Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

Sarah King is a rancher, conservationist, wife, and mother of two who lives and works on her family’s 55,000-acre cattle ranch in southern Arizona’s Altar Valley. The King's Anvil Ranch was established in 1895 and has operated successfully within their family for generations, setting an example of how to run a financially viable agricultural business, while simultaneously protecting the long-term ecological health of their vast desert ranch. The Kings understand that in order for their business to thrive, the land must thrive, and they are leaders in pursuing a variety of outside-the-box land stewardship techniques, including the focused use of prescribed fires. • The King family spearheaded the creation of the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, a cutting-edge land conservation organization that collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders, including private landowners, ranchers, government entities, conservation non-profits, and environmental advocacy groups. Thanks to focused, diligent efforts over the course of two decades, the AVCA has managed to bring together groups that have historically been at odds, allowing them to focus on shared goals and creative solutions to complicated challenges, rather than dwelling on their differences. As you’ll hear Sarah explain, AVCA understands that open, honest, face-to-face communication has been the key to tackling the Altar Valley’s complex challenges, and their success gives me hope that other organizations throughout the West can adopt their approach and enjoy the same success. • This was a very enlightening episode for me, because I personally just don’t know enough about the landscapes and heritage of the deep southwest. We dig into many of the details of the King's Anvil Ranch and its operation, including the unique climate and ecology of the Arizona desert. Sarah explains how the AVCA came to be, and offers some insights into exactly what they do and how they’ve managed to have such success. We discuss Sarah’s personal background, specifically how an east coast native ended up on an expansive cattle ranch in Arizona. We talk about the benefits of raising children on a ranch, and the lessons she hopes to impart as they grow up closely connected to the land. Given that the ranch is located less than 40 miles from the Mexico border, we discuss how illegal border crossings have a significant effect on the ranch’s operations. And, of course, we discuss favorite books and documentaries, with links to everything in the episode notes. • I had such a great time chatting with Sarah, and I walked away from the conversation with a much deeper understanding of ranching, conservation, and life in the American southwest. She and her colleagues at AVCA are doing important, groundbreaking conservation work, so I encourage you to follow them and learn from their efforts. Also, be sure to follow Sarah on Instagram—on top of everything else, she’s a talented photographer, too. Enjoy! ••• http://mountainandprairie.com/sarah-king/ ••• Topics Discussed: 3:30 - How Sarah describes her work 4:10 - King’s Anvil Ranch 5:20 - History of the ranch 7:10 - Details on the ranching operation 10:30 - History of Altar Valley Conservation Alliance 13:15 - Events leading to the Alliance’s formation 16:30 - Importance of fire in the Altar Valley 20:00 - Examples of AVCA collaborative projects 25:20 - Why has AVCA been able to be successful where others have not? 31:15 - The importance of private land in the West 35:30 - How Sarah ended up in the west, working in ranching 39:00 - Sarah’s college thesis on women dude ranchers 41:15 - Realities of moving West from the east coast 42:30 - Benefits of raising children on a ranch 47:15 - Illegal immigration and its effects on the King’s ranch 55:50 - Favorite books 57:55 - Favorite documentaries 1:00:30 - Most powerful experience in the outdoors 1:03:30 - Best advice ever received 1:05:00 - Sarah’s request of the listeners 1:06:00 - Connect with Sarah online

Charles Post is an academically trained ecologist with a gift for communicating complex and sometimes emotionally charged issues in a thoughtful manner to diverse audiences. Whether he’s discussing the intricacies of ranch management, the ecological implications of ethical hunting, or controversies surrounding the BLM’s wild mustang program, Charles has honed his ability to consider all sides of issues, then educate the public in a style that is positive, comprehensive, and intellectually honest. His academic credentials, combined with his photography, writing, filmmaking, and popular social media channels have made Charles a rising star in the world of conservation. • Born and raised in northern California, Charles has enjoyed a deep connection with Western landscapes for as long as he can remember. He grew up hunting, fishing, and exploring the seascapes and mountain ranges of the West Coast, then earned both a Bachelors and Masters in ecology from UC Berkeley. After considering pursuing a PhD followed by a career in academia, Charles