Hiker Trash Radio

️ In This Episode, We Discuss: The Coworker's Lodge Floor: Why Vegas is recording from a room that smells suspiciously good, surrounded by floral decor in Silver Gate, Montana. The Tahoe Rim Trail Victory Lap: A full trip report of Vegas's 9-to-10 day TRT run counterclockwise (the "SOBO" way) alongside AT and PCT legends Million Bucks, GT, and Swampy. The Excitement Gauge: How an "emergency trail crap" became the ultimate indicator of a beautiful mountain pass experience. The "Beefcake Vegas" Downfall: The split-second auto-belay mistake at a Las Vegas climbing gym on December 15, 2025, that resulted in plates, screws, and a very sudden halt to a 30-mile-a-day lifestyle. The Mental Valley: An incredibly candid and important conversation about identity loss, catatonic depression, and the agonizing process of having your physical salvation taken away. The Dumbledore Protection & Hogwarts Reset: Navigating his comeback hike on the Maryland section of the AT, and why returning to where you "got your Hogwarts letter" is the ultimate mental reset. UFC Weigh-Ins & Cherry Pies: The strategic, slow-and-steady pacing Vegas used to absolutely dismantle his buddy Oz in Damascus at the Trail Days pie-eating contest. Guiding Year-Round: Vegas's journey to becoming a certified summer hiking guide in Yellowstone and the Beartooth Mountains to fund his relentless trail addiction. Looking to the Horizon: Heading north to SOBO the Superior Hiking Trail in October, eyeing a massive CDT push, and a wild pact with trail buddies to conquer a calendar-year Triple Crown in their late 30s. ️ Support Our Sponsors: FarOut Guides Garage Grown Gear Hilltop Packs Jolly Gear Otter (O.T.T.R.) Six Moon Designs Triple Crown Coffee Vaer Watches Connect with Vegas: Instagram: @vegasthepiedpiper YouTube: Vegas The Pied Piper Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com f

The Calendar Year Triple Crown doesn't recruit. It gets into people — through a sign above a bar, through a podcast episode, through the quiet math a hiker does at the end of a long day when they realize they want more of this, not less. Episode 1 of The Big Year opens with Billy Meredith describing the moment he quit his office job to hike the Appalachian Trail — the hardest thing he'd ever done and the most amazing thing he'd ever done, at the same time. Three weeks into that hike, in a bar in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, he reads a sign honoring the first woman to complete the Calendar Year Triple Crown. He can't shake it. Four years later, he's standing at the Mexican border about to find out what that sign cost him. The episode follows the idea outward from there: to Sammy Potter and Jackson Parell, two Stanford students who spend a month alone on the Appalachian Trail before naming themselves Buzz and Woody in a winter shelter; to Carson Oliver, who gets asked a single unsettling question the night before Katahdin; and to Jeff Garmire, who completed the CYTC at 20 years old and became, for the better part of a decade, the number everyone else measured themselves against. Guests: Billy "Wahoo" Meredith — 2023 CYTC FKT holder, 234 days Jeff "Legend" Garmire — CYTC completer, former self-supported FKT holder, author of Free Outside Sammy "Buzz" Potter — 2022 CYTC completer (11th in history) Jackson "Woody" Parell — 2022 CYTC completer (12th in history) Carson "Anita" Oliver — 2023 CYTC completer Topics covered: What the Calendar Year Triple Crown is and why so few people have done it The bar sign at the Doyle Hotel that started everything for Billy Meredith How Buzz and Woody got their names in a winter shelter with no one else around The question Carson Oliver was asked the night before Katahdin Jeff Garmire's résumé, his trail name origin, and what made him the benchmark Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Full Traverse is Hiker Trash Radio's narrative documentary series, drawing from years of conversations with a single guest to tell their complete story. This episode: Derick "Fab" Lugo — author, speaker, and Triple Crowner. From zero experience in 2012 to the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, the Long Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. Derick's books: The Unlikely Thru-Hiker (2019) — his AT memoir. Made-up curse words included; safe to read to your kids. A Fabulous Thru Hike (Mountaineers Books, 2026) — his CDT memoir, out now. Available wherever books are sold; ordering through his website supports him most directly while he's on tour. Also featuring Derick's writing: Campfire Stories, Volume II — includes his first published fiction, a spooky short called "Vertigo" Stories from the Trail — includes "Trail Brothers," about hiking from New York City to Bear Mountain with his brother (also an ATC short film of the same name) Derick's podcast: Unlikely Stories, produced with the Appalachian Mountain Club — 12 episodes featuring different voices of the outdoors, including the first African to summit Everest and record-setting AT hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis. Trails featured in this episode: Appalachian Trail (2012) Long Trail, Vermont (2021 attempt; 2023 completion with Christine Reed) Continental Divide Trail (2022) Pacific Crest Trail (2025) People mentioned: Christine "Lady Unicorn" Reed — author of Alone in Wonderland; Fab's Long Trail hiking partner and subject of her own Full Traverse episode Nature, Buck Wild, and Pirate — Fab's CDT trail family J.R. Harris — explorer and author of Way Out There, Fab's hero and fellow New Yorker Cutie — remembered with love by the CDT class of 2022 Book tour: Derick is on the road through spring and summer 2026, starting in Colorado, running up and down the East Coast, and working west. Dates at his website. Follow Derick: Instagram / Facebook / TikTok: @dericklugo (that's D-E-R-I-C-K — he will notice if you spell it wrong) Website: dericklugo.com — signed copies available The Full Traverse is produced by Hiker Trash Radio, a member of the BLEAV Podcast Network. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Full Traverse is HTR's long-form narrative format, drawing from multiple years of conversations with a single guest to tell the complete story. This is Episode 3. Guest: Ben Vaughan, trail name Ginger Ballz — Navy Lieutenant Commander (retired), Triple Crowner, Hayduke thru-hiker, dog musher, Iditarod trainer, whitewater raft guide, and operations manager for Dallas Seavey's kennel operation. Trail name origin: Earned on the AT hiking with a younger trail family who progressed from "Old Man" to "Old Man Ginger Balls" to "OMGB" to "Ginger Balls" over the course of approximately zero trail days. He accepts this. The story he prefers: a young woman from another country told him he was called that because he was brave and strong. He said yes, exactly. Trails and routes featured in this episode: Appalachian Trail (northbound, 2018) Pacific Crest Trail (northbound, 2019) — including frostbite in the Sierra during a high snow year Continental Divide Trail (northbound, 2020) — during the pandemic Hayduke Trail (2021) — 800 miles through Utah and Arizona via six national parks; no trail markers; roughly 10–15 completions per year Vermont's Long Trail (October 2021) — hiked with Scrapbook; 273 miles; Ben fell approximately 30 times Superior Hiking Trail (2021) Key people: Scrapbook (Garrett Hernandez) — Ben's trail family member from day one on the AT, who had already completed the CDT and PCT at age 19. Has appeared on HTR separately. Now a backcountry firefighter. Dallas Seavey — Ben's employer since 2022. Five-time Iditarod winner, son of a three-time winner, grandson of one of the race's founders. Generally considered the most accomplished musher in Iditarod history. The Iditarod: 1,049 miles, Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Considered one of the toughest endurance races in the world — the challenge falls primarily on the musher, not the dogs. The winning time is approximately nine days. Dogs run because they want to; the musher's job is navigation, dog care, and not letting go of the sled. Ben's Alaska operation: Summer: Glacier dog mushing tours for tourists at 5,000 feet, helicopter access only, five staff, fifty dogs, no cell signal Winter: Racing dog training for Iditarod and other competitions at the kennel in Talkeetna and South Kenai Company: AK Sled Dog Tours / Dallas Seavey Kennel McCarthy, Alaska: Pop. ~30 year-round, 300+ seasonal workers. Located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park — the largest national park in the United States, roughly seven times the size of Yellowstone. Accessible by 60-mile dirt road. No grocery store. The site of Ben's summer 2024 whitewater raft guide work with Mc

