The Platinum Blazing Podcast

Platinum-Blazing 2.0 - The Pause This week RTK discusses the progress of the podcast and the need to take a break – to pause the podcast for a few weeks so a new and improved and better organized podcast and continue in the future. MERRY CHRISTMAS RTK send his Christmas greetings, including this song by the Goo Goo Dolls as a message for these crazy times. https://youtu.be/mjYhpBc1U8g?si=B8yUqbKTo...

David Kibiloski, Stumble Inn & AT Kids Inspired by a 2018 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, David ("Texas") and his wife Danielle ("Stumbles") located a great property for a hostel in Front Royal, Virginia. Renovating the ground floor, Texas and Stumbles created a wonderful home-away-from-home for tired hikers, which has everything a hiker may want or need, which they call the "Stumble Inn." Not...

After completing a section hike of the AT in 2009, the allure of the Trail stayed with Rebecca James (trail name "Cantelope"). When the time was right for a geographic move, she kept her eyes on proximity to the AT and settled into Burke's Garden, Virginia - a slice of heaven much of the world passes by. When the right property became available, the dream of serving AT hikers became a reality - ju...

Bob Campbell This week we speak with Mainer Bob Campbell - an experienced local hiker having marched through the 100-Mile Wilderness ten times, summited Katahdin 70 times, and now dreaming of a time for a thru-hike of the entire AT. Bob gives listeners an overview of the Gulf Hagas hike in northern Maine just off the AT in the HMW. Hopefully this introduction to what  Platinum Blazing the Appalach...

Warren Doyle This is a continuation of RTK's interview with Warren Doyle - a true legend, sometimes more infamous, but if you listen fairly, we think you'll find much to be inspired by. (RTK's own thru-hike was inspired by Warren.) Warren went on to complete more circuits of the Appalachian Trail than any other person - 18 times he has gone end-to-end on a thru-hike or a section hike. The FKT, whi...

Warren Doyle This week RTK interviews a legend - some might say a famous character, some might say infamous - Warren Doyle. RTK's own thru-hike was inspired by Warren and you'll hear a little about that. Warren had just set a new "FKT" for completing a supported thru-hike, when RTK attended a presentation of that accomplishment. Warren sent on to complete more circuits of the Appalachian Trail tha...

PAUL FULLER & CARATUNK HOUSE In 1990 Paul "One Braid" Fuller completed his first thru-hike - this one of the Appalachian Trail. After two thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail and another hike of the AT, Paul started Caratunk House, a hiker hostel in Caratunk, Maine - just a few steps north of the Kennebec River and just a few steps off the AT. After serving hikers for many years, Paul closed the...

Almost every thru-hiker has great expectations for Mt. Katahdin located in Baxter State Park in Maine. Many have the impression that Baxter is all about rules and regulations - even potentially limiting the number of thru-hikers permitted to summit. In this podcast, RTK tries to show how the thru-hike experience gave him a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude for people and circumstances in...

SOLA Hostel - Appalachian Christian Retreat Douglas Douma (trailname, Banzai) is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Wake Forest University, and Sangre de Cristo Seminary. He is an ordained minister in the Bible Presbyterian Church and pastor of Unionville Presbyterian Church in Unionville, New York. Doug is also author of "The Presbyterian Philosopher – The Authorized Biography of Gordon H....

Josh, Cassie, and Harvey Sutton live in Lynchburg, VA. Known on Instagram as LiveSutton, they promote "Live life fully!" Josh, Cassie, and Harvey have done just that. After realizing that a healthy retirement wasn't guaranteed, they decided to restructure their life to one filled with extraordinary stories by taking mini-retirements throughout their life. After having their son Harvey in 2016, the...

Welcome to Episode # 1 of the Platinum Blazing Podcast. A new podcast in the Hiking Radio Network hosted by Bruce "RTK" Matson. This episode is an introduction to "Platinum Blazing" - it's about "The Who, What, Where & How of Platinum Blazing." In this episode we hear an interesting story about how the origins of Platinum Blazing go back to northern Spain and RTK's time on the Camino de Santiago....