Talking NorCal
The Talking NorCal Podcast is the official podcast of Active NorCal. Hosts Zach and Brien O'Brien will take you through the stories of the week in Northern California as well as insightful interviews with the leading outdoor enthusiasts and tell stories of their adventures in NorCal.
Episodes
64 episodes
California Water Wars, Snowpack Dwindles, & Revolutionizing Lake Tahoe Transportation w/Ryan Meinzer
Active NorCal’s Zach O’Brien and Brien O’Brien (BOB) dive deep on the California water wars, including President Trump's recent acts, Gavin Newsom's executive order, Lake Oroville using its spillway, and farmers versus environmentalists....
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Episode 61
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1:23:56
High Water Levels, Ranchers Leaving Point Reyes, & Terrible Wildfire Politicization/Misinformation
Active NorCal’s Zach O’Brien and Brien O’Brien (BOB) break down the recent storms in Northern California, including the snowpack sitting at 108% of historical average, Shasta Lake seeing its highest January water levels in 15 years, and the 206...
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Episode 60
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1:10:55
Bidwell Mansion Burns, Earthquakes in NorCal, and Climbing Mount Shasta w/ Chris Carr
Active NorCal’s Zach O’Brien and Brien O’Brien (BOB) break down the wet start to the winter in Northern California, including the most recent storms bringing lots of snow to the mountains and the tornado that ravaged the Bay Area.Then, ...
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1:25:53
Movie Review: Lady Bird is a Beautiful Love Letter to Sacramento
We're back with another movie review! This time, Active NorCal's Zach O'Brien and Brien O'brien review the award-winning film Lady Bird, which is a beautiful "love letter" to Sacramento. They talk about how the movie takes place in...
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Episode 61
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46:09
Blizzard Slams NorCal, Controversial Owl Hunting, New Wolf Packs, and Proof of Lemurians?
Active NorCal's Zach O'Brien and Brien O'Brien (BOB) break down the massive storms that slammed Northern California recently, including the early opening of ski resorts and significant rise of lakes. They also discuss the announcement of new wo...
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Episode 60
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1:04:32
NorCal Politics, Monster Salmon, and a Deep Dive on Wolves w/Amaroq Weiss
Active NorCal's Zach O'Brien and Brien O'Brien (BOB) discuss the results of last week's ballots and their impact on Northern California, including California's $10 billion water/fire measure, South Lake Tahoe's proposed vacation home tax, and S...
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Episode 59
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1:26:29
Winter is Here, Shasta Lake Houseboat Giveaway, & Keeping Tahoe Blue w/Hailey Hawkins
On a brand-new episode of the Talking NorCal Podcast, Zach and Bob outline their biggest giveaway yet - a $3,000 houseboat rental on Shasta Lake. Then, they discuss the snowfall across Northern California, along with invasive mussels found in C...
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Episode 58
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1:03:03
The Weirdest Movie Ever Made? Our Review of Sasquatch Sunset Filmed in NorCal
We're back with another movie review! This time, Zach and Bob discuss the highly-anticipated indie film Sasquatch Sunset, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough and filmed entirely in Northern California. They talk about the history of Bigfo...
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Episode 57
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53:34
Rare Comet Over NorCal, Wolves Near Tahoe, and Photographing the Northern Lights with Jake Edwards
On a brand-new episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob begin by discussing the recent Northern Lights over NorCal. Then, they get into the news of the week including the rare comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, wolf sightings near Lake Tahoe, Yosemite Nat...
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Episode 56
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1:03:58
Salmon Return to the Klamath, Deadly Botulism Outbreak, and a Lemurian Surprise
On a brand-new episode of the Talking NorCal podcast, Zach and Bob begin with the response to the return of the podcast and Bob talks about his weekend trip to a punk rock show. Then, they discuss the news of the week including a NorCal lake su...
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Episode 55
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46:40
We're Back! Wolf Population Explodes, Leo's New NorCal Thriller, and is the Lemurian Guy Full of It?
We're back! On a brand-new episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob give life updates and talk about the relaunch of the Active NorCal Magazine. Then, they get into the the news of the week including the Park Fire destroying a historic lookout, ...
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Episode 54
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1:09:23
40th Anniversary of the Alpine Meadows Avalanche w/Jared Drake, Steven Siig & Chip O'Brien
On this episode of Talking NorCal, we dive deep into the deadly avalanche of March 31, 1982 at Alpine Meadows that killed 7 people. Zach is joined by filmmakers Jared Drake and Steven Siig to discuss their new documentary 'Buried: The 1982 Alpi...