The Full Traverse is HTR's long-form narrative format, drawing from multiple years of conversations with a single guest to tell the complete story. This is Episode 4. Guest: Eddie Janicki, trail name Bard — Triple Crowner, civil engineer, amateur musician, and the only known person to hike the full PCT with a guitar. Trail name origin: Given two days into the PCT in 2018 by a fellow hiker after Eddie arrived on trail carrying a guitar, a harmonica on a neck stand, and various other items that did not survive the first week. The trail name One Man Band was floated and rejected (too long). Bard was accepted. He has since encountered other Bards on trail, which he says makes him like the name less — but he kept it. The album: Thoughts on a Zero Day by Eddie Janicki. Available on Spotify. Twelve tracks recorded over approximately two months in the fall/winter of 2022, between finishing the AT and returning to work. Songs include "Deli Deli" (positive AT experience), "Rain Dodging" (negative AT experience), and older material dating to 2014–2015. Lo-fi home recording. Trail-related throughout. Trails completed: Pacific Crest Trail (northbound, 2018) — with best friend Eric and Eric's brother Marshall. 40-pound starting pack including a guitar and a hatchet that did not survive the first week. Continental Divide Trail (northbound, 2020) — during the pandemic; approximately 10–12 other northbounders encountered the entire trip. Met Ginger Ballz at Toaster House in Pie Town, New Mexico. Considered his best trail; the one he looks back on with the most pride. Appalachian Trail (northbound, 2022) — completed in fall 2022. Described as the least wild of the three; never felt the "I'm really out here doing it" feeling that the CDT provided consistently. Confirmed personal suspicions that the AT would be his least favorite going in. Notable CDT moments referenced in this episode: San Juan Mountains snow traverse, Colorado — post-holed to the waist, pack caught on the hole, sheer drop below; crawled the rest on all fours Colorado river crossing — washed-out bridge; threw pack and phone across, swam approximately 15–20 feet through cold snowmelt Personal context (2025): Married; wife is Mrs. Janicki (formerly his girlfriend who visited him in the CDT at Yellowstone and experienced an August snowstorm) Purchased house in Seattle Dog: Berkeley, Australian Shepherd mix Baby expected The Enchantments: A wilderness area near Leavenworth, Washington, in the North Cascades. Highly permit-controlled due to demand. Features numerous alpine lakes at elevation. Eddie completed a 19-mile traverse in a single day in 2025 with his twin brother Luke and his cousin Joe.<

Guest Featured Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell) Creator of the Barkley Marathons and the Backyard Ultra in direct conversation with Doc Key Themes Laz on the design philosophy of the Barkley with uncertainty as the core principle The Name Game: Laz's one-sentence portraits of the finishers in his own words What Laz sees when he watches the race each year and what he's still looking for The race's future: what happens when the edge of the possible keeps moving Laz on the fame: the BBC, the Netflix documentary, the viral photographs The question Doc has been building toward for three years: why does everyone keep coming back? Standout Moment Laz on Jasmine Paris: 'From the very first, from when the cigarette was lit, she left with no margin for error. And she came back with no margin for error. If that performance isn't the best I've witnessed in my life, I'm not sure where the best lies.' Series Context Bonus Episode 06 of 06. The final episode of The Source Material and the conclusion of The Barkley: A Love Story - a nine-week audio documentary series from Hiker Trash Radio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Picking back up, Bluey traces the real origin of his AT dream back to childhood summer camp, where two counselors disappeared for a season to thru-hike the trail and came back changed men — planting a seed that took him over two decades to act on. He talks candidly about the conversation with his wife that preceded his decision to go, including her quietly handing him a Christmas gift that said more than words could: an expensive base layer, no note attached, her way of saying she'd support him even if she didn't want him to leave. The conversation turns to identity on trail — how quickly hikers strip away titles, credentials, and performance, and how that "unfiltered" version of himself became something he had to find a way to live with once he came home. Bluey explains how the idea for the memoir wasn't part of the plan at all; it grew out of a handful of journal pages he started writing months after finishing the trail, eventually becoming the full manuscript in a matter of weeks once he started. He shares two of the book's most memorable stories in greater depth: Chappy, the mysterious trail mentor who appeared on Day 3 at exactly the right moment and then vanished after Hiawassee (Bluey makes a direct on-air appeal for Chappy to get in touch), and the now-infamous Pennsylvania rock-tantrum that ended with a stranger handing him a bottle of cheap bourbon and exactly the kind of human connection he needed at his lowest point. Midlife Hike This launches September 4th, the one-year anniversary of Bluey's summit of Katahdin, and is available for preorder now at MidlifeHikeThis.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff "Bluey" Lewis joins Hiker Trash Radio to talk about walking away from over 16 years in nonprofit leadership and business strategy at age 40 to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2025 — all 2,198 miles of it, Georgia to Maine, in five months. The experience became the basis for his upcoming memoir, Midlife Hike This: Walking Away from a Life That Worked to Find What Really Mattered. Bluey explains the origin of his trail name — a rock-paper-scissors bet gone wrong with an eight-year-old at an outfitter in Franklin, North Carolina — and why he's stuck with it for life, win or lose. He talks gear: the trekking poles he refused to use for the first 340-plus miles of the trail until his knees gave him no choice, and the leaky water bladder that quietly ruined everything in his pack before he figured out the problem. The conversation moves into the heart of his story — the moment in Orlando, watching colleagues file into a conference, when he saw a version of his own future he didn't want and decided to change course. He talks at length about his best friend Eric, whose sudden death from cancer at 43 became the foundation for the book's central idea: consulting your "Dead Self" before making big decisions. Bluey also opens up about his biggest on-trail mistake (not training before a 2,200-mile hike), the hiking partner whose knee injury ended his hike entirely, the philosophy of "packing your fears," and the brutal reality of post-trail depression and reintegration after the hike ended. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Full Traverse is HTR's long-form narrative format, drawing from multiple years of conversations with a single guest to tell the complete story. This episode covers Wesley "Mega Man" Tils. Guest: Wesley "Mega Man" Tils — Triple Crowner, Fourth Crown Route originator, archaeologist, and the only known survivor of a sustained predatory grizzly bear encounter on the Continental Divide Trail. Trail name origin: Earned on the Appalachian Trail while hiking southbound with a stress fracture, combining "Mega" (the slang term for southbound AT hikers, from the Maine-to-Georgia abbreviation) with his childhood love of the Mega Man video game series. Trails and routes featured in this episode: Appalachian Trail (southbound, 2016) Pacific Crest Trail (northbound, 2017) Continental Divide Trail (northbound, 2018) Florida Trail (2022) Pacific Northwest Trail (attempted, 2019) The Fourth Crown Route — Wesley's own Mexico-to-Canada route combining the Arizona Trail, the Hayduke Trail, raw route-finding through Nevada and Utah, and the Idaho Centennial Trail (2023) Mojave Sonoran Trail (2026) — a roughly 600-mile, largely trail-less route through the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts; Wesley was the third person to complete it Hayduke Trail (2026) Walk for the Wild (upcoming) — an attempt to be the first person to walk from the easternmost point of the contiguous United States to the westernmost point, combining the Appalachian Trail, the Long Trail, the North Country Trail, and the Pacific Northwest Trail, with raw route-finding through North Dakota and Montana. Roughly 8,000 miles over an estimated 500 days. Terms referenced: Triple Crown — completion of the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. FKT — Fastest Known Time, an informal trail or route speed record open to anyone. Physiographic region — a geographic classification based on landform and geology rather than political boundaries. Wesley completed a long trail in all eight major physiographic regions of the lower 48. Wesley's current work: Archaeological fieldwork, primarily in the Great Basin region, surveying for prehistoric artifacts — work that can result in legal protections preventing development, including mining, on culturally significant land. Walk for the Wild: Wesley's upcoming 8,000-mile coast-to-coast route, intended to raise awareness for the protection of public wilderness lands amid ongoing closures and funding threats. He plans to direct all proceeds from an accompanying documentary to conservation organizations. Tentative departure: May 2026. Follow Wesley: Instagram: @vagrant_viking93 Yo

