Written in Stone tells the (mostly) true stories of the most groundbreaking ascents in rock climbing history. Hosted by Kris Hampton, you’ll hear the narrated, sound designed stories about what led to new levels in climbing, alternated with conversations with today’s top climbers about what inspired them about what went down way back then. Season One is focused on the 1990’s, and will tell the stories of how sport climbing came to dominate, how women climbers made their mark, and explore the...

Emily realized in February of 2020 that alcohol was no longer serving her, that it was actively getting in the way of the life she wanted to live. At the same time, she was learning to ski. In this episode of Plug Tone Outdoors, Emily reads a blog post she originally wrote for the Nature Untold Community in February 2021. She shares her experience on her first real powder day, and not having a numbing agent to help her come down afterward. You can learn more about Nature Untold, and read her...

On PodBeta, we give you quick, actionable tips for your own podcasting journey. On this episode of PodBeta, the host of the Climbing Advocate Podcast, Peter Horgan, joins us to share his thoughts on podcast preparation. Whether you’re a new podcaster or a veteran, in this episode, you’ll be prompted to create or revamp your preparation processes in order to have the best possible conversations with your guests and make things easier from a post-production standpoint. For more information,...

For some skiers, drugs and alcohol can be fun. That wasn't the case for Paddy O'Connell. He was using them to cope with something deeper and darker inside.  Paddy is a writer, host, creator, and podcaster. He also happens to have the best mustache on this side of the Mississippi. On this episode from Plug Tone Outdoors, Paddy reads an essay he originally wrote for Ski Magazine entitled "For Some Skiers, Drugs and Alcohol Are Fun, But For Me it Was Darker." In this reading, Paddy touches on...

In the United States, we have over 120 national monuments. We’ve all heard about them in the news, and seen them designated and then undesignated over the past few presidencies. But what even IS a national monument? And who manages land that is designated as a national monument? What does it mean for our outdoor pursuits? Writer McKenzie Long was asking herself similar questions when President Obama designated the Bears Ears area a national monument at the end of 2016. Her curiosity about her...

What do you say when His Majesty The King of Bhutan wants to put on an ultra marathon through the Himalaya to show the impact of climate change, and invites you to participate? A high-altitude stage race over 5 days, 126 miles, and 33,000 total feet of climbing? Well, if you’re Gabe Joyes, you say YES. In this episode, ultra runner, coach, and teacher, Gabe Joyes sits down with Kris Hampton to share his experience in running the Snowman Race in Bhutan in 2022. The race was put on partly in...

In this episode of Strange Nature, we explore a disturbing discovery. 5 stories high and slowly seeping from the tongue of the glacier onto the frozen surface of Lake Bonney, is something strange. A thick, dark red liquid. A blood fall. We dive into the weird phenomenon of the Blood Falls in Antarctica and what we've learned in the last 100+ years since Captain Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to the South Pole about ego and scientific discovery. You can find links to videos, photos of...

Sarah Chase Fountain is a gem of a human being. Over on Nature Untold Podcast, part of the Plug Tone Collective, Sarah has shared her story of addiction and recovery, as well as her most recent musings on a challenging time in her past through a few short-stories-turned-short-episodes. On her Medium bio, she states: “I have no filter and lots of emotions. Sometimes I combine the two and end up with a couple cohesive sentences.” On this episode, Kris, who sound-designed and produced Sarah’s...

It's the age-old question on everyone's minds: Is Lil Wayne a Polar Bear Expert? Is the rapper who famously brought us lyrics like: "approving million dollar deals from my iPhone," and "'cause we pop them like Orville Redenbacher," seems to have an inside scoop on the incredible creatures called Polar Bears. Or does he? In this episode of Strange Nature, Kris dives into the truth behind polar bear coloration. Is Lil Wayne an actual biologist? Listen to find out. For photos of cute polar...

What are the best practices for managing the guests for your podcast?  Read more on our website. Follow along with Plug Tone on Instagram. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year. And for one large mammal, the spotlight turns on them: the Reindeer. In this episode of Strange Nature, Kris dives into the flying, red-nosed reindeer that all of us know and love: Rudolph. You will find pictures of reindeers, the original Rudolph story, and a few other interesting articles and videos about the nomadic Mongolian people who are the only people in the world who ride reindeers on our website.  Follow along with Plug Tone Outdoors on...

On this episode of Built Outdoors, we are featuring Backcountry Cobblers, created and led by Jay Halford, based in Lander, Wyoming. In this episode, Jay and Kris discuss how Jay got interested in cobbling, the difference between resoling and cobbling, the challenges of scaling a business, and the importance of craftsmanship. Jay also shares his perspective on how bartending for a decade prepared him for a life as a local business owner.  We hear about Jay’s favorite jobs, helping a local kid...

Want to monetize your podcast? Here are the 4 main ways that you can make money from your show.  Read more on our website. Follow along with Plug Tone on Instagram.

What is the best episode frequency for your podcast? Listen to this episode to learn about the frequency that's right for you and your podcast.  Read more on our website. Follow along with Plug Tone on Instagram.

Doesn't everyone kind of want to live forever? Isn't that why we're obsessed with optimizing every single aspect of our lives? Well, there is a small being here on planet earth that beat us to it. This unique creature may never actually die. Like, ever. It's feasible that there could be a handful of these things out there, swimming in our oceans, that are millions of years old. So, what ARE these little creatures? In this episode, we explore the curious case of the immortal jellyfish and the...

That's basically it. Podcasting is solely about consistency and experimentation. Read more on our website. Follow along with Plug Tone on Instagram.

What is out there, in the wilds of Wyoming? What eerie things are lurking in the trees? In this episode, we hear first-hand stories from Gigi Holley and wildlife biologist John Mionczynski about the ultimate wild mystery: the Sasquatch. You can find tons of links, photos, videos, and the full transcript at our website. Follow along with Plug Tone Audio on Instagram. Check out Gigi's landscape and wildlife photography at her website.

Here are the 5 questions you should ask yourself before starting a podcast.

  Everyday at the same time, a gigantic, strange tornado comes swirling out of a crescent shaped hole in a Texas hillside called Bracken Cave.  VISIT BRACKEN CAVE LEARN MORE ABOUT BAT CONSERVATION CHECK OUT MERLIN TUTTLE’S BAT CONSERVATION LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLUG TONE AUDIO COLLECTIVE. Music this episode is: Unsettling Ambience by Kirk Osamayo is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. Early Morning Self Reflection by Kirk Osamayo is licensed under a Attribution 4.0...

The Klamath people in what we now call Oregon tell a remarkable story of a first hand, eyewitness account of one of the most explosive moments in natural history - One that happened 8000 years ago. At the center of the story is a sacred lake, Gii-was, known to most of us as Crater Lake. In that lake is an Old Man. 450 years old, he has been floating there for over 120 years.    Learn more about The Old Man of the Lake and the Klamath people at our website.   The music in this episode is...

In 1989, famed professional rock climber, Todd Skinner, and his then-girlfriend, Amy Whistler, heard about the incredible dolomite cliffs near Lander, Wyoming, packed their bags, and moved immediately to Lander. In order to create jobs for themselves and other climbing partners, they created what came to be known as Wild Iris Mountain Sports, an outdoor gear store named after the climbing area that was holding their minds and hearts in Lander.  Since then, Wild Iris has seen challenges,...

Welcome to Built Outdoors, where we talk with outdoor industry entrepreneurs about the ideas that became businesses and what they’ve learned along the way.  Part business advice and philosophy, part storytelling and history, and part celebration of the entrepreneurs, founders, and community leaders who are the unsung core of the outdoor industry.  Coming September 20, 2022 to the Plug Tone Outdoors channel.  Built Outdoors is created by Emily Holland and Kris Hampton for Plug Tone...

As wildfires become more common and powerful, the Giant Sequoias of the American West are burning at massive rates. These enormous beings stand at a few hundred feet in height and a hundred feet in diameter. Due to climate change and 100 years of human mismanagement, the forests where these Sequoias live are being lost to wildfire. In this episode, Kris sits down with Sam Prentice, District Hydrologist for the USDA Forest Service, to speak about how wildfires are impacting our Giant Sequoia...

Years ago, Kris wrote a traditional cowboy poem called The Cowboy King as a gift to the Lander climbing community. It features 120 route names from climbs in the Lander area. He has performed it live at the International Climbers Festival several times over the years, but only recently recorded and scored the poem. In today's episode, Kris plays the new recording for Lander local, Leif Gasch, and then the two of them chat about the making of the poem.   Find Leif online at:...