← LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast
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- [00:00]
Josh McNabb
It's.
- [00:01]
Sam Troy
I mean, it's on the top of so many people's bucket list because it's such an amazing place for hiking adventure trips. You could. Every single time that you see the Grand Canyon, it's a different view and such. I spent two and a half years living there. I worked for the concessionaire in the park, Zanterra, training the tour guide, bus drivers. So that's when we started planning this trip. LGBTQ Outdoors was like, we're gonna go to the Grand Canyon. And I said, you cannot go to this without me. I must.
- [00:35]
Justin Yoder
What do you do when you come out as LGBTQ and love the outdoors? What do you do when you see the outdoor space ruled by older white CIS men and desire a diverse community of outdoor lovers?
- [00:46]
Patrick
Accept it, change it, create it.
- [00:49]
Justin Yoder
I am Justin Yoder, and this is LGBT Outdoors.
- [00:57]
Patrick
Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of the LGBTQ Outdoors Podcast. We are going to have a little bit different show for you today and highlight some of our adventure trips that we have coming up this year. So I'm excited about that. But before we dive into that, I have Patrick with me again today.
- [01:17]
Oded Wilson
Hey, everybody.
- [01:22]
Patrick
What's going on with LGBTQ Outdoor Fest? You're on the committee for that.
- [01:26]
Oded Wilson
With LGBTQ Outdoor Festival, we are on a roll. We are planning. We are. We have a record number of people signed up for this early in the game. We do, which is huge and awesome. I think there's a possibility that we might max out. I don't want to, like, you know, create a frenzy or anything.
- [01:57]
Patrick
Uh, everybody rushed to sign up.
- [01:59]
Oded Wilson
Yes, sign up. Um, at this point, you've missed early bird registration, but still tickets available. It's going to be September 11th through the 14th up in the Catskills in New York. We're really, really excited about it. It's going to be bigger and better, um, with, I mean, expecting significantly more people than what we've had in the past. So it's just going to be a badass time all around. So want to check up on that LGBTQ outdoors/outdoorfest, and check it out. You can see videos from last year and find out more information. And if you have particular questions that you'd like to find out, you can email joshgbtqoutdoors.com and he'll actually be on this podcast here in a few minutes talking about his adventure trip.
- [03:09]
Patrick
Yeah.
- [03:10]
Oded Wilson
And speaking of adventure trips. And speaking of adventure trips, that's an amazing segue, Patrick.
- [03:15]
Patrick
Thank you.
- [03:17]
Oded Wilson
Our first one up for 2025 is our adventure trip to The Grand Canyon hosted co led by Oded Wilson and Sam Troy. Sam is actually here to talk with us and explain get people jazzed up.
- [03:40]
Patrick
What's Excited?
- [03:41]
Oded Wilson
Excited? Yes.
- [03:45]
Patrick
Hey, Sam. Welcome to the podcast.
- [03:47]
Sam Troy
Hello. How are you doing today?
- [03:50]
Patrick
I'm doing well. How are you doing?
- [03:52]
Sam Troy
I'm doing. The horrors persist, but so do I. Amen.
- [03:57]
Patrick
There you go. Like that. Let's kick this off with letting people know a little bit about who you are.
- [04:04]
Sam Troy
So hi everyone. My name is Sam Troy. She her pronouns and I am originally from the Fort Lauderdale area of South Florida. I moved to actually I moved to the Grand Canyon in 2021 and I'll talk more about my experience there in a little bit. And then in 2023, the end of 2023, I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado and I'm now a graduate student at Colorado State University studying tourism management.
- [04:36]
Oded Wilson
Awesome.
- [04:37]
Patrick
That sounds exciting. I'm jealous that you're living in Colorado.
- [04:42]
Sam Troy
Fort Collins is an amazing place. Colorado is fantastic. We're in our, what we like to call our false spring right now, where the weather was really snowy and cold and being a Florida girl, that's really hard for me. And then the sun came out. It's been in the 60s and we're expecting more snow at the end of the week. But like it's that fall spring where it's like, it's just lovely right now.
- [05:04]
Oded Wilson
But for now we'll enjoy it.
- [05:06]
Patrick
That's cool. Diving into this trip a little bit, who do you think would be the ideal people to go on this trip that would enjoy it the most?
- [05:15]
Sam Troy
Pretty much if. If you have a love for the Grand Canyon or if you have always had visiting the Grand Canyon on your bucket list and have never made it to go or you've been and like did a quick photo stop and then out again and you really want to spend some more time there. I think that would be the ideal person to come along on this trip. So this is. Our trip is going to be the end of April. We have it scheduled. I believe it's Thursday, April 21st through Monday, April 28th. Some of that is because of transportation from Phoenix airport to the Grand Canyon. So we are hosting a couple information sessions and we'll have a couple of alternative options if Thursday through Monday is a hard time period. But we're working on all of that.
- [06:03]
Patrick
Yeah. Well, it's cheaper to fly out on a Monday too, I believe.
- [06:07]
Oded Wilson
Yeah, I think so.
- [06:08]
Patrick
So than on a weekend. So that's awesome. What make you spend a lot of time there so what makes the Grand Canyon such a special place to you and such a great place for an adventure trip?
- [06:19]
Sam Troy
It's. I mean, it's on the top of so many people's bucket list because it's such an amazing place for hiking adventure trips. You could. Every single time that you see the Grand Canyon, it's a different view and such. I spent two and a half years living there. I worked for the concessionaire in the park, Zanterra, training the tour guide bus drivers. So that's when we started planning this trip. LGBTQ Outdoors was like, we're going to go to the Grand Canyon. And I said, you cannot go to this without me. I must go. I have to, you know, share this place with other people and members of my community because it's just. It's so gorgeous. It's sacred to so many different people. There are 11 indigenous tribes that have partnerships with Grand Canyon National Park. Some of those tribes have their origin stories from the canyon itself. So when we say sacred place, it's not just, wow, this is beautiful. And it is. It's gorgeous all the time. But it is a place where people have so much sacred knowledge and sacred ceremonies and beliefs and traditions that link back to it for thousands and thousands of years. And then the more recent human history there as well is very near and dear to my heart. My cat is named after somebody that was instrumental in founding the Grand Canyon tourism there. So if you come along on our trip, you'll hear all about Fred Harvey and the Harvey girls. That is my specialty.
