Day Fire Podcast

Carretera Austral with Beth Thomas

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:27:41 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Beth Thomas. Beth grew up in Brownstown, a small town in southern Indiana. She went to IU undergrad, and IU school of Dentistry. She practiced dentistry for 14 years, during which time, her main hobby was training for long-distance triathlons. Not anticipating the dissolution of her business partnership, Beth opted for early retirement instead of starting a new dental practice. She sold everything she owned, invested it, and headed out on the road taking advantage of this unexpected freedom. One adventure simply led to the next. Beth's list of adventures are long and worldwide. This show we discuss her bikepacking trip through Patagonia down the famous The famous 700-mile gravel tour in South America referred to as the Carretera Austral (Route 7) in Chilean Patagonia. This legendary stretch of highway starts in Puerto Monttand winds south to Villa O'Higgins, taking cyclists through one of the most rugged, windswept, and pristine landscapes on earth.

Tour Divide Woman's Winner: Meaghan Hackinen

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:12:26 +0000

This week we sat down with Meaghan Hackinen, the women's winner of this year's Tour Divide. Meaghan is a bikepacker and writer whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe’s highest paved roads. She is a two time ultra-cycling world champion and with wins in some of the hardest bikepacking races on the planet, including the Tour Divide (2024 and 2026) and Silk Road Mountain Race (2025), regularly finishing in the top ten overall. Meaghan's debut travel memoir, South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels (NeWest Press, 2019) was a finalist for two Canadian book awards; her follow up, Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race, charts her entry into self-supported ultra-racing. You can find her exploring back roads in British Columbia’s beautiful Okanagan Valley or on Instagram at @meaghanhackinen.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Highland Trail 500 with Matt Schweiker

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:47:49 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson interviewed Matt Schweiker. Matt is a regular on our show because he is always pushing the extreme in the worlds hardest mountain races for cyclists. Matt has traveled the world racing his bike in multi day events. This time Matt shares with us his experience from the Highlands 550 in Scotland. The race is 550 miles which is broken into 50% Singletrack, 52,500 feet climbing, 80% rideable. That is 20% hike a bike in the high country of Scotland; that's just hard. First edition was in 2013 (400 miles) in 2014 Northern Loop added (550 miles).The Crux Sections: Fisherfied & Coffin Road, Ledmore Traverse, Devil's Staircase, Timing Resupply for the remote Northern Loop: Bealach. It was unseasonably cold, the race director called it the “worst conditions of any year” which is saying a lot considering we are talking about Scotland. 64 people at the start, 33 DNF. These are the races that Matt is drawn to. Small, hard multi day races with lots of remote single track riding. This time Matt made the decision to ride a single speed. Matt was one of two who raced on a single speed.

Sponsored by Mountain Viewview Auto group.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Sequatchie 24 Ultra Recap with Shannon Burke (Powered by the Mountain View Auto Group)

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:30:04 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Shannon Burke. Shannon is the Race Director for the New Sequatchie 24 Ultra cycle race. The race was June 13-14 and was a huge success. We wanted to get an update from the event and also a sneak peak at what is going to happen next year.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Finding Balance with Jessica Jollie (Powered by The Mountain View Auto Group)

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 20:25:45 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with Jessica Jollie. Jessica is the owner of Yoga Landing in Signal Mountain Tennessee. Jessica by all accounts and reports is one of the best in the region. Take a class from her and you will know her skill. Over thirty years ago Jessica found her way to Yoga due to a snowboarding injury in the high mountains of Ca. Her recovery and practice went from student to teacher to studio owner. Jessica shares her journey with us today and also how yoga has a place for everyone. I have been blessed to practice with Jessica for several years and like many I came to heal my body from injury. What I found was a better balance for my daily living and a fitter healthier body. Jessica calls herself a Yoga Universalist. This means that any form or perspective that awakens clarity, strengthens and heals the body, and energizes the spirit, she supports wholeheartedly. Personally, she connects most with Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Hot Elemental, and Yin Yoga. She is also a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and holds a Master's degree in Counseling.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Naked and Afraid/Lauren Beihoffer (Powered by The Mountain View Auto Group)

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 07 May 2026 21:29:07 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Lauren Beihoffer. Lauren is a biochemist, ultrarunner, adventurer, endurance coach, guide and mom to three boys. Lauren is deeply passionate about helping athletes midlife and beyond conquer their health, wellness and performance goals. In adulthood, Lauren found that her passion was trail and ultra running. She has conquered distances from 5K to 100 miles and everything in between. She especially loves self-supported adventure running and other outdoor endurance pursuits. When not running or coaching, you can find Lauren backpacking, mountaineering, adventure racing and tackling wilderness survival challenges. Catch her on season 16 of Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid.

Sponsored by Mountain View Auto group. Been serving Chattanooga and supporting the great outdoors for over 40 years.

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Ridgeline / Liz Derstine (Powered by The Mountain View Auto Group)

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:00:02 +0000

This week we sat down with Liz Derstine and talked about her new short film Ridgeline. The short film is about Liz's PCT thru hike is now available to watch at mountainhardwear.com/ridgeline.html (you can also find it on Mountain Hardwear's YouTube channel @MountainHardwear).To describe Liz in a few sentences is impossible. Her achievements are many. She is an elite ultra athlete who has set many FKT's; fastest known times. Liz is a professional pianist, composer, and trail athlete for Mountain Hardwear. She's set Fastest Known Times on the Appalachian Trail northbound, Vermont’s Long Trail, the Pinhoti Trail in Georgia and Alabama, Kungsleden in Sweden, the Swiss Via Alpina, and more. In 2025 she thru-hiked the 2,655 mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, self-supported, in 69 days, 13 hours, 53 minutes–this made her the third fastest woman in history and eighth-fastest person in the self-supported style to complete the PCT.

This series is Sponsored by Mtn View Auto group. Serving southeast Tn and North Ga for 45 years. Mtn View Auto group has been supporting the great outdoors for all 45 years.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Dealers

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Nick "Chezwick" Gagnon - FKT (Fastest Known Time) for the Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:22:06 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Nick "Chezwick" Gagnon. Nick set the new record for the male self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking (Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails), completing the ~7,000+ mile journey in 231 days, 7 hours, and 33 minutes. He finished on December 19, 2025 on Springer mountain. This record covers all three major US trails. Nick is a hiking machine and he shares his journey with us and what it takes to be successful. We talk about food, gear, animals, luck and his near miss as he was swept downstream on the PCT.

This series is Sponsored by Mtn View Auto group. Serving southeast Tn and North Ga for 45 years. Mtn View Auto group has been supporting the great outdoors for all 45 years.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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One Speed / Travis Jolly

Dawson Wheeler — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:51:08 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Travis Jolly. Travis is a very humble, smart and dang fast cyclist that excels with the road turns to dirt or trails. He works at Bike Zoo bike shop in Knoxville, TN. He is 30 years old and was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up as a child and throughout his teenage years he was primarily a track and cross country runner. After putting college on hold is when he started his cycling life primarily as a fixed gear cyclist. Travis is a bike mechanic, and not long after moving to Knoxville in November of 2019. He wanted to live somewhere new and expand his life as a cyclist in a place with mountains. Travis dabbles with every category of cycling every once in a while. But he has found that his heart and legs enjoy soaking up the beauty of the forests and mountains that surround his newfound home on a single speed mountain bike. A few results of many, USA cycling Marathon Mountain Biking World Championships 2nd place Single Speed. 3rd at 2025 Cohutta Cat BUT he rode his bike there (Mulberry Gap) from Knoxville adding 180 miles and 20k of climbing in a day. Won TNGA in 2024 on a single speed to mention a few.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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The 'Sequatchie 24' with Lee Davis

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 14:24:12 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Lee Davis and talked about the new Sequatchie 24 cycling event that will be in Dunlap Tn on June 13th and 14th. Lee is a Signal Mountain Tennessee resident who has a passion for endurance cycling. Lee has competed many times in the Natchez 444 and last year the Psycho 48. The event will be managed and directed by cycling guru Shannon Burke. Shannon has mapped out all of Bike TN https://bike.tnvacation.com routes around the state of Tennessee and will be releasing early this year 40 new gravel routes around the state of Tennessee. The Sequatchie 24 will have three distances this year. A 75 mile route, a 150 mile route and a 24 hour division. URL for website with more info: https://www.cyclesequatchie.com/ultra

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Matt Schweiker: 7 Months in South America

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:58:59 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Matt Schweiker. Matt has shared his adventures with us many times. This week we wanted to talk about a 7 month trip Matt took through South America in 2015. The Countries he covered were; Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and a small part of Chile. This might have been the trip that got Matt racing and adventuring on the bike world wide. Matt Schweiker is an adventure bike packer and ultra endurance racer. He’s completed the Bikepacking Triple Crown: Tour Divide, Arizona Trail 800 and Colorado Trail. He’s raced internationally completing the Silk Road Mountain Race, Trans Balkan and Hellenic Mountain Race. His travels on bike have taken him to over 25 countries. He lives in Chattanooga TN and currently serves as the race director for the Cohutta Cat Bikepacking event.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Ali Whittier - Here Comes the Sun!

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:02:56 +0000

This week we sat down with Ali Whittier. This is the second time Ali has joined us to talk about adventure and bike racing. Ali lives in the same community as we do which is Chattanooga Tn and because of that I hear a lot about her. Ali appears to me to be something like the sun; a source of energy and power for so many people both on and off the bike. I know her by reputation and we could all only wish for such positive affirmation.

A little about her; "Ali Whittier is a dedicated professional and endurance athlete who brings energy, curiosity, and resilience to everything she does. She balances a demanding career with a deep passion for cycling and outdoor adventure. Ali is known for her commitment to personal growth and her willingness to push herself in both sport and life. When she’s not on the bike, she’s exploring the outdoors, building strength, or diving into new challenges. She’s motivated by connection, storytelling, and finding meaning in the process of showing up every day."

Here is one of the lessons; "showing up every day".

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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MY SECOND FIRST STEP with Brittney Whorton

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:52:05 +0000

This week we sat down with Brittney Whorton. Brittney is a bright light in the world whose story should motivate everyone. She is a powerful, smart and funny woman who has met challenges head on and chosen to see the world in the most beautiful way.

Brittney writes; "So when you see me push myself physically, know that I won the mental battle years ago, my body is just trying to catch up and soak in every single moment! Pushing myself to greater heights. Dumber things. BIGGER THINGS! Pushing myself to be something that defies every dang odd that was laid out for me by some pretty brilliant medical professionals. Because my amazing team of docs were always terrified of what riding a bike could do to me as my back and hip had been properly destroyed!!! But, I knew I didn’t have a choice but to ride.Turns out, they saved my insides and were able to stop the growth of a pretty nasty chronic disease. But riding a bike saved my life!!! And I’m going to live every moment incredibly grateful for the achievements mom and I made with my health; but if you see fear, it is fear that I stop short of my goals and don’t find my true physical limit. There is no mental limit, that battle was fought and won years ago. A physical limit looms out there, maybe, I don’t really know, but I want to do everything I can to try and find where the physical wins over this mind.

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Arch About TN: Fall Colors - Drives and Parks! Part 6

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 10:53:56 +0000

We have started a new series on the Dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 6 of 6 . In this episode we continue to talk about Tennessee Parks and where you can go to view, hike and enjoy Fall leaf colors. We also cover beautiful drives that you can enjoy the Fall colors from your vehicle. We go down a few rabbit holes and discuss economic development in rural Tn and solve a few world problems along the way; haha.

Currently, Arch is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.

Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks.

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Arch About TN: Fall Colors-Drives-Parks! Ep. 5

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:12:07 +0000

We have started a new series on the Dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 5. In this episode we talk about Tennessee Park where you can go to view, hike and enjoy Fall leaf colors. We also cover beautiful drives that you can enjoy the Fall colors from your vehicle.

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Arch About TN: Small Towns, Snacks & Hidden Gems: Episode #4

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:15:19 +0000

We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 4. In this episode we talk about small towns, dinners and hidden gems around the state. Arch shares some favorite spots and tons of facts and boy did I learn some new places to go.

Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.

Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/

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Arch About TN: Tennessee Festivals and Fairs: Part 3

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 13:21:38 +0000

We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 3. In this episode we talk about some of Tennessee's most unique festivals and fairs. Have you ever been to Tennessee's Renaissance Festival? It's a must go for 2026 or how about the Cornbread Festival or the SlawBurger Festival? Tennessee is home to many awesome communities, with rich histories that include all kinds of fun. So sit back, grab a notepad and plan some new experiences for 2026 in the great state of Tennessee.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Arch Trimble, IV Part 2: "Arch About Tn" - Let's Do Business!

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:34:48 +0000

We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 2. In this episode we discuss how passion for the state of Tennessee turned to a business. Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.

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Tennessee is My Home, My Passion, and My Work! Part 1 with Arch Trimble!

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:51:08 +0000

We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. In 2024, he and his family made stops in all 95 counties and saw over 40 Tennessee State Parks and 20 Natural Areas in 12 months as well as every single National Park site in TN. In addition to that, he has visited over 100 museums in Tennessee and currently in 2025 is on a quest to finish the state parks while also visiting over 300 Tennessee local businesses to support economic development. His passion for Tennessee started early as he traveled across Tennessee with his family on work trips or hunting and fishing excursions. He has an unabated love for Meat and 3’s, less traveled Waterfalls and unique experiences only afforded to those who search harder.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Bike Tennessee Part 6

Dawson Wheeler — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:57:40 +0000

We are back with part 6 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. If you have missed the first 5 podcasts in this series please give them a listen. This week we again have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails.

Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Group Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/ Site Seven Campers: https://sitesevencampers.com/ Dayfire Company: https://dayfirecompany.com/

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Bike Tennessee Part 5

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 16:38:38 +0000

We are back with part 5 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. If you have missed the first 4 podcasts in this series please give them a listen. This week we again have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails.

Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Group Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/ Site Seven Campers: https://sitesevencampers.com/ Dayfire Company: https://dayfirecompany.com/

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Bike Tennessee: Part 4

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 13:51:50 +0000

We are back with part 4 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. This week we have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails.

Bike Tennessee: Part 3

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 14:16:51 +0000

We are back with part 3 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee's Jenni Veal and Shannon Burke. Jenni has been working to serve rural Tennessee communities for three years as the Rural Destination Development Manager with the TN Department of Tourist Development. In that role, she helped develop the state’s Bike Tennessee initiative in partnership with Shannon Burke. Jenni recently moved into a new position within the department to serve as the Outdoor Tourism Development Manager, in which she will continue to manage and grow that program, as well as additional outdoor tourism initiatives. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Bike Tennessee Part 2

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:50:36 +0000

We are back with part 2 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee's Jenni Veal and Shannon Burke. Jenni has been working to serve rural Tennessee communities for three years as the Rural Destination Development Manager with the TN Department of Tourist Development. In that role, she helped develop the state’s Bike Tennessee initiative in partnership with Shannon Burke. Jenni recently moved into a new position within the department to serve as the Outdoor Tourism Development Manager, in which she will continue to manage and grow that program, as well as additional outdoor tourism initiatives. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Powered by: Chattanooga Concrete - Serving Chattanooga, Nashville, Knoxville, and Atlanta! www.chattanoogaconcreteco.com Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Dealers

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Bike Tennessee Part One

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:00:18 +0000

We are proud to announce a new 6 part series with Bike Tennessee. This week we sat down with Jenni Veal and Shannon Burke. Jenni has been working to serve rural Tennessee communities for three years as the Rural Destination Development Manager with the TN Department of Tourist Development. In that role, she helped develop the state’s Bike Tennessee initiative in partnership with Shannon Burke. Jenni recently moved into a new position within the department to serve as the Outdoor Tourism Development Manager, in which she will continue to manage and grow that program, as well as additional outdoor tourism initiatives. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN.

Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Dealers

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Chapter 2

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 12:32:07 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson discuss plans for a new format being Fall 2024. In the meantime we will pull podcasts from the vault of over 255 episodes. And we will dol a few podcasts when possible. Our goal is to develop a new show format and also do a whole lot of adventuring this Spring, Summer and Fall. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Powered by: Rock Creek Outfitters - www.rockcreekoutfitters.com Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Dealers Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/ RoofingCo.com: www.roofingco.com

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Dawson is BACK!

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 14:25:46 +0000

Dawson is back in the studio AND he has put together 4 short stories from a few recent episodes that he really likes! So - give them a listen and share! Story 1: Episode 242 - A Couple Screws Loose / Cameron Muilenburg Story 2: Episode 236 - Chris Joice / Single Speed Story 3: Episode 243 - Shifting Gears With Meaghan Hackinen Story 4: Episode 238 - Jay Curwen: Let’s Race

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Dealers Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/ RoofingCo.com: www.roofingco.com

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The Mission of SORBA

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 11:43:23 +0000

Dawson is out this week and we were fortunate enough to have Jason Finnell step in and co-host with Clint. Jason is an avid outdoor enthusiast and has been on Day Fire multiple times. Jason invited some of his friends from SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) to join us in-studio. Philip Darden - Executive Director and Jen Flavin - Development Director, stopped by and we talked about SORBA's mission, the challenges, the opportunities, their successes, and much more! It was a fun conversation and as you would expect - included stories and laughter!

More about SORBA from their website www.sorba.org: Since 1989, The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association has worked to ensure that our public lands offer fun, challenging and sustainable mountain biking for all mountain bikers. As the leading mountain biking organization in the southeast, we believe everyone should have access to the social, physical, and mental benefits that mountain biking provides.

Through advocacy, education and resource sharing, SORBA and its forty-seven chapters envision a future where mountain biking is at the center of healthy, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable communities throughout the Southeast, with well-planned, accessible, and progressive trail systems.

SORBA relies on our generous members to carry out our mission. Our volunteers donate thousands of hours each year to advocate for trail access, raise funds for trail development, build trails, and maintain trails. Please support our cause Join SORBA today! Or donate!

SORBA and its Chapters are 501c organizations. SORBA has chapters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. All contributions are tax deductible.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Dealers Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/ RoofingCo.com: www.roofingco.com

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Mitchell Connell / Two Bikes Chattanooga

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 20:55:06 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Mitchell Connell. Mitchell is an avid cyclist who splits his time on the bike between commuting, touring, and riding roads, trails, and gravel. As long as Mitchell’s riding bikes with his friends, he’s happy.

Mitchell works as a bicycle nonprofit professional and freelance photographer and writer. Mitchell is the founder of Two Bikes Knoxville, Two Bikes Chattanooga and is a contributor to The Radavist.

Mitchell has helped grow Two Bikes from a small grassroots nonprofit to a regionally-leading organization that has provided more than 1,000 bikes to underserved community members, more than 50 paid internships to at-risk youth, and helped lead more than 100 community-focused group rides.

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Bike Packing the Annapurna Circuit

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 15:06:43 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with three guests, Luke Swab, Matt Schweiker and Michael Kohn . In December 2023, these three friends from Chattanooga Tennessee, packed their bags and bikes for a trip to Nepal to tackle the Annapurna Circuit on bike. Nepal is renowned for being the home of the world’s highest mountains, the Himalayas. The route climbs 33,776 feet over 240 miles and reaches a high point at Thorong La Pass at 17,769 feet. Matt, Luke and Michael came back with stories of battling high altitude, freezing temperatures and the remarkable culture and hospitality of the Nepalese people. Join us as we listen, learn and laugh as they share stories about their adventure and each other.

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Shawanna Kendrick/Opening Nature's Door

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 11:25:29 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down and catch up with Shawanna Kendrick. This is the second time we have had Shawanna on the podcast. Shawanna is the Founder and CEO of The Hiking Healing (H2) and Outdoors (O) Life. H2O, as it’s often called, is a licensed business providing a safe space for black women to grow personally as they seek to find a sense of self in nature. Shawanna's organization is based out of Chattanooga Tennessee.

Since its inception, H2O has curated spaces for just over 500 black women and girls with programs like Women on Water, the Black Women Paddle, The H2O Life Outdoor Girls Leadership Academy as well as hikes, meditative nature walks, and paddling excursions.

In addition, Shawanna is an American Canoe Association (ACA) certified Community Paddlesports Leader, which allows her to teach basic paddling skills while helping black women especially overcome obstacles preventing them from enjoying all that nature has to offer.

To learn more, support or join an adventure go to: https://www.theh2o.life

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Shifting Gears / Meaghan Hackinen

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 23:54:14 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Meaghan Hackinen. Meaghan is a Kelowna-based writer and ultra-cyclist whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe’s highest paved roads. Meaghan loves to compete and doesn’t shy away from pushing her limits. She is a Trans Am Bike Race, Transcontinental Race, NorthCape4000, and Paris-Brest-Paris brevet finisher.

In 2023, Meaghan placed first overall in the Silver State 508, the Buckshot and Lost Elephant bikepacking races, established an overall course record on the Log Driver’s Waltz as an Individual Time Trial, and set a women’s FKT with her second-place finish at the Dark Divide. Meaghan has an MFA in Writing and is the author of two books: South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels and Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race.

We focus our podcast on her Book Shifting Gears, a Coast to Coast race across the United States. Meaghan is an amazing woman who is pushing her boundaries on a bicycle. Join us as she shares her journey and her insights from her coast to coast race. I have read the book, "Shifting Gears", and it is a book that everyone will enjoy reading.

Purchase links available in ebook and print USA:

NeWest Press (publisher): https://bookshop.newestpress.com/products/shifting-gears-coast-to-coast-on-the-trans-am-bike-race

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shifting-gears-meaghan-hackinen/1143174637

Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/6IF9xLI

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Cameron Muilenburg / A Couple Screws Loose

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 12:21:43 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Cameron Muilenburg. Cameron is a freelance filmmaker living in Chattanooga. We talk with Cameron about the making of his new award winning film; A Couple Screws Loose. The film is the story about a three day ultra endurance ride in the Cherokee National Forest. Follow Luke Swab and Matt Schweiker as they link together the Dirty 130, Tellico Highlands and the Death March and ride the mileage between the routes. A funny and inspiring film that everyone will enjoy.

The Film won the Lookout Mountain Film Festival Audience Choice Award.

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Lisa Randall / Fast and Far

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 12:46:22 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Lisa Randall. Lisa graduated with the highest honors from Georgia Tech in 2000, She worked full time as a civil engineer while juggling a heavy training and racing schedule. She entered the professional mountain bike ranks in 2004 after 2.5 years of racing, but definitely struggled to see results since she was trying to train at the pro level while working full time. In 2006, she discovered a new addiction, Adventure Racing, and has competed in dozens of multisport races ranging from 3 hours to 5 days. Lisa has had the opportunity to complete the TransRockies Mountain Bike Stage Race as well as the 2013 Trans North Georgia Mountain Bike Race, a 350 mile non-stop MTB race across the mountains of North Georgia. While it was definitely the most physically and mentally draining event she had done, she completed the route in just under 2 days, which is still the women's record. In 2015, Lisa was proud to earn a stars and stripes jersey at the Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships. Being drawn to difficult events, she is a two time buckle recipient in the Marji Gesick Duathlon (2019 and 2023) and one of maybe 4 women who have ever earned buckles in the event's history. In 2021 Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer so her treatment for that was how she spent a lot of 2021 and 2022. By 2023 she was feeling strong enough to get back out into endurance racing and she competed in Expedition Ozark, a 5 day adventure race, where her team was the 2nd US team to finish. She also raced solo at the Chattanooga Epic 48 hour adventure race (2nd overall) and won the women's title at the Solo Adventure Race Championships. She participates in competitive orienteering and has even dabbled in some 50K running events. Lisa is happiest on her bike but generally just loves to be outdoors.

Lisa's passion for athletics, competition and the outdoors led to her voluntary resignation from the engineering profession in 2011 and the creation of Mountain Goat Adventures, which is an event company that specializes in Mountain Bike Races, Trail Runs and Off Road Duathlons.

The creation of Mountain Goat Adventures has allowed her to share her passion with like minded people, as well as given her a chance to really give back to the organizations that provide some of the best trail systems in the Northwest Metro Atlanta area. Between herself, her family members, and many great volunteers, they have logged hundreds of hours of trail maintenance in conjunction with her events, as well as over a hundred thousand dollars in donations to trail groups, with SORBA Woodstock being our largest benefactor.

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Tim Morgan / Chattanooga Marathon

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 13:31:58 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Tim Morgan. Tim is the Chief Sports Officer at Chattanooga Sports, a division of Chattanooga Tourism Co. We talk about the Chattanooga Marathon on March 1-3 weekend 2024. We dive into some of the details of the event and what it takes to host a highly successful event in downtown Chattanooga Tennessee. Tim says thank you to all the hundreds of volunteers it takes to host this event and also all the agencies involved. We also talk about the course and things to do in Chattanooga Tennessee while you are there. If you are not registered you want to sign up and spend the weekend in Chattanooga.

Find out more and register: https://www.chattanoogamarathon.com/

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Katrina Hase - Celebratory Divide Ride

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:50:34 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Katrine Hase. Katrine last summer "2023 set out on her bicycle from Jasper, Alberta Canada to ride to Antelope Wells, New Mexico along the Great Divide. Katrine did this amazing trip because she wanted to do something epic to celebrate her 50th year on the planet and her 10th year of sobriety. What better way than to spend two months in the mountains cycling? With the support of family she sets off on this solo journey. Her journey on the Great Divide is uniquely hers with a few detours along the way to fit her needs and adapt to weather, safety, bike repairs and keep moving forward.

Early in her recovery, she realized that she needed to find new social outlets that no longer involved alcohol. She started taking movement classes called Nia, which led her to try ballroom dancing and finally to sign up for an adult ballet class. Luckily, around the time she was hitting limits in dance, she rediscovered biking. Katrina's son was working at a bike shop and starting to get involved in mountain biking. He and Katrina's husband were having a lot of fun on bikes, so eventually she took a leap and purchased a bike of her own. From there, there has been no stopping her. Mountain racing, bike packing and now the Tour Divide. SInce 2019 a few of the events and races she has accomplished.

2019—Won 1st place series age group in citizen category Minnesota Mountain Bike Series; became level 1 certified mountain bike coach and started coaching local mountain bike team • 2020—Completed level 3 coach certification and coached for MCA; competed in women’s comp category in Minnesota Mountain Bike Series (Border Crossing race 1st overall women’s) • 2021—Won 2nd place series age group for Moab Rocks 3-day stage race; 3rd place age group Giant’s Ridge long GRIND; competed in first enduro race in Duluth, MN; completed 100-mile supported 3 day/2 night ride of Maah Daah Hey trail in North Dakota • 2022—3rd place age group Lutsen 69er race. Completed gravel century ride. 3rd place age group Fat Bike Worlds.

