Hike

Rue McKenrick is a triple crowner, professional long distance hiker and outdoors advocate.  Rue updates me on his current progress on the American Perimeter Trail amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We catch up as he is in Tennessee and making his way north.  If you are interested in supporting Rue or learning more about the American Perimeter Trail Project, visit the links below. Connect with Rue: Websit...

Josh takes listeners on an urban hiking adventure in Pittsburgh. Urban Hike Pittsburgh is a volunteer group that has been taking hikes in the greater Pittsburgh area for almost 20 years. They have put on more than 80 hikes and have tackled many of the 90 neighborhoods that are part of the city - including those famous city stairs! We did this interview prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, so please not...

Britany Freeman of the 11th Essential shares tips on how to enjoy your own backyard and practice leave no trace on your local trails and Lori Prima shares a love letter to her local trail. Connect with Britany: Instagram: @britanyinwanderland and @11thessential To learn more about The 11th Essential and how you can get involved, head over to Britany's web page .  Connect with Lori: Instagram:...

Jodie Morton is an Australian long distance horse rider. She shares the story of her 2019 ride on the Continental Divide Trail through Colorado, Montana and Wyoming with her mare Thelma. We learn the reason behind her ride and how she used this as an opportunity to both heal and bring awareness to mental health issues. Jodie's goal is to change the stigma surrounding depression; by making tal...

Meet Julie Gayheart, better known in the hiking community as Jester. She's an Appalachian Trail section hiker and the host of the premiere podcast on section hiking. Jester gives listeners an introduction of who she is and how she's navigating these days during the COVID-19 pandemic by choosing positivity and connecting with the hiking community. Connect with Julie "Jester" Gay...

Steven "Bangarang" Snyder is a triple crown long distance hiker who has been a long time Leave No Trace advocate. He is part of Granite Gear's Grounds Keepers team who are leaving our wild places better through advocacy and packing out trash found on the trail. Currently living in Tucson, he is focusing on Southern Arizona trails and recreation areas as his area of clean up and prov...

Leisel and her husband Dave are attempting to hike the CDT this year to complete their Triple Crown. As their start date approaches, there’s a huge uncertainty in the air about whether they will get to start their hike as planned. Listen to my conversation with Leisel as she shares her thoughts on grieving, finding grace and staying positive in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Connect with Leise...

T shares with listeners her journey of solo backpacking the Great Divide Trail. By immersing herself in the trail and in the moment, we see her personal growth as a solo backpacker. We delve into using intuition on the trail, journaling, and the deep emotions that emerged as part of this southbound adventure. Listeners will appreciate the candidness and rawness in how she experiences the trail and...

Rue McKenrick is a triple crowner, professional long distance hiker and outdoors advocate.  Rue chats with me about what the American Perimeter Trail Project is and how we can support him as he blazes a new trail roughly 12,000 miles around the perimeter of the United States. I caught up with Rue who is currently in Mississippi after starting his hike from Bend, Oregon last summer.  He chats with...

Liz Brown, trail name "Ukulele", discovered the harmony and balance she needed while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2019. We chat about her life as a wildland firefighter, going into a Ph. D program and ultimately making a decision to take a pause for a thru-hike to figure out how she truly wanted to live. We go into how the trail changed her and what life has been like post-trail, incl...

Blood Mountain is the highest summit on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. This bonus episode takes you to the summit via the most direct route. Starting at the Byron Reece Trailhead and connecting to the A.T. - you'll reach the summit in just over 2 miles and tackling over 1400 feet of elevation gain. Connect with Lori: Instagram: @thehikepodcast Twitter: @thehikepodcast Blog: the...

Cat Eckrode takes listeners on her journey starting with when doing the Wonderland Trail was simply an idea she had. She shares going from backpacking novice to solo backpacking this loop around Mt. Rainier. We talk logistics, planning, permits, gear, food and everything else you might want to consider. Cat also shares how she was inspired to help others who are new to backpacking through starting...

Liz “Snorkel” Thomas, former women’s speed record holder for the AT and veteran of twenty long trails, shares her tips and advice for prepping for your next long distance hike. We cover her book from Backpacker called "Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-hike" which covers selecting gear, planning your budget and schedule, what life is like on the trail and even tips about how to...

