Day Fire Podcast

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.

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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This week, we spoke with Rickey Gates via phone who is a Salomon Athlete. Rickey shares his story about running from coast to coast.

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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!

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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