- [07:51]
Oded Wilson
That sounds so cool. Like, I've been there for, like, a very, very brief an engagement shoot with you. And that's the only time that I've seen it. And it was jaw dropping. And so I am definitely one of those people called out who needs to go. And there's so many aspects of it, like, I didn't even think about, like, the original folks who live there. Plus, like, the geographical history that you see, like, etched into the canyon walls.
- [08:31]
Sam Troy
Like, literally half of the age of the earth is exposed at the Grand Canyon. The basement rocks are over 2 billion years old.
- [08:40]
Oded Wilson
I can't even. Like, my brain doesn't brain that. Like, wow.
- [08:46]
Sam Troy
So many times I would post pictures and people are like, that's a green screen. You're not really there. And I'm like, we're really there. One of the things that I've planned with this trip is we're doing a number of different hikes of different levels. So getting there, we're not going to at absolutely no point are we planning the Rim to Rim hike that literally people die on. That is not the strenuous activity we're going for. We are one of the trips is going to be down into the canyon along the Bright Angel Trail. We're aiming for mile and a half rest stops. So that will. Will be getting us into the canyon. It is an intense hike out. I used to joke, if you want to know what hiking the Grand Canyon feels like, get on a StairMaster for six hours. And that's the Grand Canyon hike. It's literally just stairs. But we're going at a time of year that the weather should be good and really temperate for us. Not no one overheating, but some of the other hikes that we have are just along the rim. There's a nice paved trail. There is some ups and downs to it, but what I love about those hikes is even though you're. You're just staring at the canyon the entire time, each different photo stop is a different view and just something else to fall in love with and people find for. It's like cloud spotting and finding the formations in the clouds. You find the formations in the rock formation. So there's one that looks like a crocodile and people have different things with that. So that's all the different stops along the way. We're kind of going to go east and west along the rim to view those different viewpoints and find different, different ways to fall in love with the canyon.
- [10:17]
Patrick
That's cool. What you know, you mentioned, you mentioned, like get it on the stair step or like what kind of fitness level do people need to be in or what? Yeah. Really? And what should they be doing to prepare for it physically and maybe even mentally too?
- [10:35]
Sam Troy
Physically, really? Just getting out and hiking. If you can do hikes with elevation, that's great because I have these different hikes planned. If something isn't going to suit you, that's fine. We have some flexibility for you to take that morning and not do that into the canyon hike. Most of the other hikes are going to be much more what people are used to, other than the fact that you guys have visited Colorado. Elevation can get to you no matter where you are. So when you're coming from somewhere on sea level. Grand Canyon South Rim sits at about 7,000ft in elevation. So we're going to take that first day nice and easy, let people get acclimated. Just getting outside and into that sun, prepping before you go on that trip, really just making sure that you have enough like a water Carrying device that has enough water. We're talking, you know, three liter camelbag plus an extra water bottle. Water is a very big deal there. Having some snacks, salty snacks to help retain that water. Really good shoes. That's. We're definitely not hiking into the canyon in flip flops carrying a tiny little water bottle. That is. People stand there saying do not do that. So we're going to make sure to do not do that. But otherwise I'm trying to plan this as if you are a hiker at all. No matter what your level is. We're not talking doing that rim to rim hike in. I can't do it in a day. So we're definitely not planning that. So just as you are, I think that you'll be able to find hikes that are good for you. And if really hiking is not your thing and you just want to sit and look at the canyon from sunrise to sunset, I think that's going to be a magical day for you as well. So if you have any questions about whether or not you can do it, depending on your fitness level, please reach out to us. And we're happy to answer that. But I believe everybody will be able to do the hikes that we have planned.
- [12:36]
Patrick
Yeah.
- [12:37]
Oded Wilson
Awesome.
- [12:38]
Patrick
That's awesome. I love that you're really thinking about everybody's level in this. And that's one thing with our adventure trips, all of them too. If somebody needs a day off and they want to just hang out at, you know, home base, then that's totally fine. And you know, so we don't want to press push anybody too hard.
- [12:55]
Sam Troy
So we're going to be staying camping there at the campgrounds along the rim. The Mather Campground, named after Stephen Mather, the first superintendent of the national parks. And that is pretty close to the Grand Canyon Visitor center. One of the hikes that we have planned is called the Trail of Time. It's right in the middle of all of the concession air and museums and things. And then it's a hike along the rim that has geological formation. Like the examples of each of the rock layers. There's over 40 different kinds of rocks and they're spaced out along the trail horizontally as you walk along the trail as they would be in time. So you start with like the most recent rocks and then it takes you like an hour to get to the oldest rocks and you can really see how long and you can touch those rocks. So they put in that trail of time. I was fortunate enough to do that trail with some of the people that were involved building it. And they were talking about the accessibility of people, you know, who might not be able to see how amazing the canyon is, but they can feel those rocks and really understand that stretch of geological time.
- [13:55]
Patrick
So I have a feeling anybody that's going on this trip is going to get a lot of education.
- [14:00]
Oded Wilson
Yeah.
- [14:00]
Patrick
Which I love.
- [14:02]
Oded Wilson
No, like, I'm digging it. Like, I'm learning stuff. Like, even just now, how cool I'm.
- [14:09]
Patrick
Yeah, yeah.
- [14:10]
Oded Wilson
That's going to be a great trip.
- [14:12]
Patrick
So if people do have questions and want to reach out to you, Sam, what's the best way for people to be able to connect with you and ask those questions?
- [14:21]
Sam Troy
Basement. I try to be very accessible. I've cultivated my social media very carefully, but I'm on Facebook and Instagram. Samtroy. Samtroy13 on Instagram or my email address Samtroy13outlook.com so Sam S A M. Troy, like Deanna Troy from Star Trek Next Generation. That is who I'm named after. 13outlook.com awesome.
- [14:48]
Patrick
Yeah, we're excited. This is going to be an awesome trip. Also, just a quick note to go along with it. There is quite a few people already signed up for it. This is another one like Alaska that might get full. So if you're really interested in it, I'd suggest jumping on it sooner than.