About the Guest Jeff "Bluey" Lewis spent 16 years in nonprofit leadership and business strategy before resigning at 40 to hike the Appalachian Trail, Georgia to Maine, in 2025 — 2,198 miles in five months. The hike became the foundation for his memoir, Midlife Hike This: Walking Away From a Life That Worked to Find What Really Mattered, releasing September 4, 2026 — the anniversary of his Katahdin summit. He lives in Baltimore. Episode Highlights The Trail Name The Man at the Pool Eric The Pennsylvania Tantrum Coming Home Writing the Book Trail Wisdom Links & Resources Midlife Hike This — Pre-order and Book Info: https://www.midlifehikethis.com Jeff "Bluey" Lewis — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midlifehikethis Midlife Hike This: Walking Away From a Life That Worked to Find What Really Mattered — Bluey's memoir. Pre-orders open now. Releases September 4, 2026. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Bluey drops Wednesday. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest Featured Jared Beasley Journalist and author of The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley, and a Race With No End (Simon & Schuster) Key Themes The writing of The Endurance Artist: what three years of reporting looks like from the inside What Jared found that surprised him most about Laz The Barkley as a cultural phenomenon: Netflix, the New York Times, the viral photographs Laz on his own fame, the quote Jared captured that appears nowhere else What the race means beyond sport, the philosophical argument of the book The difference between the Laz the public sees and the Laz Jared came to know Standout Moment Jared on the moment he knew he had a book: the math problem, the quit, and the email, and realizing that Laz had put him through a version of the Barkley before he'd ever set foot in Frozen Head. Series Context Bonus Episode 05 of 06. The penultimate episode of The Source Material. Next episode: Barkley's Mad Genius - Doc and Laz, the final word. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Kevin Koski — The Animal — is a nuclear engineer for the U.S. Navy and the creator of the Four Corners Loop, a roughly 2,400-mile self-designed route through the American Southwest. He has hiked the CDT (2004), the PCT (2014), and over 11,000 miles of trail across Washington State. He retires from the Navy next February at 51 and plans to hike the Arizona Trail to celebrate. What's Covered in Part 2 The Sabbatical Philosophy Proving the Loop — Permit, Interruption, Return Fourteen and a Half Liters The 54-Mile Stretch and the Owl Biologists The Smoked Trout The 30-Foot Cliff Wolves, Bears, and an American Serengeti Bigfoot Status: Inconclusive The Book Pay It Forward — Washington Trails Association & Mountain Rescue Links & Resources Four Corners Loop Trail Association: https://www.fclta.org Washington Trails Association: https://www.wta.org Mountain Rescue Association: https://mra.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Kevin Koski — trail name The Animal — is a CDT (2004) and PCT (2014) veteran, a nuclear engineer for the U.S. Navy, and the creator of the Four Corners Loop (FCL), an approximately 2,400-mile, self-designed circular route connecting wild public lands across New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. He has logged over 11,000 miles of trail in Washington State alone and is a volunteer with Olympic Mountain Rescue. He retires from the Navy next February and plans to hike the Arizona Trail as a retirement gift to himself. What's Covered in Part 1 The Trail Name The Trailblazers Toolkit — Two Strange Addictions The Hiking Poll — Score: 23 A Career Nobody Expected Links & Resources Four Corners Loop Trail Association: https://www.fclta.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Part 2 drops in 10 minutes. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three trails. One year. Fewer than 30 people in history have done it. The Big Year: A Calendar Year Triple Crown Documentary is a four-part narrative audio series coming soon to Hiker Trash Radio. It starts with a sign in a bar in Duncannon. It ends on New Year's Eve in Key West, with two hikers finishing and two more waiting to start. In between: the longest snow year on record in the Sierra. A helicopter evacuation at 3,000 miles in. A wildfire. A cardiac ICU. A tent that slid downhill on the first night. 10,070 miles and no injury at the finish. And the question behind all of it: why? #HikerTrashRadio #CalendarYearTripleCrown #CYTC #TheBigYear #TripleCrown Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Kevin Koski, trail name The Animal, is a nuclear engineer for the U.S. Navy, a CDT (2004) and PCT (2014) veteran, and the creator of the Four Corners Loop: a self-designed, approximately 2,400-mile circular route connecting public lands across New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. He has logged over 11,000 miles of trail in Washington State and volunteers with Olympic Mountain Rescue. He retires from the Navy next February at 51. Episode Highlights The Circle on the Map 14.5 Liters Strange Addictions Wolves, Bears, and a 30-Foot Cliff A Pause for His Mother Trail Wisdom Links & Resources Four Corners Loop Trail Association: https://www.fclta.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Kevin drops Wednesday in two parts. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest Featured Jared Beasley Journalist and author - The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley, and a Race With No End (Simon & Schuster) Key Themes How Jared earned access to Laz: the math problem, the quit, the email Laz's childhood: the tumor, 1% survival odds, the Apollo program father, 10 schools in 10 years The Idiots Run: the predecessor race that set the template for the Barkley The philosophy of willpower over talent: why Laz designed uncertainty into every element What it felt like to be at Frozen Head reporting on the most significant Barkley in years The legacy runners: people in their 70s who have never finished a loop and keep coming back Standout Moment 'He was given a 1% chance to live. And when you live thinking that any moment could be the finish line, you live as if there is no finish line.' Series Context Bonus Episode 04 of 06. The first of two Jared Beasley conversations. Next episode: Whistling in the Dark - the studio interview. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Madeline Hryse recently completed four years of continuous nomadic travel — three years backpacking through Asia, one year cycling solo and with company from southern China to Sweden. She is newly sponsored by Tumbleweed Bikes and will spend this summer cycling the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico, after a shorter welcome-home trip through the Sierras. What's Covered in Part 2 The Accidental Influencer South Korea — The Grandma Era Asia, Up Close — Family and Culture The Tibetan Border Story The Crankset Disaster On Fear — Short-Term vs. Long-Term What Four Years Taught Her About People Hygiene on the Road — The Segment Nobody Else Asks For What's Next Off the Beaten Path — The Road from Karakol Pay It Forward — Leave No Trace Links & Resources Madeline Hryse — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/very__odd The Road from Karakol — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Road+from+Karakol Leave No Trace: https://lnt.org Tumbleweed Bikes: https://www.tumbleweedbikes.com Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Madeline Hryse has been nomadic for over four years — the first three spent backpacking through Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, the fourth spent cycling solo and with company from southern China to Sweden, through Central Asia and Europe. She grew up in Southern California with a mountaineer father who built bikes in his backyard. She recently returned home to Orange County and is sponsored by Tumbleweed Bikes for her next ride: the Continental Divide, Canada to Mexico. What's Covered in Part 1 The Trailblazer's Toolkit — A Good Tent The Cost of Four Years The Hiking Poll — Score: 31 A Day in the Life — Solo vs. Company From Walking to Wheels Links & Resources Madeline Hryse — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/very__odd Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Part 2 drops in 10 minutes. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three trails. One year. Fewer than 30 people in history have done it. The Big Year: A Calendar Year Triple Crown Documentary is a four-part narrative audio series coming soon to Hiker Trash Radio. It starts with a sign in a bar in Duncannon. It ends on New Year's Eve in Key West, with two hikers finishing and two more waiting to start. In between: The longest snow year on record in the Sierra. A helicopter evacuation at 3,000 miles in. A wildfire. A cardiac ICU. A tent that slid downhill on the first night. 