Ryan Thims grew up in Maine, landed in Southern Oregon at 19, and has spent the decades since building adventures in some of the most remote places on earth.

His path runs through river guiding on the Rogue, managing a boutique rainforest resort in Honduras for over a decade, leading SOU's Outdoor Program, and launching Rogue Heli Tours in 2020 — a company that combines helicopter access with rafting, fishing, remote lodge stays, and backcountry experiences most people never knew were possible. He lives in Eagle Point with his wife and their dog Dante, still chasing the next thing.

We talk about helicopters — how they work, what they unlock, and how to charter one — rafting through the Honduran jungle, what New Zealand did to his sense of what's possible, running rivers year-round around the world, drones, building businesses around passions, subsistence hunting, how volunteering opens doors into the arenas you want to be in, and the line that says it all: "every good thing that I've ever had has been from rafting."

Links
Rogue Heli Tours: roguehelitours.com
Las Cascadas Lodge: lascascadaslodge.com
Rogue Rafting Co: rogueraftingco.com
SOU Outdoor Program: sou.edu/outdoor-program

Active Listener Offers
Las Cascadas Lodge — Code GOWILDLY for a complimentary in-house experience on new bookings: https://www.lascascadaslodge.com/go-wildly-las-cascadas
Arrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.com
Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d
SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com
ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips
Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com

Follow Go Wildly
YouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast
Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast
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Website: gowildlypodcast.com

Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly Podcast
Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

Keywords
Go Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Ryan Thims, Rogue Heli Tours, helicopter tours Southern Oregon, helicopter rafting Oregon, backcountry helicopter Oregon, Las Cascadas Lodge, Honduras rainforest lodge, eco resort Honduras, Rogue River rafting, river guiding Oregon, SOU Outdoor Program, Southern Oregon University, New Zealand adventure, Honduras jungle rafting, subsistence hunting Oregon, drones outdoors, adventure entrepreneur, outdoor business Southern Oregon, Eagle Point Oregon, Rogue Valley, whitewater year round, volunteering outdoors, place-based podcast, outdoor lifestyle, whimsy, Kula Cloth

Ashley Drake has spent 15 years turning adventure into a life — and a business.

Co-owner of Arrowhead River Adventures in Grants Pass, Ashley runs trips on the Rogue, teaches wilderness medicine, raises two wild kids named Wren and Rosie, and is usually the first voice you hear when you call — unless she's out on the water, which is entirely possible. She grew up in the Portland area and found her way to Southern Oregon by way of international travel, summer camp, and a husband she met at both.

We talk about how Grants Pass chose them rather than the other way around, organizing international travel and what that teaches you about hosting, the joys and realities of running a small seasonal river outfit with your spouse, settling into home in a small town, making adult friendships, managing energy through a seasonal business, her life's journey from camp counselor to co-owner, a trip to Antarctica, the privilege of hosting outdoor experiences, and her go-to trail snacks. Plus her most-used outdoor gear, advice for her younger self, advice for someone who wants to live like her, and how she wants to be remembered.

Links
arrowheadriveradventures.com | @arrowheadriveradventures
hello@arrowheadadventures.com | (541) 830-3388
NOLS: nols.edu
Big Lake Youth Summer Camp: biglake.org

Active Listener Offers
Arrowhead River Adventures — Code GOWILDLY for 10% off any half-day rafting trip in 2026 or 2027: arrowheadriveradventures.com
Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d
SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com
ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips
Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com

Follow Go Wildly
YouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast
Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast
Instagram: @gowildlypodcast
Website: gowildlypodcast.com

Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly Podcast
Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Ashley Drake, Arrowhead River Adventures, Rogue River rafting, Grants Pass Oregon, whitewater rafting Oregon, family owned river outfitter, wilderness medicine, NOLS, international travel adventure, Antarctica travel, summer camp, small business Oregon, seasonal business, river guide life, outdoor hosting, adult friendships, small town life, Southern Oregon rivers, Hellgate Canyon, Rogue River day trips, trail snacks, outdoor parenting, place-based podcast, outdoor lifestyle, whimsy, Kula Cloth

What It Takes to Protect a National Monument with Daniel CollayEpisode 44 | Go Wildly Podcast

Daniel Collay grew up on a farm outside Eugene figuring things out for himself. Southern Oregon kept pulling him back — and eventually became his life's work.

After studying Environmental Studies and Outdoor Adventure Leadership at SOU, a stint in Portland doing ecological restoration, and years at Willow-Witt Ranch — a working farm and conservation property inside the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument — Daniel became Executive Director of the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in 2024. He's also a Certified Burn Manager, Oregon Master Naturalist, and Talent City Councilor. His send-off line for people leaving Southern Oregon: "I'll see you when you move back."We talk about how national monuments are established and what land protection designations actually mean, the SOU Outdoor Program and how it shaped his friendships, career, and love life, what happens when you get a bunch of outdoor adventure leaders anywhere together, the draw of Southern Oregon, green burial and advice for death and dying, and what it looks like to get involved in your community through local politics and volunteering. Plus his most-used outdoor gear, advice for his younger self, advice for someone who wants to live like him, and how he wants to be remembered.

Links

• cascadesiskiyou.org
• cityoftalent.org/council-mayor
• eugene-or.gov/143/Camps

Active Listener Offers

• Kula Cloth — Shop through our link to support the show: kulacloth.com/?avad=436689_e4cf2ef3d
• SOMA — 2-Week Free Trial + 6-month membership: southernoregonmartialarts.com
• ROW Adventures — Code GOWILDLY, $100 off any multi-day trip 2026-2027: rowadventures.com/multi-day-rafting-trips
• Lean In Breathwork — Code GOWILDLY, 20% off sauna sessions: calvinlivingston.com

Follow Go Wildly

• YouTube: youtube.com/@gowildlypodcast
• Spotify: tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcast
• Instagram: @gowildlypodcast
• Website: gowildlypodcast.com

Hosted & Produced by Emily Berlant & Heather White / Go Wildly Podcast

Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

Keywords

Go Wildly Podcast, Go Wildly, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Emily Berlant, Heather White, Daniel Collay, Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, national monument protection, land management Oregon, Willow-Witt Ranch, Forest Conservation Burial Ground, green burial Oregon, Southern Oregon University outdoor program, SOU outdoor leadership, environmental studies Oregon, ecological restoration, Certified Burn Manager, Oregon Master Naturalist, Talent City Council, Talent Oregon, Eugene Oregon, Rachel Carson Academy, community involvement local politics, volunteering Oregon, death and dying, outdoor adventure leadership, Southern Oregon draw, place-based podcast, conservation podcast, whimsy, Kula Cloth