue team was waiting. No helicopter stood by. For eight days, Scott and his climbing partner Chris Bonington faced a descent that should have killed them—navigating crevasses, rappelling with broken legs, surviving a five-day storm with no food and wet sleeping bags in the death zone. But the real question isn't how they survived the mountain. It's what each person on that team did at every moment when survival seemed impossible. This is the story of how humans respond when everything goes catastrophically wrong. 00:00 Welcome to The Crux 01:50 Meet the Climbers 03:24 Why the Ogre Matters 04:47 Expedition Setup and Early Injury 07:35 Final Summit Push 11:44 The Fall and Broken Legs 15:56 Night on the Ledge 19:49 Crawling Descent and Regroup 23:08 Stormbound Survival 28:26 Base Camp Abandoned 30:37 Mo Runs for Rescue 33:33 Porter Carry and Helicopter Twist 37:35 Aftermath and Lessons 40:56 Closing Thoughts REFERENCES: Chris Bonington, "The Ogre," American Alpine Journal, 1978 Doug Scott, "A Crawl Down The Ogre," Himalayan Journal, 1979 Doug Scott, The Ogre: Biography of a Mountain and the Dramatic Story of the First Ascent, Vertebrate Publishing, 2017 Gripped Magazine, "The Climber Who Broke Both Legs and Crawled Off a Himalayan Mountain" Mo Anthoine, expedition audio recordings Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

A late-afternoon hike in Glacier National Park seemed simple enough: climb toward the Mount Brown Fire Lookout, watch the sunset, and head back down.But as darkness settled over Mount Brown, 33-year-old Anthony Pollio found himself descending alone through steep, heavily forested terrain. Somewhere in the woods, a grizzly bear was moving through the darkness.In this episode of Disaster Strikes, we examine Anthony Pollio’s final hike, the search-and-rescue operation that followed, and the investigation into what happened on Mount Brown. We also look at a second grizzly bear encounter in Glacier National Park just 25 days later—and the warning signs, environmental conditions, and safety decisions that can turn an ordinary hike through bear country into a life-threatening situation.This episode explores: Anthony Pollio’s final hike on Mount BrownThe Mount Brown Fire Lookout trail in Glacier National ParkThe search for Anthony PollioGrizzly bear attacks and encounters in GlacierWhy hiking alone after dark can be dangerousHow to stay safe in grizzly countryWhat hikers should know before entering bear habitat00:00 Disaster Strikes Intro 00:37 Alone After Dark on Mount Brown 02:03 Glacier’s Grizzly Country 03:57 The Mount Brown Trail 05:18 Our Bear Encounters 08:18 Who Was Anthony Pollio? 10:02 A Late Start Up Mount Brown 12:33 A Surprise in the Deadfall 14:32 The Search for Anthony 16:23 How Rare Are Fatal Bear Attacks? 17:59 Another Grizzly Attack, 25 Days Later 20:20 What the Two Attacks Had in Common 24:32 Where Was the Bear? 27:35 Staying Safe in Grizzly Country 34:34 Remembering Anthony PollioReferences — Alone After Dark: A Fatal Grizzly Encounter in Glacier National ParkPrimary / Official Sources National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Search Underway in Glacier National Park for Missing Hiker.” May 6, 2026. NPS — Search Underway for Anthony PollioNational Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Missing Hiker and Bear Encounter Victim Identified.” May 9, 2026. NPS — Anthony Pollio IdentifiedInteragency Grizzly Bear Committee Board of Review. Final investigation into the May 3, 2026 fatal grizzly encounter involving Anthony Pollio on the Mount Brown Lookout Trail. July 2026. The review reconstructed the encounter using physical evidence, DNA, trail conditions and Pollio’s communications and concluded that Pollio likely surprised an adult male grizzly at close range while descending in darkness.National Park Service — Glacier National Park. “Hiker Injured by Grizzly Bear at Glacier National Park.” June 2, 2026. Official account of the May 28 Grinnell Glacier Trail attack discussed in the episode. NPS — Grinnell Glacier Grizzly EncounterReporting & Additional Sources Flathead Beacon. “Report Details Fatal Glacier Park Grizzly Bear Attack.” July 24, 2026. Detailed