For nearly 50 years, Patagonia has given a damn about people and the environment.

And through that work, they've learned that knowledge is foundational, transcending

physical space and nodding generations together.

Knowledge invites change and forms the bedrock of communities.

In a new series of stories, Patagonia brings us the voices of elders, young people, mentors

and teachers.

Stories grounded in wild places and activism.

Knowledge is a vessel to be shared, kept, evolved and passed on.

Find more at Patagonia.com slash stories.

You're listening to The Derbacteria, a production of Duck Tape Then Beer, with additional support

from Kuat Racks because you love your bike and athletic greens, the daily drink for healthier

you.

All that winter, I looked in at my life, wondering who I was and where I was going.

It was 2019.

I was a husband, a father, a high school English teacher, 36 years old.

Yet beyond that constellation of facts was a black sky.

I could not fathom.

In the past, I turned away from the void of existential questioning by planning trips alone,

usually on a bicycle.

The escapes routine distracted me from the empty sky for a while anyway.

If that winter felt different, the wondering grew more urgent via Biss at my center more

occupying.

...