Published by Dawson Wheeler
Welcome to Day Fire Podcast! We talk everything outdoors for beginners to hardcore athletes. You'll learn about outdoor experiences, equipment, training tips, places to go, and hear from local athletes and seasoned outdoor professionals.
Listen on Apple PodcastsThis week we sat down with Meaghan Hackinen, the women's winner of this year's Tour Divide. Meaghan is a bikepacker and writer whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe’s highest paved roads. She is a two time ultra-cycling world champion and with wins in some of the hardest bikepacking races on the planet, including the Tour Divide (2024 and 2026) and Silk Road Mountain Race (2025), regularly finishing in the top ten overall. Meaghan's debut travel memoir, South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels (NeWest Press, 2019) was a finalist for two Canadian book awards; her follow up, Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race, charts her entry into self-supported ultra-racing. You can find her exploring back roads in British Columbia’s beautiful Okanagan Valley or on Instagram at @meaghanhackinen. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com Powered by: Mountain View Auto Dealers This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson interviewed Matt Schweiker. Matt is a regular on our show because he is always pushing the extreme in the worlds hardest mountain races for cyclists. Matt has traveled the world racing his bike in multi day events. This time Matt shares with us his experience from the Highlands 550 in Scotland. The race is 550 miles which is broken into 50% Singletrack, 52,500 feet climbing, 80% rideable. That is 20% hike a bike in the high country of Scotland; that's just hard. First edition was in 2013 (400 miles) in 2014 Northern Loop added (550 miles).The Crux Sections: Fisherfied & Coffin Road, Ledmore Traverse, Devil's Staircase, Timing Resupply for the remote Northern Loop: Bealach. It was unseasonably cold, the race director called it the “worst conditions of any year” which is saying a lot considering we are talking about Scotland. 64 people at the start, 33 DNF. These are the races that Matt is drawn to. Small, hard multi day races with lots of remote single track riding. This time Matt made the decision to ride a single speed. Matt was one of two who raced on a single speed. Sponsored by Mountain Viewview Auto group. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Shannon Burke. Shannon is the Race Director for the New Sequatchie 24 Ultra cycle race. The race was June 13-14 and was a huge success. We wanted to get an update from the event and also a sneak peak at what is going to happen next year. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com Powered by: Mountain View Auto Dealers This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and I sat down with Jessica Jollie. Jessica is the owner of Yoga Landing in Signal Mountain Tennessee. Jessica by all accounts and reports is one of the best in the region. Take a class from her and you will know her skill. Over thirty years ago Jessica found her way to Yoga due to a snowboarding injury in the high mountains of Ca. Her recovery and practice went from student to teacher to studio owner. Jessica shares her journey with us today and also how yoga has a place for everyone. I have been blessed to practice with Jessica for several years and like many I came to heal my body from injury. What I found was a better balance for my daily living and a fitter healthier body. Jessica calls herself a Yoga Universalist. This means that any form or perspective that awakens clarity, strengthens and heals the body, and energizes the spirit, she supports wholeheartedly. Personally, she connects most with Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Hot Elemental, and Yin Yoga. She is also a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and holds a Master's degree in Counseling. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com Powered by: Mountain View Auto Dealers This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Lauren Beihoffer. Lauren is a biochemist, ultrarunner, adventurer, endurance coach, guide and mom to three boys. Lauren is deeply passionate about helping athletes midlife and beyond conquer their health, wellness and performance goals. In adulthood, Lauren found that her passion was trail and ultra running. She has conquered distances from 5K to 100 miles and everything in between. She especially loves self-supported adventure running and other outdoor endurance pursuits. When not running or coaching, you can find Lauren backpacking, mountaineering, adventure racing and tackling wilderness survival challenges. Catch her on season 16 of Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid. Sponsored by Mountain View Auto group. Been serving Chattanooga and supporting the great outdoors for over 40 years. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week we sat down with Liz Derstine and talked about her new short film Ridgeline. The short film is about Liz's PCT thru hike is now available to watch at mountainhardwear.com/ridgeline.html (you can also find it on Mountain Hardwear's YouTube channel @MountainHardwear).To describe Liz in a few sentences is impossible. Her achievements are many. She is an elite ultra athlete who has set many FKT's; fastest known times. Liz is a professional pianist, composer, and trail athlete for Mountain Hardwear. She's set Fastest Known Times on the Appalachian Trail northbound, Vermont’s Long Trail, the Pinhoti Trail in Georgia and Alabama, Kungsleden in Sweden, the Swiss Via Alpina, and more. In 2025 she thru-hiked the 2,655 mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, self-supported, in 69 days, 13 hours, 53 minutes–this made her the third fastest woman in history and eighth-fastest person in the self-supported style to complete the PCT. This series is Sponsored by Mtn View Auto group. Serving southeast Tn and North Ga for 45 years. Mtn View Auto group has been supporting the great outdoors for all 45 years. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Dealers This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Nick "Chezwick" Gagnon. Nick set the new record for the male self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking (Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails), completing the ~7,000+ mile journey in 231 days, 7 hours, and 33 minutes. He finished on December 19, 2025 on Springer mountain. This record covers all three major US trails. Nick is a hiking machine and he shares his journey with us and what it takes to be successful. We talk about food, gear, animals, luck and his near miss as he was swept downstream on the PCT. This series is Sponsored by Mtn View Auto group. Serving southeast Tn and North Ga for 45 years. Mtn View Auto group has been supporting the great outdoors for all 45 years. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Travis Jolly. Travis is a very humble, smart and dang fast cyclist that excels with the road turns to dirt or trails. He works at Bike Zoo bike shop in Knoxville, TN. He is 30 years old and was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up as a child and throughout his teenage years he was primarily a track and cross country runner. After putting college on hold is when he started his cycling life primarily as a fixed gear cyclist. Travis is a bike mechanic, and not long after moving to Knoxville in November of 2019. He wanted to live somewhere new and expand his life as a cyclist in a place with mountains. Travis dabbles with every category of cycling every once in a while. But he has found that his heart and legs enjoy soaking up the beauty of the forests and mountains that surround his newfound home on a single speed mountain bike. A few results of many, USA cycling Marathon Mountain Biking World Championships 2nd place Single Speed. 3rd at 2025 Cohutta Cat BUT he rode his bike there (Mulberry Gap) from Knoxville adding 180 miles and 20k of climbing in a day. Won TNGA in 2024 on a single speed to mention a few. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Lee Davis and talked about the new Sequatchie 24 cycling event that will be in Dunlap Tn on June 13th and 14th. Lee is a Signal Mountain Tennessee resident who has a passion for endurance cycling. Lee has competed many times in the Natchez 444 and last year the Psycho 48. The event will be managed and directed by cycling guru Shannon Burke. Shannon has mapped out all of Bike TN https://bike.tnvacation.com routes around the state of Tennessee and will be releasing early this year 40 new gravel routes around the state of Tennessee. The Sequatchie 24 will have three distances this year. A 75 mile route, a 150 mile route and a 24 hour division. URL for website with more info: https://www.cyclesequatchie.com/ultra Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Matt Schweiker. Matt has shared his adventures with us many times. This week we wanted to talk about a 7 month trip Matt took through South America in 2015. The Countries he covered were; Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and a small part of Chile. This might have been the trip that got Matt racing and adventuring on the bike world wide. Matt Schweiker is an adventure bike packer and ultra endurance racer. He’s completed the Bikepacking Triple Crown: Tour Divide, Arizona Trail 800 and Colorado Trail. He’s raced internationally completing the Silk Road Mountain Race, Trans Balkan and Hellenic Mountain Race. His travels on bike have taken him to over 25 countries. He lives in Chattanooga TN and currently serves as the race director for the Cohutta Cat Bikepacking event. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week we sat down with Ali Whittier. This is the second time Ali has joined us to talk about adventure and bike racing. Ali lives in the same community as we do which is Chattanooga Tn and because of that I hear a lot about her. Ali appears to me to be something like the sun; a source of energy and power for so many people both on and off the bike. I know her by reputation and we could all only wish for such positive affirmation. A little about her; "Ali Whittier is a dedicated professional and endurance athlete who brings energy, curiosity, and resilience to everything she does. She balances a demanding career with a deep passion for cycling and outdoor adventure. Ali is known for her commitment to personal growth and her willingness to push herself in both sport and life. When she’s not on the bike, she’s exploring the outdoors, building strength, or diving into new challenges. She’s motivated by connection, storytelling, and finding meaning in the process of showing up every day." Here is one of the lessons; "showing up every day". Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
This week we sat down with Brittney Whorton. Brittney is a bright light in the world whose story should motivate everyone. She is a powerful, smart and funny woman who has met challenges head on and chosen to see the world in the most beautiful way. Brittney writes; "So when you see me push myself physically, know that I won the mental battle years ago, my body is just trying to catch up and soak in every single moment! Pushing myself to greater heights. Dumber things. BIGGER THINGS! Pushing myself to be something that defies every dang odd that was laid out for me by some pretty brilliant medical professionals. Because my amazing team of docs were always terrified of what riding a bike could do to me as my back and hip had been properly destroyed!!! But, I knew I didn’t have a choice but to ride.Turns out, they saved my insides and were able to stop the growth of a pretty nasty chronic disease. But riding a bike saved my life!!! And I’m going to live every moment incredibly grateful for the achievements mom and I made with my health; but if you see fear, it is fear that I stop short of my goals and don’t find my true physical limit. There is no mental limit, that battle was fought and won years ago. A physical limit looms out there, maybe, I don’t really know, but I want to do everything I can to try and find where the physical wins over this mind. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the Dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 6 of 6 . In this episode we continue to talk about Tennessee Parks and where you can go to view, hike and enjoy Fall leaf colors. We also cover beautiful drives that you can enjoy the Fall colors from your vehicle. We go down a few rabbit holes and discuss economic development in rural Tn and solve a few world problems along the way; haha. Currently, Arch is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks. Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the Dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 5. In this episode we talk about Tennessee Park where you can go to view, hike and enjoy Fall leaf colors. We also cover beautiful drives that you can enjoy the Fall colors from your vehicle. Currently, Arch is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks. Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 4. In this episode we talk about small towns, dinners and hidden gems around the state. Arch shares some favorite spots and tons of facts and boy did I learn some new places to go. Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks. Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 3. In this episode we talk about some of Tennessee's most unique festivals and fairs. Have you ever been to Tennessee's Renaissance Festival? It's a must go for 2026 or how about the Cornbread Festival or the SlawBurger Festival? Tennessee is home to many awesome communities, with rich histories that include all kinds of fun. So sit back, grab a notepad and plan some new experiences for 2026 in the great state of Tennessee. Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks. Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/ Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble IV and this is Episode 2. In this episode we discuss how passion for the state of Tennessee turned to a business. Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. He has been to every county and all of Tennessee's state parks. Powered by: Arch About TN - https://www.archabouttn.com/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We have started a new series on the dayfire podcast with Arch Trimble. Arch Trimble IV is a lifelong Tennessee resident who spends his time traveling Tennessee to meet people of all backgrounds and learn about the greatest state in America. In 2024, he and his family made stops in all 95 counties and saw over 40 Tennessee State Parks and 20 Natural Areas in 12 months as well as every single National Park site in TN. In addition to that, he has visited over 100 museums in Tennessee and currently in 2025 is on a quest to finish the state parks while also visiting over 300 Tennessee local businesses to support economic development. His passion for Tennessee started early as he traveled across Tennessee with his family on work trips or hunting and fishing excursions. He has an unabated love for Meat and 3’s, less traveled Waterfalls and unique experiences only afforded to those who search harder. Currently, he is President of Arch About TN which specializes in business consulting and tourism and economic development. He is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee NXT, a former Insurance Executive and in a previous life, a Congressional Staffer and maintains a deep well of connections in the field of government. Fun fact; he is also a certified yoga instructor. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com Powered by: Arch About TN This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are back with part 6 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. If you have missed the first 5 podcasts in this series please give them a listen. This week we again have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails. Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Group Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/ Site Seven Campers: https://sitesevencampers.com/ Dayfire Company: https://dayfirecompany.com/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
We are back with part 5 of our 6 Part Series with Bike Tennessee. If you have missed the first 4 podcasts in this series please give them a listen. This week we again have Shannon Burke and Tom Lamb. Shannon Burke has been working with Tennessee Tourism since 2022 to curate bike routes across the state through the Bike TN initiative, initially providing 52 road cycling routes for publication on BikeTN.com and currently mapping gravel routes for publication in late 2025. Shannon has also been running bike tours since 2012 through his business Velo View Bike Tours. In 2019, Shannon created and currently serves as ride director for the Cycle Sequatchie Century & 3 Mtn Challenge, which is an annual one-day ride out of Dunlap, TN, with routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. In 2020, Shannon founded and continues to operate Tennessee Gravel, which supports cycling adventures in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains east of Chattanooga through a downloadable route library, an individual time trial series, and an annual race/ride in Reliance, TN. Tom Lamb was hired as a Recreation Consultant with TDEC’s Division of Recreation Resources, working directly with local leaders across the state to increase opportunities for healthy living, preserve natural spaces, and make their communities a better place to live, work, play, and visit. In November 2024, Tom was officially named the Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the state of TN and works in the state’s newly formed Office of Outdoor Recreation. His primary responsibilities include; working directly with Area Managers and Park Managers to help establish a trail improvement and maintenance program across the Tennessee State Park system. He also provides support, training, and technical assistance to agencies and stakeholders across the state on trail conservation, improvements, and connectivity to help Tennessee achieve and maintain a high-quality network of greenways and trails. Sponsored by: Mountain View Auto Group Chattanooga Concrete: https://chattanoogaconcreteco.com/ Site Seven Campers: https://sitesevencampers.com/ Dayfire Company: https://dayfirecompany.com/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm