The Trail Less Traveled

Dan Opalacz is the co-founder and co-owner of Bedrock Sandals, an adventure footwear company he launched in 2011 alongside Nick Pence after the pair met while serving as AmeriCorps conservation workers in Northern California. Inspired by long days restoring rivers and hiking rugged terrain, Opalacz helped transform a handmade minimalist sandal into an award-winning outdoor footwear brand known for...

Jason C. Poole is an American paleontologist, fossil preparator, educator, and paleo-artist currently based in Missoula. Best known for blending scientific accuracy with artistic interpretation, Poole spent 27 years as the Manager of Dinosaur Hall and head fossil preparator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, where he helped prepare and study major dinosaur disc...

Kulu (Alec) Banda was born and raised in Livingstone, Zambia, near the mighty Zambezi River and Victoria Falls — known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning “The Smoke That Thunders.” In 1981, he began working on the Zambezi as a porter, carrying heavy rafts and expedition gear in and out of the steep basalt gorge below the Falls — demanding work that required exceptional strength, endurance, and...

Arnold “Smoke” Elser is a legendary wilderness outfitter, educator, and conservationist whose life’s work is deeply rooted in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness. Since his first trip into the Bob in 1956, Elser has spent nearly seven decades guiding thousands of people—many of them first-time riders—through its rugged terrain, sharing not only the landscape but also his deep reverence for wild...

Virginia (Ginny) Bond is an educator and public health researcher based in Zambia whose work focuses on HIV, stigma reduction, and community health. Trained as a social anthropologist, she collaborates with health programs and research organizations to better understand the social and cultural factors shaping HIV prevention, treatment, and care. Her work emphasizes community engagement, educa...

Lisa Bickell is an environmental educator and interpretive planner based in Missoula, Montana, and the current board chair of the Montana Natural History Center. She has been involved with the organization for more than 25 years and previously served as its Education Director, helping shape many of the programs that connect people of all ages to the natural world. Lisa holds a degree in Wildl...

Doug Proctor grew up just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, where his love for rivers was seeded early in life. As a boy he spent years canoeing with his family and through the Boy Scouts on class one rivers across southern Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. At the age of 12 he embarked on his first extended canoe trip—a two-week wilderness journey in Kentucky that helped shape his lifelong passion fo...

Sam and Elise Risho are the culinary heart and soul behind The Silk Road Catering & Spice in Missoula, Montana. Their story is rooted in decades of family food tradition and a passion for global flavors. Sam grew up in a restaurant family, learning the love of food and hospitality from his father and brother through years of working in local eateries and mastering fine-dining service...

Aimee McQuilkin is a Missoula entrepreneur and community builder, best known as the owner of Betty’s Divine and the Clark Fork Yacht Club. Through these beloved businesses, she has helped shape Missoula’s social and cultural fabric by creating welcoming spaces rooted in style, hospitality, and connection. Aimee’s work reflects a deep commitment to local economy, creativity, and gathering people to...

Frank Szollosi is the Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation , the state’s oldest and largest wildlife conservation organization focused on protecting wildlife habitat, public lands access, and science-based natural resource policy in Montana. He took on this leadership role in June 2020 after a long career with the National Wildlife Federation, where he worked f...

John Wood is an Alaska musher from Chugiak who started chasing the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in the late nineteen seventies and went on to finish the thousand mile route to Nome four times in 1978, 1979, 1982 and 1986. Known for his dry humor and honesty about the grind of the trail, he once joked that after three runs he had “an unparalleled record of mediocrity” and zero prize money, yet...

Kelly Dix was raised in Lyndonville, NY, where time spent outside sparked her curiosity and awe of the natural world. She holds degrees in Mathematics, Environmental Sciences & Engineering, and Toxicology. Throughout her career in biomedical research she spent her spare time backpacking and exploring the mountain west with her husband. Kelly found her true passion in retirement, sharing her en...

Lynx Vilden is a renowned author, wilderness guide, and ancestral skills teacher known for her immersive “Stone Age Projects,” where participants live off the land using only primitive tools and techniques. With over three decades of experience in earth-based living, Lynx has dedicated her life to reconnecting people with the rhythms of the natural world through traditional lifeways. Her teachings...

