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The Next Ridge
🎙️ The Next Ridge Podcast — Life Out West, North Idaho Living, Montana Stories & the Outdoor Lifestyle
The Next Ridge Podcast dives deep into the lifestyle of the American West—North Idaho, Montana, and the rugged country that shapes the people who live there. Each episode explores real stories of adventure, adversity, hunting, fishing, backcountry living, and what it means to build a life rooted in grit, freedom, and the outdoors.
From mountain towns and wild public lands to everyday conversations about mindset, discipline, and overcoming challenges, this podcast is for anyone who loves the outdoors and dreams of living closer to the mountains. Whether you’re into western lifestyle, North Idaho real estate, Montana culture, archery, hunting, or self-improvement, you’ll find something here.
Join us each week as we go beyond the trailhead—and climb to the next ridge.
The Next Ridge
What It’s Really Like to Fly Into Idaho’s Backcountry for a Hunt
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
🛠 For Real Estate Services or Questions:
Contact us:
John Fontaine -208-719-6881
Austin Johnson - 208-640-9001
Thenextridge208@gmail.com
Grab our Relocation Guide: https://northidahoexperience.com/johns-relocation-guide/
Your Ultimate Selling Game Plan guide: https://northidahoexperience.com/johns-seller-guide/
Welcome to The Next Ridge Podcast, brought to you by North Idaho Experience! In this episode, we take you deep into Idaho’s Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, the largest wilderness in the lower 48. Join us as we relive two years of flying into the backcountry, hunting sheep and mule deer, surviving challenges, packing big miles, learning tough lessons, and experiencing some of the most rugged country in America.
We break down everything—from our first backcountry sheep hunt, forgotten calories, brutal pack-outs, gear failures, and learning curves… to the epic mule deer high-country hunt where both tags are filled in blizzards, cliffs, river crossings, and relentless elevation.
If you've ever wondered what a fly-in hunt, Idaho wilderness mule deer hunt, or true backcountry expedition feels like—this episode is a raw, detailed look at the experience.
📌 Topics Covered in This Episode:
What it’s really like to fly into Idaho’s Frank Church Wilderness—logistics, expectations, challenges, and what makes it one of the most rugged hunts available in the U.S.
How to prepare, pack, and survive on a multi-day backcountry hunt including gear breakdowns, water sourcing, calories, and lessons learned the hard way.
Detailed storytelling from two years of hunts—sheep, mule deer, wolves, bears, extreme elevation, brutal terrain, and unforgettable wilderness moments.
📍 Visit our website for more resources, real estate listings, and local content:
https://northidahoexperience.com
💼 Interested in sponsoring a future episode or collaborating with us?
Email us at info@nidexperience.com
👉 Subscribe for more interviews, neighborhood tours, and tips on North Idaho living!
📱 Social Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextridge208?igsh=MXh4ZzJ6aTI4dTVlbA==
Brokered by:
The Experience Northwest
Equal housing opportunity
Brokered by:
The Experience Northwest
Equal housing opportunity
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****Most stats and data come from the following sites and are not based on our opinions:
Great Schools: https://www.greatschools.org/idaho/coeur-d'alene/
Neighborhood data: https://www.niche.com/?ref=places-to-live
Census data: https://data.census.gov/
More about Coeur d'Alene: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeur_d%27Alene,_Idaho
***All stats, data, housing prices and anything else mentioned are subject to change and provided merely as examples at the time of recording***
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IREC: https://irec.idaho.gov/consumer/