20 Years of the Trail 1033 on the Missoula airwaves

Originally aired live at 9:13 AM on July 2, 2025

At exactly 9:13 AM on July 2, 2005, Trail 103.3 signed on the air for the very first time. Twenty years later—down to the minute—we cracked the mic together once again to mark that moment. This short, unscripted conversation between Robert Chase, Mike Smith, and Tommy Evans isn’t just a celebration of our radio station’s anniversary, It’s a reflection on what Trail 103.3 has become, home for eclectic music, Missoula voices, and authentic community connection.

Listen in as we go live on-air and share memories of the early days, laugh about Robert's 3:30 AM breakfast routine, recall how we each found our way to the station, and take a moment to thank everyone who’s been part of the journey.. on the mic, behind the scenes, and most importantly, listening.

Recorded live at what we thought was the exact moment Trail 103.3 first signed on—20 years to the minute @ 9:13 am...

A sincere thank you to all the listeners who took the time to send in notes and stories about what the Trail has meant to them over the years—especially to Dave Cowan, the visionary programmer, engineer, GM, and on-air voice who built the Trail from an idea into a station. Dave reached out shortly after this segment aired to let us know we got just one little detail wrong: the Trail actually signed on at 9:13 PM, not AM. Oops!

Fun fact: The very first song ever played on Trail 103.3 was Mind Games by John Lennon.

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Join us at Caras Park on Thursday, July 24, when we celebrate The Trail’s 20th Birthday with live music by the Josh Farmer Band as part of Downtown Tonight — food trucks, art vendors, local connection, and more. 

And don’t forget our 20‑for‑20 Giveaway: 20 pairs of tickets to 20 local events spanning August 2025–August 2026. Pop into any of our registration boxes—locations include the Trailhead, Loose Caboose, Great Harvest, Kettlehouse Taproom, Roxy, Caras Nursery, and more—or sign up online. Drawing happens live on July 24 at the Caras Park anniversary event.


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🌲 The Trail Listening Post is a podcast series that archives the real-time radio moments that make Missoula, Missoula - live, local, and straight from the airwaves of Trail 103.3, a station as unique as the community we serve. 

What is Trail Listening Post?

Voted #1 Radio Station in the Missoula Valley, Trail 1033's Official Podcast makes exclusive on-air interviews, performances, new music and interesting conversations available to you on demand.
Enjoy daily uploads following community interviews on the Morning Trail show with Robert Chase, occasional live performances from both new and landmark bands and artists. Check out the Lunchbox every weekday at Noon, as Mike Smith dishes up a great block of themed music, interviews and more. New music your thing? Every Tuesday 6PM-7PM, enjoy The New Show hosted and produced by Tommy Evans.

Catch so much more interesting and timely conversation and, of course, amazing music from Robert, Mike and Tommy - LIVE- on The Trail 1033FM in Missoula and around the world at trail1033.com every day from 6AM until 9PM.

See what we're up to at trail1033.com or give us a call at 406-721-6800

[Opening music: Leftover Salmon]

Robert Chase:
Leftover Salmon on the Trail 103.3. I'm Robert Chase—

Tommy Evans:
Hey, are you ever going to make coffee when I come in this early, Robert?

Robert:
Yeah... Have I ever made coffee? Ever? In 20 years?

Mike Smith:
I’ve never seen him drink coffee here. He has a full breakfast at home.

Tommy:
What time does the first egg hit the frying pan for you?

Robert:
About 3:30 AM.

Mike:
Wow. Still a slice of ham?

Robert:
Switched it up. You don’t know me.

Mike:
We just know a full breakfast is happening while the rest of us are waiting for coffee at work.

Tommy:
I usually just grab a breakfast burrito I made the night before.

Robert:
So, moving past breakfast...

Mike:
We’re here kind of spontaneously this morning—nothing planned—but it’s worth noting: just a few minutes ago, 9:13 AM passed, which marks exactly 20 years since The Trail signed on. July 2nd, 2005. 9:13 AM.

Robert:
I have no recollection of it... but that’s because I wasn’t here yet! I didn’t arrive until the end of August 2005.

Tommy:
Oh! So you weren’t even in town?

Robert:
Nope. And it was before streaming, so I didn’t even hear it remotely. I did check in with the man in charge—Dave Cowan. I assume he was on the mic that day. Not sure, though. Do either of you remember listening?

Tommy:
I wasn’t. I just assumed it was you!

Robert:
How old were you then?

Tommy:
Let’s see… I would’ve been about 11 or 12.

Robert:
You’re excused.

Mike:
Well, I was certainly an adult—or trying to be. Still trying.

I’d love to say I heard the magical sign-on moment, but I can say that in those first days and weeks, I tuned in with glee. It felt like the soundtrack of my record collection, but also included new artists I’d never heard. It was that eclectic mix from day one—and still is.

Robert:
You came on board in 2007?

Mike:
Yeah—sometime that fall. I remember playing holiday tunes. I brought you a cassette of me on the air and said, “Here’s my demo,” and you were like, “I have no way to play this.”

Robert:
[Laughs] I think I found a cassette deck eventually. But it was J.J. Quinn who said, “This guy might work.”

Mike:
She called me, and I pulled a U-turn across town and came right over.

Robert:
And you stuck. That’s a good word—you stuck.

Mike:
Yep. Still here.

Robert:
Well, happy anniversary to us. And we definitely wouldn’t be here without our listeners. Thank you for 20 years of loyalty.

Mike:
Absolutely. So much gratitude. And thinking of the greats like Dave Cowan, J.J. Quinn—and everyone who’s contributed, whether on the mic or behind the scenes. The station is a sum of its many parts.

Tommy:
So many characters. So many stories. And we welcome everyone to come celebrate with us—Thursday, July 24th in the park. The Josh Farmer Band will be playing.

Robert:
Plus, we’re giving away the 20 for 20—20 pairs of tickets to 20 local events. You can sign up at both Trailhead locations. Big thanks to Todd Frank and the crew over there.

Tommy:
Happy anniversary, Robert.

Robert:
Right back at you, Tommy—and you too, Mike.

Tommy:
My Trail anniversary is August 29th—the first time I cracked the mic. That night, Pearl Jam played the Adams Center. I left the station and went straight to the show. I remember thinking, Yeah, this is gonna work out.

Robert:
Here’s to 20 more years!

Mike:
At some point, it turns into elder abuse...

Robert:
May already have. [Laughs]

Mike:
Tommy Evans, thank you.

Tommy:
Robert Chase, thank you.

Mike:
And thank you, Robert.