Bikepacking trips: Yellow River Loop (Iowa, overnighter); Tour of the Canyons hut trip (video) from Grand Junction, CO to Moab UT (3 days/2 nights); Vapor Trail (video) (Colorado, 4 days/3 nights); Gravel Pizza Overnighter (Wisconsin); solo Maah Daah Hey Deuce route (video) (overnight). Completed Marji Gesick 50.

• 2023—Duo category at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (video); 3rd place age group Epic Singletrack Full; 1st place age group Fat Bike Worlds.

Bikepacking trips: Extended Mammoth Gravel Loop (video) (3 days/2 nights); GDMBR starting in Jasper on Icefields Parkway (videos); North loop of Monumental Loop (New Mexico, 3 days/2 days

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Jay Curwen - Lets Race

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 13:01:18 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Jay Curwen. Jay is a veteran of hundreds of races...he has been fortunate enough to find his way to the front many times...from ice hockey, pole vaulting, cross country and swimming in high school & college, to a stint as a professional triathlete with 2 Ironman World Championship finishes and several US team appearances...as well as 3 USA Triathlon AG National titles...and finally a USARA National Championship in adventure racing. Jay is also the Race Director of the Mount Mitchell Challenge. Jay shares stories and tips from his personal races and as an Director of one of the hardest races in the southeast.

He has woven his love for the outdoors and competitiveness into a sales career for some of the industry's most iconic brands...Patagonia, The North Face, Kelty, Sierra Designs...and finally, one of the world's finest and largest outfitters, The Nantahala Outdoor Center.

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Moose Mutlow, Outward Bound & Yosemite SAR

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 12:41:06 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Moose Mutlow. Moose has nearly 4 decades of traditional and alternative education experience around the globe. He has course directed 58-day Outward Bound instructor trainings in Appalachia, been a deputy headmaster in the Kalahari Desert, managed a beach concession on the Mediterranean, slogged through Australian rain forests with middle school students, juggled as a street performer in too many cities to mention, has more than 2000 days of field instruction in a wilderness setting, spent four months as the Interim Head for an elite ski academy, and returned in 2021 to Outward Bound to instruct a canoe program for Veterans on the Gulf of Mexico. Moose's first jobs when he left high school were being a Water Bailiff, Bar Manager, and working on a fish farm in Southern Africa. It was a great introduction to the world of work.

Since 2002 Moose has been a member and senior trainer of Yosemite Search and Rescue, working as a technician and within Incident Command, at one of the busiest SAR operations in the world. He is a Rescue 3 Agency Instructor and a Lead Family Liaison Officer trainer for NPS.

Moose currently works for NatureBridge in Yosemite National Park as the Senior Projects Director responsible for planning, design and construction of the National Environmental Science Center.

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Chris Joice / Single Speed

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 12:41:25 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Chris Joice. Chris's talents range from snowboarding to backpacking but the bike has been his passion since 2010. Chris has been a single speeder since 2012 and an endurance rider since 2013. He has raced Dirty Kanza 200, riden the Co trail, raced the TNGA, the adventure/pisgah exposure, Hurican 300, AMLX (512), Unbound XL 350, Trans Virgina 500, Arkansas High Country 1000 and many other gravel and mountain bike races. He loves mapping out new routes in his regional National forests of the Cherokee, Nantahala and Pisgah forests. He rides over 10,000 miles a year and a million vertical feet. He had a streak of riding every day for 3 years until he broke his arm. Chris is also a race director and a co-race director for the Hardford and Waucheesi races and has a Production company known as Darkhorse Race Productions. He also supports and coaches youth/NICA kids and some personal training as well. The bike for Chris is many things from social time to reflection to therapy to filling his competitive and endurance spirit.

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Robyn Carlton with The Lookout Mountain Conservancy

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:46:31 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Robyn Carlton who is the CEO of the Lookout Mountain Conservancy in Chattanooga Tn. Robyn's leadership and her talented staff are responsible for an amazing Partnership with the Howard School which began in 2012. The program has grown from 5 to 18 students and are ready to expand to 30 as soon as the funding is possible. What began as a few students helping with trail development over a Christmas break has become a model of how conservation can be used as a tool to develop youth leadership, enhance academic and social skills, and provide job skills training.Through conservation activities and one-on-one team mentoring, the primary goal of the Intern and Leadership Program is to ensure that all participating students graduate from high school and attend either a university, a technical institute, or are placed in a job.

Additionally LMC works with families and landowners to assist them on a voluntary basis to conserve lands that are locally and regionally important along the 93 miles of Lookout Mountain spanning three states: Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. And recreationally they also partner with area conservation and recreational organizations and businesses to ensure that everyone can enjoy and experience what makes the Lookout Mountain Region so very special. To learn more about LMC https://lookoutmountainconservancy.org

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The Jim Donini

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 13:07:51 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Jim Donini. It is only fitting that we caught up with Jim in who knows where, packing for another climbing trip. Our recording is a bit gritty but fitting for our guest. Jim has been setting new free-climbing standards in Yosemite Valley in the early seventies, Jim Donini’s career has continued by pioneering hard alpine climbing in Patagonia, Alaska, Karakoram Himalaya, China, Peru, Venezuela and Antarctica. A former Exum guide and a founder of American Mountain Guides Association, in 1999 Jim was awarded the prestigious Underhill Award by the American Alpine Club for outstanding mountaineering achievement. Jim served as President of the American Alpine Club from 2006 to 2009.Jim continues to seek out unclimbed peaks around his home in Patagonia and, at the age of 80, has an objective for this coming February that will remain secret for the time being. Notable cutting edge first ascents include Torre Egger (1976), Latok I (1978), and in Alaska The Diamond Arete, Mt. Hunter (1985), Cobra Pillar, Mt. Barille (1988), South Face, Mt. Bradley (1994) and “Shaken not Stirred”, an ice couloir on the Moose’s Tooth, (1997) and in Patagonia, the north faces of Poincenot (1996), Cerro Pollone (1999), Avellano Tower (2008) and Cerro Chueco (2017).

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Chris and Sara's Travels

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 23:30:40 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Chris and Sara who are a husband and wife traveling duo who share their adventures through YouTube, podcasting, blogging and Instagram helping others pursue a life outside of the normal 9-5 hustle. Currently they are preparing their 1988 Toyota LandCruiser to ship to Argentina to begin overlanding in South America. We talk about travel tips, share adventures and learn about their new upcoming adventure.

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FKT Appalachian High Route with Meg Landymore

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 16:52:18 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Meg Landymore. Meg is an ultrarunner, wife, mom of two, military veteran, small business owner, physician assistant and ultrarunning coach. She has been a runner for twenty years and has been running ultra marathons for eleven of them. Meg has set course records and podiumed at a number of races of distances ranging from 50K up to a FKT of the 144 mile Double S.C.A.R. and recently on the Appalachian High Route ~345 miles. Finally, she has run the 2,194.1 miles of the Northbound Appalachian Trail in long weekend sections. We tracked her down to talk about her recent FKT on the Appalachian High Route.

Meg has a special interest in mobility, functionality and anti-aging/ longevity. Meg believes that the human body was made to move, and that through exploration and adaptation, we can all learn to move well.

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Laura's Journeys with Laura Killingbeck

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 15:21:01 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Laura Killingbeck. Since age 18, Laura has traveled tens of thousands of miles by bike, foot, thumb, and boat; listening to peoples’ stories, moving through landscapes, and seeking to understand patterns of human nature.

In between journeys, she lived and worked for 13 years in experimental communities in the U.S. and Central America. For most of that time she lived in tiny houses, usually off-grid or low-grid, without WiFi or running water.

She now works as a writer and visual storyteller. She often writes while hiking or biking long distances around the world. We zoom in on her recent 5,000 plus mile journey riding to the start of the tour divide in NM and riding north up into Canada. But this conversation is about life, tips on the bike, funny stories and Laura who is an amazing person and wonderful soul.

Laura is the creator of Laura’s Stories https://www.laurasstories.live , a unique, thoughtful newsletter to spark your spirit of adventure. You can also follow her adventures on Instagram or Facebook @laurakillingbeck.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Carey Lowery / Going Fast

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 21:08:00 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Carey Lowery and talk adventure and bike racing with one of the most accomplished understated people we have had on the podcast; "and we have had many extraordinary folks on the show". Carey is a veteran that served 9 months during Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991) in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. When not racing her bike, attempting FKT's, doing adventure races or just having a long day in the mountains Carey is a Veterinarian in Athens Tennessee who is married and has a 21 year old daughter. Her racing resume is as long as some of her races. Here is two months worth as a sample. Tellico Highlands womens fkt, 12 Hours of the Hill of Truth race 1st, Marji Gesick 100 mile race first female single speeder, Flatlick 50 1st female, Gravel Worlds 2nd in the 50-59 category, 11th woman, and 75th overall. All this from Aug 30 to Oct 29. What a wonderful humble person who has a hammer like Thor. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Carey Lowery / Going Fast

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 21:06:20 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Carey Lowery and talk adventure and bike racing with one of the most accomplished understated people we have had on the podcast; "and we have had many extraordinary folks on the show". Carey is a veteran that served 9 months during Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991) in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. When not racing her bike, attempting FKT's, doing adventure races or just having a long day in the mountains Carey is a Veterinarian in Athens Tennessee who is married and has a 21 year old daughter. Her racing resume is as long as some of her races. Here is two months worth as a sample. Tellico Highlands womens fkt, 12 Hours of the Hill of Truth race 1st, Marji Gesick 100 mile race first female single speeder, Flatlick 50 1st female, Gravel Worlds 2nd in the 50-59 category, 11th woman, and 75th overall. All this from Aug 30 to Oct 29. What a wonderful humble person who has a hammer like Thor.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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On the fly with Katie Thornton

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 13:11:49 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Katie Thornton. Katie is an avid angler and fly fishing guide based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a former Fishing Manager for Orvis, she began On the Fly Outings to share the art of fly fishing through excursions and guided instruction. There is nothing she has found more enriching than sharing the soulful art of fly fishing. She began fly fishing as a kid with her dad in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was something special they could share and make memories on the water. There is nothing like the joy that bubbles up with a fish out in the middle of a beautiful trout stream. Katie returned home for years learning the waters of Tennessee from the smaller enchanting mountain streams to tailwaters like the South Holston, the Hiwassee, and the Clinch river. Katie's favorite fish is the native mountain brook trout that resides in the high elevation blue line streams. It’s usually a good hike to get to their waters far removed from people and roads. Katie states, "we live in a very busy world, and for me, fly fishing settles me back into my own being and reconnects me with the beauty around me. I come alive on the water. It’s everything out there— wading the currents, casting into rhythms, focusing all your energy watching that fly drift the water, and the excitement that comes with the bite of a trout and the tightening of a line. My goal is to share this joy through my trips and lessons".

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

FKT on the Colorado Trail with Tara Dower

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:22:19 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson have Tara Dower back on the podcast. Tara's list of FKT's and ultra runs podiums is becoming very long. Some of Tara's 2023 results; Run Rabbit Run, 100 mile hares 1st female; Hellbender 100 1st female; Ohio's Backyard Ultra overall 6th; Devil Dog 100 Ultra Dec 2022 1st overall. We talked with her about her July 2023 fkt on the Colorado Trail. Her supported results were 8d 21h 59m. Her journey is amazing and started with a partner Liz Derstine but shifted after 3 days to a solo attempt. This was a huge effort that required switching gears by Tara with Liz taking on a new role of support and rallying a few local runners to help crew and pace. You can follow Tara on instagram @ tata.dower.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

Wonder in the Work with Mary Cates

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 10:03:00 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Mary Cates. From track and field and cross country trails to 100 mile mountain races with a little television producing career sandwiched in between, Mary Cates has been a part of the running community most of her life.

Most recently, she won the Yeti 100 Endurance run as first female and second place overall with a time of 17 hours.
She’s currently a coach with over 100 athletes and she’s still racing on roads and trails all over the southeast.
You can find out more about Mary and her coaching at UnRunning.com

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Heather Kelly / Heather's Choice

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 23:36:51 +0000

Clint and Dawson this week sit down with Heather Kelly. Heather was born and raised in Alaska, where she still calls home today.A two-time NCAA National Champion in women’s rowing and voted CRCA/Pocock All-American her senior year, she still considers herself an athlete and loves everything from CrossFit to weight training to long walks in the woods.While studying at Western Washington University she earned a degree in Evolutionary Nutrition and went on to study at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating to become a certified eating psychology coach. Heather believes we all have a relationship with food, and that it’s important to cultivate a healthy, satisfying relationship with our diet for long-term health. She is the founder and CEO of Heather’s Choice® which produces healthy, lightweight, packable meals and snacks for adventurers worldwide. Every product is handmade in their dedicated gluten-free kitchen in Anchorage, Alaska. The Heather’s Choice mission is to put good food in everyone’s pack, no matter where their adventures may take them. One fun fact about Heather is she has rafted the Grand Canyon six times since 2011 and won't say no to a river trip.

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The Plum Hiker/AT Thru Hiker - Shannon Keizer

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 13:31:52 +0000

Clint and Dawson sit down with Shannon Keizer. Shannon had planned to hike the AT in 2020 with her daughter then Covid and her father in law passed away from cancer that May so the trip was put on hold. Shannon decided the best year to hike the trail was this year 2023 and even though her daughter could not join her she left in mid March and hiked the trail in under 170 days. Shannon lives just outside the Smoky Mountains National Park and whenever possible you can find her hiking in her "homewoods". Shannon has been happily married for 29 years, has three adult children and two grandsons. Shannon shares her AT story with us and also how her husband and family supported her on her AT journey. Shannon is an avid hiker who has hiked several long distance trails such as the John Muir and Benton MacKaye trails.

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On the Run with Lea Mulligan

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 00:48:36 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Lea Mulligan. Lea' s trail running results read like a highly successful 40 year old runner except she is 25 years old. Lea was born and raised in Chattanooga and has enjoyed exploring the woods since she was a little kid. She ran cross country since she was 8 years old and got introduced to the Ultra-Running world when she was in high school. Since she was young, Lea was inspired by her mom's running career and loved sweeping events with her as a teenager. Lea completed her first 50K, Run Amok, her senior year in highschool, and she has been hooked on trail running since then. After running cross country at Maryville College and exploring the Smokies for 4 years, She decided she wanted to be more competitive with trail running. Lea signed up for Pinhoti 100 in 2021 and loved every piece of the 100 distance ranging from the snacks to the wonderful community. Working as an elementary school teacher has allowed her to explore trails all over the US in the summertime, and she spent this last summer living out of a minivan in Colorado training for CCC 100K in France. Lea says; "it was an absolute dream getting to explore the alps before and during CCC, and I am even more excited to keep chasing my running dreams with my friends."

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Hunting Caribou with Jason Finnell and Josh Braun

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 18:28:43 +0000

The week Clint and Dawson sit down with Jason Finnell and Josh Braun and take about their recent Caribou hunt out of Kotzebue, AK. Kotzebue is a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the borough's seat, by far its largest community and the economic and transportation hub of the subregion of Alaska encompassing the borough. They were also joined by Christian Jones who was not on the show. We talk about their transportation, the hunt itself, wolves, grizzly bears and delays with the bush plane picking them back up.

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Tim Bell the Jumping Man

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 18:11:33 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Tim Bell. Tim was a multi-time TN state champion in Track and Field (Decathlon and High Jump) and SEC High Jump Champion and 2 time NCAA All-American and Captain of University of Tennessee SEC and NCAA Championship Track Teams 2001 - 2002 (4 titles during that time period). Tim was an avid Rock Climber after college (that is what brought him to CHA - V12 and 5.13c) then started Road Cycling in 2010 (cat 5 to cat 2 in 3 months). Tim was run over by a car in 2012 (and got into MTB more seriously). After that he started commentating events in 2013 (River Gorge crits, etc). Tim has now commentated on Hincapie Gran Fondos in multiple locations from ME, to PA, to SC, and of course here in CHA... Seven Bridges Marathon, Chattanooga Marathon, Chattanooga Chase, Cam Run 5k and Magnum Mile, Asheville Turkey Trot, Stump Jump 50k and 10 miler, TN State Cyclocross championships, and a number of criteriums around the south. We will do another show with Tim soon. He has so many great stories.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Russ Clune - The Lifer

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 12:41:34 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Russ Clune. Russ just completed his first book, "The Lifer". Russ shares parts of his book, discusses writing styles and shares stories of his travels and climbing from around the world. Russ is a rock climber living in the Shawangunk Mountains of New York. His articles have been published in multiple journals, including Climbing, Rock & Ice, Mountain, Alpinist, Der Bergsteiger, Iwa To Yuki, The Patagonia Catalog, and Urban Climber. Clune has been climbing for over forty-five years and was one of America’s best rock climbers during his peak in the 1980s; he is also one of the world’s most well-traveled rock climbers. Clune was part of the employee group that created the leading climbing-gear company, Black Diamond Equipment, where he worked for thirty years. He remains an active climber and continues to travel the globe seeking new adventures.

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Stories from the Day Fire Vault with Dawson and Clint

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 13:26:46 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint reach back into the Day Fire vault and share some of their favorite short stories with you! Some you may have forgotten and some you may have missed! Enjoy! The 1st story is from episode #46 with Rob Robinson talking about climbing! The 2nd story is from episode #100 with The Bargo Brothers! Story number 3 comes from episode #139 and Brad DeVaney talking about tire tread and Mars! The 4th story is from episode #122 and Carl Roundtree talking about Burning Man! Story 5 is from episode #134 with Jessica Howell-Edwards talking about The Cumberland Island. Our last story is from episode #93 with the Brad Miller who serves as the Elk Program Coordinator for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency!

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TNGA with Luke Swab

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 19:51:42 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Luke Swab. Luke just completed the famed TNGA bike race where he took a 3rd place finish. Luke may have been the only person to ride the route in "Jorts"; haha. With over 56,000 feet (17,000 meters) of climbing, the TNGA is physically demanding, to say the least. But it’s not all about the challenge. The route is an incredibly beautiful stitchwork of roads and trails that explore the southern heel of Appalachian Mountains. It traverses a variety of landscapes that include pristine hardwood forest, fern-lined waterfalls, rocky ridges, and stands of pine. The TNGA is at times very remote and offers riders the opportunity be fully immersed in the Appalachian wilderness.

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Tour Mont Blanc with Tab Tollett

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 20:20:10 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Tab Tollett. Tab started road cycling in the mid 90s on up until the mid-2000s. Picked up mountain biking and almost immediately signed up for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race with a great group of guys. He did the Leadville 100 three times with two being on a single speed. From that point he did several other mountain bike races and stage races in Tennessee, North Carolina Georgia and Colorado. Also twice he did the La Ruta de Los Conquistador stage race in Costa Rica. It was all fun and good as a mid pack racer with the occasional surprised good result. Working full time and trying to train 12-14 hours a week to be reasonably competitive in my age group grew tiring and became stressful. He felt guilty training all of the time so in his early 50’s he hung up the bike. Later, Tab was lucky enough to secure a position on the Rock Creek All Mountain Team! He found this super motivating! At age 53 he signed up for a trail race in the Tennessee mountains called the Fiery Gizzard. It happened to fall on his 53rd birthday. He had never been a runner so he was starting from scratch. He figured he could get away with a lot less training hours and still stay in reasonably good shape. Then his daughter Camille, showed an interest in running and started cross country and track in high school. Since that first race in 2017, Camille and Tab have done a couple dozen half marathon-ish distance trail races together.

It’s been a great father/daughter time being able to train and race together. Surprisingly, In early 2021 I had a stroke. Obviously this caught his family off guard because he has always been reasonably healthy, eats well and gets plenty of exercise. It was a setback but Tab recovered. Tab started training again as soon as his Doc gave him the go ahead. Tab says he has done well over 60 trail races so far to date. Tab is contemplating stepping up to the 50-100 mile distance for his 60th birthday in 2024. Tab has always enjoyed having destination races on the calendar. So this year he found a cool tour company (Vagabond Tours) that offered trail running tours on the UTMB course which is also called the Tour of Mont Blanc. It’s a huge hiking destination as well. His wife and daughter joined in and they trained hard for several months to prepare. They basically did the entire Mont Blanc Massif (UTMB/Tour Mont Blanc course) over six days which was a little over 106 miles with 34,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. They carried their hydration packs with foul weather gear, running poles, food, and water. The tour company moved their bags from one refugee to the next. From their start in Chamonix, they stopped overnight in several small towns throughout the week-long trail running tour. The tour covers three countries including France, Switzerland and Italy.

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Dirt Biking the World with Luke Swab

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 12:26:37 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Luke Swab. Luke got his first dirt bike when he was 10, and when he was 12 he rode a Yamaha TW200 in Guyana South America. That started everything. He has ridden a motorcycle or moped in 35 different countries to date with traveling to 45 in total.

Luke's first solo trip was in 2009 where he headed from Texas to the Panama canal. (He didn’t make it). The trip went viral on Advrider.com and people started sending money through Paypal to help fund the trip.

In 2011 Luke rode from the southernmost point of Africa, Cape Agallius, to the northernmost point of Norway (Nordcape) Lots and Lots of breakdowns and logistical nightmares with border crossings. They had to sneak into Kenya and also Climbed Kilimanjaro. This story is "most of the podcast".

Around 2016 Luke got hired by RoadRunner to do some blogging, which morphed into writing Magazine Articles, with them sending me to Japan for a two week trip.

In 2019 Luke rode around Lake Superior with his Dad which was the most special trip he has ever taken. He wrote a story about it, and got his dad on the cover of Road Runner Magazine. A career highlight for sure.

Luke and Cameron Mullinburg during 2019 through 2022 did many amazing trips out west. Cameron made epic videos of the trips and Luke was the photographer and writer. They are all available online

https://www.roadrunner.travel/author/luke-swab/

Moab: White Rim Trail, Moab, Utah | Dual Sport Motorcycle Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Magazine

Kalispell Montana - Kalispell, Montana | Glacier National Park Motorcycle Tour | RoadRUNNER Magazine

Idaho Hot Spring Trip - Idaho Hot Springs Motorcycle Tour | RoadRUNNER Magazine

Chattanooga Chattanooga, Tennessee | Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Magazine

August 25th 2023, Luke flies to Alaska to work as a guide for MotoQuest for 3 weeks.

https://www.motoquest.com/

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Sharing the Bike Life with Shannon Burke

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 14:57:03 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Shannon Burke. Shannon founded Velo View Bike Tours in 2012 and originally offered tours all over the country before moving from Austin to Chattanooga in 2016 and narrowing his focus to the world-class cycling available in the Chattanooga tri-state region. In addition to providing custom tours in the region, Shannon produces the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 MtnChallenge bike ride in Dunlap, TN, (annually the first Saturday in October), and also runs Tennessee Gravel, which helps cyclists explore the gravel roads of the Cherokee National Forest through downloadable routes, bikepacking info, the Three Rivers Individual Time Trial Series, and the upcoming RELIANCE gravel grinder the last weekend in April 2024. If you are within driving distance to Chattanooga Tennessee you should come cycle this event. https://www.cyclesequatchie.com and check out this gravel two day race in 2024 in the Cherokee National Forest https://www.tennesseegravel.com/reliance

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Justin Shipp the Van Life

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 19:51:58 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Justin Shipp Founder and owner of Site Seven Custom Van Conversions. We talked about building a custom van for you. Considerations when designing the perfect build. How much space, showers, AC units, seating and where do all the toys go? We are also talking about things no one tells you about living out of a van. Trash, water, human waste O My, haha it's just part of it. Living or vacationing in a van this is a fun podcast. Site Seven is a custom van builder based in Chattanooga Tennessee. For more information go to https://www.sitesevencampers.com

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Coree Woltering: FKT's, Trails, and Advice

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 20:08:02 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Coree Woltering who is a Rock/Creek Outfitters staff and Northface runner. Coree, who’s known by some as one of the #cornfieldcowboys, was born and raised in Ottawa, Illinois. He began his running career in the 400m and 800m distances and had his sights on becoming a professional triathlete, qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships twice. But before long, he discovered ultrarunning and became mesmerized by the idea of running 100 miles in the mountains.

Coree took his frontier to the next level in 2015, where he won every trail 50k he signed up for that year. In 2016, he averaged a 6:36 per mile to win the Tunnel Hill 50. At 30 years old, he set the fastest known time (FKT) in 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. And then followed that up with that Pinhoti Trail FKT in 2021. He ended up loving the trail so much that he moved to the south! Most recently, Coree finished Western States 100.

When Coree is not running, he is probably sitting on his balcony drinking a cup of coffee, or selling shoes at Rock Creek! Stop by Rock/Creek Outfitters on Manufactures Rd in Chattanooga Tn and get advice from Coree.

Accomplishments:

Ice Age Trail FKT (~1,200 miles), Pinhoti Trail FKT 349 miles, 2019 World’s Toughest Race Eco-Challenge Fiji, 2x 70.3 World Championship Finisher, 7x 100 mile finisher, 2:26 Chicago Marathon 2016, 5:30 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile 2016, 25 + Ultramarathon podium finishes.

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18 Days with Matt Schweiker

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 23:04:13 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Matt Schweiker. Matt joined us on episode 203 sharing his bike packing race adventure from the Silk Road. This week Matt is back from the Tour Divide bike race. Matt had an amazing performance and recorded a 18 day finish/result. "The Tour Divide is an annual mountain biking ride traversing the length of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the Mexican border. Following the 2,745-mile (4,418 km) Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, it is an ultra-distance cycling ride that is an extreme test of endurance, self-reliance and mental toughness. The ride format is strictly self-supported, and it is not a stage race - the clock runs continuously from the start until riders cross the finish line."

