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Day Fire Podcast
Day Fire Podcast
Author: Dawson Wheeler
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© 2019
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Welcome to Day Fire Podcast! We talk everything outdoors for beginners to hardcore athletes. You'll learn about outdoor experiences, equipment, training tips, places to go, and hear from local athletes and seasoned outdoor professionals.
272 Episodes
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This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Travis Jolly. Travis is a very humble, smart and dang fast cyclist that excels with the road turns to dirt or trails. He works at Bike Zoo bike shop in Knoxville, TN. He is 30 years old and was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up as a child and throughout his teenage years he was primarily a track and cross country runner. After putting college on hold is when he started his cycling life primarily as a fixed gear cyclist. Travis is a bike mechanic, and not long after moving to Knoxville in November of 2019. He wanted to live somewhere new and expand his life as a cyclist in a place with mountains. Travis dabbles with every category of cycling every once in a while. But he has found that his heart and legs enjoy soaking up the beauty of the forests and mountains that surround his newfound home on a single speed mountain bike. A few results of many, USA cycling Marathon Mountain Biking World Championships 2nd place Single Speed. 3rd at 2025 Cohutta Cat BUT he rode his bike there (Mulberry Gap) from Knoxville adding 180 miles and 20k of climbing in a day. Won TNGA in 2024 on a single speed to mention a few.
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
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This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Lee Davis and talked about the new Sequatchie 24 cycling event that will be in Dunlap Tn on June 13th and 14th. Lee is a Signal Mountain Tennessee resident who has a passion for endurance cycling. Lee has competed many times in the Natchez 444 and last year the Psycho 48. The event will be managed and directed by cycling guru Shannon Burke. Shannon has mapped out all of Bike TN https://bike.tnvacation.com routes around the state of Tennessee and will be releasing early this year 40 new gravel routes around the state of Tennessee. The Sequatchie 24 will have three distances this year. A 75 mile route, a 150 mile route and a 24 hour division. URL for website with more info: https://www.cyclesequatchie.com/ultra
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
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This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Matt Schweiker. Matt has shared his adventures with us many times. This week we wanted to talk about a 7 month trip Matt took through South America in 2015. The Countries he covered were; Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and a small part of Chile. This might have been the trip that got Matt racing and adventuring on the bike world wide. Matt Schweiker is an adventure bike packer and ultra endurance racer. He’s completed the Bikepacking Triple Crown: Tour Divide, Arizona Trail 800 and Colorado Trail. He’s raced internationally completing the Silk Road Mountain Race, Trans Balkan and Hellenic Mountain Race. His travels on bike have taken him to over 25 countries. He lives in Chattanooga TN and currently serves as the race director for the Cohutta Cat Bikepacking event.
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
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This week we sat down with Ali Whittier. This is the second time Ali has joined us to talk about adventure and bike racing. Ali lives in the same community as we do which is Chattanooga Tn and because of that I hear a lot about her. Ali appears to me to be something like the sun; a source of energy and power for so many people both on and off the bike. I know her by reputation and we could all only wish for such positive affirmation.
A little about her; "Ali Whittier is a dedicated professional and endurance athlete who brings energy, curiosity, and resilience to everything she does. She balances a demanding career with a deep passion for cycling and outdoor adventure. Ali is known for her commitment to personal growth and her willingness to push herself in both sport and life. When she’s not on the bike, she’s exploring the outdoors, building strength, or diving into new challenges. She’s motivated by connection, storytelling, and finding meaning in the process of showing up every day."
Here is one of the lessons; "showing up every day".
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
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This week we sat down with Brittney Whorton. Brittney is a bright light in the world whose story should motivate everyone. She is a powerful, smart and funny woman who has met challenges head on and chosen to see the world in the most beautiful way.
Brittney writes; "So when you see me push myself physically, know that I won the mental battle years ago, my body is just trying to catch up and soak in every single moment! Pushing myself to greater heights. Dumber things. BIGGER THINGS! Pushing myself to be something that defies every dang odd that was laid out for me by some pretty brilliant medical professionals. Because my amazing team of docs were always terrified of what riding a bike could do to me as my back and hip had been properly destroyed!!! But, I knew I didn’t have a choice but to ride.Turns out, they saved my insides and were able to stop the growth of a pretty nasty chronic disease. But riding a bike saved my life!!! And I’m going to live every moment incredibly grateful for the achievements mom and I made with my health; but if you see fear, it is fear that I stop short of my goals and don’t find my true physical limit. There is no mental limit, that battle was fought and won years ago. A physical limit looms out there, maybe, I don’t really know, but I want to do everything I can to try and find where the physical wins over this mind.
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We have started a new series on the Dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 6 of 6 . In this episode we continue to talk about Tennessee Parks and where you can go to view, hike and enjoy Fall leaf colors. We also cover beautiful drives that you can enjoy the Fall colors from your vehicle. We go down a few rabbit holes and discuss economic development in rural Tn and solve a few world problems along the way; haha.
Currently, Arch is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.
Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks.
Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/
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We have started a new series on the Dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 5. In this episode we talk about Tennessee Park where you can go to view, hike and enjoy Fall leaf colors. We also cover beautiful drives that you can enjoy the Fall colors from your vehicle.
Currently, Arch is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.
Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks.
Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 4. In this episode we talk about small towns, dinners and hidden gems around the state. Arch shares some favorite spots and tons of facts and boy did I learn some new places to go.
Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.
Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks.
Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 3. In this episode we talk about some of Tennessee's most unique festivals and fairs. Have you ever been to Tennessee's Renaissance Festival? It's a must go for 2026 or how about the Cornbread Festival or the SlawBurger Festival? Tennessee is home to many awesome communities, with rich histories that include all kinds of fun. So sit back, grab a notepad and plan some new experiences for 2026 in the great state of Tennessee.
Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.
Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks.
Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 2. In this episode we discuss how passion for the state of Tennessee turned to a business. Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.
Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks.
Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. In 2024, he and his family made stops in all 95 counties and saw over 40 Tennessee State Parks and 20 Natural Areas in 12 months as well as every single National Park site in TN. In addition to that, he has visited over 100 museums in Tennessee and currently in 2025 is on a quest to finish the state parks while also visiting over 300 Tennessee local businesses to support economic development.
His passion for Tennessee started early as he traveled across Tennessee with his family on work trips or hunting and fishing excursions. He has an unabated love for Meat and 3’s, less traveled Waterfalls and unique experiences only afforded to those who search harder.
Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor.
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
Powered by: Arch About TN
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are back with part 6 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. If you have missed the first 5 podcasts in this series please give them a listen. This week we again have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails.
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Group
Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/
Site Seven Campers: https://sitesevencampers.com/
Dayfire Company: https://dayfirecompany.com/
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are back with part 5 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. If you have missed the first 4 podcasts in this series please give them a listen. This week we again have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails.
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Group
Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/
Site Seven Campers: https://sitesevencampers.com/
Dayfire Company: https://dayfirecompany.com/
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are back with part 4 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. This week we have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails.
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Group
AND:
Site Seven Campers: https://sitesevencampers.com/
Dayfire Company: https://dayfirecompany.com/
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are back with part 3 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee's Jenni Veal and Shannon Burke. Jenni has been working to serve rural Tennessee communities for three years as the Rural Destination Development Manager with the TN Department of Tourist Development. In that role, she helped develop the state’s Bike Tennessee initiative in partnership with Shannon Burke. Jenni recently moved into a new position within the department to serve as the Outdoor Tourism Development Manager, in which she will continue to manage and grow that program, as well as additional outdoor tourism initiatives. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN.
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
Powered by: Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Dealers
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are back with part 2 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee's Jenni Veal and Shannon Burke. Jenni has been working to serve rural Tennessee communities for three years as the Rural Destination Development Manager with the TN Department of Tourist Development. In that role, she helped develop the state’s Bike Tennessee initiative in partnership with Shannon Burke. Jenni recently moved into a new position within the department to serve as the Outdoor Tourism Development Manager, in which she will continue to manage and grow that program, as well as additional outdoor tourism initiatives. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN.
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
Powered by: Chattanooga Concrete - Serving Chattanooga, Nashville, Knoxville, and Atlanta! www.chattanoogaconcreteco.com
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Dealers
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are proud to announce a new 6 part series with Bike Tennessee. This week we sat down with Jenni Veal and Shannon Burke. Jenni has been working to serve rural Tennessee communities for three years as the Rural Destination Development Manager with the TN Department of Tourist Development. In that role, she helped develop the state’s Bike Tennessee initiative in partnership with Shannon Burke. Jenni recently moved into a new position within the department to serve as the Outdoor Tourism Development Manager, in which she will continue to manage and grow that program, as well as additional outdoor tourism initiatives. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN.
Powered by:
Chattanooga Concrete: www.chattanoogaconcreteco.com
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Dealers
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson discuss plans for a new format being Fall 2024. In the meantime we will pull podcasts from the vault of over 255 episodes. And we will dol a few podcasts when possible. Our goal is to develop a new show format and also do a whole lot of adventuring this Spring, Summer and Fall.
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
Powered by: Rock Creek Outfitters - www.rockcreekoutfitters.com
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Dealers
Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/
RoofingCo.com: www.roofingco.com
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
Dawson is back in the studio AND he has put together 4 short stories from a few recent episodes that he really likes! So - give them a listen and share!
Story 1: Episode 242 - A Couple Screws Loose / Cameron Muilenburg
Story 2: Episode 236 - Chris Joice / Single Speed
Story 3: Episode 243 - Shifting Gears With Meaghan Hackinen
Story 4: Episode 238 - Jay Curwen: Let’s Race
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Dealers
Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/
RoofingCo.com: www.roofingco.com
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
Dawson is out this week and we were fortunate enough to have Jason Finnell step in and co-host with Clint. Jason is an avid outdoor enthusiast and has been on Day Fire multiple times. Jason invited some of his friends from SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) to join us in-studio. Philip Darden - Executive Director and Jen Flavin - Development Director, stopped by and we talked about SORBA's mission, the challenges, the opportunities, their successes, and much more! It was a fun conversation and as you would expect - included stories and laughter!
More about SORBA from their website www.sorba.org:
Since 1989, The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association has worked to ensure that our public lands offer fun, challenging and sustainable mountain biking for all mountain bikers. As the leading mountain biking organization in the southeast, we believe everyone should have access to the social, physical, and mental benefits that mountain biking provides.
Through advocacy, education and resource sharing, SORBA and its forty-seven chapters envision a future where mountain biking is at the center of healthy, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable communities throughout the Southeast, with well-planned, accessible, and progressive trail systems.
SORBA relies on our generous members to carry out our mission. Our volunteers donate thousands of hours each year to advocate for trail access, raise funds for trail development, build trails, and maintain trails. Please support our cause Join SORBA today! Or donate!
SORBA and its Chapters are 501c organizations. SORBA has chapters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. All contributions are tax deductible.
Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com
Sponsored by:
Mountain View Auto Dealers
Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/
RoofingCo.com: www.roofingco.com
This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
















