The Detour with Sara Taaffe: Recent Episodes
Sara Taaffe
You expect your life to go down a certain path, then suddenly plans change. A detour presents itself. Join Sara as she hosts guests, unveiling their detours and where walking the path less travelled has taken them.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 7. Introducing the Interns! Gus Brown from Southern UK, Annie Lord from New York City and Eliza Lord from Boston. All three of these individuals are incredibly inspiring - they all decided to participate in Ranquilco’s internship program for their gap year. For Annie and Eliza, between high school and their undergrad degree, and for Gus between his undergrad and Masters. Today, Annie is studying Political Science at Brown, Eliza is Global Affairs and Women's Studies at Yale, and Gus is studying English Literature at Oxford. On this episode, we discuss why they chose to take a gap year, the impact of their time at Ranquilco and what a day in the life of an intern looked like. For anyone who is looking to change up their lifestyle, or to embark on an adventure, this episode is for you. While only in their early 20s, all three of these folks share some incredible wisdom. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 6. Introducing the oh-so-wonderful Liz Millikan, the chef at Ranquilco for the 2020 season. Liz hails from Melbourne, Australia and after her son wrapped up high school in 2018, she decided to embark on an adventure purely for herself. Having done two seasons, Liz has quickly impressed anyone who steps on the shelf at Ranquilco with her ability to turn the food she touches to gold. With 30+ years of culinary experience, Liz has no shortage of creativity to bring to the art of cooking. On this episode, Liz and I chat about her background in food, what cooking in an off-grid environment looks like, and her favourite off-work activity, fly fishing. Liz is an incredible woman, she taught me a great deal about cooking last winter, and if this episode doesn’t leave you hungry, it will surely leave you inspired to get off the beaten path. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 5. Introducing Tirzah Cadicomo, one of the horse guides at Ranquilco in the 2020 season. Tirzah has such a talent for working with horses and helping people connect with them through leading horse guiding trips. She’s been riding horses since she was 4 or 5, and has worked through the United States, New Zealand, and Argentina. In this episode, we discuss the value of horse/human connections, approaching training horses for trail rides, what trail riding looks like in the various places that Tirzah has worked in, and the various ways humans use horses today. This episode will definitely give you a deeper appreciation for horses are the significant work they have done and do for us to live the lifestyles we do. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more
SEASON 2, EPISODE 4. Introducing Zach Buckallew or Buck as he goes by, the general fixer/plumber and builder at Ranquilco. Buck has been called the modern man of mystery, he’s a co-founder of a whiskey company, a member of the US military, a fine furniture maker, and a global adventurer. In this episode, we discuss his personal work structure and how he incorporated bits of retirement into his yearly work schedule, the role he played at Ranquilco in the 2020 season, which included fixing so many things without access to a home hardware store, and the value he found in spending time digitally unplugged while at the estancia. Buck is very intelligent and funny and will leave you inspired. Check out sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 3. Introducing Tom vonGnechten, the internship coordinator and blacksmith at Ranquilco. Tom is incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable - he can fix just about anything and with just about anything. He views waste as a resource and knows how to make materials live multiple lives. Tom lives in the Sierra Foothills when he isn’t at Ranquilco where he blacksmiths knives, hunts local game, works construction and tends to his garden. While at Ranqulco, Tom is a patient and wise teacher that has guided interns over the past 6 years to live in greater harmony with their surroundings. Buckle up because this is a solid, solid episode.
If you want to learn more about Tom and check out his knives, you can find him on Instagram @tom_von_g
Check out sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more!
SEASON 2, EPISODE 2. Introducing Alyssa Young, the lead horse wrangler at Ranquilco. Originally from the bay area of California, Alyssa set out for a gap year adventure after high school and ended up volunteering at Ranquilco. With a lifetime of experience with horses, she immediately felt right at home when she arrived at the estancia. Since then, she’s been back for 4 more seasons and now is the lead wrangler, managing the health and training of over 70 horses. When not at Ranquilco, you can find Alyssa in the Rocky Mountains through Canada and the States guiding and educating folks through backcountry skiing, hiking, climbing, or riding. I’m sure you’ll have a deeper appreciation for horses after heading what Alyssa has to say. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 1. Introducing TA Carrithers, the visionary and leader behind Ranquilco’s horse expedition tours. TA is an incredible human; he’s been chasing vast and wild landscapes since he was born. He’s worked as an instructor for outdoor survival courses, as a backcountry pilot, and as a horse expedition guide, from the remote corners of Alaska to Argentina to Mongolia. He’s been running Ranquilco’s horse tours for 15 years and has plenty of insights to share on how he’s built such a beautiful and strong community on a 100,000-acre piece of land nestled in the northern Patagonia region of South America. This episode will leave you feeling inspired and eager to head out to Argentina! Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 11. The season one finale! On this episode, host Sara Taaffe is joined by past guests Becky Rose, Nik Lahey-James, and Noah Sullivan to collectively answer questions asked by listeners. And to keep things exciting, Sara is put on the hot seat to answer some of the questions she asked listeners over the course of the season. This episode is packed with wisdom and laughter and will definitely help continue painting a picture of what it looks like to spend a summer out in the woods in Northern BC. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 10. Introducing Noah Sullivan. Noah is just about the most Canadian Canadian I’ve ever met. He grew up in Ontario in a cabin that his dad built with their dog sled team that they trained and raced. Come spring, you could find them tapping their maple trees for syrup. After finishing his first year of university, Noah dedicated to follow in his dad’s footsteps and try planting for a summer. On this episode, we talk about two main themes: Noah’s perspective on planting as a university athlete and outdoor survival tips for the job. Noah is such a motivated and hard-working human who will leave you feeling inspired by the end of this episode. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 9. Introducing Nik Lahey James. Nik is basically the modern day James Bond, he was born in New Zealand and grew up in London, England. His mom is from Canada and his dad is from New Zealand, so this allows Nik to have passports for all three countries. He is truly a child of the world. This set-up has allowed Nik to work and travel throughout all 3 countries (and Australia) rather easily, and over the past few years he’s chased the sun, doing seasonal work in each country. On this episode, Nik and I chat about his path -- going from studying illustration in university to working as a goat farmer in Australia. We also discuss what the value of travel is and of course, capture Nik’s 2-cents on tree planting, highlighting it’s highs and lows. Nik is such a grounded human with great wisdom to share. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 8. Introducing Scott Hagerman. This was his first season working in the tree planting industry, not as a tree planter, foreman or supervisor, instead as a cook! He brought with him over 5 years of experience cooking in a variety of environments - a Ramen restaurant in Vancouver, a backcountry lodge in Lake O’Hara and at a Heli Ski lodge near Golden, BC. Scottie is an incredible human - he’s very resourceful in the kitchen and made some incredible tasty meals over this past season. When not cooking, you can find Scottie winning a game of Dutch Blitz or Catan, or reading his kobo in a hammock. Scottie brings a really cool perspective to the tree planting world - how you go about feeding over 100 ravenous planters 3 themes a day for 3 months straight - no small undertaking! Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 7. Introducing Becky Rose. She just wrapped up her second season of planting and prior to, worked in a professional capacity for 5 years after completing her Bachelor's degree in Biology and Psychology at Queen's University. She hit a point where she didn’t want to do it anymore - the job and lifestyle weren't bringing her the happiness she was looking for, so she quit and has since set out doing a mix of seasonal work and travelling. During this episode, Becky and I chat about her professional detour - the logistical flow of events and also the emotional and mental aspects that played into the desire to change things up. Becky is an absolutely incredible, wise human. She’s got so much good advice to share - and she sure showed it during this chat. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 6. Introducing Erica Headley. She just wrapped up her fourth season of planting, and her first season as a crewboss. She decided to start tree planting after completing the thru-hike, Pacific Crest Trail, in 2016. The experience really changed her, and made her crave time in the outdoors, sleeping in her tent and among solid communities of people. She’s leveraged the earnings and time of tree planting to do multi-day hikes around the world and is a beam of inspiration. Erica hails from downtown Toronto, is a gear expert and has an exceptional taste in music.Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 5. Introducing Joe Kotze - my first crewboss when I started tree planting in the summer of 2019. Joe is from Perth, Ontario and now calls Toronto home. He’s been in the tree planting world for 10 seasons and has a tree-mendous amount of insights to share around the logistical and interpersonal dynamics of effective crews. Our conversation focused on leadership in tree planting as an overall theme, getting into sub-themes within that. Joe is currently studying to become a firefighter, and can often be found playing guitar, dominating a game of Catan or cooking up some vegetarian cuisine. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 4. Introducing Lexie Morgan! She was born and raised in California and now calls Golden, BC home. This summer took her down a new path from her regular job of managing a helicopter-ski lodge; she tree planted for the first time. Our conversation revolved around two main themes: what the tree planting experience is like from the rookie perspective and what a career seasonal working lifestyle looks like. Her favourite tree is a redwood, she’s an elbows out Dutch Blitz player and her favourite camp meal is a tie between taco night and pad thai. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 3. Introducing Mick Baker, a supervisor and camp operations guru at a large reforestation company in BC. He hails from rural Ontario and has now been in the industry for 11 seasons. Outside of planting, Mick’s homebase is in Victoria, BC where he plays in a local band and owns a small woodworking company. His favourite tree is a Maple and he is a rockstar on the mandolin.This conversation happened after we wrapped up this past season, and you know what they say, hindsight is 2020. Mick drops a whole lot of insight and perspective as we chatted about what’s involved in operating a tree planting camp, the emotional and supportive impact a supervisor can have and what seasonal work has offered Mick over the years. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 2. Introducing Carly Wedge, the first lady of Apex aka the first female supervisor at a large reforestation company in BC. She has been in the industry for 7 years and finds great adventure, groundedness and peace by escaping to woods each summer from her homebase of Toronto, Ontario. On this episode, we discuss how Carly has brought empathy into a tough-as-nails culture, what seasonal work has afforded her, and what the role of a supervisor looks like. Carly, or Carl which is her camp nickname, is a near professional eucher player. Her favourite tree is a cedar and she’s a wildflower identification expert. Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.
SEASON 1, EPISODE 1. A true man of the woods, Phil has worked in the reforestation industry for 18 years; he’s the lead supervisor at a large reforestation company in BC and oversees a staff of around 120. He’s proud seasonal worker, he’s a family man, and he owns a hobby farm on Vancouver Island. His favourite tree is an arbutus and he’s a force to be reckoned with.
Check out www.sarataaffe.com/thedetourpodcast to learn more.