What if the trip you've been dreaming about doesn't have to wait until retirement—or cost a fortune?
Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with road-trippers Miranda and Jason, who just wrapped a 26-day adventure from Idaho to Oregon. Hot springs. Star-filled skies. A night in a giant flowerpo…What if the trip you've been dreaming about doesn't have to wait until retirement—or cost a fortune?
Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with road-trippers Miranda and Jason, who just wrapped a 26-day adventure from Idaho to Oregon. Hot springs. Star-filled skies. A night in a giant flowerpot Airbnb (yes, really). And the best part? They didn't come home broke.
Miranda and Jason break down exactly how they made it work: credit card points, camping hacks, and the art of saying "yes" to spontaneity without blowing the budget. Because here's the thing—adventure doesn't require endless cash. It requires courage, creativity, and knowing where to splurge and where to save.
This episode isn't just a highlight reel of epic stops (though Crater Lake and Boise's Pride Festival definitely make appearances). It's about what happens when you prioritize experiences over perfection, unplug from the noise, and rediscover why you wanted to explore in the first place. Whether you're planning your own cross-country trip or just daydreaming about one, you'll walk away with the roadmap—and the permission slip—to finally go.
What You'll Take With You:
• The exact strategy Miranda and Jason used to fund 26 days on the road (points, perks, and smart camping)
• How to balance spontaneity with a budget that won't give you anxiety at the gas pump
• Hidden gems and unforgettable stops from Craters of the Moon to the Oregon coast
• Why unplugging (even for a few days) might be the best investment you make this year
• Proof that you don't need fancy hotels or a perfect plan to have the trip of a lifetime Before You Hit Play, Ask Yourself:
What trip have you been putting off because you think you can't afford it—or don't have the time? What if the real problem isn't money or schedules... it's just giving yourself permission to go?
Got a road trip story or a dream destination? Drop it in the comments—we want to hear where you're headed next.
For our gear of the day pic head to StackingAdventures.com/GOTD
Tell us your story! Head to StackingAdventures.com/MyStory with YOUR road trip adventure!more
“There was one time when one of the young wolves was licking my face, and his canine went up my nose, and I was like, oh, okay, don't move. He wasn't trying to bite me; it was just
excitement. But it was an awesome, eerie, and strangely wonderful experience.”
- Jamie Dutcher
Before the arrival of…“There was one time when one of the young wolves was licking my face, and his canine went up my nose, and I was like, oh, okay, don't move. He wasn't trying to bite me; it was just
excitement. But it was an awesome, eerie, and strangely wonderful experience.”
- Jamie Dutcher
Before the arrival of European settlers, it is estimated as many as 500,000 wolves roamed freely across the continental United States. By the 1970s, after decades of systematic eradication, there were fewer than 1000 left.
And despite the fact that our best friends, the dog, are descended from them to this day they
are often thought of as nothing more than vicious, bloodthirsty killers and a danger to livestock
and people. Filmmakers Jim and Jamie Dutcher wanted to show another side to this iconic
predator, and in doing so perhaps change people’s minds and help protect wolves from
extinction.
But to do that they needed to get close. So, in 1991, beneath the towering peaks of Idaho’s spectacular Sawtooth Mountains, they set up a remote tented outpost where they could
bring together a pack of wolves in an enclosed territory, while accepting Jim and Jamie as just another part of their world. The Dutchers would spend the next six years Living with the Wolves.
This is their story, and the story of the Sawtooth Pack.
FIND OUT MORE
Find out more about Jim and Jamie’s foundation, and how you can help, at
LivingWithWolves.org
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Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar presented the show,
Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Our theme music is by the artist Sweet
Chap.
Mentioned in this episode:
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Russ Lyman grew up in northwest Washington State. He received a B.S. degree in Visual Communications from Western Washington University and then spent a couple of years in Ketchum, Idaho. In 1989 he began his river guiding career in Haines, Alaska, and started guiding on the Tatshenshini and Alsek R…Russ Lyman grew up in northwest Washington State. He received a B.S. degree in Visual Communications from Western Washington University and then spent a couple of years in Ketchum, Idaho. In 1989 he began his river guiding career in Haines, Alaska, and started guiding on the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers in 1990. He has also worked as a river rafting guide in the Arctic, Chile, Indonesia, Nepal and Ethiopia. He lives in Haines, Alaska with his wife Cynthia, where he runs his publishing business, Cloudburst Productions.
Russ draws maps and gathers inspiration from the majestic Saint Elias and Coast Range Mountains which surround him. He began his river guiding career in Haines in 1989 and has made over 40 trips down the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers since then, as well as guided on rivers in other parts of the world.
Russ has been a volunteer DJ at KHNS since 1990, covering a variety of different shows over the years. Russ is one of the coauthors of The Complete Guide to the Tatshenshini River: Including the Upper Alsek River.
You can support this podcast by donating a few dollars per month on Patreon! We really appreciate any contribution, no matter how small.
Follow the adventures and interviews in real time at TrailLessTraveled.net and be sure to check out our visual series on YouTube!!!
The radio version of the show premieres Sunday nights at 6 MST, streaming live online at Trail1033.com & locally (Missoula) on the Trail 103.3 FM
This episode was recorded on location in collaboration with Xplorer Maps. We want to extend boatloads of gratitude to Xplorer Maps for their generous support of this podcast and international outreach programs paired with conservation projects.
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Recorded while floating down the Selway River in the heart of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, we invite you to join us for an interview with Mark Martin. Mark is a river and fishing guide in Idaho who serves as a salmon and steelhead advocate for the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association. Mark i…Recorded while floating down the Selway River in the heart of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, we invite you to join us for an interview with Mark Martin. Mark is a river and fishing guide in Idaho who serves as a salmon and steelhead advocate for the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association. Mark is also a writer, conservationist and backcountry skier. Mark is also a fly tier extraordinaire who is known as the "Idaho Guide Bob Ross".
Mark was born and raised in northern Maine: a place and culture where “going for a walk in the woods” is still a legitimate way to fill an empty afternoon. He spent most of his free time fishing, hunting, canoeing, and skiing, and his dad taught him to flyfish and tie flies when he was eleven. Several years of education and work in fisheries conservation led him to a realization that no wild river’s heart and soul could ever be characterized by a series of equations….and right about then he discovered central Idaho and the Middle Fork. It was, as they say, love at first sight. Since then, his natural habitat has become the rower’s seat of a fishing boat.Mark ties all his own flies for fishing, sells a few, and brings a selection of favorites to the Middle Fork for each trip. When not guiding, he finds work as a server at an off-the-grid backcountry ski-in restaurant in the winter in McCall. Somewhere in there he finds the time to fly fish obsessively for steelhead all over the Northwest, and explore Idaho’s mountains on his skis…all while daydreaming about last Middle Fork season, and the next. He is also a favorite amongst our guests and is an incredible fishing guide and has the patience of a sage.
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