Explorer Spotlight: Josiah Roe
Name: Josiah Roe | Age: 34 | Location: San Francisco, CA.
What’s your day job?
Product Designer.
What are your favorite things to do outside?
Trail run in the wilderness.
What first drew you to the outdoors?
The views.
What’s your favorite hometown adventure? ...and, almost as important, where’s your favorite spot to get a beer after?
Steep Ravine - Matt Davis Loop back to Pan Toll Station, with a beer at the Mountain Home Inn afterwards.
What’s your essential gear that never gets left at home?
Bandana.
What’s your favorite trail snack?
Kind Fruit & Nut bar, apple cinnamon & pecan to be precise.
Any go-to soundtracks when you’re hitting the road?
I have a "Running" playlist on Spotify. If I'm getting started, "Young Blood" by The Naked and the Famous is great, and then if I'm catching a great view and the endorphins and serotonin are going, the Kygo remix of m83's "Wait" is joy.
Who’s your number one adventure partner-in-crime? Who inspires you?
No partner-in-crime. I'm consistently inspired by Miranda Leconte and Kyle Frost and the legendary Bob Wick with the BLM. They live.
What are your top destinations for adventure travel?
Top of the list is the South Island of New Zealand I just finished a month on the South Island of New Zealand, which was incredible. So much adventure packed into one country. Currently I'm trekking around Sri Lanka and will be heading to Nepal in a couple of weeks, which has been a life-long dream.
Show us your most memorable photo, and tell us about it!
This photo is from a winter hike in Big Sur of Cone Peak with a group of friends who were backpacking for the first time. It was rain and fog all day on the trail and a white-out on the summit, meaning they were missing the wonderful views I had experienced on previous climbs. Just before sunset the clouds broke, and we were given a view that I still don't know how to describe. The wind and racing clouds. The halo around the moon and sun. It still doesn't feel real. That's why I love exploration: being surprised, challenging my fear of the unknown, and shared experiences with fellow adventurers.
And last but not least…What’s your personal motto?
"The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark." - John Muir
We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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