Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

Meriwether Hardie has built a life around long, ambitious horseback journeys through remote landscapes, and she uses those adventures as a way to better understand land, food, and the people who depend on both. In her early twenties, she rode for a year through South America, and this past summer, she spent five months traveling solo across the American West with two horses and a dog. Along the way, she's not just covering ground, she's asking questions, listening closely, and connecting with agricultural producers and rural communities. That combination of adventure, inquiry, and agriculture is also at the core of her professional work, which has spanned everything from small-scale producers to global supply chains, including time with Rainforest Alliance, all focused on building more resilient, equitable food systems. She grew up in Vermont, splitting time between her parents' farms—one centered around horses, the other around commercial beekeeping—which gave her both independence and a deep love of working landscapes. As a teenager, she attended a NOLS course in the Wind River Range, which cemented her love for wild places and outdoor education. That foundation eventually led her west to Colorado College, where she studied environmental science and journalism. After college, she received a competitive environmental journalism fellowship that funded her first major horseback expedition through Argentina—an experience that helped define her path and solidified her belief that storytelling can be a powerful tool for understanding complex issues. In this conversation, we talk about all of that, with a special focus on her most recent ride across the West—what it actually takes to pull off a trip like that, the risks and realities of traveling solo on horseback, and the incredible generosity she encountered along the way. We also talk about what she learned from the farmers and ranchers she met, from the challenges they face to the unexpected pockets of hope she discovered. This is a conversation about big, wild adventures, but it's also about the act of showing up, moving slowly through landscape, asking good questions, and listening to people who don't usually get heard. Enjoy! --- Meriwether Hardie Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/meriwether-hardie --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Freeflow Institute, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, and the Well Done Foundation for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Introducing Meriwether Hardie and highlighting the Freeflow Institute 5:36 - Growing up between two Vermont farms 8:15 - Bee stings 9:42 - An old, free pony 13:25 - Being a different kind of kid 15:23 - Colorado College 18:12 - NOLS in the family 21:58 - The badge of honor that is being a NOLS instructor 25:36 - First horse trip 30:04 - Asking for help 32:34 - Post-Bill McKibben grant 34:34 - Meriwether's journey across South America 40:24 - How the journey changed her 43:22 - Her current adventure 47:40 - Burnout 49:08 - Injury and change 53:55 - Navigating vast landscapes 1:00:29 - The best of humanity 1:07:04 - Celebrating generational knowledge 1:08:38 - The book process 1:17:26 - Expectations vs. reality 1:22:05 - Book recs 1:28:00 - Wrapping up --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Jazmine Ulloa is a national reporter who covers immigration for The New York Times and is the author of the new book "El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory." It's a sweeping, deeply researched look at one of the most overlooked regions in the American West. Born and raised in El Paso, Jazmine brings both a journalist's discipline and a personal connection to the story, weaving together archival research, oral histories, and her own family background to explore how this border community has shaped the broader story of the United States. What makes Jazmine's work especially compelling is the path she took to get here. She started reporting as a teenager, crossing the border with her grandmother to interview families affected by violence… real, high-stakes journalism while she was still in high school. From there, she worked her way up through local papers across Texas, covering crime, courts, and immigration, eventually moving into national political reporting and earning her role at The New York Times. It's a career built the old-fashioned way: curiosity, extreme hard work, and a clear sense of purpose. In this conversation, Jazmine and I focus on the long, layered history of El Paso and the surrounding borderlands—how people, cultures, and economies have moved through this region for generations, shaping the Southwest in ways that often go unrecognized. More than anything, this is a conversation about people and place. By following the lives of five families across generations, Jazmine brings a human lens to a complicated history, one that is rich with resilience, identity, and connection, and that adds real depth to our understanding of the American West. This is a thoughtful conversation with a very smart, purpose-driven author that adds some much needed historical context to this current moment in American culture. I think you'll enjoy it and learn a lot. --- Jazmine Ulloa El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/jazmine-ulloa --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Introducing Jazmine Ulloa and highlighting Good News and book recs 5:47 - How Jazmine ended up in El Paso 12:34 - Pursuing journalism as a career 18:19 - Going to the border for the story 23:02 - Getting to the New York Times 27:09 - Jazmine's speciality 30:27 - Dealing with trauma 32:38 - Getting into Jazmine's book 36:01 - Fear of the unknown 36:55 - 2019 El Paso shooting 41:29 - Seeing history reflected in the present 46:56 - Leaning into the complexity 49:33 - Focusing on family 54:20 - Knowing her hometown better? 