The Trail Less Traveled

Virginia (Ginny) Bond is an educator and public health researcher based in Zambia whose work focuses on HIV, stigma reduction, and community health. Trained as a social anthropologist, she collaborates with health programs and research organizations to better understand the social and cultural factors shaping HIV prevention, treatment, and care. Her work emphasizes community engagement, education, and participatory research methods that strengthen public health responses and empower people living with HIV. Through teaching, mentoring, and field research, she contributes to training the next generation of global health practitioners while helping develop strategies that address stigma and improve access to care. One scientific curiosity hides behind work like hers: viruses are biological, but epidemics are social phenomena. The virus spreads through bodies, yet stigma, poverty, gender inequality, and access to education often determine whether treatment actually reaches people. That is why community

Lisa Bickell is an environmental educator and interpretive planner based in Missoula, Montana, and the current board chair of the Montana Natural History Center. She has been involved with the organization for more than 25 years and previously served as its Education Director, helping shape many of the programs that connect people of all ages to the natural world.Lisa holds a degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and a Master of Education from Western Washington University. Her career has focused on environmental education, interpretive planning, and helping communities engage more deeply with the landscapes around them.She is especially interested in Phenology, the study of seasonal changes in plants, animals, and ecosystems. Through field courses, community programs, and decades of observation, Lisa encourages people to slow down, pay attention, and notice how the rhythms of nature are shifting over time. Show notes: 00:02:37 - Childhood Adventures in Florida Woo

Doug Proctor grew up just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, where his love for rivers was seeded early in life. As a boy he spent years canoeing with his family and through the Boy Scouts on class one rivers across southern Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. At the age of 12 he embarked on his first extended canoe trip—a two-week wilderness journey in Kentucky that helped shape his lifelong passion for river travel and backcountry adventure. In 1977 Proctor began his professional guiding career, leading whitewater rafting trips commercially on the New Riverand the Gauley River, two of the eastern United States’ premier whitewater destinations. Over the next 35 years he built extensive experience as an outfitter in West Virginia, guiding trips through challenging Class III and Class IV waters and cultivating deep skills in river stewardship, guest experience, and wilderness logistics. His love of rivers and adventure didn’t stop in Appalachia. His guiding has taken him to Gr

Sam and Elise Risho are the culinary heart and soul behind The Silk Road Catering & Spice in Missoula, Montana. Their story is rooted in decades of family food tradition and a passion for global flavors. Sam grew up in a restaurant family, learning the love of food and hospitality from his father and brother through years of working in local eateries and mastering fine-dining service and kitchen craft. In 2009 Sam and his brother, along with Elise, opened The Silk Road Restaurant to bring a tapas-style global tasting experience to the community. The restaurant’s success eventually blossomed into a thriving catering business and an artisanal spice line inspired by world cuisines. Elise plays a central role in running the business and shaping its creative vision as co-owner alongside Sam. Today they focus on crafting memorable menus for weddings and special events and sharing unique spice blends that reflect their commitment to exceptional hospitality and globally inspired cuisine.Show n

Aimee McQuilkin is a Missoula entrepreneur and community builder, best known as the owner of Betty’s Divine and the Clark Fork Yacht Club. Through these beloved businesses, she has helped shape Missoula’s social and cultural fabric by creating welcoming spaces rooted in style, hospitality, and connection. Aimee’s work reflects a deep commitment to local economy, creativity, and gathering people together in meaningful ways.Shane Clouse is a Missoula musician and songwriter whose work blends Americana, folk, and roots traditions with thoughtful storytelling. His music is shaped by Montana landscapes and lived experience, carrying a quiet honesty that resonates both on stage and in more intimate listening spaces. Shane is a steady presence in the local music community, known for craft, collaboration, and authenticity.Dave Stromeyer is a Missoula County Commissioner focused on infrastructure, public service, and long term regional planning. He is currently working on a passenger railroad project aimed at improvin