- [15:02]
Sam Troy
Later and just to commit myself publicly. One of the things I'm in graduate school for as tourism management, I'm looking to start my own tour company. So this might be. If this is something that fills up and you want more Grand Canyon trips or more trips throughout the Southwest, please let us know. And I am happy to put this on the books in the future as well, so. And OutdoorFest. Can I plug OutdoorFest as well?
- [15:27]
Patrick
Sure, go for it.
- [15:29]
Sam Troy
I went to OutdoorFest last year for the first time and it was one of the most magical experiences I've ever had. And I love rainbows so much. Everything I wear the entire weekend is rainbow themed. And I was fortunate enough to participate in a Pride Night that got to showcase all of my rainbows. So I've been signed up to go to OutdoorFest since before we knew where 2025 was going to be.
- [15:55]
Oded Wilson
It's true. I'm sure we have a photo of your Pride Night get up. So, yeah, we'll slip that in.
- [16:04]
Patrick
She's the closing shot, too, in the highlight video from last year's video as well.
- [16:09]
Oded Wilson
That's amazing.
- [16:11]
Patrick
In one sentence, how what would you say LGBTQ Outdoor Fest is.
- [16:17]
Sam Troy
In, like, my elevator Pitch for Outdoor Fest Is it's a queer summer camp for adults where everybody gets to participate in all sorts of various activities and really form community. Like, no place out. Like all of our activities, all of our adventure trips are really great for forming community. And OutdoorFest, I think, is one of our peak events that you can really just meet some people that will change your life.
- [16:45]
Patrick
Yep.
- [16:45]
Oded Wilson
I just got goosebumps. I'm excited.
- [16:48]
Patrick
All right, thanks, Sam. We appreciate you, and we're looking forward to seeing how the Grand Canyon trip goes.
- [16:55]
Sam Troy
Yeah, thanks. Thanks, everybody. Can't wait to see you all there.
- [16:58]
Patrick
All right, so we have our next adventure trip, which is going to be the Broken Bow Fly Fishing. Um, maybe more so fishing, but maybe a little bit more on the fly fishing site.
- [17:13]
Oded Wilson
It's fishing up in Broken Boat, so either way.
- [17:19]
Patrick
And Josh McNabb, who has been a part of our organization for quite a while, also heads up LGBTQ Outdoor Fest, is going to be pretty much our primary leader on that. I'm going on it as well. Going to be helping us out. But, Josh, we are excited to be able to chat about this a trip and hopefully get a lot of people interested in it.
- [17:40]
Josh McNabb
I know we've been talking about doing this for a while, and it's. I'm excited to finally get back down to the south and go up to where I learned how to fly fish and share my love for it and show some people around some of the waters there.
- [17:54]
Patrick
Yeah, definitely. Can you tell people just a little bit about who you are and maybe how you got started into fly fishing?
- [18:03]
Josh McNabb
Totally. So, like Justin said, I'm. My name is Josh McNabb. I grew up in Paris, Texas, so about an hour and a half northeast of Dallas. Growing up, my family, like our vacations was going camping. I was always fish with my dad, my granddad, but it was always conventional and trot lines and things like that. Good old country boy stuff. And one year we. We would go to Broken Bow all the time to go camping when I was a kid. And one year, I think it was like my 15th birthday, my parents took me up there for my birthday, and my dad and I went into the fly shop that sits there on the Mountain Fork river, and we were just going to grab some bait to go out and just conventional fish. And there was a fly fishing kit sitting there, and I started talking to my dad about it. I was like, that'd be really fun to try. He's like, well, we'll get that for you for your birthday. So he got it for me and old man Sam used to own the fly shop and he like rigged it up for me and he took me out to the parking lot and he just kind of showed me how to cast a little bit. And I still kind of joke about it with some of the guides and people that fished around there for a long time that knew him. And so yeah, that's kind of where I got started. Was my 15th birthday and just kind of figured it out on my own. I would go back and forth. Once I turned 16, I would drive up there was about an hour from my parents house and I would drive up there, you know, just on the weekends or I go camping by myself up there while I was in high school and one time I ran into this guy that was an electrical engineer and he traveled for work and he started like giving me just kind of some one on one lessons because I was clearly terrible. And after about an hour or so of working with me, he went up to his truck and he came back down and he said, here, I keep an extra rod. And he's like, you need something better to work with. So I have had that rod and reel that he gave me that's been like at least 17 years. 16, 17 years now. That was like. That was gifted to me from that. And that's just kind of where my love really took off from it. And I. I have fished that river for over 15 years now. So I have, I have a few spots that I know about that I enjoy the hit that not everyone gets to. So I'm excited to share that.
- [20:24]
Oded Wilson
Nice. Any sort of fly fishing career that starts off with a guy named Old Man Sam, it's got to be pretty epic, right?
- [20:35]
Patrick
What makes, what do you think is going to make this trip so special, being in, in Broken Bow? Because I mean, I think a lot of people might have some concerns about Oklahoma as well, but a lot of people have concerns about just going in the outdoors in general. But what is it about this area that you really like and you think it's going to make this trip a really, really cool experience?
- [20:57]
Josh McNabb
I think a couple things here. I think if there's someone that you know is in Chicago or New York or Florida or something like that and is wanting to come down, you know, they can fly into Dallas and ride with one of us. And it's like an easy trip from Dallas. Those that are going to be going from coming from Texas, it's just cool having some water that is fairly close by. Like you're not having to go to Colorado or Montana or something like that to go fly fish. That's what I always have loved about it is it was, it was close. And they unfortunately the state stocks it, so stock fish. They were almost guaranteed to bite. So I guarantee you most are going to at least catch one fish. So I think it's going to be fun because even if you're not don't have a ton of skill with it, you know, I'll help you at least get the fly out there. And if we can get the fly out there, I bet we can get a fish on. And so that's, that's a, you know, one of the highlights, I would say. Another thing is, you know, broken boat, if you've not been. It's definitely taken off as a tourist town. Like it was this little bitty place that had two gas stations and two diners when I was a kid. And now it's like breweries and wineries and all kinds of really cool stuff to check out. But even though it's building up in tourism, there's still not a lot of fly fishermen that are like really getting in there. And where they do go, it's more like right off the road, right off the bridge, like super easy access. So my goal is to take everyone to things that are a little more secluded and we'll hike a little bit to get into some places where just not your average guy that's driving into broken bone knows about. So we'll be able to be more secluded and on our own as a group and not really surrounded by a bunch of tourists. So I think that'll, that'll really be helpful.
