A Joint Episode with The River Radius, featuring Sam Carter
Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson
Mountain & Prairie Media
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 11 February 2026
⏱️ 105 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today's conversation is a joint episode between Mountain & Prairie and The River Radius podcast. I'm joined by Sam Carter, the creator and host of The River Radius.
If you're not already familiar with The River Radius, I give it my highest endorsement. It's the most thoughtful and well-crafted show out there about rivers, water, and the people connected to them. Sam has built something genuinely special, and he's someone I consider both a friend and a collaborator. I've learned a great deal from the way he approaches storytelling, curiosity, and place.
For this episode, instead of a traditional interview, this is a two-way conversation in which Sam and I interview each other—one we're both releasing on our podcast feeds. Sam shared it on The River Radius feed earlier in January, and now I'm sharing it here. We talk about how our podcasts came to be, what keeps us curious after hundreds of episodes, and how rivers, landscapes, and long projects shape the way we think about life and work. We also get into writing, responsibility, attention, grief, ambition, and what it actually looks like to build something slowly and with intention. I think you'll enjoy it.
As always, be sure to check the episode notes for detailed timestamps and links to everything we discuss. And I strongly encourage you to find The River Radius on your favorite podcast player, explore the archives, and give it a listen. Enjoy!
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- The River Radius podcast
- River Radius on Instagram
- Episode notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/river-radius
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship.
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- 0:00 - Opening and sponsor highlight
- 5:46 - Ed introducing himself to Sam Carter and vice versa
- 9:19 - Why Sam started River Radius
- 11:49 - People are listening
- 16:36 - So … what is the Mountain & Prairie podcast?
- 24:04 - What do Ed's daughters think of his job?
- 25:30 - How to make a podcast your full-time gig
- 32:47 - 2025 highlights from Sam
- 43:11 - Throughlines
- 48:24 - How Ed's changed the way he looks at the world
- 51:36 - Ed's 2025 highlights
- 59:15 - What's the point of fly fishing?
- 1:03:11 - What's in store for 2026?
- 1:12:17 - Sam and Ed's production strategies
- 1:25:42 - Ed's writing a book!
- 1:30:12 - What is a river for Ed Roberson?
- 1:33:56 - More questions for Ed from Sam's listeners
- 1:36:57 - And questions for Sam from Ed
- 1:42:16 - Parting words
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ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Sometimes I feel kind of alone in my own, like just fervent passion around like rivers are the most important things on the planet. |
| 0:08.0 | Like if we don't take care of them, everything's going to collapse feeling. |
| 0:10.9 | And so when I hear other people, I'm like, wow, you get it too. |
| 0:13.8 | Like, okay, I'm not like alone in this feeling. |
| 0:16.8 | And I really, I really enjoy, appreciate, get inspired by hearing that from people. |
| 0:29.1 | This is the Mountain and Prairie podcast. I'm Ed Robertson. Today's conversation is a joint |
| 0:34.7 | episode between Mountain and Prairie and the River Radius podcast. |
| 0:38.7 | I'm joined by Sam Carter, the creator and host of the River Radius. |
| 0:42.9 | If you're not already familiar with the River Radius, I give it my highest endorsement. |
| 0:47.3 | It's the most thoughtful and well-crafted show out there about rivers, water, and the people connected to them. |
| 0:53.3 | Sam has built something genuinely special, |
| 0:55.5 | and he's someone I consider both a friend and a collaborator. I've learned a great deal from the way |
| 1:00.2 | he approaches storytelling, curiosity, and place. For this episode, instead of a traditional interview, |
| 1:06.4 | this is a two-way conversation in which Sam and I interview each other. Sam shared it on the river |
| 1:11.6 | radius feed back in January, and now I'm sharing it here. We talk about how our podcast came to be, |
| 1:18.4 | what keeps us curious after hundreds of episodes, and how rivers, landscapes, and long projects |
| 1:24.3 | shape the way we think about life and work. We also get into writing, responsibility, attention, grief, ambition, |
| 1:32.2 | and what it actually looks like to build something slowly and with intention. |
| 1:36.4 | I really do think you enjoy it. |
| 1:38.2 | As always, be sure to check out the episode notes for detailed time stamps |
| 1:41.7 | and links to everything we discuss. |
| 1:43.9 | And I strongly encourage you to find |
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