The TripOutside Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the TripOutside Podcast, we sit down with Colin Courtney, founder of Meraki Mountain Adventures, based in Durango, Colorado. Colin is an incredible guide who creates inclusive outdoor experiences for all ages and abilities, making it easier than ever to connect with nature in the San Juan Mountains.

We talk about:
🌄 Why the San Juan Mountains are truly special
🚶 Hiking, biking, climbing, and paddleboarding adventures in Durango
🤝 The value of guided trips compared to self-planning
🌱 Leave No Trace education and sustainable tourism
💚 How supporting local guides helps build stronger communities

Whether you’re planning your first visit to Durango or looking for inspiration for your next adventure, this conversation will give you the beta you need — and maybe even the push to finally book that guided trip.

👉 Learn more about Meraki Mountain Adventures: https://www.meraki-ma.com/
👉 Compare and book guided trips directly on TripOutside: https://tripoutside.com/browse/location:us:co:durango

#OutdoorAdventure #DurangoColorado #SanJuanMountains #TripOutsidePodcast

In this rafting podcast episode, we dive deep into the wild beauty of northern Canada with Joel Hibbard, second-generation river guide and co-owner of Nahanni River Adventures, one of the most respected wilderness outfitters in North America. Joel joins us to talk about what it’s like to grow up guiding rivers in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and beyond—sharing stories of childhood summers spent paddling canyons, flying into remote bush camps, and learning the rhythms of the land from his family’s legacy.

If you’ve ever dreamed of Yukon River rafting or navigating untouched waterways where caribou roam and grizzlies fish for salmon, this is your episode. We explore the incredible variety of guided rafting trips and canoe expeditions Joel and his team lead on some of the most legendary rivers on the continent, including:

🛶 Nahanni River trip – home to Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls), twice the height of Niagara, surrounded by 1,000-meter canyons, hot springs, and Indigenous history.
🛶 Firth River trip – a pristine Arctic whitewater river that cuts through unglaciated Beringia, offering unreal tundra hiking, wildlife encounters, and geology that hasn’t changed in over a million years.
🛶 Tatshenshini River trip – wild, coastal, glacial terrain flowing into British Columbia with Class III whitewater and massive mountain backdrops.
🛶 Horton River – a lesser-known gem for packrafting and canoeing in the tundra, ideal for spotting caribou, wolves, and expansive Arctic vistas.

This episode is packed with storytelling and insight for fans of outdoor adventure podcasts, aspiring expedition paddlers, and anyone curious about what goes into leading multi-week trips in some of the most remote wilderness on the planet.

We cover:
🌄 What it’s like to run a family-owned outfitter in the North
📆 The short but spectacular rafting season in the Yukon and Northwest Territories
🐻 How guides manage grizzly bear safety in remote camps
🚁 The logistics of flying guests, gear, and guides into off-grid rivers
🛶 The differences between raft, canoe, and packraft expeditions—and who each style is right for
💬 Why Joel says these trips are less about adrenaline and more about connection
🌱 The critical role of conservation, Indigenous stewardship, and keeping wild places wild

Whether you’re a seasoned paddler or just curious about stepping off the grid, this conversation will give you a deeper appreciation for the wild rivers of Canada’s North—and maybe even inspire your next great adventure.

🎧 Listen now to one of the most inspiring rafting podcast episodes of the year.
🧭 Book a trip or learn more at: https://tripoutside.com/browse/activity:water-sports:rafting

Keywords:
Rafting podcast episode, outdoor adventure podcast, Yukon River rafting, Nahanni River rafting, Firth River rafting, Tatshenshini River rafting, Arctic rafting trips, guided rafting Yukon, packrafting Canada, canoeing Yukon, rafting podcast, wilderness expedition podcast, Nahanni Wild, Náįlįcho Virginia Falls, Beringia, Northern Canada rivers

What is The Conservation Alliance? How is it funded?

The Conservation Alliance was established 34 years ago with the goal of uniting businesses and outdoor communities to support and advocate for the protection of North America's wild places. Founded by industry leaders from renowned outdoor companies like Patagonia, REI, North Face, and Kelty, the organization aimed to increase industry support for conservation by fostering cooperation among competing businesses. Over the years, the Alliance has grown to include 270 member companies from various industries that share the values of protecting wild places.

Can you share some of the conservation work that The Conservation Alliance has done over the years?