Dana Anderson, better known as Wild Mountain Man Dan, is a celebrated bushcraft instructor based in Matlock, Washington. Now 68, he has spent over six decades honing wilderness skills and teaching them to others. Dana has lived completely off the grid in a hand‑built cabin by a creek for more than three decades, cultivating a rich life subsisting on foraging, hunting, fishing, and primit...

Together, Tim, Heather, and Lindsey strengthen Salmon State’s mission: defending rivers and salmon through policy advocacy, community engagement, and protection of critical watersheds across Alaska and its transboundary rivers. As Executive Director based in Juneau, Alaska, Tim Bristol is a leading voice in salmon conservation policy. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committe...

Clint Fries is a deeply experienced river guide and expedition leader with over two decades of professional guiding across some of the planet’s most remote and breathtaking landscapes. Known for his calm presence, intuitive leadership, and profound respect for wild places, Clint has become a trusted figure in the world of wilderness travel. For the past several years, Clint has guided multi-day ra...

Bridget Crocker is a trailblazer in women's empowerment within the outdoor industry. A leading whitewater rafting guide in far-flung regions of Zambia, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, India, and the Western United States. During this interview, she discusses her new memoir The Rivers Daughter . Support your local bookstore and pickup a copy today! Bridget is also a contrib...

Kevin McDermott—a.k.a. “Thirsty" has been guiding since he was 16 years old. He has 30+ years of experience guiding in Alaska, has climbed Denali and endears himself to travelers with his expertise, calm demeanor, and sense of humor. When he isn't guiding in the Arctic, you might find him on the Alsek, Tatshenshini, Middlefork Salmon or the Grand Canyon. He lives in Arizona with his wife, Darla, a...

Step into the rugged beauty of Montana's backcountry as wilderness legend Smoke Elser shares his remarkable 60+ year journey through the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Since 1957, Elser has been a guardian of these pristine lands, witnessing their transformation from horse-only trails to a diverse recreational haven. Learn about Bob Marshall himself - an extraordinary conservationist who, despite his av...

The Missoula Housing Authority offers housing assistance to veterans through programs like HUD-VASH, which combines rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services. MHA's Valor House provides 17 one-bedroom units for permanent housing for homeless veterans, featuring communal amenities such as a kitchen, meeting spaces, and laundry facilities.  In 2023, MHA receive...

Step into the extraordinary world of Skip Horner, a veteran adventure guide whose 50-year career spans over 100 countries and countless epic expeditions. Skip Horner is a legendary American adventure guide, mountaineer, and expedition leader with a career spanning over five decades. He is renowned for being the first guide to lead clients to the summits of all Seven Summits—the highest p...

Dr. Jim Halfpenny is a renowned polar ecologist, expedition leader, and expert in cold-climate ecology with decades of experience studying the extreme environments of the Arctic and Antarctic. With a background in wildlife biology and ecology, Dr. Halfpenny has led and participated in numerous scientific expeditions to the polar regions, where he has conducted groundbreaking research on clima...

Join us as we venture into the wilds of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi with three seasoned bush guides—Marshal, Luckson, and Malan. From the rugged seats of a Toyota Land Cruiser, we chat with Marshal and Malan about wildlife conservation, poaching, ecology, and the intricate behaviors of Africa’s iconic animals. Then, we sit down with Luckson, a top-tier guide with the highest level of training, to uncov...

As a child growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe, Mikey Hensman was surrounded by rescued exotic animals like elephants, impalas, and warthogs. This unique upbringing sparked his deep passion for wildlife that eventually led him to a career in anti-poaching and conservation. Hensman is the co-founder of Resolve Wildlife, an African-led strategic advisory and training group dedicated to conserving Afric...

Dr. Jim Halfpenny is a renowned scientist, educator, and author specializing in carnivore ecology, tracking, and the natural history of cold climates. With a Ph. D. in biology, he has conducted extensive research on wildlife, particularly bears, wolves, and mountain lions, and has contributed significantly to the study of animal tracking and forensic wildlife investigations. As the...