The Trail Less Traveled

Home
United States
Missoula, MT
The Trail Less Traveled

Collecting stories & sounds from around the world! Listen LIVE Sunday's @ 6pm (MST) at Trail1033.com

The Trail Less Traveled is dedicated to documenting humanity & planet earth by gathering stories & sounds from the most remote locations around the world. The goal for the show is to take you, the listener, back to mankind's earliest form of entertainment: story telling. Therefore, every week features an interview with an adventurer in their natural habitat in order to provide an audible journey p

acked with information & inspiration. Everyone has a story & different perspective, we aim to share the stories from the world’s diverse cultures & unknown lands. We give back to each culture by doing outreach with local schools while recording on location.

08/07/2026

Up next: the history of conservation in Zambia 🇿🇲 As always, this episode was recorded on location.

08/05/2026

The Trail Less Traveled 🎧🌍 is a one-woman team, and while we may not always be posting, we’re busy behind the scenes: researching stories, conducting interviews, editing and spending time volunteering and connecting with communities.

Thank you for following along on this journey with us. Your support means the world!

07/26/2026

Episode 725 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST! Join us in Victor, Idaho, for an interview with Corey Milligan, the founder of New West KnifeWorks an American maker of premium kitchen and outdoor knives renowned for combining cutting-edge performance with bold artistic design.

A former river guide, ski bum and line cook in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Milligan drew on his love of cooking and the outdoors to launch the company in 1997 with the goal of building the finest-performing kitchen knives in the world.

He also created the Mountain Man Toy Shop a retail concept celebrating the mountain lifestyle through outdoor gear, handcrafted tools and adventure-inspired products that reflects his passion for hunting, fishing, skiing and life in the backcountry.

Milligan’s work is driven by a belief that the best tools should combine exceptional function with timeless craftsmanship, creating heirloom-quality pieces that inspire both culinary creativity and outdoor adventure.

🎧 Listen to “The Trail Less Traveled” every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST

📻 Tune in locally on the Trail 103.3 FM + STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com 📡

🙌🏾 Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

💞 Please 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

07/19/2026

Episode 724 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST. Join us in the heart of the largest protected area on earth for an interview with John Crowley!

Born in Arizona, John grew up with a profound love of the Grand Canyon, having started hiking adventures there at the age of ten. He graduated from Northern Arizona University and has been boating the “big ditch” since the early 1990s. He’s also enjoyed the thrill of whitewater adventures in Utah and Alaska, where he became enamored with the Alsek River. He lives in Flagstaff, AZ where he raised two amazing daughters with his artist wife.

🎧 Listen to “The Trail Less Traveled” every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST

📻 Tune in locally on the Trail 103.3 FM + STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com 📡

🙌🏾 Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

💞 Please 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

05/24/2026

Episode 716 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST!! Join us for an interview with Jason Poole an American paleontologist, fossil preparator, educator and paleo-artist based in Missoula, Montana.

Best known for blending scientific accuracy with artistic interpretation, Jason 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 discoveries from around the world.

Jason has developed a career that bridges science and visual storytelling. His paleoart and scientific illustrations have appeared in publications including National Geographic, museum collections, documentaries and academic works.

During his field career, he participated in excavations across North and South America, Africa, and Mongolia, and contributed work on dinosaurs new to science, including Paralititan, Dreadnoughtus, and Suuwassea.

Today, Jason Poole works with the Elevation Science Institute as a field expedition crew chief, fossil preparation specialist and resident paleo-artist.

Jason regularly teaches drawing, painting and paleontology workshops through the Montana Natural History Center while preparing Jurassic dinosaur fossils collected in southern Montana. His public programs and artwork emphasize making prehistoric life accessible and engaging for broad audiences.

🎧 Listen every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST on the Trail 1033 📻 Tune in locally on the Trail 103.3 FM + STREAM LIVE at www.Trail1033.com 📡

🙌🏾 Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

💞 Please 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

05/17/2026

Episode 715 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST. Join us in Livingston, Zambia, for an interview with Kulu (Alec) Banda. Kulu was born and raised near the 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 knowledge of the river.

After proving himself as a porter, Kulu advanced to the role of “high sider,” a critical position on whitewater rafts where he paddled and moved his body weight to help stabilize the raft on the Zambezi’s in order to prevent flips.

