Exploration Local
Mike Andress
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Top 10 Exploration Local Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Exploration Local episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Exploration Local for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Exploration Local episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Tribute To Our Top 5 Episodes Of 2021
Exploration Local
12/31/21 • 51 min
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 & AdventurersEpisode 34
Something In The Saluda Air Fills The Heart And SoulEpisode 36
Fonta Flora State Trail: Connecting Mountains, Waterways & Main Streets From Morganton to AshevilleEpisode 45
Old Fort Trails Project Partnership Aims To Help Build A Healthy & Economically Vibrant CommunityEpisode 46
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
06/02/23 • 64 min
Pat Keller is known for his waterfall first descents as well as being a repeat winner of the coveted Green Race, winning the Great Falls Race and the inaugural Rey del Rio Waterfall World Championships in Mexico where he battled the world’s top boaters over three back-to-back waterfalls—a 25-footer, a 55-footer and a 35-footer. Accolades also include being a two-time Teva Mountain Games winner and the first Descents as I just mentioned including: Toxaway Falls, Linville Falls, Valser Rhein Falls, Cane Creek Falls, Wolf Creek Falls, and Ozone Falls.
All these accomplishments are super impressive, but what also stands out to me is Pat’s passion, zeal for life, and his constant need to set goals and push himself in whatever he does.
Although Pat now considers himself a retired pro-athlete, the quest for finding outdoor pursuits where he can totally immerse himself and find that flow state is as strong as ever. He may spend more time rallying around the endless network of gravel roads on his motorcycle these days, but he admits there are more whitewater kayaking missions on the horizon.
In this episode, Pat drops by the studio and we unpack all of this. We also talk about how being born and raised in the western North Carolina mountains has truly shaped him and helped develop his passions.
Mentioned In This Episode
Liquid Logic
Dagger
Green Race
TAT TransAmerica Trail
Dagger Green Boat
Blindfold Run of Green River
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
Kitsbow: On A Mission To Make Riding Better, And To Make The Apparel Industry Better (Made In The USA)
Exploration Local
11/01/21 • 70 min
In 1975, 80% of the clothes Americans purchased were made in the USA, but in the 1980’s, the decline in American made apparel began. By the 1990’s almost no apparel was manufactured in the USA.
Western North Carolina fell victim to this overseas manufacturing trend. In the ’70s, there were five manufacturers operating within the limits of Old Fort. They made furniture and clothes and car parts, but they started closing in the ’80s, when the Old Fort Finishing Plant, a textile company, shut down its operations and let go 500 employees. The trend continued with most of the other manufacturers ceasing operations in the last two decades. But a new story is emerging. A modern-day renaissance really...and Kitsbow Cycling Apparel is an integral part of this resurgence.
In this episode, I sit down with David Billstrom, CEO of Kitsbow. We talk about the company moving their headquarters from Petaluma, California, to Old Fort, North Carolina, and the 60 new jobs the company has created to date. We also talk about why Old Fort was the perfect fit for this young company, and how they, along with Hillman Beer, sought to restore and convert the former Parker Hosiery Building into prime manufacturing space, and a destination pub that also serves remarkable locally sourced food. Kitsbow has since opened The Ride House, a retail space and café that serves as a meeting point for cyclists and a de-facto visitor’s center for people hiking and riding in the Grandfather District of Pisgah National Forest.
We also talk about partnerships with the local community, offering careers vs jobs, as well as environmental and sustainability initiatives that are driven by their lean manufacturing & made to order approach.
Regardless of whether you are a mountain biker or not, I think you will enjoy learning about supply chain issues related to batch manufacturing, and how Kitsbow’s lean manufacturing of American made apparel is good for the environment and the economy.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Kitsbow
Kitsuma Mountain Bike Trail
Old Fort, NC
Old Fort Trails Project
Fonta Flora State Trail
Mike Andress, Host
Exploration Local Podcast
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://explorationlocal.com/
Instagram: explorationlocal
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/explorationlocal/
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
Next-Level Destination Mountain Towns & Communities, with Eric Woolridge of Destination by Design
Exploration Local
10/28/20 • 63 min
In this episode we sit down with Eric Woolridge, Appalachian State University Alumni & President of Destination by Design, which is an economic development firm comprised of local government planners, engineers, urban designers, and communication experts who collaborate to plan, develop, brand, and promote destination-quality recreation and tourism.
