Best Huck Adventures Podcasts (2024)

1
Iron and Immigrants: The Mesabi Range Story with Aaron Brown 1:16:10

1h ago1:16:10

1:16:10

Send us a Text Message. Aaron Brown is a writer, teacher, and lifelong resident of the Mesabi Iron Range, an area that has produced an enormous share of the iron ore that built America and won two world wars. In this episode, we take a look at the Iron Ranges of Minnesota with Aaron Brown as our guide. Aaron describes the geography of mining in Min…

1
Outdoor Enthusiasm: Will Collins' Irrepressible Spirit for Adventure 1:05:23

14d ago1:05:23

1:05:23

Send us a Text Message. Some people have the outdoors in their blood. Will Collins is one of them. From the time he attended his first summer camp as a child, he felt drawn to the outdoors. In this episode, I talk with Will about his path from childhood summer camps in Wisconsin to multi-week expeditions in remote areas. In 2017, he paddled source-…

1
Mississippi River Monsters 45:50

28d ago45:50

45:50

Send us a Text Message. Did a 70-foot-long river behemoth really lurk in the river’s channel in the 1870s? Are there monsters in the river’s depths that have eluded us so far? In this episode, we delve deep into the Mississippi’s murky waters and mystical swamps to uncover stories about the terrifying creatures that we have imagined prowl the river…

1
Boyce Upholt on the Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi River 1:09:58

1M ago1:09:58

1:09:58

Send us a Text Message. Very few people today have any memory of a relatively free-flowing Mississippi River. The scale and persistence of river engineering is staggering, and for many of us, the engineered Mississippi is the only Mississippi we have known. That’s one reason journalist Boyce Upholt’s new book is so important. In The Great River: Th…

1
A Refuge for All: 100 Years of Conservation and Recreation at the Upper Mississippi Refuge 1:09:05

2M ago1:09:05

1:09:05

Send us a Text Message. This year marks a major milestone, not just along the Mississippi but for conservation efforts across the United States. In June, the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge will celebrate its 100th anniversary. In this episode, I talk with Sabrina Chandler, Refuge Manager and Hallie Shulz, Visitor Services Manag…

1
Trouble in River City: Kevin Klinkenberg on Why So Many Communities Are Struggling 1:07:31

2M ago1:07:31

1:07:31

Send us a Text Message. If you’re like me, as you’ve driven along the Mississippi River, or even around the country, you’ve noticed communities that aren’t doing too well. Many of these are older urban areas, but I see plenty of small towns struggling, too. What’s going on? Isn’t this just the free market at work? To dig into this issue, I invited …

1
Introducing The Wild Mississippi: Your Guide to Understanding and Experiencing the Natural World of Old Man River 32:12

3M ago32:12

32:12

Send us a Text Message. For years, I’ve been visiting the places along the Mississippi and writing guidebooks about the history and culture of the towns and people. Now I’ve got something new to add to the list: a guide to the natural history of the river itself. In my new book, The Wild Mississippi: A State-by-State Guide to the River’s Natural Wo…

1
Crooked Old River: Trapper Haskins' Mississippi River Voyage 1:14:00

3M ago1:14:00

1:14:00

Send us a Text Message. In July 2002, Trapper and Mandy Haskins set out an epic trip to row a handcrafted boat down the Mississippi. The boat performed great, but the grind of dodging industrial traffic around Baton Rouge wore them down, so they ended the trip at New Orleans. That decision turned out to be hard for Trapper to live with, so a few ye…

1
The Fight for the Upper Mississippi: Steven Marking on Will Dilg and the Birth of a Refuge 56:50

4M ago56:50

56:50

Send us a Text Message. In 1924, Will Dilg and the newly formed Izaak Walton League of America fought the proposed drainage of the lush Winneshiek Bottoms near Lansing, Iowa by lobbying for the creation of a new, unprecedented-in-scope federal refuge. In less than a year, they succeeded, and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Re…

