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The word community is, without question, central to the human experience. It conveys a sense of togetherness and positivity. Being a part of a community can make us feel as though we are a part of something greater than ourselves. And in some outdoor pursuits, community is key for a safe and enjoyable experience. That is definitely true when it comes to whitewater kayaking.

In this episode I travel down to the Green River Ranch to take part in the Inaugural GRASS Festival, and I sit down with Crom Carey, event organizer extraordinaire and one of the founding members of WACKO. What is WACKO you ask? I’m glad you did. It’s the West Asheville Canoe & Kayak Club - an organization with a huge heart for community and giving back to non-profits that serve the whitewater communities both locally and nationwide. In fact, building outdoor community is what brought Crom and I together for this episode as we reflected on the Inaugural GRASS Festival…which stands for the Green River Access Spring Shindig. We talk about community building, the festival, American Whitewater, Green River Access fund, Big Adventures factory store, Green River Ranch and future plans for WACKO.

If you’ve been looking for a whitewater community to plug into, regardless of your paddling ability, this episode is for you. But even if you’re not a whitewater paddler, I think you’ll still enjoy hearing how one local outdoor community is growing with a purpose; bringing kayakers together, and giving back in a non-profit way.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
American Whitewater
Big Adventures
Green River Access Fund
WACKO (Facebook)
wacko.official (Instagram)

Mike Andress
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Damascus is a small town with a big claim to fame: Seven nationally known trails, including the Appalachian Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail intersect within the town’s borders.  The Damascus lifestyle is adventurous and creative, yet laid-back and well-paced. It’s a place where you can be super-active, or where you can reconnect with nature, rejuvenate, and find your inner peace. 

Damascus is also a gateway town to Mount Rogers, the highest point in the state of Virginia with a summit elevation of 5,729 feet, as well as nearby Whitetop Mountain, and Grayson Highlands State Park.

In this episode I travel to Damascus and sit down with Beaty Jackson, Town Council Member, gear rep for several outdoor brands, and full-time Damascus resident. We talk about what makes this town so authentically special, and how Damascus has found ways to turn their trails and other outdoor recreation resources into a source of local pride and community revitalization. We also talk about the biggest event of the year in Damascus, the Appalachian Trail Days Festival - known locally as 'Trail Days' - where the town celebrates the Appalachian Trail and thru-hiker culture, and a massive reunion of thru-hikers past and present.

Damascus is the type of place you have to experience, not just visit and leave…and each time I visit, the town reveals a little more of itself to me, and I leave with even more reasons to return.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Visit Damascus

Town of Damascus

Appalachian Trail Days Festival

Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Mission: Empower visitors, volunteers, local businesses, and the regional economy by connecting people to the region’s outdoor resources. Educate visitors and volunteers through exhibits, interpretation, and programming. Protect the A.T. Landscape by being a hub to learn about environmental stewardship.

Damascus Trail Center

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Grayson Highlands State Park

Destination by Design

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
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I recently had the privilege of attending the 4th Annual Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee, North Carolina, where 600 outdoor industry businesses, conservationists, public land managers, development experts, nonprofit & government leaders, and entrepreneurs are looking to grow the outdoor industry in their communities and craft an economy that’s intimately tied to the quality and health of their places.

I had the distinct honor of sitting down with D. Reid Wilson, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, who is implementing the largest investment in outdoor recreation in North Carolina’s history, and Gayle Conelly Manchin, Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. We talked about how the beauty and diversity of the natural assets in North Carolina and the Appalachian Region have helped to help grow the outdoor economy in the region. We talk about how mountain communities & gateway towns in the region are embracing their proximity to natural assets and outdoor recreation, and how they’re bolstering quality of life both for residents and potential outdoor recreation employers like manufacturers, guide services, lodging and food, and all sorts of artisans. We also discuss how businesses are drawn to communities that offer employees access to outdoor recreational opportunities & a higher quality of life.

Special Thanks & Recognition To:
Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians
Outdoor Economy Conference
WNC: MADE X MTNS
North Carolina Outdoor Industry Recreation Industry Office
Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC
Mountain BizWorks
Western Carolina University

Mike Andress
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828-551-9065
[email protected]

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The Hickory Nut Gorge is a magnificent jewel in the mountains of Western North Carolina. This 14-mile-long canyon cuts a picturesque pass exposing spectacular sheer granite cliffs, and contains an abundance of undisturbed forests.

