Day Fire Podcast

This week Clint catches up with Dawson as he wraps up his annual ski trip out west and before he heads home. How has COVID affected the trip? How was the snow? They talk about gear and the resorts Dawson has visited. PLUS - Dawson and some of his companions took some time and went exploring in the desert and the Canyonlands! Stories from the slopes with Dawson Wheeler! Thanks to our sponsors: Rock/Creek Outfitters and the Mountain View Auto Family Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

This week Dawson and Clint revisit one of their most popular topics – THE VAN LIFE! Clay Watson and Justin Shipp rejoin Day Fire to talk about the buildout options and the features centered around the Ford Transit! Gadgets – Comfort – Efficiency – Purpose – everything that goes in and on the Transit! Plus – they share some stories about where the van can take you and the memories you can make! Clay Watson, who was born and raised in Southeast TN, has been employed at Mtn View Ford Lincoln for 24 years and is currently a Partner in the Mtn View Auto Group and serves as President of Mtn View Motorsports. He is an avid fisherman and van life adventurer. Justin Shipp is the Founder and Owner of Site Seven Campers and an all-around van guru! Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

This week Dawson and Clint talk about search and rescue with Nancy East. Whether you are someone who enjoys a quick hike on your favorite trails or someone who likes to disappear for days at a time – this podcast is important. What can you do to prepare for the unknown to happen? What do you pack? Who do you share your plans with? What happens when things do NOT go as planned? Nancy and Dawson share stories and give advice that will help you go into the great outdoors and get back home safely. Nancy East has been an avid hiker and backpacker for over 25 years. She has completed three 900-miler maps of the Smokies, and she and her friend Chris Ford achieved a fastest known time (FKT) record during the last Smokies-900 map. and thru hikes of the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Wonderland Trail, Tour du Mont Blanc and many regional trails. Nancy is also a member of Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, is on the founding board for the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund and is a semi-retired small animal veterinarian. Staying s

This week Dawson and Clint talk all things elk with Brad Miller and Jason Finnell. Brad serves as the Elk Program Coordinator for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Jason is an avid outdoor adventurer and hunter. The elk population in Tennessee is estimated to be between 400-500 and the ERZ (Elk Restoration Zone) covers 670,000 acres centered around the North Cumberland Plateau. They discuss how and why elk were introduced back into Tennessee, keeping the population healthy, the relationship between residents and the elk, why controlled hunts are important, the strategic plan moving forward, and much more! Brad Miller serves as the Elk Program Coordinator based out of the North Cumberland WMA work center. Brad came to TWRA in 2016 from the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) where he worked as the Regional Biologist for Tennessee and North Carolina. Prior to working for the NWTF, Brad was the Assistant Chief of Wildlife at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission where he also served as the Deer Prog

This week Dawson and Clint talk with Nancy East on how to avoid and deal with hypothermia. What is it? How does it affect us? What are the warning signs? What should I look for in my hiking buddies? Whether you are just out for a short hike or deep in the woods on a big adventure - preventing and dealing with the elements is vital. Who is Nancy? Nancy East has been an avid hiker and backpacker for over 25 years. She has completed three 900-miler maps of the Smokies, and she and her friend Chris Ford achieved a fastest known time (FKT) record during the last Smokies-900 map. and thru hikes of the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Wonderland Trail, Tour du Mont Blanc and many regional trails. Nancy is also a member of Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, is on the founding board for the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund and is a semi-retired small animal veterinarian. Staying safe is a key component of enjoying our adventures! Great info and insights from Nancy on Day Fire Podcast! Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes a

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

This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Steve Scarborough. Before the show Dawson was telling Clint what a legend Steve is and how excited he was to do the podcast. Steve is one of few who shape shifted the canoe and kayak industry. Steve Scarborough escaped from his Dublin, Ga. roots to the Chattooga River of Deliverance fame after serving five years as an engineer and manager with AT&T in Atlanta. He survived as a river guide, canoe instructor, and wood paddle builder at his Dagger Paddle Company, a precursor of Dagger Canoe Company, which he, along with Joe Pulliam, Roy Guinn and Pete Jett, founded in Tennessee. Having previously designed canoes for Blue Hole Canoe Co., Steve served as the main boat designer for Dagger and produced canoe and kayak designs for whitewater, recreational flatwater, and sea kayaking. He also worked with the USA National and Olympic whitewater teams. With dozens of designs to his credit, his RPM kayak design is considered the best selling whitewater kayak in history. Steve