1
Flowing with Creativity: Sculptor Florence Bird and the Mississippi River 36:14

4M ago36:14

36:14

Send us a Text Message. The Mississippi River has inspired artists of many stripes, including Prairie du Chien-based sculptor Florence Bird. In this episode, I talk with Bird about her path into a career as a professional artist, how she found inspiration from the Mississippi, and the details of how she goes from idea to a life-sized bronze statue.…

1
Eclipse 2024: Getting the Most from the Experience in Missouri and Illinois 56:44

5M ago56:44

56:44

Send us a Text Message. On April 8, 2024, a full solar eclipse will make is way across North America from Texas to the Northeast. It’ll cross the Mississippi River south of St. Louis. Much of southeast Missouri and all of southern Illinois will be in the path of totality, with some places experiencing the eclipse for just over four minutes, includi…

1
Ripples Through Time: River Travelers Take Us to the Mississippi’s Past and Present 41:05

5M ago41:05

41:05

Send us a Text Message. In The Log of the Easy Way, John Mathews wrote about a honeymoon trip he and his wife took in 1900. No, they didn’t relax at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica; they traveled a couple thousand miles down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in a homemade shantyboat. Their book is just one of many written by people who have ta…

1
Steering Through the Currents: Lee Hendrix's Life Working on the Mississippi River 1:14:03

6M ago1:14:03

1:14:03

Send us a Text Message. What’s it like to work on a riverboat? Lee Hendrix entered riverboat work in 1972 as a deckhand, worked his way up to mate, then into the pilothouse. He has spent most of his adult life as a pilot of riverboats big and small, from tows pushing barges to elegant overnight cruise ships. In his new book, Peep Light: Stories of …

1
The River Life: Five Women Discuss Their Paths and Passions as Mississippi River Guides 1:18:59

8M ago1:18:59

1:18:59

Send us a Text Message. Men have dominated the world of outdoor adventuring and guiding for so long, that it’s easy to overlook the increasing presence of women in all spheres. More women now complete long-distance paddles on the Mississippi, as well as through hikes on the major trails. The world of guided paddling on the Mississippi reflects the …

1
The Storm that Took the Midwest by Surprise: Armistice Day's Deadly Blizzard 35:08

9M ago35:08

35:08

Send us a Text Message. It’s easy to take weather forecasting for granted, especially given the difficulties with producing accurate forecasts, but at least we almost never get surprised by big storms. That wasn’t true in 1940, when an unusually warm November day turned deadly. In this episode, I tell the story of the Armistice Day Blizzard, a mass…

1
Understanding the True Costs and Real Risks of Levees with Nicholas Pinter 1:02:44

9M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Send us a Text Message. Drive anywhere along the Mississippi or most any other river and you’ll see a levee, an earthen wall that parallels the river to keep water in the main channel and out of the adjacent floodplain. In this episode, I talk with Nicholas Pinter about levees and the good and bad that has come with them. We discuss the evolution i…

1
Wolves in Myth and Reality with Matt Fox 1:01:14

10M ago1:01:14

1:01:14

Send us a Text Message. I don’t know if there’s another animal that has been simultaneously reviled and admired like wolves. We have a primal fear of them—their howls can make the bravest among us pick up their pace. But wolves also occupy a unique place in many cultural myths representing family, loyalty, and intelligence. In this episode, I talk …

1
Cruising the Culinary Mississippi: A Conversation with Chef Regina Charboneau 1:02:52

10M ago1:02:52

1:02:52

Send us a Text Message. In this episode of the podcast, we wade into food traditions in the places along the Mississippi. Chef Regina Charboneau, a 7th generation Natchezian and author of Mississippi Current Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Down America’s Greatest River, is our guide as we talk about food traditions in places as different as Minnesota …

1
Cafe Connections: Finding Community and Connection Along the Great River Road 37:02

11M ago37:02

37:02

Send us a Text Message. Coffee shops, bars, diners, churches, bowling alleys—these are all important places in our social lives, so-called third places after home and work. When I’m traveling, I am drawn to them, whether I’m traveling for work or fun. They are not only great places to learn about the community, but I’ve also made new friends at man…

1
Navigating Stormy Waters, Part 2: General Galloway on Flood Policy 30 Years after the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993 46:43

11M ago46:43

46:43

Send us a Text Message. Welcome back! Last week, I shared the first part of my conversation with General Gerry Galloway, the person chosen by President Clinton to lead a review what happened in 1993 and what could be done to prevent such extensive damage in the future. Because our discussion ran long, I split it into two episodes. Check out the pre…

1
Navigating Stormy Waters: General Galloway on Flood Policy 30 Years after the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993, Part 1 54:16

12M ago54:16

54:16

Send us a Text Message. In 1993, the Great Mississippi River Flood upended lives throughout the Midwest, although the greatest damage was in the Mississippi River floodplain from the Quad Cities south to around Cairo, Illinois. Thousands of people were forced into temporary shelters, and 52 people. In the aftermath of the flooding, President Clinto…

1
Swamp Whisperer: Going Deep into Honey Island with Guide Jessica Gauley 43:44

1y ago43:44

43:44

Send us a Text Message. Louisiana is known for its swamps, and for good reason. In spite of some of the associations with have with the word swamp, I find them beautiful, mysterious, and magnetic. In this episode, I talk with Jessica Gauley about a section of swamp along the Pearl River known as Honey Island. Jessica grew up with the swamp and toda…

1
Vanishing Giants: Looking Back at the Legacy of the Great Pine Forests of the North and the Loggers who Brought Them Down 35:00

1y ago35:00

35:00

Send us a Text Message. Dense forests of white and red pine once ranged across northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Tall, ancient trees that were part of a rich ecosystem well-adapted to the northern climate and one that had evolved to rely on periodic fires to stay healthy. Those trees were also highly desired by logging companies and builders who ne…

1
From Ancient to Modern: Exploring the Timeless Legacy of Canoes in North America with Mark Neuzil 1:09:20

1y ago1:09:20

1:09:20

Send us a Text Message. People in North America have been getting around in canoes for thousands of years. The basic design was so perfectly engineered that we’re still using it today. In this episode, I talk with Mark Neuzil, who co-wrote “Canoes: A Natural History in North America” with Norman Sims. We talk about the basic design, variations in m…

1
Michael Anderson on Celebrating the Mississippi with River Days of Action 2023 59:27

1y ago59:27

59:27

Send us a Text Message. It’s summer, which means it’s a great time to get out on or along the Mississippi River, and this year’s version of River Days of Action is a great place to start. In this bonus episode, I talk with Michael Anderson, Director of Outreach and Education for the Mississippi River Network, about what’s happening for River Days o…

1
Kimmswick Mayor Philip Stang on Living in and Managing the Historic Mississippi River Town 1:13:39

1y ago1:13:39

1:13:39

Send us a Text Message. What are the challenges involved with managing a small rivertown? And how does a dyed-in-the-wool Northeasterner and international business consultant end up living in a small town on the Mississippi River in the middle of America? That’s the path Philip Stang has followed to Kimmswick, Missouri, where he has served multiple…

1
Revisiting the Legacy of the Marquette and Jolliet Expedition 350 Years On 1:15:31

1y ago1:15:31

1:15:31

Send us a Text Message. On May 17, 1673—350 years ago—Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette began an epic trip from the Great Lakes through Wisconsin and down the Mississippi River, one that would prove to be enormously consequential for European colonial ambitions and for the lives of indigenous people in the region. In this episode, I talk w…

1
My Mississippi River: Five People on What the Mississippi Means to Them 42:44

1y ago42:44

42:44

Send us a Text Message. What’s your Mississippi River like? Why do you keep coming back? For many people, the Mississippi means barges and Mark Twain, but the river is so much more than that. In this episode, we hear from five people who have a strong connection with the river that doesn’t involve barges or Mark Twain: a writer and poet, a sculptor…

1
Boundaries and Bridges 56:21

1+ y ago56:21

56:21

Send us a Text Message. It seems to be in our nature to draw lines that separate us from this or that. Rivers offer a convenient way for us to draw some of those lines, those boundaries, especially big rivers. In this episode, I tell a few stories about how we’ve used the Mississippi River to draw political lines, some of which didn’t quite go acco…

