The Octagon
Welcome to "The Octagon" - the podcast that dives into the vibrant lives of Stowe Vermont's most adventurous residents. Join us as we explore the passions, pursuits, and personalities that make this mountain town unique.
Episodes
46 episodes
Season 2: #12 Hardeaux Roundtable: Love em or Hate em?
This week we rounded out the 2025 season at the Octagon Podcast with the long awaited Hardeaux Roundtable. The Hardeaux's have what could be described as a controversial reputation around town and on the mountain for their hard charging attitud...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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1:11:14
Season 2: #11 Mike Hayes: The Endless Pursuit of Filming the Mt. Mansfield Backcountry
This week we chatted with Mike Hayes who is one of the key figures in Stowe’s extreme skiing and ski-filming community. He’s someone who doesn’t just chase lines—he documents them and helps tell the story of what it really takes to ski big terr...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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48:11
Season 2: #10 Maura Wieler: A Career in Education and Stowe Elementary School Principal
This week we welcomed our first educator into the Octagon Studio, Maura Wieler. Maura is the Principal of Stowe Elementary School, whose leadership has played a significant role in shaping the school’s academic direction and its culture of s...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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52:25
Season 2: #9 Jen and John Kimmich: Inside the Alchemist Brewery Story
This week we were honored to welcome craft beer legends Jen and John Kimmich, co-owners of The Alchemist Brewery into the Octagon studio. The Alchemist makes Heady Topper, one of the top rated beers in the world and has been instrumen...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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58:10
Season 2: #8 Jackie Henderson and Carter Getty: Stowe High School Seniors and Reflections On Growing Up In Stowe
This week we welcomed Jackie Henderson and Carter Getty into the Octagon Studio. Jackie and Carter are both Seniors at Stowe High School and provide a unique perspective on what it's like to grow up in Stowe. We explore their time in this uniqu...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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40:33
Season 2: #7 Scott Braaten: Mt. Mansfield Weather Guru and Creator of Braatencast
This week we welcomed Scott Braaten into the Octagon studio as we are building stoke for the upcoming winter. Scott is one of the leading weather forecasters for Mt Mansfield and runs the popular Braatencast social media weather predi...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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53:21
Season 2: #6 Octagon Labs: Peter Hawks and The Flyin Ryan Foundation
This week we had the honor of sitting down with Peter Hawks for our third Octagon Labs episode. Peter takes us on a journey of the legacy of his son Ryan who lived with passion, purpose, and integrity. Whether Ryan was carving fresh ski lines o...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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53:16
Season 2: #5 Joey Davis: The Art of Tracking Whitetail Deer
This week we sat down with 7th generation Stowe resident Joey Davis who is considered one of the premier whitetail deer trackers in the region. Deer hunting in Stowe and throughout the State of Vermont is on the decline but Joey is ke...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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48:23
Season 2: #4 Dave Bradbury: Growing Local Entrepreneurship Through The Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies
This week we explore the Vermont start up and entrepreneurial landscape with Dave Bradbury. Dave is the President of VCET — the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies — where he’s spent years helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into bus...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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59:41
Season 2: #3 Mike Giorgio: Stowe Mountain Resort General Manager
This week we sat down with Mike Giorgio, General Manager at Stowe Mountain Resort. Mike started his career at Mt Snow as Executive Chef and Head of Food and Beverage. He then was promoted to run resorts in the Midwest for Vail before ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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54:42
Season 2: #2 Charles Safford: 18 Years Serving as Stowe's Town Manager
This week we had the pleasure of welcoming into The Octagon studio Charles Safford. Charles is the Town Manager of Stowe, Vermont, a role in which he serves as the CEO of the town - responsible for day-to-day municipal operation...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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53:03
Season 2: #1 Brian Buczek: Stowe High School Soccer Championship Coach and Growth of the Sport in Rural Vermont
This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with local soccer icon Brian Buczek. Brian is the founder of the Vermont United Soccer Academy and current Associate Head Coach of the Stowe High School Girls Varsity Soccer team. As part ...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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57:54