Dawson and Clint revisit some more great stories from Day Fire in 2020! Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Dawson and Clint recount some of the best stories from the year! Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

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

This week Clint and I talked with Cynthia Ord. Cynthia is a native of Denver, CO, a world traveler, and an outdoor adventurer. Her day job is doing marketing strategy for local businesses. But in her free time, she likes to plan her next bicycle trip. You can see where her bicycle takes her at www.littlemissbiketour.com. In September of 2018, Cynthia hatched the idea to ride her bicycle across the country. This feat was accomplished less than a year later in the summer of 2019 when she cycled the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail by herself. Cynthia chose the most famous cross-America bicycle route and started planning. Here are some facts about the route, as well as the answers to the most common questions people have about her adventure. TransAmerica Bicycle Trail by the numbers Distance: 4,223 miles (6,796 kilometers) on paved roads and country highways Total climb: 219,855 feet (67,012 meters) States crossed: 10 (Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia)

This week we sat down with Nancy East and talked about the 10 essentials you need to carry in your daypack or backpack. The 10 Essentials are absolutely vital to every hike you go on, no matter what the environment or season, it’s important to individualize the rest of what you take in your pack, to suit your specific hike. Nancy walks us through each item and why it is necessary in our packs. Nancy East has been an avid hiker and backpacker for over 25 years. She has completed three 900-miler maps of the Smokies, and she and her friend Chris Ford achieved a fastest known time (FKT) record during the last Smokies-900 map. and thru hikes of the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Wonderland Trail, Tour du Mont Blanc and many regional trails. Nancy is also a member of Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, is on the founding board for the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund, and is a semi-retired small animal veterinarian. She spends a substantial amount of time these days advocating for and teaching hikers and backpackers how

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

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

This week we sat down with Laurel Creech. Laurel is an enthusiastic, self-motivated and entrepreneurial leader: locally, regionally and nationally . She currently serves as Nashville Tennessee's first Assistant Director for the Division of Sustainabi... This week we sat down with Laurel Creech. Laurel is an enthusiastic, self-motivated and entrepreneurial leader: locally, regionally and nationally . She currently serves as Nashville Tennessee's first Assistant Director for the Division of Sustainability in the Department of General Services. She oversees environmental initiatives including renewable energy, energy efficiency, green infrastructure, waste reduction practices and outreach/education. Laurel was asked to serve on a US delegation to the EU last year to visit 8 different EU cities to learn about what they are doing to combat climate change--regulatory, programs, and social norms. We talk about why the trip was put together, differences in policies, social norms and best practices. A

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

This week we talked with Chad Wykle, Southeast Director for The Land Trust For Tennessee and Taft Sibley who serves as President of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy and Project Manager for Waldens Ridge Park. We talk about how conservation gro... This week we talked with Chad Wykle, Southeast Director for The Land Trust For Tennessee and Taft Sibley who serves as President of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy and Project Manager for Waldens Ridge Park. We talk about how conservation groups, community leaders and volunteers are working hard to create a 200-acre Park on the flank of Signal Mountain Tennessee just minutes from downtown Chattanooga. Once complete, Walden Ridge Park will provide a range of mountain biking, bouldering and hiking opportunities. It was during that strenuous hike up the side of Walden’s Ridge that a big idea was born – what if we conserved the area and made it available as a multi-use park for climbers, hikers, and mountain bikers? Over the last few year

We are back, "part 2" with Hollee Brock, author and podcaster talking about experiences along the Camino de Santiago. Hollee shares her vision of a "Camino Ring" in Chattanooga Tennessee. We discuss the spiritual side of outdoor experiences and how nature can support personal growth and be a place to release your problems/issues and move on through a pilgrimage or even a hike. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at [dayfirepodcast.com](https://www.dayfirepodcast.com/) ----- This podcast is powered by [ZenCast.fm](https://zencast.fm)

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

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