In this episode, I sit down with Peter Barr who led the development of more than 20 miles of new sustainable trails as well as the legislative authorization of the planned 130-mile Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail network. He is a two-time national award-winning trail designer, receiving recognition for outstanding construction and design for the three-mile Wildcat Rock Trail in 2018, and the 8-mile Weed Patch Mountain Trail and Tunnel Trail in 2019, recognizing Weed Patch as one of the best new trails in the country by the national Coalition for Recreational Trails.

We talk about the vast natural beauty in this region, and how the Bearwallow Mountain Trail was made possible due to conserved land owned by Conserving Carolina, and how this project led to further conservation efforts that made the development of this extensive trail network possible.

The Hickory Nut Gorge is a special place, but what makes the trail system extra special is the collective effort of landowners, conservation groups, and talented trail designers & contractors, that has led to ultra-sustainable trails throughout the Gorge that will be protected forever. Join us as we take a closer look at this spectacular place and the people who have made it possible for all of us to explore such an amazing place, forever!

DISCOVER MORE
John Myers
Conserving Carolina
Carolina Mountain Club
Trail Dynamics
Vermont Conservation Crew
North Carolina Youth Conservation Corp
Chris “Shrimper” Khare
Single Track Trails
Coalition for Recreational Trails


Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

Podcast Website
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Instagram: explorationlocal

Send us Fan Mail

Nearly 10.2 million Americans today consider themselves digital nomads—people who travel and explore while working—and that number is only expected to go up. In fact, when COVID started to wreak havoc in 2020, the number of digital nomads in the US increased by nearly 50% from 2019. In the case of fulltime RV’ers Peter and Allison Barr, they started making plans for a 5-year journey around the United States long before the COVID Crisis. Drawing on years of extended summer excursions, spring breaks and vacations, Peter & Allison yearned for an opportunity to explore and create meaningful & lasting shared experiences together.

In this episode, I catch up with Peter and we talk about what led them to this lifestyle, some of the places they’ve traveled over the last year and half, where they’re headed next, and he shares insight as to how they make this dream that so many have, a reality.

If you’re interested in adopting this lifestyle as a part time or full-time endeavor…OR, you’re just intrigued by this lifestyle and it’s always been a dream, you’re going to enjoy Peter & Allison’s intentional and thoughtful approach to making this dream a reality. Either way, I know you’re going to enjoy this episode, and perhaps it may just be the impetus you need to start planning for your very own nomadic lifestyle.

Adventures Ahead

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

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It’s no surprise the last couple of years have been a challenge for small businesses. And it’s likely that we all know someone whose life and business has been adversely affected by the pandemic. We’ve seen longtime businesses struggle, companies pivot, bankruptcies filed, and doors closed. But thankfully there are also positive stories and good that has come about because of the pandemic too. There are stories of communities rallying to support local business, people looking to the outdoors as a respite for mental & physical health (sometimes for the first time), families opting to explore more local and regional assets in their communities, and a heightened general awareness of what is truly important in life.

 In this episode, I sit down with Scott Socha, Owner of Foot Rx Running, and we talk about how many of these themes played out in his personal life and how they chartered a different course for Foot Rx Running. And here’s the great part. You don’t have to be a serious runner to benefit from this episode. There is something here for all of us. Life lessons about evaluating what’s truly important in life, caring for our physical, mental and spiritual needs, and how we prioritize the things in life that matter the most to us. 

Of course, what would an episode about a running specialty shoe store be if we didn’t talk about shoes? Scott lays down knowledge about  the use of footwear, and even orthotics, to help ease and treat lower extremity related problems, and he provides helpful advice to make your next trail run or casual hike fun and pain free. 

 We also celebrate the upcoming opening of their second store in the Brevard community in just a couple of weeks.  

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

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In this episode, I head to Banner Elk, NC to visit with Tracy Tilley & Sheri Moretz for a behind the scenes look at the iconic Mast General Store. We take a trip back in time and learn how the Mast's down-home way of doing business is still alive today. Drawing on it's own story of resurgence, its no surprise that part of what adds to the nostalgic charm of the Mast General Store experience is their intentional alignment with areas undergoing revitalization. Buildings at every Mast location have interesting stories to tell about their hometowns.

The Original Mast General Store was built in 1883 and is located in Valle Crucis, NC. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the best remaining examples of an old country general store. When you visit a Mast General Store  you feel like you’ve truly stepped back into a by-gone era. The historical locations, squeaky wood floors, antique fixtures, relics, enormously helpful & knowledgeable staff, wide range of daily necessities, and variety of goods from fashion to fried chicken cookbooks and toffee to tents, all collectively add to the experience.

