True to the Trail Podcast

A former chef, restaurant consultant, and culinary school professor, Shannon Waters is the owner and CBC at Gastro Gnome, a backcountry food company that creates super tasty, travel ready meals for people who appreciate great food as much as they enjoy getting outside.  Formally trained at The French Culinary Institute in New York, Shannon went on to hold positions at some of the best restaurants in the country and gain skills and technique from renowned Chefs.  Her love of cooking and the outdoors collided when she packed a heavy cast iron pan into the backcountry. That’s when she realized that if she was going to enjoy a great adventure and a great meal, she was going to have to find a solution for packable meals. That’s how Gastro Gnome got its start.More Information:Gastro Gnome homeFollow Gastro Gnome on Instagram

Jason Wickens is founder of Live From the Divide, in Bozeman, Montana and principal in Wickens Ranch Beef.  Live From the Divide hosts songwriters in their intimate music venue on the north side of town, and Jason’s family beef operation supplies local restaurants and homes with sustainably raised beef in Winifred, Montana. We talk to Jason about the founding of one of the country's most unique music venues and his personal journey over the past two years to go back home and work with his family.  More Information:Live From the DivideWickens Ranch beefFollow Wickens Ranch on InstagramFollow Live From the Divide on Instagram

Known for his ability to capture stories in the most remote corners of the world, Max Lowe is  a renowned director and photographer who captures stories in the most remote corners of our planet in search for adventure and narratives. Max began his career with National Geographic in 2012 with a Young Explorers Grant, and then went on to work with National Geographic Magazine, Men's Journal, Outside Magazine and numerous other outdoor publications.  In recent years, Max has directed, shot and produced numerous award-winning short documentary films that garnered screen time at festivals such as Cannes, Tribeca and Indi Short Docs, and most recently directed a feature documentary film “TORN” with National Geographic channel that chronicles his family’s complex relationships in the wake of his father Alex Lowe’s death in 1999.  More Information:"Torn" homepageMax Low MediaFollow Max Lowe on Instagram or Vimeo

Earl B. Hunter, Jr is an experienced business leader across multiple industries.   Mr. Hunter is the Founder and President of Black Folks Camp Too — a marketing-driven business whose mission is to increase diversity in the outdoor industry by making it easier, more interesting and more fun for Black folks to go camping. At the heart of Black Folks Camp Too is the belief that once black folks become more active campers and begin enjoying the outdoor lifestyle - this will help break down barriers to create more inclusive communities and stronger relationships overall.  We talk to Earl about his journey with Black Folks Camp Too, the power of the Unity Blaze, how we can all become part of the conversation and an exciting new product launch with Oboz.  

Ben Gabriel has led Wild Montana since 2017, providing vision and strategic leadership to execute the organization's mission. of uniting and mobilizing people across Montana, creating and growing a conservation movement around a shared love of wild public lands and waters. Wild Montana works at the local level,  fostering collaboration, and forging agreements for protecting the wild, enhancing public land access, and helping communities thrive. Ben talks about leading this cutting edge organization as it faces new and old obstacles. More Information:Wild MontanaFollow Wild Montana on Instagram or FacebookSupport Wild Montana

For the past 24 years, Dan Stahler has worked in Yellowstone National Park as lead biologist for the Yellowstone Wolf Project as well as  project leader of the Yellowstone Cougar Project.More recently, Dan and his colleagues Doug Smith and Daniel MacNulty edited Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World's First National Park, a gripping and accessible celebration of the extraordinary Yellowstone Wolf Project.  We talk to Dan about his journey to become a lead wildlife biologist and the world’s fascination with the wild wolves of Yellowstone.   More Information:Yellowstone Wolf ProjectYellowstone Cougar ProjectMore on Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World's First National Park

Kristen is the founder of Bearfoot Theory, an online community that inspires people to get outside by developing an outdoor skillset that prepares people for wherever their adventures take them.  We talk to her about how she started Bearfoot Theory, the explosion of van life culture, going on a digital fast and what’s is next for her thriving outdoor community.   More Information:Bearfoottheory.comBearfoot Theory on InstagramBearfoot Theory YouTube Channel

Jay Broccolo is a Weather Observer and Meteorologist at Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire.  Jay’s responsibilities include hourly weather observations and 6-hourly synoptic weather observations.  These observations are reported to the National Weather Service in the form of a METAR report, which is the 'code' weather stations, the FAA, and all of the weather organizations across the world use to disseminate weather data.  Jay talks about working at a place that is "home of the world's worst weather" and the importance of weather data.    More Information:Mount Washington Observatory Follow MWOBS on InstagramCheck out MWOBS on FacebookSee Marty the Cat

Jackie Nourse is the host of the international hit podcast JUMP with Traveling Jackie and founder of JUMP Experiences, where she leads adventure trips and retreats for her audience. She explores living life with courage through her personal blog Traveling Jackie, and she is also the founder of The Budget-Minded Traveler blog and online community.  We talk to Jackie about all manner of travel, inspiring others, and overcoming adversity.More Information:TravelingJackie.com JUMP ExperiencesJUMP PodcastInstagramFacebookYouTube

Robin Hill is Executive Director of Big Sky Youth Empowerment based here in Bozeman.  BYEP is an organization that empowers at-risk youth through outdoor programs and life altering workshops designed to promote opportunities in their lives.  Robin speaks about the power of changing kids lives, his own journey to his position and why the outdoors are so important.  More Information:Visit BYEP online.Donate to BYEP here.See Robin's Film, "Local Voices" here.Visit the all-new Bozeman Collection.

We speak with Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, Cam Sholly.  Superintendent Sholly has worked in the National Park Service for the better part of the past 29 years, including his previous stint as the National Park Service’s Midwest Regional Director and a time at Yosemite National Park.  Sholly is a U.S. Army veteran who served in both infantry and combat military police assignments.  He earned Bachelor’s Degree in Management from St. Mary’s College of California, holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Duke University, and is a graduate of the Harvard University Senior Executive Fellows Program.  He talks to us today about the challenges and opportunities of managing the iconic Yellowstone National Park. 

We are joined by David Quammen, an American science, nature and travel writer and the author of numerous books, including Song of the Dodo, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, and Spillover, a stirring book about viruses going from humans from wildlife.  So, you might say he has been busy during this COVID pandemic. He was a columnist for Outside Magazine for 15 years, and his articles have also appeared in National Geographic, Harper's, Rolling Stone, the New Yorker and many others.  He has 3 National Magazine Awards, he’s a Rhode Scholar, and received a Guggenheim fellowship.  We are excited to talk to David today about his writings on Yellowstone National Park, the paradoxes if represents and the wonder of the world's first National Park.More Information:Visit David Quammen online.Read David's recent articles in the New Yorker here.See David's books on Amazon or at Country Bookshelf in Bozeman.Read aforementioned National Geographic issue on Yellowstone National Park. 

EJ Porth is Associate Director of Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT), a non-profit that specializes in connecting people, communities, and open lands through conservation, and the creation of trails in the Montana headwaters of the Missouri and Upper Yellowstone Rivers.  EJ talks about how access to open lands and trails can keep communities vibrant and how getting the next generation engaged is critical to success of organizations like GVLT.More Information:GLVT HomeSummer Trails ChallengeGive to GVLTGVLT InstagramGVLT Facebook

Shanti Hodges is founder of Hiking My Way, a business built around adventure + wellness retreats for women.  Shanti is also a book author, retreat leader, product and brand consultant and adventure content producer.  Shanti talks about getting families outdoors, the power of women’s adventure groups and how the outdoor communities power her every day. More information:Hiking My WayHike It Baby

Curt Smith is the President of Schnee’s, a landmark retailer in the downtown Bozeman, Montana landscape.  Curt talks about how they are faring in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, lessons learned over the past few months, the future of specialty retail and how Bozeman helps his business prosper.More information:Visit Schnees onlineCoast to Coast Walk in UKCurt Smith (the other one from Tear For Fears) singing "Mad World" with his daughter.

A conversation with John Leary, Executive Director of Trees for the Future, an organization that helps give African families the ability to transition from unsustainable farming techniques to a Forest Garden system.  Learn how they are making a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people through the planting of trees.More information:Oboz Footwear's Tabora ProjectOboz's One More Tree events.Throw Shade during April: donate a tree in the name of a friend.  International Organization of MigrantsUnited Nation Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)SUPPORT Trees for the Future

Welcome to the Oboz True to the Trail Podcast, where we explore the beauty and power of the outdoors through voices in the Oboz world… from Bozeman and beyond.   From the gear we use and the people who build them to the places we love and the people who help us enjoy and protect them – we’ll learn what being true to the trail means to them and the “O”-moments that inspired them. We have a great lineup of guests and we’re excited to share their stories and insights.  The rivers and mountains surrounding Bozeman has lured many an outdoors person.  Including yours truly – we are going to speak to many of these passionate souls and others further away about their outdoor experiences and how the outdoors inspires them and those around them. For any comments about this show or suggestions for future episodes, shoot us a note at podcast@obozfootwear.com.   Have a great day, be safe, and remember - stay true to the trail.