57:44 - Time management at its best 1:00:24 - Book recs 1:02:34 - Wrapping up --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Pete McBride is a photographer, filmmaker, and author whose work has taken him all over the world, but at the center of it all is a river much closer to home: the Colorado River. He's been a frequent guest on this podcast over the years, and his work has consistently offered one of the most thoughtful and visually compelling perspectives on the landscapes and water systems that define the American West. His latest book, "Witness to Water: One Photographer's Mission to Defend the Colorado River," is a departure from his previous photo-driven projects—it's all words, and it brings together two decades of stories, observations, and hard-earned insight from time spent on and around rivers. In this conversation, Pete and I talk about the Colorado River—where things stand today, what he's seeing across the basin, and why this moment feels especially urgent. We discuss drought, over-allocation, and the complicated, often frustrating realities of water management in the West. But we also zoom out, exploring how Pete's perspective has evolved over time—from adventure photographer chasing stories around the globe to someone deeply committed to telling one layered, long-term story about a single, essential river. We also spend quite a bit of time on the more personal side of Pete's new book. He opens up about family, the influence of his parents, and a period of his life that didn't match the outward success people might assume. It's honest, vulnerable, and, like the best stories, deeply relatable. As always, there are plenty of wild experiences and hard-earned lessons woven throughout, but what stands out most is Pete's willingness to share the full picture—the wins, the struggles, and everything in between. Pete is also a talented musician, and the song you heard at the beginning is him playing. And at the end of the episode, you can hear the full song. Be sure to check out the episodes for timestamps and links to everything we discuss, and be sure to grab a copy of "Witness to Water." Enjoy! --- Pete McBride "Witness to Water" by Pete McBride Episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/pete-mcbride-4 --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Introducing Pete McBride and highlighting TNC Colorado 5:43 - The "all words" book 8:51 - How Pete's dad ended up in Colorado 10:50 - Resisting the Colorado River 13:36 - Working in India 18:45 - Watching the water run out 22:51 - Len and Pete's horrific death march 27:09 - Combining the reservoirs 29:31 - The deadline 35:17 - How to get informed on the water conversations 39:28 - Adventurers of the Year 44:35 - Nobody knows what they're doing 49:57 - Not nervous 51:53 - Flying nerves 55:41 - The most scared Pete has ever been 59:24 - Djibouti 1:02:02 - Discussing judgment and wrapping up --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Sebastian Junger is an award-winning journalist, a New York Times bestselling author, and an Academy Award–nominated filmmaker. Regular listeners are surely familiar with his work, as I've mentioned his books a ridiculous number of times on this podcast over the years—especially his book "Tribe," which has had a lasting influence on how I think about community, purpose, and the kinds of experiences that give people meaning. So for Episode 300, I was excited to sit down with Sebastian for a real, in-person conversation. Sebastian is the author of "The Perfect Storm," "War," "Tribe," "Freedom," and most recently "In My Time of Dying," and he's spent decades reporting from war zones and writing about how humans behave under extreme pressure. In this conversation, we start with his early experience with NOLS and use that as a jumping-off point to explore a theme that runs through much of his work: why small groups facing real adversity create such strong bonds, and why those experiences often feel more meaningful than anything in modern, comfortable life. From there, we get into boxing, jiu-jitsu, and the idea that environments with real consequences tend to strip away status and surface-level differences, leaving people to be judged on effort, character, and how they show up for others. We also spend a good amount of time on his recent powerful book, "In My Time of Dying"—including the near-death experience that led to it, how he processed it afterward, and what it