- [22:45]
Patrick
That's a great thing about somebody that knows the area.
- [22:48]
Oded Wilson
Yes, indeed. So I've never fly fished a day in my life. I don't have any gear. Would I be. I don't want to say welcome. I got. I know I'd be welcome, but like, would this trip be for me?
- [23:06]
Josh McNabb
Yeah, totally. You know, there. I tell people all the time, like, you can get some pretty decent stuff through Amazon. You could even just go get a starter kit from a local fly shop too. Reach out to me. I can give you some suggestions, send you some links to find your stuff. But we're planning on doing a little, a little lesson before we head up. So we're gonna put that out there, let everyone know that does sign up where we're gonna meet at. But we'll meet up before we head to in Dallas. I guess that'd be Friday morning. We'll meet at a local park and I'll just show Some pretty easy steps on just even how to get the line out there. A lot of people kind of think back to river runs through it. And you know, you've got someone going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And it's not all about that. At times you can, but there's a lot of trees around. So there's just a, you know, some simple casting, some roll casting that we will. That will do. And I'll just, you know, kind of educate everyone the best I can before we get up there. But once we get on the water, I'll be able to help everyone. So little to no experience, up to years of experience. Everyone is welcome. You know, I think we just get out there and have a good time together and we can learn, you know, something from each other as well.
- [24:19]
Patrick
Yeah, just for a little bit of clarification for that, if you want to use conventional gear, spinning rod or something, you're welcome to come as well. So that's totally fine as well. If you've never fly fished before, we do want you to come the morning of which now I wish I had a calendar right in front of me because I. I forget if it's a Thursday or Friday that it starts. But whatever that morning is, if you haven't no experience, we want you to come to that first to at least get you a little bit educated and work with you before getting to the water. If you are already have experience with fly fishing, you can meet us either up at Broken Bow or, or in Dallas and we all go up together. So there's a lot of different levels and education that will be involved in it as well to be sure everybody fits in well.
- [25:08]
Josh McNabb
Yeah, I got my calendar. It's going to be May 16th as a Friday. And yep, those that get signed up, I'll send you the locate. We'll send you out the location closer to time. We'll meet up that morning in a park and go from there.
- [25:26]
Patrick
Yeah, and this is going to be a lot less of a rugged trip than a lot of the adventure trips are too. So we're going to be staying in cabins and having good food and all that kind of stuff. So. Yeah, it's not going to be a rough in it type of a trip.
- [25:44]
Josh McNabb
No, not at all. It's a cool area too. I mean, we're in the woods, we can go for some heights, we can have fires, but at the same time we can go five minutes up the street and go get a beer at a brewery. So it's kind of got the Convenience and luxury of everything you want.
- [26:01]
Patrick
That's great.
- [26:02]
Oded Wilson
Nice.
- [26:03]
Patrick
What is something you're really hoping that people will take away from this trip?
- [26:07]
Josh McNabb
You know, being a fly angler and my love for. For fishing over all these years, it's just helping, you know, more people find the love for fly fishing to get out there to enjoy it like I do. It's definitely picked up over the years, but I think in the queer community, it's. It's just one of those things that some don't think about, and then they see or hear about fly fishing, they get really excited, but then they get really nervous. So I'm hoping to kind of break down some of those boundaries or walls or barriers that some feel where, like, this really can be for anyone. It doesn't really. You don't have to have. Be a, you know, an athlete to do it. You don't have to be super big on fishing. You can just, you know, give it a shot, give it a try. Who knows, you may end up coming up here to Colorado and going with me more. You know, Alaska is a fun place and all that, and so you just, you can. You learn that you can travel around the country. Travel. Travel around the world and. And do something fun like this and kind of get out and in the quiet and peace and. And kind of get away from everything that's going on.
- [27:11]
Oded Wilson
Yeah. And one of the things I like is your willingness to sort of pay it forward from old man and your unexpected engineer fishing mentor who gifted this to you. And now you're kind of evangelizing for fly fishing. So I think that's awesome. Very cool.
- [27:35]
Patrick
Yeah. If people want to reach out to you with questions about the trip, what's the best way for them to get connected with you?
- [27:42]
Josh McNabb
Y'all can shoot me an email joshgbtqoutdoors.com that would be the easiest way. You can also hit my Instagram Venture Out. Josh is my Instagram handle.
- [27:57]
Patrick
Thanks, Josh, for coming on. We are excited about this trip. I can't wait to get up there on the water with you. It's going to be a great time.
- [28:04]
Josh McNabb
Yeah, it's going to be fun. Excited to see everyone there.
- [28:07]
Patrick
All right, we'll chat soon.
- [28:08]
Oded Wilson
See you.
- [28:09]
Josh McNabb
All right, bye.
- [28:10]
Patrick
All right, so next trip up is Alaska. And in 2024, we did two adventure trips kind of as a pilot to try to figure out if these adventure trips are going to work and how to make them work and things like that. So our first two were to Alaska and Big Bend National Park, Alaska was incredible, and I loved it. I led that trip, and you and I are leading it this year together, along with Justin Bickley, who is going to be a leader and a guide for us. He unfortunately can't be here for the podcast recording. So you and I get to talk about sweet Alaska.
- [28:56]
Oded Wilson
I've never been. I'm. I had massive FOMO last year while y'all were up pack rafting and exploring all the wonders that Alaska has to offer. Oh, the jealousy was real. But I get to go this year, and I'm excited for, like, a bunch of reasons. One, to get to go to Alaska with my husband. I mean, come on. Awesome. But also to get out on the water. I grew up getting to go whitewater rafting, and I know it's different. It's a different thing, but it's still. You're on this floating device down a river, and there's something that is just flat out indescribably magic about it. So I can't wait. I could take up this entire segment just about talking about how excited I am, but I know that there's, like, some meat potatoes we need to get to.