10,070 miles and no injury at the finish. And the question behind all of it: why? #HikerTrashRadio #CalendarYearTripleCrown #CYTC #TheBigYear #PodcastDocumentary Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Madeline Hryse spent four years nomadic — three years backpacking through Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and China, and one year cycling solo and with company from southern China to Sweden, through Central Asia and Europe. She grew up in Southern California with a mountaineer father who built bikes in his backyard. She's newly sponsored by Tumbleweed Bikes for her next ride: the Continental Divide, Canada to Mexico. Episode Highlights The Short-Term Fear The Mountain Pass The Skill She Didn't Want to Need The Crankset Disaster What the World Taught Her The Hiking Hack — A Piece of String Links & Resources Madeline Hryse — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/very__odd Tumbleweed Bikes — Madeline's new sponsor for her upcoming Continental Divide ride. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Madeline drops Wednesday in two parts. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest Featured Jasmin Paris First female finisher of the Barkley Marathons: veterinarian, mother of two, Green Runners co-founder Key Themes The calculated three-year progression: Fun Run in 40 hours, then 36, then the finish The decision to go out on loop four despite feeling awful, and the stubbornness that distinguishes finishers Jared Campbell's offer of the clockwise direction on loop five, the gesture that made history The final kilometer: calculating splits in her head while her body screamed to stop What the race strips away, and what it leaves behind The Green Runners: why she wore patched shoes and a borrowed bag to the most watched ultra finish in history Standout Moment 'I got to the gate and just pretty much fell over it. Because I had no control of myself anymore. I was getting to the gate and I hadn't gone into the calculation of how to decelerate or touch the gate and sit down in a normal fashion. I just hit it and basically fell over.' Series Context Bonus Episode 03 of 06. The emotional centerpiece of The Source Material. Next episode: The Endurance Artist - Jared Beasley at the 2025 race. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Shane Weigand is the founder of New Mexico Pack Burros, based outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition to running backcountry packing trips and clinics, he directs five pack burro races on the Southwest racing circuit, co-runs a beverage burro business for weddings, and works full-time in public lands infrastructure for the federal government. He has six burros, three acres, and a half-ton truck with a horse trailer. Links & Resources New Mexico Pack Burros — Website: https://www.newmexicopackburros.com New Mexico Pack Burros — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmexicopackburros Unbranded — Documentary (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unbranded BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro Backcountry Burro — Shane's book. Order from the website for a signed copy and sticker. OTTR (Off the Trail Recreation) — Durable, high-quality outdoor gear. Sponsors the Hiking Hack segment. Hilltop Packs — Lightweight, durable, custom gear. Sponsors the Off the Beaten Path segment. Pack Burro Racing — Key Events Fairplay, Colorado — Birthplace of pack burro racing, 1949. Annual race to the top of Mosquito Pass. Part of Burro Days festival. Leadville, Colorado — Flagship race, centerpiece of Boom Days festival. Shane completed 150 miles of the Colorado Trail before racing here with Comet. Tombstone, Arizona — One of Shane's favorite venues. Incredible burro race with strong historic atmosphere. Ruidoso and Silver City, New Mexico — Fall races on the New Mexico circuit. International — A race ran in France two years ago. The circuit is growing. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Shane Weigand is the founder and chief burro wrangler of New Mexico Pack Burros, based outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. A former wildland firefighter and wildlife biologist who managed public lands in New Mexico, Shane picked up his first burro off Craigslist about ten years ago and has since built a community business centered on pack burro packing trips, wilderness clinics, burro racing, and the book Backcountry Burro: Your Guide to Packing Burros and Donkeys in the Backcountry. He currently owns six burros of all three size classes, directs five pack burro races on the Southwest racing circuit, and runs a tequila burro at weddings on the side. Links & Resources New Mexico Pack Burros — Website: https://www.newmexicopackburros.com Backcountry Burro: Your Guide to Packing Burros and Donkeys in the Backcountry — Shane's book. Available on Amazon or signed with a sticker from the website. Garage Grown Gear — Ultralight backpacking gear supporting small and cottage brands. Sponsors this episode. Free shipping on orders over $40. Six Moon Designs — Ultralight backpacking gear. Sponsors the Trailblazer's Toolkit segment. Triple Crown Coffee — Fine coffee supporting national scenic trail preservation. $1 per pound donated to trail nonprofits. Sponsors the Hiking Poll. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.   Part 2 drops in 10 minutes. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Full Traverse is a new long-form narrative format on Hiker Trash Radio. Each episode draws from multiple years of conversations with a single guest to tell the complete story: where they started, what shaped them, and who they became. This is Episode 1. Guest: Christine Reed, trail name Lady Unicorn, author, thru-hiker, FKT holder, and founder of Rugged Outdoorswoman Publishing. Book: Alone in Wonderland: Longing for Connection and Adventure in the Shadow of Mount Rainier, Christine's debut memoir, originally self-published in 2021 and re-released in April 2026 through Rocky Mountain Books. The new edition includes an afterword written five years after the original. Available wherever books are sold. Also mentioned: Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Christine's anthology of women's outdoor stories, featuring 26 contributors. Winner of the BAMF Award at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. Bethany Adams: FKT holder and author of her own memoir published through Rugged Outdoorswoman Publishing in March 2026. Trails featured in this episode: Appalachian Trail Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park Colorado Trail Long Trail, Vermont Ouachita Trail, Arkansas Womble Trail, Arkansas Mount Whitney, California POTS: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. A form of dysautonomia affecting the autonomic nervous system. Christine was diagnosed in 2020 after living with symptoms her entire life. For more information: dysautonomia.org FKT: Fastest Known Time. An informal record-keeping system for completing trails or routes. Records are tracked at fastestknowntime.com and are open to anyone. Follow Christine: Instagram: @ruggedoutdoorswoman Website: aloneinwonderland.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Shane Weigand is the founder of New Mexico Pack Burros, based outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. A former wildland firefighter and wildlife biologist who spent his career managing public lands, Shane picked up his first burro off Craigslist about ten years ago and has since built a community-driven business around backcountry packing trips, wilderness clinics, pack burro racing, and the book Backcountry Burro: Your Guide to Packing Burros and Donkeys in the Backcountry. He currently owns six burros of all three size classes — miniature, standard, and mammoth — and directs five races on the Southwest pack burro racing circuit. New Mexico Pack Burros is in its first year of guided multi-day expeditions in the Pecos Wilderness. Episode Highlights The Craigslist Burro Donkey, Burro, Mule — The Definitive Guide Why Burros — The Practical Case Pack Burro Racing The Guided Expedition The History the Horse Didn't Write The Water Stories Comet — He's Family Links & Resources New Mexico Pack Burros — Website: https://www.newmexicopackburros.com New Mexico Pack Burros — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmexicopackburros BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro Backcountry Burro: Your Guide to Packing Burros and Donkeys in the Backcountry — Shane's book. Available on Amazon or order signed with a sticker from newmexicopackburros.com. Unbranded — Adventure documentary following a group of men who trained wild mustangs and rode from Mexico to Canada. Available free on YouTube. Shane's media recommendation. Strong cinematography and a fair treatment of the wild horse and burro issue on public lands. Pack Burro Racing — Key Events Fairplay, Colorado — Birthplace of pack burro racing, 1949. Annual race to the top of Mosquito Pass. Part of Burro Days festival. Leadville, Colorado — Flagship race. Centerpiece of Boom Days. Shane completed 150 miles of the Colorado Trail before racing here with Comet. Tombstone, Arizona — One of Shane's favorite venues on the circuit. Ruidoso and Silver City, New Mexico — Fall circuit races. Full circuit — 20 to 30 races annually across the Southwest. Season runs January through fall. A race ran in France two years ago. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: </