changed course and pursued a less traditional track that melded his two passions of science and storytelling. Since then, he has settled in Bozeman, Montana where he works on a wide range of projects that all tie back into conservation and stewardship in the American West. • Charles and I talked for well over an hour, and could’ve easily continued for several more. We discuss his recent work for Filson covering Ranchlands, a progressive, forward-thinking ranching operation in southern Colorado. We also chat about the ecological importance of ranching for Western landscapes and the progress that Charles has made trying to change some of the unfounded negative impressions of ranching and livestock. We talk about his recent elk hunt, and how that adventure was one of the richest, most meaningful experiences of his life. Charles speaks fondly about his relationship with Ben Masters, who helped him break into the filmmaking world. It also turns out that we have a shared love of the American Dipper (which is a bird, for those of you out of the loop), and we nerd out on that subject for a few minutes. As usual, we discuss favorite books, films, and the best advice he’s ever received. • If you’re a long-time listener, you will love this episode… and if you’re brand new, I hope you will, too! Be sure to check out Charles on Instagram at charles_post and check the episode notes for everything we discuss. Enjoy! ••• http://mountainandprairie.com/charles-post/ ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED 3:00 - Charles’s introduction to Ben Masters 5:10 - How Charles describes his work 6:30 - Why Charles identifies as an ecologist 8:50 - Science versus communicating to the mainstream 10:30 - Charles experience with Ranchlands and thoughts on ranching 17:45 - How Charles tells the ranching story 20:45 - Resources for learning more about ranching 21:55 - Discussion about wolves' effects on Yellowstone 24:35 - Where Charles grew up 25:50 - Charles’ connection to Gifford Pinchot 29:40 - Hunting from a conservation perspective 32:25 - Modern Huntsman 35:15 - Interplay between public and private land 41:40 - How science shaped his ability to be objective 43:40 - His approach to social media 49:45 - The importance of Charles’s sponsors and supporters 54:30 - Charles’s personal history with hunting 1:01:40 - Favorite books 1:08:10 - Weird habits and quirks 1:09:30 - American Dipper nerd-fest 1:12:20 - Most powerful experience in the outdoors 1:16:00 - Best advice he’s ever received 1:19:25 - Charles’s request of the listeners 1:20:50 - Connect with Charles online

Mark Maggiori has taken the western art scene by storm with his dramatically realistic paintings of cowboys, horses, landscapes, and scenes from the American West. But painting is only a small part of Mark’s journey as a professional artist—he is also an accomplished director, filmmaker, drawer, photographer, and musician, working for companies like Disney as an illustrator and fronting a major-record-label rock band. To make his story even more interesting, Mark was born and raised in France, and is a relative newcomer to the western United States. • When he was 15, Mark took a road trip across America with his adventurous uncle, igniting his passion for Western landscapes and planting the seed of his western art career that would flourish two decades later. Between then and now, he has demonstrated an uncanny ability to dive headfirst into a wide array of artistic endeavors with single-minded focus and work ethic, enjoying success at every level. At little over three years ago, at age 36, all of Mark’s talents and experiences melded together when he decided to try and paint his first cowboy. In what he describes as an epiphany, Mark immediately knew he had found his true identity as an artist. • Mark and I had a fun conversation. We talk about all the stages of his prolific career as an artist, and how he has approached each one with a laser-like focus and uncompromising work ethic. Mark explains how he discovered his talent for drawing—a talent that he had no idea he possessed until after he had enrolled in art school. We also chat about how being new to America has afforded him a fresh perspective on the people and landscapes of the American West, a perspective that shines through in his paintings. He gives details on his workman-like approach to painting and ensuring the historical accuracy of his work, and how exercise helps to fuel his creativity and work ethic. As usual, we cover favorite books, documentaries, and the craziest thing that’s ever happened to him in the outdoors, which is a ridiculous and pretty damn scary story! • Be sure to check out the webpage for links to all of Mark’s work, his upcoming solo show, and everything we discuss in this episode. Hope you enjoy! ••• http://mountainandprairie.com/mark-maggiori/ ••• Topics Discussed 3:00 - How Mark describes his work 5:11 - Growing up in France 6:30 - Road trip across America 11:20 - Mark’s interests as a teenager 12:40 - The attraction to art school 15:40 - Discovering his talent for art 18:45 - Learning