reporting on the final interagency investigation. Flathead Beacon — Fatal Grizzly InvestigationHungry Horse News. “Grizzly Bear Mauling Death in Glacier: A Closer Look at Full Report.” July 24, 2026. Includes details from the final investigation regarding the trail conditions, darkness, deadfall and circumstances of the surprise encounter. Hungry Horse News — Full Report CoverageMontana Free Press. “Glacier’s First Fatal Bear Attack in Almost 30 Years Came After Surprise Encounter.” July 24, 2026. Montana Free Press — Anthony Pollio InvestigationAssociated Press. Coverage of Anthony Pollio’s death and Glacier National Park’s first fatal bear attack since 1998. May 2026.People. Interview with Anthony Pollio’s father, Arthur Pollio, including Anthony’s background, his plans to watch the sunset from Mount Brown, and his final communication with his father. May 2026.ABC News / Good Morning America. Interview with Daniel Crago regarding the May 28, 2026 Grinnell Glacier Trail grizzly attack. June 8, 2026. ABC News — Daniel Crago InterviewBackpacker. “‘Pure Panic’: Glacier Grizzly Attack Survivor Shares the Story of the Rescue That Saved Him.” June 5, 2026. Backpacker — Daniel Crago Grizzly AttackLos Angeles Times. Reporting and interview with Daniel Crago following the Grinnell Glacier Trail attack. June 7, 2026. Los Angeles Times — Grinnell Glacier Attack Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

On February 17, 2024, five experienced cyclists set out on a familiar gravel-bike route through Washington's Cascade foothills. Nineteen miles into their ride, two cougars appeared on the trail. Seconds later, 60-year-old Keri Bergere was on the ground with a cougar's jaws clamped around her face.Her four friends rushed toward the attack. Armed with little more than rocks, sticks, and the equipment they carried on their bicycles, they faced a predator that refused to let go. With unreliable cell service and another cougar somewhere in the surrounding forest, the women were running out of options.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, Kaycee and Julie reconstruct the terrifying encounter, examine the medical dangers of a cougar attack, and explore the survival decisions that followed.A true story of wilderness survival, extraordinary friendship, and a fight that lasted far longer than anyone could have imagined. Episode Chapters 00:00 – Introduction00:28 – A Cougar Encounter in Washington01:54 – Meet the Five Cyclists03:23 – The Magic Carpet Gravel Route05:30 – Two Cougars Appear06:16 – The Fight to Save Keri11:19 – The Medical Dangers of a Cougar Attack13:35 – A Multitool and a Chance to Escape16:00 – Trapping the Cougar With a Bicycle19:12 – Calling 911 and Finding GPS Coordinates21:57 – Wildlife Officer Arrives24:07 – Keri's Injuries and Recovery26:17 – Why Did the Cougar Attack?27:36 – Cougar Safety and the Fatal 2018 Attack32:00 – Life After the Attack35:29 – Survival Lessons and Closing Dan Becker Podcast. (2025, December 9). The BRUTAL Cougar Attack That Lasted 55 Minutes. Interview with Keri Bergere and fellow survivors.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qYp058PJe8UxMIK83wTf7Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brutal-cougar-attack-that-lasted-55-minutes/id1867315096?i=1000744190052 REFERENCES & FURTHER LISTENING Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. (2024). WDFW Statement on Cougar Incident in King County.https://wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/wdfw-statement/wdfw-statement-cougar-incident-king-countyCarnegie Hero Fund Commission. (2024). 18 Will Receive Carnegie Medal for Extraordinary Acts of Heroism.https://www.carnegiehero.org/awardee_pr/18-will-receive-carnegie-medal-for-extraordinary-acts-of-heroism/Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. (2024). Carnegie Medal Presentation to Annie Bilotta, Tisch Schmidt-Williams, Aune Tietz, and Erica Wolf.https://www.carnegiehero.org/carnegie-medal-presentation-to-annie-bilotta-tisch-schmidt-williams-aune-tietz-and-erica-wolf/King, A., & Newcomb, N. A. (2024). A Cougar Attacked Them. They Fought Back for 45 Harrowing Minutes. KUOW.https://thankyou.kuow.org/stories/cougar-attack-washington-state-cyclistsThe Seattle Times. (2024). What Life Has Been Like for the 5 WA Cyclists Who Survived a Cougar Attack.https://replica.seattletimes.