Just Trek Podcast

On this episode, I sat down with a bunch of damn Fools! And what I mean by that is they’re all participants of the legendary Fool’s Traverse Challenge. Back on Saturday, June 13th, our good friends over at TRVRS Outdoors hosted their infamous Fool’s Traverse — an absolutely brutal 11 peak endurance challenge through the mountains of the Mount Baldy region. If you’re a longtime listener of the pod,...

On this episode, I sit down with LA based visual artist, illustrator, climate strategist, birder, wildlife photographer, and outdoor adventurer Valeree Catangay at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Los Angeles, California. Val takes me through her Long Beach roots, how Animal Planet and Tree Musketeers sparked her love for nature, and a formative Earth Watch scholarship trip to Texas studying w...

On this episode, I sit down with LA based outdoor adventurer, award-winning writer/editor, and Basecamp Outdoor founder/CEO Ali Carr at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Ali takes me through her Southern California outdoor roots - skiing Big Bear, camping, backpacking - then how a year in New York City led her to Outside Magazine and a mountain-filled life in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She breaks down...

In this volume of the Trails & Tribulations series, I chat with Tyler Wagoner, a San Diego native and new-to-hiking convert, about his Mount Whitney redemption push on June 24th, 2024 - a 22-mile day hike to the tallest peak in the continental U.S. (14,504 ft) that turned into repeated close calls. Tyler shares how he was turned back in 2023 at Trail Camp after being told he was ill-equipped f...

On this episode, I’m joined outdoors in Palos Verdes, California by Corbin Pickett (@outdoorswithcorb), also known as “Brotha Nature” — a SoCal trekker, outdoor creator, community builder, board member of Black Men Hike LA, and founder of Kuji Hiking Crew. We talk about his earliest outdoor memories, how the 52 Hike Challenge became a life changing spiritual “walkabout” while he lived in Atlanta,...

In this volume of the Trails & Tribulations series on the Just Trek podcast, I welcome back Juan Flores (Outdoor Adventures+, Nature’s Palette, Urban Youth Nature Project) as he recounts first attempt of big bad, Iron Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains near Bridge to Nowhere in December 2021. Starting at midnight on a 16 mile out-and-back, Juan and his friend encounter mountain lion chirps ahea...

On this episode, I release the exclusive recording from the show’s fourth live podcast at the Just Trek Pod's 6 Year anniversary celebration at Happier Cafe along the LA River in Frogtown, Los Angeles. I reflect on launching the podcast during the March 2020 pandemic shutdowns to amplify outdoor voices, then moderated a live panel featuring Rolland Tizuela (Camp Anthropology/Camp Homies), Nikk...

In this episode, I share my most unforgettable adventure yet: my first major international trek with the Just Trek Crew in Guatemala, hiking Volcán Acatenango for a front-row view of Volcán de Fuego erupting. I break down how this dream trip finally came together, our crew lineup, and our day-by-day itinerary from landing in Guatemala City and exploring Antigua to the Ox Expeditions briefing and g...

On this episode I release the "Best of Just Trek: Mixtrek Volume 3" to kickoff the podcast entering it's official birthday month and onward to the show reaching it's 6 Year Anniversary. This third compilation features some of the most memorable stories and moments from our cast of special guests. Featured in this compilation are Alan Salazar (Tribal Elder), Austin Nicassio (Acces...

In this volume of the Trails & Tribulations series on the Just Trek podcast, I welcome back SoCal trekker, Justin Williams aka @RockhoundHiker, to recount a 2016 “vision quest” style thru-hike across Southern California’s mighty San Gabriel Mountains. Starting at Ling Yen Mountain Temple near the Etiwanda Preserve, Justin set out severely underprepared—carrying only water and three apples—on a...

On this episode, I'm joined by Jennifer Whalen, a California-based adventure elopement photographer. Jennifer shares her captivating journey from being a traditional wedding photographer in urban settings to capturing intimate, adventurous elopements in stunning natural landscapes like Yosemite, Big Sur, and Joshua Tree. The episode delves into Jennifer's passion for travel, the inspiratio...

On this episode, I’m joined by Scotty Hsieh, a dance and art educator, community builder, and van life explorer, along with his beloved wolf dog Nanooki. The episode explores Scotty's journey from city life to embracing the camper van lifestyle, his spiritual and outdoor experiences, and the deep bond he shares with Nanooki. We discussed their adventures across stunning landscapes like Sedona,...