Frank Szollosi is the Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation, the state’s oldest and largest wildlife conservation organization focused on protecting wildlife habitat, public lands access, and science-based natural resource policy in Montana. He took on this leadership role in June 2020 after a long career with the National Wildlife Federation, where he worked for over a decade on climate and water policy at the Great Lakes Regional Center and on national campaigns that defended public lands, advanced the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and connected people with wildlife. At MWF, Szollosi collaborates with state agencies including Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, tribal governments, landowners, businesses, and conservation partners to advance policies that sustain healthy wildlife populations and accessible wild places. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan, and he brings extensive experience in g

John Wood is an Alaska musher from Chugiak who started chasing the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in the late nineteen seventies and went on to finish the thousand mile route to Nome four times in 1978, 1979, 1982 and 1986. Known for his dry humor and honesty about the grind of the trail, he once joked that after three runs he had “an unparalleled record of mediocrity” and zero prize money, yet if you asked whether he planned to run again his answer was “hell yes,” because the race embodied adventure, excitement, competition and camaraderie that felt uniquely Alaskan. John served as a musher representative on the Iditarod board and offered straight talking advice to rookies about staying upbeat, caring for their dog teams and setting realistic goals in a race where two weeks of little sleep and deep cold are the norm. The event he helped shape as a veteran competitor and mentor is itself legendary an annual March run from Anchorage to Nome of roughly one thousand miles across mountains, frozen ri

Kelly Dix was raised in Lyndonville, NY, where time spent outside sparked her curiosity and awe of the natural world. She holds degrees in Mathematics, Environmental Sciences & Engineering, and Toxicology. Throughout her career in biomedical research she spent her spare time backpacking and exploring the mountain west with her husband. Kelly found her true passion in retirement, sharing her enthusiasm for science and nature with others. She’s been a substitute teacher and a volunteer with several environmental education non-profit organizations. After moving to Montana with her husband in 2016 Kelly found her home at MNHC and she has been involved with the VNS, Montana Master Naturalist, WOW, and other programs ever since. When she’s not volunteering at MNHC, you can find her at the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, hiking almost anywhere, or taking way too many photos of just about anything in the natural world. Show notes:00:03:39 - Childhood Outdoor Play00:07:18 - Teamwork and Listening00:10:52

Lynx Vilden is a renowned author, wilderness guide, and ancestral skills teacher known for her immersive “Stone Age Projects,” where participants live off the land using only primitive tools and techniques. With over three decades of experience in earth-based living, Lynx has dedicated her life to reconnecting people with the rhythms of the natural world through traditional lifeways. Her teachings blend deep ecological awareness with hands-on instruction in skills such as hide tanning, fire-making, and shelter-building, inspiring a global movement toward rewilding and self-sufficiency. Her work has been featured in documentaries, books, and international media, and she continues to guide others on the path of ancestral remembrance and ecological belonging. In her stunning memoir Lynx Vilden chronicles her journey to reconnect with the earth, offering a model for how we all can nurture the wild around and inside ourselves.Show notes: 00:03:33 - Connection to Nature and Ancestral Skills00:07:06 - Finding M

Dana Anderson, better known as Wild Mountain Man Dan, is a celebrated bushcraft instructor based in Matlock, Washington. Now 68, he has spent over six decades honing wilderness skills and teaching them to others. Dana has lived completely off the grid in a hand‑built cabin by a creek for more than three decades, cultivating a rich life subsisting on foraging, hunting, fishing, and primitive craftsmanship.A master of stone‑tool crafting, arrowhead chipping, primitive cooking, and stone‑age technologies, Dana has taught countless students in wilderness gatherings across the western U.S. He’s best known for leading shelter‑building and raft‑building challenges at the PNW Survival Games, emphasizing resourcefulness, survival principles, and hands‑on learning. With over 33 years off‑grid experience and ongoing instructor roles in events like PNW Survival Games, Dana shares not just skills but also deep respect for wild landscapes.Ean Anderson, Dana’s son, has followed in his father’s footsteps in a

