Day Fire Podcast

Enjoy this selection of stories from Day Fire guests! Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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

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;

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

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,

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. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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 t

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. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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

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!) Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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! Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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! Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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 hon

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 a

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 Thanks fo