In this volume of the Trails & Tribulations series, I welcome Lauren from @YorAdventures, who shares her family's gripping story of a Rim-to-Rim backpacking trip in Grand Canyon National Park. Despite being relatively inexperienced and facing an unexpected and painful series of challenges—including a devastating car crash, trail closures, rock slides, vomiting, dehydration, and even broken...

On this episode, I’m joined by San Diego based trekker, outdoor creator, Snow Peak ambassador, camp connoisseur, co-founder of the Camp Homies collective, and founder of Campthropology — Rolland Tizuela . We dove into Rolland’s earliest hiking and camping memories, the origin story behind Campthropology, and his transformative 100-mile journey on the PCT as a McNair Scholar. We also talk about his...

In this gripping episode of the Trails & Tribulations series, I welcome Jose De La Rosa, a fellow SoCal peak bagger and hiking group leader, as he recounts a high-stakes rescue mission in the San Gabriel Mountains. After a successful group hike to Ontario Peak, Jose received a distress call from a friend who had slid down a canyon and was lost. What follows is an intense journey of leadership,...

Join us for an extraordinary reverse episode of the Just Trek podcast as we celebrate the monumental 100th episode milestone. Hosted by the insightful Jonathan Flores, aka "The Brown Naturalist," this special episode flips the script, putting the spotlight on the founder and voice behind the podcast, Justin 'Justroc' Rimon. Broadcasting from the breathtaking sunset at Sandstone P...

On this episode I have LA based trekker, peak bagger, community leader, comedy magician, runner, and the founder of the 5AM Crew, Omar Covarubbias aka The Great Omar, join me on the show. We chatted about Omar’s wild first hiking memory, his evolution from being a professional magician to becoming a hiking leader, the formation and growth of the 5AM Crew in Griffith Park, his top trails in Califor...

In this gripping episode of the Trails & Tribulation series, I welcome Missy Martinez, a fellow SoCal trekker, as she recounts her terrifying solo hike + trail run on San Gorgonio mountain - the tallest mountain in Southern California. During an adventurous descent, Missy loses her footing and slides down the side of the mountain, resulting in a dramatic fall and a night spent lost in a burn z...

On this episode, I have SoCal based trekker, backpacker, doctor, and all around adventure enthusiast, Dr. Shreya Reddy, join me on the show. For this show, we dove into Shreya’s recent trekking accomplishments — summiting Mt. Whitney and completing the SoCal Six Pack of Peaks Challenge. We unpack what inspired her to take on Mt. Whitney, the challenges she faced along the way — from altitude sickn...

On this episode, we kick off Volume 1 of the Trails & Tribulations series! This trail tale dives into Marlee's unforgettable water canyoneering expedition through one of LA’s best-kept adventure secrets — Eaton Canyon and Falls. But we’re not talking about the popular trail to the waterfall. This story takes you above the falls, into a hidden & rugged canyon that’s tough to access and only...

On this episode I have LA based trekker, backpacker, fisher, hiking lead, Mountain House ambassador, and outdoor content creator, Exploring with Vee, join me on the show. We chat about her first hiking memories, what inspired her to host group treks, her top trails in California, how the outdoors played a major role in her healing journey from a toxic relationship, her first solo backpacking exper...

Big news, Just Trek community! On this episode, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of a brand-new series called Trails & Tribulations. This series will spotlight everyday outdoor adventurers and trail enthusiasts as they share their raw, real stories of close calls, hard-earned lessons, and the resilience it takes to face the wild. I dive into the inspiration behind the new series and kick th...

On this episode I have Pacific Northwest based trekker, climber, photographer, videographer, mountaineer, and OG member of the Just Trek Crew, Francis Ngo, join me on the show. We chatted about Francis’s incredible achievement of summiting the iconic 14,000-foot  Mount Rainier in Washington State. We dove into what inspired him to take on this bucket-list climb, the challenges of his first attempt...

On this episode I have LA based adventure enthusiast, SoCal trekker,  outdoor accessibility advocate and founder of the non-profit Accessible Off-Road, Austin Nicassio, join me on the show. We chatted about Austin's first meaningful memories out in nature, his debilitating chronic illness diagnosis, his personal journey of managing this life altering event, what inspired him to create Accessible O...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, peak bagger, backpacker, solo world traveler, outdoor content creator, and founder of Vamos Hiking Crew, Luis aka MrTraveler, join me on the show.  We chatted about Luis’ first meaningful memories out in nature, his spiritual awakening on Mount Whitney, the origin story to creating Vamos Hiking Crew and celebrating 3 years on Cucamonga Peak, his top inte...