In its 34-year history, the Conservation Alliance has achieved significant accomplishments with the support of its members. They have collectively contributed over $30 million to grassroots conservation groups, resulting in the protection of more than 82 million acres of wildlands and 3500 miles of rivers. The Alliance has also played a role in removing 37 dams, with plans for one more this year, and designating five marine reserves, as well as acquiring 21 climbing areas.

Why is it important to protect wild places and outdoor spaces?

There are multiple personal, ecological, and societal reasons for protecting wild places. Personally for Nicole, these spaces are crucial for spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being, offering solitude, challenge, and character-building experiences.

Ecologically, wild places contribute to biodiversity and climate resiliency by storing carbon and providing natural buffers against greenhouse gas emissions. Protecting large-scale landscapes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. Preserving these areas is essential for a healthier future and addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. Additionally, wild places offer economic value through outdoor recreation, stimulating local economies and generating billions in revenue. Ensuring equity and access to these places is important, allowing everyone to enjoy the benefits they offer. As the population grows and more people reside in urban centers, the need to protect and expand these areas becomes even more critical.

Outfitters or businesses, please consider joining as a member along with TripOutside. https://conservationalliance.com/join/
Support and donate to TCA https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-conservation-alliance/the-conservation-alliance
Visit their website to learn more https://conservationalliance.com

Follow their IG for a social feed that will inspire you https://www.instagram.com/conservationalliance/

Ride bikes, not horses at this new type of Ranch in Southwest Colorado. On this podcast, we are joined by Jake from Zuma Bike Ranch from the southwest corners area of Colorado. 

They are located on the corner of 3 different cities in the area, Dolores, Mancos, and Cortez Colorado. Jake is a mountain bike instructor for over 5 years and has been coaching with Ninja Mountain Bike Clinics. 

He has been hooked on working with people on their skill development and is passionate about teaching riders how to be stronger, more confident, and more skilled riders. 

Jake has created a purpose-built mountain biking-specific property in the area that is dedicated to teaching and coaching mountain biking. The 40-acre property is right next to Phils’s world mountain biking trails and joins the new section of Phil’s world. He has taken time to build features that are great for teaching different skills by taking inspiration from the different areas in the country where he has taught mountain biking. Different areas of the country present with different features that make the trail networks unique like bedrock use or a side of a hillside to make some nice benched-in switchbacks. The first year, he walked the property with his dog and identified all the places where interesting features could be built for teaching. 

They have camping and trails right on the property for riders to camp and ride right on the property.

Find Zuma Bike Ranch on TripOutside 

Follow them on Instagram 

Darcy is the author of the book, The Amazon Woman and the co-owner of the Whitewater Kayaking business Smallworldadventures.com

How did you get into Whitewater Kayaking and what do you love about it?

A college friend invited her to skip the fall semester and go kayaking in Nepal. She was stoked about the adventure and traveling internationally. By going kayaking in Nepal, she was able to get away from the big tourist areas and find remote places to explore and she truly enjoyed that style of expedition traveling and which made her fall in love with kayaking. That's the style of kayaking that has kept Darcy loving whitewater kayaking. She enjoys getting as far off the beaten path as possible and challenging herself while seeing new places.

How do you see the big challenges and overcome the obstacles that appear in the big adventures that you take on?

The way she has learned to overcome it is by embracing the challenges. Going into these trips with the mindset with the attitude that things are going to wrong. You can hope everything goes well, but the reality is that there are definitely unexpected things that will go wrong. She really believes the stoic philosophy shared in the book, The Obstacle is The Way by Ryan Holiday. She thinks of this phrase often when she finds herself faced with expedition challenges.

How did the Amazon trip come about and what was your motivation to join Midge on the trip?

The trip came about in an unlikely way by David Midgley, "Midge" a brilliant programmer from London who was having a midlife crisis and thought he was going to waste his life away sitting behind a computer writing code. During this time he started thinking that if he could do one big adventure in his life, he could die a happy man. While he was searching for his adventure, he came across an interesting stat that more people had walked on the moon than descended the Amazon river from source to sea. Everyone who had gone down the river had hiked around the white water, or did it on a raft, or only did certain sections. He decided he wanted to be the first person to whitewater kayak the Amazon river. He reached out to SWA to train him to turn him into an expert whitewater kayaker.  After a decade of training, Midge invited Don and Darcy to join him on the trip.

