Surviving The Valley – Banning Lyon

Today, Banning Lyon sits down with us. He’s an devoted father and an accomplished Yosemite guide who takes people into some of the most life-changing environments known to man. But the reality is, that’s only part of his story—and the rest of it is unlike any other.

I was first given a copy of his book, The Chair and The Valley, which I’ll be honest, sat on my shelf for a while. Not because I didn’t want to read it, but because I’ve become pretty frugal (some might call it “tight”) in my older age, and I’d needed new glasses for going on two years. But after hearing from one friend after another that I had to read it, I figured, “What the hell, it’s time to get new glasses so I can finally check this out.”

And man, am I glad I did.

I don’t know if Banning Lyon would agree, but as an ’80s/’90s kid, what I found instantly was how relatable his story felt—minus, of course, the devastating treatment he endured at the hands of the psychiatric system. (I’ll let you read the book for that part.) Outside of that trauma, he weaves a tale of what so many ’90s kids went through: growing up in a broken home. We had just come out of the era of peace, love, and happiness, only to be thrown straight into an age of “let’s focus on ourselves and blow this up.” Anyone growing up back then remembers how the wave of divorce hit neighborhoods like an epidemic. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact “why,” but the impact was undeniable.

Then there’s his relationship to punk rock and skateboarding. For many of us, that culture defined the era—a theme I’ve discussed at length here on the Sober Standard. If you listened to punk, you had your people. You knew instantly where those other punk kids stood, creating an unspoken connection that ran deep… until it suddenly disappeared.

Just like the friends who urged me to pick up Banning’s book, I can’t force you to do anything, but it’s absolutely worth the dive.

Check out our full conversation on YouTube here: Watch the Interview with Banning Lyon.