The Six Corners Podcast

Gilmore ScottWatercolor, acrylic and mix media artist, Montezuma CreekGilmore Scott grew up on the Navajo Nation doodling cartoon characters he saw on television. Teachers and peers encouraged him to pursue art as a career. Somewhere along the way he became a public lands forest firefighter and learned to look at the landscape he loves to portray in new ways. “I definitely stayed away from the genre of what people called Native American or Indigenous art, where the colors are earth tones. The way people portray deserts is kind of bland. I think, boy, you haven't seen the colors out here in the desert. If you were here in the morning or the late evening the shadows and colors – the blues, the purples, and the reds – just jump out at you. That's what I really enjoy.”visitutah.com/sixcornershttp://www.gscott-tru-arts.comhttps://www.utahscanyoncountry.com/

Steve Simpson Owner of Twin Rocks Trading Post and Café in BluffGrowing up in Bluff for Steve Simpson meant exploring canyons to look for ancient ruins or cooling off in the San Juan River. After a lifetime of wandering the landscape around his childhood home, Simpson  still wanders the land looking for, and easily finding, inspiration and wonder.  visitutah.com/sixcornershttps://www.friendsofcedarmesa.orghttps://twinrocks.comhttp://utahscanyoncountry.com/ “You have to get out into Bears Ears to truly understand it. The spectacular scenery and the amazing natural resources are world class. Bears Ears is 1.35 million acres. It's very large and very diverse; you really need to experience it but once you have you will understand.” “The last two or three years, because of Covid, I've had a time to really get back out on the landscape. Bears Ears is diverse enough you can experience it on a lot of different levels. Whether it's a short hike, viewing petroglyphs or getting into the backcountry and hiking for days.”

Willie Grayeyes started herding sheep as a 3-year-old while living on Navajo Mountain. He later rode a donkey for miles to get water for his family. He ended up spending 16 years on the Navajo Nation Council and now serves as chair of the San Juan County Commission. He is also a strong proponent of Bear Ears National Monument. visitutah.com/sixcorners https://utahdinebikeyah.orgUtahscanyoncountry.com

Ranching, particularly in the desert, is a tough life. When the ranch she loved came under threat Heidi Redd found a unique way to protect the land she had come to cherish. Long after she has left the ranch for the last time this landscape east of Canyonlands National Park will be protected from development.“We are all extractive industries, from tourism, to climbers, to cattle, we extract a lot from the landscape, and if we aren't willing to put more back than we take, that is when trouble happens. We have to be prepared to pay the price of keeping this landscape, not just thinking it is here for us to take over and control and enjoy without payment.”http://utahscanyoncountry.com/

Dave Bastian traveled to Utah to visit family as a child and always felt a pull to come back. He moved to Utah as an adult to partake in the diversity of outdoor experiences available in the Beehive state. Today, he manages a youth corps program in the Four Corners area as part of a stewardship program.“I moved to Utah in my 20s. I was blown away with what we had here in terms of access. The ability to go places that are truly public. I realized they were completely open and belonged to us. It was a huge thing. It felt like this whole new world had just opened up to me.”

Steve Young was part of the local volunteer search and rescue team by the age of 13. So it is no surprise he ended up helping people enjoy the outdoors as a guide before moving on to his current job as a National Park Service river ranger on perhaps the most famous whitewater river in the country.visitutah.com/sixcornershttps://www.nps.gov/cany/index.htm

Vaughn Hadenfeldt developed an interest in archaeology at an early age, so it was not a surprise when he started guiding people to some of the numerous ancient cultural sites in southeastern Utah. He also ended up leading research teams to thoroughly document the locations. Through the years he preached a soft impact on the fragile landscape to protect the precious places he was sharing. 

In this first episode of Chapter 2, Matt interviews Nikki Cooley, member of the Navajo Nation; Co-Manager of the Tribal Climate Change Program at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals. Nikki Cooley spent her childhood wandering the Southwest desert herding sheep, then took up guiding river trips and now leads efforts to help Native American tribes cope with, and help prevent, climate change. The draw of the river was so strong, there were times Nikki did her college homework on the water while learning how to be a guide. Hear about her journey and commitment to hard work that built and sustains her powerful connection to the river and place.

We have a big announcement to make. Chapter 2 is coming on June 7th.  Plus, enjoy a bonus episode shared from our friends at the WILD Podcast, produced by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. https://www.visitutah.com/sixcornershttps://wildlife.utah.gov/wild-podcast.html

Mill Creek winds its way through a beautiful red rock canyon and right into the heart of Moab. Once a quiet local favorite, you can now expect to see thousands of visitors hiking, swimming, and recreating in the area each year. In our final episode of chapter one, we speak with Betsy Byrne, a landscape architect with the National Park Service, who is working to preserve and maintain accessibility to Moab's Mill Creek. visitutah.com/sixcorners

It's home to the best view in Moab you've probably never heard of, but there's more to Dead Horse Point than its stunning, big screen-worthy vistas of the Colorado River. Park Ranger Spencer Stokes sits down with Matt to share some of his favorite ways to experience Dead Horse Point State Park at the rim and beyond.visitutah.com/sixcorners

While many of us were just waking up this summer, Arches National Park was already closing—as early as 7 a.m.—due to overcrowding. It's become the center of a national conversation: How do we protect the parks in an era of high visitation and viral social media posts that leave no natural wonder undiscovered? In this episode, we talk with Joette Langianese from Friends of Arches and Canyonlands about the Arches Problem. visitutah.com/sixcorners

Rain is uncommon in Utah's dry Southeastern corner, but delicate plant life can still be found blossoming across its fiery red soil. What makes this flora so special and what is being done to protect it? Kara Dohrenwend, owner of Rim to Rim Restoration, shares her insights from working to revegetate the Upper Colorado Plateau. 

Moab's slickrock and sand lures thousands of mountain bikers each year who come hungry for a taste of red on their tread, but unprecedented popularity in the past year has had a profound impact on the surrounding environment. Rim Mountain Bike Tours owner Kirstin Peterson walks us through the unique challenges Moab is facing today and what it needs to be protected tomorrow.visitutah.com/sixcorners

While on patrol one fateful November night, Moab park ranger Brody Young was shot nine times and left for dead in Utah's red rock desert. In our first episode of the Six Corners Podcast, Brody recounts his harrowing story of personal tragedy and how the landscape at the epicenter of it helped him heal. visitutah.com/sixcorners