Day Fire Podcast

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.

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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. And what can be replicable in the US.

Laurel also shares a big announcement for Nashville Tennessee relating to solar energy.

Previously, Laurel held three positions in the Office of the Mayor for Karl Dean including Sustainability Director, Livability Director and Chief Service Officer. As one of the first ten Chief Services, she has led the development of Cities of Service, a national movement to connect citizens to the greatest needs of cities in the United States. In addition to advising other Chief Service Officers across the country, Laurel served as the US delegate for the launch of Cities of Service UK.

In the Mayor's Office, Laurel also led sustainability and healthy living projects, events and initiatives including the implementation of the Green Ribbon Committee Report, Open Space Plan, and Stormbusters city-resiliency blueprint.

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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 advocating for and teaching hikers and backpackers how to stay “safe and found.” She creates resources for this outdoor education effort on her blog, Hope and Feather Travels.

Chris served 22 years on active duty with the US Air Force before retiring in 2007. He transitioned to the private sector working full-time for several years in the defense industry, and today, he continues to work as a senior consultant. Slowing down the work schedule allowed Chris to spend more time doing the things he loves and to figure out the house husband gig! After 34 years of marriage, Jamie continues his training of the “Honey Do” list, and when Chris has his house chores somewhat caught up, his first plan usually has to do with the mountains…they keep calling, and Chris keeps going…a lot!

Since 2015, Chris has hiked 8,000+ miles completing thru hikes on the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and four 900-miler maps of the Great Smoky Mountains.

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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?

Work continued and partners secured key grants from the state’s Recreational Trails Program Grant, Lyndhurst Foundation, Hydroflask, Riverview Foundation, and REI to get the project moving forward, and they selected IMBA Trail Solutions, a world-class trail building organization, to create a comprehensive plan for the property.

Now, the partners have started the trail building and construction phase. With a final fundraising push, the partners are aiming to open by Fall 2021.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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This week we spoke with Clay Watson, who was born and raised in Southeast Tennessee. Clay has been employed at Mountain View Ford Lincoln for 24 years and is currently a Partner in the Mountain View Auto Group. Also, President of Mountain View Motorsports. But our talk with Clay is about fly fishing all around the world. Clay learned how to fish from his father and Grandfather in the Lakes and streams of Tennessee. He was introduced to saltwater in the 80's when his grandfather retired to the Florida Keys. In the 90's he became a fly fishing guide in Jackson, Wyoming. Clay has been fortunate enough to fish all over the Rocky Mountain West, Louisiana, the Florida Panhandle and Keys, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina and New Zealand. His motto passed down by his grandfather is, "Work hard so you can play hard." That’s exactly what he has done.

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This week we talked with Mike Wilkinson. Mike Wilkinson is a filmmaker and photographer in Lexington, Kentucky, the main person behind the curtain at Wilkinson Visual. For more than 15 years, Mike has been producing and directing video production projects. His passion is creating documentary-style films related to outdoor adventure, travel, and conservation. Mike produced a film about Ice Climbing in Kentucky which is fabulous and a must watch. This adventure documentary takes the audience for a bourbon-fueled ride deep into the bushy hollers of Appalachia with a crew of harmless misfits as they race to search out and climb new ice routes before they're gone, with a few surprises along the way. https://www.wilkinsonvisual.com/kentucky-ice-climbing-film

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This week we talked with Jeff Woody. On August 25, 2020, he completed all of the trails in the GSMNP (aka Great Smoky Mountains 900 Miler Club) in the Fastest Known Time of 33 days and 9 hours…beating the previous record of 43 days set by Benny Braden in 2017. Jeff is a Life-long backpacker and hiker with some mountaineering experience that includes summits of Mt. Rainier, several 14’rs in Colorado, and Illiniza Sur (Ecuador- 17,218 feet). He discovered a passion for long distance trail running around the age of 40 years old and have since completed over 70 ultra marathon races, including an ultra in every state…19 of the races at distances of 100 miles or greater.

Numerous adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park:

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