Felicia Hokenstad is an adventurer, Women Who Hike Ambassador, and an active volunteer for Women of the Wild Midwest. Just a few years ago through she was struggling with anxiety. Through running and hiking, she found that it calmed her and also improved her confidence. Felicia's story resonated with me because I think a lot of people face the same struggles and can relate to finding that pea...

Matt Dunn shares his backpacking trip of the Ozark Highlands Trail and writing the book “A Moss-Covered Trail: A Walk Across the Ozark Highlands” about his experience. We also chat about Matt’s wildland firefighting background and his love of the outdoors.  Connect with Matt Dunn Instagram: @ plantstrongmatt Purchase his book: A Moss-Covered Trail: A Walk Across the Ozark Highlands OHT Resources L...

Danielle shares her journey to National Parks adventurer and how being a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar provided her inspiration for visiting our own National Parks in the United States. We chat about why her and her husband Bryan started their travel guide podcast. This episode will give you a look into how they bring you such a comprehensive view into the parks they visit - which include de...

Kailey, Kassie and Jeannie of Military Wild share their adventures as they explore Guam's beautiful landscapes. Military Wild was founded with a goal to connect members of the military community with one another and to the landscapes they call home. They believe that outdoor recreation is an incredible way to embrace the places they live and form bonds with the people they meet there. Militar...

Mike DeBonis, Executive Director of GMC and native of Vermont, shares with listeners his own first hand hiking experiences with The Long Trail, including how in 2017 he completed a thru hike as if he was attempting it in 1917. Mike shares some of his favorite sections of the Long Trail, and how GMC is working hand in hand with local community partners and trail volunteers to maintain this unique h...

Joanna Young, Director of Alaska programs of Inspiring Girls Expeditions, and Sarah Clement, Program Coordinator, share information about the tuition free programs that are offered to young women. 16-17 year old girls can start the application progress through January 31st for the Summer 2020 program. This opportunity offers a transformative experience for participants. Expeditions are led by prof...

Lori takes listeners on a recap of her recent trip to the Muskegon area where she visited Hoffmaster and Muskegon State Parks. This short episode gives you a first hand account of hiking forested dunes and walking along Lake Michigan on a late December day. Connect with Lori: Instagram: @thehikepodcast , @lori_the_explorer Twitter: @thehikepodcast Blog: thehikepodcast.wordpress.com Facebook: @theh...

Benny "Plug-it In" Braden shares his story of hiking, healing from PTSD and sharing all of it in the soon to be released Highline Film by Outmersive Films. We discuss how Reboot Recovery has helped him in healing from Post Traumatic Stress and what it was like to share his own story as part of the Highline film. If you want to hear more of Benny's backstory, he was my featured guest...

Catey Terry, President and CEO, shares her personal story of how she is connected to nature and the Great Smoky Mountains through her time as a young girl at Tremont and then today as its leader. She speaks about the important work that Tremont Institute is doing to promote conservation and enable youth and adults to engage in hands on learning.  From Firefly Camp to becoming a Southern Appalachia...

Ashley openly talks about the important role nature played and continues to play as someone with PTSD and anxiety. We talk about nature in healing and how it has not only helped him but how he's seen it in his family life - including the positive impact he sees with his son who was diagnosed with autism.  He shares how he strives to keep balance when he is both the Gentleman (corporate person...

Lori shares five tips for setting goals. 1. Identify your goal and the motivation behind it 2. Define smaller objectives and sub-goals 3. Visualize the process 4. Find someone to help you be accountable 5. Track your progress and reassess Read the blog post about goal setting here Connect with Lori: Instagram: @thehikepodcast , @lori_the_explorer Twitter: @thehikepodcast Blog: thehikepodcast.wordp...

Robin Wilcox, Senior Parks and Trails Planner, with Oregon Parks and Recreation, shares what is being done to close the gaps and make the Oregon Coast Trail an end to end trail. In 2017, Oregon passed a bill that directed the State Parks and Recreation department to work with other interested agencies, local governments and interested parties to develop an action plan to complete the Oregon Coast...