Mind the Track

• Randy Robbins | Wildlife Photographer | E76

  There may be no other person in Northern California more in touch with the behavior of wildlife than the award-winning nature photographer Randy Robbins. Based in Susanville, Robbins’ images of bald eagles, mountain lions, bears, bobcats, foxes, and hundreds of other species have helped both the public, and wildlife biologists, better understand the animals in our own backyards that we never see. Robbins snapped the very first high resolution photo of a Lassen Pack Wolf in 2021 in the ashes of the Dixie Fire, captured the first known image of the rare and endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox and was the first photographer to ever be awarded by the Natural History Museum of London for an iPhone image. Robbins’ photos have been featured in media outlets worldwide, winning dozens of prestigious awards in only seven years of work. In Episode 76, we chat with Robbins at his Susanville photo gallery – A Thousand Windows – about his path to being a wildlife photographer, his relationship to God, both as a pastor and an outdoorsman, and the public criticisms he faces from all sides for simply capturing beautiful portraits of animals in the wild. 2:50 – PowBot and Trail Whisperer photograph wildlife.4:50 – Recording from Susanville, California, riding the Bizz Johnson Trail.6:25 – Introducing Randy Robbins, award-winning wildlife photographer and trails advocate for Susanville Area Bicycling Association.8:30 – California Wildlife Photo of the Year Award - Bald Eagle called “Fly Fishing”.10:00 – Natural History Museum of London Wildlife Photographer of the Year – “Full Circle”.10:50 – Getting the very first high resolution photo of the Lassen Pack Wolf.15:00 – 800 Main Street, Susanville, California originally built in 1901, now home to A Thousand Windows – Randy Robbins’ photography gallery.18:50 – A Thousand Windows – a John Muir quote.20:00 – Randy is a former teacher and part-time pastor at a Christian church.21:30 – What’s the difference between finding God in the outdoors and finding it in church?23:25 – How has your photography influenced your faith?25:00 – After 2 years, getting a camera trap image of the Lassen Pack Wolf after the Dixie Fire.26:00 – The patience required to be a good photographer27:10 – Taking 3 years to get a photo of the endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox.30:00 – Lassen Volcanic National Park as a habitat for wildlife, and getting a permit to photograph in a National Park.32:20 – Social media influencers, YouTubers and filming permits in National Parks.35:30 – How did Randy get into photography?39:25 – The highs and lows of social media, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook in promotion.43:35 – Dealing with the haters on social media.44:50 – Is taking a photograph of an animal compromising the animal’s habitat?48:45 – Do animals like trails?50:10 – Winning a Natural History Museum of London award for taking an iPhone photo, and then being criticized for it.54:05 – Setting up an effective camera trap in the forest.58:00 – Waiting in the woods for hours, days sometimes years before getting the right shot.1:00:00 – Getting the award winning Bald Eagle shot in a kayak on Antelope Lake.1:04:00 – The wolf discussion – Is the reintroduction of wolves in California good or bad? 1:08:25 – The criticisms Randy receives for simply taking a photo of a wolf.1:11:45 – The Beyem Seyo Pack of wolves attacking and killing dozens of cattle in Sierra Valley.1:14:45 – Has Randy ever been a hunter? As a photographer, would he be able to hunt?1:16:30 – What has photography taught you most about animal behavior?1:21:00 – How have the massive wildfires of the last few years impacted wildlife?1:25:50 – Tracking animals and learning the different animal paw prints.1:29:45 – Why isn’t Susanville more popular as a mountain town?1:40:40 – Would John Muir have ridden a mountain bike or a split board? 1:44:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?1:49:08 – Get Randy Robbins’ prints – Randyrobbinsphotography.com and athousandwindows.com

