Rephonic
Artwork for The Trail Less Traveled

The Trail Less Traveled

Mandela Leola van Eeden
Climate Change
Conservation
Salmon
Bob Marshall Wilderness
Missoula, Montana
Montana
Polar Regions
Antarctica
Missoula
Wildlife Conservation
Arctic
Hunting
Trans Boundary Rivers
Fly Fishing
Montana Natural History Center
Polar Bears
Montana Wildlife Federation
Ta Moko
Missoula Housing Authority
Valor House

Dedicated to documenting humanity 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 packed with adventure (and conservation) in... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes226Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for The Trail Less Traveled

Latest Episodes

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 an... more

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 enjo... more

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 re... more

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 an... more

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Recent Guests

Jason Poole
Paleontologist and natural history illustrator
Elevation Science Institute; Montana Natural History Center
Episode: Jason Poole Part 2 of 2: Evolution, Extinction and the Asteroid That Changed Earth
John Crowley
River guide and expedition leader featured as the episode guest
Alsek River expeditions / Sobek
Episode: John Crowley on the Alsek, the Grand Canyon and his life between running rapids and raising two daughters.
Alec Banda
One of the first Zambezi river guides, aka Kulu Banda
Zambezi river guiding community, Sobek alumnus
Episode: A Life on the Zambezi: From Porter to High Sider to River Guide
Smoke Elser
Author and longtime wilderness guide; subject of the interview
Author of Smoke and Mules; Hush of the Land
Episode: The Hush of the Land: Smoke Elser shares some of this favorite stories from the Bob Marshall Wilderness
Lisa Ballard
Board member, Montana Wildlife Federation
Montana Wildlife Federation
Episode: The Hush of the Land: Smoke Elser shares some of this favorite stories from the Bob Marshall Wilderness
Ginny Bond
Anthropologist and professor focusing on HIV and stigma
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Health
Episode: HIV and AIDS: Education, Treatment, and Stigma
Jenny Bond
Anthropologist and professor (co-presenter alongside host in discussion segments)
Episode: HIV and AIDS: Education, Treatment, and Stigma
Lisa Bickell
President of the Board of Directors, Montana Natural History Center
Montana Natural History Center (MNHC)
Episode: Stewardship and Phenology with Lisa Bickell
Doug Proctor
A longtime river guide and owner of Selway River Adventures.
Selway River Adventures
Episode: Selway River Adventures with Doug Proctor

Host

Mandela
Host of The Trail Less Traveled

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 117 ratings
  • Loving the latest podcast about bicycle touring!

    Really enjoyed the first podcast with Josh and Sarah. So glad that are going to be one or two more podcasts from them! Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Woolly1979
    Australia2 years ago
  • Simply Brilliant đŸ„°

    All of these podcasts and videos are a pleasure to watch and listen. I find out many amazing stories about our planet, cultures, and policies around the world. Mandy is incredibly talented and passionate about what she is doing. Since I can no longer venture into remote places like she does, I can love vicariously through her. I feel that I’m living what she lives with her very brilliant narratives.

    I’ve often thought that she’s Alister Cooke reincarnated! Love her!! đŸ„°

    Alistair Cooke

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    joblow999
    United States3 years ago
  • Fantastic Zambia Shows

    Loved your interviews of Bridget & Bob Meyers! Thank you for sharing their important stories!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RodandCon
    United States3 years ago
  • Stories of real life.

    The interviews you will hear on the trail less traveled Will bring you into the lives of some amazing awesome adventurers .

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    platypus two
    United States5 years ago
  • Highly recommended

    I love listening to this podcast while I am at work. It is fascinating hearing about people living their passions from all over the planet. I highly recommend it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nancy:Pants
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Engaging storytelling and deep curiosity make every episode feel like a journey.
Listeners appreciate the blend of adventure, conservation, and cultural perspectives.
The host asks great questions and draws out vivid, place-based details from guests.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

John Crowley on the Alsek, the Grand Canyon and his life between running rapids and raising two daughters.
Q: How has boating in Grand Canyon changed between 1992 and 2026, in your heart?
John reflects on the strong sense of camaraderie in his early crews, the scarcity of long-term careers now, and the evolving, more independent culture of guides while noting how mentorship and community still shaped his path even as the sport and its participants changed over decades.
John Crowley on the Alsek, the Grand Canyon and his life between running rapids and raising two daughters.
Q: John, where did you grow up, and how was adventure a part of your childhood?
John describes growing up in Globe, Arizona, with early exposure to hunting, fishing, and outdoor life, shaped by mentors (including uncles and family members) and local trips in the Sierra region, which planted his curiosity for the outdoors and laid the foundation for a life in guiding and exploration.
Paleontology, Dinosaur Art & Montana (Part 1 of 2)
Q: What have you learned from dinosaurs?
Poole highlights understanding behavior through pathologies and the importance of looking at many specimens to infer patterns, stressing that discoveries don't always require brand-new species to be impactful.
A Life on the Zambezi: From Porter to High Sider to River Guide
Q: Well, since we're sitting here, leading our back against your home, and it's just this most wonderful setting, can you tell us about your home, what it's made out of, and what you've got going on here?
Kulu explains his home is built from cut-off poles with mud walls, grass thatching, and a simple farm setup including rabbits and chickens, with plans to expand to vegetables and fruit trees to support the local community.
Selway River Adventures with Doug Proctor
Q: Let's talk about the New and the Gauley Rivers and what it was like for you to start that company back when it was the boom of rafting.
Starting our rafting company at 22 felt like a dream, as rafting was booming in the late 70s, and we were excited to guide on renowned rivers.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Trail Less Traveled

What is The Trail Less Traveled about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A travel-adventure conversation show that brings listeners along to remote places through first-person storytelling, immersive soundscapes, and candid interviews with explorers, scientists, guides, and conservationists. Topics span paleontology, river guiding, wildlife conservation, stigma in health facilities, phenology, and cultural cuisine, with a strong emphasis on nature, exploration, and public lands. Noteworthy is the host's knack for pulling vivid, place-based narratives from guests, often tying ancient or distant environments to present-day stewardship. The mix of expert guests, outdoor mentorship experiences, and conservation angles makes it appealing to listeners who crave experiential learning, practical outdoors wisdom, and glo... more

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How many listeners does The Trail Less Traveled get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers The Trail Less Traveled has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Trail Less Traveled?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Trail Less Traveled:

1. Hidden Brain
2. Ologies with Alie Ward
3. Planet Money
4. National Park After Dark
5. The Daily

How many episodes of The Trail Less Traveled are there?

The Trail Less Traveled launched 10 years ago and published 226 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Trail Less Traveled?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Trail Less Traveled?

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What guests have appeared on The Trail Less Traveled?

Recent guests on The Trail Less Traveled include:

1. Jason Poole
2. John Crowley
3. Alec Banda
4. Smoke Elser
5. Lisa Ballard
6. Ginny Bond
7. Jenny Bond
8. Lisa Bickell

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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