Trail Tales - Thru-Hiking & Backpacking

Tyler Lau, otherwise known as The Hiking Prodigy, is one of only eleven human beings on earth to complete a Calendar Year Triple Crown hike. He hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail, roughly 8,000 miles, all in the year 2018. Join us as we walk through (ha) his entire Triple Crown hike, talking in-depth about the limits you must push your mind to wh...

Joseph "Sweatlines" Pecoraro completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail this past summer, but that wasn't enough for him. After about a month of resting, he set out to complete thru-hike number two for the summer; The Arizona Trail. In the chat Joseph explains how the trail features a large variety of diverse landscapes, that AZT hikers must share water sources with cattle, and much more!  Lik...

Scott Goldie  (trail name Pacman) recently completed an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, and gives an overview of his experience on the ENTIRE trail in episode number 10 of Trail Tales. We also dive into the topics of social media use on a thru-hike, and whether or not the Appalachian Trail is becoming too crowded.  Like what you hear? Want to talk some smack? You can contact me on  Twitter ,  Instagr...

On today's episode I chat with Tuts , a thru-hiker, film-maker , and all-around outdoors man about his fifth, thats right FIFTH shot at thru-hiking the Adirondack's Northville-Placid Trail (spoiler, he crushes it the last time). What makes a relatively short, and nearly completely flat trail so difficult? We cover this and much more in our discussion about Tut's latest film, 'Northville-Placid Tra...

Not only did  Baker Bokorney  thru-hike the Appalachian Trail this summer, but he also hiked the Florida Trail, and a good chunk of the Arizona Trail. What an animal! We decided to focus most of the chat on the Florida Trail, giving an overview of what exactly the trail is about, as well as Baker's experience walking the length of his home state. We also talked about how Baker hiked the entire AT,...

Matthew "Breezy" Park  recently completed an under 4 month thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. He certainly set out on a mission right from day one, and we talk all about how he was able to push himself to complete the trail in such a short time. We also cover the differences between the most popular guidebooks that Appalachian Trail thru-hikers carry with them, and the popular navigation app "Gut...

Liz Syster  completed a flip-flop thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail this past summer, and talks all about what it's like to send it up to Maine and hike south, after hiking northbound all the way to the Mason-Dixon line. We also talk about her experience losing weight on the trail and what it did to her body, and she even gives some advice to prospective female thru-hikers (hint: the advice is DO...

Scott Hughes is fresh off of a south-bound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and answers the obvious question I had for him: why did he decide to hike the trail in the wrong direction? We discuss the differences between a northbound and southbound Appalachian Trail thru-hike, his decision to leave the stove at home and eat cold food for the entire 2200 mile trek, and a sketchy bear encounter he...

On the fourth episode of Trail Tales, I talk with Mikey Brenkus, who nearly completed the entire Appalachian Trail this past summer. We talk about how his bad diet contributed to him not being able to complete the trail, the controversial subject of yellow-blazing, and how he raised over 3000 dollars for a friend who was suffering from ALS.  Like what you hear? Want to talk some smack? You can con...

On this episode of Trail Tales, I talk with Mitchell "Flossy" Larby about his experience completing the Appalachian Trail this past summer. He recalls the time he was bluff charged by a mama bear and her cubs, the bonds that form between thru-hikers as they move up the trail together, and how an injury almost took him off the trail for good in Damascus Virginia. Like what you hear? Want to talk so...

On the second episode of Trail Tales, I talk with Vermont Long Trail thru-hiker Taylor Norton. Taylor hiked the 273 mile trail this past summer. We chat about some of our favorite sections on the trail (believe it or not, I've done the LT twice), how Taylor was able to complete the trail in an aggressive 17 days, and some of the lessons Taylor learned from AT thru-hikers early on in his journey. ...

In the inaugural episode of Trail Tales, I talk with my good friend and fellow Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Cameron Smyk. We discuss everything from some of his sketchy hitch-hikes into town, to the mental endurance necessary to complete a 2200 mile trek. To top it off, we get into some of Cameron's gear, and why he plans on bringing a different set up on his next thru-hike.  Like what you hear? W...

Trail Tales is a weekly show featuring guests who have extensive experience in the world of backpacking and thru-hiking. New episodes every Tuesday will feature hikers that have done the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and many more. Hosted by Kyle O'Grady, AT Class of 2018.