#36: PAUL BIRD! How being gay & holding dead bodies has led to hiking the Arizona Trail

Melanie Stone is an actor, film producer, rock and roll goddess and passionate nature lover. In this episode Mel talks about her recent backpacking trip to Paria Canyon in Southern Utah which at one point caused her to seriously wonder if she might actually die in that Canyon. We have an incredible conversation about the benefits of being humbled by nature and whole bunch of other stuff. I played in Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera with Mel for nearly 10 years. Listen to the end of the episode to hear a lil' snippet of Mel killing it at a live Deep Love performance. Follow Melanie! @MelanieSt0ne Watch ALL of Melanie's movies: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5752523/ He's Dead & So Am I V/H/S/99 Deadstream Cupid for Christmas Love, Lost & Found Scarlett Retreat to Paradise Gone Hollywood Shattered Memories We're Alive: Frontier Christmas Wonderland My Christmas Inn Devil's Got My Back Little Women Chasing Shadows Extinct The Killing Pact GruntSlingers Lunchtime Battle: A Mobile Strike Story Mythica: The Godslayer Nocturne In the End: Sketch Comedy Mythica: The Iron Crown Mythica: The Necromancer Riot Miracle Maker Waffle Street Mythica: The Darkspore He Knows My Name Be My Frankenstein Wildlife Mythica: A Quest for Heroes The Christmas Dragon One Shot Survivor Chronologic Christmas for a Dollar No Precedence

Bob Donoho is an incredible human lifeform. He has had all kinds of wild experiences in the backcountry as a wilderness therapy guide for many years. He is an, in my opinion, expert woodworker and crafter of all kinds of things from nature. But beyond all those things, Bob has a golden heart and the wisdom of an ancient Greek philosopher. And he really likes bengal spice tea.  Follow Bob! @GoodPeopleFanClub Follow Bob's Dog! @My.Dog.Pancho

Lauren "Lala" Pedersen has the unique perspective of experiencing wilderness therapy as a struggling teen client not only once but TWICE (a combined 4 months), AND she has been a backcountry wilderness therapy guide on and off for the last 6 years with the Anasazi Foundation. This is a ultra unique perspective I had been wanting to dive into for many moons! Over the course of this interview Lauren also makes the most delicious biscuits and chili I have ever eaten in my life. Someday I hope to hire her as my personal chef. FOLLOW LAUREN! @lala_pedersen

Paul Bird is a fan favorite. Maybe THE fan favorite. I had Paul on the podcast earlier in 2022 right before he was about to leave on his first through hike on the Arizona Trail, an 800ish mile wilderness trail spanning from the Mexican border to Utah.  So on this episode we talk about how he survived being all alone for so long as an extremely extroverted person as well as his change of heart toward "spiritual journeys." All hail Paul Bird! Want a shirt/coffee mug/shower curtain with Paul Bird's face on it?  https://fordthunder.threadless.com/ Follow Paul! Insta: @PostModernPastoral Facebook: Paul Bird

This episode is an excerpt from a live talk I recently gave at church. I talk about ways I believe I have seen God working with me and others in the wilderness. I recognize that a lot of you may have had difficult experiences with religion and I don't want this podcast to be a specifically religious or Christian podcast at all. I just want to hear about all people's meaningful experiences in the outdoors, however they interpret them. I just hope that these experiences I share in this episode do not offend or trigger anyone, and if they do I am very sorry. I love you all!

Cary Judd co-produced an award winning documentary called 828 that follows Cary Judd as he attempts to ride his e-skateboard around the ring road of Iceland - 828 miles. Ultimately it’s a story about mental health and coping with grief. Like a lot of us, Cary Judd had a rough 2020. On top of the global pandemic and civil unrest, Cary dealt with the deaths of his mother, father, aunt and close friend, as well as losing his job.  Cary has had a lifelong battle with depression but in 2020 it became crippling. The only thing that would get him out of the house was hopping on his electric skateboard and going for a ride. Gradually he started doing more and more miles until he was doing 100 mile days on remote mountain roads in Idaho. Then he got an idea about being the first person to ride an e-skateboard 828 miles on the Ring Road around Iceland. Follow Cary and the 828 Documentary! Facebook/Instagram: @828Documentary 828 Trailer:  https://vimeo.com/643232947 Listen to Cary's Music! https://open.spotify.com/artist/7B1WIks0LyZNF8mNh4GqH2?si=cLn2YQNQTQOf_lDfIkS_CQ

Benjamin Pete Allred is a mad scientist that loves pushing himself in the outdoors. We talk about his trip to climb the tallest peak in North America -Denali Peak- , which was formerly known as Mt. Mckinley. It is only fitting he climbed a mountain with 2 names while he is a man with 2 names. It is very confusing. Benjamin Pete has climbed and hiked all over the world now while also having some wilderness therapy experience. He also is currently hiding symbolic artifacts in the Wasatch Mountains for an upcoming riddle-filled treasure hunt. Like I said this man is a mad scientist. Seriously. He scientifically figured out which tortilla chip is the consensus best tortilla chip of all. For real. It was the greatest thing I have ever witnessed. This has nothing to do with the outdoors but man oh man is it great. Join Benjamin Pete's Treasure Hunt! https://sixsilversaturns.space/ Watch Ben's Scientific Tortilla Chip Experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbJ8tUQW9E4

Sheesh where do I start? Jessie Krebs runs an outdoor survival school specifically for women (OwlsSkills.com), was an Air Force SERE instructor for many years, is THE ONLY wilderness survival instructor on Masterclass , yes you read that right.  Take a breather because we are only getting started here...  Jessie has also been featured on many survival TV shows such as: National Geographic's Mygrations, Kicking and Screaming, and the upcoming Season 9 of History Channel's Alone show! Jessie has also spent over 10ish years working in the wilderness therapy industry.  Jessie has a contagious passion for the wild and bringing the wilderness healing she has experienced to women and other underrepresented demographics in the outdoor survival scene. Jessie changed my life in this conversation. Be careful, because she is about to change yours. Follow Jessie! OWLS Survival School for women! https://www.owlsskills.com/ Take Jessie's Masterclass on wilderness survival! https://www.masterclass.com/classes/jessie-krebs-teaches-wilderness-survival/chapters/meet-your-instructor-jessie-krebs Instagram: @Owls.Skills Facebook:  Jessie Krebs

Shanae Foster is a wilderness therapy veteran, wilderness EMT, avid rock climber, ancestral living skills enthusiast, incredible sour dough bread baker, and hopeful marathon runner, ultra marathon runner and through hiker.  Shanae recently signed for her first marathon ever and we dig deep to understand why the heck she paid 100+ dollars to suffer. We also delve into a life altering conversation about the lessons she has learned from seeking to perfect sour dough bread baking. You may say bread baking has nothing to do with hiking...and you might be right...but actually you are wrong.  Follow SHANAE! Insta: @ShanaeFoster Buy a shirt with Shanae's face on it: https://fordthunder.threadless.com/designs/shanae

Paul Bird is a fascinating human specimen. He spent 32 months IN A ROW working rigorous wilderness therapy at the Anasazi Foundation and he is now about to start an 800 mile trek, on foot from the Mexican border to Utah, known as the Arizona Trail. Paul talks about how coming out as gay has led him to pursue other new experiences AKA adventure.  Paul was also worked with dead bodies as a mortician for several years before he started working at Anasazi.  Death is still one of his favorite things.  Behold Mr. Tuscon Arizona himself, Paul Bird. FOLLOW PAUL BIRD! Insta: @PostModernPastoral Facebook: Paul Bird PAUL BIRD T SHIRTS: https://fordthunder.threadless.com/