Could you share a bit more about the Amazon river trip? What were some of the challenges you had to overcome on the trip and how long did it take?

Learn more about the physical, mental, and emotional challenges the group overcame during the 148-day adventure on the show

What message do you have for anyone that is feeling external societal pressures and think that the big goals are unachievable for them?

When Darcy was younger, she drew a lot of motivation from anger. She would be mad when people told her that she couldn't do something, she wanted to prove them wrong. When she realized that other people are watching her, and that she is inspiring others, she now feels that she draws inspiration from the idea that her actions are inspiring others.

Links:

Website https://darcygaechter.com/

Order the book, Amazon Woman https://darcygaechter.com/amazon-woman

Send Darcy a note if you enjoyed the podcast! https://darcygaechter.com/contact

Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/darcygaechter/

In this episode, I talked to Stephen Hatfield, the founder of Ptarmigan Collective, which offers regenerative tourism solutions to foster thriving communities and vibrant regional economies. Stephen brings 25 years of experience designing, developing and managing programs and experiences related to regenerative tourism, community engagement, natural and cultural history, environmental stewardship, and outdoor recreation.

Regenerative vs. Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism has been around for a while and at its core is about mitigate the impact and reduce the harm. Regenerative however takes it even further, and rather of just reducing the impact of the lighter footprint, it's about developing and generating value for communities. Tourism has long provided economic benefits, but those economic benefits can often come with some extractive side effects that over time can turn what was once an incredible place to live, travel and explore into a busy, overcrowded destination for people that call it home and for the people that visit.

Regenerative Tourism looks at not just the economic benefits, but also incorporates the wholistic view of social, cultural and environmental needs of the community and visitors. Rather than just starting with the traveler's needs, it starts with the residents, the communities that live there and call it home as they are the natural stewards of the place. It finds ways to find their values and what the values of the place are and developing new systems and ways to travel to these destinations. It started in Europe and New Zealand and has now become a global phenomenon.

An example of Regenerative Tourism at work:

In Oregon, outfitters worked together with communities and developed regenerative multi-day itineraries where visitors could come to the McKenzie river and do adventures like rafting,  mountain biking, day hikes along with opportunities to rebuild trails, plant trees, remove invasive species and other restoration projects. They worked in close partnership with the local dining facilities and supported the overall local community and businesses.

We can all begin to think differently about how we travel to new destinations, which destinations we choose and the impact we leave on the towns/cities and wild places with our tourism.

If you're an outfitter and would like to develop a Regenerative Tour or Itinerary, we want to hear from you! Reach out at info@tripoutside.com and let's work together to promote Regenerative Outdoor Adventure Tourism.

Links:

Connect with Stephen Hatfield:

Visit https://ptarmigancollective.com/ or email stephen@ptarmigancollective.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hatfieldpdx

In this episode, I was joined by Marianna Cevallos. Marianna, who is originally from Peru moved to Colorado in 2015 for college and fell in love with the outdoors. She lived in Avon and her friends would participate in a lot of outdoor activities, including floating in the river.

Unlike most of her friends, Marianna didn't have a car or enough space to have kayaks or paddleboards and when she came across Pack rafting, she loved the idea of being able to pack the raft in her backpack and take a bus to go join her friends on the adventures.

She wanted to solve this pain point for everyone that doesn't have storage or transportation and make the sport more accessible for all so she started her own Packrafting company with her partner Mike, Alluviarafts.com

How did packrafting start?

• Initially, Packrafting started with the need to access remote areas in the backcountry and want to do intense multi-day, multi-adventure trips.
• Although it initially started with the need to access the backcountry, there are a lot of people in cities or in the front country that really benefits from having a Packraft.

How to get started with Packrafting?

• Packrafting is just as easy to learn as kayaking, canoeing, or any other water sport.
• If it is possible, take lessons for kayaking or other water sports so that you know how to paddle. Even though the paddling sports may be different, understanding the concepts of water bodies (rivers vs. lakes), weather, and safety preparation is the most important thing to learn.
• To dig further into packrafting, The Packraft Handbook is a great resource for everyone, from beginners to advanced paddlers.
• Tip: go through scenarios of getting in and out of your boat in water, and know how to get back in, in case you flip over.

How long does it take to inflate a Packraft?

Using the inflation sack, it only takes about 3 minutes to get the Packraft to about 90% inflation and then using your mouth, inflate to 100% with about 30 seconds of blowing.

