The Trail Dames Podcast

Ashley Manning, whose trail name is Yardsale, has become a well-known advocate for plus-size adventuring. She has made it to around mile 950 on the Appalachian Trail and plans on finishing it within the next year and a half. She attended another expedition down the Grand Canyon in November 2019, and has plans to hike the John Muir trail in the next couple of years. Currently, she is raft guiding o...

Ronelle lives in Oklahoma and is 59 years old. She retired 2 years ago from a 30-year federal government career working for our service members, veterans, and their families. She has always loved the outdoors. She and her husband spent a lot of time outdoors while raising their two boys that included camping and hiking around their acreage. As Ronelle approached her 50th birthday, she decided she...

Amanda Aguillard was only 16 years old when she realized she wanted to become a CPA, and she's used that passion ever since to encourage innovation in the industry she loves. That commitment lives on through her work as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Padgett Business Services, one of North America's largest accounting service and business consulting providers. Amanda, who was named one of th...

Anna is the host of the Trail Dames Podcast and when not interviewing amazing women for the podcast, can be found running her family violins shop, Huthmaker Violins, in Atlanta, GA, as well as running Trail Dames, Inc, and the Trail Dames Charitable Foundation. Here she shares her story of visiting Lula Lake Land Trust with its spectacular waterfall. She was able to join her fellow Trail Dame Pam,...

Christine discovered long-distance backpacking while surfing the internet at work. She decided that day to attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. One adventure led to another, and a few years later she set out on the Wonderland Trail in Mt Rainier National Park. Her Rugged Outdoors Woman persona started as a joke, a nod to the outdoor adventurer that she wished to be. But in the years since,...

Lauralee Bliss, trail name "Blissful," is a two-time Appalachian Trail long-distance hiker north and south including a thru hike with her teen son, and is currently section hiking the trail for a third time. She has completed other long distance trails in multiple states including the Florida Trail, the Colorado Trail, the Foothills Trail, the Long Trail, and the Allegheny Trail. She also served s...

Tanya Bowers-Dean is an enthusiastic if extremely slow hiker and backpacker whose trail name is Caboose. She started hiking and backpacking about 6 years ago and is taking on small sections of the Appalachian Trail in hopes of completing it before she turns 100. She loves gear and talking about gear, but tries not to annoy others by going on and on about it. In her life off the trail, Tanya is an...

Growing up in the northwest in a family that camped every summer, Colleen Drake, also known as Teacup, has been hiking for more than 60 years, since she was old enough to walk. Her hiking accomplishments include the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, the Washington section of the PCT, most of the Washington section of the PNT, the southern Oregon section of the PCT, the Wind River Mountains and...

Lindsay Wenndt is a nationally certified health coach and fitness instructor, with specialty certifications in weight management and orthopedic health (a.k.a. joint pain). She's the founder of Break Free Fitness, a curvy women's health and fitness company that reserves 10% of its membership and coaching packages as scholarships for low-income women. Lindsay has taught more than 10,000 classes to w...

Collin Chambers is the founder of WildWood Magic and is widely recognized for encouraging people to take walks in nature. After losing 100 pounds by adding a daily walk to her life, she now inspires people to find health and happiness through the simple act of walking. She teaches personal transformation through enchanted journeys in a magical union of Walking as a Sacred Practice, Rituals & Cerem...

Shadi Ganjavian-Connor has an extraordinary talent for inspiring others, fueled quite simply by her sole desire to help the world in any way she can. Shadi has extensive and diverse marketing experience working with companies such as Marks & Spencer, Harrods, B&Q and ID Technology Group leading the marketing strategy, communication and project management for several successful high-profile campaig...

We've all had to do it. Our very first time, by ourselves, in the middle of the woods. Lisa Best decided it was time that she got out there and tested herself. In this month's Lagniappe, she tells Anna the impact it had on her and why her trail name is now "Savor Life." Lisa has been in education for over 30 years serving in private schools and public schools in the roles of teacher, administrator...

Miranda was burnt out from a successful yet stressful corporate career, ending a toxic long-term relationship and struggling with an autoimmune disease when she quit her job in 2015. She spent the rest of that year living out of a backpack while: • completing her yoga teacher training in India, • meditating with Buddhist monks in Thailand/Myanmar and • hiking through the Himalayas, Alps and Andes...