Matt is an experienced ultra athlete and Litespeed Ambassador with many adventures successfully accomplished; such as touring trips in Western China, New Zealand, Africa and South America. Matt moved to Chattanooga in 2019 and began bikepack racing. Completed TNGA in 2020, Colorado Trail in 2021, Silk Road Mountain Race in 2022 to mention just a few races and events.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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While I Walk with Rachel Durchslag

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 21:03:01 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Rachel Durchslag. What motivates a person to leave the comforts of home and travel alone to hike the mountains of foreign lands? Find out as author Rachel Durchslag walks some of the most beautiful hikes in the world in search of adventure, meaning, and an expanded version of herself. We had a great time discussing her poignant, honest, and funny memoir-meets-travel guide, Rachel invites you to set foot with her on trails spanning the globe from Chile and Nepal to Jordan, Spain, and beyond. Join us and listen to Rachel share how she discovers solo travel in the great outdoors has the power to take you to your limit, test your resilience, and ultimately show you the person you’re capable of being.

While I Walk includes comprehensive travel tips for each hike, as well as delicious recipes from the far-flung places Rachel has explored. This book is an invitation to any curious traveler to grab a pair of hiking boots, board a plane, and see what is waiting at the intersection of adventure and wonder.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Single Speed and Dirt Naps with Jason Vance

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:57:53 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Jason Vance. Jason has been riding bicycles for 40 years. He began racing in the late 90’s while at Oregon, focusing on track cycling. After moving to Nevada to pursue graduate studies, He was introduced to MTB’ing by a colleague and would eventually abandon all skinny-tired aspirations. An academic position would bring him to Charleston SC; after navigating the hurdles of tenure (and addressing his neglected health), He fell in love with the rugged trails in Pisgah Forest. Through chance encounters, he stumbled upon the southeast ultra-endurance community in 2018, via Eric Wever’s Pisgah 36, Kim Jordan Murrell’s Dirty 130, and Karlos Rodriguez Bernart’s Cross Florida ITT. He soon found himself craving long miles across the beautiful forest roads and trails of western NC, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia -and any chance he is forced to take a 30 minute nap in the dirt. Currently, he is first to ride all of the ITT's in the Cherokee forest in 3 days. First to do all three on an single speed. First to do the Mountain 430 in the opposite direction. And the first to do the Dirty 130 in the opposite direction.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Stories around the Day Fire!

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 12:30:57 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint dig through the 2023 episodes and pull out a handful of their favorite stories to reshare with you! Enjoy!

Story 1 - Episode 198 Ghost Fireflies with Catey McClary from the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont! This was so cool and we should all plan on going to see it if possible! Story 2 - Episode 202 Rigging and Cameras for the Olympics with Chris Watford! There is WAY more that goes into it than we thought! Story 3 - Episode 200 with Ben Friberg! Ben has traveled the world. This story is about his trip to Papua New Guinea and asking the Shaman the meaning of life! It's all about the translation in this story! Story 4 - Episode 199 with Kim Smith came on Day Fire to talk about caving and this story centers around access and best practices! Story 5 - Episode 191 The Great Western Loop with Nick "Chezwick" Gagnon! Skydiving and LSD - that is all that needs to be said!

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An Outdoor Life with Joe Royer

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 10:32:55 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Joe Royer. Joe resides in Memphis and is the co-owner of Outdoors, Inc., which was founded 1974. Joe was a member of the U.S. Canoe and Kayak team in the late 60's and 70's, and is a world traveler, an adventurer and a lifelong cyclist. All these experiences influenced Joe’s vision for better access and inclusion for parks and recreation. Joe has volunteered on non-profit boards such as Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation (TN Green), Tennessee Environmental Council, Mississippi River Trail, Wolf River Conservancy, Friends of Shelby Farms, and Greater Memphis Green Line. His efforts, along with his business partner, Lawrence Migliara, have been instrumental in establishing Memphis's annual Canoe and Kayak Race on the Mississippi River. In addition, Outdoor, Inc. has acted as host for the longest-running cyclocross race in the country that is now a gravel bike race. Joe is a champion for the outdoor industry and for Memphis. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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The Executive Director of HECHO - Camilla Simon

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 00:07:23 +0000

This Week Clint and Dawson sit down with Camila Simon. Camilla is the Executive Director for HECHO. She is passionate about elevating Latino voices in local, state and national conservation efforts, especially when it comes to accessing public lands.

Since she joined HECHO in November 2014, she has worked to broaden the definition of a conservationist, and elevate the importance of Hispanic/Latino generational ties to the land and what that knowledge can add to public policy debates around access to the outdoors and conservation of land, water, and air for future generations. To support this, she has led many advocacy efforts that brought Hispanic/Latino perspectives to the forefront of national conservation campaigns. Camilla also has cultivated a prolific guest blog series featuring Hispanic/Latino stories of connection to the outdoors, stewardship of natural resources for future generations, and conservation leadership. In 2018, Camilla was instrumental in envisioning and forming a mutually beneficial partnership between HECHO and the National Wildlife Federation to collaborate authentically and intentionally lift up our aligned conservation missions and shared values in order to build an inclusive and equitable conservation movement—one that engages all communities in protecting the natural world for future generations. Through this partnership, Camilla is leading HECHO through the joint development and implementation of collaborative projects with the Federation family that bring financial resources, build capacity, and increase visibility for Hispanic/Latino conservation leaders across the nation.

Prior to joining HECHO, Camilla managed the distribution of over $20 million annually in conservation funds at a major foundation, aimed at increasing the capacity of local, regional, and national nonprofits. She also started the foundation’s first composting program to dramatically reduce landfill waste. She has also worked on a number of programs to connect children with nature.

Camilla graduated from Pacific University in Oregon with a degree in creative writing and literature; and then summa cum laude in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. From 2014-2021, she served as Treasurer of the board of the nonprofit Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards, which provides trail maintenance jobs, teaches traditional tool skills to new generations of stewards, and assists the recreating public. In 2020, she was appointed to the Virginia Board of Conservation and Recreation. Camilla lives in Virginia with her husband and two daughters, and is enjoying getting to know the outdoors on the East Coast after living most of her life in the west.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Brava Brava! Cassandra Riddle on Day Fire Podcast!

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 19:14:20 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Cassandra Riddle. Cassandra's list of accomplishments, talants, and hobbies is impressive. Yet she also has suffered from Cystic Fibrosis all her life but wasn't diagnosed until last year. Cassandra was an international opera singer and performed all over the world. She was based out of NYC in the 90's and early 2000's, and in 1997 won an Emmy award. At the height of her career, she retired for new challenges and began to run marathons, triathlons and became a talented rock climber. She has climbed both here in the United States as well as internationally. In fact, she just returned from a climbing trip in Greece. She also owned a business that focused on private sport-specific training. She has been a music director for a private school and even taught motorcycle safety. Recently she received a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and now works as a Mental Health Counselor at UTC. How does anyone do so many amazing things, much less do all this with Cystic Fibrosis? Listen to this episode and you will realize that Cassandra is no ordinary person!

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The Wilderness Society with Bill Hodge

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 21:32:56 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Bill Hodge. Bill became the Montana State Director for The Wilderness Society in January of 2023 after serving four years as the Executive Director of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation. This role withThe Wilderness Society is his second tour with the organization. During Bill’s first term he started the ground-breaking organization Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (AKA -SAWS). Bill has spent the last 15 years fighting for the preservation and stewardship of some of America’s wildest public lands. From deep in the backcountry to the halls of Congress, Bill has been a champion of the National Wilderness Preservation System. He was the recipient of the Bob Marshall Award for Wilderness Stewardship from the United States Forest Service in 2013 and was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for building the next generation of conservation leaders in 2014. Prior to his work in conservation Bill was the Chief Marketing Officer of Action Sports Media and had spent 20 years in broadcasting and college athletics. Bill currently serves on the Board of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance. Bill and his wife, Laura, call the Flathead Valley of northwest Montana home.

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Underwater with John Davis

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 26 May 2023 18:40:19 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with John Davis. John is a Master Scuba Diver trainer with the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) and is also an instructor for Scuba Schools International (SSI). John enjoys teaching people how to dive, and currently does instruction at Choo Choo Dive and Aquatic Center in Chattanooga Tennessee. He has organized and lead dive trips for the last thirty-five years all over the world. John is an avid underwater photographer. We tell stories, ask shark questions and get some details on how to get started in the sport.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Fun with Dawson and Clint!

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 20 May 2023 18:41:45 +0000

This week Dawson and :Clint go into the studio for some fun and stories! 'Did You Know' facts about animals AND stories/advice from Dawson! Trust me - this one is fun! Tune-in and play along! Share and Enjoy! By the way - do you know where otters store extra food? What do you call a group of crows?

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The Silk Road with Matt Schweiker

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 12 May 2023 12:11:48 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Matt Schweiker. Matt grew up in Memphis Tn and then went to College at University of Alabama. After college he moved West to Seattle, WA where he had his first real outdoor experiences climbing mountains and backcountry skiing in the Cascades.

In 2012, moved to Yangshuo China and worked seasonally guiding outdoor education trips. In the off-seasons, traveled and began bike touring. Completed bike touring trips in Western China, New Zealand, Africa and South America. Matt moved to Chattanooga in 2019 and began bikepack racing. Completed TNGA in 2020, Colorado Trail in 2021, Silk Road Mountain Race in 2022 to mention just a few races and events.

We could do 10 podcasts with Matt and still not have covered all his adventures and races. We focus on his 2021 Silk Road Race in Kyrgyzstan and his upcoming Great Divide race happening this June 2023.

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Rigging - Cameras - Climbing with Chris Watford

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 05 May 2023 20:26:31 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Chris Watford. Chris grew up in a very outdoors oriented family. His family owned an outdoor outfitting shop in Roswell, Georgia called Call Of The Wild. The business was established in 1978 by his father. He grew up in this family business and took it over after graduation from college and operated it until 2005. Chris's primary passion has always been rock climbing, having gone for the first time on a Boy Scout trip at 11 years old in 1976. He started in earnest in 1978 or 79.

Chris has authored and published 5 editions of a rock climbing guidebook series called the Dixie Cragger's Atlas, which cover climbing areas in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

While operating the retail shop, he was also a vendor of climbing and safety equipment for industrial users, high rise window washers, Fire and Rescue departments as well as the film and video industry. This led to quite a bit of work on film, television and commercial sets, doing everything from camera safety to assisting with stunt rigging.

In 1996, he was fortunate to connect with the primary specialty television camera supplier for the Olympic Games in Atlanta Ga. That relationship exists to this day, and Chris has traveled the world working at large sporting events; World Cup soccer, European Cup soccer, Summer and Winter Olympics, The Summer and Winter Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and others. Chris leads a team of climbers that are responsible for setting up all of the high angle aerial cameras for broadcast.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Run Bum with Sean Blanton

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:20:28 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Sean Blanton. Sean is the owner/founder of Run Bum Races. In 16 years Sean has run over 300 ultra runs. Sean's company Run Bum hosts some of the most scenic, iconic, destination ultras/events in the country. Check out his events here. https://www.runbumtours.com . Sean is a true steward of the forest and while he is always giving back to the Parks and public lands he runs his events on, he also can be found out in the forest clearing and cutting down trees on trail systems he simply enjoys. Not to boast but I asked him how many hours he spends boots on the ground volunteering in the forest and the answer was around 300 hours with tools in hand. Bravo to Sean. He also holds the FKT for the Florida Trail which is 1108 miles. He is a paraglider, skydiver and speed flyer. He is the host of the Bend dont break podcast.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Around the World with Ben Friberg

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 10:45:33 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Ben Friberg. Ben is an explorer, an adventurer, a paddle board racer, who has paddled from Cuba to Key West. He has raced down the Yukon river and traveled the world and has met 7 indigenous peoples; Lapps/Sami Sarek/Sweden, Bedouin Sinai/Egypt, Quechua (Ausengate/Peru), First Nations Alaska/Yukon Territory, Sepik/Crocodile Clan - Papua New Guinea, First Nations Bering Strait (Russia/Alaska), Achuar (Amazon). Ben shares his insights and travels with us. Some of Ben's journeys have included his family which includes two little ones who are 3 and 1. Ben's wife Kim is also the love of his life and a highly talented adventurer and athlete.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Caving We Go with Kim Smith

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:52:02 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Kim Smith. Kimberley Bodenhamer Smith’s Facebook Bio says: “Texan born in California and residing in Tennessee: Mudder, Author, unicyclist, Caver, Transhumanist, and an Episcopalian.” Many other labels and clubs could be added to the vast interests of this American TAG Caver. Kim, as she prefers to be called by friends and family (or Kimmie with an IE) is a typical Alpha female caver. "She states you either love me or hate me. I have a polarizing personality.

Kim bought Chilliheads a fleece product company, from Darrell and Susan Bryant in the winter of 2010. The company started on Signal Mountain, TN in 1991. Chilliheads was one of the first fleece hat and liner companies in the southwest and serviced mountaineers, rock climbers, skiers, kayakers and cavers just to name a few markets. This was a “golden ticket” into the caving community that is notoriously a very closed community for a number of very legitimate reasons which we discuss. Kim states; there are only 15,000 active NSS Cavers in the US.

Kimberley put the pleasure and service of the sport before her business, and became the secretary of Chattanooga Grotto and sat on the executive committee for three years. Finishing out her Geo-political contribution to the National Speleological Society, as the chairwoman of CG in 2014. The Chattanooga grotto is an elite group of big-name Cavers and has been in existence for over 50+years. Kim has also been a member of the Sewanee Mountain Grotto. Her cave mentors have been the late Moore J. Smith of Lookout Mountain, Page Ashwell of the TAG Grotto, Kelly Smallwood of the G-Spot Grotto, and the late Steve Hudson of PMI ropes.

Her love of adventure began by running away from ski school on Mammoth Mountain at five in 1981—to white water rafting the Zambezi river in August 1999, right after South Africa’s apartheid. She also built a cabin off grid at 10,000 feet in Park County Colorado, in South Park Ranches, during her early 20s. She is an avid skier/snowboarder. The snowboarder was retired in 2006 after having a level three spinal fusion at C-three, four and five.

Kim’s NSS number is RL63293. She’s waiting on that 15 year pin—it’s a year or two off from showing up in the mail. Kim is fiercely loyal and loving. Kim is proudest accomplishment in life is her son Bo, 19 and Burke who is a senior and 18. She believes deeply in manifestation and synchronicity.

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Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont - Catey McClary

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 12:07:32 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sit down with Catey McClary. Catey is President and CEO of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. Catey joined Tremont as President and CEO in the Fall of 2018. A Tennessee native, Catey formed an early connection to the outdoors and first attended Tremont Institute in the sixth grade with her school.

Inspired by her time in nature, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Environmental Biology from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. After graduation, she completed an internship with the Fisheries Department in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and then hiked 400+ miles of the Appalachian Trail through Virginia.

Catey has worked in non-profit administration for nearly 20 years, previously as SOAR’s Chief Financial Officer. She is strongly committed to conservation, having served on the Conservation Trust of North Carolina and their Future Leaders Conservancy advisory board. She has also served as a board member for Alliance For Better Nonprofits. She is currently serving as Board Treasurer for SOAR, Inc.

Her certifications include CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and PADI Open Water Diver. Catey enjoys climbing and paddling and is working on completing all 800 miles of trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Catey shares with us the mission and programs of Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, stories, learnings and their partnership with the National Park. Clint even gets a few questions answered about Fireflies!!!

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The Return of Mr. Fabulous

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 23:36:02 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Derick Lugo aka Mr. Fabulous. Derick is the author of the Unlikely Thru Hiker; "a must read for everyone". Derick in 2022 was back on the trail thru hiking the CDT. Derick is a natural storyteller and he shares his journey up the CDT. We also hear a little about future adventures up Mt. Shasta and there is a second book deal coming soon. You can buy Derick's book on Amazon so grab a copy. We look forward to his next book and all his future adventures.

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Alpine Fit/ Jen Loofbourrow

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:09:18 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Jen Loofbourrow. Jen is the Founder and owner of Alpine Fit. Jen shares some adventure stories and how they guided her professional path to entrepreneurship.

In her early twenties she fell in love with expeditions kayaking the outer islands of Alaska's southeast coastline. Inevitably, she and her friends experienced variable conditions, sun to rain, and everything from freezing water temps to natural hot springs.

With no access to laundry for weeks at a time, and limited space, she could take only essential basics, and each piece of gear had to perform. She refined and honed her packing list and found substitute products for what she really wanted, which all too often weren't available.

Since then, she has embarked on many extended traveling and backpacking trips, in addition to the activities she likes to do regularly in her normal life.

Her journey in apparel began as a materials developer at lululemon in Vancouver, then lingerie and swimwear retail store owner in Ireland, and later, a wholesale and operations manager at Swedish women's brand Skhoop in Anchorage, Alaska. These jobs formed building blocks for what she would realize is her passion: making outdoor gear basics for a multitude of adventures and activities, with fabrics she believes in, while being an excellent employer for her dedicated and creative team.

More than that, she knows that every person has unique body characteristics, and that the standard fit offered by most brands does not work for all. At Alpine Fit, they work tirelessly to design and refine products that are offered in twice the fit options, and therefore twice the number of size combinations for more people to be able to find their perfect fit with their clothes. https://alpinefit.com

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Bill Loves Fishing

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 20:40:47 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Bill Emberson from Chattanooga Tennessee. By day, Bill is President of, Americas, Propex Furnishing Solutions, Inc. But give Bill 5 minutes of free time and he has a fly rod in his hand. Bill is a lifelong fisherman who loves to share his passion with everyone who wants to have a fishing experience. Bill has fished all over the US and currently guides on the Soque River. Bill shares tips and tricks and of course we talk fishing stories. I have been fortunate to spend many days on the water with Bill and many nights around a campfire swapping stories about fishing and outdoor adventures. A great outdoor instructor and friend and it was a pleasure to have him in the studio.

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Forever Strong - Grace Ragland! RESHARE

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 23:55:09 +0000

Day Fire Podcast has been around for years and from time-to-time we like to visit our archives and RESHARE some great conversations! This is an episode picked out by Clint! Forever Strong with Grace Ragland - Episode 12! (Grace has passed away - she lived her life with passion and faced her challenges head on! Her life was an inspiration to many and an example to us all!)

In June of 2018 Grace Ragland set off on the Grand Depart to mountain bike the Tour Divide from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, which is 2725 miles. Part of Grace's trip was to bring awareness to her life long battle with MS. The training and preparation was over and now it was time to go, but something was a little off. From day one this elite highly experienced mountain biker was experiencing a sudden cold and fatigue and had to pull up and rest a few days. Now alone with the race out in front of her, Grace's race begins and nothing is going to stand in her way! Grace's successful journey on the Great Divide is a story in itself, but she was unaware of the cancer in her body. Like all things with Grace, cancer was no match. So her battle began and after all the chemo and months in and out of the hospital she has been set free to once again roam, and roaming is what she is going to do! We love you Grace, you light up our world!

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A Life Worth Living with Rush Sturges / RESHARE

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 14:18:02 +0000

Day Fire Podcast has been around for years and from time-to-time we like to visit our archives and RESHARE some great conversations that some of our loyal listeners may have missed! This is a Dawson Wheeler pick: 'A Life Worth Living' Episode 160 with Rush Sturges and Marc Hunt!

This week Dawson and Clint, along with special guest host - Marc Hunt, sit down with whitewater kayaker, filmmaker, and musician - Rush Sturges! Rush grew up in California around the whitewater community and it was there he developed a love and passion for the sport and the adventure. He has traveled the world and competed at the highest level - from freestyle to racing. Rush is also a well known and respected filmmaker! You can find one of his documentaries currently on Netflix – ‘The River Runner’! It is a must watch! His ability to capture the rawness and unforgiving nature of the rivers and the emotions and stories of those who seek adventure on them, is uncanny. His love for the sport and film has taken him to some of the most remote and dangerous rivers on the globe. PLUS – Rush is an accomplished musician. We end our show with the title song from his last album "A Life Worth Living' and you can check out the link to the full album below. This is one of those conversations where the list of accomplishments and adventures is way more than what we can include in this write-up, you need to listen and come along for the ride!

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Skiing - Sandwiches - Pillow Fights

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 13:53:12 +0000

Dawson Wheeler is out west on his annual skication! Clint slowed him down long enough to catch up on the snow - share some stories - give some advice - living on sandwiches - pillow fights - and much more!

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We Love Bikepacking / Dawn Rae Knoth

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:42:42 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Dawn Rae Knoth. Dawn Rae and her family have been bikepacking since their son was 4 years old. They have evolved from short trips using an Adams Trail-a-bike hooked up to road commuters, to tackling +200 mile wilderness routes, such as the Baja Divide Cape Loop This is Dawn Rae's second podcast with us. She shares advice, tips and also updates us on their families progression with bikepacking. This is not a hobby but a lifestyle and way of travel. Dawn Rae shares how bikepacking has strengthened their family and how lessons from the bike apply to life off the bike.

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Short Outtake with Alice Hudson Pell - The TennGreen Land Conservancy Hike-A-Thon 2023!

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 23:35:57 +0000

A short outtake with Alice Hudson Pell, Executive Director of TennGreen Land Conservancy! We talked about the TennGreen Land Conservancy’s Hike-a-Thon 2023! It is an event unlike any other in the Southeast! This month-long, virtually-managed fundraising event supports the protection of our natural areas and encourages people of all ages and abilities to explore the outdoors through friendly competition.

The Hike-a-Thon is fun, free, and easy! You’ll simply register online and then get outside in April to compete against other individuals and teams for the chance to win exciting prizes. There’s something for everyone, with competitions for hikers, paddlers, trail runners, climbers, mountain bikers, nature photographers, and more!

Find out more: https://tenngreen.org/events/hike-a-thon-2023/

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TennGreen Land Conservancy / Alice Hudson Pell

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 17:17:14 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Alice Hudson Pell from TennGreen Land Conservancy. Alice is the Executive Director of TennGreen Land Conservancy. In her role, she oversees and directs the organization’s day-to-day operations and provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure TennGreen’s continued sustainability and success. Prior to her appointment as Interim Executive Director, Alice served as TennGreen’s Associate Director for nearly four years, and its Director of Development for five years before that. Alice shares with us that TennGreen was founded by Kathleen Williams in 1998, TennGreen Land Conservancy (formerly the Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation) is the oldest accredited statewide land conservancy in Tennessee. Additionally, Alice shares with us TennGreen's biggest fundraising event, their Hike-A-Thon. TennGreen Land Conservancy’s Hike-a-Thon is an event unlike any other in the Southeast! This month-long, virtually-managed fundraising event supports the protection of Tennessee's natural areas and encourages people of all ages and abilities to explore the outdoors through friendly competition. Registration open on March 1, 2023. Register here.

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The Great Western Loop / Chezwick

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 14:48:09 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Nick "Chezwick" Gagnon. Nick completed the 6800 Mile Great Western Loop in Less than 200 days becoming the fastest person to hike the enormous route. The Great Western Loop is a 6875-mile hiking route that passes through several states of the Western US and links together five established long distance hiking trails: the PCT, Pacific Northwest Trail, CDT, Grand Enchantment Trail and the Arizona Trail.

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Charlie Mix / Map Man

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 15:41:06 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Charlie Mix. Charlie is the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Director for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He leads a GIS and cartography lab that supports campus research and serves the greater Chattanooga region supporting applied research projects centered around conservation, outdoor recreation, public health, and community prosperity. Charlie’s work has received international recognition through publications and conferences. When not lost in data, he enjoys being lost in the mountains. Charlie grew up white water kayaking, competing in professional level freestyle kayaking events and worked as a kayaking instructor, a pursuit heavily influenced his career as a conservationist and cartographer. He still enjoys kayaking and riding mountain bikes around the southeast and beyond. Charlie also serves on the board of directors for the Chattanooga chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA Chattanooga) and sits on the steering committee for the Thrive Regional Partnership Natural Treasures Alliance, a partnership of numerous NGOs and agencies working together to promote conservation and outdoor recreation in the region. He has combined a passion for the outdoors and the science of geography into a fulfilling career.

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Spartan Winter Death Race

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 13:48:07 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Erin Powell. Erin is a Spartan veteran who is preparing himself for the Winter Spartan Death Race in Feb 2023, https://peakraces.com/winter-death-race/. We want to know why someone wants to subject themselves to an event so difficult? What is the event like? What the experience does for you as a human and a competitor. Erin shares his experiences and his WHY. Erin loves to test his courage, grit and survival skills. PLUS - stay tuned to the very end - we add a little motivation to your day! Get ready to put something on your calendar to challenge those comfort zones!

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Dayfire company / Jake Wheeler

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 19:29:15 +0000

Today Clint and Dawson sit down with Jake Wheeler. Jake is the Founder of the Dayfire Company. Jake is a lifelong outdoors person who lives in Basalt, Colorado. Jake's company can be found at dayfirecompany.com. Dayfire is a Colorado brand agency specializing in creative direction, brand building, digital marketing and community engagement. We talk about Colorado life, Jake's views on business and fun-hogging in one of the best outdoor playgrounds in America.

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Conservation Music with Jeff Styles

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 17:50:30 +0000

The ultimate storyteller and self-proclaimed music nerd - Jeff Styles joins Day Fire once again. Music and social movements have always gone hand-in-hand and in this episode Jeff walks us through some songs and performers that are active, in word and deed, in the preservation of the great outdoors and helping shape our perspective on our relationship with the world around us. Politics aside - this is some great music you may have heard of AND some you probably haven't. We had a lot of fun with Jeff Styles and we think you will enjoy it too!

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Self Supported Kayak Grand Canyon Trip

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 19:51:30 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Cory Hall. We talk with Cory about his recent Kayak trip down the Grand Canyon. This trip was an unsupported, kayak only trip. We talk about the differences between an unsupported trip and a commercial trip. And what it means when you dont have the luxury of a raft to carry all your gear.

Cory was first exposed to river life as a young kid when my dad took a summer job guiding rafts on the Ocoee and Chattooga Rivers for a small outfitter in our hometown called the Buckhorn Mountain Shop. His family would also take a lot of family whitewater canoeing and camping trips around North Georgia and North Carolina around that time as well. At 17 years old he started self teaching himself how to kayak and luckily met a local paddling legend Jeff West at a North Georgia restaurant job. Jeff started taking him kayaking and also helped Cory get a raft guide job the following summer at Sunburst Adventures on the Ocoee. At Sunburst Cory was living on his own for the first time and was immersed into a paddling culture where everyone on staff was a talented and dedicated kayaker. Cory says; we worked hard and kayaked hard everyday and he was having the time of his life.

