Recreation Elevated
A podcast brought to you by the Division of Outdoor Recreation. Listen and learn about what goes on behind the scenes to create the vast and varied recreational opportunities we enjoy here in Utah.
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Dec 23, 2024
Monday Dec 23, 2024
What's this? A new episode of Recreation Elevated just in time for the holidays?? Whoop Whoop! Join Emma and Caroline as they wrap up 2024 chatting with our very own trail crew program superintendent Mike Thomas about the success of Utah's trail maintenance program, which completed over 100 projects in its first full year! Also in this episode, Caroline and Emma chat with former OHV program manager Chase Pili about the growth of Utah's OHV program and the development of a new state-mandated adult education course.
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
If you've been missing Recreation Elevated, you're in luck! With the help of new cohost and "Jack of all Trades" Emma Peterson, Recreation Elevated is back and ready for more exciting episodes! Join us for this relaunch of the podcast where Caroline and Emma chat about some of the events we've been involved with here at the Division in the last year. Answering questions about whether dinosaurs made good climbers, how early is too early to get excited for ski season and how much cobbler is too much cobbler... this episode has a little bit of everything.
Big thank you to Patrick Morrison for our rad new banjo introduction jingle!
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
After sampling a few of Utah's greatest endurance events, races and routes this summer, Caroline shares stories of her own as well as many others who have learned that Utah is the place to test your limits! With races like LOTOJA, the Wasatch 100 and Crusher in the Tushars, Utah is well equipped to provide unique experiences for those wishing to push past physical and mental pain. Give this episode a listen and maybe become inspired to sign up for that 5k or 50k you've been eyeing in Utah!
Wednesday Aug 09, 2023
Wednesday Aug 09, 2023
We're back! It's been a busy few months over at the Division of Outdoor Recreation, but I'm so excited to be back releasing podcasts, however infrequently they may be! Join me for a conversation with Anna Sprout, who runs the Moab Trail Ambassador program and learn more about the awesome outreach and education program she's spearheading in Grand County!
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
After a busy March, I'm excited to release this episode with Josie Giles, the Program Director for Summit Journeys. Summit Journeys is a non-profit organization aimed at getting youth into the outdoors while also teaching them skills to develop self-efficacy, resilience and determination. Josie and the team at Summit Journeys are working in part with Utah's Every Kid Outdoors Initiative to encourage more of our youth to put down the screens and get outside!
For more information you can go to https://www.summitjourneys.org/.
Sunday Jan 29, 2023
Sunday Jan 29, 2023
Brett Kobernik is a forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center centered in the Skyline region of our state. Brett has worked tirelessly for the past 8 years to create protocols, weather forecasting, equipment and relationships that increase the safety and awareness of backcountry users during the winter season. In this episode, Caroline tags along with Brett and Laura on one of their forecasting days up Fairview Canyon and learns what a typical day in the field looks like for these two!
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Carly Lansche, our statewide Recreation Planner, enlightens us on a sport few people dare to embark on: bike packing. But if riding your bike 160 miles through the desert wasn't enough, Carly and her friends manage to make this multi-day trip a multi-sport one as well! With life lessons about gear quality, competition and the unbiased opinion regarding pizza, Carly is sure to inspire you to get after your next outdoor challenge!
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Jason Curry was appointed as the director for the Division of Outdoor Recreation in early December and I was lucky enough to snag a few minutes with him in his first week on the job.
Jason references the Guiding our Growth Survey which you can find at guidingourgrowth.utah.gov/ This is a fantastic opportunity for Utah citizens to give input on how our natural resources should be used going forward. We'd love to hear from you!
Recreation Elevated
Utah is known for its vast and varied outdoor recreation opportunities. It's hard to find too many places where you could ski powder in the morning, take a (maybe chilly) float down the river in the afternoon and then end the day with off-roading through the desert.
If you're like me, you've reaped the rewards of Utah's greatest natural resource, our outdoors. But, all those trails, signs, campgrounds and more didn't just appear overnight. Who is behind the scenes ensuring you can continue recreating in Utah?!
Our goal in starting the Recreation Elevated podcast is that we will create a larger platform to inform the recreationists of Utah who the champions involved in some of their favorite outdoor projects are, the role the Division of Outdoor Recreation plays in ensuring safety, fun and respect in the outdoors and what role the public plays in steering our project and program priorities.
We hope to highlight the fantastic work and profound knowledge our guests will share and showcase the importance of our partnerships with land management agencies, counties, cities, NGOS, athletes, experts, businesses and brands all surrounding outdoor recreation. We hope we can educate others on how Utah has paved the way in creating a division that is helping to not only steer and support the conversation around recreation in our state, but assisting in landing the state in real and beneficial projects and programs. Projects and programs LOVED by many.
If you love outdoor recreation and love Utah, (that should be everyone!) give this podcast a listen!
Campfire Stories
Recreation Elevated is excited to introduce the Campfire Stories series! This is a chance for YOU to tell us your favorite story of recreating in Utah. We know you have stories of shivering under the Grand County stars, plunging into icy waters deep in a desert canyons of The Swell, catching cutthroat on the A section of the Green River, riding side by sides through the West Desert or skiing powder up in the Cottonwoods. We want this to be a platform where we can share stories of success, learning, excitement and hopefully some laughs surrounding stories of recreation in Utah.
We'll arrange a time for you to record your story, so no need to have it recorded before submission. You can simply send over a written version of your story. We know you could talk about these epics all day... but please keep your tale 15-20 minutes (usually 3-4 pages)!
PG versions only!!
Send your story submissions to Caroline Weiler at cweiler@utah.gov and make us wish we were outside rather than at the office!