- [29:54]
Patrick
Yeah, I think one thing that we want people to know for sure is, like, this is a trip where. Well, actually, first of all, we need to let people know about some bad news for people, really, because the trip is actually full right now, so.
- [30:10]
Oded Wilson
It is. But we have a wait list.
- [30:11]
Patrick
We have a wait list. So if you're really interested in going, you can sign up to be on the wait list. But it's really cool because what we're doing is giving people two main options. They can either make their main activity pack rafting or their main activity hiking. And each group will do three days of that, and we all stay together at the same place. And then the last three, four days will be together as a group doing some other hikes and stuff together, exploring a glacier and some really fun stuff. So, yeah, I know people are probably like, well, if you're full, why are you sharing this then?
- [30:54]
Oded Wilson
And I guess because it's awesome.
- [30:57]
Patrick
It is awesome. But we also want people to know that our adventure trips do fill up. Like, Grand Canyon is filling up pretty fast, too. Luckily for Great Smoky National Parks trip, we can take a lot of people on that one. So that's. That's going to be great. But, yeah, each year, this is going to be something that we're going to do that people are going to want to jump on for sure. Now, Alaska is a lot more rugged, like, right you got to be ready for a rugged experience. For this, going to be staying at a place called Manitob, Manitoba Yurts. We stayed there one night, one or two nights last year. It's these yurts that are on the side of this cliff with this beautiful river below it, and there's a cabin that has a kitchen in it and everything. But then when I say when it's on the rustic side, there's no running water, there's no electricity. Showers will kind of be out of a bucket type shower situation. So it's definitely more on the rugged side. But I love that because I've had experiences like that in Africa that I absolutely loved. But I know a lot of people, like, that's.
- [32:11]
Oded Wilson
Well, I mean, it's. It's a step outside of your comfort zone, but it's also, like, a challenge to, you know, can I handle it? Like, when you're in, I want to say the bush, but, like, you're kind of out there. Like, it's. It's a challenge that a lot of us don't face on a normal basis.
- [32:33]
Patrick
It definitely is, but.
- [32:35]
Oded Wilson
And we're not just, like, going and throwing some rafts on the water and hopping in. Like, we're partnering up with the Alaska Packrafting School, who've been on our podcast. So check out a previous episode with Jules and Justin Bickley. But, like, they literally, like, wrote the book on how to do this well and how to do this safely. So, like, we're leaning on, like, the professionals to take us out and have a good time while staying, like, afloat and alive, you know, and even for those who are going hiking, we're having, like, a local guide. Yeah. Who. Who's gonna show us around, like, so we're gonna get, like, the best of the best highlights of that area. So. Yeah, I'm. I was really, really excited. I cannot wait for July.
- [33:34]
Patrick
Yeah. And if you don't know what packrafting is, it's. Justin Bickley would not like me saying this probably, but it's. Think along the lines of an inflatable kayak, except for way better. It is a lot lighter and can compress a lot more. So they call it packraft because it rolls up really small. I believe they weigh somewhere around eight, eight to ten pounds. And you can put it in your backpack, hike in, blow it up, and then pack, raft out. So they're really, really cool. We don't hit any crazy water either. At the most, like, level one rapids, which is not much at all. So it's not a lot of white water by any means. We don't go, don't go crazy on it.
- [34:23]
Oded Wilson
No. Like I grew up like my first rafting trip, I know we hit class three and I was like a kid and like I survived. So class one shouldn't intimidate anybody, but if it does, you're in good hands.
- [34:41]
Patrick
Yep, definitely. And we're going to do training as well before jumping out. So we'll do a morning on a beautiful lake. I can't wait. So we practice and want to go, go over all the details and training before we start headed down, down one of the rivers.
- [34:59]
Oded Wilson
But you know, if you are curious about it and you want more information, reach out to us. We can definitely get you on the wait list. You know, life happens and sometimes can't go and, and we don't wish them poorly and you know, you know, but if, if somebody can't make it, we want to be able to bring somebody else along. So yeah, check it out.
- [35:26]
Patrick
And our goal really with these events, the adventure trips, are to have them up by the 1st of January each year. That's what we're going to be trying for. So if you want to get on the Alaska one, January, end of this year, start reaching out to us maybe and let us know that you're interested.
- [35:46]
Oded Wilson
It's a hot ticket.
- [35:48]
Patrick
Yeah. And I think one of the great things about it too is we make it so affordable for an Alaska trip because when you start looking at a lot of Alaska trips, they get really expensive and it is more of an expensive trip. But compared to if you were to go up there on your own and put a trip together like this, I think it's a killer deal. So yeah, reach out if you have any questions.
- [36:12]
Justin Yoder
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- [36:14]
Patrick
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Patrick
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Justin Yoder
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Patrick
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- [36:42]
Justin Yoder
This episode of the LGBT Outdoors Podcast is brought to you by the Monterey Bay Aquarium where you can experience the wander beneath the waves and celebrate your connection to the ocean. Join Monterey Bay Aquarium in advocating for a healthy ocean. Together we can tackle climate change and stop plastic pollutions at the source. Sign up for the Ocean Action email to learn how you can protect the oceans. That connect us all@montereybayaquarium.org Act all right.
- [37:12]
Oded Wilson
So our next upcoming trip will be from August 21 through 25. We're. This one's going to be. Well, they're all good. We're saying, like, oh, this one's awesome, but this one going to Glacier National Park. It's absolutely stunning. Been up there twice, I think. Once was after, like, a big old season of forest fires. And so, like, half the park was shut down. But the part that we did see was super, super cool. So that's going to be with Justin and our fantastic. Oh, gosh. What's her new title?
- [38:01]
Patrick
Ambassador Program Manager.
- [38:03]
Oded Wilson
Ambassador Program Manager. Cherie Ballinger from New Hampshire. It's going to be a great time and I really hope I can go.
- [38:14]
Patrick
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And unfortunately, SRI can't be here today to be able to talk about it, but I am, so I'm going to share a little bit about it. I'm actually helping lead a number of these, so really excited about that. But Glacier is going to be a fantastic trip, like you said. I'm excited about leading it with Cherie. She's a lot of fun if you don't know her. And we're going to be flying into Kalispell and working with the Glacier Institute there. So the cool thing about the Glacier Institute is they're a very diverse and inclusive organization that really helps connect people to the outdoors through education. So not only are you getting an amazing trip out of it, but we have people that are there all the time to be able to have really cool experiences throughout the trip.