Fast forward 30 years and Cory still enjoys paddling, running, and cycling around Chattanooga as much as he can. His wife and he are raising 2 boys (ages 7 and 4) and he works as a PE teacher at the Fairyland School on Lookout Mountain. Cory also works as a summer camp counselor at an amazing outdoor themed camp at the Baylor school called Camp Walkabout. Cory has been lucky enough to secure 2 permits to paddle the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, AZ. The first was a high water 7 day trip in 2011 and he just finished an incredible 8 day trip in November 2022.

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Therapeutic Recreation Services / Elaine Adams Gossett

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 13:51:34 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Elaine Adams Gossett. Elaine is the City of Chattanooga’s Therapeutic Recreation Services Manager. She was instrumental in developing Chattanooga's Therapeutic Recreation Program in 2002 with the mindset that leisure and recreation are an important part of everyone's life.

Elaine holds a B.S. in Recreation Management with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation from Arizona State University. She is currently a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). Upon graduation in 2000, she returned home to Chattanooga Tn where she has worked as a recreation therapist in behavioral health with youth, Orange Grove Center, and with the City of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors Department.

The Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors Department’s Therapeutic Recreation Program serves over 400 individuals a month with programs in the areas of outdoor recreation, sports, social outings, arts and enrichment, and special events. These programs have been made possible by the support from numerous community and national partners that have been cultivated and continued through Therapeutic Recreation Services.

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Cumberland Trails Conference / Savana Keeton

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 19:48:15 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Savana Keeton. Savana is the Operations Coordinator for the Cumberland Trails Conference. Building the Cumberland Trail is a passion project for the dedicated staff of the CTC. The work is hard and it takes experts to build through the rock gardens and gorges of the Cumberland Mountains. The Cumberland Trail (CT) is a rugged, north/south, foot-traffic-only trail along the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau in Eastern Tennessee. Currently there is approximately 250 miles open with 50 odd miles left to complete. The trail begins at Cumberland Gap National Park on the northern border of Tennessee/Kentucky. The southern end is the “Grand Canyon” of Tennessee at Signal Mountain overlooking the Tennessee River Gorge at Chattanooga.

The mission of the Cumberland Trails Conference is to provide paid and volunteer labor, equipment, supplies and vehicles to design and construct the Cumberland Trail under the auspices of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The continued development and construction of the Cumberland Trail is accomplished through a working relationship between the Cumberland Trails Conference (CTC), the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Park, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The CTC, private corporations, foundations, individuals, and others assist TDEC in raising funds for land acquisition, providing maintenance, and further developing the Cumberland Trail.

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Climbing Access and Stewardship - The Access Fund

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 12:12:10 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Zach Lesch-Hule and Danial Dunn. Zach is the Vice President of Programs & Acquisitions and Danial is the Southeast Regional Manager for the Access Fund. Zach oversees the strategic direction, leadership, and management of Access Fund’s programs, including the Climbing Conservation Loan Program and land trust operations, stewardship and conservation programs, local affiliate program, risk management and landowner support, and our network of regional directors. Zach is based in Chattanooga, TN and Danial works with local climbing organizations, advocates, land managers, and community partners to protect and expand climbing opportunities across the Southeast. He leads and supports stewardship, education, policy, land acquisition, and local support programs in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. We take a look at 2022 accomplishments for the Access Fund and talk about the recent National Climbing Advocacy Conference in Chattanooga and the Petzl Rebolt Trip that was also in Chattanooga on Nov 13-18, The project was a Weeklong event focused on replacing old, bad, unsafe bolts. We close out the show with information on the Access Fund end of year fundraising campaign with: Black Diamond who is matching donations to the Access Fund right now up to $80k. https://www.accessfund.org

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Mark Martin / Big Alaskan Rainbow Trout

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:46:07 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Mark Martin. Mark was President of Marmot Mountain for 21 years. Mark is an avid fly fisherman and has an obsession with fishing for rainbow trout in Alaska.

Mark grew up on the Rogue River in Oregon. He has fished his entire life. Mark says he has had a passion for fishing but pretty sure it has “morphed” into an obsession for big trout and steelhead. His first trip to Alaska was almost 20 years ago with the family. Got to experience the vast wilderness of Alaska from many points of view (kayak, boat, plane, hiking) and also got a taste of how different Alaska is for fishing. Mark returned in 2010, as part of a “buddies” trip to the Bristol Bay area for gigantic rainbow trout. These first trips were self-guided, with lots of lessons learned about how to best fish the rivers and creeks, what gear to bring for the day, where to walk and where to avoid, plus proper bear etiquette. He was able to learn enough to succeed on the early trips but also realized that a guide was essential to really access the best locations. Mark explains float planes are essential to travel to the remote rivers and creeks. Since 2010, he has been on 17 trips to the Bristol Bay area for rainbow trout fishing. And while there are opportunities to fish for salmon (Kings, Silvers, and Sockeye) in the area, it is the allure of an Alaska Rainbow Trout that keeps him coming back. They are strong, feisty, and acrobatic unlike any other freshwater fish in his opinion.

Mark shares stories, tips and discusses the fishery, the Bristol Bay area and the grandeur Katmai National Park and lots and lots and lots of bear stories.

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Bear or Skunk? 20 Questions with Dawson

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 02:29:15 +0000

This week Clint plays 20 questions with Dawson Wheeler! Just how well do we know Dawson? Would he rather face a skunk or a bear? Snow skiing alone or camping with friends? Favorite piece of gear? AND more! This was a lot of fun for us to record and we hope you enjoy it! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO OUR DAY FIRE LISTENERS, SPONSORS, AND GUESTS!

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Tara Dower / Ultra Success

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 20:57:46 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Tara Dower. Tara shares her last 13 months which was amazing and very successful. Here is her list; attempted Benton MacKaye FKT in September of 2021. Injured myself badly. One month later I raced my first 100 miler called Uwharrie 100. Won for women. Raced my second 100 in Alabama called Blood Rock and came in 2nd overall behind Jeff Browning. Umstead 100 in April was my next 100 and placed 3rd women. Cruel Jewel was the next month in May and got 2nd woman. One month later went for the Benton MacKaye FKT again and smashed the overall record with sub 5 days. I think it was 4 days and 21 hrs and some change. Went on a little vacation to California a month later and finished backpacking the JMT. Started training for Run Rabbit and working hard to prepare for CO with different methods. The race went well and placed 2nd woman behind Annie Hughes with a huge 6 mile push at the end where I ran sub 8 minute miles and passed #2 woman. Whoa right?! also check out Tara's YouTube channel. What an amazing person.

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Eddie O'Dea / The Eastern Divide Trail Bikepacking Route

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 20:37:10 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Eddie O'Dea. Eddie is the first rider to complete the Eastern Divide Trail bikepacking route. The EDT is a 6000 mile dirt centric route from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Key West, FL. He did this as a fundraiser for Georgia Cycling Association which is a youth cycling organization that cultivates a passion for the healthy lifestyle of cycling across the state.

Eddie is a co-founder of the Georgia Cycling Association and is an accomplished rider with 22 years of racing and cycling adventures under his belt. Eddie has held course records on Trans North Georgia (TNGA), Huracan 300, and Stagecoach 400 routes. In 2017, Eddie completed the Tour Divide. He is also a bike fitter and cycling coach working with clients in around the southeast.

Learn more about the Georgia cycling association https://www.georgiacycling.org to support https://www.georgiacycling.org/tackling-the-trail

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Kelly Davis / Outdoor Participation, Trends & Market Health

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 00:36:06 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Kelly Davis. Kelly is the Director of Research at the Outdoor Industry Association and the Outdoor Foundation. We talk about the state of the Outdoor market including participation, consumer trends, and economic and social forces that impact the Outdoor industry at large.

Outdoor Recreation1 is a large and growing industry that accounts for 1.8% of the total U.S. GDP, produced $689B in economic output in 2020, supports 4.3M jobs, and is enjoyed by 164M Americans over the age of 6, about 54% of the total U.S. population. The Outdoor industry has always been large, but the Covid pandemic drove growth across the industry. Notably, more than 10M new participants enjoyed outdoor recreation since March 2020.

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Ride the Divide with Mike Pollock

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 22:08:05 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Mike Pollock. Mike just completed the Tour Divide. The Tour divide is 2,745-miles and formally referred to as the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. The route goes from north to south starting in Banff, Alberta, Canada and finishing at the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. "Some riders do ride south to north. Mike's journey is very unique in the sense that he was joined for half the trip by his wife Georgia and their dog Jade. Mike , Georgia and Jade rode to Pinedale Wy where Mike was joined by a long time friend Hume Davenport. Covid finds its way to the two riders in Co and by NM Mike is alone and pushing on to the finish line. Hume had some post covid conditions that he just could not shake. It was a great pleasure to do this podcast. Mike is one of the true great men that humbly moves through life making a difference. Mike and Georgia are highly skilled outdoors people with many adventures under their belts. And Dog Jade was averaging 20 miles a day running the uphills and on bear duty at camp.

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Hiking the Continental Divide

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 23:46:43 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Chris Ford. Chris is fresh off his successful hike of the Continental Divide Trail. This also completes the Triple Crown of hiking which includes the AT, PCT and the CD. Chris along with Nancy East have the fastest known time on the 900 Map of the Smokies. Chris has hiked all the trails in the Smokies 5 times and is about to complete his 6th map. A great guy and a hiking machine you dont want to miss this one.

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Stories from Day Fire

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 01:28:07 +0000

Dawson and Clint wanted to share a few stories that they liked and feel you may like to - just in case you missed them!

Story 1 - Pete Ripmaster Episode 169. Pete won the 2018 Iditarod Trail Invitational - which is a race where participants navigate the 1000 mile trail on foot. In his 2016 attempt; while in one of the most isolated areas and crossing a frozen lake, he broke through the ice pulling him and his sled into the frigid water!

Story 2 - Same episode with Pete Ripmaster - 169! One morning Pete woke up and had some guests - wolves! Yes, wolves! Enjoy!

Story 3 - On episode 165 Spencer Whittier joined us! He is a real-life mountain biking badass! However, the story he shared with us at the end of our podcast made Dawson and Clint both shake their heads! Give it a listen and you will understand why!

Story 4 - From episode 143 - Lauren Templeton! Lauren comes from a very adventurous family and she shares family stories going back to her Grandmother's climbing and rafting trips. She shared with us a story about her grandmother - a trip out west - and a hearse! Yep....enjoy!!!

Story 5 - In episode 172 we had Tom Rowland back on the podcast. As most know Tom is a TV and Podcast host with millions of downloads. Tom has been a fishing guide, a tv host and starred in countless TV fishing shows. He shared a number of stories about adventure with his sons - but the one he shared at the end of the podcast about trips with his daughter is the one wanted to share with you. Here ya go!

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Go Play and Take the Kids!

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:43:58 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sat down and talked about getting out AND taking the kids with you! The past few years we have learned how important being active is - especially being active outside! Sunshine - Wind - Sounds - Peace of Mind - Memories - More! Getting disconnected in order to get re-connected! Helping our kids understand this is vital to their future health. We talked about Dawson's early years in the woods of North Carolina - getting his kids out on the trail as early as 4 and 6 - and we gave some advice on best practices! PLUS - Clint shared a few stories, including one about finding Bigfoot in the backyard with his kiddos! It's not always easy, but it's always worth it! As usual - we had fun and shared lot's of stories!

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Mountain Running w/ Jason Thienel

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 12:20:43 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Jason Thienel. Mountain running is something that Jason is very passionate about. Being a Mountain Athlete for LaSportiva is a perfect fit because he is always dreaming big in his mountain pursuits. He has several big belt buckles as part of his accomplishments including UTMB and CCC in the Alps, Bigfoot 200, Cruel Jewel 100, Bryce Canyon 100, and Cloudsplitter 100. A few of his passion projects include the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the Double Art Loeb and Warner Parks 100. He also has completed the NoNo which is doing the No Business 100 twice, both directions, in one push. When Jason is not running, which isn’t often, he enjoys gravel biking and rock climbing. He can also be found drinking espresso, playing hockey in the backyard with his Weimaraner puppy, Blanche, or adventuring with his wife of sixteen years, Amber. You can also find him at the local outdoor retailer in Nashville, Cumberland Transit, where he is one of the owners and general manager.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Elk Hunting with Tom Roland

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:00:42 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Tom Rowland. As most know Tom is a TV and Podcast host with millions of downloads. Tom has been a fishing guide, a TV host and starred in countless TV fishing shows. Tom is also an entrepreneur and he and his partner Rich Tudor also created a digital network called Waypoint TV to take the outdoor television landscape to digital OTT platforms. Tom's list of accomplishments as a guide, a businessman, a competitor are a mile long. On our show we talk to Tom about Elk Hunting and how his son has taken the lead on last year's and the upcoming Elk Trip. And dont miss the end of the show because Tom shares a story from the heart. Check Tom out @ https://tomrowlandpodcast.com

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Keeping Score

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 12:28:18 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint had some fun and we think you will too! They try to stump each other with some outdoor/adventure terminology (director's note: Dawson's competitive side may have come out) - they share some fears and some animal encounters! Is Clint afraid of the dark? What animal is Dawson most afraid of? Do you know the terms and definitions? PLUS - some stories and laughs shared along the way!

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Adventure Racing With the Farmers

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 19:37:06 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Susie and Jim Framer. Susie and Jim live in Chattanooga. They have been married nine years. They have been racing bikes, ultramarathons, triathlons and adventure races for "ever". Susie is a 2 time TN State Champion in cyclocross and Jim is a 1 time TN State Champion. Together they have won several 12 and 24 hour adventure races and have finished two expedition length adventure races. We talk about adventure races, gear and the Chattanooga Epic adventure race in the summer 2023. This will be a great event for everyone from expert to beginner. You can learn more about the race here.

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2018 Iditarod Trail Invitational Winner

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 13:01:25 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Pete Ripmaster. Pete is an adventurer, ultra-athlete, and the winner of the 2018 Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska. He is an in-demand motivational speaker and event organizer who spends his time inspiring others to fulfill their dreams, no matter how outrageous they may seem. When he is not speaking or competing in extreme athletic events around the country, he lives in Asheville, NC with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, and a backyard that is often visited by bears that come down from the mountain.

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The Long Trail

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 19:40:29 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint got to catch up with Liz 'Mercury' Derstine! You may remember Liz from episodes 72 and 111; she is a distance runner and a trail hiker - oh, and she is fast! She started running at age 14 and has been immersed in running, hiking, and competing ever since. Liz has set FKT's (fastest known times) for the women's supported Smokies Challenge Adventure Run, for the Appalachian Trail (supported - northbound), Pinhoti Trail, and RECENTLY set the FKT for the oldest long distance trail in the US, the Long Trail! This was a great conversation about training, mindset, gear, and of course - lot's of stories!

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Two Becoming One

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 20:23:36 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talked with Joshua and Amber Niven! They are authors of the book 'Discovering the Appalachian Trail: A Guide to the Trail's Greatest Hikes'. Even though their journeys and experiences on the AT came at different times - they found common ground in their love for the trail, its people, and the experiences it offers. Joshua completed the AT in 2013 with some friends and Amber backpacked over 1,400 miles of the AT with her dad and other family members after graduating Carson-Newman University. Amber is a lifelong journal keeper and Joshua is a professional and avid photographer - when they met it almost seemed like a book was inevitable. The layout and content of this book is very unique - offering some historical insights, character spotlights, and fantastic pictures that help the reader complete the journey. Our conversation took us through their AT experiences, their approach to their art, the writing and book development process, and as always - we got to hear some fantastic stories and perspectives. They currently live in Madison , NC with their two children and are living their dream as they become more self-sustaining and watch their kids develop the same love of the great outdoors as they have. A great episode about two people - two different AT journeys - becoming one book!

Learn more about them at www.discoveringtheat.com.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Chris and Sara on the Move

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 16:13:10 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson have Chris and Sara back on the show. They were guests for ep.98. As you know they are digital nomads, van lifers, travelers, adventurers, business partners, husband and wife, and [most importantly] best friends. They are currently back from a 5 month trip to Mexico, Brazil, the Rocky mountains and then out to Oregon; what?!. We talk about their trips, food, language, a crazy purchase and.......... They have big big news. They are making a change so tune in for the details. Follow Chris and Sara on YouTube.

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Something In My Ear

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 02:16:11 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sat down with Chattanooga native and avid cyclist - Spencer Whittier. In high school Spencer loved mountain biking and participated in most of the traditional sports but it was the high school cross-country coach that persuaded him to give running a shot. He did and those efforts landed him a scholarship to Tennessee Tech. After graduating Tech, with a degree in Civil Engineering, he rekindled his passion for mountain biking. To say he has been competitively active is an understatement: not only has he raced in triathlons and cyclocross races, but he has participated in the Everesting Challenge, Steamboat GRVL, Ouachita Challenge, Snake Creek Gap MTB, Big Frog 65, Rule of 3, Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race, Belgian Waffle Ride - NC, and the Firecracker 50! He was also a cyclocross national age group champion in January 2016 in Asheville, NC. What's next - the 6-day Breck Epic MTB stage race in Breckenridge, CO! After that? Who knows! (Bonus - his story about a moth is worth the listen)

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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HANDUP with Cody Wallis

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:26:59 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint caught up with owner and co-founder of HANDUP Gloves, Cody Wallis. Growing up in a little town in Neveda with less than 1,000 people, Cody fell in love with two things: off-road motorcycle racing and his wife, Jamie! After they moved to Chattanooga and they both fell in love with mountain biking and the community of people associated with it. They also noticed that the gloves available at the time had much to be desired in both function and design. With Cody's background in motorcycle racing and his newfound passion for mountain biking, they set out to build one thing - a better glove! With a leap of faith and their $6,000 dollars in savings, they started their side hustle - HANDUP! Since then, it has grown into a thriving company that is adding new glove designs and apparel. This was a great conversation!

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Outdoor Trivia with Dawson

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 01:55:31 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint went in the studio and had a very fun conversation! Some outdoor adventure trivia and did you know facts! Some were fun, some were serious, some were unexpected, and some were down right shocking! They had fun and learned a few things - maybe you will enjoy it too?!

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Day Fire MKV - Nancy East

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 01:03:30 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talked with the 'Day Fire Podcast MKV' record holder (Most Known Visits) - Nancy East! This time they talked with Nancy about her Backpacking 101 workshops she is leading through the Blue Ridge Hiking Company! Answering questions that a lot of beginners may have about hiking and camping. What to take - where to go - when to go - safety - animal encounters - expectations - gear considerations - and much more! PLUS - they shared a few stories and laughs along the way.

Who is Nancy East?

She is the author of; 'Chasing the Smokies Moon' - she is a member of the Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, a founding board member of the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund, a Gossamer Gear Ambassador, and a Southern Appalachian Naturalist. In 2019, she and her good friend, Chris Ford, set the fastest known time (FKT) for a mixed-gender team on the Tour de LeConte Challenge. In 2020, they set the overall FKT for the Smokies 900 Challenge. Nancy has hiked all the trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park four times, and she continues to go back for more.

Find out more about the Backpacking 101 Workshops (virtual and in person): Workshops | Blue Ridge Hiking Co.

Buy a copy of 'Chasing the Smokies Moon': Chasing the Smokies Moon by Nancy East

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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City/County Parks

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 00:09:41 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson discuss why city and county Parks are so important. City and County parks and open space in general improve our physical and mental health and make cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live. With that said most cities are working to provide diversity, equity and inclusion. Not all Parks in our communities past have been "created equal" and there are real barriers to entry. Communities around the U.S. are working to address decades of neglect and inequality. Also, studies have shown the social, environmental, economic, and health benefits parks bring to a community and their people. So its critical that all communities level "the playing field".

Finally our city and county Parks attract tourists, serve as places to gather as groups, relax and provide all kinds of experiences that improve our daily health. They also offer a marketing tool for communities to attract businesses, conventions and host festivals, concerts and athletics events. Parks also serve to help us deal with stormwater and air pollution.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Always Sunny with Sunny

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 00:34:49 +0000

Sunny Montgomery is back talking with Clint and Dawson. Sunny was a guest in ep. 58. Sunny Montgomery lives in Ocoee, Tennessee. Sunny is a writer and executive editor with Get Out Chattanooga and Chatter magazine. She is smart, funny and loves her life on the edge of the Cherokee Forest with her soon to be husband. On summer weekends, they run a taco truck on the Ocoee River. Her passion is whitewater canoeing. Discovering new creeks and rock smears make her happiest, but the Ocoee River, where she learned to paddle and where you'll find her any summer weekend (before opening the taco truck, of course) is among her most favorite places on Earth. If we could bottle Sunny's excitement for life the world would be a better place. She is a wonderful person.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Chig Martin - Ride Your Damn Bike

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 23:51:54 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Chig Martin. Chig lives in Port Angeles, Wa. by way of Rossville Ga/Chattanooga Tn. Chig is a former triathlete turned gravel cyclist. He is part of Team Hyland BWR. Chig let life get in the way of his personal life and became unhealthy to the point where he was hospitalized and weighed 325 pounds and had serious health issues. But Chig said enough and now for 1367 days in a row he has ridden his bike since 9-1-2018. He has lost 147 pounds and at one point had a 52 inch waist and now has a 35 inch waist. Chig is a funny man who enjoys life and is an inspiration.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Rescue 82 Ukraine Relief

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 21 May 2022 12:21:54 +0000

This week Clint and I spoke with Brad Cobb and Sergeant Clay Tolson. Today's podcast is our most meaningful podcast to-date. Brad and Clay and 5 other men share their story of traveling to the Ukraine.They headed to Romania on March 30th for four days and then to Moldova for seven days with five first responders from the Chattanooga area (Sergeant Clay Tolson, Officer Juan Cuba, Sergeant Jeremiah Cook, Investigator Hunter Morgan, Lieutenant Danny Jones, and Harris Looney). All these men paid their own way and took their limited vacation time to respond to a desperate situation. The team was in contact with other groups and individuals in and around Ukraine who have communicated specific needs and requests for supplies. They distributed emergency medical supplies, assisting Romanian and Moldovian pastors and other volunteers caring for Ukrainian refugees, loading/off-loading supplies, making runs to the border and well into Ukraine, shuttling refugees from border to temporary housing, serving food, distributing Ukrainian Bibles, evacuating refugees, and any other need presented to them. They are a team of selfless men called by God to serve. Their adventure is inspiring and life changing.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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A Life Worth Living with Rush Sturges

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 15 May 2022 20:05:56 +0000

Rush Sturges' Spotify Album

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Grand Adventure!

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 08 May 2022 02:00:34 +0000

Marc Hunt is back on the podcast! Marc was the co-founder of Sunburst Adventures - the first outfitter to operate on the Ocoee River in Tennessee and we first talked to Marc in Episode #138 (give it a listen). Today Marc sits down with Dawson and Clint to talk about his experiences, adventures, and passion for the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. We talk about the differences between commercial and privately guided tours, being prepared, the permitting process, animals, expectations, and yes - lot's of stories! Marc has been down the Colorado - 9 times! Whether it was kayaking, rafting and even motorized, each trip brings with it lessons and stories he shares with us and with others. Marc has also collected a number of amazing photographs and created an Award-Winning instructional video on navigating the Colorado River (links below).

Check out our Facebook page for more pictures or visit these links: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marc_hunt/albums/72157711976912252 https://www.flickr.com/photos/marc_hunt/albums/72157680965056514

To watch his instructional video - visit YouTube and search Marc Hunt - "Tips for Rowing the Big Rapids in the Grand Canyon (Colorado River Whitewater Rafting)

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Kris Wheeler / Filmmaker

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 00:42:20 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson Talk with Kris Wheeler. Kris is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and commercial content creator. The professional journey of this North Georgia native is rooted in a foundation of journalism and storytelling. In recent years, Wheeler’s film work has garnered coverage in national publications and media outlets, including: Billboard Magazine, USA Today, Garden & Gun Magazine, Paste Magazine and NPR World Cafe.

In November 2018, his film, Revival: The Sam Bush Story, became a hit with Amazon viewers, quickly climbing into the “Top 10 Best Sellers” list for documentaries following its commercial release. Revival earned four “Best” film awards on the indie film festival circuit, including “Best Music Documentary” in its World Premiere at the Nashville Film Festival.

Wheeler’s storytelling skills were developed early in his career, in route to becoming an award-winning newspaper journalist and feature writer. After covering the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, he moved quickly through the publishing ranks, and was named the following year as Managing Editor at Rural Press USA, the world’s largest publisher of agricultural magazines.

At age 32, Wheeler kicked off his journey as an entrepreneur, publishing a series of magazines over the ensuing years, including Atlanta House & Home and Coastal Homes & Lifestyles.

In 2008, he walked away from the publishing world to pursue a life-long dream of filmmaking. Since then, he has gone on to write, direct and produce three feature-length documentary films, two on-demand series. Wheeler’s commercial work focuses on creating story-driven content for a diverse range of clients, including ad agencies, global corporations and national healthcare brands.

Other projects currently streaming — available on Amazon — include the on-demand series, “Ride To Extraordinary,” and “Undiscovered.”

Wheeler is currently in production on a feature-length documentary about the life of Grace Ragland.

Breakfast or Dinner? Opinions Were Given - Things Were Said!

Dawson Wheeler — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 19:32:21 +0000

In this short 1-minute and 18-second outtake with Justin Shipp we asked and answered one of the most important questions when it comes to camping - breakfast or dinner? Lines were crossed - opinions given - things were said!

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Design It - Build It - Go!

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 11:47:39 +0000

Some of our most popular episodes are when we talk the van life! - This week Dawson and Clint welcome back Justin Shipp, owner of Site Seven Custom Vans. They talk about innovations in van builds and new gadgets! They explore some of the basics, things to consider, and things to avoid when designing your van. Dawson shares some things he might do differently in his next build with Site Seven and we see if Justin can close the deal during the podcast (we have faith in you Justin)! They talk about food - games - BB guns - and how a van is simply another reason to get up and get outside! PLUS - they ask and answer the most important question - is breakfast or dinner the best meal when camping?

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Dawson On The Hotseat

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:07:42 +0000

This week Clint puts Dawson on the hotseat! 10 questions in 30-minutes! Covering business - adventure - animals - bucket lists - conservation - and more! This one moves pretty fast, is full of stories, some laughs, information, and hopefully entertainment!

