The Great American Dirtbags

by Luke Mehall

The Great American Dirtbags is Mehall's second book, a collection of 20 short stories. The book is a follow up to Climbing Out of Bed, and the main focus is mountain town culture and the dirtbag climbing existence.

Mehall describes himself as a “born again dirtbag” and The Great American Dirtbags portrays his journeys from being a lost teenager immersed in drugs to his most recent adventures on the trails, walls and roads of the American West. As usual his love for freedom, women, and climbing are weaved into the prose. Following in the prose of the beatniks, the athletic counterculture of the dirtbags are carrying the torch with the belief that a simple, rewarding life, close to nature, is still possible in this modern world.

Longtime Editor of the Mountain Gazette, John Fayhee, called the book, “a reminder of blissful times past and a bellowing yell to the denizens of the beast we call civilization — “Get out! Get out of your rut! Get out into the outback while you still can and while it’s still there!” The Great American Dirtbags serves as both a primer and a ruminative tribute to a lifestyle we all need now more than ever.”

Climbing legend and Senior Contributing Editor to Rock and Ice, John Long, described Mehall as, “One of the few adventure writers out who handle the tricky first person voice as if it were made for him.”

Mehall is the publisher of The Climbing Zine, and author of Climbing Out of Bed. He has been published in Rock and Ice, Climbing and the Mountain Gazette. Mehall has been a guest on the Enormocast podcast, contributed to the Dirtbag Diaries podcast, and often contributes to Patagonia’s blog, The Cleanest Line.

Genres: Climbing

140 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Luke Mehall lives in Durango, Colorado. He is the publisher of The Climbing Zine, an independent print publication and website, and he is the author of The Desert, American Climber, Graduating From College Me, The Great American Dirtbags, and Climbing Out of Bed. He enjoys climbing, sleeping in tents, hip-hop, yoga, vinyl, typewriters, Scrabble, and uninterrupted mornings of writing. In 2017, his mustache was named the best of Indian Creek.

Reviews

[William Graney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief collection of climbing articles from newspapers and magazines by the author. I found it be a quick and enjoyable read.

[Brandt Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dirtbag Anthem

great read, a bit of a choppy style for my usual taste. Although this style ended up being easier to put down and return later when I had the time. this book let's you glimpse in on the dirtbag lifestyle, if you don't see the romance as well as the hardships of reality after this book, you probably won't ever.

[Rich Bebenroth]

Luke has a great writing style that has clearly improved over time. This book is a group of short stories reprinted from his previous work in magazines and newspapers through the years. Really enjoyable if you are a climber, probably not so much if you are not.

[Marlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun reading, some good insights. Would probably be more provoking if I wasn't a dirtbag myself.

[Tim Mathis · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick, earnest and endearing.

This is a really nice collection of stories and the odd poem. It does a great job of capturing dirtbag climbing culture and spirit. It feels like a real indie gem. Nice work Luke Mehall!