The Trail Dames Podcast

Marcia Paul has lived in Georgia for most of her life. She is the proud mother of three children–Candice, Caylen, and John–and completely in love with her grandson, Beau. She spends her summers living on the lake, camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors. She notes that being outdoors is where she finds her escape from the everyday stressors of life. She has worked as a paralegal for twenty-plus...

Make sure to fuel your body when you hike!! This Lagniappe episode will give you great ideas of what to eat and how to pack it. We will share some sources for great hiking snacks, as well as telling you what might not make the best food to throw in your backpack. And finally, we also make the case for fueling yourself properly in order to get the very best hiking experience you can! Links for grea...

Steve was born in the U.K. and moved to the United States in 2005. His work in the insurance industry took him all over the world, from London to Bermuda to New York before finally landing him in Sarasota Florida. In 2014, newly retired, he decided that the time had come to hike the Appalachian Trail. The fact that Steve completed a thru-hike is testament enough to his strength, tenacity, and cour...

We are living in the golden age of dreaming!! What do I mean by that? I mean that you can sit in your armchair, pull up Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon and dream your way onto the trail.....doesn't matter what the weather is like, or if you have to be at work the next morning. Join me as I share some of my favorite hiking documentaries with you. The links can all be found below, and I hope you find yours...

This episode of the Trail Dames Podcast features guests Victoria Heckler from Maryland, Kathy Rioux from Maryland and host, Anna Huthmaker in an in-depth discussion of all thing's bathroom on the trail! Join us as we discuss the in's and outs of going to the bathroom and dealing with female issues on the trail.  At times the discussion is serious while other times we proudly get in touch with our...

Come meet three women who have inspired so many of us.  Once you get to know Jan Leitschuh, Sanne Larsen Bagby, and Carla Robertson, you will be moved to enjoy the trail with a heightened sense of joy and wonder. Liteshoe's AT Journal-  http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/1076 Liteshoe's Long Trail Journal -  http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/766 Liteshoe's Book-  https://www.amazon.com/Ordina...

Have you ever tromped down the trail in the snow and ice? There is a special kind of peace and beauty that awaits those who are brave enough to go out in the winter. Join our host Anna Huthmaker as she welcomes guests Cindy Denise and Laura Donovan, accomplished winter hikers, and Head Dames for two of the New York Trail Dames chapters. Snowshoes, clothing, micro-spikes…no topic goes un-discussed...

Tips for going uphill!!  Here are some links to help you in your quest to love, love going uphill!   https://www.active.com/ outdoors/articles/hiking- technique-the-rest-step   https://forgivenesswalks.com/ reginas-meet-the-mountains- technique-2/  

When asked about herself, Laura Donovan says "two things run in my blood–hiking and teaching." Several years ago, after moving up to New York, Laura found herself teaching music in the schools during the week and traversing the hiking trails of the Adirondacks during her weekends. For years, she had done lots and lots of hiking, in Georgia, South Carolina, and Vermont, much of it solo. While she h...

2018 Ten Gift Ideas   1.  A membership to an organization that is truly meaningful and helpful to the Trails. ATC, AHS, Florida Trail Association, your local trail association ($45 and up) www.atc.org www.americanhiking.org     2.  Judy Gross new Under Shorts ($30)   https://lightheartgear.com/ collections/womens-clothing/ products/undershorts?fbclid= IwAR2Pk8gTfPZ7GJDwpXBb5DnPPA6V aK5suVn23y- a9c...

Regina  Reiter is an incredible woman who shows us all what it is like to take an unhappy event and use it to completely change her life. Through the loss of a job,  Regina  found herself at somewhat of a crossroads in her life. She had heard of the Appalachian Trail, and this tiny little seed of an idea began to take place. What started as a few day hikes here and there, quickly grew into longer...

Judy   Gross , aka Lightheart, spent her whole life in the outdoors, hiking and enjoying the trail. She raised a couple of Eagle Scouts, putting in trail miles right alongside them, and throughout her adulthood, while she became a nurse and simultaneously studied sewing and design, she was hitting the trails.   In 2009, after lugging heavy tents up and over countless mountains, she decided that sh...

Christine Gautreaux is a hiker, mother, author, artist and life coach. She centers her work around both art and the outdoors and has a special passion for helping what she calls 'the helper.' Whether you are a caregiver, therapist, social worker, author or healer, Christine has made it her life's work to help make your life better. She uses movement, hiking, storytelling, and voice to facilitate h...

Karen Lord Rutter is a woman of many, many talents!! She is a retired teacher and administrator with a career littered with awards and accolades. With a self-professed love of all things learning, it is no surprise that she has traveled the world and experienced everything she possibly could! However, it was her son David, and the family golden retriever Copper, who brought about some of her great...

Summer did not grow up hiking....in fact, it was pretty near the top of things she 'would just rather not do!' The mosquitoes and cold of Minnesota, combined with her speed and discomfort kept her off the trails and safely ensconced in the world of writing and photography.  However, one day she moved to Portland and found herself venturing outside.  At first, she still hated it, but it wasn't long...

When Sue Williams got into backpacking, she noticed that there was very little aimed at the over-50s hiker and even less at the female over-50s hiker. She decided to do something about it and, with her husband John, started FiftySense.com . The site is aimed at encouraging Baby Boomers that there is plenty to do out of doors and that there is still plenty of time to do it. The tagline of the site...

Today's guest has made a name for herself for not only loving the trail and the outdoors but for creating connections between women so that they can find and share that same love.  Bunny Kramer has spent years in online communities helping women learn about the logistics of hiking. If you need to know what clothes to wear, which water bottle to carry or what trail to take, she has answers!  In add...

Welcome to the new Trail Dames Podcast. The aim of the podcast is to inspire women to get out into nature and to realize that there are many like-minded, suportive women just like them. I'm Anna Huthmaker, the founder of Trail Dames. In 2003, I hiked over 700 miles on the Appalachian Trail and discovered that there weren't too many people like me out there. The adventure was pivotal to my life and...