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Mystery Ranch with Alex Kutches

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 22:08:42 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Alex Kutches. Alex serves as President for Mystery Ranch packs based out of Bozeman, MT. Prior to this post he served as VP Sales & Marketing for Mystery Ranch for 7.5 years. He has also worked with Outdoor Research out of Seattle as President and VP Sales & Marketing as well as with Marmot as Director of Sales for the US.

Alex, simply stated, is "a wonderful, humble person". We talk about the history of Mystery Ranch, pack designs, carrying loads and some adventure stories.

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David Kramer / SOC-F

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 03:01:41 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with David Kramer. After working at a specialty outdoor shop in Atlanta for 10 years, High Country Outfitters, David started his career as a manufacturers rep. He and his partners built a sales agency, called the Uber Group. The agency represented Arc'teryx, Salomon, Petzl, Mountain Khakis, Suunto, and Jet Boil, in the Southeast. Arc'teryx, Salomon, and Suunto were being used by the Military and that became a significant part of Uber Group's business for 10+ years. That engagement with the Military is ultimately how David got involved with The Special Operations Care Fund. David states, We created SOC-F in 2013 for one purpose: to make a positive and meaningful difference in the lives of SOF families who have given so much for our country and our freedom. We do this by raising money for one incredibly worthwhile purpose: to provide medical, financial, and other support to SOF members and their families in ways that are often not met through other sources–what we call the “gaps.” David now works for Magpul Industries Corp, and manages a team of sales reps across the US.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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Skyler Baker / PCT

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 15:10:22 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Skyler Baker. Skyler was born and raised on Signal Mountain Tennessee and since he was a child he was immersed in the outdoor community and music scene of the Chattanooga area. Every spring and fall his family camped in a pop up trailer in the surrounding state parks. As a teenager that developed into hiking with friends and doing short overnight trips around Walden’s Ridge. His senior project included work with the Cumberland Trail Conference before setting off for the college of engineering at UT Knoxville. In his second year at UT he went on a whim of a day hike in the Smokies which sparked a love. In my third year he was invited to spend spring break backpacking on Cumberland Island, his first multiple night trip. While working a summer internship in Chattanooga he began to trail run every day after work. Once he graduated that became his hobby and it further developed in the Smokies. His approach to travel also changed as he took trips to South Africa, the Alps, Canada, and Alaska. After running a few ultra marathons he ticked off new trails in the Smokies one by one, eventually completing all of them in July 2020. Following the Smokies 900 he looked for new goals including the SCAR, R2R2R, the Art Loeb Trail, and he even got into gravel biking. Nothing was filling the void so he set his sights on the Pacific Crest Trail in April 2021. After completing the trail he spent a month seeing the National Parks before returning to Tennessee. Skyler shares his PCT experience with us and a few other stories from his adventures.

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Alone in Wonderland / Christine Reed

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 12:33:02 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Christine Reed. Christine is a long-distance backpacker and author of the memoir, Alone in Wonderland. She shares her personal journey from sedentary office worker to rugged outdoorswoman in hopes of inspiring others to see something bigger for themselves-- whatever that may be. But also to remind us that a good story is about sharing something of ourselves and connecting with others. She's found in the outdoor community the first place that ever felt like home.

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Recover Brands w/ Bill Johnston

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 04:08:33 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Bill Johnston. Bill is the co-founder and president of Recover Brands, a North Carolina based sustainable apparel company. Recover Brands is a mission driven company that aims to create the best, most environmentally friendly and socially responsible products possible, and to educate and inspire those around us to live and work for a sustainable tomorrow. Recover Brands specializes in manufacturing and marketing apparel and accessories out of 100% recycled materials. Through its co-brand program, Recover offers custom designs and prints on it's products for businesses, organization, events and more. Prior to founding Recover in 2010, Bill worked in the outdoor industry guiding backpacking and mountaineering trips. Bill is a native of Statesville, NC and an alum of North Carolina State University. Outside of the office Bill likes to spend as much time outside as possible. He is an avid mountain biker and enjoys skiing, backpacking, fly fishing, running, golf, surfing, live music, cooking, reading, coffee and craft beer, amongst other things. Bill lives in North Carolina with his wife Brooke and dog Wink.

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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The Plant Dude

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 05 Mar 2022 15:03:33 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Scotty Smith. Scotty is a horticulturist with a passion for all things plants and nature. We wanted to talk about Spring flowers, blooming bushes, plant identification apps, hiking, bugs and this big ol world. Scotty is a committed life-long learner and has been studying plants and ecology for more than 10 years. He first began his career as a park ranger working on biological studies, maintaining trails, and practicing land conservation at Shiloh National Military Park. He then set his sights west, where he worked at Colorado State University managing the research arboretum as well as a horticulturist at a landscaping nursery and tree farm. After taking time off to hike the Appalachian Trail with his dog Bailey, Scotty began his career at Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center in 2018 as a Horticulture Assistant. Due to his strong background in plants and his knack for growing them, he became Nursery Manager, and then took on his current role as Director of Land Conservation.

A passion for plants and ecology comes with a responsibility to share it. Scotty is an advocate of intersectional environmentalism and giving all of Chattanooga a chance to learn and appreciate the ecology around them to which they are so inextricably linked.

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Running Coast to Coast/Re-Release

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 12:54:41 +0000

Day Fire Podcast has been around for years and from time-to-time we like to visit our archives and re-release some great conversations that some of our loyal listeners may have missed! This is a Clint Powell pick: Episode # 35 from November of 2019 with Rickey Gates and Fred Doss - 'Running Coast to Coast'!

This week, we spoke with Rickey Gates via phone who is a Salomon Athlete. Rickey shares his story about running from coast to coast. Rickey writes; "From March 1st to August 1st, 2017, I traversed the width of America - from South Carolina to San Francisco. My 3,700-mile-long route took me on trail, road, river and snow. I ran through plains, desert, mountain ranges and cities. Snow, rain, wind, heat, sun and darkness. Mostly, I ran alone, but occasionally some friends would join me. I am currently processing this trip - in words, photos and how I anticipate it to affect me in the future. For much of the past fifteen years I have been traveling to every corner of the globe. I sort through photos and find myself running a Norwegian ridge line, ascending a volcano in Uganda, sleeping alongside my motorcycle in Tierra del Fuego, floating the Amazon on a banana boat. Running has brought me to many of these places. Motorcycles, bicycles and odd jobs have brought me to many others. It has occurred to me that I have seen more of France than I’ve seen of South Carolina. I’ve explored the Alps more than the Ozarks of Arkansas. I know the Antarctic Plateau better than Colorado's neighboring state of Oklahoma. They say that you cannot know the world without knowing your own backyard. In a time of uncertain politics and a crescendo of differences, I have chosen to slow things down, simplify my life and get to know my country at a step-by-step intimacy."

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Dr. John Anderson/Re-Release

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 20:03:59 +0000

Day Fire Podcast has been around for years and from time-to-time we like to visit our archives and re-release some great conversations that some of our loyal listeners may have missed! This is a Dawson Wheeler pick: Episode #64 from July of 2020 with Dr. John Anderson!



From a running perspective he has been running around in the woods for most of his life, from cross country in school to trails and ultra, and had a decent bit of success and certainly a ton of fun in ultrarunning over the last 16 years.  In terms of race results, most recently John finished 7th overall at the 2019 Tor des Glaciers in the Italian Alps.   This is a unique event, an unmarked 450km (~300miles) route done in a single push with over 105,000 of climbing that has interesting and variable terrain from steep mountain trails to 4th and 5th class scrambles.  Here's a link to a race report John wrote for Ultrarunning Magazine for it https://ultrarunning.com/.../the-inaugural-tor-des-glaciers/

Dr. John Anderson also has a great family with 4 kids and an amazing wife Janel.

It's All Down Hill with Dawson

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 13:04:33 +0000

This week Clint catches up with a very special guest (insert dramatic pause) - Dawson Wheeler! That's right, this week Dawson takes a break from the slopes and calls into the Day Fire studio. They talked about snow, fire, and conservation - the Olympics - being competitive with your friends on the slopes - gear - vistas - and more! This was a really fun conversation!

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Lauren Templeton/Adventure in Her Blood

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 15:07:10 +0000

This week Cint and Dawson sat down with Lauren Templeton. Lauren is the founder and president of Templeton and Phillips Capital Management, LLC. Lauren is the Independent Director for Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, Fairfax India Holdings Corporation, and Canadian Solar, Inc. Lauren is the great niece of Sir John M. Templeton and is a current member of the John M. Templeton Foundation, the Templeton World Charities Foundation and a Trustee of Templeton Religion Trust. Professionally speaking, Lauren began her career working with managed portfolios and investments in 1998. In 2001, Lauren founded Templeton & Phillips Capital Management. Lauren is the Co-author of Investing the Templeton Way: The Market Beating Strategies of Value Investing’s Legendary Bargain Hunter (2008, McGraw Hill) She is a frequent speaker and financial commentator.

Lauren comes from a very adventurous family and she shares family stories going back to her Grandmother's climbing and rafting trips, to a cross country trip in a hearse. Lauren also shares life and financial advice and keeps us laughing and smiling throughout the podcast.

Lauren also hosts a podcast, Zenvesting Podcast, on a weekly basis. Zenvestingpodcast.com.

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Arno Ilgner/Warriors Way

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:50:29 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Arno Ilgner. Arno distinguished himself as a pioneering rock climber in the 1970s and 80s. In 1995, after searching the literature and practice of mental training, Ilgner formalized his methods, created The Warrior’s Way, and began teaching full time.

Ilgner has taught clinics across the U.S.A. and abroad. He holds a BA in Geology, operated a geological consulting firm, acted as CFO for a company, and attended the Army Ranger School. He lives and climbs in Tennessee.

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Chasing the Smokies Moon by Nancy East

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:09:49 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Nancy East who recently wrote; Chasing the Smokies Moon. Nancy East is an avid hiker and backpacker. After a 23 year career as a small animal veterinarian, she retired to pursue her passion as a writer, hiking guide and speaker.

She is a member of the Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, a founding board member of the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund, a Gossamer Gear Ambassador, and a Southern Appalachian Naturalist. Nothing brings her more joy professionally than educating her fellow hikers about how to stay "safe and found".

In 2019, she and her good friend, Chris Ford, set the fastest known time (FKT) for a mixed-gender team on the Tour de LeConte Challenge. In 2020, they set the overall FKT for the Smokies 900 Challenge. Nancy has hiked all the trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park four times, and she continues to go back for more.

When she's not on the trail, Nancy is a mother to three children and a wife to her high school sweetheart.

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Nova Conservation / Laura Marsh

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 01:37:47 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Laura Marsh. Laura is a field ornithologist and conservation biologist. She is the founder of Nova Conservation, an organization dedicated to connecting adventurers to conservation biology by providing unique, research-focused, ethical ecotours. She has worked as a biologist at various institutions, including the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Laura also volunteers at Chattanooga Audubon Society and other conservation societies when she's not chasing birds in the field or her two young boys around the house.

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Calling of the Rock, Kurt Smith

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:55:08 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Kurt Smith. Kurt Smith grew up in Lake Tahoe and first faced off with Yosemite’s big walls and rock climbs in 1980. 41 years and thousands of routes later, his accomplishments include three years of competing on the National and World Cup circuit, with wins at the Nationals, twelfth place at the World Cup in 1992, plus a top-20 ranking. He has spent 4 decades opening up new routes in Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Clear Creek Canyon, Rifle, El Potrero Chico, Mexico and other popular climbing areas, with a mission to create “the best lines regardless of the grade.” With over 500 First Ascents under his belt he is not slowing down in his quest for new lines.

But the apogee of his involvement with climbing may be his affiliation and work with the Access Fund (www.accessfund.org) over the years, and his Kickin’ Access Tours. Rock & Ice Magazine named the Kickin Access Tour number 7 of the "Top 10 Most Important Climbing Events of 2001." Kurt spent 6 years crisscrossing the country to throw these climber access events, raising over $100,000 and signing up over 3000 members for the Access Fund. Due to Kurt's huge success in his fundraising efforts for the AF, he was elected to the AF's Board of Directors in 2001, on which he served a 3-year term.

Kurt has called the New River Gorge, WV home for the last 16 years and is the owner of Top Gun Sales. This sales agency is proud to represent Sterling Rope, Evolv, Nemo Equipment, BioLite, Wild Country and Salewa. His territory covers the South East and the Great Lakes and has three amazing employees in Chaz Warren, Wes Napier and Jay Peery. His greatest achievement is being a dad with his 6 year old son, Milo and wife Pei Lee Ren!

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Learning As We Flow

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 13:35:32 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talked with Marc Hunt. If you have ever enjoyed a day of kayaking, canoeing, or rafting on the Ocoee, then you have Marc to thank! Marc was the co-founder of Sunburst Adventures - the first outfitter to operate on the Ocoee. His journey includes passion - business - court rooms - politics - and yes, a lot of paddling! It's easy to take the memories made and the adventures experienced for granted, but the Ocoee as we know it today is not the Ocoee Marc experienced in the 70's. It took building a business, learning how to market that business, and an epic battle with TVA! He has paddled many rivers in the U.S, plus Central and South America and Nepal. Marc has sat on a number of non-profit boards and served as an advisor for initiatives that are designed to give back and protect the outdoors that we all love so much. His wife, Cat Potts, and his son, Colin Hunt, are both accomplished paddlers as well. They live in Asheville, Nc and even though Marc has paddled rivers around the world - he still says nothing is quiet like being on the Ocoee! PLUS - who names the rapids?

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Brad DeVaney/Leading by Design

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 20:07:17 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Brad DeVaney Head of Product Development at Litespeed Bicycles. Brad's life on the bike began at 5 and at eight years old he went from top regional BMX racer to national level talent, traveling the country on a national circuit as a factory team rider for Schwinn. As DeVaney grew, so too did his love of riding; if there was a start line and finish line, DeVaney was in. He raced for a road team in the mid ’80s that provided the team with used Team 7-Eleven bikes—providing DeVaney his first experience riding a titanium bike. In the late ‘80s, he discovered a penchant for triathlon, and mountain bike racing.

While working in shops, doing wheel builds and even his own custom frame painting job on the side while in college in the late 1980s, DeVaney would occasionally build show bikes for Litespeed in Chattanooga. The work led to a part-time gig, and with a mind full of concepts and ideas, he challenged the company—during an era of pretty staid round-tubed designs— on how to change the shape of titanium tubes in the interest of improved performance. It wasn’t long before Litespeed offered him a full-time job on the design team.

It wasn’t long before Litespeed—and DeVaney—became in-demand with in-the-know pros. DeVaney was the man in charge creating many of the rebadged Litespeed bikes that riders like Lance Armstrong were riding under different auspices. Once passing muster of the pros (and DeVaney), many of his progressive designs made their way into production and came to define the point of differentiation between Litespeed and any other titanium bike manufacturers.

“I was creating benchmarks, and always wanted to do something remarkable with titanium,” DeVaney says of his job. ”And I still do.”

Triple Crowners

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 02:44:40 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talk with the youngest calendar-year Triple Crowners - Sammy Potter and Jackson Parell – both 21 years old! It all started on January 1st of this year and concluded on October 22nd and in those 10 months; their journey took them over 8,000 miles of trails and culminated in the completion of the Appalachian Trail, The Pacific Crest Trail, and The Continental Divide Trail. We covered a lot of ground and shared a lot of stories in our conversation: logistics, gear, motivation, personalities, animal encounters, challenges, and much more!

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PADDLESPORTS INDUSTRY & LIFE with Joe Pulliam

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 20:14:48 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Joe Pulliam. Joe, is best known as co-founder and long-time CEO of Dagger, Joe began canoeing in the late 1960’s, and started building and paddling kayaks in 1973. He entered the outdoor industry full-time in 1982 as director of marketing and sales of Perception. In 1988, with three others he founded Dagger, which became one of the most successful paddlesports businesses in history. Joe led a successful sale of Dagger in 1998, then worked for Watermark Sports, the acquiring company for seven years, as executive vice president, and was deeply involved in several acquisitions made by Watermark. From 2005 until 2017, he was an independent consultant, focused primarily on the outdoor industry, with the final 8 years of that span focused entirely on Jackson Kayak. Joe also co-founded The Whitewater Company, a rafting outfitter on the Pigeon River in Tennessee. He has served on numerous paddlesports boards, including the American Canoe Association, American Whitewater, various national trade organizations and local river-related organizations. He was the recipient of ACA’s J Henry Rushton award, the President’s award and is in the ACA Paddlesports Hall of Fame. He is in the International Whitewater Hall of Fame, and was named by Paddler Magazine as one of the top 100 American paddlers of the 20thCentury. He was named by Sports Style magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the sporting goods industry, and has been featured in publications including Southern Living, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, Paddler, Blue Ridge Outdoors, and the American Whitewater Journal.

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Stories We're Thankful For

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 12:54:47 +0000

Enjoy this selection of stories from Day Fire guests!

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Ali Whittier, Charging Life and Bike

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 01:34:20 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Ali Whittier. We had such a good time during her recording, Ali has an infectious personality and gets so excited talking about cycling, racing, family, friends and life.

Ali was born and raised in Iowa. She grew up a dancer (traveling to Europe for a tour at age 8) and still loves to dance to this day. She was also a team sport person through school. She married her husband, Spencer, in 2012 and the pair moved to Chattanooga in 2014. That same year she joined the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee corporate communications team and still works on that team today in public affairs, managing the company’s social media presence, employee ambassador program and its WellTuned wellness content site. After meeting her future husband in 2010, she got her first road bike. Ali soon competed in a couple sprint triathlons and then focused solely on racing bikes.

In 2012, Ali began her bike racing career in cyclocross on the Hub Endurance Cycling Team, also taking a leadership role on the team helping to put on races and practices each year as well as design the team’s kits. She and Spencer traveled to UCI races across the country as well as races around the southeast – that included approximately 20 races between September and December. They raced CX nats in Asheville in 2016 where Spencer won his division and became National Champion. Later that year, Ali won the Tennessee State Mountain Bike Championships in a rainy, muddy race that mirrored her favorite cyclocross conditions. Ali then learned the ropes of road racing, joining the Scenic City Velo women’s race team. It was then she began working with Coach Steve Carpenter who still coaches her today as an endurance gravel and mountain bike racer.

Ali and her Motor Mile Racing teammate, Stephen Lebovitz, will compete as a coed duo in Breck Epic in August 2022. She trains with a group of Chattanooga female cyclists who also race and have mentored her throughout her cycling career.

Cumberland Island / Wild Cumberland

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 16:40:00 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Jessica Howell-Edwards. Jessica is the Program Director for Wild Cumberland. They are dedicated to protecting the wilderness, native species, and the ecology of Cumberland Island. The complex history of Cumberland Island requires public oversight and stewardship; their purpose is to help educate the public and hold decision-makers accountable. Wild Cumberland supporters work together to ensure the long-term stewardship and preservation of Cumberland Island and its natural ecosystem.

Jessica is a lifelong Georgia resident and mom of four who currently resides in DeKalb County. She offers more than two decades of journalism, marketing, and activism experience – and most importantly, a passion for protecting the native ecology of Cumberland Island.

Jessica writes: "Wilderness experience can transform you, and I firmly believe that those who seek that experience will find it. More than 25 years ago, I was fortunate to have my first wilderness experience on Cumberland Island; because of that, I am committed to ensuring my children and future grandchildren have the same opportunity. I have always been completely captivated by (and drawn to) the Georgia coast: an underappreciated tapestry of rivers, streams, swamps, estuaries, and islands. In that constant state of flux, teeming with life, is where I feel most at peace."

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Will Skelton - Conservationist, Adventurer, World Traveler

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 01:12:11 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Will Skelton. Will is an author, a conservationist, a champion for our public lands and has a lifetime of adventure and travel. Will has always loved travel of any kind and has traveled extensively throughout the world, including visiting all 50 states, including several times for most of them, and all the Canadian provinces, and has visited over 70 countries in all continents except Antarctica. His favorite countries world-wide are New Zealand, Canada, and Peru and his favorite US states are Utah, New Mexico, and California.

Will has been significantly involved in Cherokee National Forest trails and wilderness preservation issues since the early 1970’s.  He was a leader of the effort that led the United States Congress to protect significant portions of the Cherokee in the 1980's.  Will subsequently edited a hiking guidebook to the Cherokee’s trails, with the help of well over two dozen hikers and writers. It was published by the University of Tennessee Press in 1992 as Wilderness Trails of the Cherokee National Forest; a new and expanded edition entitled Cherokee National Forest Hiking Guide was published in 2005. Currently a third edition is in the works with the trails being hiked in 2021. Will has also been actively involved with the Cherokee National Forest in various trails and land use issues that have come up over the years. Thanks for listening!

Search and Rescue in and around The Great Smoky Mountains

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 21:04:19 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Andrew Herrington and Matt Jernigan. Andrew is Founder and Team Leader of BUSAR and Matt is Founder and President of BUSAR. Team BUSAR is an all-hazards search and rescue team supporting and assisting search and rescue operations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Andrew’s vision to create the BUSAR team came from almost two decades of search and rescue experience in the Smokies. A Wildlife Ranger, Wildland Firefighter and former backcountry Law Enforcement Ranger, Andrew used these experiences, along with his background teaching wilderness survival and safety, to forge this highly dedicated team. He was recently recognized for the creation of the team with the National Park Service Search & Rescue Award and for his role in the Gatlinburg Firestorm, the Department of Interior Valor Award and the Tennessee Conservation Hero award. Matt is also a founding member of Team BUSAR. He has over twenty-five years of outdoor experience backpacking, mountain biking, trail running and adventure racing. Matt has seven years of search & rescue experience within the Park and holds various wilderness SAR certifications. He has lived, worked, and travelled in over forty countries with significant backcountry experience in many. Closer to home he has a deep knowledge of the Great Smoky Mountains and is a 900 miler, having hiked all trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To help support this organization go to teambusar.org

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Nature Is Our Common Ground

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:39:22 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sat down with Moise Baptiste, Ph.D. ! He and his wife moved to a new city to find new opportunities and expected things to go as planned! However, life has a way of bringing you experiences and challenges that you can not plan for. It was in some of those unmet expectations that he found the trail! Now - he helps others breakdown barriers to entry and find their own personal trail experience through his organization: TrailblazUS Outdoors.

His journey includes Haiti, two (2) Miami's, a doctorate, helping people break down stereotypes, a lot of self-discovery, and now some paddleboarding! This was a really good conversation.

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Tennessee River Gorge Trust -- On the Move

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 20:57:54 +0000

This week Clint and I talked with Rick Huffines and Eliot Berz. Rick is the Executive Director for the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. He joined the organization in 2013 after retiring from a 26-year career of public service with the US Fish and Wildlife Service where he has worked throughout the Southeast in five different states in various capacities. Most recently, Rick served as the Deputy Regional Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Eliot Berz received his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Sewanee: The University of the South. Eliot has worked on public access endeavors on various blueways and greenways, such as the Rapidan River in Virginia and Hiwassee River in Tennessee. When not working, you will likely find Eliot in the river kayaking or fishing.

The Tennessee River Gorge Trust is the perfect example of what can happen when a small group of thoughtful citizens come together to change their community for the better. The Trust was founded in 1981 —later incorporated in 1986 — as the result of a dinner party at Adele Hampton’s house on Elder Mountain. Chattanooga-area citizens gathered around her coffee table to discuss the worrisome development of the mountains bordering Chattanooga. With the help of cooperative landowners, TVA, the State of Tennessee and engaged citizens, our community has protected over 17,000 of the 27,000 acres of the Gorge!

The Gorge consists of 27,000 acres carved through the Cumberland Mountains by 27 miles of the Tennessee River. It is the only large river canyon bordering a mid-size city (Chattanooga) and it is the fourth largest river canyon east of the Mississippi. The Gorge begins approximately 5 miles downstream from downtown Chattanooga (across from Williams Island) and continues 27 river miles to Hales Bar Dam Marina near Nickajack Lake. Through dozens of archaeological sites, evidence of human's presence in the Gorge dates back to 10,000 years ago.

Paula Hemmerly - Checking Off the Bucket List

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 18:36:04 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talked with Paula Hemmerly. Paula has been married for 50 years, has two grandsons and two children. Now here is the thing; Paula is a hiking machine!!!! Here is a list of the hikes/trails she has done since 2008.

Hikes: 2008 Foothills Trail, 2009 Art Loeb Trail, 2010 Appalachian Trail, 2013 Grand Sawtooth Loop (Idaho), 2014 PCT - Oregon, 2016 Long Trail (2010 AT to Killington, 2016 Troy to Killington), 2016 The John Muir Trail, 2018 West Highland Way – Scotland, 2019 Dolomites – Italy/Austria, 2019 Havasupai, 2020 Bartram Trail, 2020-2021 Benton McKaye Trail, 2018-2021 Colorado Trail, 2021 Wonderland Trail, 900 Miler X’s 3 in the Smokys, and the list goes in with many many more in National Parks and state Parks.

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The 444

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 20:30:13 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sit down with attorney and avid bike rider and competitor - Lee Davis. Prior to biking, Lee was a pretty good runner as well - running 10ks in under 32 minutes and twice sub-2:40 in marathons. We cover a lot of ground - including his preparations for the 'Natchez Trace 444' bicycling event that he will be competing in soon. 'The 444' runs the length of the Natchez Trace Parkway from Nashville, TN to Natchez, Mississippi - no stop signs, no traffic lights, and no turns. The Natchez Trace Parkways was listed as one of - 'The 30 Most Gorgeous Roads in America' by bicycling.com. We talked training - gear - food - biking - and more with Lee Davis.

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To Finish Is To Win

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 01:48:02 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sit down and talk about inspiration and mountain biking with Audrey Tangye! Audrey is a mom, a Registered Nurse, a caretaker, and has over 28 years on the bike. Being on the trail is where she finds energy and balance! In June of 2021 she set out on her biggest bike adventure yet, the "Great Divide Mountain Bike Race" from Canada to New Mexico! Even though she has competed in many big races; this one was special. This adventure was to celebrate and honor the life of her dear friend Grace Ragland; who lived with MS most of her life and passed away in January 2020 to cancer. Grace had completed this race in 2018 and lived by the motto of 'to finish is to win' and in doing so inspired many people to push through hard times and enjoy life! In this episode we share stories and talk emotions - preparing - gear - and most importantly - being inspired!