What are your favorite places to go Packrafting?

• Canyonlands National Park is a great place that we love to go to because it is mostly flat water with only a little bit of white water.
• We love paddling the Colorado River in Grand Junction as the river runs right through town.
• In Austin, TX we love going to Ladybird Lake
• One of the coolest places we have ever gone to is Alaska, there are so many different places that you can go there but it is a bit more intense and backcountry focused.
• Packrafting is also very popular in Europe and New Zealand as there are many places that you can't access any other way.

Leave No Trace tips while Packrafting:

• Plan ahead and prepare: Pack out your poop! Wag bags are a great idea
• Fire preparation: Skip making a fire in remote places if you can to minimize campfire impacts.

Links

tripoutside.com/podcast

https://alluviaraft.com

https://thingstolucat.com/packrafthandbook/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/alluviapackraft/

Outdoor things to do in Breckenridge in the summer:

• Live music, fly fishing, rafting near Breckenridge, paved path biking (electric and regular) and mountain biking

What's the best time to visit Breckenridge for the summer?

• July 4th is the official start of the summer. July, August, and September are the best. In late September there can be a chance of early season snow.
• It's not as busy as the winter because people are outdoors and spread out.

The cycling culture in Breckenridge:

• Varied bike culture, something for everyone

Bike Path / Paved biking in Breckenridge:

• Bike path - you can bike all the way to Dillon even Vail. In town riding, there are bike lanes and bike paths all over town.
• E-bikes are an incredible way to get around and are a great equalizer because you're at 9600 feet.

Mountain biking in Breckenridge

• Mountain biking: There is everything for beginners to advanced riders. 
  • There is a bus that you can load your bike on and a shuttle and Breckenridge Ski and Sport also offers a shuttle
  • Breckenridge Ski Resort offers Lift service / Downhill biking
  • Skate park - Frisco bike park for dirt jumps, pump track, and slope slide lines. The park is great for improving skills for pumping, jumps, and turns.

Breckenridge mountain biking trails

• Beginner: Blue river trail is a great beginner biking trail that locals use for commuting. 
• Flumes trail - bike out of town. Fast and flowy without too many obstacles. 
• Intermediate/advanced - Eastside trail, it finishes in town and you can grab a snack when you're done. 
• Natural style cross country trails without the worry of massive drops or jumps
• Riding downhill is a workout but don't have to worry about elevation as much

Mountain biking tips in Breckenridge

• MOST IMPORTANT TIP: Start early to avoid afternoon thunderstorms
• Wear sunscreen
• It's easy and accessible to get your lift ticket and get out on the mountain.
• Check Breckenridge Resort's website for the opening date for lift assist mountain biking season start.

E-biking Breckenridge

• We rent e-bikes, they are very user-friendly and come with built-in bike racks, you can run errands around town.
• With electric-assist bikes, you have to pedal but it helps tremendously. 
• Riding from Breckenridge to Frisco offers some beautiful views, especially around Lake Dillon
• Range: They have a long range due to 4 modes. The range can vary based on weight, extra load, how much uphill, and how much assist you're using.

Visiting Breckenridge without renting a car

• Visit Breckenridge without renting a car and get around on your e-bike!
• You can get multi-day rentals and keep the charger and even have the bike delivered to you. 

Links: https://tripoutside.com/s/breckenridge-co/any/

Learn to Freedive in Kona Hawaii

What is Freediving?
Freediving is basically going underwater and hanging out. You don't need much except your body and it differs from Scuba Diving as with scuba diving you have gear and air that aids you in staying underwater longer. Over the centuries and millennia, people were free diving for food. For shellfish and sponges and utility purposes. Recently it's a more recreational activity and when you're doing it for fun, it's a little bit like snorkeling but maybe you're staying down a bit longer or going a little bit deeper using a bit nicer gear. Freediving on the coast looking at reefs and critters or deeper in the ocean and looking at whale sharks or whales and it's another tool in an aquatic person's toolbox for exploring the underwater world.

Challenges that you'll overcome in the Freediving course:

• Equalization - clearing your ears so that you can dive deeper without your eardrums exploding
• Fear or intimidation of the unknown and the depths. Water comfort is a big part. of it, if you're a surfer or a water polo player, you'll have an easier time because of your comfort in the water.
• Physical ability: the ability to listen to your body and get your body to do the things that you need to do to complete the skills and follow the techniques.