work ethic 20:30 - Working for Disney 22:45 - Working in music videos 23:45 - Performing music and creating art 24:30 - Mark’s time with Pleymo 27:25 - Leaving music 32:00 - Coming to America to make a film 35:40 - Demolition derbies and rodeos 36:50 - Starting to paint cowboys 41:00 - Building his following through Instagram and networking 44:00 - Expanding to new galleries 45:00 - Secret of painting clouds 47:55 - Keeping his work accurate 50:00 - Starting to paint Native Americans 54:30 - Mark’s daily routine 58:45 - Favorite books 1:01:00 - Favorite documentaries 1:02:30 - Favorite place in the West 1:03:50 - Most powerful experience in the outdoors 1:05:30 - Getting chased by crazy people in Louisiana 1:10:15 - Mark’s request of the listeners 1:12:50 - Connect with Mark online and learn about his upcoming art show

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, then surely you’ll remember Tyler Sharp. He’s the creative director, photographer, and writer who has explored everywhere from east Africa to Montana’s Paradise Valley and has the stories and images to prove it. He currently works with some of the biggest brands in the outdoor industry, such as Filson and Yeti, helping them to tell authentic and engaging stories. Tyler’s first podcast episode has been one of my most popular—we went deep, covering everything from big-game hunting to kung fu to conservation—so I wanted to have him back to continue the conversation and discuss his latest project, Modern Huntsman. • Modern Huntsman is a biannual publication and online forum for conservationists, creatives, and outdoor enthusiasts. If you enjoy this podcast and my guests’ depth of thinking on topics related to the natural world, then you’re going to love Modern Huntsman. Through thoughtful writing, captivating photography, and elegant design, Tyler and his all-star team intend to improve the perception of hunting in our society by highlighting its thoughtful and conservation-focused aspects, which are often ignored by established media. • I like to hunt, although I’m not obsessed with it like I am with endurance sports. But my work in conservation and deep reading of natural history have given me a firsthand appreciation for the importance of hunting, and the vital role it plays in conserving landscapes and species around the world. Without the efforts of visionary hunters like Theodore Roosevelt, the healthy wildlife populations we enjoy here in the American West would be a mere fraction of what they are today, if they existed at all. Thanks to their deep respect for wildlife born from their love of the sport of hunting, TR and his contemporaries set in motion a conservation ethic that continues to grow and evolve. Now, over 100 years later, Modern Huntsman will carry that ethic forward. • Once again, Tyler and I had a wonderful conversation, and I was incredibly impressed with his ability to discuss complex, sometimes emotionally charged issues in a respectful, intelligent, and non-arrogant tone. Of course we discussed the details of Modern Huntsman, its origins, and why there is a need for such a publication. We chatted about Modern Huntsman’s current Kickstarter campaign, which I highly recommend you support—links are in the notes. We also talked in depth about some of the misconceptions around hunting and specifics about why hunting is so important for conservation throughout the world. And just like last time, Tyler had some excellent book recommendations. • This was a fun and enlightening conversation, so I hope you enjoy. Check out the episode notes for links to everything, and be sure the check out the Modern Huntsman Kickstarter page, watch the film, and support the project. ••• http://www.bit.ly/modernhuntsman http://mountainandprairie.com/tyler-sharp-2/ ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED 3:30 - How Tyler describes his work 6:10 - Modern Huntsman overview 8:40 - Improving hunting’s image 10:00 - Modern Huntsman as “new media” 12:00 - Tyler’s relationship with Simon Roosevelt 14:30 - Modern Huntsman’s target audience 16:30 - Misunderstandings surrounding hunting 20:30 - Modern Huntsman’s strategy for telling the correct story 22:00 - importance of having a woman’s perspective 23:20 - Engaging with non-hunters 26:15 - Esthetics of the magazine 31:00 - List of the editors and contributors 34:50 - History of hunting and conservation 39:00 - Tools for connecting conservation and hunting 43:00 - How safari companies contribute to conservation in Africa 47:50 - The Kickstarter film 50:15 - Tyler’s favorite hunting books 58:10 - Best advice Tyler’s ever received 59:30 - Connect with Modern Huntsman online