Part of Audrey's journey was to raise money for the Tanner Foundation for MS in honor of Grace. If you are interested in finding out more or donating please visit: https://divideandconquer.swell.gives/

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Trail Names and Hammocks

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 17:00:16 +0000

This Week Dawson and Clint sat down with outdoor enthusiast and adventure seeker - Tish Webb! In 2020 her attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail was interrupted by COVID. So, when the calendar turned to 2021, she started fresh! This was a fun conversation about her adventure on the trail! They talked about the personalities she met along the way - gear - navigating - lessons learned - and the emotions that being on the trail brings out! PLUS - what's next on her adventure bucket list! As always it was fun and informative listening to and sharing stories about being in the great outdoors! (Bonus - We find out that there are a few words Dawson hates!)

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Colorado Trail

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 16:47:20 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with Mary Beth Sutton. Mary Beth is the Executive Director of Waterways. WaterWays works closely with local stormwater departments and many other partners to encourage grassroots community education and action for our streams and rivers in the Chattanooga Tn region. WaterWays is a proud recipient of the Tennessee River Basin Network Communication and Outreach Award for 2020 and TWO BRIC (Building Recognition in Chattanooga Tn) Awards for Best Sustainable Project and Best Collaborative Project with our partners at Propex. When not wading in the water, Mary Beth can be found scouting out wildflowers or hiking and backpacking in the mountains. In 2021, she completed a thru hike of the Colorado Trail. You are going to enjoy listening to Mary Beth's adventures on the Co Trail.

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Conversation about Conservation

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 14:46:22 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sat down with (dramatic pause) Dawson and Clint! Yep - in this episode they talk through conservation. Some families and businesses have the ability to set aside budgets and monies to support parks, projects, and the organizations doing great work - that is outstanding! Some families can only give of their time and money as it's available - and yes - that is outstanding too! Learning what we can do - no matter how big or small - is the key. Whether it's writing big checks, spending a few hours helping clean up a trail, or simply dropping a few bucks in the donation bucket as you enter a park - it all adds up! We talk through the habits we can develop to ensure the land we enjoy today will be available to the generations to come!

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Red Wolf Update

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 15:47:15 +0000

Today Dawson and Clint talk with Mark McKnight - President/CEO and Tish Gailmard - Director of Wildlife; at Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center! With over 300 acres and five distinct ecosystems, Reflection Riding is home for many species of animal life. Mark and Tish give us an update about all the great things they are doing and ways they are serving our community. We talked about education - owls - bobcats - tattoos - AND we did a deep dive about the American Red Wolf Safe program! Plus, we share a lot of stories, laughs, and information along the way!

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A Life With The Bureau of Land Management

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 16:12:21 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with my friend Carl Rountree. Carl has 35 years of public land management experience in the Bureau of Land Management 's Washington DC Office and several Western states. Before his retirement in 2014, he served as the Assistant Director of BLM's National Landscape Conservation System. In this role, he led efforts to better protect and raise awareness of BLM's 32 million acres of wilderness and other nationally designated conservation areas, and to promote greater conservation in BLM's public land management.

Additionally, Carl is as cool as a cucumber and one of the true good guys of the world. During the podcast we also discuss one of the permitted events on BLM land; Burning Man. "Carl has attended Burning Man and has had the luxury to be invited and stay at First Camp, a dream of mine for years"; and has had the pleasure to work with its organizers for years.

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Vans builds/ Site Seven

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 20:50:36 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Justin Shipp, Founder and owner of Site Seven, www.sitesevencampers.com a custom van conversion company. Justin builds some of the best vans in the country. We bounce around some tech talk on power grids, refrigeration to ac units but mostly we just generally talk about van life. What are some considerations you should consider before buying a van and once you buy a van what are some toys you want to have inside the van for fun.

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Access Fund

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 16:30:29 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Zach Lesch-Huie. Zach is the VP of Programs & Acquisitions. Zach leads Access Fund programs in the Southeast and directs their Local Support & Mobilization program focused on supporting more than 120 affiliate local climbing organizations nationally. He is the primary contact for Southeastern access issues, and questions about starting and operating a local climbing group.

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UnRunning / brain before legs

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 15:59:42 +0000

This Week Clint and I sat down with Mary Cates. She has been a runner most of her life. She will tell you that she has been a competitive runner since the 7th grade! In college she was a 400 and 800m runner. She has raced every distance from the 400m to the 100 mile and beyond. She has a B.S. degree in Journalism and a Masters degree in Media management and she spent over a decade as a television producer. She was diagnosed with cancer the first time in late 2006, early 2007, worked through it and went into remission. It came back in 2011 and she had to step away from her career and entered clinical trials and fought for her life. Successfully winning her cancer battle she Founded UnRunning and made the transition into coaching. She loves to run and race but she also loves to help others fall in love with the sport as well. Running can be such a powerful tool for both physical and mental health. Mary states; "It's one of the most basic forms of movement but it's a skill that's largely overlooked and honestly it all starts inside the mind." Her motto is simple but it takes a long time to embrace: "brain before legs." "Training the body is great but to get to the next level, you've got to dig inside." We have had many humble athletes but Mary's humility is so inspiring especially when you see her face light up talking about racing and suffering doing either a short course race or a hundred 100 race. She still is a very competitive runner and has raced 6 x 100 milers including the iconic Vermont 100 which is one of the originals, running with horses and Pine to Palm 100 in Ashland, Oregon through the Cascades and Siskiyou ranges. She will be 41 in August and she is training to race (and win) the Yeti 100 in September.
She has 4 rescue dogs who she says run her life.

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A Wandering Soul/ Liz Fieser

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 15:28:49 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Liz Fieser. Liz Fieser is a wandering soul with a knack for adventure and a deep sense of curiosity. Currently, Liz calls Tivoli, Italy, a small mountain town outside of Rome, home. When she's not on the trails in Tivoli, Liz travels to places that both inspire and challenge her. Liz is taking a breath after years spent building marketing and social strategies with startup companies like Lime and Cabana, while working for clients like Visit Bishop, Marmot, and Spotify. Despite working an occasional freelance gig, Liz's main focus since leaving her full-time position in March is to unwind her worth from the typical western identity of work. She is now on a mission to figure out what really moves her, and where she wants to focus her creative energy next. Liz is motivated by mountains, creating with others, talking philosophy, and spends her free time hiking, watercolor painting "poorly" (her words), and writing. Liz also throws in some travel tips and favorite spots from around the USA and Europe.

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Justin Reiter/Olympian/Snowboard Coach

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 15:57:56 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with Justin Reiter. Justin (born February 2, 1981) is an American snowboard coach and former snowboarder. He won a silver medal in the parallel slalom at the 2013 FIS Snowboarding World Championships. He is also a ten-time national champion and was selected for the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he was the only American male to compete in the parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom. He had 100 starts in the FIS Snowboard World Cup and scored four podium finishes, including one win in Moscow in 2015 - the first win by an American in a parallel competition for a decade. Reiter also finished third in the overall parallel standings for the 2014-15 season. In September 2017 he announced his retirement. Subsequently he took up coaching: among the snowboarders he trains are Michael Trapp, Robby Burns and Ester Ledecká.

Justin is also an ambassador for Yeti Cycles and Big Agnes. https://yeticycles.com/ambassadors/justin-reiter https://www.bigagnes.com/ambassadors-justin-reiter

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Rock Walls to Still Waters

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:58:19 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sat down with Rock Creek Ambassador and educator - Samantha Christen! Samantha’s love for adventure has always been a part of her life, but that passion was solidified when she worked as a camp counselor. Her love for the outdoors has opened many opportunities to explore, compete, and help others. Whether it was road tripping across the United States to climb or being a collegiate rowing athlete, all her experiences have led her to exactly where she is supposed to be now – a teacher in the classroom AND on the water!

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'The H2O Life' - Shawanna Kendrick

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 12:55:25 +0000

This week we sat down with the owner of 'The H2O Life' - Shawanna Kendrick! The name represents her passion: Hiking, Healing (H2) and Outdoors (O)! The trails helped change her life and now she loves introducing women of color to those same experiences. By day she works with the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office - but in her free time you will most likely find her exploring the outdoors, enjoying a vista, or leading an excursion into the healing that can only be found on the trail. This was a really fun conversation.

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Day Fire and Explore More Podcast Mashup! Dawson Wheeler and Jeff Styles!

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 15:29:46 +0000

Another podcast mashup from Day Fire! This time our man - Dawson Wheeler - was invited on 'Explore More' (a NoogaRadio 92.7 segment) with Jeff Styles to talk all things outdoor and podcasting. You may remember Jeff from Day Fire Podcast episode #76. They covered a lot of ground and had a lot of fun! Enjoy!

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Wild Alabama

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:24:01 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down With Wayne Bailey and Kim Waites. Kim is a Leave No Trace Master Educator, a Wilderness First Responder and has completed courses in the Leopold Land Ethic and earned a certificate in Wilderness Stewardship through the University of Montana’s distance learning program. She currently serves as the Wilderness Stewardship Coordinator for Wild Alabama, formerly Wild South and has held this position for seven years.

After Wayne retired from school teaching in 2004, a hiking trip planned for 200-300 miles in 2007 turned into a thru hike of the AT in 2007 completed October 5. This led to a thru hike of the PCT in 2009 and the CDT in 2010.

Since 2012 he has remained an active volunteer wilderness ranger for the US Forest Service through training provided by Wild South (now Wild Alabama). He was named volunteer of the year in 2015 for Wild South. They have over 30 rangers and their patrols range from 3-18 miles.

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Liz Anjos sets new FKT/S.C.A.R/supported

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 16:28:21 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with Liz "Mercury" Anjos. On May 17th, 2021 Liz set a new women’s supported fastest known time of 18:27:07 for the Smokies Challenge Adventure Run, a 70+ mile traverse of the Great Smoky Mountains along the Appalachian Trail, starting at Fontana Dam and ending at Davenport Gap. Liz shares her successful trip with us and we also get a glimpse into what is next for her. Liz is no stranger to the Appalachian Trail or FKT's. She currently is the female record holder for the FKT Northbound supported record on the AT.

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A Day Fire / During the Break Podcast Mashup! How Well Do You Know Dawson Wheeler?

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 19:48:22 +0000

This is a fun episode from Day Fire! A mashup with During the Break podcast! A short Q&A session with your host - Dawson Wheeler! It promises to embarrass him (maybe) - bring out some good stories - and help you get to know him a little better! Gear - Adventure - Stories - Podcasting - and More all in about 17minutes! Enjoy!

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Preparing for Philmont Scout Ranch

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 20:44:32 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sat down with some Scouts to talk about their upcoming Philmont Scout Ranch adventure. Tessa Bowers and Timmy Wheatley joined Day Fire via a Facebook live event to talk about their preparation, motivation, gear, and expectations. Plus - Dawson shared some advice and tips about adventure in the great outdoors.

Find out more about Philmont: 12-Day, 9-Day and 7-Day Treks - Philmont Scout Ranch

Find Day Fire on Facebook: Day Fire Podcast | Facebook

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Gordon Seabury, CEO, Toad&Co

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 30 May 2021 16:33:30 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with Gordon Seabury. Gordon has been the CEO of Toad&Co, a sustainable outdoor lifestyle apparel brand based in Santa Barbara California for the last 25 years. He also co-founded Planet Access 24 years ago, a social enterprise committed to providing life skills, vocational training and outdoor experiences for people with disabilities. He spent 17 years on the Outdoor Industry Association Board including serving as Chairman and Vice-Chairman. He is currently in several environmentally responsible organizations including being on the Advisory Boards of the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, Alante Capital and Limeloop and sitting on the Eco-Entrepreneurship Advisory Council at the Bren School at UCSB.

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Huck & Braaap Cycling

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 21 May 2021 20:26:22 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with Craig Lawson and Brad Cobb. Craig is a Coach with Huck and Braaap Cycling. Brad Cobb is a sponsor and Founder of Motor Mile Racing which are Mountain bike racers from the "Dirty South dippin', divin' and dodgin' all around the world."

The 2017 inaugural season of Team HBC consisted of six youth racers. By 2018 the team doubled in size and produced two individual Tennessee NICA State Champions. 2019 season, Team HBC had grown the love of the sport for 30 youth athletes competing all over the state. That season ended on a high note for Team HBC when they were named the number one middle school NICA team in the state and four of their racers were named individual Tennessee NICA State Champions (6th grade girls, 7th grade girls, 7th grade boys and 9th grade boys).

The year 2020 presented the dedicated volunteer coaching staff of Team HBC with unique challenges. Like many organizations, Tennessee NICA suspended the entire 2020 season, no race opportunities. By the fall of 2020, after growing the team to 57 riders and in response to the uncertainty about the future of NICA in the state, Team HBC re-tooled its identity and focus. They launched Huck & Braaap Cycling and joined USA Cycling’s rapidly growing youth ranks. Practicing twice a week, the team racked up more than 10,000 miles on the trails.

As a competitive team, racing is at the center of the program, but success is not defined solely by winning. With the help of their generous donors and through hard work and dedication, HBC athletes will grow within the sport of mountain biking, as well as grow the sport within the greater Chattanooga Area.

Dayfire Podcast is sponsored by: Sponsored by: Rock/Creek and Mountain View Auto Group

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Pablo Mazariegos / The End is the Beginning

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 14 May 2021 14:43:21 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with Pablo Mazariegos. Pablo is the executive producer of the film "Bigger Than Me". The film is premiering on June 10th @ Reflection Riding. After finishing his studies Pablo pursued a job in construction management, assuming that he would follow in the footsteps of his father, but quickly realized that Latino community development is where he was meant to be. After working alongside underserved Latino children, Pablo decided to pursue a degree in Marriage Family Therapy - this is where he developed an ear for hearing and understanding people, as well as his love for storytelling. For more information go to the Resilient Story page on facebook.

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Grateful Dead and the Environment w/ George Brown

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 06 May 2021 21:46:19 +0000

This week Clint and I sat down with George Brown; a man of many talents. George had the opportunity to photograph the Grateful Dead for several years. We talk with George about how the Grateful Dead impacted environmental Stewardship, the Rex Foundation and play several songs about the natural world, stewardship and our big old planet. George even tells a story about a mouse.

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Velo Bike Tours

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:19:35 +0000

This week Clint and I chatted with Shannon Burke. Shannon is the founder and director of Velo View Bike Tours and attributes his love for cycling to his wife, Celeste, who not only introduced him to the sport but also took him on his first bike vacation. Soon after taking that first bike tour, Shannon was planning private bike vacations. As a professional municipal planner, the organization came naturally, and it wasn’t long before he made the shift to the bike tour business full-time.

Shannon named the business VELO VIEW as a tribute to the unique way the world is seen from the saddle of your bike. Promoting and sharing that perspective - the view from the bike - is what Velo View Bike Tours is all about.

Velo View was founded in 2012 in Austin, Texas, and initially offered pre-scheduled bike vacation packages in destinations across the country, from California to Colorado to the Carolinas. However, after relocating to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2016 and discovering the incredible wealth of world-class cycling opportunities in his new backyard, the focus of the business shifted to custom tours in the Chattanooga tri-state region.

Velo View also began producing bike ride events in 2017 as a way to introduce even more cyclists to the fantastic bike riding the Chattanooga region has to offer. Cycle Sequatchie currently takes place the first weekend in October.

In 2020, Shannon teamed up with Kim Murrell of Chilhowee Outdoors to create Tennessee Gravel, a promotional project dedicated to bringing attention to the beautiful gravel roads of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga.

https://veloviewbiketours.com/ https://cyclesequatchie.com/ https://tennesseegravel.com/

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Warren Doyle / AT Legend

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:34:21 +0000

This week we sat down with Warren Doyle. Warren has been walking the Appalachian Trail since 1972 (i.e., 38,000 miles). He has traversed the entire AT a record eighteen times! He loves to share his love and enthusiasm for the trail and educate people on how to fulfill their dream of hiking it. Check out Warren's programs at . www.warrendoyle.com

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Clark Brewer - Trail Therapy

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 16:29:57 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint sat down with co-founder of Bridge and owner of Huemans Outdoor, Clark Brewer jr. Clarks story is fascinating and ever evolving. Growing up in the inner city did not lend itself to off trail or outdoor adventures, but as a child Clark found a small area of woods near his home and started exploring on his own.

He now helps other kids and young adults discover the peace and confidence that can be found when they connect with the outdoors! Everyone brings different things to the trail - different life experiences, emotions, and perspectives, and they find that Mother Nature has something to offer them each person in their own way.

They covered a lot of ground; from a movie that Clark is in to leading hikes for kids and the journey to get where he is now! Plus - what's next for Clark and Huemans Outdoors. Really good perspectives - stories - and conversation!

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Get Ready - Go!

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 21:36:38 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk about being prepared for Spring and Summer adventures! Where is Dawson going? Where are some special places you may want to visit? What do you need to take with you? PLUS - Clint surprises Dawson with a game of 'What Is Up With This Picture?'! Clint went through Dawson's Instagram pics and pulled up a few and asked Dawson to share the story behind them. Don't worry - the pictures are described and the stories are worth the listen!

You can also find them on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/dayfirepodcast

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Sustainability in Summit Co with Michael Wurzel

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 15:26:28 +0000

This week we are talking with Michael Wurzel. Michael grew up in Nashville, Tennessee climbing at Kings Bluff and the now defunct Classic Rock Gym. When he turned 16 and bought his first car, you could often find him camping out at Rocktown and Zahnd on the weekends. His early climbing exploits led him to attending Sewanee for college and earning a degree in Environmental Policy. After a few years of being a climbing bum in Chattanooga, Michael earned a Master's in Environmental Science at UTC, and worked as the Executive Director of the Southeastern Climbers Coalition during its 20th Anniversary and beyond. Michael also worked at the Lula Lake Land Trust and the Friends of Moccasin Bend, always embracing the spirit of Chattanooga to make the place better.

Eventually, Michael got a job at Summit County Open Space and Trails in Breckenridge, Colorado, and gave up the good life in Chattanooga for the high rockies. Now, Michael is the Sustainability Coordinator for Summit County Government, responsible for implementing the county's climate action plan. When not working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Michael is skiing at Arapahoe Basin, the Colorado backcountry, or camping out in the Rockies somewhere, bagging easy peaks.

https://vimeo.com/72118303 http://www.summitcountyco.gov/sustainability

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The Bargo Brothers

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 03:29:03 +0000

According to Wikipedia the definition of Highpointing is: the sport of ascending to the point with the highest elevation within a given area. Well, what if your 'given area' changed? All the time! That is where the Bargo Brothers come in! Brandon and Greg Bargo are two adventurous, and competitive, brothers from Texas who explore the United States by climbing the highest points in all 50 states. Their passion for the outdoors is not limited to climbing and their adventures have taken them all around the world.

They have also launched a successful TV series 'The Highpointers' on PBS that follows them on their journeys and documents the climbs, the cities, and the personalities they encounter along the way. We loved having the Bargo Brothers on Day Fire! They are natural storytellers and it's easy to understand why viewers tune in to each episode. Find out more about Branndon and Greg at: www.thehighpointers.com.

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From the Bike to Life!

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 20:08:00 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talk with health and human performance coach - Mark Fasczewski! Mark is the CEO of Vantaggio Fitness and Nutrition and has spent much of his time focused on coaching cycling athletes. He shares stories from competing, training, and coaching! Mark has been a personal trainer for over twenty five years and has great insights on how to push and fuel the body. Their conversation covers a lot of ground - working with parents of young athletes, how to buy your first bike, the lessons learned from competition, and much more. Whether it's cycling on the road or gravel - for fun or medals - this was a fun podcast!

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Let's Be Us

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 01:18:50 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Chris and Sara who are a husband and wife duo who share their travels and adventures over on Youtube. Their wildly popular channel is called, "Let's Be Us", While their passion and primary content is travel related, their channel features life as digital nomad entrepreneurs as well as life at their new home in Chattanooga, TN.

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Aspen/Snowmass

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 22:51:29 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint welcome Jake Wheeler back to Day Fire! Jake is the Social Media Manager for Aspen Snowmass. Did you know mountains and ski slopes have personalities? Well they do - and they talk about the different personalities and characteristics of each mountain in the Aspen Snowmass family. Plus, they talk about art, diversity, marketing, hosting the X-Games and other events, and yes - sticking with the Day Fire tradition - they shared some stories.

When Jake isn't working with his social media marketing team to produce the best content possible, he loves to take advantage of all that Aspen has to offer, which usually involves something outdoors. Good times were had by all on this episode of Day Fire!

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Slopes and Deserts

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 17:01:10 +0000

This week Clint catches up with Dawson as he wraps up his annual ski trip out west and before he heads home. How has COVID affected the trip? How was the snow? They talk about gear and the resorts Dawson has visited. PLUS - Dawson and some of his companions took some time and went exploring in the desert and the Canyonlands! Stories from the slopes with Dawson Wheeler!

Thanks to our sponsors: Rock/Creek Outfitters and the Mountain View Auto Family

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Van Life / Clay and Justin

Dawson Wheeler — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:34:10 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint revisit one of their most popular topics – THE VAN LIFE! Clay Watson and Justin Shipp rejoin Day Fire to talk about the buildout options and the features centered around the Ford Transit! Gadgets – Comfort – Efficiency – Purpose – everything that goes in and on the Transit! Plus – they share some stories about where the van can take you and the memories you can make!

Clay Watson, who was born and raised in Southeast TN, has been employed at Mtn View Ford Lincoln for 24 years and is currently a Partner in the Mtn View Auto Group and serves as President of Mtn View Motorsports. He is an avid fisherman and van life adventurer.

Justin Shipp is the Founder and Owner of Site Seven Campers and an all-around van guru!

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Lost and Found

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 20:17:00 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talk about search and rescue with Nancy East. Whether you are someone who enjoys a quick hike on your favorite trails or someone who likes to disappear for days at a time – this podcast is important. What can you do to prepare for the unknown to happen? What do you pack? Who do you share your plans with? What happens when things do NOT go as planned? Nancy and Dawson share stories and give advice that will help you go into the great outdoors and get back home safely.

Nancy East has been an avid hiker and backpacker for over 25 years. She has completed three 900-miler maps of the Smokies, and she and her friend Chris Ford achieved a fastest known time (FKT) record during the last Smokies-900 map. and thru hikes of the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Wonderland Trail, Tour du Mont Blanc and many regional trails. Nancy is also a member of Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, is on the founding board for the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund and is a semi-retired small animal veterinarian. Staying safe is a key component of enjoying our adventures! Great info and insights from Nancy on Day Fire Podcast!

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Elk in Tennessee

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 13:37:38 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talk all things elk with Brad Miller and Jason Finnell. Brad serves as the Elk Program Coordinator for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Jason is an avid outdoor adventurer and hunter. The elk population in Tennessee is estimated to be between 400-500 and the ERZ (Elk Restoration Zone) covers 670,000 acres centered around the North Cumberland Plateau. They discuss how and why elk were introduced back into Tennessee, keeping the population healthy, the relationship between residents and the elk, why controlled hunts are important, the strategic plan moving forward, and much more!

Brad Miller serves as the Elk Program Coordinator based out of the North Cumberland WMA work center. Brad came to TWRA in 2016 from the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) where he worked as the Regional Biologist for Tennessee and North Carolina. Prior to working for the NWTF, Brad was the Assistant Chief of Wildlife at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission where he also served as the Deer Program Coordinator and supervised the elk program.

Brad is from Knoxville and received his B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Tennessee. His master’s topic examined silvicultural and prescribed fire techniques for improving wildlife habitat. Brad attended the University of Georgia and received a Ph.D. in Forest Resources.

Jason Finnell was born and raised in Chattanooga Tennessee. Jason is the mountain bike program director for the Schejola Foundation and helps open mountain bike programs for the Boys & Girls Clubs across the southeast.
Jason’s hobbies include mountain biking, snowboarding, hunting, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has competed in numerous adventure races with his team Adventure Capitalists/BDAR.

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Talking Hypothermia with Nancy East!

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 15:22:47 +0000

This week Dawson and Clint talk with Nancy East on how to avoid and deal with hypothermia. What is it? How does it affect us? What are the warning signs? What should I look for in my hiking buddies? Whether you are just out for a short hike or deep in the woods on a big adventure - preventing and dealing with the elements is vital.

Who is Nancy?

Staying safe is a key component of enjoying our adventures! Great info and insights from Nancy on Day Fire Podcast!

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Talking Hypothermia with Nancy East!

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 15:19:51 +0000

Who is Nancy?

Staying safe is a key component of enjoying our adventures! Great info and insights from Nancy on Day Fire Podcast!

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Meg Landymore, Ultra Women

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 21:33:02 +0000

This week another great guest. We sat down with Meg Landymore. Meg is a 34 year old ultra-runner, busy wife and mom of 2 young boys, veteran, business owner, Physician Assistant and ultrarunning coach. She has been running for 20 years and has been running ultra marathons for 9 of those years. She has had the privilege of gaining course records and podiums at a number of courses and races from 50K distances up to a recent FKT on the 144 miles of Double SCAR in the Smoky Mountains. She considers herself blessed to have seen a great deal of success but also her fair share of failures, injuries, medical complications and chronic pain. She has overcome a few surgeries and significant amounts of physical therapies in her continued search to heal and move/ run well. She has a special interest in mobility, functionality and anti-aging/ longevity. Meg believes simply, that the human body was made to move, that we are made to explore, to learn and to adapt.

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Steve Scarborough/Dagger Canoe Company

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 17:01:48 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Steve Scarborough. Before the show Dawson was telling Clint what a legend Steve is and how excited he was to do the podcast. Steve is one of few who shape shifted the canoe and kayak industry. Steve Scarborough escaped from his Dublin, Ga. roots to the Chattooga River of Deliverance fame after serving five years as an engineer and manager with AT&T in Atlanta. He survived as a river guide, canoe instructor, and wood paddle builder at his Dagger Paddle Company, a precursor of Dagger Canoe Company, which he, along with Joe Pulliam, Roy Guinn and Pete Jett, founded in Tennessee. Having previously designed canoes for Blue Hole Canoe Co., Steve served as the main boat designer for Dagger and produced canoe and kayak designs for whitewater, recreational flatwater, and sea kayaking. He also worked with the USA National and Olympic whitewater teams. With dozens of designs to his credit, his RPM kayak design is considered the best selling whitewater kayak in history. Steve has served on the Board of the American Canoe Association, as Chairman of the TN Conservation Commission, and, today, serves on the board of Conservation Fisheries, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to preserving the fish and aquatic diversity of streams in the Southeastern USA. He and his wife, Annie, live in Whites Creek Gorge on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau and devote much of their time to building trails, conservation issues and preserving the greater watershed of Whites Creek.