Guests Featured Richard Shannon Zambia: first Zambian to run the Barkley Marathons Isobel Ross Australian at her third Barkley attempt Elizabeth Bespalov Isobel's daughter, crew member, learned about the race at age 5 Ben Wernick South Wales, ran despite near-fatal rhabdomyolysis two weeks prior Chris Fisher Former Navy SEAL Hell Week, on 'elective suffering' Kelly Halpin 3D model of Frozen Head, trained with nightmares about topo lines Brian Ralph Kelly's crew, the Indy car pit stop analogy Tomo Ihara From Japan on his sixth Barkley attempt John Clark Ten years working toward this start Kris Rugloski First-ever DNF, at the Barkley Dena Carr Runner, pre-race conversation Key Themes Who the Barkley selects for: the application process as first filter Elective suffering: the philosophy connecting SEAL training, ultra running, and the Barkley Crewing at a race with no information, the unique anxiety of waiting at the gate How people arrive at the Barkley from completely different corners of the world The post-race reckoning: pride, disappointment, and the immediate question of whether to come back Standout Moment Elizabeth Bespalov: 'I first learned about this race when I was maybe five or six. I'd fallen asleep in the car and when I woke up, all I heard was that the race was about books. And I was just enthralled because I loved books. I was like, this is the best race ever, mom.' Series Context Bonus Episode 02 of 06. Follows Ground Zero at the 2025 Barkley Marathons. Next episode: 99 Seconds - Jasmine Paris. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our 2026 Pacific Crest Trail correspondent Austen Goring made it 76 miles before a mysterious ankle injury forced him off the trail. In this episode, Doc sits down with Austen to talk about what happened out there — the physical toll of a desert that doesn't negotiate, the emotional weight of stepping off a dream, and the strange, coyote-adjacent ending to his first attempt at the PCT. In this episode: The lead-up to the trail — gear prep, resupply boxes, and that last restaurant dinner Life in the desert: solo hiking, deep thoughts, and an urgent craving for fruit How the ankle injury developed — and why Austen kept going anyway The decision to step off trail, and the guilt that came with it A missing shoe, a suspected coyote, and one very clear sign from the universe What Austen would do differently — and why 2027 is already on the radar Mentioned in this episode: Chris "Winslow Walks" Anderson, former HTR guest FarOut app Kennedy Meadows Julian, CA Sponsors: Six Moon Designs | Triple Crown Coffee | Off the Trail Recreation | Hilltop Packs | Vera Watches | Far Out | Garage Grown Gear | Jolly Gear Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Will Roquemore — trail name Last Strap — is a fourth-generation Idahoan, PCT class of 2025 finisher, and full-time Prius nomad based in Boise, Idaho. He produces hiking content on YouTube at Sucker for Side Quests and is currently editing his PCT series. He hiked the first 50 miles of the Arizona Trail in March before tapping out due to record heat and body burnout after the PCT. What's Covered in Part 2 The Breakup — Five Days In The Hot Take — Thru-Hiking Is Not Therapy Prius Life — The Philosophy Nomad Gatherings and Skooliepalooza The Best Hitch — Gunner the Chihuahua The Trail Romance Warning Post-Trail Depression and the AZT The Dad Story — Harts Pass Hiking Hacks — Three for the Price of One Off the Beaten Path Pay It Forward — SPONC Idaho Hot Springs Links & Resources Sucker for Side Quests — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SuckerForSideQuests Liz Kidder (Handstand) — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LizKidder Dean's List (Forerunner) — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DeansListHiking SPONC — Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer: https://www.spohnc.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.   Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Will Roquemore — trail name Last Strap — is a fourth-generation Idahoan, PCT class of 2025 finisher, part-time Arizona Trail hiker, and full-time nomad living in a converted 2016 Toyota Prius V wagon. He has been living on the road since 2020, produces hiking content on his YouTube channel Sucker for Side Quests, and is currently based in Boise, Idaho, editing his PCT footage and spending time with family. Links & Resources Sucker for Side Quests — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SuckerForSideQuests Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Part 2 of this conversation drops in 10 minutes. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Will Roquemore — trail name Last Strap — is a fourth-generation Idahoan, PCT class of 2025 finisher, part-time Arizona Trail hiker, and full-time nomad living in a converted 2016 Toyota Prius V wagon. He has been on the road since 2020, produces hiking content on his YouTube channel Sucker for Side Quests, and is currently based in Boise, Idaho, editing his PCT footage and spending time with family. He hiked the first 50 miles of the Arizona Trail in March before tapping out due to record heat and a body not yet recovered from the PCT. Episode Highlights The Trail Name Last Strap is a pre-trail name given to Will by his longtime backpacking friend Chris, who instituted the rule after watching Will fail to leave camp on too many occasions due to having too much fun before the pack was packed. The rule: no extracurricular fun until the last strap is fastened. The name was already established among his Idaho and Colorado crew before the PCT. He considered getting a new one. Nobody else has it. He kept it. The Prius — A Philosophy of Freedom During COVID, Last Strap was renting cars to drive between Colorado Springs and Boise to see family. He rabbit-holed into the Prius nomad YouTube community, found a 2016 Toyota Prius V wagon — the station wagon model, only made for three years — and bought it. When his landlord raised the rent during lockdown, a friend asked why he needed all his stuff anyway. He sold it, gave it away, donated it, or threw it away until everything he owned fit in the Prius. He quotes Fight Club: the things you own end up owning you. He cannot stop using the word freedom. The Prius forces the discipline and provides the mobility — including great gas mileage that makes cross-country drives cost $90 instead of $800. Origin Story — Jimmy Smith Lake Last Strap grew up fishing and camping in Idaho with a mother who took her kids outdoors before they could walk. In his late 20s he hiked to Trinity Lakes with a friend, kept going alone when she turned back, and knew immediately he had found his thing. He and his bass player Chris drove through the night after a metal concert, hiked into a snowstorm at 2 a.m., set up tents in a field of cow pies, got a fire going — and the saturated rocks started exploding and shooting hot shrapnel at them. They stayed, caught fish, ate them on the mountain, and have been close friends ever since. Chris later became the world's best PCT resupplier. Getting to the PCT Last Strap heard about the PCT in the early 2000s and immediately classified it as impossible for him. He kept backpacking for years. About five years ago a retinal detachment and subsequent surgery led to a hard year of mental health recovery. His partner at the time encouraged him to look into actually doing the PCT. He kept refreshing the permit system until he got one. Once the permit was real

Guests / Voices Featured Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell) Pre-race speech to the 2025 runners, captured live Carl Laniak Conch blow, reading of the names of the dead Keith Dunn On-the-ground commentary and race updates 2025 Runners & Crew Pre- and post-race conversations including Richard Shannon, Kelly Halpin, Ben Wernick, Isobel Ross, John Clark, Tomo Ihara, Kris Rugloski, and others John Kelly 2025 Fun Run finish at 3:27 AM Lies Makhlouf The lost runner: nap at the prison, missing map, Aurelien Sanchez translating in French Key Themes The Barkley start ceremony in real time: conch, speech, taps, cigarette The texture of waiting: nine hours at the fire ring before the conch blows What happens when things go wrong mid-race: the Lies Makhlouf story The post-race reckoning: who came back and what they said John Kelly's 3:27 AM Fun Run finish in wind and rain: the episode's live audio climax Standout Moment Laz to the assembled runners, one minute before the cigarette: 'Everybody's free of electronics. How's it feel? The first time you've been truly free. Probably all year.' Series Context This is Bonus Episode 01 of 06. The Source Material is the complete archive from The Barkley: A Love Story - six bonus episodes released weekly following the three-part documentary series. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Lori Balue is a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and metabolic restoration practitioner based in Southern California. After a 25-year journey through chronic asthma, pre-diabetes, PCOS, food addiction, and 100 pounds of weight she couldn't keep off, Lori solved her own metabolism and then built a practice helping others over 50 do the same. She is a half-marathon finisher, multi-time Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hiker, and summit regular in the San Gabriels and Sierra Nevada. At 63, she is currently training for Mount Whitney. What's Covered in Part 1 What Is Metabolic Restoration? Lori breaks down what a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner actually does — finding the root cause of metabolic dysfunction and filling in the cracks. Her go-to analogy: Humpty Dumpty. Put the body back together again, one piece at a time, in three to six months. The Trailblazer's Toolkit — Garmin Watch Lori's dream piece of gear: a Garmin GPS watch, so she can track trail maps from her wrist without stopping to pull out her phone. Currently uses AllTrails. Training for Mount Whitney, so the timing for an upgrade is right. Doc weighs in on his own Garmin Instinct and the particular personality type of the person who obsessively logs every activity — including for tax purposes. The Hiking Poll — Score: 82 Lori becomes the highest-scoring guest in Hiking Poll history, earning an 82 on the sanity scale — and the distinction of being the first guest not to lose automatic points before the poll even starts. Highlights from the poll: her first hike that proved her body was built for this (Zion half marathon, 2020, after losing significant weight and completing it pain-free for the first time); the biggest trail nutrition mistake hikers make (too much sugar, not enough fat and protein); and the one superfood always in her pack (the keto brick). One-word description of sprinting at 63: joy. Why Hiking Gets Harder After 50 It's not age. It's mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction, insulin resistance, and chronically underfueling with protein. Lori explains the Pac-Man model of mitochondrial energy production and why fat fuels the body's energy system far more effectively than sugar — and why most hikers are carrying the wrong food for the miles they're asking of themselves. The GLP-1 Question Doc asks about GLP-1 agonist weight loss medications — the injection-based drugs that have become widely used for rapid weight loss. Lori's position: they work, but at a significant cost. Up to 50% of the weight lost is lean muscle mass and bone density. You regain the fat when you stop — but not the muscle or bone. Her approach achieves the same outcome through low-carb nutrition that naturally stimulates GLP-1 production while preserving and building muscle. Six months versus a lifetime of inject

About the Guest Lori Balue is a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and metabolic restoration practitioner based in Southern California. After losing 100 pounds in her 50s and reversing asthma, pre-diabetes, and chronic joint pain through metabolic restoration, she has completed multiple Grand Canyon rim-to-rims, runs half marathons annually, and summits peaks across the San Gabriels and Sierra Nevada. At 63, she is training for Mount Whitney. What's Covered in Part 2 Why We Get Fat — The Full Picture Nobody chooses to be overweight. The environment is toxic. Lori traces the dietary shift from pre-1970s eating — natural fats, protein, whole foods, three meals a day — to the fat-free era of the '70s and '80s, when sugar and ultra-processed food replaced fat and protein. The result: chronically elevated insulin, suppressed satiety signals, and a food supply engineered to override the body's natural appetite shutoff. It's not willpower. It's biochemistry. Lori's Journey — The Full Arc From the teenager who lost weight on Atkins and felt her depression lift, to the 225-pound woman cycling through Nutrisystem and starvation diets in her 30s and 40s. Wheat and dairy sensitivities she didn't yet know she had. Food addiction she couldn't overcome through willpower because willpower isn't the right tool. Pre-diabetes. PCOS. Twenty-five years of trying. The Wheat Belly, the HCG diet, paleo, finally keto — and then the moment her brain turned back on and she understood what had been happening to her body the whole time. How to Restore Your Metabolism Metabolic restoration starts with diagnostic labs — a roadmap of digestion, gut health, hormones, food sensitivities, and mineral levels. Fix the digestion first: if you're not absorbing protein, no amount of eating right will work. Add back the minerals — potassium, sodium, the spark plugs of the body. Reduce insulin response through low-carb nutrition. Build muscle through protein and movement. The metabolism follows. Three to six months, guided. Not complicated, Lori says — just the basics, done right. The Grand Canyon as a Measuring Stick Lori has been returning to the Grand Canyon annually since 2016, when she went down to Phantom Ranch with her then-husband and had excruciating knee pain on every downhill step. Each subsequent visit she tracked her body's progress — more strength, less pain, less altitude sickness. The rim-to-rim came when her body was simply capable of it. Her most recent hike: a personal best on Bright Angel, five hours from the river to the rim, passing younger hikers who were struggling. She fueled just right. She didn't sit down once. The Mount Wilson Fatality Lori was hiking with a group at Mount Wilson when a member of her party — an experienced runner in excellent shape, headed for the Grand Canyon — stepped too

Jimmy Nichols lost two daughters to late-term stillbirth within a year. No medical explanation. Just the arrival at a hospital and the emptiness that followed, twice. He is a sommelier, a punk guitarist, a section hiker on the AT. He is also a man who spent a long time suppressing more anger and despair than anyone around him knew about. The trail didn’t fix it. But it equalized him. And then one day in a Georgia thunderstorm, down in a gully next to a spring, something happened that he hadn’t planned on. In this episode: Zoe and Hope — two daughters, one year, no answers The anger he hid from everyone, including Candace The lunch breaks crying in his car that nobody knew about What day hikes became, and why he signed up for eight days on the AT Two and a half days of rain, and a spring in a gully Two cardinals in a thunderstorm Captain Hook, a trekking pole, and a mile of cackling in the rain Sobriety: a sommelier, a punk band, and an ER room that changed everything The ten weeks Candace spent in the NICU to bring Fiona home Why the trail is still where he finds his peace Dark Miles is a narrative documentary series from Hiker Trash Radio — produced stories about the internal terrain of the outdoor experience. These are the miles that don’t show up on Strava. If you have lost a child, or anyone you loved too soon, Jimmy would like to hear from you. Reach out through Hiker Trash Radio and we will make sure he gets your message. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio: Website:  hikertrashradio.com Instagram:  instagram.com/hikertrashradio Apply to be a Dark Miles guest:  hikertrashradio.com/dark-miles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Lori Balue is a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and metabolic restoration practitioner based in Southern California. After a 25-year journey through chronic asthma, pre-diabetes, PCOS, food addiction, and 100 pounds of weight she couldn't keep off, Lori solved her own metabolism — at 60 — and built a practice helping others over 50 do the same. She is a half-marathon finisher, multi-time Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hiker, and regular summit hiker in the San Gabriels and Sierra Nevada. At 63, she is training for Mount Whitney. Episode Highlights The Humpty Dumpty Model Lori's working metaphor for what she does — and what the episode is about. You fill in all the cracks and put yourself back up on the wall so you can get moving again. It applies to her practice and to her own story: a body that was genuinely broken, rebuilt piece by piece over 25 years, now capable of things it couldn't do at 35. Vernal Falls — Then and Now In her 40s, Lori was 225 pounds with asthma, sinusitis, and bronchitis. She hiked Vernal Falls with her eight-year-old son — he ran up the steps while she could barely move, certain she was going to die on the staircase. Her allergist told her she would always be on an inhaler. She went back to Vernal Falls after losing the weight and curing the asthma. It was easy. The allergist was wrong. Why We Get Fat — And Why It's Not Willpower Nobody chooses to be overweight. The food environment is toxic by design. Ultra-processed foods are engineered to mimic the sensation of eating protein without delivering any — so the body never gets the signal to stop eating. Add chronically elevated insulin from a high-carbohydrate diet, undiagnosed food sensitivities that trigger depression and inflammation, and decades of low-fat dietary advice that stripped away the very macronutrients the body needs — and you get an epidemic that has nothing to do with personal failure. Lori's 25-Year Arc Raised in the San Gabriel Valley, the only one of seven siblings to struggle with weight. Atkins as a teenager — it worked, and her depression lifted with it. Then processed food addiction she couldn't name or overcome. Twenty pounds up, then more, then 225 pounds by her mid-30s. Nutrisystem. Starvation diets. The Wheat Belly. The HCG diet. Paleo. Finally keto — and the moment her brain turned back on. Functional diagnostic nutrition training. Her own diagnostic labs. The answer, 25 years in the making: wheat and dairy sensitivities driving depression, food addiction, and metabolic dysfunction. Fix the root cause and the weight comes off — and stays off. The Wake-Up Call Coming home from an outing with her eight-year-old son and hearing her husband ask, without looking up from the couch, when she was going to lose the weight. She got a book. Then another. Then 25 years of boo

