Do you watch videos of outdoor athletes shredding pow or climbing El Capitan on Instagram? If so, the platform’s algorithm has likely slipped a clip from comedian into your feed. In his videos, Lyons, 29, roasts outdoor enthusiasts like hikers, skiers, and people who can afford to live live in Aspen with a style of humor best described as, well, gentle mocking. In each clip, Lyons plays the role of a diehard member of an outdoor clique who reeks of insecurity and braggadocio. His videos highlight the absurdity of hardcore, jargon-spitting enthusiasts—yup, people like me.
Lyons has half a million fans on Instagram and another 250,000 on TikTok. Last year he was able to step away from his day job as a middle-school science teacher to create content full-time. Lyons jokes about core athletes because he is one: he’s thru-hiked the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails (his trail name is “Schmutz”), and spends his free time climbing and skiing.
We caught up with Lyons to understand why goofing on outdoor subcultures is so much fun.
OUTSIDE: What are you hoping to accomplish with your humor?
Lyons: My videos are about things that I’m guilty of myself. I totally have a tattoo of a mountain on my forearm—it’s so cliche. I thru-hike. I also poke fun at what I’ve observed over the years. I understand that we sometimes don’t realize how niche our communities can feel, and how inaccessible we can make them seem to outsiders by the way we talk or the attitudes we have. I want my jokes to make people be a little more self-aware, rather than making them think that they’re wrong for the way they act. I think I’m trying to shed light on people who may not know what they sound like when they’re talking about the activity they love. Plus, I just like making people laugh.
How did you become an Instagram comedian?
I didn’t even start with comedy videos. Back in 2019 I posted a video to TikTok that was a compilation of clips I had taken from my Appalachian Trail thru-hike and it went viral. Pretty soon I was making videos that answered questions that people had about thru-hiking: how to pack your bag, what gear to bring, how to use the bathroom. People started commenting on the videos about certain stereotypes of thru-hikers, and I thought I could have some fun with the comments. I started making fun of thru-hikers in videos, and then I did a few video skits. One was about buying backpacking gear in the eighties versus now, and how the products have gotten lighter and more expensive. Those gained traction, and then I did a series where I did skits about different outdoor towns, like Burlington, Boulder and Bozeman. Those really took off. I was still teaching full-time and doing videos on the side. But then I got some brand deals and realized I could do it full-time. Last July I made the jump.
Which outdoor community gives you the most feedback on your videos?
This past winter was crazy with Colorado skiers chiming in. I did an East Coast versus West Coast video and another one about people , Colorado. I noticed that ski culture really latched onto those videos, and people started going at each other in the comments section. For every 100 comments that are like “oh man, this is totally me,” there’s one person who seems like they’ve had hurt feelings. Oftentimes I’ll click on that person’s profile and they end up being the exact image of the person I was portraying. I’m not trying to be mean about the way I portray these groups—again, I’m the exact person I’m making fun of in my videos.
How do you walk the line between joking and being mean?
It helps that I’ve done a lot of the activities that I make fun of, so I have a sense for where the line is. And I think everyone can tell when someone is making fun of a group of people in a way that’s meant to hurt. I always try to be family friendly—I don’t curse or make crass jokes that you couldn’t watch with kids. I want people to send it to their family members without it being weird. My whole vibe is to stay lighthearted with my critique.
Why do you think that your specific brand of humor connects with people?
It’s hard to say. I just want to make people a little more self-aware of the fact that other people may want to become involved in our activities, but the outdoor communities can seem elitist to outsiders. You see a group of cyclists wearing Lycra uniforms and riding on expensive bicycles and it can seem intense and intimidating to a newbie. I think my comedy tries to poke fun at this in a way that’s not demeaning. Hopefully this can make our communities a little more welcoming to everyone.
This interview was edited for space and clarity.