Mast General Store Website
Valle Crucis

LOCATIONS
Original Location in Valle Crucis, NC
Asheville, NC
Boone , NC
Columbia, SC
Greenville, SC
Hendersonville , NC
Knoxville, TN
Roanoke, VA
Waynesville , NC
Winston-Salem, NC 

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

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Our public lands are among the most visited in the Southern Blue Ridge. The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests receive over 10 million visitors annually, and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are in the top 3 most visited parks in the Country. DuPont State Recreational Forest had its most crowded year ever last year, recording 1.3 million visitors. People love coming here and we can’t blame them. But declining budgets have stressed the U.S. Forest Service and led to closures at campgrounds, picnic areas, trails, & roads. In the last 20 years we’ve lost over 100 miles of trail in WNC. Besides the inability to explore these closed areas, there are also significant ecological implications with abandoned trails and roads.

 In this episode I sit down with Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist with Mountain True, a Nonprofit organization that champions resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities. We talk about how a powerful plea to the Chief of the N.C. Forest Service led to a revised & sustainable forest service plan in 1994, and likely saved the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests from the Forest Plan at the time that called for cutting nearly the entire forest over a 100-year period. Josh shares his thoughts on the long overdue Forest Plan draft revision that was just completed, and how Mountain True hopes their work and influence will be reflected in the final draft. We also briefly discuss other ways Mountain True helps protect the places we share.

SUGGESTED READING/WATCHING
Download the 2022 Revised Forest Plan
Make Your Voice Heard on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan
Submit your comments through the Forest Service Portal
The U.S. Forest Service has revised the land management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests
VIDEO: Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Plan Revision Overview
Article: Plans to quadruple logging in US’s most popular forest

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Mountain True
Pisgah National Forest
Nantahala National Forest
Dupont State Recreational Forest
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Blue Ridge Parkway
U.S. Forest Service
Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA)
Carolina Mountain Club
Western North Carolina Alliance
UNC Asheville

QUICK STATS
-1.8 million acres of public land in WNC
-80% of Public Lands in WNC covered in forest 
-5 million acres in the region
-Nantahala National Forest 531,148 acres
-Pisgah National Forest 500,000 acres
-1,031,148 total acres in NNF and PNF
-Only 10% are old growth forest
-2000 species of native plants
-Over 200 series of nesting songbirds
-Over 100 species of native fish
-80 species of reptiles and amphibians

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

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In this episode, I sit down with Kieran Roe, Executive Director of Conserving Carolina and we talk about how this organization works to protect & restore natural resources, as well as inspire others to love and care for our natural world.

We talk about some of the areas that make up the 46,000 acres Conserving Carolina has helped to protect like Chimney Rock State Park, DuPont State Recreational Forest, Headwaters State Forest, as well as additions to the Green River Game Land and Pisgah National Forest. We also talk about how Conserving Carolina spearheaded the 100+-mile Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail, and the new 19 mile Ecusta Trail Greenway that will stretch from Hendersonville to Brevard.

Conservation, stewardship, and the protection of natural resources will be one of our focuses this year and I invite you to listen in as we lean in to these areas a little more.

Mike Andress, Host
 Exploration Local Podcast
Email: [email protected]

Website Link
Instagram: explorationlocal
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/explorationlocal/ 

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal

Send us Fan Mail

We have a special episode in store for you today as we focus in on our Top 5 Most Listened To Episodes of 2021…but with a little different twist. This year I hit rewind and invited our guests back on to bring us up to speed with anything new they have going on. You are DEFINITELY going to want to listen in because there are some pretty RAD things happening here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This episode is going to mark the end of 2021, but I’ll be back in late January to kick off 2022. I cannot wait for you to hear the episodes we have lined up for 2022.

TOP 5 Episodes of 2021
 
WNC Outdoor Collective: A Gathering Place For Outdoor Makers, Retailers, Enthusiasts & Adventurers
Episode 34 

Something In The Saluda Air Fills The Heart And Soul
Episode 36 

Fonta Flora State Trail: Connecting Mountains, Waterways & Main Streets From Morganton to Asheville
Episode 45 

Old Fort Trails Project Partnership Aims To Help Build A Healthy & Economically Vibrant Community
Episode 46 

Kitsbow: On A Mission To Make Riding Better, And To Make The Apparel Industry Better (Made In The USA)
Episode 49 

Check Out Last Year's Top 5
Tribute To Our Top 5 Episodes of 2020

Mike Andress, Host
 Exploration Local Podcast
Email: [email protected]

Website Link
Instagram: explorationlocal
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/explorationlocal/ 

Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]

Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal