DF Connection

The juniper tree is an iconic tree across Central and Eastern Oregon and yet, in some places they are being removed. Find out the real scoop about this unique tree from Gena Goodman-Campbell who is the Stewardship Director at ONDA (Oregon Natural Desert Association) where she works to engage volunteers in hands-on restoration projects in Oregon's high desert habitats. Gena has been a key membe...

Today we meet with Patti Lynch, a former Law Enforcement officer, to talk about Search and Rescue and what that looks like in times of trouble.  When should you call Search and Rescue and what happens on their side to deploy a rescue. As a cyclist, what should you carry that will really make a difference when things go south. This podcast is produced by Dirty Freehub, a nonprofit organization that...

Learn about Joseph, which is a town in Eastern Oregon, as Chris talks with Jude Graham who is the Wallowa County Museum Curator. They discuss history, art, culture, events and activities. Among other things, Joseph even hosts a qualifier for the Iditarod! With so much great gravel cycling in Joseph, we are sure this will just give you one more reason to book a trip. -------------------------------...

Meet Harley Rustad, author of “Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees.” In this episode, Dirty Freehub’s Sarah Burch interviews Harley about his book for the READ & RIDE program. Learn what inspired Harley to write Big Lonely Doug, how his book has impacted the ecotourism and environmental movements, and so much more! This podcast is part of READ & RIDE, a program f...

Let's meet Ken Wu, former Executive Director and co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, who has spent years protecting ancient forests in British Columbia, including being a major player in protecting the Big Lonely Doug.  Ken tells how he named the iconic Doug Fir tree which is located in Vancouver Island. He also talks about how the indigenous people of Canada play a vital role in protec...

Meet TJ Watt, Big Tree Hunter and co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance. TJ is an award-winning nature and conservation photographer from British Columbia whose images have helped bolster campaigns to secure the protection of important environmental areas. In this episode, TJ explains how he got interested in big trees, what it's like to climb into old-growths, and how he came about his Be...

In Yachats, Oregon the town pays tribute to indigenous heritage through a story about Amanda.  How did this one story come to represent the history of the local tribe? Joanne Kittel started out wanting to donate 1/2 miles of land in Yachats, Oregon to support the Oregon Coast Trail.  This turned into 30 years of research and advocacy work about the local tribes. Joanne has written numerous article...

This podcast explorers how Kristen and Ville Jokinen met and fell in love while scuba diving in Vietnam. Ville then left his native Finland to join Kristen in Oregon, and together they embarked on a life-changing two-year cycling adventure covering 18,000 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina. Despite never having cycled further than around the block, they persevered unrelenting, p...

In March 2022, Chris Cole, a local Bend artist, installed a new sculpture in the Discovery West neighborhood. This new public art in Bend, Oregon is a tribute to Annie Londonderry, the first women to bicycle around the world in 1894 and 1895. The seven foot tall, inverted pyramid design includes decorative bike cogs, ship window, and illuminated image of Annie and a descriptive plaque. Visitors ca...

In Southern Arizona you might be lucky enough to see Sonoran pronghorns . In this podcast, we learn from Stephanie Fuest, the lead wildlife biologist for the recovery of the endangered Sonoran pronghorn. She walks us through the history of the species in the area, recovery efforts, and best practices should you encounter one while riding. She also explains what is different about them, compared to...

What is a fish hatchery? Why are they important? What fish do they raise? What impacts the survival of the fish? Our guest is Kyle Bratcher who is a District Fish Biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and he will discuss fish hatcheries with an emphasis on the Wallowa Hatchery in Enterprise, OR. We promise, the next time you ride by a fish hatchery, you are going to have a whol...

Ever visited a location from your favorite book? Cool, right? Dirty Freehub's new READ & RIDE allows you to do just that! READ & RIDE matches 5-star gravel routes with books to create a memorable journey. Read to learn, then ride to bring the pages to life! No worries if books aren't your jam — you can still learn about the places you'll ride through podcasts, videos, and more....

The Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon have the most complicated and longest geological history of any range in Oregon. In this podcast, we talk with Dr. Kim Ely, a geologist, about this unique and beautiful area. You will learn how to "untangle what you see" when riding in the Wallowas! For the full transcript and bonus information, go to the podcast on our webpage. ------------------------...

Thinking about transitioning from road riding to gravel cycling?  Join us in a fun conversation between Linda English (aka Gravel Girl and Executive Director of Dirty Freehub) and Kira Corbett (overall badass in cycling) as we talk about everything around the challenges and joys to making the switch from road to gravel.  From route planning, what to expect in gravel, riding etiquette and...

WebCyclery , a bike shop in Bend, Oregon is celebrating their 25th anniversary. Let's catch up with Owner, Kevin Gorman as he talks about how it all began.  What makes WebCyclery different and the story behind moving the shop into a former church. How has his family been involved in building the business and what is Kevin's favorite Central Oregon gravel route.  Dirty Freehub is a n...

Have you ever driven through Paisley, Oregon and noticed the advertisement for the Paisley Mosquito Festival? Is it really a festival about mosquitos? Today we talk with one of the festival's organizers, Amy Davis, to learn about a festival that may very well involve mosquitoes. Sure would be fun to polish off the Milk and Honey  gravel bike route and then head on over to the Mosquito Fe...

The Milky Way is a stainless steel sculpture that is located at Shevlin Park Road and Mt Washington Drive in Bend, Oregon.  In this podcast, Pete Stein interviews Devin Field who was the artist behind this fun piece.  Listen in as we learn about how the art was commissioned and then how we designed and built this sculpture.  Also, The Milky Way is a lit sculpture; learn about w...

We all know that it is important to spend where we ride .... to support the local economy. But do all dollars spent have the same impact? In this podcast, we explore that premise with Thomas Barr, the Vice President of Business Development for Local First Arizona . Local First Arizona is a nonprofit working to build equitable systems for Arizona’s local businesses, those businesses that create a v...

Riding on obscure Tuscon trails, we ran across amazing art that was created out of rocks carefully arranged in the sand to form very cool figures.  A huge rabbit, a heart, a wolf howling in a moonlight, a horse, a hummingbird .... we also ran across the original artist, Karen Garno, who was busy working on her latest masterpiece.  Listen in on this podcast as Gravel Girl interviews Karen...

Rattlesnakes scare the bejeezus out of most of us. But ... should they really? In this podcast, learn more about rattlesnakes and what to do if you do get bit out in the wild. Our guest is Dr. Nick Brandehoff of the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation .  Nick is board-certified in emergency medicine, medical toxicology, and addiction medicine with a passion for herpetology and a specialization in...

This is a thought provoking interview about bikepacking racing etiquette and preparation with Kait Boyle, the co-founder and Education Director for Bikepacking Routes.  She returns to answer more Leave No Trace (LNT) questions from listener-generated questions.  We dive into the summer's events surrounding the large number of SAR rescues on the Tour Divide 2022, how to apply Leave No Tra...

As straightforward as it may sound, navigating a gravel route is much more than following a line on your bike computer or phone. We chat with Executive Director of Dirty Freehub, Linda English, to share some navigation topics to think about (and practice) along with some comical stories while navigating. What are the common mistakes cyclists make in navigation? Should you use a phone or a bik...

The playful, retro "Greetings From" murals across Central Oregon bring back fond memories of the postcards that were a huge hit with tourists in the mid 20th century. These murals are part of the The Central Oregon Mural Trail and are created by Karen Eland and Katie Daisy for Visit Central Oregon . In an interview with Karen Eland, learn about the back story of these fascinating murals; how are t...

Bikepacking in bear country, what should you do with your gear that will attract bears? Wet trails, what are the best practices for Leave No Trace? Kait Boyle returns to answer more of your questions. Kait is the co-founder of Bikepacking Roots and serves as its Education Director.  Bikepacking Roots has worked with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to create the Ride Where You Lov...

Lael Wilcox is American ultra-endurance bike racer who holds women's records in the Tour Divide and Trans Am. Lael is motivated to encourage more people, especially women, to ride and in this podcast she joins us to talk about her experiences as an advocate in the cycling community, riding in Arizona, and sustainable tourism as a cyclist. Lael's Website: https://www.laelwilcox.net/ Follow along La...