The Barkley: A Love Story concludes. This is the episode the series has been building toward. We hear from the finishers: the 26 people in 40 years who have completed five loops in 60 hours. Jared Campbell, four-time finisher, on what the race selects for in a person. John Kelly, who grew up across the road from Frozen Head State Park and calls the Barkley his home course. Ihor Verys, who didn't like running six years before he finished first. John Fegyveresi, who applied from Antarctica and held the slowest known time for over a decade. And then . . . Jasmine Paris. In her own words. The veterinarian and mother of two who wore patched shoes and a borrowed bag, who touched the yellow gate with 99 seconds to spare, and became the first woman in Barkley history to finish. Part three of three. The payoff. Guests Featured Jasmine Paris — first female finisher of the Barkley Marathons Jared Campbell — four-time Barkley finisher John Kelly — four-time Barkley finisher Aurelien Sanchez — 2023 Barkley finisher, first non-American finisher since 1995 Ihor Verys ("Eeyore") — 2024 Barkley first-place finisher John Fegyveresi ("Lakewood") — 2012 Barkley finisher, former slowest known time holder Finn Melanson — Single Track Podcast, eyewitness to Jasmine's 2024 finish Jacob Zocherman — photographer of the iconic Jasmine Paris finish image Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author, speaker, and Triple Triple Crowner Heather Anderson joins Doc for some studio time to talk about her new book, Farther. Settle in and buckle ups as Heather discusses her 2018 CYTC (the basis for Farther), spills on the AZT, bad life choices, heavy ass packs, the North Cascades, dumpster-adjacent campsites, blacklisted foods, interesting uses for Pringle cans, killer bees, mountain lions, life phases, and simply refusing to quit. Epic. (This is Part II. Be sure to listen to Part I.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author, speaker, and Triple Triple Crowner Heather Anderson joins Doc for some studio time to talk about her new book, Farther. Settle in and buckle ups as Heather discusses her 2018 CYTC (the basis for Farther), spills on the AZT, bad life choices, heavy ass packs, the North Cascades, dumpster-adjacent campsites, blacklisted foods, interesting uses for Pringle cans, killer bees, mountain lions, life phases, and simply refusing to quit. Epic. (This is Part I. Be sure to listen to Part II.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode Overview: Doc welcomes back Jared "Fisherman" Lampal for his first official on-trail check-in. Standing right on the border looking into Colorado, Jared has checked the massive milestone of New Mexico off his list. In this raw look at life on the Divide, Jared breaks down how his structured mindset translates to the unpredictable backcountry, the reality of desert water management, and what it’s like to shift from a desk job to full-time trail life. Key Discussion Points: The New Mexico Milestone: Jared reflects on spending over a month completing his first state section, contrasting the massive scale of the CDT against the AT. The "Corridor" Philosophy: Embracing advice from a veteran Triple Crowner, Jared explains his route approach—treating the CDT as a continuous corridor from Mexico to Canada while taking scenic dirt alternates rather than sticking strictly to a red line on a road. Trail Highlights: A look at the standout beauty of the river-crossing canyon of the Gila alternate and the wind-worn sandstone mesas between Grants and Cuba. The Crowded CDT: Why Jared was surprised by how social the bubble is this season, including a heavy trail town gathering in Chama. Horrendous Water Realities: A deep dive into the brutal water logistics of New Mexico, from relying heavily on 20-mile cache carries and cow troughs to a sketchy, desperate camp session beside a murky, cow-poop-ringed pond. Looking Ahead to Colorado: Transitioning from the high desert directly into peak country and high-altitude climbs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ben Cox has never really hiked alone. He carries a permanent tramily with him — his grandfather, who died when Ben was 15 and left him a specific rifle and a saddle because Ben was his cowboy grandchild. The girl in West Texas who passed that same summer. The others who came after. At 26, after a relationship ended and a work situation resolved itself, Ben bought a plane ticket to San Diego and hiked 2,650 miles north on the Pacific Crest Trail. He didn’t know a single soul when he started. He went anyway. This is the story of what he was carrying, what the trail asked of him, and what he found on a Tuesday in Ocean City, Maryland when it was all over. In this episode: The year Ben was 15 — two losses, one summer, and a campus in the Smokies that changed everything Alone in the crowd — 50 to 80 hours a week in public service and still somehow by yourself Three weeks from the breakup to the southern terminus The night the tramily fell apart and his grandfather arrived Freezing to death in his underwear in the Sierras — poles in hand, looking for a flat-ish spot What post-trail depression actually feels like when the trail is gone A banana milkshake, a tub of fries, and a woman reading a book on a Tuesday Dark Miles is a narrative documentary series from Hiker Trash Radio — produced stories about the internal terrain of the outdoor experience. These are the miles that don’t show up on Strava. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio: Website:  hikertrashradio.com Instagram:  instagram.com/hikertrashradio Apply to be a Dark Miles guest:  hikertrashradio.com/dark-miles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Heather Anderson is a Michigan-born long-distance hiker, author, speaker, and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. She has completed the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail three times each, making her one of very few triple-triple crowners in history. In 2018 she completed all three in a single calendar year: 7,900+ miles in eight months. She has held multiple fastest known time records on long trails, including an unsupported FKT on the 800-mile Arizona Trail completed in 24 days and one hour. She hosts the Fastest Known Time podcast and is the author of three books: Thirst; Mud, Rocks, Blazes; and Farther. Farther — The Book Farther chronicles Heather's 2018 calendar year Triple Crown. It is written entirely from memory — no trail journal, no notes — eight years after the hike. Heather says she doesn't work from outlines; she writes the way she hikes: the structure comes from the journey itself. The emotional core of the book is the tension between accomplishment and self-doubt — the experience of having done a great deal and still not knowing if you can do the next thing — and the way that walking, repeated across years and phases of a life, becomes both a constant and a mirror.   The Books Farther by Heather Anderson — memoir of the 2018 calendar year Triple Crown. Available now. Mud, Rocks, Blazes — Heather's memoir of her AT speed record. Thirst — Heather's memoir of her PCT speed record. Heather's Media Recommendation A Fabulous Through Hike by Derek Lugo — a newly released account of Lugo's CDT through-hike. One of very few books written about the Continental Divide Trail. Heather's recommendation. (Note: Derek Lugo has appeared on Hiker Trash Radio — see also his first book, The Unlikely Through Hiker, about his AT hike.) Links & Resources Heather Anderson — Website: https://www.wordsfromthewild.net Heather Anderson — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordsfromthewild Fastest Known Time Podcast (hosted by Heather): https://fastestknowntime.com/podcast Chippewa Watershed Conservancy: https://www.chippewa watershed.org Farther (order): https://www.wordsfromthewild.net Upcoming Appearances Appalachian Trail Days — Heather speaking on the calendar year Triple Crown a

