The River Radius Podcast

This is a river podcast, and a great story, boating, science, adventure and conservation podcast.

The River Radius Podcast is a society podcast hosted by Sam Carter, with 146 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Sam Carter hosts The River Radius Podcast, a society show with 146 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #145

  Greg McFadden: Outfitting, Expansion & Dinner Party Culture

  Aug 18, 20261h 7m

  Sometime in the 1980s, after reading a hand written note telling him to come up for a river trip, Greg McFadden turned north on a rural highway in Idaho. He had no idea about river running and river culture, nor did he know, that note and river would lead him to become a lifelong river guide and eventually purchase the river outfitter hosting that very first river trip. Today Greg leads a group of 4 full time staff and 38 guides as they take their guests down guided river trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon Rivers in Idaho, sometimes all in one long trip. Last year they only hired one new guide, and their crew spans 5 of the named generations. Greg also travels to Washington DC advocating for rivers and river guides, he is a painter with his own downtown gallery, even if it is the size of a van, and he also guides a couple of river trips for a Grand Canyon river outfitter because it feels good and keeps him connected. Greg McFadden Canyons River Company Canyons Booking (Food & Wine Trip) IG @canyons_river_company FB @canyons BIPOC Outdoor Collective Pandion Institute Les Bechdel Susan Bechdel Greg's Art Gallery America Outdoors Fun Luvin' Fleecewear Blue Moon Yurts River Radius Episode with Canyons Founder Les Bechdel, Apple Podcasts Les Bechdel, Spotify SPONSORS Poudre River Fund NRS NRS PFD for Whale Foundation Whale Foundation THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

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  Episode #144

  Les Bechdel

  Aug 4, 20261h 11m

  Les Bechdel is a river runner, an outfitter, an author of the first comprehensive book on modern river rescue techniques, a kayaker, a husband, a catarafter, a father, a river ranger, a grandfather, an instructor, and a soldier. In the 1980s, river rescue became a more organized and developed concept and practice, and Les Bechdel was at the center of that movement. In 1985, the first edition of the book "RIVER RESCUE" was published with Les and Slim Ray as the authors. The book is now in its 4th edition. Les was selling kayaks during the transition from fiberglass to plastic. Eventually, he moved to Idaho from North Carolina with his family and started a river outfitting company in the Salmon River system that is still thriving today. Beyond all of that, Les is a kind and open man who tells stories of a life shaped by rivers and family. AW Bio Bio article River Rescue: A Manual for Whitewater Safety, 4th Edition By Les Bechdel & Slim Ray Les Bechdel "Guidefather" 1996, newspaper article Charlie Walbridge Canyons River Company Southern Appalachian Whitewater Hall of Fame Bio Bio accident report from American Whitewater, 1981 Payson Kennedy, episode on The River Radius, Apple Podcasts Payson Kennedy, episode on The River Radius, Spotify SPONSORS Poudre River Fund NRS NRS PFD for Whale Foundation Whale Foundation THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

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  Episode #143

  Heather Hansman & Her New Book "Fierce Country"

  Jul 14, 202654 min

  Heather Hansman publishes her 3rd book today, " Fierce Country: The Untold Story of Three Women Who Ignited America's Love for the Wild ." Heather joins the River Radius as a returning guest to talk about the subjects of her book: Georgie White, Anne LaBastille and Dolores LaChapelle. We also get into her travels to learn about these three people, how going through the complete collection of one person helped clarify details, how writing a book is a multi-year commitment, her own feelings about the book and the nervous tension she rides as her book publication date arrives. Heather is a longtime river runner and river guide, and is the author of the recent article exposing many details about the current river permitting system. Her writing is funny and serious and deep, and our conversation lets her share with us her journey of writing this excellent book about rivers, people, boats, wild places, ecological theories, and the bias that gets in the way of understanding our natural systems. Heather Hansman website "Fierce Country" Book Tour @hhansman "Wreck Dot Gov" (article about the river permit system) Previous River Radius Episode with Heather Hansman Apple Podcasts Previous River Radius Episode with Heather Hansman Spotify SPONSORS Poudre River Fund NRS NRS PFD for Whale Foundation Whale Foundation THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

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  Episode #142

  Devon Barker-Hicks, Idaho River Proud

  Jul 8, 20261h 4m

  Devon Barker-Hicks is an Idaho born and raised river runner, growing up in the Barker family of river outfitters. She is a lifelong public school teacher, a global kayak competitor, and a dedicated advocate and protector of the waters and rivers of Idaho. Her program "Dare to Kayak," brings kayaking to the public schools of Idaho, and a film about that same program premiers on July 22nd in Riggins, ID. She grew up running rivers with her family, working as a guide at the family outfitter company from childhood through her college summers. Today she teaches kayaking through the "Dare to Kayak" program and at her brother's outfitting company. She is considered by her Idaho river peers to be a leader in the knowledge of the rivers of Idaho, and a leader in caring for the rivers and the river runners, and she serves on the Board of Directors of Idaho Rivers United. In addition to all of this, we also talk through her 2020 two-month tour of the entire watershed of the Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands. GUEST Devon Barker-Hicks Dare to Kayak Writing: "The Confluence of Passions on the Canals of Amsterdam" Writing: "The Owyhee Bruneau Canyonlands All Forks Sabbatical" South Fork Salmon, Barker video Barker River Expeditions Southfork Salmon & Idaho Rivers United video BOD @ Idaho Rivers United Film Premiere July 22, 2026 5pm MT Potluck with films to follow Little River Bait & Tackle 7482 US-95, Riggins, ID 83549 Riggins, ID Facebook SPONSORS Poudre River Fund NRS NRS PFD for Whale Foundation Whale Foundation THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

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  Episode #141

  10 Rivers for 2026

  Jun 23, 20261 hour

  Each year American Rivers, a national river focused advocacy organization publishes a list of 10 rivers that are beautiful rivers and rivers that want our engagement. These are the rivers of the 2026 Most Endangered Rivers List. American Rivers first published the Most Endangered Rivers List in 1984, and now 41 years later, they still bring to our attention ten rivers of elevated importance. This year's rivers run between 8 and 400 miles in length. My guest again this year is Chantel Dominguez from American Rivers. Chantel brings infectious optimism to the power of highlighting these rivers. GUEST Chantel Dominguez American Rivers| MER LIST 2026 America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2026 Video of AR's MER List 2026 on YouTube Support American Rivers SPONSORS Poudre River Fund NRS NRS PFD for Whale Foundation Whale Foundation THE RIVER RADIUS Website Runoff signup (episode newsletter) Instagram Facebook Apple Podcast Spotify Link Tree

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