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

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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

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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

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

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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?

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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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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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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.

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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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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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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.

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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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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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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.

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.

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

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

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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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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.”

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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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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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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Enjoy this selection of stories from Day Fire guests!

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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.

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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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!

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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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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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.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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