Explore every episode of the podcast Access Appalachia
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born on the Mountain | Zen Clements | SHARC Trails | 21 Jul 2026 | 00:37:15 | |
450 miles of trail don't maintain themselves. On this episode of Access Appalachia, Zen Clements — trail crew lead and races and events director for SHARC Trails, the Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative — breaks down what it actually takes to build and sustain a world-class trail network in one of West Virginia's most rugged and remote counties. Zen talks about SHARC's three-pillar approach to managing public lands: trail stewardship across Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Webster, and Randolph counties, wildland fire and prescribed burn operations, and backcountry emergency response for riders and visitors in areas with no cell service and no easy access for traditional first responders. He also walks through the Monday Lick trail system outside Marlinton — how it went from concept to one of the largest ARC-funded trail projects in the region, what earning IMBA Trail Town designation meant for the community, and what it looked like to host the inaugural Monday Lick Enduro as part of the West Virginia Enduro Series. Subscribe and share it with someone who loves this region as much as we do. Learn more: Access Appalachia covers the people, businesses, trails, and organizations behind the outdoor economy across the Appalachian region. Find us at: https://accessappalachia.com Interested in sponsoring the show? Reach out to bisenberg@accessappalachia.com to see how your brand can collaborate with Access Appalachia. | |||
| 10 Years, 1 Magazine, and the Hardest Decision He Ever Made | Dylan Jones | Highland Outdoors | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:32:43 | |
He Helped Build West Virginia's Only Outdoor Magazine. Then They Sold It. Dylan Jones co-founded Highland Outdoors magazine and spent nearly a decade documenting West Virginia’s outdoor culture as a writer, photographer, and publisher before selling the magazine to New South Media earlier this year. He joins Access Appalachia to talk about building the publication from the ground up, why he decided to sell, and what a decade covering the state’s outdoor economy revealed. Jones and his wife Nikki ran Highland Outdoors as a two person operation, consolidating regional guides into a statewide quarterly, upgrading to full gloss print, and managing everything from ad sales to distribution out of their home. He also reflects on the growth of outdoor recreation in West Virginia, from the post COVID visitation surge to the expansion of mountain bike trails and gravel networks across the Monongahela National Forest, and what it meant to pass the magazine forward. Subscribe and share it with someone who loves this region as much as we do. Highland Outdoors: highlandoutdoors.com New South Media: newsouthmedia.com | |||
| Discovering Hidden Trails You Won't Believe | Alden Roth | Filmed by Bike | 07 Jul 2026 | 00:46:03 | |
350 Miles From West Virginia's Lowest Point to Its Highest — and He Never Left the State Alden Roth designed a 350 mile bikepacking route connecting West Virginia’s lowest point to its highest, from Harpers Ferry to Spruce Knob, without ever crossing a state line. He completed the route in five days with nearly 40,000 feet of elevation gain. Roth, a filmmaker and the co owner and executive director of Filmed by Bike, joins Ben and Clay to talk about the WV Low to High route, his work with Mountaineer Gravel, upcoming gravel projects in Marion County and Charleston, and how he completed the Silk Road Mountain Race, a 1,200 mile unsupported race across Kyrgyzstan, after crashing out on his first attempt. Subscribe and share it with someone who loves this region as much as we do. Filmed by Bike: https://www.filmedbybike.org Mountaineer Gravel: https://www.mountaineergravel.com Mon Forest Towns: https://www.monforestowns.org Bikepacking Routes: https://www.bikepackingroutes.com | |||
| The Fight to Save Tucker County | Nikki Forrester & Amy Margolies | Tucker United | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:58:57 | |
A notice buried in a local newspaper sparked a fight that is now reshaping the conversation in Tucker County, West Virginia. On this episode of Access Appalachia, science journalist and ecologist Nikki Forrester and Tucker United Executive Director Amy Margolies break down a proposed 10,000 acre data center and power generation complex near Davis and Thomas and explain why local residents are pushing back. The conversation explores the scale of the project, concerns about transparency and public input, an independent study projecting up to $35 million in health related damages, and the role of House Bill 2014 in limiting local control. They also discuss what is at stake for a county whose outdoor recreation and tourism economy generates roughly $85 million annually and supports around 900 jobs. Subscribe and share it with someone who loves this region as much as we do. Learn more: Tucker United — https://tuckerunited.com Highland Outdoors — https://highland-outdoors.com Friends of the Cheat — https://cheat.org Access Appalachia covers the people, businesses, trails, and organizations behind the outdoor economy across the Appalachian region. Find us at: https://accessappalachia.com | |||
