The Trail Less Traveled

Zoe Mavis is originally from Boulder, Colorado and has been skiing her entire life. She now works as a ski instructor in Big Sky Montana during the winter and as a river guide based out of Missoula. Zoe is on the national team of The Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. The PSIA-AASI is the world’s largest organization dedicated to teaching people how to ski and snowboard.100% of the support for the podcast comes from donations via www.Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Kanter is the senior wildlife biologist for the National Wildlife Federation. John has been hooked on wildlife since he was, as they say, knee-high to a grasshopper. As a child, he loved African animals, especially elephants, and got to watch his pediatrician mother take care of the first eight gorillas born at the Cincinnati Zoo. From there his interest grew from taking care of animals to understanding them in the wild and taking care of their natural habitats. John works on many projects including Recovering America's Wildlife Act, climate change and the movement to having lead free landscapes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Baird is one of the world’s leading Back-country Primitive Survival Experts and Guides.Dan regularly travels and lead’s survival training and exploration trips to some of the most remote and hostile places on earth.As Head Instructor of the largest survival training school in the U.S., the California Survival School.Dan is responsible for programs training an average of 4k+ persons annually in wilderness and urban survival skills.Dan has been featured for his remote guiding and survival expertise in the media with National Geographic, History Channel, Forbes, Good Morning America, and many more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us on the edge of the river next to the prairie under the Mission Mountains of Northwestern Montana for an episode with Steve McCoy. Steve is joined by his good friend and adventure companion, Gary Steele, for plenty of hearty laughs, storytelling and a look into their conservation work that made national headlines for Earth First 40 years ago. Steve moved to Montana in 1976 to fly fish and live the dream. He will reflects on the restoration of the American prairie and the return of the Buffalo. Climate change will come up in conversation alongside the breathtaking dream of establishing the "American Serengeti". Did you know that an acre of prairie absorbs more carbon than an acre of rain forest? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in the forested mountains just outside Missoula featuring Alec Underwood, the federal conservation campaigns manager for the Montana Wildlife Federation. In this episode we learn about cold water fish species of concern here in Montana as well as climate change and good ole' fashioned elk hunting stories as well as a deep dive into the world and history of wildlife conservation here in Montana.Alec brings his passion for conservation and admiration of public lands to the job. He has spent several years in the field of fisheries and holds a degree in aquatic wildlife biology from the University of Montana. He has worked in collaboration with federal agencies, private landowners, and conservation organizations on a variety of different issues. While not working or volunteering his time for conservation, Alec can be found on a trout stream or in the mountains of southwest Montana pursuing elk in September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arturo Ramirez is a Southwestern Artist who found his niche painting on Gourds. Growing up on the banks of the Cimmaron River in Northern New Mexico, Arturo is the epitome of the South West. Arturo is inspired by ancient symbolism, especially Mesoamerican symbols. He now focuses his energy on making rattles which incorporate animal, mineral and plant. The rocks inside his rattles come from ant hills near sacred sites in the southwest where he makes an offering for the gifts from inside the earth that the ants bring to the surface. Arturo paints and carves gourds that are one of a kind. There are no two alike. With the help of his family, Arturo actually starts each creation with the planting of the gourd seeds in his backyard. www.gourdsbyarturo.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Thompson is the region two wildlife manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Mike has had a 40-year commitment to managing and conserving the wildlife resources of Montana. Mike’s incredible work ethic, communication skills and unfailing ability to guide discussions and decisions concerning controversial wildlife issues and land acquisitions, is a true gift. Mike continues to bridge the gap among the biological, social and political sciences to represent the agency in a way that earns public trust and support. Mike’s career with FWP began in 1980. His early work included fencing on the Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area and working the paddlefish run at Intake along the Yellowstone River. In 1981, Mike completed his Master’s Degree at Montana State University by studying mountain goats along the Rocky Mountain Front. FWP hired Mike as a field assistant on the Elkhorn Mountains Elk Ecology project, to help develop an elk management plan for the area. Mike became a full-time FWP wildlife biologist

Dr. Tyler Eugene Nordgren is an artist, author, astronomer, dark skies ambassador and professor of physics at the University of Redlands.Nordgren earned a B.A. in physics from Reed College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in astronomy from Cornell University.Before joining the University of Redlands in 2001, Nordgren was an astronomer at the United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station and Lowell Observatory.In 2004, with six other astronomers and artists, Nordgren helped develop MarsDials, functioning sundials that NASA's Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity rovers carried with them to MarsNordgren also designed the giant sundial that resides on the wall of Appleton Hall at the University of Redlands and is accurate within 10 minutes.For the past five years, Nordgren has been traveling around the U.S. to educate the public about what eclipses are and how the opportunity to see the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 should not be missed. More of Nordgren's research on eclipses can be found in his most recent book

Since 1985, the Clark Fork Coalition has worked to restore and protect the Clark Fork River basin, a 22,000 square mile area draining western Montana and northern Idaho. The Coalition's work is science-based and results oriented, and the organization strives to connect communities to the recovery of the Clark Fork River and its tributaries. Get involved as a volunteer with the Coalition at clarkfork.org.Is superfund cleanup of mining wastes in the Clark Fork making a difference? Yes! At least it is in terms of total amounts of copper and arsenic. And that’s especially good news because both are toxic: copper is extremely bad for fish, and arsenic is poisonous for people.It took decades of hard work by advocates for the river to make cleanup happen. Today we’re seeing tangible benefits from that unwavering commitment to a clean and healthy Clark Fork. What is Superfund?Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly manage