  --------  

  1:54:39

  --------

  1:54:39
• Mindless Crap | E75

  Highlighting the abysmal start to ski season in the American West, the boys record outdoors at 6,500 feet elevation near the Sierra Crest wearing t-shirts. Even the mountains above Las Vegas have more snow than Tahoe! Episode 75 covers a range of Core Lord Call-Ins including discussion around the rules of Finders Keepers, ASMR and Misophonia, and a shout out to @nick_russelll @slushthemagazine feature on backcountry splitboarding rules and its relation to the 10 Shredmandments from @pow_bot . We do our first live, impromtu phone call with Marc Cosbey’s childhood friend Randy, sharing some Captain Cozmo stories. There’s also some Mindless Crap like Snack Man and the Pikes Peak Peanut Pusher. And @skyemersontahoe asks is it DOPE or DERP that @erin_ton7 is bagging Colorado 14ers in prom dresses and high heels, so we get a female’s perspective.2:24 – No snow in Tahoe. Recording outside at Tahoe Donner Nordic Center. Mammoth Mountain had a ripping opener. More snow in Las Vegas than Tahoe!8:40 – What are you thankful for in 2025?12:25 – Shout out to Miles at Incline Spirits and Cigars.14:15 – Watching the new Vince Gilligan show Pluribus.15:30 – CORE LORD CALL-IN – Dan Kuhns – Doesn’t like Snack Man.18:04 – Misophonia – disorder where specific sounds trigger a strong emotional reaction.19:00 – Auto Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) creeps out Trail Whisperer.21:06 – CORE LORD CALL-IN – Keith from Auburn – Kurt Refsnider bikepacking the Orogenesis Trail.26:05 – CORE LORD CALL-IN – Gordo has some categorical tips for Finders Keepers.28:30 – Lost and Found – Did you lose an iWatch on the new Boca Ridge trail?32:30 – CORE LORD CALL-IN – Your Old Pal Garen Becker formerly of Santa Cruz Bicycles fame.35:10 – CORE LORD CALL-IN – Randy wants us to call him about some Cosbey stories.46:40 – DOPE or DERP from Sky E. - bagging 14ers in Colorado in high heels?50:50 – The Peanut Pusher – Bob Salem – Pushes a peanut to the top of Pikes Peak with his nose. Clickbait?54:00 – Local Line Larry – Appreciates our perspective on the Roadless Rule.55:10 – Josh – 100% done with Red Bull Rampage.56:45 – Shout out to Nick Russell – Slush Magazine – “Russell’s Ridge – Backcountry Basics Part I – The Guiding Principles of Splitboarding.1:06:10 – Reviewing the 10 Shredmandments.1:11:30 – Any adventure plans for Thanksgiving?

  --------  

  --------
• Waiting for Winter | E74

  Halfway through November and there’s no sign of Old Man Winter in Lake Tahoe. As the boys await a proper early season dump to whiten the mountains, they catch up on life and a bunch of listener feedback. Topics of discussion include what activities do you do in the transition between fall riding and winter skiing, what is the single best sport in the Tahoe region, helicopter skiing in the Sweetwater range, Jim Morrison’s historic first ski descent on the north face of Mount Everest, listener feedback on rescinding the Roadless Rule, are blue square flow trails DOPE or DERP and has Red Bull Rampage gone too far? In classic old man Statler and Waldorf fashion, PowBot rants about text laid over Instagram Reels and Trail Whisperer rants about a rope swinger getting arrested in order to get more Instagram followers and sell a bunch of t-shirts. 3:30 – Slurp Man and Snack Man not so popular4:40 – Pow Bot talks about ASMR – Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response5:50 – The etymology of fingernails on a chalkboard7:00 – The dangers of using a claw hammer9:30 – Getting out of shape, fitness and getting older. It’s harder to off-the-couch adventures.11:00 – Recap on Fred Stamm’s Giro di StaMMina mountain bike adventure near Quincy13:40 – The weird transitional time between Fall and Winter. What activities do you do?19:00 – The Slugfest mountain bike ride in Reno21:45 – Shout out to Truckee Dirt Union – benefactor of the Alpenglow Speaker Series on 12/523:25 – NEWS THAT MATTERS – Jim Morrison the first to ski the North Face of Mount Everest30:00 – Sweetwater Heli launches as the only helicopter skiing business in California33:00 – Four wolves in Sierra Valley euthanized by CDFW after killing 75+ cattle37:00 – Hiker dies falling off a cliff on Mount Whitney in icy conditions38:55 – LISTENER FEEDBACK – Rachael from Australia40:50 – Kurt G asks – what is the single best sport in the Lake Tahoe basin?44:30 – DOPE OR DERP – Landon – Riding blue square flow trails?49:40 – POWBOT RANT – Text laid over in the video of an Instagram Reel.54:00 – PJ wants some discussion around Red Bull Rampage. Has it gone too far?1:07:00 – Follow up to the Lake Tahoe rope swingers – rope swinger got arrested1:12:50 – Rescinding of the Roadless Rule update1:20:40 – Early season snow chasing. Shasta or the central Sierra might be in.1:23:00 – Low confidence in long range weather forecasting – shout out to Michael Snyder – California Weather Watch.1:27:10 – Trail Whisperer is going on his first BC hut trip to Ice Creek Lodge.

