The Trail Less Traveled

Missoula Spotlight: Aimee McQuilkin, Shane Clouse and Dave Stromeyer

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 together in meaningful ways.Shane Clouse is a Missoula musician and songwriter whose work blends Americana, folk, and roots traditions with thoughtful storytelling. His music is shaped by Montana landscapes and lived experience, carrying a quiet honesty that resonates both on stage and in more intimate listening spaces. Shane is a steady presence in the local music community, known for craft, collaboration, and authenticity.Dave Stromeyer is a Missoula County Commissioner focused on infrastructure, public service, and long term regional planning. He is currently working on a passenger railroad project aimed at improving transportation options and connectivity in western Montana. Dave’s work reflects a practical, forward looking approach to governance with an emphasis on public benefit, economic resilience, and sustainable mobility.​Show notes:00:03:44 - 1983 Rabbit and Missoula Roots00:05:53 - Opening Betty's Divine While Pregnant00:09:34 - Building Community Through Shared Experiences00:11:56 - Community Heart and Entrepreneurial Joy00:13:23 - Homeownership Enables Community Business Growth00:15:39 - How Desmond the Mannequin Found Home00:18:12 - The Governor of the Hip Strip00:23:37 - Missoula's Deep History and Indigenous Stewardship00:27:39 - Gateway to the Rocky Mountains and Home00:32:15 - Stewardship and Restoring Passenger Rail00:38:12 - Keeping Missoula Special Through Community Involvement00:41:16 - Montana's State Song and Pink Grizzly Greenhouse00:44:10 - From Farm to Pink Grizzly Business00:46:39 - From Lumber Mills to Community Music00:50:32 - Historic Irrigation Ditch Sustains Missoula Community00:53:56 - Hunting and Fishing Fund Conservation00:58:58 - Montana Matters: A Song of Unity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Defending Wildlife as Public Trust: Frank Szollosi of the Montana Wildlife Federation

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 for over a decade on climate and water policy at the Great Lakes Regional Center and on national campaigns that defended public lands, advanced the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and connected people with wildlife. At MWF, Szollosi collaborates with state agencies including Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, tribal governments, landowners, businesses, and conservation partners to advance policies that sustain healthy wildlife populations and accessible wild places. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan, and he brings extensive experience in government, including work as both a staffer and local elected official. Outside of his professional work, Szollosi is an avid outdoorsperson who has spent more than 25 years fly fishing and participates enthusiastically in annual hunts with friends and colleagues. He lives in Montana with his wife and four children and enjoys kayaking, downhill skiing, and backpacking. JOIN THE MONTANA WILDLIFE FEDERATION FOR ONLY $40/YEAR --> www.MontanaWildlife.orgShow notes:00:02:54 - Growing Up in Toledo, Ohio00:05:29 - Leading Montana Wildlife Federation00:08:26 - Finding Balance in Wildlife Conservation00:10:14 - Montana Wildlife Federation's Origins and Conservation History00:15:45 - Hunter-Funded Conservation: Montana's Legacy00:19:53 - Climate Change and Wildlife Conservation in Montana00:24:09 - Defending Public Lands Through Community Action00:26:17 - Montana Wildlife Federation's Advocacy Tools00:29:05 - Protecting Public Lands from Corporate Development00:31:30 - Montana Wildlife Federation Membership Benefits00:33:55 - Understanding Differences and Conservation Leadership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iditarod Lessons: John Wood on Dogs, Distance, and Discipline

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 if you asked whether he planned to run again his answer was “hell yes,” because the race embodied adventure, excitement, competition and camaraderie that felt uniquely Alaskan. John served as a musher representative on the Iditarod board and offered straight talking advice to rookies about staying upbeat, caring for their dog teams and setting realistic goals in a race where two weeks of little sleep and deep cold are the norm. The event he helped shape as a veteran competitor and mentor is itself legendary an annual March run from Anchorage to Nome of roughly one thousand miles across mountains, frozen rivers and Bering Sea coast, first completed in 1973 and often called the Last Great Race on Earth for its blend of brutal weather, wilderness travel and the deep historical ties between sled dogs and Alaska communities.Show Notes:00:02:37 - Growing Up in Alaska's Homestead00:06:29 - Mountain Life and Mining Adventures in Alaska00:09:32 - Getting into Dog Mushing with Trap Lines00:12:43 - Recording the Grand Canyon with John Wood00:16:32 - From Finishing to Competing in Iditarod00:18:59 - Iditarod Southern Route and Racing Strategy00:22:53 - Alaskan Huskies: Sled Dogs and Racing00:27:47 - Iditarod Dog Care and Rest Cycles00:30:52 - Sleep Strategy for Iditarod Success00:33:43 - Three Life Lessons from Iditarod Racing00:35:42 - Grand Canyon Evening and Iditarod Song Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listening to Nature: Master Naturalist, Kelly Dix.

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 enthusiasm for science and nature with others. She’s been a substitute teacher and a volunteer with several environmental education non-profit organizations. After moving to Montana with her husband in 2016 Kelly found her home at MNHC and she has been involved with the VNS, Montana Master Naturalist, WOW, and other programs ever since. When she’s not volunteering at MNHC, you can find her at the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, hiking almost anywhere, or taking way too many photos of just about anything in the natural world. Show notes:00:03:39 - Childhood Outdoor Play00:07:18 - Teamwork and Listening00:10:52 - Listening to Nature's Hidden Voices00:14:58 - From Math to Toxicology00:17:09 - Pharmacokinetics and Environmental Toxicology00:19:48 - Toxicology's Multidisciplinary Nature00:22:16 - Importance of Public Lands00:26:55 - Kelly Dix, Montana Naturalist00:31:02 - Visiting Naturalist in Schools00:34:26 - Hands-On Nature Education00:37:26 - Montana Master Naturalist Program00:42:23 - Montana Master Naturalists00:44:32 - Montana Natural History Center Info00:49:21 - Visiting Naturalist in SchoolsPlease help us keep the podcast version of the show advertisement free while also supporting our educational outreach efforts by donating $3/month on Patreon. To donate, visit Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Return: A Journey Back to Living Wild

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 blend deep ecological awareness with hands-on instruction in skills such as hide tanning, fire-making, and shelter-building, inspiring a global movement toward rewilding and self-sufficiency. Her work has been featured in documentaries, books, and international media, and she continues to guide others on the path of ancestral remembrance and ecological belonging. In her stunning memoir Lynx Vilden chronicles her journey to reconnect with the earth, offering a model for how we all can nurture the wild around and inside ourselves.Show notes: 00:03:33 - Connection to Nature and Ancestral Skills00:07:06 - Finding My Path in Community00:10:12 - Importance of Community in Wilderness Skills00:13:54 - Exploring Stones by the River00:15:32 - Exploring Natural Elements for Survival00:17:19 - Exploring Earth, Water, and Fire00:20:12 - Indigenous Survival Skills and Practices00:24:33 - Learning Wilderness Skills with Lynx00:27:07 - Exploring Nature's Grandeur00:29:17 - Journeying Through the Wilderness00:33:48 - Understanding Our Safety Plan00:36:52 - Journey of Writing and Discovery00:39:34 - Exploring Non-Conventional Publishing Paths00:45:46 - Connecting with Nature and Moon PhasesPlease help us keep the podcast version of the show advertisement free while also supporting our educational outreach efforts by donating $3/month on Patreon. To donate, visit Patreon.com/TrailLessTraveled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.