On the Blue Ridge

Aaron Burdett of Steep Canyon Rangers on Crafting Songs in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Aaron Burdett is a Western North Carolina-based singer-songwriter, guitar player, and one of the lead vocalists for Steep Canyon Rangers. A highly acclaimed musician with eight solo albums to his credit, Aaron is also the founder and owner of Solstice Construction Co., a custom homebuilding firm in Saluda, the small mountain town where he grew up. Blurring the lines between Americana, Folk, Country, and Bluegrass, his solo work is deeply rooted in these mountains, carried by thoughtful songwriting and a soulful voice that made him a natural fit for Steep Canyon Rangers. They’re a Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band that formed in 2000 and are widely known for collaborations with Steve Martin. Aaron joined the group in 2022 following the departure of founding member Woody Platt, and he has quickly become an important part of the band’s evolving creative voice, both on tour and in the studio. He appears on the albums Morning Shift, Live at Greenfield Lake, and Next Act, the band’s latest studio album, which arrives May 22. In this episode, Aaron discusses the stories behind a few songs from the new album; his path to Steep Canyon Rangers; balancing music with a longtime career in homebuilding; how growing up in Western North Carolina has shaped his voice as a singer and songwriter; and much more. Steep Canyon Rangers steepcanyon.com [https://www.steepcanyon.com/] Aaron Burdett aaronburdett.com [https://www.aaronburdett.com/] Tracks Featured in this Episode “Next Act” by Steep Canyon Rangers (watch the music video) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKheaYd4Tcs] “Going Home to Carolina” by Aaron Burdett Theme Music for On the Blue Ridge The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Mike McKearin on Fishing, Family, and Designing the GoReel

Mike McKearin is the co-owner of Crystal Creek Gear, a Pisgah Forest, North Carolina-based company creating minimalist fishing gear designed to fit in your pocket. Mike and his wife, Susie, started Crystal Creek Gear after years of getting their four kids outside in Western North Carolina. What began as a family project, with early GoReel prototypes built on a 3D printer in their garage and tested by their kids on local ponds, rivers, and trails, eventually grew into a business. The GoReel itself is simple: a compact hand reel with no rod and no moving parts. It’s designed for the kind of moments when you’re hiking, biking, camping, or playing by the river and want fishing to be easy enough to bring along. In this episode, Mike talks about his earliest memories of fishing; falling in love with the mountains after coming to Brevard College; the early garage prototypes of the GoReel; what it was like turning a family project into a business; and more. Crystal Creek Gear crystalcreekgear.com [https://crystalcreekgear.com/] Theme Music The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Marc Hunt on Taylor’s Wave and the Future of the French Broad River

Marc Hunt is a passionate river steward helping shape the next chapter of the French Broad River, from efforts to remove the Craggy Dam to the creation of Taylor’s Wave, a manmade whitewater wave in Woodfin, North Carolina. Marc is also a whitewater paddler and former Asheville City Council member who has spent decades working to protect and reimagine our local rivers. A former outfitter on Tennessee’s Ocoee River, he has long been involved in river conservation and recreation efforts and currently serves on the board of RiverLink. He has played a leading role in projects like the Woodfin Greenway & Blueway and Taylor’s Wave, a stationary whitewater wave dedicated to the memory of his son, which is scheduled to open in late summer. He’s also a strong advocate for removing the Craggy Dam in Woodfin, just outside of Asheville.  In this episode, Marc shares his passion for rivers and explains why he believes removing the Craggy Dam could be one of the most important steps we take in our lifetimes to improve the health of the French Broad River, and its role in the community. Marc also discusses how the idea for the wave came together; how it fits into the broader Woodfin Greenway & Blueway; how the wave and surrounding park could benefit the town; and what it means for the wave to carry his son’s name. Craggy Dam Removal craggycoalition.org [https://www.americanrivers.org/craggy-dam-removal/] Opinion: Removing Craggy Dam a chance to restore French Broad River [https://www.citizen-times.com/story/opinion/2026/03/07/opinion-now-is-time-to-remove-craggy-dam-on-french-broad-river/88982125007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQdMf9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe9ztrp4DRJ-HCQjUE1opoIg8AmuNhc2tSHNB_3EuLnYGiLiS64EgjSFMEE6g_aem_5CuVPd_GtPg8JBhOmVKbeA] Town of Woodfin woodfin-nc.gov [https://woodfin-nc.gov/] River Volunteer Opportunities RiverLink [https://riverlink.org/]Asheville GreenWorks [https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/]MountainTrue [https://mountaintrue.org/] Theme Music The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Filmmaker Paul Bonesteel on the Life and Legacy of George Masa

Paul Bonesteel is a documentary filmmaker and writer whose latest film explores the life and legacy of George Masa, a Japanese immigrant photographer whose work was instrumental in the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the development of the Appalachian Trail. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Paul is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work explores history, landscape, and the people whose lives quietly shape how we understand both. He has completed more than a dozen feature-length documentaries, with the latest focusing on a subject that has held Paul’s attention for more than two decades. “A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story” examines the mysteries behind a man whose images helped shape early conservation efforts and the national parks movement in the United States. It begins streaming on PBS on May 1. The film builds on Paul’s earlier work, including his 2003 documentary “The Mystery of George Masa” and the book “George Masa: A Life Reimagined,” which he co-authored with Janet McCue. Together, these projects trace a decades-long effort to better understand a man whose story was, for many years, only partially known. In this episode, Paul discusses the impact of Masa’s photographs; what it took to uncover the missing pieces of Masa’s life story; how a decades-long pursuit evolved from a single documentary into a book and a new film; and what continues to drive his passion for telling stories rooted in place and history. Watch the Documentary georgemasa.com [https://www.georgemasa.com/] Bonesteel Films bonesteelfilms.com [https://www.bonesteelfilms.com/] On the Blue Ridge Theme Music The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Joseph Sabbag and Andrea DuVall of Terramonga Farm & Hub on Building a Local Food System

Joseph Sabbag runs Terramonga Farm in Fairview, and Andrea DuVall stewards Terramonga Hub—a service that delivers food from Terramonga and a network of local farms—straight to customers’ homes. Terramonga, which means “the earth among us,” began when Joe and Elaina Sabbag moved to Fairview in 2018 with a vision for a farm rooted in both the land and the community around it. Today, the regenerative farm produces organic vegetables and pasture-raised meats, and also operates Terramonga Local Provisions & Deli, a brick-and-mortar space featuring a deli, bakery, and a curated selection of local goods. In late 2025, they added Terramonga Hub, a farm-to-door delivery service that carries forward the legacy of Mother Earth Food, which Andrea co-founded in 2012. After more than a decade connecting local farms with customers, Andrea made the difficult decision to close Mother Earth last October. Soon after, Terramonga stepped in to continue that work under a new name and similar structure. In this episode, Joe and Andrea talk about what it takes to build and sustain a local food system in Western North Carolina; the realities behind running a farm, a store, and a delivery network; and how they’re thinking about the future of local food in this region. Terramonga Farm shop.terramonga.com [https://shop.terramonga.com/] Terramonga Hub terramongahub.com [https://terramongahub.com/] Terramonga Local Provisions and Deli shop.terramonga.com/pages/brick-mortar [https://shop.terramonga.com/pages/brick-mortar]