  --------  

  1:30:05

  --------

  1:30:05
• The Cosbey Chronicles Part III | E73

  In the third installment of the Cosbey Chronicles, the boys sit down with Coz at his caretaker’s quarters on the shore of Gold Lake and dive deep into trails. Raised as a Mormon, by age 12, Coz knew organized religion wasn’t for him. At that same age, he rode a Honda Trail 90 motorcycle for the first time, and it was the beginning of the rest of his life. His religion became exploration on two wheels in the outdoors. Coz talks about the three years he spent laying out and building Mills Peak trail in Graeagle, as well as working on all the trails in Lakes Basin for the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, an organization he co-founded. Coz talks about the future of recreation in rural mountain communities and encourages listeners to escape the negativity of life, losing their minds in the track, being present in the moment. He also encourages those with financial means to contribute their wealth to trails and trail projects, benefiting the public in an age where connection to place is being lost to invasive technology. 6:30 – Podcast – The Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know8:25 – Coast to Coast Radio with Art Bell9:55 – Car Talk with Click and Clack11:50 – Recording at Gold Lake near Graeagle, California with Marc Cosbey18:20 – Living through two winters in Lakes Basin – running naked out into a snowstorm22:20 – Tuning into nature through the sounds of nature25:30 – Being raised Mormon, not digging it, and instead embracing nature and trails as religion30:05 – Riding a motorcycle for the first time in his life at 12 years old – beginning of the rest of his life.34:30 – Trails are a pathway to spirituality – tuning out the world and focusing on the moment in the track.36:15 – Building Mills Peak trail and spending years in the Lakes Basin improving the trails.39:50 – What’s it like to ride a trail you built after 3 years of your life working on it?43:15 – Stew McMorrow – a volunteer who’s had his life changed by the importance of trails.45:15 – Where does Coz see the future of trails and trail organizations?49:45 – Volunteers who have desk jobs that come and volunteer – it can change their life.56:57 – What is the biggest challenge and opportunity for rural mountain communities in securing their future?1:00:31 – What have you learned about yourself, community and public lands in the wake of devastating wildfires over the last 5 years?1:12:30 – What trail is Coz most proud of building over the years?1:13:55 – Building the North Yuba Trail from Downieville to Goodyears Bar and the enjoyment of designing a trail before it’s built.1:18:27 – What was the significance of building Mills Peak Trail in Graeagle?1:21:33 – What advice does Coz have for folks starting their own trails organization?1:29:48 – If your life were a tree, what kind of tree would it be?1:32:47 – What’s an epic ride people have to do in the Lakes Basin? Mount Elwell.1:38:25 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

  --------  

  1:42:11

  --------

  1:42:11
• First Snow, Fall Colors, Fire Lookouts and the Roadless Rule | E72

  After a mid-October Tahoe snowstorm, the boys catch up on life for the first time since August, recapping the incredible Fall season so far, rich with brilliant colors and hero dirt. Featuring an intro by the eponymous Snack Man, topics of banter include wing foiling, the earliest fall day PowBot ever skied pow in Tahoe, favorite snack they eat in the track, fire lookout tower trails, DOPE or DERPs including the new Class 3 mode on the Gen 4 Specialized Turbo Levo, front disc brake rotor covers, Palisades Tahoe releasing the ‘Black Pass’ and the concept of Finders Keepers. The boys shout out Truckee River Public Waters for defending the rights of wrongfully accused fishermen, Sydney Martinez and her awesome new book “Finding Nevada Wild”, all about the most misunderstood state in the American West, and Trail Whisperer references recent news about the U.S. Department of Agriculture rescinding the Roadless Rule, and his opinion on why it might not actually be a bad thing.3:30 – What’s your favorite track snack?6:55 – PowBot is a bona-fide wing foiling fool, 3-4 days a week for a month.11:45 – One of the most beautiful Fall seasons ever in Tahoe. What makes a beautiful Fall?17:00 – What’s the earliest date you’ve ever skied in Tahoe? October pow days.23:20 – Trail Whisperer’s new story in Tahoe Quarterly about fire lookout towers and trails descending from them – “Points of High Interest”.29:50 – Finding Nevada Wild by Sydney Martinez – 300 pages of amazing photography, storytelling and adventure information about Nevada.34:20 – Core Lord Call-Ins – GORDO after hiking the PCT, Religious Exemptions and Big D is a big fan of Moab and disagrees with Trail Whisperer’s hate for Moab.45:13 – DOPE OR DERP – Class 3 mode on the new Specialized Turbo Levo Gen 4.50:05 – Carl H. thinks tailgate pads are DERP.53:10 – Shout out to Truckee River Public Waters – two fishermen shot at by a landowner in Mogul.56:40 – DOPE OR DERP – Front disc brake rotor cover for your mountain bike.1:00:55 – DOPE OR DERP – Finders Keepers.1:09:25 – DOPE OR DERP – Palisades Tahoe released the Black Pass – a $20,000 pass so you would be able to cut the lift line.1:18:20 – A bit about the US Forest Service Roadless Rule being rescinded. Is the Roadless Rule good or bad?1:36:00 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Stick Figure “Free Flow” album drops in mid-November. Dope Lemon – Angus Stone – indie rock, psychedelic rock. Steely Dead at CBC – Steely Dan/Grateful Dead mashup band.1:42:30 – Uncle Coz interview at Gold Lake, Foiling and Florida Man for Tom, digging trail and making a trip to Ely, NV for Kurt.1:45:55 – Downieville has shaped the evolution of the sport of mountain biking.

  --------  

  1:48:58

  --------

  1:48:58

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About Mind the Track