- [39:16]
Oded Wilson
Insider perspective.
- [39:17]
Patrick
Yes, definitely insider's perspective, definitely from more educative standpoint. So they're going to be helping us with leading hikes, animal, wildlife, they're going to be teaching us about that. Plants, just, you name it. It's going to be really in depth. And a lot of us, this is gonna be focused around hiking too. So definitely wanna be prepared for that.
- [39:45]
Oded Wilson
Well, yeah. Yeah. I was about to ask. I know, you know, hiking how, like, if I'm a novice hiker and maybe, like, I'll walk the track or something at a local school, am I suited for this? Do I need to kind of train? What's the degree of difficulty, you think?
- [40:06]
Patrick
I would definitely say on all of the trips, training would be very beneficial. Unless you're somebody that already lives in, you know, like, Colorado somewhere where it's really mountainous and you are used to hiking regularly in. In that situation. Otherwise, I would highly recommend, like, hitting the gym. The Stair climber, especially treadmill on an elevation, anything like that. Obviously, the more fit you are for hiking, the more you're going to enjoy the trip. But at the same time, we do want people to be able to come enjoy the trip. There might be a day where you're tired and you just want to hang out at the cabin, and that's fine. But. But you do. You do want to be somewhat fit to be able to go on this and used to some hiking, because there's going to be a good amount of hiking on this trip, for sure.
- [41:09]
Oded Wilson
Okay, cool. Fair. So what do you think the takeaway is for getting to explore Glacier national park with a queer group?
- [41:26]
Patrick
Well, I mean, it's one of my favorite parks, so. And I've never taken, like, I've gone there by myself, with. With a friend that lives up there and with you, but never have experienced it, I guess, with. On an LGBTQ outdoors level. So to be able to take a group there that. To a park that I absolutely love, I think it's going to be incredible. And I think that they're all going to grab a lot out of it. Not only the knowledge from the educational aspect of it, too, but, you know, the whole aspect that we love, providing this atmosphere for people to be able to get connected to the outdoors and just get away. Like, get away from all the noise, get away from all the chaos that's going on and just be able to connect with nature and each other. So I think that that's kind of the biggest takeaways that I'm hoping. Hoping that they can get. Just kind of a break to reconnect.
- [42:31]
Oded Wilson
Yeah. And I think the same could be said for all the trips. So if you're curious or you're like, hey, that sounds cool, check out all the trips at LGBTQ Outdoors under Adventure trips, and it's got all the information you could possibly want. And if it doesn't, then you can always shoot us an email and we will answer your questions, as we would love to have you. And one of the questions that we're sure to get is, where are we staying?
- [43:04]
Patrick
Yeah, so that's part of the great thing of working with the Glacier Institute, because they've got cabins that we're going to be able to stay in. So this one is more. It's definitely a little bit on the rustic side, but it's not like we're camping in tents and. And everything. So it's going to be a little bit more comfortable, I guess. I guess you could say. But, yeah, I I am really excited about this trip. Lake McDonald is an amazing lake with super clear water. All the different kinds of wildlife from mountain goats and grizzly bears, which obviously will go over all the wildlife safety and everything.
- [43:44]
Oded Wilson
Y. There, there's bears up there. Lots of them.
- [43:48]
Patrick
There's a lot of bears on most of, the, most of the trips we're doing is a possibility. But if anybody, like you said, if anybody's interested, reach out to me on Instagram or shoot me an email. Justin.gbdqoutdoors.com and happy to answer any questions, but we'd love to have you on the trip. You can check out the itinerary and more details on our website. All right, another trip coming up to the Great Smoky. Great Smoky Mountain. Huh?
- [44:24]
Oded Wilson
Mountains.
- [44:24]
Patrick
Mountains.
- [44:25]
Oded Wilson
Great.
- [44:26]
Patrick
That's a lot of words. It's a lot of words. And leading this trip is going to be Brad Ryan and Oded Wilson. And Odette is not able to join us because he is traveling and having some wi fi problems. So Brad gets to talk about this trip.
- [44:45]
Brad Ryan
Yeah.
- [44:46]
Patrick
But thanks for joining us, Brad. We would love it if you would just share a tiny bit about, about you and then we'll kind of dive into some of the details of the trip.
- [44:57]
Brad Ryan
That sounds great.
- [44:58]
Oded Wilson
Yeah.
- [44:58]
Brad Ryan
I mean, Great Smoky Mountains national park was the only national park that I ever got to visit when I was a child. My sister was a national clogging champion. So we always got dragged down to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge to watch a bunch of nine year olds clogging for three straight days. So you know that. And then I, I came, that came back to my, or came back into my life when I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2009. So the AT goes through great Smoky Mountains national park and we're going to do a section hike on this trip so everybody can get a taste of that. And then that was the first US national park that I visited with my grandma Joy when she was 85. That was the first of what would end up being 63 US national parks for us. So it holds a special place in my heart for a number of, of reasons. And yeah, I mean I've been an outdoorsman or I would say most of my adult life, but I've always been a nature boy and I'm a veterinarian. And what else? I love live music. I've. I'm really passionate about this community. So that's probably enough about me. Yeah.
- [46:11]
Patrick
Yeah. And for anybody that's listening right now, on the following episode from this, we're actually Going to have Brad and Grandma Joy both on so you can hear more about their journeys together. So that's gonna be really amazing, which is so cool. So cool. Smoking. Great Smoky Mountains national park is the most visited park. National park. Tell us what you love so much about it and what you think is the big draw for people and why it's so, it's so popular.
- [46:44]
Brad Ryan
Well, it's a day, it's a day's drive for half of the country. And I think the draw is multifactorial. It's, it's visually beautiful. There's a lot of really interesting history there. It's also the most biodiverse US national park that we have in the United States. So all these different ecosystems from the south and the east to the west and the north, they all come together here. So the biodiversity is incredible. The particular part of the park that we're going to be staying at is Cades Cove, which is a, I mean it's just a breathtaking 11 mile loop that takes you back in time to the early settlers, when the early settlers arrived in this part of the world. It's also almost all. I don't want to promise, it's always dangerous to promise, but, you know, I've seen up to 20, I think 20 plus bears in a single day there. It's a hotspot for black bear viewing.