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1:15:01
Goodbye Bob, Historic DEEPcember & Top Active NorCal Stories of 2021
On this episode of the Talking NorCal podcast, Zach and Bob discuss the incredible numbers behind the DEEPcember snowstorms in Northern California (1:53). Then, we break down the Top 10 Active NorCal Stories from 2021 (25:23). Finally, we say g...
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1:13:03
Historic Snowfall, NorCal Christmas Wishes & the Story of Tahoe Blue Vodka w/Matt Levitt
On this edition of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob break down the numbers from the most recent storm and outline the historic precipitation so far in Northern California (1:35). Then, they get into the news of the week including the father and son...
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1:14:39
Controversial Cannabis Tax, Scary Bear Attack & Cleaning Up Lake Tahoe w/Colin West | Talking NorCal
On this episode of Talking Zach and Bob break down the news of the week including California DWR announcing their water allocations in anticipation of extreme drought, the trailblazing gray wolf found dead in California, the details of a woman'...
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1:21:57
Giant Sequoias Decimated, NorCal Breweries Win Big and Photographing the Lassen Pack w/ Randy Robbins
On this episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob break down the news of the week including 20 percent of the world's giant sequoias burned in NorCal fires, a college teacher charged with starting fires around the Dixie Fire, E. coli testing resu...
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1:07:33
The Quintessential Tahoe Film? Reviewing the Star-Studded Smokin' Aces
On this episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob review the quintessential Tahoe film - Smokin' Aces - starring Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Andy Garcia, Ben Affleck, Alicia Keys and Common.
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49:03
Historic Atmospheric River, Active NorCal Milestones and 'Van Life' Stories with Adam Marland
On this episode of the Talking NorCal podcast, Zach and Bob discuss the historic late-October storm that slammed Northern California including its category 5 designation, the astounding increase in snowpack and water levels, 141-year rain recor...
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1:29:49
Storms End Drought, Famous Bear Killed, and the Road to the Olympics with Robby Burns
On a brand-new episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob discuss the sudden change in weather and potential end of the drought in Northern California (2:01). Then, they break down the news of the week including the viral search for a woman in the...
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1:24:19
Palisades Tahoe, Shasta's Sunken Ship, and a Forest Management/Climate Change Discussion with Joanna Nelson
On this episode of the Talking NorCal Podcast, Zach and Bob discuss the news of the week including S*** Valley changing its name, the proposed name change to Patrick's Point, KNP Complex Fire in Sequoia National Park, the mysterious sunken boat...
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1:21:22
Creating Cannabis Experiences with Amy O'Connor of Humboldt Social. Plus, NorCal Has a New Wolf Pack
On this episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob discuss the news of the week including Northern California's newest wolf pack, Kevin Spacey filming in Dunsmuir, the Antelope Fire moves into Lava Beds National Monument and the most recent update...
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1:05:30
How Firefighters Saved Tahoe and Dixie Burns Lassen. Plus, Zach's COVID Experience.
On a brand new episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob discuss Zach's experience with COVID before breaking down all of the wildfire news in Northern California. Finally, they discuss how low water levels are showing historic structures on Shas...
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55:24
State of NorCal Salmon w/Mike Rasmussen. Plus: Man Visits Lemurians in Mt. Shasta?
On this episode of Talking NorCal, Zach and Bob breakdown the news of the week including the McCloud Falls campground being closed due to bear activity, the brand-new art installation coming to the Sacramento River Trail, experienced cliff jump...
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1:26:20
Cannabis Tourism, Carr Fire Anniversary & NorCal Wildlife Photography w/Randy Robbins
On this episode of the Talking NorCal podcast, Zach and Bob breakdown the news of the week including the closures in Lassen Volcanic National Park due to the Dixie Fire, harmful algae blooms in NorCal rivers, Klamath salmon listed as an endange...
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1:23:44
NorCal Drought Diaries: Salmon Troubles, Historic Fire Season and Viral Videos
On this episode of the Talking NorCal podcast, Zach and Bob discuss all the recent news in Northern California. They begin by discussing Bob's weekly appearance on the local Sacramento news along with recent viral videos from Active NorCal. The...
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54:44