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?appcode=SEATTL&artguid=fc562bab-2913-4872-aecc-4e00f32a1b88&eguid=898dacfc-ca94-4db7-9458-9e581ee289e2&pnum=138The Guardian. (2024). Women Rescue Friend Being Mauled by Cougar in Washington State.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/18/washington-state-cougar-attackWroe, S., McHenry, C., & Thomason, J. (2005). Bite Club: Comparative Bite Force in Big Biting Mammals and the Prediction of Predatory Behaviour in Fossil Taxa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 272(1563), 619–625.https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2986 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

Philip Kreycik was 37, a Harvard graduate, an ultramarathoner, and an experienced outdoorsman. On July 10, 2021, he left for a training run at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in California, telling his wife he'd be back in an hour. He never returned. The search that followed became one of the West Coast's largest rescue operations, involving nearly 300 volunteers, multiple agencies, helicopters, and thermal imaging. But GPS data from his smartwatch revealed something investigators initially missed: he likely died within 75 minutes of going missing, before rescue teams could even fully mobilize. Julie and Kaycee walk through the timeline, the medical reality of heat illness, and the margins of error that collapse faster than experience can account for. Timestamps:  00:00 Welcome to Disaster Strikes 00:42 Heatwave Run Begins 02:26 Who Was Philip Kreycik 03:35 GPS Shows Trouble 05:25 Wrong Turn Off Trail 06:17 Heat Illness Explained 09:06 Minutes to Heatstroke 10:56 Smartwatch Timeline 13:06 Massive Search Effort 15:14 Found After Four Weeks 17:13 Family Reflections 17:51 Lessons and Takeaways 18:57 Why Heat Sneaks Up 20:48 Closing and Tribute KEY REFERENCES Pleasanton Police Department Missing Person Investigation Files (2021)Alameda County Sheriff's Office Autopsy and Investigation Report (2021)Dapcevich, Madison. "The Fastest Heat Death: Investigation into Philip Kreycik's Disappearance," Outside Online (2021)Silacci, Erik. Official Statement and Timeline Analysis, Pleasanton Police Department (2021)"Philip Kreycik '06, Who Died at 37 After Going Missing on Run," The Harvard Crimson (August 2021)Kelly, Ray. Investigation Summary, Alameda County Sheriff's Department (2021)Pleasanton Weekly: "Authorities: Philip Kreycik Likely Died Before Search Even Got Off the Ground" (2021)NBC News Dateline: "Family Holding Hope of Finding Philip Kreycik" (August 2021)ABC News: "California Dad Found Dead Weeks After Vanishing on Run" (August 2021)First-Year Outdoors Program, Harvard University — Remembrance Documentation (2021)Yao, Jen. Family Press Conference Statement (August 2021)East Bay Regional Park District — Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Records (2021)Smartwatch GPS Data Analysis — Alameda County Investigation (2021)Search and Rescue Volunteer Accounts — San Francisco Bay Area News Archives (2021)Heat-Related Illness Medical Analysis — Emergency Medicine Literature (2021) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

A 15-year-old hiker set out on an ambitious three-day backpacking trip through Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, planning to summit four 14ers. He successfully climbed Challenger Point and Kit Carson Peak. Then his route took him into terrain he apparently did not realize was a technical mountaineering route.Halfway down the steep, snow-covered Outward Bound Couloir, his backpack began sliding away. He went after it—and fell roughly 200 feet.In this episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories, Kaycee and Julie retrace what brought the teenager into the couloir, the limitations of relying on Google Maps in the backcountry, and the search-and-rescue operation that followed. It’s a story about route finding, steep-snow travel, a split-second decision, and what happens when an ambitious wilderness trip suddenly becomes a survival situation.Timestamps00:00 — A Teenager, a 14er and a Snow Couloir. 