Recorded inside a short bus home in the Sonoran Desert with Tamra, a nomadic minimalist. Tamra shares her heartfelt journey of recovery from a shopping addiction and her transformation into a nomadic minimalist who lives in a short bus and teaches survival skills and wilderness therapy. You will get an introduction into how to convert a bus into a home, how important it is to connect with the natural world, and some survival skill sets which could save your life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded recently at Lake Missoula Tea Company in the heart of downtown Missoula, Montana. This episode features Jake Kreilick who reflects on talks about environmental activism and conservation in addition to the wonders of tea and the travels it has taken him on through China, Japan and Colombia. Jake moved to Missoula in 1985 to attend graduate school. He has a long history of involvement in forest protection and restoration with Earth First!, Native Forest Network, National Forest Protection Alliance and currently with the WildWest Institute where he works part-time as the Restoration Coordinator. Jake is a hard core frisbee golf (folf) addict, a long-time player and coach for the Missoula All-Maggots Rugby Club, and is also involved in administering and coaching Missoula Youth Rugby. Jake manages the Missoula wholesale accounts, is responsible for new wholesale accounts, and serves tea behind the bar. High Mountain Oolong from Taiwan is his favorite tea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in

In this episode, we travel around the world with Lake Missoula Tea Company owner, Heather Kreilick. Heather is a native Montanan who grew up in the Bitterroot Valley before leaving to attend college in Arizona. She was a hotshot forest firefighter before teaching on the Navajo Reservation. She returned to Montana in 1999, completed a Geography masters in 2006, and has worked in the GIS field ever since. Heather is an avid hiker, occasional climber, and full time adventurer and likes to spend time with family and close friends. Heather manages the Lake Missoula Tea Company website, selects and blends tea, and makes the hard decisions. Her favorite teas include Sangamon Sunset Red (black tea) and Gu Hua Puerh, both from the ancient tea trees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blade Elliot was born and raised in rural Alabama and knew from a young age that he wanted to be a pro rodeo cowboy. He almost stopped when his father threatened to burn his gear but in his heart he knew he was meant to ride. Blade trained in his uncle's backyard on (stolen) mules and eventually went on to be awarded a full ride scholarship for his rodeo skills. Blade has competed in bare back pro rodeo since the age of 18 and has had no major injuries to date (knock on wood). Blade rides in 70-100 rodeos per year and has won countless awards as a top rider. Blade now lives with his wife in Montana and enjoys fly fishing in his spare time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Within a day's drive of Missoula you will find some of the best ice climbing... in the world,” says Missoula's legendary alpinist Gray Thompson. Gray Thompson is a legendary climber and Geology Professor Emeritus at the University of Montana. Gray has been climbing since the mid 1960s and it's easier for him to think of the places he hasn't been rather then the places he has climbed. Gray has done more than a handful of first ascents on North Faces in the Canadian Rockies and worldwide including the Himalayas, Alps and Andes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the trail leads to the coldest capital in the world, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Join me for an interview with a modern day Mother Teresa, Didi Kalika. In 1993 Didi Kalika, an Australian Yoga teacher was moved by the plight of the children living on the streets of Ulaanbaatar & started taking care of vulnerable babies and children, many of which were forced into prostitution. Her orphanage started from a single apartment & since 1993 Lotus Children's Center has grown to house, feed, care for and educate hundreds of children in Mongolia. To donate, volunteer and find out more information you can visit lotuschild.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This interview was recorded in a rickshaw navigating the busy streets of a major Indian city before we were forced to find shelter in order to keep the equipment dry during recording due to a tropical monsoon 100' from the Arabian Sea. This interview features Amir Izadi, Amir is a child of the revolution who was born right after the Islamic Republic of Iran took over. Amir is a refugee living in Washington D.C. who immigrated with his family from Iran 16 years ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Turk earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Colorado, in 1971. The same year, in honor of Earth Day 1, he co-authored the first environmental science textbook in the United States. Jon is the author of 25 text books and 4 adventure books. In addition to circumnavigating Ellesmere island, solo kayak missions in the Solomon islands, biking across Tibet to the birthplace of the Dalai Lama, multiple kayak expeditions from Japan along eastern Siberia eventually walking across the Siberian tundra and so much more... In this episode we dive into Jon's newest book CROCODILES AND ICE and explore a Consciousness Revolution toward a personal, spiritual, & reciprocal relationship with the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danielle Maniere knew she wanted to be an astronaut when she was five years old. She started skiing when she was two and studied Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol in the UK. After graduating, she worked as a field engineer on oil rigs based out of Iraq and over a period of seven years, she worked in over four countries. Danielle purchased land on an island in Indonesia and built a hostel while perfecting the language. After being evacuated out of Iraq due to air strikes, Danielle moved to Missoula and continued her career in aviation. Danielle is now a flight instructor and charter pilot for North Star Jet... she is well on her way to becoming an astronaut. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Guitar Steve" hasn't owned a T.V. since the 60s & he relayed on a bicycle to get around the world for over twenty years. Steve Smith is an artist, musician, poet and cat loving adventurer who has been living on the beach in Baja every winter with his cat for over two decades. Steve studied film in London and did Peace Corps in Ethiopia before retiring into what he calls the "Simple LIfe". You are invited to join us in the sunny salty air of Baja for live music and storytelling with this amazing human and his beloved cat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in a small stall in a labyrinth of markets within Jemaa el-Fnaa square in the Medina (old city) of Marrakech. Jemaa el-Fnaa was also known for its public executions dating back to 1050. This interview features Mohammed, Abdul and Aziz. Mohammed and Abdul are two young men who run a shop with Aziz, an older family friend. Aziz was born in a mud hut, began smoking hash when he was 12 and speaks over six languages fluently. Mohammed translates for his friends and all topics are covered including food, clothing, religion, jewelry and other aspects of the many cultures in North Africa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.