Scott Slusher is an Oklahoma native and Texas-based photographer who is best known for his stunning images of cowboys and life on working ranches. After seeing Scott’s work, it is crystal clear that he has a deep understanding of the ranching lifestyle and has invested more than his share of time out in the heat and dust, on horseback or in the branding pen. Given his immersion in the tough, hard-nosed world of ranching, you may be surprised to learn that Scott was trained as a fashion photographer and still works with a variety of big-name companies on their fashion and clothing line spreads. • So what allows Scott to have success in two worlds as diametrically opposed as ranching and fashion? Well, as you’ll hear in this interview, Scott has a habit of pursuing his interests with a single-minded intensity and curiosity, unafraid of getting in over his head, venturing outside his comfort zone, or working harder than expected. Combine those traits with endless energy and a knack for making friends with everyone he meets, and you’ll understand how Scott has managed to work his way onto iconic ranches, riding alongside and photographing some of the best ranch hands in the business. • Scott’s enthusiasm and love of people really come through in our conversation, so I know you’ll enjoy it. We talk about his childhood in Oklahoma and how his father’s work as a veterinarian and horse breeder shaped his outlook. We chat about his time as a photography intern and how he chose to dive head first into no-fun chores (like mopping the floor), and how that optimistic, high-energy approach has paid off time and again throughout his career. We also discuss how he broke into photographing cowboys, and how his respectful approach has allowed him to be accepted by ranch hands throughout the West. We cover a ton, so check out the episode notes for a full list of topics and links. • If you don’t already, be sure to follow Scott on Instagram at @slusherphoto—if you love the West and the ranching lifestyle, I can guarantee you’ll love his work. Hope you enjoy this episode. ••• ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED 2:45 - How Scott describes his work 4:50 - Where Scott grew up 8:30 - Time working at a vet clinic 12:00 - Applying to art school in Dallas 14:00 - Finding focus in art school 18:00 - Work ethic during his first internship 22:30 - First time taking photos of cowboys 26:00 - Making folks feel comfortable during photo shoots 27:20 - How he broke into the cowboy culture 33:00 - Working at the Four 6s Ranch 36:15 - Importance of networking 40:00 - Close calls during ranch photography 44:45 - Close call during a rodeo 49:30 - Importance of social media in Scott’s career 1:04:00 - Important books 1:09:00 - Favorite films 1:14:00 - Words of advice to the listeners 1:15:00 - Connect with Scott online

Duke Beardsley was well on his way to a career in medicine, when, just before med school, he took a hard turn onto a new path when he decided to pursue art as a full-time vocation. Since then, he has become one of the West’s most revered artists, producing paintings of cowboys, anglers, and the Western way of life in a style that is uniquely his own. His work is big, bold, and completely original, and it continues to grow and evolve in ways that surprise even Duke himself. • Thanks to a childhood spent between Denver and his family’s eastern Colorado ranch, Duke has been immersed in cowboy culture for as long as he can remember. He has been drawing non-stop since he could hold a crayon, and as a child (sometimes to the dismay of his parents) he demonstrated a proclivity for sketching western scenes on the walls of his family’s home. Duke is also a committed conservationist with a deep devotion to preserving the West’s landscapes and heritage. This eclectic mix of experiences and interests, combined with a formal art education, allows Duke to produce works that are ambitious, inspiring, and engaging. • I stopped by Duke’s Denver studio earlier this week, where we had a fun and wide-ranging conversation. We chat about his decision to change his career goal from medicine to art, and the value he gleaned from a formal art education. He explains that life-long obsession with drawing on walls, and he tells some stories about how, as an adult, drawing on walls has led to surprising professional opportunities. We talk about his artistic process, his meditation practice, and how he managed his extroverted personality in the solitary world of creating art. He also discusses why land conservation is an issue that is so near and dear to his heart, and offers up some excellent book recommendations. • This was a lot of fun and I really appreciate Duke inviting me into his studio. Be sure to check the episode notes for links to everything we discuss, and check out Duke on Instagram, Facebook, and his website. ••• http://mountainandprairie.com/duke-beardsley/ ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED 2:40 - How Duke describes his work 3:30 - Growing up between Denver and eastern Colorado 5:15 - Artistic energy in Duke’s family 6:30 - Duke’s early path toward medicine 8:30 - Transition to art school 9:40 - Biggest lesson learned from art school 12:20 - Focusing his art on horses and the West 14:20 - Life post-art school 15:30 - How Duke’s art is different now from 20 years ago 18:30 - Drawing on the wall 20:20 - Why Duke paints big pieces 21:31 - Story behind Duke’s line ups 24:45 - Getting in “the zone” while painting line ups 26:40 - Working on multiple pieces at once 27:50 - Working with galleries 29:00 - Process for commissioned paintings 31:45 - Extrovert or Introvert? 34:30 - Duke’s artistic process 38:00 - Duke’s meditation practice 41:00 - Drawing on the wall at Las Pampas Lodge 44:00 - Working with Fishpond 45:50 - Passion for land conservation 49:30 - Favorite books 52:34 - Favorite films 54:00 - Surprising activities 54:45 - Most powerful outdoor experience 57:00 - Favorite place in the West 58:40 - Best peice of advice ever recieved 59:45 - Duke’s request of the listeners 1:00:30 - Connect with Duke online