Together, Tim, Heather, and Lindsey strengthen Salmon State’s mission: defending rivers and salmon through policy advocacy, community engagement, and protection of critical watersheds across Alaska and its transboundary rivers.As Executive Director based in Juneau, Alaska, Tim Bristol is a leading voice in salmon conservation policy. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee, highlighting the urgent need to curb bycatch from large trawl fleets off Alaska and demanding stronger tribal co-management for rivers like the Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim—calling salmon population crashes “a human rights crisis and an ecological disaster”. Under his leadership, SalmonState champions habitat protection and bycatch reduction, bringing Indigenous stewardship into fisheries management at both local and federal levels.In her role as Salmon Beyond Borders Campaign Advisor, Heather Hardcastle leads cross-jurisdictional efforts to protect salmon ecosystems that transcend political boundaries. Based

Clint Fries is a deeply experienced river guide and expedition leader with over two decades of professional guiding across some of the planet’s most remote and breathtaking landscapes. Known for his calm presence, intuitive leadership, and profound respect for wild places, Clint has become a trusted figure in the world of wilderness travel.For the past several years, Clint has guided multi-day rafting expeditions in Alaska with MT Sobek, one of the country’s most respected adventure travel companies. His work has taken him deep into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where he leads trips down the pristine Hulahula River—a rarely traveled corridor that winds from the Brooks Range through the tundra to the Beaufort Sea. Guiding in the Arctic demands more than just technical skill; it requires logistical precision, environmental sensitivity, and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Clint brings all three, along with a quiet confidence that reassures both first-time adventurers and sea

Bridget Crocker is a trailblazer in women's empowerment within the outdoor industry. A leading whitewater rafting guide in far-flung regions of Zambia, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, India, and the Western United States. During this interview, she discusses her new memoir The Rivers Daughter. Support your local bookstore and pickup a copy today! Bridget is also a contributing author to Lonely Planet guidebooks and Travel Anthology and the Best Women's Travel Writing series from Travelers' Tales. Her work has been featured in magazines including Westways, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Trail Runner, Paddler, Outside, Vela, and Patagonia's blog, The Cleanest Line, among others. She lives in Malibu, California.Show notes:00:04:36 - Connecting with Nature and Overcoming Challenges00:09:04 - Overcoming Insecurity in Guide School00:10:27 - Facing Fear on the Snake River00:12:29 - Empowerment and Challenges in River Guiding00:15:46 - Shifting Power Dynamics in Society00:20:03

Kevin McDermott—a.k.a. “Thirsty" has been guiding since he was 16 years old. He has 30+ years of experience guiding in Alaska, has climbed Denali and endears himself to travelers with his expertise, calm demeanor, and sense of humor. When he isn't guiding in the Arctic, you might find him on the Alsek, Tatshenshini, Middlefork Salmon or the Grand Canyon. He lives in Arizona with his wife, Darla, and enjoys working on Land Cruisers in his spare time. Show notes: 00:03:33 - Discovering a Passion for the Outdoors00:06:15 - Early Guiding Experiences in Alaska00:09:32 - Discovering Alaska Through Rafting00:12:15 - Exploring the Arctic Tundra00:15:19 - Exploring the Arctic Landscape00:18:31 - Understanding Winter River Dynamics00:20:26 - Spring River Conditions and Challenges00:22:37 - Wildlife and Mosquitoes in the Arctic00:26:28 - Exploring Glaciers and Wildlife00:29:33 - Climbing Denali: Challenges and Triumphs00:33:41 - Reading Glacial Rivers in Alaska00:38:37 - Understanding Nature Beyond IdentificationFollow

Step into the rugged beauty of Montana's backcountry as wilderness legend Smoke Elser shares his remarkable 60+ year journey through the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Since 1957, Elser has been a guardian of these pristine lands, witnessing their transformation from horse-only trails to a diverse recreational haven. Learn about Bob Marshall himself - an extraordinary conservationist who, despite his aversion to horses, hiked extensively through Montana's wilderness, laying the groundwork for modern conservation efforts. His legacy lives on through the Wilderness Society and the landmark Wilderness Act of 1964.Arnold “Smoke” Elser is a legendary wilderness outfitter, educator, and conservationist whose life’s work is deeply rooted in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness. Since his first trip into the Bob in 1956, Elser has spent nearly seven decades guiding thousands of people—many of them first-time riders—through its rugged terrain, sharing not only the landscape but also his deep reverence for wild places.Afte