In 1984, Kulu began his long and distinguished career as a professional river guide on the Zambezi River, one of the world’s premier whitewater destinations. He worked for Sobek, the legendary adventure company associated with the first commercial descents of the Zambezi River. Through Sobek, Kulu traveled to the United States, where he trained and guided on numerous rivers, expanding his technical expertise and becoming part of an international generation of elite river guides.

oday, he continues to share his knowledge by mentoring young Zambezi river guides and helping preserve the culture and traditions of whitewater rafting on the river he has spent his life navigating. Kulu farms with his family in a village near Livingstone, remaining deeply connected to the land and community that shaped him.

🎧 Listen to “The Trail Less Traveled” every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST on the Trail 1033

Learn more at TrailLessTraveled.net

📻 Tune in locally on the Trail 103.3 FM + STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com 📡

🙌🏾 Podcast available everywhere and at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trail-less-traveled/id1180249343?i=1000768125680

💞 Please 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

03/22/2026

Episode 707 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST. Join us inside Smoke Elser's barn (for the 3rd time) and enjoy his favorite stories from decades of guiding in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Arnold “Smoke” Elser is a LEGENDARY outfitter, educator, and conservationist. You may think you've already heard this interview... but trust us, you haven't heard these stories yet.

With over 8,000 nights under the stars and over 55,000 miles ridden since his first trip in 1957, Smoke has shaped how generations experience and protect the Bob. From packing mules to preserving wild lands, his life’s work is a masterclass in backcountry wisdom.

🎧 Listen to “The Trail Less Traveled” every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST

📻 Tune in locally on the Trail 103.3 FM + STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com 📡

🙌🏾 Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

💞 Please 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

03/21/2026

Mollie Beattie made history as the first woman to serve as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1993 to 1996. Known simply as Mollie to friends and foes alike, she was a fierce defender of the Endangered Species Act and a tireless advocate for protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Mollie championed ecosystem-based conservation and played a key role in the reintroduction of gray wolves to the American West—an effort that helped restore balance to fragile ecosystems. Her dedication was so powerful that, after her passing, even some of her Congressional critics honored her legacy by naming an eight-million-acre wilderness area in the Arctic Refuge after her.

Mollie lived by a simple truth: “What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself.” Her words—and her work—continue to inspire conservation efforts across America.

Image courtesy of USFWS Museum and Archives.

03/15/2026

Episode 706 premieres tonight from 6-7 MST. Join us in Lusaka, Zambia, for a powerful conversation with Virginia “Ginny” Bond, a social anthropologist, educator and HIV community counselor.

Ginny has spent years working on the front lines of HIV education, helping communities confront stigma while expanding access to life saving information and care. In this episode we talk about the realities of HIV in Africa, the importance of education, and the role each of us can play in breaking cycles of discrimination and silence.

Education saves lives. Conversations change cultures. Tonight’s episode is one worth hearing.

🎧 Listen to “The Trail Less Traveled” every Sunday evening from 6-7 MST

📻 Tune in locally on the Trail 103.3 FM and STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com 📡

🙌🏾 Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

💞 Please 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

01/21/2026

Episode 698 is LIVE! Join us on the edge of the Selway River for an interview with Doug Proctor, co-owner of Selway River Adventures, a wilderness rafting outfitter based in Stanley, Idaho.

With his partners he operates under one of the extremely limited commercial permits on the Selway River, a nationally designated Wild and Scenic river flowing through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Trips are typically five to six days long, weaving technical whitewater with solitude and natural beauty few river runners ever get to experience.

In 1977 Proctor began his professional guiding career, leading whitewater rafting trips commercially on the New Riverand the Gauley River, two of the eastern United States’ premier whitewater destinations. Over the next 35+ years he built extensive experience as an outfitter in West Virginia, guiding trips through challenging Class III and Class IV waters and cultivating deep skills in river stewardship, guest experience, and wilderness logistics.

His love of rivers and adventure didn’t stop in Appalachia. His guiding has taken him to Grand Canyon, Alaska, Chile, Costa Rica, Idaho, and numerous rivers in both the eastern and western United States.

Tune in locally (Missoula) on the Trail 1033 FM and STREAMING LIVE at www.Trail1033.com

Podcast available everywhere and at www.TrailLessTraveled.net

Please 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

Address

P. O. Box 16381
Missoula, MT
59808

Website

http://www.traillesstraveled.net/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Trail Less Traveled posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company in Missoula?