Dan Flores is a writer, historian, and former professor whose work explores the connections between people and the natural world in the American West. His most recent books—Coyote America and American Serengeti—are two of the most enlightening and informative books on the West’s natural history that I have ever read. The former is a biography of the coyote, a surprisingly fascinating animal with a rich and severely misunderstood history. The latter explores the last big mammals of the great plains—pronghorn, coyotes, horses, grizzlies, bison, and wolves—and also gives a great overview of North American big history. • It’s clear that Dan was a wonderful professor, because as you’ll hear in this episode, he has a real knack for explaining complicated subjects in a way that’s understandable, engaging, and exciting. This conversation gave me a glimpse into what it must have been like to be a student in Dan’s class at the University of Montana—I walked away from it full of new knowledge, and it whet my appetite to dig deeper into the many subjects we covered. • I could’ve asked Dan questions for hours and hours, but in our relatively short time together we managed to cover a lot. We start by discussing the coyote—how and why the animal has been so misunderstood, its similarities to humans, how it has managed to thrive despite efforts to totally eradicate the species, and the varying pronunciations of the word coyote. Then we discuss horses—the misconception that they are a non-native species in North America, their evolutionary history around the world, and some modern-day challenges facing the West's few remaining wild horses. We also talk about Dan’s childhood in Louisiana, his current home in New Mexico, his favorite books on the American West, and much, much more. • This is an excellent episode and I’m excited for you to listen. If you haven’t already, buy Coyote America and American Serengeti—I can promise you’ll love them both. ••• http://mountainandprairie.com/dan-flores/ ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:00 - How Dan describes his work 4:10 - History of the pronunciation of “Coyote” 7:30 - Coyote’s historical reputation 11:00 - Coyote’s historical status in Native American lore 12:30 - Mark Twain’s influence on the coyotes’ image 14:05 - Coyotes as humans’ avatars 16:15 - Fission and fusion in coyotes 18:00 - Coyotes' ability to control their reproduction 22:20 - Dan’s thoughts on the current attempted Federal Land grab 28:45 - Misconception that horses are non-native 34:30 - Current issues with horses in the United States 37:55 - Dan’s thoughts on the BLM Wild Mustang Program 40:15 - Dan’s early years in Louisiana 43:00 - First trip to Carlsbad Caverns 45:20 - Dan’s passionate love of desert 48:55 - Living in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley 51:00 - Changes in Montana during Dan’s time there 55:00 - "In Defense of the Ranchette” article 1:01:45 - Favorite books about the American West 1:08:00 - Most powerful experience outdoors 1:09:20 - Favorite place in the West 1:11:30 - Dan’s request of the listeners 1:15:45 - Connect with Dan

Noel Durant is the new Executive Director of the Crested Butte Land Trust, a conservation organization that protects and stewards the ranches, trails, open space, and wildlife habit of Colorado’s Gunnison Valley. Noel took the helm of the land trust in early 2017, and he brings a wide variety of conservation experience with him into this new role. He’s worked as a member of the Interagency Hotshot Crew, fighting fires across the American West. He has also worked for regional and national conservation organizations, doing everything from managing large swaths of rural land to developing urban trail systems. • Noel’s resume speaks for itself, but what is even more impressive is his intense curiosity and deep knowledge around all things conservation. Whether discussing the history of the Gunnison Valley or the ideas of Wendell Berry, it’s clear that Noel has a true passion for his work and a vision for the future of conservation in Colorado and beyond. His practical experience combined with abundant enthusiasm is what will allow him to continue and expand the work of Crested Butte Land Trust into the future. • As listeners of the podcast know, Crested Butte in one of my favorite places in the American West. Its ranching heritage, world-class recreation, and genuine community make it a unique and rare place in today’s American West. In our conversation, Noel explains what makes Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley so special, and how the Land Trust must balance the goals of such a wide range of various stakeholders. He talks about the history of conservation in the Valley and where he sees conservation going in the future. We also discuss his time fighting fires throughout the West, how his early life and parents shaped his love of the outdoors, and lessons learned from his various roles in conservation. • This is an excellent episode with lots of interesting information, so be sure the check the episode notes for links to everything we discuss. I’m sure you’ll agree that Crested Butte Land Trust is in great hands under the leadership of Noel. Enjoy! ••• ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED: 2:35 - How Noel describes his work 2:55 - Crested Butte and the Crested Butte Land Trust 5:00 - Crested Butte compared to other mountain towns 7:00 - History of conservation in Crested Butte 11:00 - Variety of stakeholders and methods of conservation 16:30 - Overlap between ranchers and recreational users 19:00 - The community of the Gunnison Valley 20:15 - Early years in Tennessee 22:00 - Semester in western NC 23:50 - College at Clemson 27:00 - Time with the Interagency Hotshot Crew 29:00 - Details of a hotshot crew 33:00 - Community and purpose of the fighting fires 35:00 - Tragedies and challenges from the fire fighting world 39:45 - Moving on from fires to land conservation 43:00 - Time at Trust for Public Land 45:20 - Importance of open space in urban area 47:00 - Lessons learned from jobs in conservation 51:45 - Future of land conservation locally and nationally 56:45 - Favorite books 58:50 - Favorite documentaries 59:20 - Favorite location in the West 1:01:34 - Favorite hike in Crested Butte 1:03:00 - Best piece of advice he’s ever received 1:04:45 - Request of the listeners 1:05:45 - Connect with Noel and Crested Butte Land Trust

If you love art and the American West, chances are you’re already a fan of Teal Blake. His paintings of bucking horses, working cowboys, and the Western ranching lifestyle are some of the most authentic and creative around. Teal's art is authentically Western because he’s so authentically Western—he has worked on ranches for all of his life, has ridden rodeo on the professional level, and has been making art since before he can remember. These unique life experiences, combined with a deep-seated drive to create original and striking art, meld together to make him one of the most genuine and fresh faces in Western art today. Teal grew up in Augusta, Montana, the son of two creative parents who allowed him to roam free—fishing, hunting, and exploring the wilderness out his backdoor. During high school, he discovered his talent for bull riding and rodeo, and he pursued that passion for years, eventually competing on the professional circuit. Throughout all of his various adventures and life stages, Teal was continuously sketching and painting, and after several impressive showings at western art shows, he decided to make a go of it as a professional artist. Since then he hasn’t looked back, and his stature in the Western art world continues to grow. We had an in-depth conversation in which we discussed Teal’s upbringing in Montana and Idaho, and how his artistic parents influenced his life and work. We chatted about his experience at art school, which ended with him flunking out, yet being the only one from his class to actually make it as a professional artist. We discuss his background in ranching and rodeo, and his process of transitioning into life as a professional artist. We also talk about the important role that external validation can play in a solitary creative endeavor such as painting. As usual, we discuss favorite books, favorite films, and his favorite place in the American West. We cover a lot in this episode, so be sure to check out the episode notes for all the topics and links to everything we discuss. Enjoy! http://mountainandprairie.com/teal-blake/ TOPICS DISCUSSED 2:45 - How Teal describes his work 3:33 - Process of becoming a professional artist 5:00 - Teal’s childhood in Montana 7:55 - Teal’s parents and their influence on him 9:35 - Early artistic influences 11:20 - Early artistic endeavors 12:00 - Move to Idaho and rodeo beginnings 14:55 - Decision to stop riding bulls 17:40 - Teal’s experience at college art school 21:30 - Transition from rodeo to full-time artist 24:00 - Teal’s first art show 28:00 - Teal’s daily routine and artistic phases 31:05 - Ranch work and its influence on Teal’s work 35:25 - Teal’s attraction to bucking animals — painting and riding them 38:20 - Biggest changes in Teal’s art over the past 10 years 40:33 - Challenge of creating new and original work 43:00 - Thoughts on the business of professional art 48:20 - Favorite books 52:10 - Importance of being humbled 53:10 - Raising kids in the internet age 56:50 - Favorite films 58:40 - Surprising hobbies 1:01:00 - Great advice Teal has received 1:02:15 - Favorite place in the West 1:05:50 - Teal’s advice to the listeners 1:07:45 - Connect with Teal online 1:08:10 - Chappin’!!

Justin Simoni is an ultra-endurance adventurer who is most well known for his self-powered, long-distance tours that combine cycling, mountain running, and climbing. He is currently preparing for the "Highest Hundred” in which he’ll climb Colorado’s 100 highest peaks, accessing them all by bike, in 60 days or less. If he pulls it off (and I’m betting that he will), it will be the first time anyone has linked all of these peaks by bike in a completely self-supported style. • Most people would assume that Justin has been a hardcore cyclist for his entire life, but he actually started riding relatively late. He studied painting in college and worked full time as a professional artist for years, living in an art gallery in downtown Denver. Frustrated with his car that kept breaking down, Justin purchased a bike and began to ride it as his primary mode of transportation. As his rides became longer and longer, he enjoyed it more and more, and pretty soon he was completely committed to long-distance cycling. What followed was a barrage of impressive solo ultra-distance adventures: cycling the Pacific Coast, racing the Tour Divide mountain bike race twice, and completing the Tour 14er, which involved cycling to all 58 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains and climbing them... in just 34 days. • Thanks to his athletic accomplishments, artistic perspective, hilarious sense of humor, and infectious enthusiasm, Justin is truly one of a kind. We had a fun and funny conversation that covered a wide range of topics from his adventures to his time as an artist. We chatted about some of the techniques that he uses to stay upbeat during periods of extreme fatigue or fear, and we discussed how he balances his free-wheeling artist’s mentality with the monk-like discipline required to pull off such serious adventures. As usual, we discuss favorite books, films, and Justin shares the best piece of advice he’s ever received. • I appreciate Justin taking the time to chat during such a hectic period of planning and training. This was a really fun conversation, so I hope you enjoy. ••• http://mountainandprairie.com/justin-simoni/ ••• TOPICS DISCUSSED: 2:40 - How Justin describes his work 4:45 - "Highest Hundred” defined 5:10 - Significance of highest hundred 7:20 - Background of Justin’s self-powered adventures 9:20 - When Justin started seriously riding bikes 10:00 - Growing up in Connecticut 10:45 - His decision to move West 11:50 - Skateboarding and skateboarding advocacy 12:50 - Beginning cycling 14:15 - Pacific Coast bike tour 15:50 - Tour Divide 18:30 - Epic snowfall on the Tour Divide course 20:45 - Justin’s approach to hardcore adventure 21:45 - Positivity versus negativity in ultra-endurance 23:15 - Strategies for overcoming fatigue 24:45 - How he decides when he does need to stop 25:30 - Other techniques for keeping a positive mindset 26:00 - Justin’s ability to invent his own rules and challenges 27:00 - “Everesting” Green Mountain 29:30 - Enjoyment of truly knowing a place 31:30 - Justin’s approach to creating art 32:50 - The hard work involved in athletics and art 35:35 - How much art is a part of Justin’s life currently 36:35 - How adventures changes people 39:00 - Heroes and mentors 42:00 - Overarching goal of sharing these adventures with the public 43:45 - Favorite Books 45:00 - Favorite films 46:50 - Surprising activities 48:40 - Best advice he’s ever received 53:00 - Enlightenment through endurance 56:00 - Most powerful outdoor experience 58:50 - Favorite location in the West 1:01:00 - Justin’s request of the listeners 1:02:00 - Connect with Justin online and follow the adventure!