00:27 — Trouble in the Outward Bound Couloir 02:47 — The 15-Year-Old Behind the Rescue 05:21 — Climbing Toward Challenger Point 09:10 — Route Finding on Kit Carson Peak 11:44 — Crossing the Mountains Without a Trail 13:39 — When Google Maps Meets the Backcountry 15:01 — Inside the Outward Bound Couloir 18:03 — The Backpack Slides—and He Goes After It 22:16 — Injured at 13,000 Feet: Calling 911 23:22 — Search and Rescue Heads Into the Mountains 26:00 — The 200-Foot Technical Lower 28:02 — What He Did Right—and What We Can Learn 34:35 — Closing Thoughts Primary incident reporting Alamosa News — “Alamosa SAR aid in rescue of teen” — July 29, 2026. Reports the July 20 rescue, the 15-year-old hiker, approximately 200-foot slide, injuries, transfer of incident command to Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, and helicopter/SAR response. Alamosa News reportOutThere Colorado / Denver Gazette — “Teen slides 200 feet down couloir snowfield while attempting to retrieve dropped gear” — July 27, 2026. Covers the three-day backpacking trip, dropped backpack, Outward Bound Couloir location and rescue. OutThere Colorado reportRoute / mountain references 14ers.com — Kit Carson Peak: Outward Bound Couloir — Detailed route description and technical information for the snow-only Class 3 route, including approach and terrain. Outward Bound Couloir route description14ers.com — Kit Carson Peak via Challenger Point — Standard-route information, including Kit Carson Avenue, elevation, route-finding difficulty and the approach from Challenger Point. Kit Carson via Challenger Point14ers.com — Kit Carson Peak Conditions — July 2026 condition reporting for the standard route, useful for contemporaneous mountain conditions around the time of the incident. Kit Carson Peak condition reportsColorado Mountain Club — Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point — Route overview for Kit Carson, Challenger Point and the Outward Bound Couloir in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. Colorado Mountain Club route information Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

When tourists found an abandoned bicycle on a remote track in Australia's Great Sandy Desert, it triggered one of the strangest missing person searches in outback history — police, aircraft, and Aboriginal trackers combing the Kimberley for a man who had vanished without telling anyone where he was going. Twelve days in, the search was called off and his family was told he was almost certainly dead, so they hired a private American wilderness rescue team led by a man who insisted on being called Gunslinger. What none of them knew was that he had walked into the desert deliberately, on a spiritual quest, and had no idea anyone was searching for him at all. Forty-three days of starvation, dehydration and roughly 250 miles on foot later, a helicopter found him alive — and set off a fight that reached the Premier of Western Australia, while the man who led the rescue turned out to have invented his entire past. Twenty-five years on, one of the trackers who searched for him asked him for a single word, and what he said instead is still an uncomfortable part of this story. Timestamps:  00:00 Podcast Intro Setup 00:30 Mud Water In The Desert 02:22 Abandoned Bike Mystery 03:18 No One Knew The Plan 06:36 Spiritual Quest Revealed 07:34 Search Begins With Trackers 09:27 Media Frenzy And Survival Math 10:28 Search Called Off Parents React 11:57 Gunslinger Arrives Private Team 15:06 Fresh Tracks And Desert Ordeal 18:52 Help Sign And Found Alive 21:49 News Crew Rescue Controversy 25:10 Hospital Risks Refeeding 27:22 Costs Rumors And Apology 30:04 Gunslinger Exposed As Fraud 33:27 The Tracker Story And Apology 35:26 Final Reflections And Outro REFERENCES Parke, Erin. Expanse: Nowhere Man. ABC listen, 2025.Parke, Erin. "Finding Robert Bogucki, the man who disappeared on purpose." ABC News, 6 July 2025. Sweeney, Lucy, and Erin Parke. "The strange story of Garrison 'Gunslinger' St Clair, the American sent to find Robert Bogucki." ABC News, 23 August 2025. Lowth, Adrienne. "Channel Nine under fire over Bogucki actions." ABC Radio PM, 24 August 1999.Media Watch. ABC Television, 30 August 1999."American found after outback odyssey." BBC News, 23 August 1999. Associated Press. "Wanderer May Have To Foot Bill." CBS News, 26 August 1999. Morgan, Curtis. "Daring rescuer dogged by a questionable past." Miami Herald, 21 May 2000.Orr, Stephen. The Fierce Country. Wakefield Press, 2018.Adshead, Gary. "Finding Bogucki: The fallout, the stuff-ups and a tinderbox of tension." The Age, 3 September 2023."Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition (1896)." Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

In July 1967, only 213 people had ever stood on the summit of Denali. When an inexperienced climbing team was denied a permit, the National Park Service made an unusual decision: merge them with a stronger team of strangers and send all twelve climbers up the mountain together. At first, everything goes according to plan. But as two powerful weather systems begin converging over Alaska, a series of decisions—some debated to this day—leave climbers high on North America's tallest peak just as one of the most violent mountain storms ever recorded arrives.Were the climbers warned? Why did they continue toward the summit after spending a night exposed above 19,000 feet? And could anyone have survived what happened next?In this Disaster Strikes episode, we examine the 1967 Denali Disaster, the controversy that followed, and the lessons that forever changed mountaineering on North America's highest mountain. 00:00 Disaster Strikes Intro 00:48 Lost Above 19,000 Feet 02:12 A Team That Was Never Supposed to Exist 05:02 The Long Approach to Denali 08:04 A Storm Begins to Form 10:05 Two Summit Teams 12:07 A Dangerous Decision 14:35 The Last Radio Call 17:08 Waiting Out the Storm 20:18 The Search Begins 22:05 What Really Happened? 25:40 Lessons That Changed Denali Forever 28:20 Legacy of the Seven References — The 1967 Denali DisasterPrimary & Contemporary SourcesAmerican Alpine Journal. “Mount McKinley Tragedy and Resulting Expedition.” American Alpine Journal, 1968. https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12196811702/North-America-United-States-Alaska-Mount-McKinley-Tragedy-and-Resulting-ExpeditionAccidents in North American Mountaineering. “Alaska, Mt. McKinley.” American Alpine Club, 1968. http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13196802200/Alaska-Mt-McKinleyBooks & Firsthand AccountsSnyder, Howard H. The Hall of the Mountain King: The True Story of a Tragic Climb. 1973.Wilcox, Joe. White Winds: America’s Most Tragic Climb.Tabor, James M. Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering’s Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters.Hall, Andy. Denali’s Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America’s Wildest Peak. 2014.Babcock, Jeffery. Should I Not Return. 2012.Additional Articles & SourcesNational Geographic. Interview with Andy Hall about the 1967 Mount McKinley disaster. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/140720-mountain-climbing-denali-mount-mckinley-alaska-national-parksOutside. “Life and Death on America’s Highest Peak.” https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/life-and-death-americas-highest-peak/Anchorage Daily News. “A Poetic Turn on Denali Tragedy.” 2017. https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/we-alaskans/2017/07/22/a-poetic-turn-on-denali-tragedy/ExplorersWeb. “McKinley 1967: Triumph and Tragedy, Part II.” https://explorersweb.com/mckinley-1967-triumph-and-tragedy-part-ii/American Alpine Journal. “White Winds.” Book review. http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198230200/White-WindsAmerican Alpine Journal. “Forever on the Mountain.” Book review. http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200845600/Forever-on-the-Mountain Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

