In Episode 48, Cardiac and Drone Boy discuss their summer backpacking trip on the Inca Trail in Peru. Their four day hike took them over ~14,000 feet peaks in the legendary Andes Mountains and culminated at the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu – which is one of the most photographed tourist destinations in South America.
I have a friend hiking the Appalachian Trail this year and his schedule (and some inclement weather) had him take a zero day in Gatlinburg, TN which gave us an opportunity to catch up with him last weekend. Here is the World Wide Wanderer (aka 3W) relaxing on the balcony of the LeConte View Motel.
In Episode 35, we discuss the most influential hikers and backpackers of all time as we sit by a campfire in North Georgia on an autumn night with coyotes running wild in the background. First, a shout out to the trail conferences, clubs, maintainers, ridge-runners, trail angels, and financial benefactors to Trail – because you are collectively more important than any individual for your contributions. But tonight we review some of the names that came up the most frequently in hiking and backpacking forums when we posted the question to the trail community.
50 Hikes 50 States 50 Years
As someone who likes to hike and backpack, I decided a number of years ago that I wanted to hike 50 trails in 50 States before I was 50 years old. I’m certain that I’m not the first to do this – although I made the decision without any outside influence and with two basic rules...
Panthertown Valley is one of my favorite hiking spots in North Carolina. It is located near Cashiers, NC in the western section of the State and was purchased by the Nature Conservancy from Duke Power in 1989. Panthertown is now part of the Nantahala National Forest and has been growing rapidly in popularity – especially over the last ten years.
There is nothing better than escaping a trade show in Las Vegas for the backcountry and fresh air of Zion National Park. After a 3 hour drive Fuller and I arrive in Springdale, UT and stay a short distance from the park. Our first mission is to hike the Hidden Canyon Trail.
It’s been 20 years since I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. There’s no doubt, it was a different Trail back then – fewer thru-hikers, no cell phones, and no websites to research the A.T. prior to heading out.
We satisfy a listener request for a show on backcountry basics. Recorded at a remote campsite on the Chattooga River, I speak with Therm Rider and The Camel about some of our rookie mistakes in the backcountry and smart things that we’ve done since our first ventures in to the wilderness.
The weatherman said there was a 100% chance of rain today, and he was 100% right! It rained all morning, and all afternoon.....
Walk In The Woods Premieres To Mixed Reviews
Walk In The Woods premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week to mixed reviews. Here's a sampling. The Guardian "Plenty of silly little incidents ensue along the way, with lots of jokes about advancing years. Most of these episodes are far too low-stakes to carry a movie and the bigger picture..
A letter to ATC Executive Director, Ron Tiptop, lays out the current issues – many of which focus on thru-hikers that overwhelm park resources and occasionally don’t follow the rules of Baxter Park (ie. no public consumption of alchohol or drugs, camping only designated areas, no dogs in to the park, etc).
After fattening up on Thanksgiving dinner, The Camel meets us in North Carolina for a hike in to Panthertown Valley.
You may have heard that Walk In The Woods is filming now in the Atlanta area, and Friday I was cast as an extra in a bunkroom scene with actors Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. True to the book, it was set at Rainbow Springs, N.C. after an April snowstorm
It is sunny when we leave Atlanta and the forecast is for temperatures in the 50’s in nearby Franklin, N.C. But as we drive the 2 1/2 hours north to the Appalachian Trail we spot a line of clouds and a cold front pushing in from the Northwest.
Friends of ours camp nearby tonight and have bears wandering in their camp near Preacher Rock. They opt to hike out at midnight, but our encounter is less dramatic. We only find an angry rattlesnake in the middle of the trail that quickly slithers off.
Take a side hike up Siler Bald, go swimming in the pool at Caledonia State Park, take the gondola ride down to Killington – and yes, stay a night or two in a trail town.
In the research, McNeely discovered evidence that Earl Shaffer bypassed at least 170 miles of the trail which, if true, will alter the history of the Appalachian Trail forever – much as proving George Mallory didn’t actually summit Mount Everest would forever alter the history of mountain
Backpacking Podcasts
Episode 68: Teenage Thru-Hiker
In Episode 68, "IronWill" Callahan joins the show to tell us what it's like being a teenage thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail. In February of this year, Will left Springer Mountain at the age of 17 and hiked northbound to Woods Hole in Virginia where he discovered he had a fractured … Read More...
Episode 67: Jotunheimen National Park
In Episode 67, Kaylee (aka "Smiles") is back on the show to tell us about her summer hike across Jotunheimen National Park. The park is recognized as one of Norway's premier hiking and fishing regions and it has 250 peaks that rise above 6,000 feet - including Northern Europe's two highest … Read More...
Episode 66B: Motor City Ramblers (A.T. 25th)
In Episode 66, the Motor City Ramblers tell us about their 1994 thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. This is the third release in a special bonus series to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our hike, and it was recorded at Trail Days on May 13, 1995 in Damascus, Virginia. In this episode, we … Read More...
Episode 65: Dream Job
In Episode 65, I speak with an inspiring person who loves the outdoors and found a a way to follow his passion - hiking, camping, and backpacking as a FULL time career over the course of 30+ years. If you are from the South, you likely know the name Johhny Molloy. He is an accomplished outdoor … Read More...
Episode 64: Trail Days 2019
In Episode 64, Gary "Drone Boy" Vaughan returns to the show to discuss our May trip to Appalachian Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia. He recently chauffeured me to the annual event where I joined the Class of 1994 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our thru-hike. In the podcast, we talk … Read More...
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