Miranda Peterson was burnt out from a successful, yet stressful, corporate career, ending a toxic long-term relationship, and struggling with an autoimmune disease when she quit her job in 2015. She spent the rest of that year living out of a backpack while: • completing her yoga teacher training in India • meditating with Buddhist monks in Thailand/Myanmar • hiking through the Himalayas, Alps, an...

Lauralee Bliss, trail name "Blissful," is a two-time Appalachian Trail long-distance hiker north and south including a thru hike with her teen son, and is currently section hiking the trail for a third time. She has completed other long-distance trails in multiple states including the Florida Trail, the Colorado Trail, the Foothills Trail, the Long Trail, and the Allegheny Trail. She also served s...

Your host, Anna aka Mud Butt, shares some important campground etiquette for the next time you head out to do some camping! Guest Links- Basic Camping Etiquitte- https://www.theoutbound.com/tara-schatz/basic-campground-etiquette-for-camping-beginners KOA Guide to Campground Etiquitte- https://koa.com/blog/guide-to-camping-ettiquette/ Connect with Anna, aka Mud Butt, at info@traildames.com You can...

Christine Reed discovered long-distance backpacking while surfing the internet at work. She decided that day to attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. One adventure led to another, and a few years later she set out on the Wonderland Trail in Mt Rainier National Park. Her Rugged Outdoors Woman persona started as a joke, a nod to the outdoor adventurer that she wished to be. But in the years si...

Shadi Ganjavian-Connor has an extraordinary talent for inspiring others, fueled quite simply by her sole desire to help the world in any way she can. Shadi has extensive and diverse marketing experience working with companies such as Marks & Spencer, Harrods, B&Q, and ID Technology Group, leading the marketing strategy, communication and project management for several successful high-profile campa...

Shadi Ganjavian-Connor has an extraordinary talent for inspiring others, fueled quite simply by her sole desire to help the world in any way she can. Shadi has extensive and diverse marketing experience working with companies such as Marks & Spencer, Harrods, B&Q and ID Technology Group leading the marketing strategy, communication, and project management for several successful high-profile campai...

Your host, Anna aka Mud Butt, shares some of the best You Tube channels to follow. Guest Links- Jessica "Dixie" Mills Homemade Wanderlust- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQhqmV26773qZhzqJz4VFcw Hike Oregon- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClmtRlQX9GvG6vQohRcRoSg Daisy Hikes- https://www.youtube. com/user/kirbsidex Lostgirl Hikes- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswSlpI_JvSK9C-3p-NnNsg/featured...

Lauralee Bliss–trail name "Blissful"–is a two-time Appalachian Trail long-distance hiker, north and south, including a thru hike with her teen son. She is currently section hiking the trail for a third time. She has completed other long-distance trails in multiple states, including the Florida Trail, the Colorado Trail, the Foothills Trail, the Long Trail, and the Allegheny Trail. She also served...

Judy "HeartFire" Gross is the owner of LightHeart Gear. She lives in the Beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina (a few feet south of the city of Asheville). Judy has been making tents and other ultralight backpacking gear since 2009. She started out just planning on making a tent for herself, but a friend suggested she make kits and sell them. 'After all, hikers like to make thei...

Lisa Work: Lisa has been in education for over 30 years serving in private schools and public schools in theroles of teacher, administrator, and consultant. In October 2020, she was named a Postulant for Holy Orders to the Priesthood in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. Lisa has always loved doing things in nature. Growing up, her family spent vacations car camping. That tradition continued as...

Anna is the host of the Trail Dames Podcast, and when not interviewing amazing women for the podcast, can be found running her family violins shop, Huthmaker Violins, in Atlanta, GA, as well as running Trail Dames, Inc, and the Trail Dames Charitable Foundation. Guest Links: http://bettleslodge.com/ Time Lapse video of Lights at Bettles Lodge - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RemFI0G1kCU Connect w...

Zoe describes herself as a mid-life blogger, speaker, and adventure seeker. She set off to walk the UK's longest national trail in 2011–solo–and soon realised that despite her many fears of going alone or not being fit enough, she had, in fact, left it way too long. Realising that many women experience the same anxieties and doubts as her, Zoe is now on a mission to encourage more women to head ou...