1
Winona’s Unique Community of Floating Houses 1:01:33

1+ y ago1:01:33

1:01:33

Send us a Text Message. Just across the main channel of the Mississippi River from downtown Winona, Minnesota, you’ll find a unique community of folks who live intimately with the river. Dozens of boathouses line the eastern shore of Latsch Island, and many of them are home to people who live there year-round. In this episode of the Mississippi Tra…

1
Spring Birding Hikes... and Beer 30:22

1+ y ago30:22

30:22

Send us a Text Message. Spring is in the air, at least for the lower two-thirds of the Mississippi Valley. Birds are on the move already, and early spring flowers are popping up in my part of the river. With migration season just getting going, it’s a good time to talk about a few places where it’s relatively easy to appreciate all those birds on t…

1
The Remarkable Earthworks and People of Poverty Point 58:03

1+ y ago58:03

58:03

Send us a Text Message. Over 3,000 years ago, a community of people who lived off the land constructed a remarkable group of earthworks that includes mounds, a plaza, and a series of C-shaped rings where they probably built houses. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Diana Greenlee about this amazing place, Poverty Point World Heritage Site. We talk a…

1
Hidden History, Facebook Photos Group, and River-Inspired Poetry 28:14

1+ y ago28:14

28:14

Send us a Text Message. If there’s one thing we love to debate, it’s history and what history we should teach and idolize. In this episode, I share a few thoughts about the history we know and why we should dig deeper into stories from the past. I also interview the founder of the Mississippi River Photos group on Facebook, Norman Schafer, and shar…

1
All About Bald Eagles with Ed Hahn 1:12:04

1+ y ago1:12:04

1:12:04

Send us a Text Message. Bald eagles! January and February are popular months for eagle watching along the Mississippi River, as the birds congregate near open water along the river where the fishing is easy. In this episode, I go deep into the lives of bald eagles with Ed Hahn, Director of Marketing and Communications at the National Eagle Center i…

1
Jeff Grunwald on the New Madrid Earthquakes 52:57

1+ y ago52:57

52:57

Send us a Text Message. Early in the morning of December 16, 1811, residents of New Madrid, Missouri were literally shaken out of their beds. One of the largest earthquakes in United States history shocked and disoriented residents of the busy frontier town. For several weeks, earthquakes continued to tremble and terrify folks and, in the process, …

1
Victoria Bradford Styrbicki on Running the Mississippi River 1:03:38

1+ y ago1:03:38

1:03:38

Send us a Text Message. In 2019, Victoria Bradford Styrbicki ran the length of the Mississippi River. Not content with the physical challenge of doing that, she used the run as a way to hear about people’s lives and their stories about the Mississippi River. In this episode of the podcast, I talk with Victoria about the project called Relay of Voic…

1
What If We'd Named the Mississippi Something Else? 38:26

2y ago38:26

38:26

Send us a Text Message. What’s in a name? Would the Mississippi sound as sweet by any other name? If Colbert had carried the day, would Mark Twain have still been inspired? Big Muddy, Old Man River, Father of Waters, we sure seem to have a hard time sticking to one name for this river. In this solo episode, I retrace the steps for how we came to us…

1
Kim Williams on Fall Travel Along the Great River Road in Arkansas 1:03:06

2y ago1:03:06

1:03:06

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, I wrap up the two-part mini-series on fall travel along the Great River Road. Arkansas-based travel writer Kim Williams and I talk about when fall colors are likely to bloom and the best places to catch them. We also talk about the upcoming King Biscuit Blues Festival and how the state is gearing up for a on…

1
Reggie McLeod on Fall Travel in the Driftless Area 58:42

2y ago58:42

58:42

Send us a Text Message. It's bonus episode time already! This episode is part one of a two-part series on fall travel along the Mississippi River. First up: fall travel through the spectacular Driftless Area. Reggie McLeod, founder and editor of Big River Magazine, and I talk about places to enjoy fall hikes, places with good views, food, and festi…