A summer tubing trip on Michigan’s Muskegon River was supposed to last just four hours. But when two women and a nine-year-old boy failed to return, a massive search and rescue operation began.Boats, helicopters, drones, K-9 teams and crews from four counties searched miles of river and dense Michigan wilderness for the three missing tubers. With few reliable clues and the search growing more urgent, investigators kept coming back to one strange detail—a pool tube caught in a pile of flood debris.This week on The Crux: True Survival Stories, a casual day on the river becomes a wilderness survival ordeal and a remarkable search for three missing people. 00:00 The Sound of Traffic, But No Road 00:30 Lost Surprisingly Close to Civilization 01:18 A Four-Hour Float on the Muskegon 02:16 The Flood That Changed the River 3:45 When Low Water Becomes Dangerous 05:06 A Spur-of-the-Moment River Trip 07:17 The Two-Minute Plan They Didn't Have 09:00 Everything Changes at a Log Jam 09:47 The Decision That Changed the Search 11:39 Why We Keep Moving When We're Lost 16:19 Three Days No One Can Account For 17:33 What They Were Up Against 19:52 When the Water Runs Out 22:19 What You'd Want in Your Survival Kit 23:24 Bark, Ants and the Question of Food 25:35 A Smashed Window Sends a Bad Signal 26:51 The Search Explodes 28:07 Drones, Dogs and a Forest They Can't See 29:23 The Problem With Finding Their Tubes 30:16 Why Lost People Walk in Circles 32:43 Three Days Barefoot 33:34 One Detail Doesn't Make Sense 37:49 Following a Trail Through the Green Wall 40:16 “Command, We Got Visuals” 43:03 What Could Have Prevented All of This 45:20 The Clue That Changed Everything References WWMT — “Missing Tubers Found Alive After Three-Day Search on Muskegon River, Troopers Say” https://wwmt.com/news/local/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-found-alive-women-child-search-investigation-state-police-grant-newaygo-county-west-michiganWWMT — “BODYCAM: Rescue Teams Find Missing Muskegon River Tubers After Three-Day Search” https://wwmt.com/news/local/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-michigan-search-rescue-two-women-child-three-days-department-natural-resources-state-police-officers-newaygo-county-west-michiganWWMT — “Family Member of Tubers Rescued After Three Days Describes Their Struggle to Survive” https://wwmt.com/news/local/he-ate-bark-ants-family-rescued-tubers-describe-their-struggle-survive-jazmin-hock-sarah-vida-kayden-kovalcik-muskegon-river-three-days-msp-policeWWMT — “The Clues That Led Michigan DNR Officers to Finding a Missing Family on the Muskegon River” https://wwmt.com/news/local/clues-search-rescue-muskegon-newaygo-dnr-conservation-officer-michigan-family-three-people-river-missing-august-2026-found-alive-wwmtWOOD TV8 — “‘Beat the Odds’: Family Celebrates After Missing Tubers Found Near Muskegon River” https://www.woodtv.com/news/muskegon-county/family-speaks-after-missing-tubers-found-near-muskegon-river/NewsNation — “Bodycam Footage Shows Rescue of Tubers Missing Three Days in Michigan” https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/missing-michigan-tubers-rescue-video/NBC News — “River Tubers’ 4-Hour Tour Turned Into 3 Days of Survival in Remote Michigan Woods” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/river-tubers-4-hour-tour-turned-3-days-survival-remote-michigan-woods-rcna592038Fox News — “Video Shows Michigan K-9 Unit Rescuing Family Lost on Muskegon River” https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-rescuers-find-family-stranded-3-days-after-tubing-trip-dramatic-videoFOX 9 — “Missing Michigan Tubers Survived Off Bark and Flowers for 72 Hours” https://www.fox9.com/news/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-michigan-found-video9&10 News — “Muskegon River Reaches Major Flood Stage, Prompting Newaygo County Evacuations” https://www.9and10news.com/2026/04/16/muskegon-river-reaches-major-flood-stage-prompting-newaygo-county-evacuations/WZZM13 — “The Muskegon and Grand Rivers Finally Begin to Recede After Major Flooding” https://www.wzzm13.com/article/weather/river-levels-drop-after-record-flooding-for-some/69-5c97cd32-9ee3-4645-a361-6487afa11a93FOX 17 — “Record-Setting Flooding Expected Along Muskegon River” https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/michigan/newaygo/record-setting-flooding-expected-along-muskegon-river Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.

