Daron Rahlves | Training for Life | E5
As the most decorated American male ski racer in history, Red Bull athlete and local legend Daron Rahlves know how to send two sticks downhill. But as Daron approaches 50 years old, he is finding more enjoyment in putting his mind in the track, going deep in the backcountry, skiing with his son Drey in Alaska and his dog Zoe in the backyard, appreciating the beauty and incredible terrain of the Lake Tahoe region. Daron also recalls two of his top ten days ever skiing in the backcountry were with PowBot, one big day in Desolation Wilderness, and the other unknowingly racing PowBot to the bottom of Bear Scratch. It was a tie.
Sam Hamilton | Backcountry Ski Guide | E4
Trail Whisperer’s next door neighbor in Verdi, Sam Hamilton, is a man of many interests from skiing and skateboarding to surfing, whitewater kayaking, rafting and mountain biking. Sam is a full-time ski guide for High Sierra Snowcat and Palisades Tahoe in the winter and is a professional photographer (samhamiltonphoto.com). Sam joins us to talk about ski guiding, being the parent his teenage ski racing daughter, skate parks in southern California, the upcoming kayak season, massive avalanches and what minding the track means to him.
Record Breaking Tahoe Winter | Scott Kessler | E3
The last couple weeks in the Lake Tahoe region have been historic, adding to an already crazy winter, this episode is all about SNOWMAGEDDON and the mayhem of relentless storms. Scott Kessler, owner of Truckee Overhead Door, has lived in Tahoe since 1976 and has seen a lot of big winters here. Scott declares 2023 to be a “1 in 50 winter”, so we sat down in his Hirschdale workshop and talked about the shovel quiver, snowmobiles, Telemark skiing, the early days of Squaw Valley, the Alpine Meadows avalanche of 1982, snow loaded roofs, minimizing property damage, snow removal and playing in the best quality snow we’ve ever seen in Tahoe.
Longboard Racing | Matt Chappell | E2
The very first guest on Mind the Track is none other than Truckee core lord Matt Chappell, co-founder of orbitaldesignlab.com and truckeedirtunion.org. Recorded at the historic Gray’s Cabin in downtown Truckee, Matt shares some town history while we discuss a potpourri of topics from the Ag Check station to corn snow on Eureka Peak to longboard racing in Johnsville, to skier hitchhiking to ghosts in the attic.
Adventure Begins Where Certainty Ends | E1
Adventure begins where certainty ends. PowBot and Trail Whisperer embark on a new journey of storytelling with the first episode of Mind the Track. In the inaugural episode, the boys discuss why they decided to start Mind the Track, who the show is for and what topics will be discussed, the huge winter so far in the Sierra Nevada, learning to snowmobile, touring out in Desolation Wilderness, the etiquette of the skin track, always skiing “Fall-line Freddy”, traffic woes in Truckee and Jackson Hole sidecountry.