🌲🎙️🌊Episode # 18

On The Water & In The Wild: Zac Kauffman's Journey from Hippie Roots to Sawyer Paddles & Oars

The Go Wildly Podcast is what happens when two childhood friends & dirtbag adventure junkies decide to bring a mic into the wilderness. We’re Emily & Heather...equal parts heart and chaos...pulling stories out of people like snacks from the bottom of a backpack. We hike. We float. We talk. And somehow, in between all the laughs and mosquito bites, something real always surfaces.

We take outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds into the woods & find out the common thread that led them to make the outdoors more than just a hobby, but a calling.We're goofy. We’re deep. We’re a little unhinged. And we somehow bring that out in our guests too. Think campfire vibes meets podcast energy...with just enough weird to keep things interesting.Together let’s GO WILDLY!

Today's Guest: Zac Kauffman

Zac Kauffman is the co-owner and CEO of Sawyer Paddles & Oars, a heritage Oregon brand crafting world-class paddles and oars right on the banks of the Rogue River. He’s also the host of the Sawyer on Water podcast, where he documents the stories and spirit of the river community that shaped him.

In this episode, we talk about Zac’s roots growing up in Takilma, Oregon — from living for a time on a commune in a circus tent to helping his family build the five-bedroom log home they still live in today. He shares how a college rafting program in Ashland sparked his lifelong connection to the river and led him into the world of paddlecraft and outdoor business.

We dive into the legacy of Sawyer, the importance of preserving river history, and the community that rises up in times of challenge — from the Phoenix-Talent fires to the everyday teamwork that defines life on the water. Zac shares a handful of memorable stories from his time on the river — the moments that shaped his love for whitewater and the people who call it home.

It’s a story of craft, current, and community — proof that sometimes the wild calls you home in the most unexpected way.

Get in touch with Sawyer Paddles & Oars

📍 Retail Store (Sawyer Station)

404 2nd Avenue, Gold Hill, OR 97525

📬 Mailing Address: PO Box 389, Gold Hill, OR 97525

📞 Phone: (541) 228-9645

📧 Email: info@sawyerstation.com

Factory / Headquarters (Dealers & B2B inquiries)

📍 299 Rogue River Parkway, Talent, OR 97540

📞 Phone: (541) 535-3606

📧 Email: info@paddlesandoars.com

Listen to the Sawyer on Water Podcast

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform for river-stories, craft-talk, community deep-dives and more with Sawyer founder Zac Kauffman.

Sawyer Paddles & Oars (business)

• Instagram: @sawyeroars

• Website: paddlesandoars.com

Sawyer On-Water Podcast

• Spotify: “Sawyer On-Water Podcast” on Spotify

• Apple Podcasts: “Sawyer On-Water Podcast” on Apple Podcasts

• YouTube @ Sawyer On Water Podcast

• Filmed on Location: Rogue River

Let's Go Wildly Together:- Follow us on Instagram: @gowildlypodcast-Tag us on your hikes or adventures using #gowildly -Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode-Leave us a review — it helps so much!-Get inspired: www.gowildlypodcast.com -

Want to be a guest or sponsor the show? Visit gowildlypodcast.com & sign-up for our newsletter & never miss an event, group hike, discount code (when those start), digital guides to the outdoors, and more behind the scenes content.

Keywords: go wildly podcast, adventure podcast, southern oregon, oregon, pnw, hiking, oregon, wilderness, public land, wilderness stories, outdoor stories, pacific northwest adventures, grants pass oregon, , hiking podcast, trail building, explore oregon, close encounters, outdoor storytelling, go wildly, passion, purpose, mountain trail, trail talk, chitchat, yap, yapping, diet, health,, friends, trail maintenance, youth outdoor advocate, kids outside, national land, blm, federal land, national parks, rafting, whitewater, Sawyer paddle and Oars, wild and scenic

🌲🎙️🌊Episode # 17

Inside the PCT: What It's Really Like to Hike the Pacific Crest Trail...Twice

The Go Wildly Podcast is what happens when two childhood friends & dirtbag adventure junkies decide to bring a mic into the wilderness. We’re Emily & Heather...equal parts heart and chaos...pulling stories out of people like snacks from the bottom of a backpack. We hike. We float. We talk. And somehow, in between all the laughs and mosquito bites, something real always surfaces.

We take outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds into the woods & find out the common thread that led them to make the outdoors more than just a hobby, but a calling.We're goofy. We’re deep. We’re a little unhinged. And we somehow bring that out in our guests too. Think campfire vibes meets podcast energy...with just enough weird to keep things interesting.Together let’s GO WILDLY!

Today's Guest: Hunter Voris

In this episode, we sit down with our longtime friend and fellow adventure junkie, Hunter Voris — a two-time Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker who’s walked the spine of the West Coast not once, but twice.

We rewind all the way back to childhood — from muddy backyard missions and growing up in a BIG family to the hiking trip that started it all and moments that sparked his lifelong pull toward the outdoors. He gives us the rundown on trail life: the unspoken etiquette, the gear that gets him through, the community that forms along the way, and what it really takes to walk from Mexico to Canada on foot.

• Filmed on Location: Reinhart Park, Grants Pass Oregon

Let's Go Wildly Together:- Follow us on Instagram: @gowildlypodcast-Tag us on your hikes or adventures using #gowildly -Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode-Leave us a review — it helps so much!-Get inspired: www.gowildlypodcast.com -

Want to be a guest or sponsor the show? Visit gowildlypodcast.com & sign-up for our newsletter & never miss an event, group hike, discount code (when those start), digital guides to the outdoors, and more behind the scenes content.

Keywords: go wildly podcast, adventure podcast, southern oregon, oregon, pnw, hiking, oregon, wilderness, public land, wilderness stories, outdoor stories, pacific northwest adventures, grants pass oregon, trail conversations, hiking podcast, trail building, explore oregon, close encounters, outdoor storytelling, go wildly, passion, purpose, mountain trail, trail talk, chitchat, yap, yapping, diet, health, change, climate change, friends, trail maintenance, youth outdoor advocate, kids outside, national land, blm, federal land, national parks, park, keep public land public, nonprofit, club, backcountry, national forest, rogue river wilderness, PCT, through hiker, hiker, trail magic, pacific crest trail, dirtbag, mountaineering, rock climbing

🌲🎙️🌊🌞Episode # 16

Wildly Us: How to Have a Summer So Feral it Needs a Debrief Episode

The Go Wildly Podcast is what happens when two childhood friends & dirtbag adventure junkies decide to bring a mic into the wilderness. We’re Emily & Heather...equal parts heart and chaos...pulling stories out of people like snacks from the bottom of a backpack. We hike. We float. We talk. And somehow, in between all the laughs and mosquito bites, something real always surfaces.

We take outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds into the woods & find out the common thread that led them to make the outdoors more than just a hobby, but a calling.We're goofy. We’re deep. We’re a little unhinged. And we somehow bring that out in our guests too. Think campfire vibes meets podcast energy...with just enough weird to keep things interesting. Together let’s GO WILDLY!

In this first-ever Wildly Us episode, we’re debriefing a summer that felt like a full-on life bootcamp — one filled with career pivots, river rapids, late-night shifts, and real-time personal growth.

Emily shares reflections from her season guiding with First Descents, a nonprofit that provides outdoor adventure for young adults impacted by cancer — including the emotional weight of losing a participant and the many moments of purpose, presence, and transformation she experienced on the water. Meanwhile, Heather dives into what it’s looked like juggling a brand new real estate career and two serving jobs — from the chaos of busy schedules to the unexpected therapy of staying in motion. We talk about the evolution of the pod, what’s next creatively, current life dynamics (including shifts at home and TikTok experiments), and the beauty of staying grounded even when life feels anything but.

This is a cozy, candid check-in for anyone navigating a season of change and trying to do it with heart.

• Filmed on Location: Rafting- Rogue River

Let's Go Wildly Together:- Follow us on Instagram: @gowildlypodcast-Tag us on your hikes or adventures using #gowildly -Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode-Leave us a review — it helps so much!-Get inspired: www.gowildlypodcast.com -

Want to be a guest or sponsor the show? Visit gowildlypodcast.com & sign-up for our newsletter & never miss an event, group hike, discount code (when those start), digital guides to the outdoors, and more behind the scenes content.

Keywords: go wildly podcast, adventure podcast, southern oregon, oregon, pnw, hiking, oregon, wilderness, public land, wilderness stories, outdoor stories, pacific northwest adventures, grants pass oregon, trail conversations, hiking podcast, trail building, explore oregon, close encounters, outdoor storytelling, go wildly, passion, purpose, mountain trail, trail talk, chitchat, yap, yapping, diet, health, change, climate change, friends, trail maintenance, youth outdoor advocate, kids outside, national land, blm, federal land, national parks, park, keep public land public, nonprofit, club, backcountry, national forest, rogue river wilderness, Rafting, whitewater, rogue river, traveling, cancer, baseball, athlete, collage athlete, surfing, mountain biking,career , transformation , building, growth, river guide, tiktok