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Great Stories from 2020

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:54:57 +0000

Dawson and Clint recount some of the best stories from the year!

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Dogs and Trails

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 18:58:31 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk with Dr Nancy East. Nancy is a Veterinarian in NC. We talk about taking your dogs out on the trails. The do's and don't of hiking with a dog. What you need to do for your pup while hiking from food, water, clothing to even a funny discussion on footwear. Dr. Nancy East is an avid hiker and backpacker for over 25 years. She has completed three 900-miler maps of the Smokies, and she and her friend Chris Ford achieved a fastest known time (FKT) record during the last Smokies-900 map in Sept of 2020. Nancy is also a member of Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team and is on the founding board for the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund.

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TransAmerica Bicycle Trail

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 23:38:06 +0000

This week Clint and I talked with Cynthia Ord. Cynthia is a native of Denver, CO, a world traveler, and an outdoor adventurer. Her day job is doing marketing strategy for local businesses. But in her free time, she likes to plan her next bicycle trip. You can see where her bicycle takes her at www.littlemissbiketour.com. In September of 2018, Cynthia hatched the idea to ride her bicycle across the country. This feat was accomplished less than a year later in the summer of 2019 when she cycled the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail by herself. Cynthia chose the most famous cross-America bicycle route and started planning. Here are some facts about the route, as well as the answers to the most common questions people have about her adventure.

TransAmerica Bicycle Trail by the numbers Distance: 4,223 miles (6,796 kilometers) on paved roads and country highways Total climb: 219,855 feet (67,012 meters) States crossed: 10 (Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia) Major cities en route: None. The idea behind this route is to avoid heavily trafficked urban areas and go deep into rural America. Eugene, OR is the largest city along the route. Other sizable cities are Missoula, MT; Pueblo, CO; and Carbondale, IL National parks en route: Three. Yellowstone National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, and Mammoth Cave National Park Time taken to complete: 75 days (at a standard pace of 65 miles per day) Recap video Facebook address

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The 10 Essentials for Hiking

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 21:33:13 +0000

This week we sat down with Nancy East and talked about the 10 essentials you need to carry in your daypack or backpack. The 10 Essentials are absolutely vital to every hike you go on, no matter what the environment or season, it’s important to individualize the rest of what you take in your pack, to suit your specific hike. Nancy walks us through each item and why it is necessary in our packs.

She spends a substantial amount of time these days advocating for and teaching hikers and backpackers how to stay “safe and found.” She creates resources for this outdoor education effort on her blog, Hope and Feather Travels.

Her most important jobs of all, however, are wife to her high school sweetheart, Larry, and mom to three teenagers who keep her young at heart.

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The Unlikely Thru-Hiker

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:31:55 +0000

This week we sat down with Derick Lugo. Derick is the author of The Unlikely Thru-Hiker. The Unlikely Thru-Hiker is the story of a young black man setting off from the city with an extremely overweight backpack and a willfully can-do attitude. What follows are lessons on preparation, humility, race relations, and nature's wild unpredictability. Through it all, Derick refuses to let any challenge squash his inner Pollyanna persevering with humor, tenacity and an unshakeable commitment to grooming that sees him from Georgia to Maine.

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Tara Dower / FKT / Mountain to Sea Trail

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 19:10:29 +0000

This week we talk with Tara Dower, which is her God given name, but her trail name is Candy Mama. She procured the nickname during her thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2019. 7 years prior, after watching an Appalachian Trail documentary in her dorm room at East Carolina University she became focused on living a full and adventurous lifestyle. At 27, she worked in the outdoor industry since graduating and is always searching for her next active pursuit. As a competitive runner and avid hiker the Mountains to Sea Trail seemed perfect for her to explore completing as a Fastest Known Time. 29 days 8 hours and 48 minutes was what it took for her to complete all 1175 miles in the month of September 2020.

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Laurel Creech: Leading the Sustainability Charge for Nashville

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 16:56:59 +0000

This week we sat down with Laurel Creech. Laurel is an enthusiastic, self-motivated and entrepreneurial leader: locally, regionally and nationally . She currently serves as Nashville Tennessee's first Assistant Director for the Division of Sustainability in the Department of General Services. She oversees environmental initiatives including renewable energy, energy efficiency, green infrastructure, waste reduction practices and outreach/education.

Laurel was asked to serve on a US delegation to the EU last year to visit 8 different EU cities to learn about what they are doing to combat climate change--regulatory, programs, and social norms. We talk about why the trip was put together, differences in policies, social norms and best practices. And what can be replicable in the US.

Laurel also shares a big announcement for Nashville Tennessee relating to solar energy.

Previously, Laurel held three positions in the Office of the Mayor for Karl Dean including Sustainability Director, Livability Director and Chief Service Officer. As one of the first ten Chief Services, she has led the development of Cities of Service, a national movement to connect citizens to the greatest needs of cities in the United States. In addition to advising other Chief Service Officers across the country, Laurel served as the US delegate for the launch of Cities of Service UK.

In the Mayor's Office, Laurel also led sustainability and healthy living projects, events and initiatives including the implementation of the Green Ribbon Committee Report, Open Space Plan, and Stormbusters city-resiliency blueprint.

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FKT, Smokies - 900 Map

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 16:14:16 +0000

This week we sat down with Nancy East and Chris Ford, the new and current FKT record holders for the 900 Map in the Smoky Mountains.Their record is 29 days and 10 hours. Nancy East has been an avid hiker and backpacker for over 25 years. She has completed three 900-miler maps of the Smokies, and she and her friend Chris Ford achieved a fastest known time (FKT) record during the last Smokies-900 map. and has thru hikes of the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Wonderland Trail, Tour du Mont Blanc and many regional trails. Nancy is also a member of Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, is on the founding board for the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund, and is a semi-retired small animal veterinarian.

Chris served 22 years on active duty with the US Air Force before retiring in 2007. He transitioned to the private sector working full-time for several years in the defense industry, and today, he continues to work as a senior consultant. Slowing down the work schedule allowed Chris to spend more time doing the things he loves and to figure out the house husband gig! After 34 years of marriage, Jamie continues his training of the “Honey Do” list, and when Chris has his house chores somewhat caught up, his first plan usually has to do with the mountains…they keep calling, and Chris keeps going…a lot!

Since 2015, Chris has hiked 8,000+ miles completing thru hikes on the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and four 900-miler maps of the Great Smoky Mountains.

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Waldens Ridge Park - A Conservation Success Story

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 11:41:37 +0000

This week we talked with Chad Wykle, Southeast Director for The Land Trust For Tennessee and Taft Sibley who serves as President of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy and Project Manager for Waldens Ridge Park. We talk about how conservation groups, community leaders and volunteers are working hard to create a 200-acre Park on the flank of Signal Mountain Tennessee just minutes from downtown Chattanooga. Once complete, Walden Ridge Park will provide a range of mountain biking, bouldering and hiking opportunities.

It was during that strenuous hike up the side of Walden’s Ridge that a big idea was born – what if we conserved the area and made it available as a multi-use park for climbers, hikers, and mountain bikers? Over the last few years, a diverse coalition of conservation partners and community leaders have rallied around this vision. Climbers, mountain bikers, land experts, and community leaders all began fundraising and planning to make the park happen. In June 2018, the Hamilton County Commission approved a resolution to accept and manage the proposed park upon its completion. NCCC then acquired additional parcels in July of 2018 to make the future park even larger.

Work continued and partners secured key grants from the state’s Recreational Trails Program Grant, Lyndhurst Foundation, Hydroflask, Riverview Foundation, and REI to get the project moving forward, and they selected IMBA Trail Solutions, a world-class trail building organization, to create a comprehensive plan for the property.

Now, the partners have started the trail building and construction phase. With a final fundraising push, the partners are aiming to open by Fall 2021.

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The Vision of a Camino Ring

Dawson Wheeler — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 18:45:12 +0000

We are back, "part 2" with Hollee Brock, author and podcaster talking about experiences along the Camino de Santiago. Hollee shares her vision of a "Camino Ring" in Chattanooga Tennessee. We discuss the spiritual side of outdoor experiences and how nature can support personal growth and be a place to release your problems/issues and move on through a pilgrimage or even a hike.

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Shane Adams/Randall's Adventure Training

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 13:31:38 +0000

This week we talked with Shane Adams. Shane is the Marketing Director for Esee knives and Ranndall's Adventure Training. We talk bushcraft skills, fire making, navigation and search and rescue. Shane is certified in swift water rescue at the advanced level, Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and also holds a NASAR SARTECH 1 certification. Shane has spent the vast majority of his life in the mountains of North Georgia. He’s a lifelong cyclist, an avid bowhunter and enjoys spending time in the woods with his sons. Shane is also a fly fisherman, white water kayaker, an endurance racer doing both adventure races and mountain bike races. He also enjoys backpacking and bike-packing.

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Jeff Styles / Mountain Stories

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 16:45:35 +0000

This week we sat down with talk radio legend Jeff Styles, who moved to Chattanooga many moons ago for work and the great outdoors. Jeff describes himself as an "all arounder." Jeff flies hang gliders, paddles whitewater, climbs mountains and has been a mountain boarder before he regained his senses; haha. One thing for sure the man is a great story teller. His first story is about a one-legged hang glider pilot named Tip (real name).

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Clay Watson talks Flyfishing

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 17:37:04 +0000

This week we spoke with Clay Watson, who was born and raised in Southeast Tennessee. Clay has been employed at Mountain View Ford Lincoln for 24 years and is currently a Partner in the Mountain View Auto Group. Also, President of Mountain View Motorsports. But our talk with Clay is about fly fishing all around the world. Clay learned how to fish from his father and Grandfather in the Lakes and streams of Tennessee. He was introduced to saltwater in the 80's when his grandfather retired to the Florida Keys. In the 90's he became a fly fishing guide in Jackson, Wyoming. Clay has been fortunate enough to fish all over the Rocky Mountain West, Louisiana, the Florida Panhandle and Keys, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina and New Zealand. His motto passed down by his grandfather is, "Work hard so you can play hard." That’s exactly what he has done.

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Kentucky Ice Climbing

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:57:55 +0000

This week we talked with Mike Wilkinson. Mike Wilkinson is a filmmaker and photographer in Lexington, Kentucky, the main person behind the curtain at Wilkinson Visual. For more than 15 years, Mike has been producing and directing video production projects. His passion is creating documentary-style films related to outdoor adventure, travel, and conservation. Mike produced a film about Ice Climbing in Kentucky which is fabulous and a must watch. This adventure documentary takes the audience for a bourbon-fueled ride deep into the bushy hollers of Appalachia with a crew of harmless misfits as they race to search out and climb new ice routes before they're gone, with a few surprises along the way. https://www.wilkinsonvisual.com/kentucky-ice-climbing-film

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Jeff Woody/ fkt 900 Map Smokys

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 21:45:02 +0000

This week we talked with Jeff Woody. On August 25, 2020, he completed all of the trails in the GSMNP (aka Great Smoky Mountains 900 Miler Club) in the Fastest Known Time of 33 days and 9 hours…beating the previous record of 43 days set by Benny Braden in 2017. Jeff is a Life-long backpacker and hiker with some mountaineering experience that includes summits of Mt. Rainier, several 14’rs in Colorado, and Illiniza Sur (Ecuador- 17,218 feet). He discovered a passion for long distance trail running around the age of 40 years old and have since completed over 70 ultra marathon races, including an ultra in every state…19 of the races at distances of 100 miles or greater.

Numerous adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: -Completed all of the trails on the official park map 9 times (aka Great Smoky Mountains 900 Miler Club x 9) -Completed single day treks of the 72-mile section of the AT in the Smokies (aka SCAR) three times. -Completed an informal challenge (sometimes referred to as “Tour of Mt. LeConte”) which includes all five trails to LeConte (44 miles, 11,000 feet gained) in less that 12 hours…2nd fastest time

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Liz Anjos aka Mercury

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 23:09:42 +0000

This week we spoke with Liz Anjos, aka “Mercury,” who just finished and set the new women's South to North supported record on the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine. 51 days, 16 hours, and 30 minutes. Liz’s record attempt was supported by Warren Doyle, who was also in the studio with us and is a hiker, educator, and expert on the Appalachian Trail; who set an endurance record on the trail in 1973, completing it in 66 days. He currently holds the informal record for hiking the entire trail the most times (18!). Liz was also supported by family in Virginia and Pennsylvania, and friends throughout the long distance hiking and trail running communities in the Eastern US.

The women’s overall record stands at 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes, set by Jennifer Pharr Davis in 2011 hiking North to South.

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Sustainability/Aspen Skiing Company

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 01:24:19 +0000

This week we speak with Auden Schendler, Vice President of Sustainability who is with Aspen Skiing Company. Auden focuses on big scale solutions to climate change, primarily clean energy and activism. He worked previously in corporate sustainability at Rocky Mountain Institute.

Auden has been a trailer insulator, burger flipper, ambulance medic, Outward Bound instructor, high school math and English teacher, and Forest Service goose-nest island builder. He has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Google and Starbucks, and to second graders and Chilean kayakers. His writing has been published in Harvard Business Review, the L.A. Times, Scientific American, Climatic Change, Atlantic.com, Huffington Post, The Denver Post, and other media, and his work has been covered in Outside, Fast Company, Travel + Leisure and Businessweek. In 2006, Auden was named a global warming innovator by Time Magazine and in 2007 he testified to Congress on the impacts of climate change on public lands. His book Getting Green Done: Hard Truths from the Front Lines of the Sustainability Revolutionwas called “an antidote to greenwash” by NASA climatologist James Hansen.

Auden lives in Basalt, Colorado with his wife Ellen and their children Willa and Elias, who call him "a goofy global warming guy."

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Homewoods/Smoky Mountains

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 01:08:01 +0000

This week, Kristi Parsons is back talking about her beloved Smoky Mountains and some of the challenges that Covid-19 has on the National Park. We talk trails and how we can all get involved in supporting The Smoky Mountains National Park. We also get a quick history lesson. We love talking with Kristi, she is a rock star!

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The host is the guest this week! Adventures - Advice - Gear - More with Dawson Wheeler!

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 22:01:20 +0000

This week our guest is - (insert dramatic pause) Dawson Wheeler! What advice would the current Dawson give the younger Dawson? What adjustments has he made in order to stay active as he has gotten older? Tis the season to plan your winter ski trips - so we talk about that. Plus - some gear info, what adventures has he been on recently and where is he headed next? We pulled this audio from a Facebook LIVE video Clint and Dawson did - enjoy!!

ALSO - follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dayfirepodcast

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Stan the Man

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 17:34:19 +0000

This week we talked with Stan Prichard. After finishing High School it was off to Durango and Fort Lewis College where he quickly quit the cross-country team for adventures, climbing and skiing around Colorado and Utah. All of his time during college that wasn’t spent on schoolwork was spent developing his skills, gaining his medical and technical certifications and trying to work in the outdoor industry in guiding and retail. At the end of college, he borrowed $5,000 against his truck and got his first credit card and bought a 10 acre mining claim outside of Silverton, CO and started Treasure Mountain Hut and Guide Service. For the next ten years, his time was spent guiding, running his business and blowing it all off to travel and adventure.

        In 2013, he sold the business and reinvested his money in real estate and has spent the last 7 years working in Action sports for Red Bull, ESPN, TGR, Scott, Cliff Bar, and Mountain dew building courses, managing operations and logistics, and working with film crews. TV production has been an awesome way to make some money and have big chunks of time off to pursue his adventure life.

        In the last 2 years, he got married on top of the Aiguille Du Midi in Chamonix France, and has taken a full time job as property manager and private guide for a wealthy Family outside of Aspen, CO.

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Hollee Brock/Camino de Santiago

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 02:02:48 +0000

This week we spoke with Hollee Brock. Hollee says, "I tend to problem solve like an inventor, ponder life like a philosopher, and express it like a poet.

I have been the COO of Brock Inc, a living and loving enterprise where we help things grow, for almost 30 years. I am proficient in ways that might be less visible in the typical metrics of achievements but are strong in the big picture of life.

I am walking into a new season of life so I decided to kick it off by walking a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I have followed that 'boots on the ground' experience with the pilgrimage of writing about it."

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Ultra Runner, Noah Cochran

Dawson Wheeler — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 22:58:31 +0000

This week we talk with up and coming Ultra runner Noah Cochran who was born in 1999. Noah was a high school cross country runner who earned an athletic scholarship at Bryan College. But after one season he transferred schools to pursue Ultra running. He has run a 14:47 100 miler; whoa!!. In 2019 he won, the Chattanooga Mountain stage race, the Georgia Jewel 100 miler and set a course record and in 2020 he has early season wins at Rock/Creek rabid Raccoon 25k, Fort Yargo Ultra 50k, Mass Extinction Elimination Endurance Challenge and Second in Merrill's Mile 24 Hour race.

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Marathon Swimmer / Karah Nazor

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Karah Nazor is a biologist, science teacher, aquarist (she raises 3 species of jellyfish in her lab), She loves to swim in oceans, lakes and rivers, Karah is also the Race Director of Swim the Suck, and she loves insanely spicy food and IPAs. Karah teaches scientific research, molecular biology, environmental science, general biology, and marine biology at The McCallie. In her lab, her team of research students embarks on a range of projects from the effects of ocean acidification on jellyfish, to spawning ctenophores for growing primary cell cultures in vitro, to optimizing hatching and methods for rearing freshwater fairy shrimp. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from James Madison University in 1999. She swam sprint freestyle and backstroke events for the JMU Dukes. She earned a Ph.D. in Gerontology from the University of Kentucky in 2005, followed by a postdoctoral research at the University of California San Francisco for 4 years where she studied prion disease.

Karah is from Chattanooga, TN. She started swimming competitively at the age of 7 for the Chattanooga Area Swim League’s East Ridge Youth Foundation. Her grandmother grew up in Suck Creek (she was born in the Pot House) in the heart of the TN River Gorge. She taught her how to make yodel calls which echoed down the canyon and she dreamed of swimming through that gorge one day. She was a student/athlete for the Girls Preparatory School (GPS) Bruisers. In high school, she remembers wishing they could put their yards in the river rather than the pool (the river was RIGHT THERE!) and she also knew that one day she would attempt to swim the English Channel. Fast forward through ~15,000 miles of natatorium swim practice, She finally found herself at home training for an Alcatraz race in the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay at the South End Rowing Club. There, she befriended channel swimmers who inspired and encouraged her, and soon enough, she became one of them. There, she also learned to surf at Ocean Beach and became an abalone freediver.

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Dr. John Anderson / Tor des Glaciers

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week we are talking with Dr. John Anderson. John works as an emergency medicine doc primarily at a trauma center and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. In the winter, John also works in a ski clinic in the Lake Tahoe region during the winter fixing primarily orthopedic injuries. Also John, helped start and teach for our company, Tahoe Wilderness Medicine where they do wilderness medical education courses paired with some adventures like backcountry skiing in Norway and Antarctica, trail running in Chamonix, climbing in Spain, etc. Here's a link for that https://tahoewildernessmedicine.com/ On the side John is the medical director for the Broken Arrow Skyrace Series and has provided care for various ultrarunning races from local trail races to multi-day stage races in the Gobi desert.

From a running perspective he has been running around in the woods for most of his life, from cross country in school to trails and ultra, and had a decent bit of success and certainly a ton of fun in ultrarunning over the last 16 years. In terms of race results, most recently John finished 7th overall at the 2019 Tor des Glaciers in the Italian Alps. This is a unique event, an unmarked 450km (~300miles) route done in a single push with over 105,000 of climbing that has interesting and variable terrain from steep mountain trails to 4th and 5th class scrambles. Here's a link to a race report John wrote for Ultrarunning Magazine for it https://ultrarunning.com/featured/the-inaugural-tor-des-glaciers/ Other race highlights include first American at Tor des Geants 338 km (~200 miles) in 2016, wins at Tahoe Rim 50 mile, McCall Ultra Classic, Old Pueblo 50 mile, Collegiate Peaks 50 mile, Rock/Creek Stumpjump 50k, Mt Werner 50k, North Fork 50k, as well as podium finishes at Wasatch 100 mile, Zane Grey, Silver State, and others as well as other top ten finishes at Hardrock 100 mile, Run Rabbit Run 100 mile, etc.

Dr. John Anderson also has a great family with 4 kids and an amazing wife Janel.

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Trekka Designs

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Nick Rader and Chris Loizeaux, Founders of Trekka Designs.

It all started when they – Nick & Chris – met while on a week-long fly fishing and motorcycle adventure/photoshoot for RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine.

What was suppose to be a week of riding motorcycles and fly fishing small mountain streams turned into a week of torrential rain. It turns out, that was the best possible outcome. 5 guys tried to pass the time in a cabin by playing guitar, drinking beer, tying flies & talking, but after a few days, the conversation turned to gear and its shortcomings. They ended up sketching a pair of pants with all the features they thought would be perfect for adventure and traveling.

When they got back from the trip, they hit the ground running – and Trekka was born.

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The Red Wolf

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:42:37 +0000

This week we talked with Tish Gailmard, Director of Wildlife Conservation, Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, Chattanooga, TN. Tish has a 20 year tenure with Reflection Riding and is a Tennessee Wildlife Federation 2016 Conservation Educator of the Year. She is also a Federal Red Wolf Species Survival Plan Management Team member, Red Wolf Task Force Member, Red Wolf Blood Champion.

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Double S.C.A.R., aka 142 MILES

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Ryan Meulemans who has been exploring the outdoors since an early age. Growing up camping and fishing led to a job as a fly fishing guide and owner of his own fly fishing travel business. In his late 20’s he discovered trail running which has been a consuming passion since. As with everything, he is all in and taking everything to the absolute extreme, 50k races quickly moved on to 50mi and 100+ mile races. His latest adventure was setting an FKT for a double S.C.A.R on the AT in the Smoky Mountain National Park at 53 hrs 45 min for the 144 mile route. When not in the woods his other major passion is wine and traveling to wine regions around the world.

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Desert Hiking and Camping

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week we are talking with Dave Baker, a native and resident of the Sonoran Desert, living in Tucson, Arizona.

He has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the outdoors; at various times taking pleasure in hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, mountaineering, ski touring and outdoor photography. He most often adventures in the magnificent American West, having a special fondness for wild places on the Colorado Plateau including Grand Canyon, Escalante, Canyonlands, Bears Ears, and more.

In 1967, with a childhood friend, Dave launched one of the early outdoor equipment outfitters in the United States, the Summit Hut, which has served Tucson ever since supplying equipment and clothing for outdoor adventurers.

Some 10 years ago, Dave passed the business on to new owners and he now enjoys time spent with family, grandchildren, and continuing outdoor adventures.

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Andy Anderson, Life and FKT's

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Andy Anderson started running and climbing in Chattanooga, Tennessee at age 13. In high school he started working at Rock Creek Outfitters. He ran competitively through college and annoyed his coaches and professors by climbing and skiing way too much. Andy worked as a climbing ranger in National Park Service for 15 summers. Since leaving the Park Service, Andy spends his summers being a dad, programming computers, guiding, running and climbing as much as he can, and keeping up with his wife (a biathete, runner, climber, skier, and climate scientist) and 10 year old son who says his favorite things are running, skiing, and biking. In the winters Andy is an avalanche forecaster for the Sierra Avalanche Center where he spend his days going up and down mountains on skis and digging holes in the snow. Andy currently hold the fastest known times on Longs Peak and the Grand Teton and the second fastest time on Mt. Whitney. He regularly places in the top five of most of the trail races he enters. Andy is also an athlete for Mammut. Since turning 40, he is hoping that his baldness will make him more aerodynamic and that he will be able to tap into that elusive “old-man-strength.”

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The Sunny Side

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 29 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Sunny Montgomery lives in Ocoee, Tennessee, in a 600-square-foot cabin she built with her boyfriend. Since November, they've been living off-the-grid, gardening, chicken-keeping and boiling water to take baths.

Sunny is a writer and editor with Get Out Chattanooga and Chatter magazine. On summer weekends, she and her boyfriend run a taco truck on the Ocoee River (though this season's opening has been delayed due to coronavirus.)

Her passion is whitewater canoeing. Discovering new creeks and rock smears make her happiest, but the Ocoee River, where she learned to paddle and where you'll find her any summer weekend (before opening the taco truck, of course) is among her most favorite places on Earth.

Notable past paddling trips include Gates of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument, Costa Rica and the Grand Canyon. This October – pandemic willing – she has plans to launch for her second Canyon trip.

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Stories From Day Fire

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:00:02 +0000

If your stuck in the house, or out on the trail alone.. Here are some stories to enjoy from Day Fire Podcast.

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Bikes, Boys and Girls Club, and Grants

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Jason Finnell, who was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Jason is the mountain bike program director for the Schejola Foundation, and helps open mountain bike programs (with start up grants through the foundation of up to $25,000) for Boys & Girls Clubs across the Southeast.

Jason’s hobbies include mountain biking, snowboarding, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu He has competed in numerous adventure races with his team Adventure Capitalists/BDAR with a division win at the ATOMIC 30 hour. Jason is a BJJ black belt, and is the owner of Veritas Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Dalton, Georgia.

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Happy Feet, Happy Life

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Jim Markley, a Founding Partner of Sockwell Socks. Jim is an outdoor industry icon with over 4 decades of successful business experience. Hear his founders story, talk fabric, construction, design, recovery, travel and plantar fasciitis. For more information on the Sockwell story: sockwellusa.com

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Ski Trip 2020 Pt 3

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Dawson shares more stories and experiences from his trip out West!

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Van Talk with Site Seven

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 04:15:00 +0000

This week we talk with Justin Shipp, founder and owner of Site Seven and ultimate van guru. We talk about vans, RV's, camper trucks and must have features when building out your van. Did you know Ford has a new all wheel drive Transit?

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Ski Trip 2020 Pt 2

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 02:31:58 +0000

Clint checks in with Dawson to hear stories of his adventures out West.