#34: Octagon Labs: Trivia Buzz with Laura Weber and Nancy Duran
This week we veered off from our traditional format diving into the stories and characters that make Stowe, Vermont so legendary. We are calling this new series Octagon Labs. Many community members have con...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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46:02
#33: Octagon Labs: Mindfulness Workshop with Micheline Lemay and Christine Everitt
This week we veered off from our traditional format diving into the stories and characters that make Stowe, Vermont so legendary. We are calling this new series Octagon Labs. Many community members have con...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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51:50
#32: Season 1 Recap and July 4th Parade Bonus Footage
Join us for a trip down memory lane as we recap what was an unforgettable season 1 at the Octagon Podcast. We revisit the epic tales, personalities and history that makes Stowe such a special and unique community. In this episode we will also t...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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1:06:04
#31: Gregg Goodson: Animal Care and Community as a Stowe Veterinarian
This week we were excited to welcome Gregg Goodson into the Octagon studio. Gregg is a highly respected veterinarian based in Stowe, Vermont, serving as the owner and lead veterinarian at Stowe Veterinary Clinic. A graduate of Tufts School o...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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52:53
#30: George Petit: World Class Musician and Founder of Stowe Jazz Festival
To ring in the 30th episode at The Octagon we had George Petit join us in the studio. George is a jazz guitarist, a composer, an educator… and the force behind the Stowe Jazz Festival — happening this July which brings world class Jazz music...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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55:53
#29: Bryan Huber: A Lifetime of Medical Care as a World Renowned Orthopedic Surgeon
This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Bryan Huber. Bryan is a world renowned orthopedic surgeon with a long career serving in the Navy, as Team Physician for the USSA and U.S. Snowboard Team, Burton Snowboards, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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1:18:15
#28: Teagan Reeves: Life as a Vermont Meteorologist
This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Stowe native and local meteorologist Teagan Reeves. Teagan has always had a passion for weather. She graduated from Northern Vermont University – Lyndon with a degree in Atmospheric Science....
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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35:31
#27: Charlotte Brynn: Adventures of a World Class Open Water Swimmer
This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with world-class open water swimmer Charlotte Brynn. Charlotte has completed over 50 marathon swims including some of the toughest swims on Earth — Charlotte is also one of the top w...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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56:13
#26: 2025 Winter Recap with Ted and Mike
This week Ted and Mike give a recap on what was an epic 2025 winter here in Stowe. We explore the mountain scene, legendary Hyde Cup tales, a banner Nordic ski season and all the happenings and events in this unique mountain town. We also give ...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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38:20
#25: Tom Rogers: Stowe Land Trust Executive Director and Wildlife Biologist
This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Tom Rogers, Executive Director of Stowe Land Trust . A certified wildlife biologist with a master’s degree in Biology and Ecology, Tom came to SLT in 2024 from The Nature Conservancy,...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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49:23
#24: Joanna Graves: Building Community Through Fitness
Joanna Graves has been a fixture in the Stowe fitness community for 30 years - often recognized as the top fitness workout instructor in the area and is also the owner of RIDE indoor cycling studio. You can most often find Joanna teaching a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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45:17
#23: Kristina von Trapp Frame: A Life at the Iconic von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort
This week we are joined in the Octagon studio by Kristina von Trapp Frame. The von Trapp name is synonymous with Stowe and its outdoor culture. Kristina von Trapp Frame is carrying forward her family legacy that began when her grandparen...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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40:24
#22: Mike Leach: Exploring the Legendary History of Ski Racing at Stowe
This week we are happy to bring Mike Leach to the studio who is the historian for the Mount Mansfield Ski Club (MMSC), one of the oldest ski racing organizations in the United States. In his role, Leach has contributed significantly to docum...
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47:01