changed about how he thinks about fear, mortality, and what actually matters in life. We talk about parenting, contentment versus happiness, and how different phases of life demand different kinds of attention and energy. And toward the end, we get into writing, his new Substack project (that I highly recommend), smartphones, and why he's chosen to opt out of many versions of modern technology, including social media. This one covers a lot of ground, but it all ties back to a few core questions: what makes a life feel meaningful, what we lose when things get too easy, and how to stay connected to the people around us. We recorded this in Aspen, the morning before Sebastian was scheduled to speak at the Aspen Institute, and I'm grateful he took the time to do it—especially on a such a busy day. As always, check out the episode notes for a full list of topics and links to everything we discuss. Thanks for listening, I hope you enjoy! --- Sebastian Junger In My Time of Dying Sebastian's new Substack Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/sebastian-junger --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Intro + thank you to our sponsors 6:54 - Introducing Sebastian Junger, another NOLS grad 11:33 - A sense of duty 14:22 - The melting pot of a boxing gym 17:29 - Developing toughness 20:29 - Happiness vs. contentment 26:46 - A nice, summer day on Cape Cod 33:08 - The loneliest moment of Sebastian's life 37:46 - Processing the whole experience 40:57 - No blessing without blood 43:46 - Can't hide from death 46:54 - Being in the moment (benefit of a flip phone) 53:15 - Sebastian on Substack 1:00:09 - Dealing with the angry internet 1:02:05 - A different type of book rec segment 1:04:21 - What's new and next for Sebastian --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Darcy Chenoweth is a Montana-based Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner whose career sits at the intersection of medicine, trauma recovery, and the outdoor world. Darcy works with individuals and organizations—especially those in high-stress helping professions such as first responders, healthcare workers, and other frontline roles—to address burnout, trauma exposure, and the long-term impacts of stress. Her work blends psychotherapy, medication management, and practical tools that help people metabolize the intense experiences that often come with caring for others. Darcy grew up in Colorado's Front Range mountains, and later moved north to Missoula for college, drawn largely by the pull of the northern Rockies and the culture of Montana. Over the years, her life has included living off-grid in western Montana, working as an ER nurse in a small critical-access hospital, teaching backcountry emergency medicine around the world, and maintaining a parallel life as an artist working in ceramics. Those experiences—especially her years in emergency medicine and mountain environments—shaped her understanding of how trauma and stress accumulate in people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Today, Darcy's practice focuses on helping those individuals build awareness, resilience, and sustainable ways of engaging with difficult work while maintaining healthy lives outside of it. In this conversation, Darcy and I talk about the hidden drivers of burnout in helping professions, why community is essential for metabolizing trauma, and how modern life—despite all its conveniences—often strips away the friction and connection that humans need to stay mentally healthy. We also discuss the role of nature, trust, and shared experience in healing, along with Darcy's work supporting mountain communities through organizations like Mountain Muskox, which helps people process grief and loss connected to accidents in the mountains. Although much of Darcy's work focuses on first responders and other helping professionals, the ideas she shares in this conversation are relevant to anyone navigating stress, hardship, or big life transitions. It's a wide-ranging discussion about how humans process difficulty and how we can build lives and communities that help us come out stronger on the other side. Be sure to check out the episode notes for links to Darcy's practice, her work with Mountain Muskox, and several of the books and resources we discuss. Enjoy! --- Darcy Chenoweth, DNP, PMHNP Mountain Muskox Episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/darcy-chenoweth --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Introducing Darcy Chenoweth and highlighting M&P supporters 6:32 - Rollinsville, Colorado and skiing 8:57 - Outdoors influence 10:58 - Darcy's plan at 17 12:39 - Adjusting to Montana 15:00 - Western medicine forays 17:47 - And a foray into ceramics and art 20:00 - How a compassionate person compartmentalizes 23:37 - What is burnout? 28:49 - Darcy's practice 32:17 - The value of community 38:20 - Finding real meaning in the real world 42:13 - Is action the anecdote? 46:01 - Alcohol advice 48:38 - And social media advice 50:20 - The change that is being a mother 52:50 - Mountain Muskox 55:28 - Darcy's role models 58:39 - Loss of structures 1:02:12 - Book recs and parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts