February 2026

Bob Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died on Jan. 10, 2026, hopefully reuniting with fellow band members who passed before him — Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (died in 1973), Jerry Garcia (died in 1995), and Phil Lesh (died in 2024). 

I say, “Fare thee well,” in reference to one of their songs and to their 2015 Fare Thee Well tour celebrating 50 years of the Grateful Dead. Only two of the original Grateful Dead band members remain — drummer, Bill Kreutzmann and percussions, Mickey Hart.

Now you may be wondering, “What does a ’60s jam band have to do with The National Center of Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE)? For that matter, how does music  relate in any fashion with spending time in the backcountry?” 

Bob Weir’s passing, and my appreciation of his band’s music, reminded me of role music plays in outdoor culture for many members of our community. And this certainly isn’t the first time I’ve had this realization. A few years ago in this spåace, our Director of School Partnerships and Staff Development, Stephen Mullaney, shared playlists from several NCOAE team members in a post entitled, “The Quintessential Backcountry Expedition Road Trip Playlist.”

Some music genres and band types just seem to be more intricately intertwined with outdoor culture than others, and The Grateful Dead is definitely one such band. Other “jam bands” embraced by the outdoor community include (more…)