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Dirt Bag + Physics + Passion = Design

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 13:56:45 +0000

This week we sat down with Casey Shaw. Casey is an Innovation Designer in the Outdoor Industry. He was also the former manager of the Forge; Patagonia's R&D Department. Casey was born and lived in Canada through college, where he studied physics. His passion for the mountains took him out on the road climbing rock and ice for a good long time. His experiences in the field had him asking questions such as,"why do you use this equipment" or "why do you dress like this" or "wonder if we were to do it this way?" Casey is a soft-spoken design force in the outdoor industry; many of us today enjoy better clothing and equipment because of his talents.

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Ski Trip 2020

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week we catch up with Co-Host Dawson Wheeler on his extended ski trip. We will get a update on the first few ski resorts, what gear and clothing he took and how it is preforming. And finally life on the road.

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Susan Donnelly 120 100 Milers

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Susan Donnelly. Susan is an ultra running life coach and blogger who overcame the high school coach who said she wasn't good enough and has 120 100 - mile races and three 200 - mile races over the last 20+ years. Her goal is to help runners discover whats possible for them in the running world.

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Human Power, Jennifer Pharr Davis

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Jennifer Pharr Davis:

"In 2011, Jennifer covered the 2,185-mile Appalachian Trail in forty-six days, eleven hours, and twenty minutes, maintaining a remarkable average of forty-seven miles per day.

By doing this, she claimed the overall (male or female) fastest known time on the “A.T.” and became the first woman to set the mark.

Jennifer has also backpacked over 700 miles in her 2nd and 3rd Trimesters of Pregnancy, walked across the state of North Carolina while nursing her son, and set foot on a trail in all 50 states with her daughter. As a mother, she has also overseen substantial growth within Blue Ridge Hiking Company and elevated her career as a Speaker and Author. As such, she is a strong proponent for women receiving the support they need to excel in the outdoors and workplace.

Jennifer has authored seven books, including her first book, "Becoming Odyssa," which has sold over 50,000 copies and her critcally acclaimed adventure narrative, "The Pursuit of Endurance." She has also written articles for the New York Times, Outside magazine, Backpacker, and Trail Runner, and has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Daily Beast, NPR’s Talk of the Nation and the CBS Early Show.

Jennifer is a professional speaker who has shared her trail adventures with corporations, conferences, schools, and libraries across the country. She is the founder and owner of Blue Ridge Hiking Company, a guiding service that strives “to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable” for hikers of all ages, genders, and ability levels. She is also a former board member for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and an ambassador for the American Hiking Society. Jennifer lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband Brew and their daughter Charley and son Gus."

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Shop Locally

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Mike Massey, who is a third generation retailer, owner of Massey's Outfitters, and the founder of locally.com. Locally was founded in 2014 in anticipation of changes in consumer behavior. Mike states, "we saw that shoppers were increasingly turning to internet-connected devices for decision making and that increasingly nearby stores, the brands they carry, and their on-hand inventory were invisible to shoppers. So we built a solution. Today, we help thousands of stores present their selection to nearby shoppers using ecommerce tactics and we provide users with novel last-mile fulfillment options like in-store pickup and same-day delivery."

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The Father of Chattanooga Trad Climbing

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 04 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk to Rob Robinson. Rob is referred to by some as "the father of Chattanooga Trad Climbing." Rob first began his climbing in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1975. Since that time he has completed more than a 1,000 first or first free ascents throughout the region and beyond. His reputation for bold routes is legendary. Rob established three routes at the Tennessee Wall that has become known as the Triple Crown of Southern Roof Climbs, all located at the T-Wall; Celestial Mechanics 5.12c, Fists of Fury 5.12c and Hands Across America 5.12c. He is a Author of three guide books, a freelance writer and most importantly it can be said he put Chattanooga, Tennessee on the map as one of the top Climbing destinations in the United States. Rob is quick to credit his partners, friends and fellow like minded climbers who were a part of this historic period in Chattanooga Climbing.

Sponsors: Rock/Creek Outfitters, Mtn View Auto Group and Site Seven

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Discover Life at Full Volume

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Jessica Klodnicki. Jessica is the Chief Marketing Officer at Skullcandy, the original lifestyle audio brand at the intersection of music and action sports based in Park City, UT. Her recent focus has been on brand foundational work on the company’s mission, vision, values and culture.

Her interest was first peaked in the sports industry when she interned for the U.S. Olympic Bobsled and Skeleton Team at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY.

She has served on the board of directors of several non-profit organizations in the outdoor space as Founder of Girls Rock, women’s mountain bike organization, Vice Chairman of People for Bikes, and board member of Camber Outdoors (an organization focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the outdoors). She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Park City Chamber and Visitor’s Bureau.

She was recognized as one of “50 Influential Women” in the cycling industry from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News in 2013 and received the “Pioneering Woman Award” for the cycling industry by the Outdoor Industry Women’s Coalition in 2015.

In her free time, Jessica is most passionate about mountain biking and skiing. She has run 7 marathons, done countless triathlons and has recently dabbled in horseback riding, skate skiing and curling…embracing all the activities Utah has to offer.

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Behind the Lens

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Andrew Kornylak, filmmaker and photographer. Andrew writes, "I was always into photography since I was a kid, and I come from a family of professional and amateur artists and photographers. From early on I was always into the outdoors and fascinated by adventure photographers of that time, especially those in National Geographic Magazine. Galen Rowell’s work really stood out, and there was a photographer that crossed genres, not only as a an adventure photographer but also doing in-depth stories.

I went to school at the University of Chicago, which is where I learned to rock climb. in 1996 I graduated with a degree in mathematics and worked as a software developer, first in Atlanta, then in Arizona, before quitting my desk job and making a go at adventure photography, with climbing and people living the fringe climber lifestyle as my main focus.

I ended up back in the South in 2003, and now I live in Chapel Hill, NC, with my wife and 3 kids.

Today I mainly shoot magazine stories and documentary film. Over the years I've worked for a wide variety of clients such as Garden & Gun, Apple, Hanes, Square, National Geographic Adventure, Backpacker, Climbing, & Rock & Ice. I am also the Photo Director for Outdoor Retailer and their two magazines, Outdoor Retailer Magazine and the OR Daily.

Though I shoot a lot more subject matter than just climbing these days, the outdoor and adventure world keeps me coming back, and informs all my work."

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Excerpts from 2019 Part 1

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This week we have put together a compilation of short stories from 6 of our past podcasts. Story 1- Episode #10 with Bill Hodge, "Monkeys in the Forest" Story 2- Episode #35 with Ricky Gates and Fred Doss, "Squirrel, beers and dogs" Story 3- Episode #12 with Grace Ragland, "Coco Claims" Story 4- Episode #05 with Matt Sims, "Grand Teton" Story 5- Episode #11 with Ben Friberg, "Cuba and Tiger Sharks" Story 6- Episode #17 with Matt Tabor, "Hawks and Eagles" and "Wonder Wind"

Enjoy!

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Music of the Cumberlands

Dawson Wheeler — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 13:59:15 +0000

We are very excited about this podcast! This is the third of three episodes with Bobby Fultcher and its on the music of the Cumberland Mountains. The longtime Tennessee State Parks Manager and historian of Tennessee folklore, Fulcher has received state awards, local recognition, and NOW, a National Heritage Fellowship!!!! — the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. Follow along as we listen to a number of songs and learn about their history. This podcast is my all time favorite. So good!

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Van Toys

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Matt McLelland. Matt is a long time outdoor athlete. Matt bought a Sprinter Van two years ago and now you can't keep him out of it. Like all things that Matt pursues, he has become an expert and is highly knowledgeable about vans; and loves his toys! We talk van accessories, upgrades, toys and Christmas gifts.

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10th Year of Wilderness Work

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with SAWS Interim Director Meryl Harrell and Mason Boring a Wilderness and Outreach Specialist. Recently SAWS has expanded their operation into Arkansas's Ozark Mountains, which is the 8th state they are now working in. We talk tools, work, favorite areas and what the future holds for this rapidly growing Organization.

For more information go to https://wildernessstewards.org Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) is a conservation non-profit dedicated to providing stewardship to protected public lands in the Southern Appalachian region, which includes areas in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. Founded in 2010, SAWS serves as a resource for the federal agencies, supplementing existing stewardship efforts and providing support where there are none. In 2018, SAWS generated over 35,000 hours stewarding public lands, 39 seasonal jobs, and engaged over 100 unique volunteers. 2019 numbers are still coming in but estimated to be considerably higher.

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Music of the Cumberlands

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

We are very excited about this podcast! This is the third of three episodes with Bobby Fultcher and its on the music of the Cumberland Mountains. The longtime Tennessee State Parks Manager and historian of Tennessee folklore, Fulcher has received state awards, local recognition, and NOW a National Heritage Fellowship!!!! — the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. Follow along as we listen to a number of songs and learn about their history. This podcast is my all time favorite. So good!

Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com

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The History of the Cumberlands

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This is Part 2 of our three Part series with Bobby Fulcher . Today, the History of the Cumberland Mountains. Step back in time as Bobby describes our history beginning way before the first settlers.

"The Cumberland Trail is an ambitious hiking trail project under development in East Tennessee. When completed, the Cumberland Trail (CT) will extend more than 300 miles from its northern terminus in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (TN/KY) to its southern terminus at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park located on Signal Mountain just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. As of November 2019 over 210 miles of the trail are open for hiking. And work continues. Another 17 miles are complete but not open. These sections are waiting for bridges, final parking arrangements, signage or official opening dates. Estimated completion date for all trail segments on currently owned state land is late 2021. The scenic footpath follows a line of high ridges and deep gorges along or near the rugged, eastern edge of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. The trail offers a unique wilderness experience and many scenic views, waterfalls, landscapes, gorges, wildlife, and widely varying flora. As a remote, back-country trail, it meanders through eleven Tennessee counties, on lands managed by Tennessee’s Departments of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), and Tennessee Forestry."

https://www.cumberlandtrail.org

History and Culture

Community and Environment

Native American Cave Art

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Rock/Creek’s New Adventure Program

Dawson Wheeler — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Today we sit down with Crisler Torrence, a professional outdoor guide and the director of Rock/Creek Adventures’ brand new guide service. Two days after graduating high school, Crisler followed his love of adventure to Tennessee to work as an Ocoee raft guide. Fast-forward two decades and he’s led commercial hiking, biking and paddling trips all over the country, adding Botanist and Wilderness First Responder to his resumé along the way. Tune in to hear Crisler talk about his experiences working as a guide and how he plans to introduce visitors to Chattanooga’s great outdoors.

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Cumberland Trail with Bobby Fulcher

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Bobby Fulcher, Park Manager for the Cumberland Trail. The Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park, a Tennessee scenic hiking trail, became Tennessee’s 53rd state park in 1998. It is Tennessee’s first linear park, cutting through 11 Tennessee counties. This is the first of a three podcast series. This week we focus on the Cumberland Trail itself. We talk trail heads, way finding, user groups, topography and permits. Get the beta and make plans to get on the trail.

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Running Coast to Coast

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:52:21 +0000

This week we speak with Rickey Gates, a Salomon Athlete, via phone. Rickey shares his story about running from coast to coast. Rickey writes:

"From March 1st to August 1st, 2017, I traversed the width of America - from South Carolina to San Francisco. My 3700-mile-long route took me on trail, road, river and snow. I ran through plains, desert, mountain ranges and cities. Snow, rain, wind, heat, sun and darkness. Mostly, I ran alone, but occasionally some friends would join me. I am currently processing this trip - in words, photos and how I anticipate it to effect me in the future.

For much of the past fifteen years I have been traveling to every corner of the globe. I sort through photos and find myself running a Norwegian ridge line, ascending a volcano in Uganda, sleeping alongside my motorcycle in Tierra del Fuego, floating the Amazon on a banana boat. Running has brought me to many of these places. Motorcycles, bicycles and odd jobs and a have brought me to many others.

It has occurred to me that I have seen more of France than I’ve seen of South Carolina. I’ve explored the Alps more than the Ozarks of Arkansas. I know the Antarctic Plateau better than Colorado's neighboring state of Oklahoma.

They say that you cannot know the world without knowing your own backyard. In a time of uncertain politics and a crescendo of differences, I have chosen to slow things down, simplify my life and get to know my country at a step-by-step intimacy."

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I Come From A Place

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we sit down with Alan Shuptrine, a painter known for his Southern and Appalachian Mountains genre,.Alan Shuptrine has extended his reputation from a renowned framemaker and water gilder to a nationally acclaimed watercolorist. Following his successful two-year solo museum exhibition, Alan Shuptrine: Appalachian Watercolors of the Serpentine Chain, the artist is embarking on a new journey. Collaborating with Best-Selling author, avid hiker, and sought after storyteller, Jennifer Pharr Davis, Alan Shuptrine’s first coffee table book has launched this September 2019 titled I Come From A Place, The thematic book contains images of Shuptrine’s watercolors as well as Jennifer Pharr Davis’ prose.

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Free Fly Apparel - Flying High

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Jake Wheeler, Brand Manager for Freefly Apparel. Freefly is one of the fastest growing companies in the outdoor industry. Jake shares Freefly's story and also shares his life long experiences and love of the outdoors. Jake grew up in a adventure family. As a "shop kid" on the sales floor of Rock/Creek he had the luxury of hanging out with fascinating young, talented outdoor enthusiasts and athletes.

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The Love of the Bike

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Brad Cobb, who has been racing bicycles for 25 years. His success and podium finishes are many, but what trumps the podium is his family, friends and teammates. Brad states, "I know it’s just a hobby, but I am so happy to be back training and racing! This sport has blessed me with some of my very best friends that I would have never had the chance to meet were it not for cycling. From my teammates and my training partners to my boys at Scott’s Bikes and all the friends I race with from all over the world. This sport is a true blessing." Brad shares some advice, tips and a few of his favorite races.

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Ultra Mountain Days

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Dr. Josh Wheeler. Josh ran his first marathon at age 13, and never looked back. A cross country season in college gave way to 70.3 Ironman events and racing all the way to the worlds. But Josh's true passion is in the mountains. Josh has had much success trail racing but it's never been about the accolades. It's the people, the journey and the mountains that fuel him. Josh tells stories of some of his Ultra Adventures, and then Dr. Wheeler talks Nutrition. Josh gives us a few tips and also gets "his science on" to help us understand fuel and hydration.

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Let's Go Skiing

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week Dawson and I talk about snow skiing. Now is the time to make your plans and book your reservations. Its also time to buy or update the gear for your trip. We will talk about clothing, gear and a few of Dawson's favorite ski destinations.

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The Mountains Are Calling

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Tim Cleary. Tim is retired from nuclear power/electric utility work. He has run over 30 marathons and ultras. For three years, he has been thinking and dreaming about the Appalachian Trail as he trains and runs the local trails of Signal Mountain, Tennessee. Now retired and with his family's support, he is planning to leave March 22, 2020 to begin his Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike. We talk plans, ideas, gear and training.

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I Think I Can, I Know I Can

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:17:00 +0000

In High School Brad McLeod could not make a sports team. He rode a skate board and when he announced to his class mates he was joining the Navy and becoming a Navy Seal no one believed him. Drop the mic, Brad McLeod became that Navy SEAL and served with Seal Team 4 for 6 years. Today he owns and operates Seal Grinder PT. Brad's life is filled with purpose for family, place and his passions. Join us as we discuss life as a Seal, rock climbing, access issues surrounding climbing and adventure cycling.

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The Gift of Adventure

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 12:33:25 +0000

This week we have our first Ted talk! We are talking with Ted Herget, founder of Gearhead Outfitters and new owner of Rock/Creek and Uncle Dan's, creating a new family of brands. Ted's passion for the great outdoors and love for his family and community is contagious. And we hear about this 90/150 running program that had us up and shuffling around the studio and down the hall.

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The Van Is On the Move

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 05:53:12 +0000

This week Clint talks with Dawson about his recent trips to Breckenridge, Colorado and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Dawson shares a few favorite hikes and activities for each location and also some must carry clothing and gear. The Van was on the move and new campgrounds were discovered. We have some great weather heading into Fall so pack your bags and here we go!

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All Over The Board

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This week we sit down with Lizzie Diener. Lizzie's adventures began early in life. After graduating from high school at the age of 17, she hiked the Appalachian Trail. Before she had turned 20, she had solo-hiked the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail. At some point along her journey, Lizzie fell in love with birds. Her interest and desire to learn about them has, for the most part, directed her path.

And what a path it has been! She has participated in 17 projects and studies with various universities, research institutions, and scientific organizations that have taken her all over the world, from Australia to Alaska, and from Hawaii to Maine. She thrives on being in the field, working, learning and contributing.

What would she do in her free time? Why, explore beautiful rivers, of course! Lizzie canoed 1,000 miles on the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territory of Canada. In addition, she kayaked for 76 days and 2,000 miles through the interior of the Yukon Territory and Alaska.

From hikes to field work to river adventures, Lizzie is living life to its fullest--and all over the board!

This is a conversation you do not want to miss!

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The Land Trust for Tennessee

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we talk to Liz McLaurin. Liz succeeded The Land Trust for Tennessee’s founding President and CEO, Jeanie Nelson. During her first year as President and CEO, The Land Trust for Tennessee protected over 18,000 acres and brought over $16 Million to the closing table for conservation. In 2015, Liz led a strategic planning process that charts the course for the organization through 2020. In 2018, she spearheaded the relocation of the organization’s Nashville office to the historic Glen Leven Farm, rooting the organization in a place that embodies both its vision and mission. This year, under her leadership, The Land Trust has undertaken a strategic conservation planning process that sets priorities for proactive conservation across the state.

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Hound Ear's 25th

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Jim Horton and Chad Wykle about Hound Ear's 25th year and how the Bouldering Competition originated. Shortly after Hound Ear Chad and Jim formed the series known as the Triple Crown. Three Bouldering Comps in three states has now become one of the biggest series in the United States. The goal of the Triple Crown is twofold. First and foremost, the mission is to raise funds for two organizations dedicated to maintaining climbers' access: the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and The Carolina Climbers' Coalition. These two organizations have been instrumental in the acquisition of land for the climbing community, in a region that is riddled with access issues. Secondly, this unique event will once again provide a tremendous opportunity for vendors to promote the sport of bouldering, which has quickly become the focus of the ever growing climbing community.

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Stump Jump 50k

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we'll sit down with our friends Ginny Kelly, "Race Director" and Chad Wykle, "Mr. Rock/Creek" and talk all the details of the Stump Jump 50k. We'll cover upcoming training runs, course descriptions, locations of aid stations, what food and drink is available, trail details of the entire course, packet pick up details, Glitter man, camping, and post run fun. Whether you are racing this year, supporting a runner, or dreaming about one day running the Stump Jump, you will enjoy this podcast. Want to see the event? There is no better way than to volunteer--get the details! Profits from the event go to local non-profits. Come join us!

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Captain Tom Rowland's "Waypoints"

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

According to Tom Rowland it all started with Dad, time outside, and a fishing rod. By college Tom was working in Yellowstone and that was where the hook was set. Second generation outfitter Joe Bressler helps Tom learn the business from the bottom up for 7 seasons where Tom is a drift boat guide. In order to guide all year round Tom spends his winters in Key West guiding. With the help of his wife, they make a decision to live full time in Key West where Tom builds a successful guiding business, fishes tournaments and begins his TV career. Today Tom"s show Saltwater Experience is in its 15th year, Into the Blue is in its 11th year, and Sweetwater is in its 6th year. He is the Co-Founder of Waypoint TV and hosts his own podcast.

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"Wood" Work

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Rick Wood worked for The Trust for Public Land (TPL) form 2000 to 2017. He cast a vision, designed parks and trails, raised capital, and managed construction. In 2008, TPL kicked off the conservation of a 100-acre ridge that was threatened by development in North Chattanooga: Stringer’s Ridge. TPL went on to design mountain bike and hiking trails on Stringer's Ridge which has now become a beloved part of Chattanooga’s park system. Rick was also able to negotiate and close over 35 land acquisition deals for greenway development, known as South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. Additionally Rick and TPL assembled over 5,000 acres along the Cumberland Trail near Cumberland Gap National Park. Rick's leadership at TPL is one of the cornerstones that has made Chattanooga what it is today.

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My Family Bike Camps

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we are speaking with Dawn Rae Knoth who lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, Rob, and their eight year old son, Max. Their favorite way to spend time as a family is bikepacking - exploring gravel roads and dusty trails, wild camping under the stars, and discovering the world around and within them. What began as an 8 mile easy overnighter along the Deschutes River when Max was four has grown into multi-day adventures in the Oregon backcountry and beyond, collectively spending over a month bikepacking each year.

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Camping/Backpacking 101

Dawson Wheeler — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week Clint and Dawson talk about how to get started camping and backpacking. They talk cost cutting, must haves and being successful on your first few camping trips. A common sense approach to get you into the great outdoors.

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Flying High

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Matt Taber, who has owned the Lookout Mountain Flight Park since 1980. Matt is the son of a military pilot. Growing up in airplane hangars he found his love of flying early. "Who doesn't want to sore with the eagles?" The Flight Park caters to hang gliding and paragliding, and has facilities both at the top of Lookout Mountain, Georgia and at the bottom. They have a landing field, lodging, camping and a pool. A National leader in the sport with unmatched instructors; Matt's team is special.

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The Healthy Road

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we are speaking with Ed Jones, owner of Nutrition World. Ed has co-authored the book Ways to Improve Your Health with leading experts in natural health such as Dr. Mercola, Dr. Sinatra, Dr. Whitaker, and others. Ed has authored over 1000 articles pertaining to nutrition and health over the years. We talk natural foods, supplements, training, rest and recovery.

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SCAR "OUCH"

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This week we catch up with Josh Tilford and Baker McCool. We talk family, friendship and The SCAR, The Smokies Challenge Adventure Run, which is a 70+ mile traverse of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the Appalachian Trail. To successfully complete SCAR you must record a time under 24 hours. Josh and Baker share their recent successful journey starting at Davenport Gap at the North end of the Smokies running south to Fontana Dam at the Southern end of the Park.

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The Green Belt

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 10:00:00 +0000

We are talking with Rick Huffines ED of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. Rick joined the Tennessee River Gorge Trust on January 7, 2013; after retiring from a 26-year career of public service with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, where he has worked throughout the Southeast in five different states in various capacities. Most recently, Rick served as the Deputy Regional Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Tennessee River Gorge consists of 27,000 acres carved through the Cumberland Mountains by 27 miles of the Tennessee River. It is the only large river canyon bordering a mid-size city (Chattanooga) and it is the fourth largest river canyon east of the Mississippi.

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Leading the Way

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 31 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

John Dorough's passion for climbing began early and by college he devoted most of his free time to the sport. Like all things athletic, John quickly excelled in degree of difficulty and length of route. He also knew he wanted to make climbing a profession. Today, John has built a very successful sales agency representing Petzel, has lived in Chattanooga for years with his family and has become one of the Stewards of our Public lands. Soft spoken, "not on social media," he devotes his time to family, friends, stewardship, outdoor sports and his profession.

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Forever Strong

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 24 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000

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SUP Adventures Around the World with Ben Friberg

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 17 May 2019 02:16:00 +0000

We speak with Chattanooga adventurer, and stand-up paddle boarder, Ben Friberg. He tells storys about his trips to Pappa New Guinea, the Yukon and his crossing on paddle board from Cuba to Key West. Ben is also Founder of Chat-A-Jack in Chattanooga, a 50k paddling race on the Tennessee River.

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Crosscut SAWS, Wilderness and Our Public Lands

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 10 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This week we talk with Bill Hodge, the founder and Executive Director of Southern Appalachian Stewards. Bill is a true Wilderness Warrior who started SAWS in 2010 as a program for the Wilderness Society, five years later it became a 501c3 non-profit organization. Today SAWS provides stewardship support for more than sixty protected areas on nine national forests in the Southern Appalachian region, and helps to build the next generation of conservation stewards.

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Sierra Madre: Shark Tank and Hot Pockets

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 03 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000

We talk to Richard Rhett, owner of Sierra Madre, about his experience at TV'S Shark Tank , moving to Chattanooga Tennessee, his business strategies and mission and his latest "coolest product in the world" the HOT POCKET.

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Holy Smokies - Kristi Parsons

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Kristi Parsons. A nature and outdoor enthusiast, photographer, and writer from Knoxville, TN. A life changing event in 2014 was her trigger to go the mountains and find her new path and she has never looked back. Her homewood's are the Smokies and as a professional photographer and blogger, she rarely misses a sunrise or sunset. Her knowledge of the Smokies is vast and her goal is simple: get people out on the trails. The mountains will do the rest!

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Nature Makes You Better

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Mark McKnight, President of Reflection Riding in Chattanooga. Lets talk Forest Kindagarten, STEM Education, Reflection Riding's wildlife rehabilitation program, the Red Wolf Genetics Project, and " Mark's love for invasive plant species," NOT!

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Directing on the Run with Ginny Kelly

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This week we caught up with Ginny Kelly, daughter of a college football coach, wife of Tim, Salomon Community Manager, serving on three Chattanooga non-profits, Race Director for the R/C race series and some how has 40 hours in her 24 day. Let's talk trails, life, training and giving back to the local community and non-profits.

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Matt Sims - Chattanooga Renaissance Man

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This week we speak with Matt Sims, Chattanooga Renaissance Man, Patagonia Sales rep, and Founder of the Sump Jump. Matt discusses why having many hobbies is the way to go. Fishing, climbing, biking, running, lets do it all!

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Van Life

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 19:06:00 +0000

We catch up with Site Seven van company Founder Justin Shipp to talk about van life and growing up with a father and uncle in the RV business. Its always been RV's at the Shipp House and now its always van life.

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Trail Running

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 19:03:00 +0000

Chad Wykle of Rock Creek talks Trail Running and where to start.

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50 Days Straight

Dawson Wheeler — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 19:00:00 +0000

With a record rain fall in the southeast this winter, we talk with Chattanooga creek boater and Rock/Creek all mountain team member Lucien Scott about creek boating. Chattanooga, Tennessee is a hub for steep, tight run off creeks and Lucien is on a quest to paddle over 50 days in a row which he just achieved. Let’s talk creeks, gear, and favorite classic runs.

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Day Fire Podcast Intro

Dawson Wheeler — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:52:00 +0000

Thanks for finding the Day Fire Podcast! Take a listen to Dawson Wheeler and Clint Powell talking about the new podcast and everything that is to come for Day Fire Podcast!