The Missoula Housing Authority offers housing assistance to veterans through programs like HUD-VASH, which combines rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services. MHA's Valor House provides 17 one-bedroom units for permanent housing for homeless veterans, featuring communal amenities such as a kitchen, meeting spaces, and laundry facilities.  In 2023, MHA received funding to expand permanent housing options for homeless veterans and their families. Established in 1990, Veterans Inc. is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Massachusetts, serving veterans and their families across New England, Montana, and North Dakota. It provides holistic supportive services, including housing, employment and training, case management, food security, behavioral healthcare, suicide prevention, and programs for women veterans.  Veterans Inc. has assisted over 100,000 veterans, achieving an 85% success rate in transitioning them out of homelessness. Valor House is

Step into the extraordinary world of Skip Horner, a veteran adventure guide whose 50-year career spans over 100 countries and countless epic expeditions. Skip Horner is a legendary American adventure guide, mountaineer, and expedition leader with a career spanning over five decades. He is renowned for being the first guide to lead clients to the summits of all Seven Summits—the highest peaks on each continent—including Mount Everest, where he became the 420th person to reach the top. His extensive guiding experience encompasses more than 100 countries, with expeditions in 62 of them, ranging from mountain treks to river descents and wildlife safaris.Horner's adventurous spirit has led him to accomplish numerous firsts in the world of exploration. He has led first descents of 12 major rivers, including the Yangtze, Zambezi, and Indus, and has navigated the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon 38 times. His mountaineering feats include 33 ascents of Kilimanjaro, eight of Mount Vinson

Dr. Jim Halfpenny is a renowned polar ecologist, expedition leader, and expert in cold-climate ecology with decades of experience studying the extreme environments of the Arctic and Antarctic. With a background in wildlife biology and ecology, Dr. Halfpenny has led and participated in numerous scientific expeditions to the polar regions, where he has conducted groundbreaking research on climate change, snow ecology, and the adaptation of wildlife to some of the planet’s harshest conditions.Dr. Halfpenny's firsthand accounts paint a vivid picture of climate change's impact: shrinking glaciers, thawing permafrost releasing dangerous methane, and indigenous communities forced to relocate due to shifting wildlife patterns. His upcoming book "The Last Cold" documents these profound changes, while his research using ice cores reveals how current CO2 levels far exceed anything seen in the past 800,000 years.Despite passing certain environmental tipping points, Dr. Halfpenny emphasizes hope through action and th

Join us as we venture into the wilds of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi with three seasoned bush guides—Marshal, Luckson, and Malan. From the rugged seats of a Toyota Land Cruiser, we chat with Marshal and Malan about wildlife conservation, poaching, ecology, and the intricate behaviors of Africa’s iconic animals. Then, we sit down with Luckson, a top-tier guide with the highest level of training, to uncover the rigorous education, testing, and fieldwork required to lead walking safaris—a tradition that was born right here in Zambia. Tune in for an immersive journey into the heart of the African bush. Show notes:00:06:07 - Protecting Zambia's National Parks from Mining00:09:03 - Revisiting the Mating Lions in Lower Zambezi00:12:08 - Elephant Encounter in Lower Zambezi00:17:12 - Let's Move Together as One Zambia00:20:19 - Becoming a Bush Guide in Zambia00:22:47 - Intensive Training and Expertise of Safari Guides00:25:31 - The Importance of Respecting Animal Boundaries00:28:59 - From Whitewater to Walking: A Guide's Jou

As a child growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe, Mikey Hensman was surrounded by rescued exotic animals like elephants, impalas, and warthogs. This unique upbringing sparked his deep passion for wildlife that eventually led him to a career in anti-poaching and conservation. Hensman is the co-founder of Resolve Wildlife, an African-led strategic advisory and training group dedicated to conserving Africa's wild landscapes. Resolve Wildlife's team includes experts in protected area management, ecology, law enforcement, and community-based resource management. One of their key conservation partners, Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ), is a non-profit organization working to protect Zambia’s Lower Zambezi region. CLZ collaborates with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) to conduct foot and aerial patrols, as well as operate specialized enforcement units, including the highly effective Dog Unit.Introduced in 2016 with support from USAID, the Dog Unit plays a vital role in combating poaching and wild