- [47:44]
Patrick
Yeah.
- [47:45]
Brad Ryan
I mean they've reintroduced elk in the last decade and a half. A lot of just great, great for wildlife, great for hiking. There's over 3,000 miles of trails within this U.S. national Park. So if you, if you stitched it all together, it would be longer than the Appalachian Trail.
- [48:01]
Patrick
Wow. Wow.
- [48:02]
Brad Ryan
Great. Yeah. And then of course you have beautiful rivers and to me it just feels like, I don't know, I find that I can get back to, I can always find myself there. I can always get back to myself there because it's so still. And so despite all the people that come there, there are ways to break away from that and really find silence there, which I love.
- [48:28]
Patrick
So you mentioned the bears and to me. Yeah, to you, we will be excited about that. But for anybody that hears bears and like, and you're camping, give us a little bit of education, you know, because like, we're not dealing with grizzlies. That's totally different. That's quite glacier people that ease. What's that?
- [48:51]
Oded Wilson
That's glacier.
- [48:53]
Patrick
Yeah.
- [48:53]
Brad Ryan
Yeah. Well, there have only been a handful of problems. Most of the, most of the conflict that happens in any national park with wildlife is related to Improper behavior on the part of the, the human in the equation. So, you know, we will take proper precautions for food storage. We don't want to sleep with food in our tent or anything that, that smells good in our tent. So the, the. And you know, Cades Cove has a high, such a high density of, of people staying there that, that the black bears tend to stay away. I've always camped there and I've never heard of a black bear coming into the campsite in the middle of the night. Doesn't mean it couldn't happen. But you know, we minimize our chances just by following basic, basic rules when you're in a national park. So I, I don't think there's any reason to be afraid of that when we're out on our bikes and hiking around. Almost every black bear I've ever encountered on the east coast has been fleeing from me. So it's, it's. Usually they're a little more acclimated in Cades Cove though, so we should get some great views. And as long as you don't get too close, which you shouldn't anyway, then, then there won't be any problems. So that's what happens for us.
- [50:02]
Oded Wilson
It's worth saying that we're talking about the animal bear and not the like subsect of gay men.
- [50:09]
Brad Ryan
But they're welcome to join too.
- [50:11]
Oded Wilson
Sure, absolutely. They're generally less threatening.
- [50:17]
Brad Ryan
That's been my experience, yes.
- [50:20]
Oded Wilson
So you said that Great Smoky Mountain national park is the most visited. I found that to be surprising. When you hear national park, my mind goes to like Yellowstone and Zion and Grand Canyon. That's I guess a marketing or something, but go ahead.
- [50:50]
Brad Ryan
No, just. But all those, the three parks that you mentioned don't have. They're more remote out in the west and so you just. Yeah, you have to. So that's what I'm saying. I think it's more visited because it's just so accessible on the East Coast. There's probably more people living within a day's drive of it. So it's easy to get to and it's very accessible. So it's a popular place for people to go of all ages and abilities, which is important to me as well. But you know. And then of course you've got Gatlinburg nearby, which is a big tourist trap. And you've got Dollywood.
- [51:23]
Oded Wilson
And I was about to say Dollywood.
- [51:25]
Brad Ryan
Yeah, that's a huge draw. She's a huge draw to that part of the country.
- [51:29]
Oded Wilson
I mean, it's Dolly.
- [51:31]
Patrick
Yeah. Right. So Give us a little bit of an overview of this trip. Like what are some of the things that you're really excited about? I know that in going over it with you in the planning and whatnot, it just sounds so incredible. But what are some of the, the key highlights that you're looking forward to people experiencing on it?
- [51:53]
Brad Ryan
Well, there are a lot of, a lot of different activities that we've tried to fold into this trip so that there's variety and that we have some flexibility in terms of physical rigor. Although this is a more strenuous trip and we'll, I can, I can break down some of those hikes for you, but yeah, we wanted to make sure that we take advantage of the trail system that, you know, there's a, there's a cave hike for those that are interested in that. There's a longer seven and a half hour strenuous, sort of strenuous hike. It, it's, you know, it's going to be a beautiful hike though. So it shows off the, the views and gives people that want to see more of the park by foot an opportunity to do so. We'll have a waterfall hike at Abrams Falls and then of course I'm really excited about having the whole group hike together from Newfound Gap to what was formerly known as Clingman's Dome and is now known as Kuohi, which is the highest point in the entire park. And that's going to be a, an approximately 8 mile section hike of the Appalachian Trail. So great. Just great hiking opportunities, but flexibility there. So if people want to do the shorter three hour round trip Alum Cave Trail hike, and that's the one that Grandma Joy and I did together when we say that she climbed a mountain. That was the, that was the very long hike that we did together. And then for those who don't want to do that, there's a, there's the longer option, the 14 mile option. So people have some flexibility there. You can do a three mile round trip hike or you can do a seven and a half hour estimated hike. And then either way, no matter which group you pick, you'll either go horseback riding in Cades Cove in the morning or in the afternoon. So that's a unique offering in Kate's Cove. Yeah, is the horseback riding and also the ranger guided hayride that we're going to do on the, on the first night, which is basically just a way to kind of ease into the trip, meet everybody and, and have that first taste of Cades Cove and hopefully see some beautiful wildlife. Along the way, on the day that we hiked the Appalachian Trail, when we finished that, people who are completely tuckered out can just. We're going to go over to the Oconaluftee Visitor center on the outskirts of Cherokee, North Carolina. And then those people that just want to watch the elk in Ruth, watch the, you know, the, the spectacle that is the, the annual rut with the bugling and the, the bulls chasing the females around and trying to herd them up, wearing themselves out the process, that's, that's a hundred percent fine. And, and there probably will be plenty of people who seize the opportunity to just sit on a picnic bench and, and watch the, the natural spectacle of the elk rut. But those who want a nice easy 3 mile leisurely hike along the O'Connelluftee river, there's a river walk option that evening. And like I said, it's gravel, it's flat and it's meant to just be a nice scenic experience. We'll probably see some elk on foot if we do that for those that opt to do that hike. And then the other thing that we're going to do, the only time that we leave the park is when we go to the Nantahala Outdoor center, which I first visited there when I was an Appalachian Trail thru hiker in 2009. So you hit Nantahala Outdoor center right before you get to Fontana Dam at the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains national park on the at. And that's, and that's going to be a full day of whitewater rafting and zip lining.