At 6 AM on June 4, 1989, a wave the skipper estimated at sixty feet flipped the trimaran Rose-Noëlle upside down off New Zealand’s East Cape, trapping four men — a self-taught sailor sleeping aboard everything he owned, a builder on his first trip abroad, a young outdoorsman, and a cook who had never sailed — in an air pocket the width of a 54-inch mattress. Their distress beacon blinked for nine days into an empty sky, the search concentrated hundreds of miles away, and New Zealand’s Water Safety Council listed all four as drowned. For 119 days they rationed salvaged soft drink and slowly ripening kiwifruit, rigged a rainwater catchment, and speared fish drawn to the barnacle reef their own wreck was becoming, while unusual winds carried them in a wide loop back toward home. Then they washed ashore on Great Barrier Island, cleaned themselves up, and walked into a country whose investigators suspected a drug run. The evidence that finally backed up their story may be the strangest witness in survival history. Time Stamps:  00:00 Podcast Intro 00:30 Calm Before Capsize 02:20 Meet The Crew 07:19 Storm Decisions 10:08 Rogue Wave Hits 12:34 Life Inside Hull 13:55 Beacon Hope Fades 16:37 Rescue System Failure 18:19 Water Food Survival 21:33 Tension And Psychology 24:22 Drift Back To Land 27:19 Suspicion And Proof 33:04 Aftermath And Legacy 35:47 Closing Credits References:  Nalepka, J., and Hellriegel, R., “South Pacific Adventure Turns Into a Nightmare”United Press International, “Castaway skipper dismisses skeptics,” October 3, 1989.United Press International, “Investigators question sailors’ account of shipwreck,” October 3, 1989. Phare, J., “Lost at sea: The Rose-Noelle story,” NZ Herald / Herald on Sunday (20th-anniversary feature, 2009; republished 2020). Glennie, J., with Phare, J., The Spirit of Rose-Noëlle: 119 Days Adrift, a Survival Story (Viking/Penguin NZ, 1990; US edition Fawcett Crest, 1992). Nalepka, J., with Callahan, S., Capsized: The True Story of Four Men Adrift for 119 Days (HarperCollins, 1993; revised edition 2013). Glennie, J., “119 days lost at sea,” Yachting & Boating World (ybw.com), 2015 “The Rose Noelle inquiry,” Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand (video clip)Ministry of Transport (NZ), Marine Transport Division, Preliminary Inquiry into the Loss of the Trimaran Rose-Noëlle, November 1989 — “1989 — key events,” NZHistory (Ministry for Culture and Heritage) “The Rose Noelle: 25 years on, a wife’s true story,” New Zealand Woman’s Weekly (via Now To Love), 2014 Back From the Dead: The Saga of the Rose-Noëlle, dir. Mark Beesley, TVNZ, 1996 Wikipedia, “Rose-Noëlle”  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support. Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! [email protected] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!  This episode includes AI-generated content.