Most people don't realize how long they can hold their breath. Getting over the urge to breathe is one thing we go over in the course and how to get over the reflex of the urge to breathe. You'll learn to defeat the urge and maximize your ability to hold your breath as long as you can. You can apply the breathing techniques to your yoga, meditation practice, or your everyday life to destress.

Freediving Course | What you can expect to learn:

Level 1 freediver course is like the foundation of the house. It takes 1.5 days, with about 4 hours in the classroom going over the history, physics, physiology, technology, and the gear. Post lunch, we do practice work in the pool with breathwork and safety work.  The next day, we go into the ocean and work up to 20 meters, which is 66 feet.

Technique: Freediving is all about using your body in the most effective way and that's what the course is focused on. 

Safety: most people aren't aware of safety, and how to practice safety, and it is one of the biggest takeaways from taking the courses. It's like climbing, the higher you get the further you have to fall but with freediving, it's the opposite, where the deeper you go, the further you go from the surface and a higher likelihood that you'll run into issues should you push yourself too hard.

Gear: Choosing the right gear and how to use it. 

Leave No Trace and Responsible Recreation: What do we need to know about being good visitors to Hawaii?

• Ocean - the better thing you can do is use Reef Safe sunscreen. Even better is to wear a rash guard or something to cover your skin. You can get better protection and you don't need sunscreen or any chemicals.
• When you're in the water, don't' touch marine life
• Don't stand on the reef if you can avoid it
• Respect the ocean and be careful when you're coming in and out of the water
• Go with certified operators. Ex, we do the Manta Rays night dive, we are certified to protect the Manta Rays. They are magnificent creatures and they are a protected species.
• Choose the right operator: look for certifications and ask how they interact with resting animals. 

Where to find KonaFreedivers: Website / YouTube

Freediving movies: My Octopus teacher, The Big Blue

Hiking in the Rockies

Find the full episode show notes on TripOutside.com/podcast

Book your Denver Hiking Adventure: https://tripoutside.com/s/denver-co/trekking/

Learn about some great hiking options around Denver

• Chief mountain: 360-degree views from the top, at 11700 feet. You can see six different 14ers on a clear day. Takes about 2-4 hours depending on your pace and it offers incredible views without being too difficult of a trail.
• After a 2-4 hike, you feel energized instead of exhausted and you can still enjoy the rest of the day or later into the night. You feel that you earned your drinks or your ice cream but do not have to be stuck to the couch for the rest of the day.
• St. Mary's glacier - it's a great hike but it also gets very crowded, especially on the weekends. Rocky hike and bit on the steeper hike but short. 3/4 of a mile to get to a lake and has a snowfield on the top. It has snow all year long and you may see people hiking up and skiing down.

Benefits of getting outdoors and connecting with nature

• Forest bathing - we'll take a break on the hike and spend some time connecting with nature and with each of our 5 senses. We'll spend 30 seconds each on each sense while in nature and it really helps people respect nature. If you're only connected with technology, going from your home to your car to your office and not spending a lot of time in nature, you not feeling the connection with nature. By spending time on a hike in Colorado, we hope that people connect with nature more, respect it and in turn work to protect it.
• Boost in serotonin: Social media likes that can give you a boost in serotonin, but getting out in nature can give you such a great boost that is really underappreciated!

How we can help save the outdoors

• Hiking In The Rockies discusses LNT principles on the hikes and focuses on "taking only photos and leaving only footprints". Even taking rocks over time from hundreds of people and hundreds of trips can have an impact.
• Do a trash pick-up with some rubber gloves and a trash bag and clean up the trails.
• The most important thing is that we learn to appreciate nature by spending more time outdoors, respecting nature and working towards protecting it. 

Getting started with an outdoors business

• There are a lot of opportunities out there to start with a low overhead with marketplaces like Airbnb, TripAdvisor, and TripOutside.
• Write down your goals and steps that you need to get there.
• Don't let the challenges stop you. Part of growing a business is solving problems day after day and solving problems doesn't have to be a roadblock, it can be part of the fun.
• Start small and see where it goes.
• Permits required: trails are managed by different entities and land owners. National Parks, National Forests, ex. Jefferson County Open Space.
• Get certifications to be certified guides
• Get CPR training
• Wilderness first aid training
  • Guides to have wilderness first aid training