- [55:17]
Patrick
Yeah.
- [55:18]
Brad Ryan
And I forgot about the biking. So the good thing and the bad thing about Cades Cove and that loop, that 11 mile circuit loop is that it's, it's beautiful. Lots of wildlife. But it's a one lane road and when cars are there and the first person sees a bear and they just come to a stop and then you end up with this long, long line of cars that are stuck in traffic all day long and people get very impatient. And it's also a little more dangerous, I would say, for the people that are sharing that road with the cars on bike. So on Wednesday this is a newer thing that they've done. I've never been there to experience this, but on Wednesdays now, the National Park Service will shut down that road and it's exclusive to bike traffic only.
- [56:02]
Oded Wilson
Oh, how cool.
- [56:03]
Brad Ryan
We'll have the whole day to ourselves. No cars. And that should mean much better wildlife viewing and. Yeah, and it's just our playground. So we'll Bike out to Abrams Falls and hike up to the waterfall, have lunch there and we can just play around the whole day. That's the, that's right before we go home.
- [56:21]
Patrick
So.
- [56:22]
Oded Wilson
Wow.
- [56:22]
Brad Ryan
I think, I hope it's. Yeah, I hope those check boxes for everyone. And of course, if you want to just socialize and stay back at the campground, nobody's going to stop you.
- [56:33]
Patrick
So yeah, it's, it's going to be a packed trip for sure. So if people do get tired and they just need a nap time and to chill and relax, like there's no pressure on, on having to do some of this. So it's kind of pick and choose what you, what you would like to do. There's a little bit more. Even though maybe a little bit more on the rustic side. It is camping. Showers will be like tent showers. So. But it's an adventure trip.
- [57:03]
Oded Wilson
But it's a lot. I mean it's hiking, it's biking, it's rafting, it's zipline. Like, like horseback riding. Like you want to do all those things in a single trip. Like that's.
- [57:16]
Patrick
Yeah. And it's a little bit longer than our other adventure trips too, so there's a little bit more time to get all that in there. But. Sounds amazing. Brad. I'm super excited for this. I'm hoping that Patrick and I get to go on this one as well because it just sounds amazing. If people have any questions or want to connect with you, what's the best way for them to do that, you.
- [57:37]
Brad Ryan
Can just email me. It's bradryndvmail.com and you know, I guess the two things that I would ask you to think about more than anything are just do you, you know, are, are you going to be physically able to, to do the. Everybody's. The longest hike for everybody will be that 8 mile slowly. It's a slow ascent, but it's a, it's a, it's a gradual climb along the at. So my, my big takeaway point is just be honest about your abilities so that you don't get injured and you know, you can, you can build up to it. If this is something you want to aspire to, you have until September. So just, just, you know, we're going to take it slow. We've. These aren't going to be, you know, long days without breaks, of course. So we can, we can take our time and, and, and help each other get to the, to the, the finish line. But I just want to make sure that people don't get, don't get in over your heads as far as. Because these are long hikes and I just don't want anybody to get injured. And then as far as you already mentioned it, but there are bathrooms in the campground with mirrors and sinks, everything. You can wash your face, you can take your contacts in and out and so forth. But the showers are more rustic, as you said, and probably not a bad idea to bring some hand sanitizer, baby wipes, things like that, just so that you can stay comfortable and not be. Not be too self conscious about your. Your odors.
- [59:11]
Patrick
Yeah, yeah.
- [59:13]
Brad Ryan
These are long, stinky hikes, right?
- [59:15]
Oded Wilson
It is what it is. Like, that's especially like day four of it.
- [59:19]
Patrick
Yeah, no, I think that this sounds amazing. Again, these are adventure trips, so they're a little bit more on the rustic side and providing these opportunities for the queer community. So if you have any questions, reach out to to Brad. I know that he would be happy to connect with you and answer any that you have. But Brad, thank you for coming on and sharing about the trip and we're looking forward to it.
- [59:44]
Brad Ryan
I'm looking forward to it too. Thanks you guys. Really appreciate it.
- [59:48]
Oded Wilson
Okay, so we have like five of these adventure trips lined up throughout 2025. As you can tell, there's a lot going on and a lot that goes into all of them and they're all like, wildly different. And some are a little bit more chill, some are a little bit more involved. And we did that just so that hopefully there's something for everybody. We want to get people outdoors like that. That's our whole. That's our whole deal. So hoping that one of these might have piqued your interest and certainly encourage you to check out the website LGBTQ Outdoors, I believe, slash adventure trips and let us know if you have any questions. Come join us. It's going to be amazing, whichever one or multiples you might choose. But yeah, love to see you.
- [60:50]
Patrick
Yeah, absolutely. And also feel free to sign up for our newsletter on our website so that you can stay connected with everything that we have going on. We, of course, have our local chapter events going on as well, so anything event related, if you go to our website, click on events, there's going to be a dropdown and you can check all of those out. We'd love to be able to get you connected and plugged into everything that we're doing here at LGBTQ Outdoors. Until next time, get out there.
- [61:18]
Justin Yoder
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the LGBT Outdoors Podcast. You can catch up on past episodes on your favorite podcast streaming platforms. Stay connected with us on Instagram @LGBToutdoors and join our vibrant community at facebook.com groups LGBToutdoors. Support our mission to promote LGBTQ inclusion in the outdoors by becoming a member of the Trailblazer society@lgbtoutdoors.com Trailblazers for more information about LGBT outdoors, LGBT Outdoor fest, local chapters, adventure trips, or to sign up for our newsletter, head to lgbtoutdoors.com if you enjoyed the episode. Don't forget to rate, review and follow us. Your support makes a difference.