| Unlocking WV's Biggest Asset | Jed Smith | Backroads of Appalachia & Appalachian Overland Triangle | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:34:51 | |
Appalachia's Roads Aren't Problems to Fix. They're the Product. Jed Smith is the Director of Operations for Backroads of Appalachia and Project Manager for the Appalachian Overland Triangle, two organizations building a connected network of routes and events that move riders, drivers, and overlanders through Appalachian communities. He talks about how Backroads of Appalachia started in Lynch, Kentucky in 2020 and grew into a multi state effort with measurable economic impact. He breaks down the 24 Hours of Appalachia endurance challenge, which has raised nearly $250,000 for regional nonprofits, and Drift Appalachia events that bring motorsports into towns like Beckley and Hinton. He also discusses an $8 million plus Appalachian Regional Commission RISE grant for overlanding and adventure travel infrastructure across Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia, and makes the case that the same roads once seen as liabilities are now the draw. Subscribe and share it with someone who loves this region as much as we do. Learn more at: Back Roads of Appalachia: https://backroadsofappalachia.org Appalachian Overland Triangle: https://appalachianoverlandtriangle.org/ | |||
| Feeding Hungry Kids & Setting Trail Records | Donnie Orr | UltraChef & NutriFit Foods WV | 16 Jun 2026 | 00:35:34 | |
The West Virginia Chef Who Runs Ultras and Races for Something Bigger Donnie Orr is a chef, performance nutrition specialist, and ultra running coach preparing for one of the biggest endurance efforts ever attempted in West Virginia. Starting June 24, Orr will attempt the Fastest Known Time on the Allegheny Trail, covering 315.3 miles and 45,000 feet of climbing from the Pennsylvania border to the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. The current record has stood since 2008, and the trail is now more than twenty miles longer than it was when that mark was set. Known as the Ultra Chef, Orr owns Nutri Foods WV in Fairmont, where he develops custom performance nutrition for endurance athletes, while also overseeing tens of thousands of school meals through Healthy Kids Inc. and Pivot Meals. The attempt, titled Do Not Go Gentle, is partnered with Bigger Than the Trail and aims to raise awareness and support for mental health care through the trail running community. In this episode, Orr shares the personal losses that inspired the project and the mindset behind taking on a challenge of this scale. Subscribe and share it with someone who loves this region as much as we do. Learn more at: Donnie Orr - https://www.instagram.com/ultra.chef.donnieorr/ Bigger Than The Trail - https://www.bttt.run/ NutriFit Foods WV - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063739653358 Allegheny Trail - https://hikethealleghenytrail.org/ | |||
| Free Money for WV Small Businesses | Louis Argento | Partner Community Capital | 09 Jun 2026 | 00:31:45 | |
What It Actually Takes to Get a Small Business Off the Ground in West Virginia Louis Argento works with small business borrowers at Partner Community Capital, a West Virginia based Community Development Financial Institution that makes loans traditional banks often will not consider. On the first episode of Access Appalachia, he breaks down how that process actually works, from a first phone call with an idea to the planning, technical assistance, and lending that follows.Argento spent eighteen years in commercial banking before joining PCAP in 2023. The conversation explores how PCAP supports startup and early stage businesses, including access to third party technical assistance funding that has supported everything from engineering to marketing for small businesses across the state.He also highlights PCAP’s Recreational Economies initiative, including a feasibility study for a proposed trail network around Summersville Lake that would connect hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and regional recreation assets.Subscribe and share it with someone who loves this region as much as we do.Learn more at: Partner Community Capital: https://partnercap.org/Angelos Sausage: https://angelosoldworld.com/ | |||