If you’ve traveled much in the Blue Ridge, Appalachian, or even the Great Smoky Mountains, you know there are many picturesque small mountain towns with historic main streets, but as beautiful as these towns are, some are struggling to reinvent themselves from an economic perspective. Destination by Design offers a wide range of downtown revitalization services but their heart is help breathe new life into downtown.
Eric and his team help these destinations elevate their profile and tap into the tourism economy. Whether promoting existing assets, or planning, funding, and implementing new tourism anchor products, they help these towns become a next-level destinations.
ALSO MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Greenways & Trails
Fonta Flora Trail
Mountains to Sea Trail
Northern Peaks Trail
Overmountain Victory Trail
Lenoir
Chimney Rock Village
Rutherford County Tourism
Spindale
Damascus, VA
Virginia Creeper Trail
Boone
Wayfinding & Signage
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
Creating Memories In Cozy Mountain Cabins, with Mike & Cate Szabo
Exploration Local
09/10/20 • 48 min
It is common for people who visit the western North Carolina mountains to instantly fall in love with the area. From outdoor adventure enthusiasts and waterfall explorers to anglers and scenic byway drivers, those who love these mountains are drawn to its beauty and serenity. For Mike & Cate Szabo, owners of Cabin Hosts Vacation Rentals, their love affair with the Blue Ridge Mountains started with a trip to unwind and enjoy the beauty of the fall foliage in 2012. The mountains captured their hearts and they made it their goal to find a way to put down roots. In 2016, they purchased their very own cabin in Chimney Rock, NC with the idea of creating a peaceful, relaxing space for a retreat in the mountains. Two years later, they built a log cabin in nearby Lake Lure. They put their heart and soul into the cabins, and it is their mission to ensure their guests trust them to provide a clean, comfortable space for their holiday. They've had the great fortune of hosting wonderful guests who share stories of engagements, anniversaries, birthday celebrations, etc. all celebrated at the cabins. Listen in as Mike and Cate talk about their journey from visitor to local cabin hosts who provide a place for people to create spectacular lifelong memories!
MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST
Chimney Rock Village
Chimney Rock State Park
Lake Lure
Lake Lure Adventure Company
Medina's Village Bistro
Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery
Party Rock
Rumbling Bald Trail
Point Lookout Winery
Burntshirt Winery
Hickory Nut Falls
Hendersonville, NC
Black Mountain, NC
Asheville, NC
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
Wrong Way Lodge & Cabin Campground: Connecting Guests With The Transformational Qualities Of The Outdoors
Exploration Local
07/13/22 • 62 min
In this episode, Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins owners Joe Balcken and Shelton Steele dropped by the studio to hang out and talk about their love and vision for Wrong Way, the transformational qualities of the outdoors, and the intentionality of creating a sense of place. Both are former whitewater raft guides turned trailblazing entrepreneurs. They came up with the idea for Wrong Way over the shared desire to get back on the river and encourage others to connect with the outdoors, have inspiring experiences, and experience a little local culture.
Wrong Way is joining the vibrant outdoor scene along the French Broad River Greenway where guests will be able to walk out their cabin front door to experience the river and greenway just across the street, as well as walk to rock climbing facilities and several recreation parks. The location is also within easy biking to retail shops, artist studios, restaurants, the pubs of Haywood Road, the River Arts District (RAD), and downtown Asheville.
Collaborators:
- Partner Nonprofits: Mountain True, Asheville on Bikes, RiverLink,
Asheville Greenworks
- Architect: BCA Architecture
- Interior Designer: Katherine Winkel, BCA Architecture
- Land Planning & Design: Fusco Land Planning & Design
- Construction: Griffin Builders
- Local craftsmen & artisans
Also mentioned in this episode:
Camp Grier
Fishes of The French Broad, Cooked Creek Holler & Eric Hinkley
https://crookedcreekholler.com/
Julian Harris , Foundation Studios
https://www.jamesbeard.org
Chefs Ashley Capps/Travis Schultz
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
Damascus, Virginia: Trail Town USA, Friendliest Town on the Appalachian Trail & Home of the Virginia Creeper Trail
Exploration Local
05/11/22 • 42 min
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
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
“As Appalachian As It Gets” with Steven Reinhold, The Appalachian Adventure Company
Exploration Local
08/17/22 • 58 min
In this episode, I sit down with Steven Reinhold, The Appalachian Adventure Company Co-Founder + Steward of the Stoke, who has been a force in the outdoor industry for many years. He is an avid explorer and adventure philanthropist who has been fortunate to pursue his passions around the globe. After climbing several of North America's most iconic peaks with the industry's leading guide services, Steven determined that mountain guides were the coolest people on the planet. One of the greatest outcomes of all of these experiences - he realized he truly found his best self while climbing mountains.