1
Twin Tragedies: Cholera and Fire Devastate St. Louis in 1849 24:51

2y ago24:51

24:51

Send us a Text Message. In 1849, St. Louisans must have wondered what they had done so wrong to deserve suffering through two terrible tragedies. Steamboats brought cholera to the city, triggering a deadly epidemic that would ultimately kill thousands of people. In the early waves of the epidemic, a steamboat fire on the levee got out of control an…

1
Boyce Upholt on the Plan to Rebuild Louisiana's Coastal Marshes 52:03

2y ago52:03

52:03

Send us a Text Message. For decades, Louisiana has been losing coastal marshes in areas around the mouth of the Mississippi River. The biggest causes for the loss of land are the levees built along the Mississippi and the hundreds of canals cut through the marshes for oil and gas exploration. Hurricane Katrina helped renew the determination to not …

1
Gregg Andrews on Growing up in the Mississippi River Bottoms near Hannibal, Missouri 1:08:42

2y ago1:08:42

1:08:42

Send us a Text Message. Historian, musician, and author Gregg Andrews grew up in the Mississippi River bottoms south of Hannibal, Missouri, in the shadow of Mark Twain. In this episode, Gregg shares stories about the struggles and hardships his family faced but also about how the community known as Monkey Run stuck together and looked out for each …

1
Busting Myths about the Mississippi River 27:40

2y ago27:40

27:40

Send us a Text Message. The Mississippi River is polluted! It’s for barges only. Dams on the upper river were built for flood control. These are a few of the myths about the Mississippi that persist. In this episode, Klinkenberg will tackle these and other mistaken beliefs about the Mississippi. For the Mississippi Minute, I offer a few quick thoug…

1
Six Reasons to Travel along the Mississippi River 28:52

2y ago28:52

28:52

Send us a Text Message. The Mississippi River is one of the great attractions in the United States, and the route that parallels the river, the Great River Road, is one of the best drives in America. What makes it so attractive? Why do so many people keep coming back? In this episode, Klinkenberg digs into the major reasons travel along the Mississ…

1
Getting Hooked on the Mississippi River 19:01

2y ago19:01

19:01

Send us a Text Message. In the inaugural episode of the Mississippi Valley Traveler podcast, host Dean Klinkenberg describes his journey to the Mississippi River. After leaving behind a small city in the corn belt, he started college in a Mississippi River town where the river first captured his heart and imagination, but it would be a while before…

1
A Buddy For Every Adventure 24:53

4+ y ago24:53

24:53

On today's episode we are chatting with Buddy Insurance. They created the only same-day accident coverage that you can buy for as a little as a day or as long as a year. Don’t forget to follow Huck Adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit our website, huckadventures.com, for updates on our app launch. Use the links below to visit our a…

1
Young and Fearless — Conversation with Natalia Grossman 16:38

5y ago16:38

16:38

On today's episode we are chatting with Natalia Grossman who recently competed in the GoPro Games IFSC’s Bouldering World Cup in Vail, Colo. It’s worth noting that she was the only American to place in the top 10 of the women’s competition. Don’t forget to follow Huck Adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit our website, huckadventures…

1
Impacting the Outdoors for Good - Dean Ronzoni with Leave No Trace 51:37

5y ago51:37

51:37

On today's episode, we are chatting with Dean Ronzoni with Leave No Trace. We dive into the Leave No Trace principles and what we can do to cause a ripple effect of good in the outdoors. Don’t forget to follow Huck Adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit our website, huckadventures.com, for updates on our app launch. Use the links bel…

1
Defying Gravity on Ice - Conversation with Tyler Kempney 42:21

5y ago42:21

42:21

On today's episode, we are chatting with Tyler Kempney who is on the U.S. Men's Ice-Climbing team and recently competed in the world ice climbing championship in Denver. Don’t forget to follow Huck Adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit our website, huckadventures.com, for updates on our app launch. Use the links below to visit our a…

1
Making Climbing Accessible for Everyone - A Conversation with Paradox Sports 28:38

5y ago28:38

28:38

On today's episode, are chatting with another of our non-profit partners, Paradox Sports. They talk about their work with adaptive athletes across the U.S. and how they work to make climbing accessible for all. Don’t forget to follow Huck Adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit our website, huckadventures.com, for updates on our app l…

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