The River Radius Podcast

Jess Lewis started her company, Wyld Heart Co., to support river runners in the early stages of learning to run rivers. Her work focuses on mindset and heuristics that support personal growth alongside the technical skills needed to get boats down the river, and the mental skills required to grow through the challenges and “stuck on rock” moments that are inevitable for all river runners. She teaches skills for all river crafts, and her favorite and most common teaching setting is in a raft, with her students rowing the boat. We talk through the details of the oar setup she provides, the types of boats she uses, and the various learning styles of her students. Jess believes—and teaches—that even if a river runner has had moments on the river that scared them, or scared their kids who were in the boat, those fears can be worked through and skills can be adapted to support river running that is more prepared and more adaptable to each situation. Jess grew up with river-guiding parents, and at 13 she hiked the full Continental Divide Trail with her family. She describes both of these early life experiences as foundational to the work she does today. GUEST Jess LewisWyld Heart Co.Wyld Heart Blog@wyldheartco SPONSORS Valley Nissan@valley_nissan Down River EquipmentIG @downriverequipmentFB @Down River EquipmentRaftopia April 6-11, 2026In person sale April 11 THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree

This episode was recorded live at the America Outdoors annual conference and is a conversation with three members from the Returning Rapids Project in Utah. The Returning Rapids Project is documenting the changes and restoration happening to the reservoir-affected areas of the Colorado River and the San Juan River as Lake Powell continues to recede out of the river canyons it inundated with reservoir waters for the past several decades. The deeper focus of this episode beyond this research project is the powerful observational ability of river guides who work on rivers day after day, year after year, and how they can notice the most minute changes. In the case of the Colorado River and the Returning Rapids Project, it was this guide observation that witnessed a subtle shift to the river. This observation has developed into a powerful project that is learning how rivers recover from life under a reservoir. THUMBNAIL PIC Stephen [email protected]@explorewithmedia GUESTSThe Returning Rapids Project Isabel Adler Davide Ipolito Mike DeHoffMedia about Returning RapidsA Ledge in the River: New feature documented by the Returning Rapids Project Mike Fiebig, American Rivers CONFERENCE HOST America Outdoors2027 Conference Watch this episode on the America Outdoors Youtube Channel SPONSORS Giveaway: "Raft the Last Wild River Sweepstakes" live March 9, 2026 OARS@oars_raftingStillwater & Cataract Canyon HikerCataract Canyon Whitewater Rafting AMERICAN RIVERS@americanrivers THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree

Rivers are always photogenic, even telegenic, and rivers often become the setting for many films. Each year since 1981, the National Paddling Film Festival (NPFF) has provided a collective presentation of river films. This year’s festival is happening on February 21, live and in person in Kentucky with a virtual streaming option available for the price of a cup of coffee. We have 3 guests bringing us details about the NPFF. Stephanie Hoelscher is the director; Devin Ashley Brown is the featured paddler in the film “Mother River” about her Mississippi River run; and Nishan Thapa is the creator of the film “The Jewel of Wild West Nepal” about paddling the rivers in his home country of Nepal. GUESTSStephanie HoelscherDevin Ashley Brown@afrodiskayakHarvest Film CompanyNishan Thapa@riverratmountainkat@summit_to_sea2026 SPONSORSDenver Area Nissan Dealers@nissanusaFILMSNATIONAL PADDLING FILM [email protected]: live & streaming THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree

Do you ever get those wild ideas about running a river in a unique way, but they just stay ideas, and you kinda always wish you had followed through? This episode is about an idea that became a reality. In November of 2001, 3 people zipped up their drysuits, pulled on their swim fins, strapped their dry bags to river boards, and slid into the Colorado River beginning a 300 mile trip where river boards were their only water craft. Kelley Kalafatich, Julie Munger and Rebecca Rusch floated, swam, kicked and paddled their way in and down the Colorado River, successfully and joyfully, and they have a film documenting this story. The film has just published and they joined The River Radius to have a reunion of sorts and tell their river boarding story 25 years later. THE FILM: "Three Women, Three Hundred Miles: Introduction by Meryl Streep"Producer: Carr CliftonGUESTSKelley Kalafatich TEDXKelley Kalafatich IRFJulie MungerRebecca Rusch websiteInstagramFacebookYoutube SPONSORDenver Area Nissan Dealers@nissanusa EPISODE THUMBNAIL IMAGECarr Clifton ARTICLES"Grand Adventure: River Boarding the Colorado""Three Women, 300 Miles"RIVER BOARDCarlson River Board at NRSChurchhill Swimfins THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree

Ben Stookesberry paddles kayaks in his home state of Montana, and around the world. In his teen years he learned to make home movies showing off his rollerblading moves, and in college he learned to kayak. Today he blends the paddling and film making as he runs rivers in global settings. He has created deep and lasting friendships in his travels, and returns to rivers again and again, to paddle more stretches, to learn more, and sometimes to engage in protection work. In this episode, Ben talks through all of this with us, and goes into depth about his current paddling and film efforts on the Jatunyacu and Mulatos Rivers in Ecuador.GUESTSBen Stookesberry@benstookesberryBio @ KokatatBio @ Jackson KayakLatest Film: ¡Ay Chihuahua!Diego Robles: @ecuskayaker RESOURCESEcuadorian Rivers Institute@ecuadorianriversSteven Donzinger storySavages, book, by Joe Kane PADDLERS TO FOLLOW@ecuskayaker (Diego)@williehenkel@wyatt_doyle@[email protected]@brookehess@oceansandmountains (Hailey)@pedroolivakaiak@riverratmountainkat@mayuwarmikayak@teepee_boys SPONSORSDenver Area Nissan Dealers@nissanusa THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree

Podcasting is incredibly unique and fun work that has allowed me to meet so many rivers and river people. And podcasting is a job that I really just created for myself. Yes there are other podcasts and podcasters, but by nature of the work, we are all kind of hidden in quiet places behind microphones and editing screens, so finding a podcasting friend is so helpful. Ed Roberson has built the Mountain & Prairie Podcast and we have become colleagues and friends that can support each other when we have questions and challenges. For this episode, Ed and I decided to interview each other in a single episode and go deeper into our work, and publish it on both of our respective podcasts. Ed is a leading interviewer finding some of the most humble and impactful people of the American West and Ed is in the process of writing his own book. To start off 2026, here is an episode with two podcasters talking about our work, focus and plans for this coming season of episodes. GUESTSEd RobersonMountain & Prairie Podcast websiteOn AppleOn Spotify@mtnprairieSPONSORSDenver Area Nissan Dealers@nissanusa THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree