SIERRA REC NOW | Your Guide to Sierra Adventures

Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine • Authentic Mountains
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Weekly

Sierra Rec Now is where mountain stories, unforgettable places, and the people who know them come together. Hosted by Charlie Pankey, each episode explores the Sierra Nevada and the mountain communities, trails, lakes, and adventures that make the range so special. From backpacking and hidden destinations to local history, outdoor skills, conservation, gear, and conversations with guides, creators, and lifelong locals, every episode is designed to help you experience the mountains with greater confidence and curiosity. Whether you're planning your next Sierra adventure or simply love mountain

  1. 1h ago

    Getting Kids Outside: Motherhood, Entrepreneurship & Building GO Deck

    Getting kids outside doesn't require a national park, expensive outdoor gear or a big family vacation. Sometimes the best outdoor adventures for kids are hiding right in your own neighborhood. For Deanna Ratnikova, founder of GO Deck, that realization started during the pandemic. As a single mom living in downtown San Diego, Deanna suddenly found herself balancing work, motherhood and life with a three-year-old while many of the playgrounds, group activities and community spaces around them were closed. So they started walking. What began as a way to simply get outside became something different when Deanna started seeing the city through her daughter's eyes. A fallen leaf could stop them in their tracks. A short walk could become an adventure. And outdoor spaces Deanna had passed without noticing suddenly became places worth exploring. Those experiences eventually inspired GO Deck, a collection of outdoor adventure cards designed to help families discover parks, trails, waterfronts and other outdoor spaces close to home. On this Built Outside conversation, Charlie Pankey talks with Deanna about motherhood, entrepreneurship and what it takes to build an outdoor business from an idea rooted in your own life. They explore Deanna's background in running and cycling, becoming a single mom, finding community outdoors, creating and testing the first GO Deck prototypes, and learning how to build a business without a traditional entrepreneurial background. But the bigger conversation is about getting kids outside. Deanna shares why outdoor activities for families don't have to be difficult, expensive or far from home; why she includes mobility-friendly outdoor spaces in GO Deck; and how simple experiences outside have created some of her daughter's strongest childhood memories. They also talk about something even simpler: going for a walk together. Sometimes connection doesn't require a big adventure—or even a big conversation. It can simply mean being outside, moving together and being present. And meet Z (Zephyr), GO Deck's traveling character helping children turn everyday outdoor experiences into adventures as Z explores places around the world. In this conversation:• Getting kids outside in an urban environment• Outdoor activities and adventures for families• Motherhood, outdoor identity and entrepreneurship• How Deanna's pandemic walks inspired GO Deck• Running, cycling and finding community outdoors• Building an outdoor business without a business background• Accessible and mobility-friendly outdoor adventures• Creating screen-free family experiences• Building childhood memories outside• The future of GO Deck and Z's adventures around the world Built Outside is a Sierra Rec Now series about people whose lives outside taught them how to build something. Learn more about Deanna Ratnikova and GO Deck at thegodeck.com.

    Getting Kids Outside: Motherhood, Entrepreneurship & Building GO Deck

  2. Sep 22

    Camping With Kids: Family Adventures, National Parks & Raising Outdoor Kids with Natalie Vereen-Davis

    Camping with kids doesn't require the perfect RV, expensive outdoor gear or a perfectly planned family adventure. Sometimes it starts with a borrowed tent, a pair of hand-me-down boots and simply deciding to get outside. Natalie Vereen-Davis is the creator of CampingKiddos, a family camping and outdoor travel resource helping parents explore campgrounds, state parks, national parks and road trips with their kids. She joins Sierra Rec Now host Charlie Pankey as part of the Built Outside series—conversations with people whose lives outdoors helped shape what they built—to talk about family camping, RV travel, raising adventurous kids and turning a lifelong connection to the outdoors into a growing family travel business. Natalie's own camping story started young. She grew up traveling in her grandparents' old Grumman motorhome before eventually becoming a tent camper, pop-up camper owner and RV traveler with a family of her own. Some of her strongest childhood memories came from a trip to California when she was six, including Yosemite National Park, Big Sur and the giant sequoias. Decades later, her son's fascination with seeing the biggest trees in the world brought Natalie back to California for a family road trip through Pinnacles National Park, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. But this conversation isn't just about where to take kids camping. Natalie and Charlie explore what children can teach adults about experiencing the outdoors, why the best family travel memories aren't always the ones parents planned, and how camping can teach kids to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. They also talk about Natalie's journey from English professor and part-time travel blogger to taking CampingKiddos full time, the realities of creating outdoor content while protecting the family experience, and why she believes families should start small instead of comparing themselves to the polished version of outdoor life they see online. Her advice for families wanting to start camping with kids is refreshingly simple: take baby steps. Try a nearby state park. Spend a night at a campground. Let the kids help set up camp. Learn outdoor skills together. Build confidence one adventure at a time. 00:00 Childhood Camping, Sea Oats & an Old Grumman RV02:10 Learning to Camp With Whatever You Have06:51 Childhood Memories of Yosemite and California10:24 How Camping Shapes Adventurous Kids15:02 The Western Road Trip That Changed Everything18:37 From English Professor to CampingKiddos25:10 Making the Outdoors More Approachable for Families33:33 What Family Camping Really Looks Like36:14 Protecting the Family Experience as a Content Creator40:15 How to Start Camping With Kids44:20 Building CampingKiddos Around Community46:16 Family-Friendly National & State Parks Worth Exploring Learn more about Natalie Vereen-Davis and CampingKiddos at CampingKiddos.com. Sierra Rec Now — Built OutsideConversations with people whose lives outside taught them how to build something. Chapters

    Camping With Kids: Family Adventures, National Parks & Raising Outdoor Kids with Natalie Vereen-Davis

  3. Sep 15

    Her First Solo Tahoe Rim Trail Thru-Hike | Courtney Rosiak-Quinto

    Courtney Rosiak-Quinto set out on her first solo thru-hike, following the 174-mile Tahoe Rim Trail around Lake Tahoe through high-elevation terrain, long water carries, unexpected challenges and the Sierra landscape that has helped make South Lake Tahoe feel like home. The Tahoe Rim Trail—or TRT—travels through California and Nevada, connecting sections near Echo Lake, Big Meadow, Kingsbury Grade, Spooner Summit, the Carson Range and Desolation Wilderness. Because the trail offers frequent access points and occasional cell service, Courtney believed it could be a practical place to attempt her first long-distance thru-hike. But accessible does not mean easy. The journey came during a major transition in her life. After leaving the corporate world, Courtney saw the trail as more than another backpacking goal. It became an opportunity to trust her preparation, test her independence and discover whether she could solve problems when the original plan stopped working. Courtney joins Sierra Rec host Charlie Pankey to discuss the difference between solo backpacking and solo thru-hiking, preparing physically and mentally for a long-distance trail, and the strength required to keep moving when the body is exhausted. She recounts an unexpected 25-mile day when she became so focused on reaching camp that the final four miles seemed to disappear. She also explains why she chose not to cross Dick’s Pass near the end of the trip. After traveling from Barker Pass toward Desolation Wilderness through dry conditions, deadfall and accumulating fatigue, Courtney no longer felt safe continuing. Rather than allowing the desire to claim a completed loop to overrule her judgment, she listened to her instincts and left approximately six or seven miles for another trip. The conversation explores: Planning and training for a first Tahoe Rim Trail thru-hikeSolo backpacking and backpacking safety for womenWater availability and dry conditions along the TRTThe mental challenge of consecutive long-distance hiking daysEcho Lake, Big Meadow, Barker Pass and Desolation WildernessKnowing when to change a backpacking planPaper maps, FarOut and backcountry navigationMoving from corporate life into adventure travel coachingBuilding confidence through outdoor experiencesGiving yourself permission to pursue something difficultCourtney Rosiak-Quinto is the founder of Wildly Becoming Collective, where she helps women plan meaningful adventures, reconnect with themselves and develop the confidence to step beyond familiar limits. This conversation is part of What Brings You Back, a Sierra Rec series exploring the places, experiences and personal transformations that continue calling people outside. Hosted by Charlie Pankey of Sierra Rec Magazine.

    Her First Solo Tahoe Rim Trail Thru-Hike | Courtney Rosiak-Quinto

  4. Sep 8

    How a Lifetime of Adventure Became 10Adventures | Richard Campbell

    Richard Campbell spent decades exploring the world by foot, bicycle, ski and boat before turning that life outside into 10Adventures, a global platform for guided and self-guided hiking, cycling and active travel. Richard joins Sierra Rec host Charlie Pankey to share how summers working on his grandparents’ farm, family camping trips in the Canadian Rockies and an unexpected week in Chamonix helped shape his priorities. Rather than following a conventional career path, Richard repeatedly stepped away from work to explore the Alps, Pyrenees, Africa, Bolivia and other parts of the world. Those experiences were not always easy. Richard was once left by a guide at 5,000 meters in Bolivia, where the group reached a junction without knowing which direction to go. On the final night, the guiding operation arranged to rob the group. Other budget trips brought food poisoning, dirty water and difficult lessons about local knowledge and trust. But those travel disasters are only part of Richard’s story. His larger journey is about building a life around meaningful experiences—and creating a company that helps other people do the same. Richard founded 10Adventures in 2016 as a collection of detailed hiking guides. When readers began asking for help planning trips to places such as Yosemite and the Dolomites, he recognized an opportunity to connect travelers with trusted local experts and thoughtfully planned adventures. Richard and Charlie discuss: How a lifetime of travel became 10AdventuresChoosing meaningful experiences over a conventional career pathWhy local knowledge can transform a tripGuided versus self-guided hiking and cycling toursWhy travelers value freedom and flexibilityHow AI and online travel lists concentrate visitors in the same destinationsFinding quieter places beyond the standard itinerariesCamino de Santiago routes and the meaning of pilgrimageAdventure travel in Japan, Europe and South AmericaTeaching children curiosity, leadership and problem-solving through travelCreating lasting memories with familyThe difficult reality of working as a professional guideWhy spending a week outside can change a person’s lifeFor Richard, adventure travel is not simply about checking destinations off a list. It is an opportunity to reconnect with the people we love, understand other cultures and experience the physical and mental benefits of time outside. As Richard explains, the best time to take that meaningful trip may have been yesterday—but the second-best time is right now. Explore 10Adventures:https://www.10adventures.com/ Browse guided and self-guid guided adventure tours:https://www.10adventures.com/tours/ Connect with Richard Campbell:https://ca.linkedin.com/in/richard-campbell-yyc This conversation is part of Built Outside, a Sierra Rec series featuring people whose lives outside taught them how to build something. Hosted by Charlie Pankey of Sierra Rec Magazine.

    How a Lifetime of Adventure Became 10Adventures | Richard Campbell

  5. Sep 1

    Learning to See the Wild with Larry Laverty | Seeing the Sierra

    What if becoming better outdoors isn't about going farther—but learning to see more? Wildlife photographer and author Larry Laverty has spent a lifetime doing exactly that. From learning to climb above Tenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park as a teenager to following elephants in Africa and photographing the wild buffalo of Yellowstone, Larry's adventures have shaped how he moves through wild places—and what he notices once he's there. In this Seeing the Sierra conversation, Larry shares something every hiker, photographer and outdoor traveler can use: slow down enough to match the tempo of what you're trying to see. His years in street photography taught him that his pulse and mind needed to move at the speed of his subject. Today, even with a 600mm lens, he shoots handheld so he can move with wildlife rather than force the moment. We also talk about how climbing and going off trail changed the way Larry sees landscapes. Learning to navigate Yosemite's vertical terrain gave him the confidence to cross rivers, travel cross-country and find photographic perspectives that aren't available from the obvious viewpoint. But perhaps his best advice is even simpler: spend more time outside. Larry believes repeated trips don't make nature ordinary—they make us more aware. Walk the same trail tomorrow and something will be different. The light changes. Wildlife moves. Seasons shift. And the more closely we pay attention, the more there is to see. That philosophy eventually led Larry deep into wildlife storytelling. His book Land of the Buffalo grew from decades of encounters with Yellowstone's American bison and a desire to show people there's far more happening than what we see through a car window. We talk about photographing wildlife responsibly, giving animals space, understanding that national parks are their habitat—not simply our playground—and why getting the photograph should never come before respecting the animal. And Larry isn't finished. After books and photography projects focused on elephants and buffalo, his curiosity has turned toward an overlooked animal that helped build and still supports communities around the world: the donkey. In this conversation:Yosemite Mountaineering School • climbing above Tenaya Lake • learning to travel off trail • becoming a better outdoor photographer • slowing down and observing nature • photographing wildlife safely • Yellowstone National Park • American buffalo and bison • Land of the Buffalo • elephants in Africa • nature writing • Larry's next book and the story of donkeys Seeing the Sierra explores the writers, photographers, artists and storytellers whose work can change the way we experience the mountains and the outdoors. Because sometimes the next great outdoor experience isn't about discovering a new place. It's about learning to see the wild that's already in front of us.

    Learning to See the Wild with Larry Laverty | Seeing the Sierra

  6. Aug 25

    23 Years to Become an Overnight Success | Sawyer Founder Kurt Avery

    How Sawyer Became an Outdoor Essential | Founder Kurt AverySawyer Products is one of the most trusted names in backpacking water filtration—but that's not where the company started. In the first story from Sierra Rec's Built Outside series, host Charlie Pankey sits down with Sawyer founder Kurt Avery to explore the unlikely 42-year journey behind the brand. Kurt didn't start Sawyer because he was a lifelong backpacker trying to invent better gear. He came from the corporate world with an MBA, a passion for marketing, and an obsession with solving problems. What followed was anything but an overnight success. Kurt shares how Sawyer lost money in 23 of its first 25 years, why he refused to sell anything he didn't believe was the best solution for the job, and how listening to customers in outdoor stores helped shape a company now known by backpackers around the world. But the Sawyer story extends far beyond the trail. Kurt explains how the same filtration technology carried by hikers has been used in disaster response and clean-water projects around the world, why Sawyer continues investing heavily in humanitarian work, and how those experiences have changed the way he thinks about business, products and impact. Along the way, we talk about innovation, surrounding yourself with people who think differently, the principles that haven't changed since 1984, Sawyer's future, and the philosophy Kurt traces back to growing up on a farm: “I can give you inexpensive, but I can't give you cheap.” Built Outside is a Sierra Rec series about the people whose lives outside taught them how to build something—and the ideas, experiences and values behind the outdoor brands and organizations we trust.

    23 Years to Become an Overnight Success | Sawyer Founder Kurt Avery

  7. Aug 18

    Why the Mountains Keep Calling Her Back | Lisa Michelle on Sierra Backpacking

    After foot surgery kept author and Sierra explorer Lisa Michelle away from the trail for nearly three months, returning to Sierra Nevada backpacking gave her a new appreciation for every hike—and a new idea for helping other women experience the mountains. Lisa returns to the Sierra Rec Now Podcast to talk with Charlie Pankey about recovery, gratitude, backcountry fishing and why the mountains keep calling her back. From Gem Lake and Glen Aulin to Young Lakes, Cathedral Lakes and the Carson Pass region, this conversation explores what happens when we slow down and rediscover experiences we sometimes take for granted. Lisa also shares the beginnings of True Nature Girls, her effort to create personalized Sierra adventures for women in small, supportive groups. She explains why catching a first backcountry fish, seeing fall color or simply spending a quiet night outside can become a life-changing experience. In this Seeing the Sierra conversation: • Returning to hiking after foot surgery• Learning to slow down and appreciate the trail• Fly fishing in Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada• Helping women experience their first backcountry adventures• Managing altitude, wildfire smoke and changing conditions• Favorite fishing and backpacking destinations• Young Lakes, Ten Lakes Basin, Cathedral Lakes and Carson Pass Lisa Michelle is the author of True Nature: Hidden in the High Sierra and the creator of True Nature Girls. Learn more about Lisa, her book and True Nature Girls at LisaMichelleStories.com. Seeing the Sierra is a Sierra Rec Now series featuring writers, photographers, artists and storytellers whose work helps us experience the mountains differently. Discover more at SierraRecMagazine.com.

    Why the Mountains Keep Calling Her Back | Lisa Michelle on Sierra Backpacking

  8. Aug 11

    Backpacking Rae Lakes: A Sierra Journey Over Kearsarge Pass

    Some places are almost impossible to explain until you’ve stood in them. Juan Veruete calls the Sierra Nevada “million-word places”—landscapes where even the best photograph never quite captures the scale of what’s in front of you. In this conversation, Juan joins the Sierra Rec Podcast to take us along on his backpacking journey from Onion Valley over Kearsarge Pass and into the Rae Lakes area of Kings Canyon National Park, sharing what actually happened when a carefully planned High Sierra backpacking trip met the reality of the mountains. Juan lives on the East Coast, but the Sierra keeps pulling him back. For this trip, he chose Kearsarge Pass as his entry into the Rae Lakes region, climbing out of Onion Valley and connecting with the John Muir Trail before continuing deeper into the High Sierra. The itinerary didn't go exactly as planned. Weather changed the trip almost immediately. Acclimation became a bigger factor than expected. There were hard miles, adjustments to food and hydration, changing plans on the trail, and one of those days when even an experienced backpacker simply doesn't feel good. One of Juan's biggest lessons came before he ever reached the trail: “Never choose luxury over preparation.” After spending his pre-trip night in Bishop rather than higher at Onion Valley, he came away with a new appreciation for acclimation, pacing, and the challenges backpackers arriving from sea level can face at Sierra elevations. But this trip isn't a story about struggle. Juan shares the moments that keep bringing him back across the country: climbing into golden light above Kearsarge Pass, moving through the backcountry toward Rae Lakes, fishing for trout in Paradise Valley, and experiencing the enormous scale of a landscape photographs never quite capture. Charlie and Juan also get into the practical side of a multi-day Sierra backpack: pack weight, shelter and weather preparation, trail food, electrolytes, water, fishing gear, and some of the small systems Juan has developed through years on the trail. More than anything, it's a conversation about why we keep going back to the mountains. For Juan, part of that is physical—the challenge of putting one foot in front of the other and discovering what you're capable of doing. But it's also about the space backpacking creates to think, slow down, and spend a few days living differently than we do at home. If you're considering backpacking Rae Lakes, hiking Kearsarge Pass, entering Kings Canyon National Park from Onion Valley, connecting with the John Muir Trail, or planning your own High Sierra backpacking trip, Juan's experience offers something more useful than a perfect itinerary. It offers a real one. About Juan VerueteJuan is a backpacker, angler and writer who regularly travels west to explore the Sierra Nevada. His adventures combine backpacking, backcountry trout fishing and storytelling. Continue exploring with Juan: Juan Backpacks on YouTube:https://youtube.com/@juanbackpacks Juan's Rae Lakes Loop trip:https://youtu.be/7yA8hXbNEGg Rae Lakes gear loadout:https://youtu.be/aD5AZlm8HPs Gossamer Gear Whisper review:https://youtu.be/g5B_jU6WAYw Wild Trout Chronicles:https://wildtroutchronicles.com/ Explore more from Sierra Rec Magazine:SierraRecMagazine.com

    Backpacking Rae Lakes: A Sierra Journey Over Kearsarge Pass
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About

Sierra Rec Now is where mountain stories, unforgettable places, and the people who know them come together. Hosted by Charlie Pankey, each episode explores the Sierra Nevada and the mountain communities, trails, lakes, and adventures that make the range so special. From backpacking and hidden destinations to local history, outdoor skills, conservation, gear, and conversations with guides, creators, and lifelong locals, every episode is designed to help you experience the mountains with greater confidence and curiosity. Whether you're planning your next Sierra adventure or simply love mountain

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  • Creator
    Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine • Authentic Mountains
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    163
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine • Authentic Mountains
  • Show Website
    SIERRA REC NOW | Your Guide to Sierra Adventures

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