The Barkley: A Love Story continues. In Episode Two, we go to Frozen Head State Park. This episode is anchored by audio captured live at the 2025 Barkley Marathons: the conch blow, Laz's pre-race speech, the reading of the names of those no longer with us, taps, and the lighting of the cigarette. You hear the race begin. Then you hear what happens to the people who go out into those woods. We hear from runners who trained for years and came up short. From crew members who waited at the gate for 16 hours with no information. From a Swedish war photographer who recovered from PTSD by running trails at night and found himself crying at the Barkley finish line in 2024. And at the end, a name. 99 seconds to spare. More on her in Episode Three. Part two of three. Guests Featured Finn Melanson — Single Track Podcast, 2024 Barkley media Jacob Zocherman — Swedish war photographer and photojournalist, 2024 Barkley Damian Hall — British ultra runner, 3× Barkley competitor Multiple 2025 Barkley runners and crew members including Kelly Halpin, Richard Shannon (first Zambian to run the Barkley), Ben Wernick, Chris Fisher, Dena Carr, Tomo Ihara, and more Jamil Coury — race director and Barkley competitor Mike Wardian — marathoner, Barkley competitor John Kelly — four-time Barkley finisher Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Triple Crowner and creator of the Great Colorado Route Donovan "Iceman" Rice joins Doc in the studio to talk about his love letter to Colorado, the 1,700-mile route through the heart of the Colorado outdoors. Settle in and buckle up as Iceman discusses frozen tents, seasonal gigs, overcoming addiction, only known times, mutual enablers, cold soaking, 400k feet of elevation gain, the gnarly & sporty GCR, and a hitch story you have to hear to believe. Epic. (This is Part II. Be sure to listen to Part I.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Triple Crowner and creator of the Great Colorado Route Donovan "Iceman" Rice joins Doc in the studio to talk about his love letter to Colorado, the 1,700-mile route through the heart of the Colorado outdoors. Settle in and buckle up as Iceman discusses frozen tents, seasonal gigs, overcoming addiction, only known times, mutual enablers, cold soaking, 400k feet of elevation gain, the gnarly & sporty GCR, and a hitch story you have to hear to believe. Epic. (This is Part I. Be sure to listen to Part II.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7. Call or text 988. Cara Benson spent years in active addiction before the Adirondack Mountains gave her something she’d been looking for in all the wrong places. She got sober. She hiked. She found a man named John who left rebus messages on the kitchen counter — hand-drawn symbols instead of words, rays of sunshine about the most pedestrian things. Then John died by suicide. And the mountains that had carried her through addiction had to carry her through something else entirely. This episode is about what she found on the other side of both. In this episode: The addiction years — what Tuesday actually looked like The hidden struggle with body dysmorphic disorder she’d never told anyone Eight years sober and not wanting to live — the depression that had been there all along The day some coworkers asked if she wanted to go hiking, and something in her said yes John — the rebus messages, the ordinary days, what he gave her The six days, and the black SUV in the driveway Getting lost in the woods on purpose — howling, locating herself in the trees The converted church on the mountain, the beaver lodge in the storm, the fluorescent light that had to go What John’s birds gave back to her Why she committed to love anyway Dark Miles is a narrative documentary series from Hiker Trash Radio — produced stories about the internal terrain of the outdoor experience. These are the miles that don’t show up on Strava. Connect with Cara Benson: Book — An Arms Full of Birds:  carabenson.com Instagram:  instagram.com/carabensonwriter   Connect with Hiker Trash Radio: Website:  hikertrashradio.com Instagram:  instagram.com/hikertrashradio Apply to be a Dark Miles guest:  hikertrashradio.com/dark-miles If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donovan “Iceman” Rice is a Colorado native, Triple Crowner, and the designer of the Great Colorado Route. He earned the name Iceman on the PCT in 2020 after freezing his tent to the ground. Twice. Once on Mount San Jacinto in the Southern California desert. Once at the base of Forester Pass. The second incident required a borrowed ice ax and boiling water poured directly onto frozen ground at 3 a.m. After completing the PCT, the CDT, and the Eastern Continental Trail (2025), Iceman turned his attention to designing an original loop through Colorado: 1,700 miles, approximately 400,000 feet of vertical gain, scramble-heavy, and entirely his own creation. He starts in mid-May 2026. Links & Resources The Great Colorado Route: https://www.greatcoloradoRoute.com Follow Iceman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theicemaneth Colorado Fourteeners Initiative: https://www.14ers.org Fourteeners.com (Bill Middlebrook): https://www.14ers.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Barkley Marathons has only been finished 26 times in 40 years. This is the first episode of a three-part audio documentary series from Hiker Trash Radio — The Barkley: A Love Story. In Episode One, we go to the beginning. Who is Gary "Laz" Cantrell, the man who built the most obsessively followed race in endurance sport? We hear from Laz himself on how the Barkley was born, why it was designed the way it is, and what he sees when he looks at the people who come to run it. We also hear from Jared Beasley, the only authorized biographer of Laz, interviewed live at the 2025 Barkley Marathons after three years of reporting. This is not a recap. This is a love story. Part one of three. Guests Featured Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell) — creator of the Barkley Marathons and Backyard Ultra Jared Beasley — journalist and author of The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley, and a Race With No End (Simon & Schuster) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7. Call or text 988. Steven Wright’s wife Sandy told him on her deathbed to hike the Appalachian Trail. She had six days left to say it. He didn’t go right away. First came 18 months of grief that got worse instead of better, a breakdown, an escape from a hospital in a nightgown, and a moment in his truck on a highway where he shut his eyes and turned the wheel. A thunderstorm stopped him. A phone call brought him back. When a counselor finally asked what made him happy, he said hiking. She said go. He heard Sandy’s voice saying it. He hiked 2,200 miles with five broken bones, through three hurricanes, with the wanting-to-die still following him into the wilderness. And somewhere on a mountain in December, in 14 inches of snow, a dead ash tree fell on the stump where he had just been standing, and he realized he wanted to live. In this episode: Sandy’s diagnosis, her death, and the deathbed conversation that sent him to Georgia The breakdown, the escape from the hospital, and the moment on the highway Starting the AT with a torn rotator cuff and no intention of stopping The nightmare that followed him from home into the wilderness The mud puddle, the chainsaw, and the man who pulled him out The phone call from his daughter that broke the darkest stretch The night at the lake in Maine where he felt Sandy’s presence The falling tree and what it told him about whether he wanted to live The wooden hut, the snow, and a 30-year-old guilt he finally put down What he does now when people call him from the dark Dark Miles is a narrative documentary series from Hiker Trash Radio — produced stories about the internal terrain of the outdoor experience. These are the miles that don’t show up on Strava. Connect with Steven Wright: Book — The Weight I Carried:  theweighticarried.com Email:  [email protected] Instagram:  instagram.com/stevencwright   Connect with Hiker Trash Radio: Website:  hikertrashradio.com Instagram:  instagram.com/hikertrashradio Apply to be a Dark Miles guest:  hikertrashradio.com/dark-miles   If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a h

Thru hiker Brad "Sheep Dog" Barber joins Doc in the studio for some trail talk on the eve of his CDT thru hike. Settle in and buckle up as Sheep Dog seeks his limits while discussing Vertigo, old water charts, the Great Basin Loop, not cheating on the Hayduke, unique shakedown hikes, Coldfoot, water seep strategies, Wildflower, the AZT, the AT, the PCT, and the thrill of living up to the hype. Epic. (This is Part II. Be sure to listen to Part I.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thru hiker Brad "Sheep Dog" Barber joins Doc in the studio for some trail talk on the eve of his CDT thru hike. Settle in and buckle up as Sheep Dog seeks his limits while discussing Vertigo, old water charts, the Great Basin Loop, not cheating on the Hayduke, unique shakedown hikes, Coldfoot, water seep strategies, Wildflower, the AZT, the AT, the PCT, and the thrill of living up to the hype. Epic. (This is Part I. Be sure to listen to Part II.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.