Steven felt compelled to bring those types of skills & experiences home to his roots in Appalachia. He wanted to create a company that represented his roots and celebrated the hills and hollers he called home. So he formed The Appalachian Adventure Company in 2014 to share the stoke of adventure with everyone.
In 2022, the Company underwent a serious rebranding effort and refocused their energy to further pursue positivity through our endeavors. What you’ll hear in this episode is the heart and creation of their now renowned Content Creators Camps, as well as other out-of-the-box type experiences at the heart and core of The Appalachian Adventure Company. What started as a passion project for one adventurer has transformed into a force for good within the outdoor industry and beyond!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Big City Mountaineers Leave No Trace Black Folks Camp Too #trashtag National Cleanup Day All Hands and Hearts Backpacker Magazine Hikes for Healing MADE X MTNS
Mountain Bizworks
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
Hickory Nut Gorge: Home To One Of North Carolina's Most Beautiful Parks & Two Charming Towns
Exploration Local
02/15/21 • 28 min
The Hickory Nut Gorge is a 20,000 acre, 14-mile long canyon that cuts a steep pass through the Blue Ridge escarpment. It is abundant in undisturbed forests, waterfalls, and granite cliffs...and is located just a short drive from Asheville, Black Mountain and Hendersonville. This easily accessible outdoor mecca is steeped in history and is a prominent recreational destination for rock climbers, hikers, campers, mountain bikers, and family picnics along the banks of the Rocky Broad River.
In this episode we focus in and take a closer look at Chimney Rock and Lake Lure and we discover how the rugged beauty of the area so captivated a physician from Missouri that it shaped the rest of his life, and is a large reason why you and I can explore so much protected land nearly 120 years later.
Join us we take a brief trip through the history of Hickory Nut Gorge, take a stroll through the modern-day Chimney Rock Village, and learn about great recreational destinations in the Gorge and areas surrounding Lake Lure.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Chimney Rock State Park
Chimney Rock Village
Town of Lake Lure
Cabin Hosts
Conserving Carolina
Destination by Design
Hickory Nut Gorge
Lake Lure Tours
Lake Lure Adventure Company
COVER PHOTO CREDIT
Divine Landscapes by Michele Schwartz
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
12 - The Enormous Health Benefits Of Nature; Including Counteracting Depression & Anxiety
Exploration Local
07/29/20 • 26 min
Years of careful study has proven that spending time in a forest can reduce stress, anxiety, depression and anger; strengthen the immune system, improve cardiovascular and metabolic health and boost overall well-being. Exploration Local Host, Mike Andress, discusses his own personal struggle with depression and anxiety and the freedom he experiences from being in the outdoors. He shares some helpful resources like The Nature Fix and Forest Bathing that open the door to the modern affliction of "nature deficit disorder" and research that supports the health benefit claims of the healing properties of "nature therapy".
Why Forest Bathing Is Good For You
Forest Walking Affects Autonomic Nervous Activity: A Population-Based Study
Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes
The Waterfall Effect: Negative Ions Give Positive Results
Suicide Prevention Hotline
Depression Hotline Number
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
[email protected]
Podcast Website
Facebook
Instagram: explorationlocal
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FAQ
How many episodes does Exploration Local have?
Exploration Local currently has 100 episodes available.
What topics does Exploration Local cover?
The podcast is about Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Camping, Mountain Biking, Local, Family, Outdoors, Podcasts, Hiking and Travel.
What is the most popular episode on Exploration Local?
The episode title 'Staples InTents: Helping People of Color Experience Life-Changing Effects of The Outdoors' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Exploration Local?
The average episode length on Exploration Local is 49 minutes.
How often are episodes of Exploration Local released?
Episodes of Exploration Local are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Exploration Local?
The first episode of Exploration Local was released on May 4, 2020.
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