BirdShooter's Backpacking Blog & Podcast Series
In Episode 74, we record at a historic time. Coronavirus has caused a worldwide pandemic. The governor of Georgia just cancelled school for the year and ordered a "shelter in place" mandate across the State. So tonight we skip the studio interview, record with a combo of Skype, Join Me, and Zoom, and embrace the social distancing guidelines of the CDC. In the show, we discuss our time on the Trail this month, talk about how hiking has changed over the last two weeks, … [Read more...]
This is a 5 minute slideshow of some of my favorite pics from my hike on the Appalachian Trail – April 10th to October 15th 1994. I spent 188 days on the A.T. in ’94 passing through 14 states, 8 national forests, 6 units of the national park system, and 60 state park, forest, or game lands. The video is higher definition and shorter than this one and was created in April 2019 to mark the 25th anniversary of my hike. Runtime is 5 minutes, 04 seconds. … [Read more...]
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 tibia. After taking a break to heal, he returned to the trail to finish his hike - completing the Vermont to Virginia section southbound. In the podcast, Will talks about what it's like being one of … [Read more...]
In Episode 65, Johnny Malloy tells us about his passion for hiking and backpacking and how it led to a 30+ year career as a guidebook author. Johnny graduated from the University of Tennessee in the 80's with an economics degree but decided to never work a 9-5 job. He is now an accomplished outdoor writer and columnist with over 70 camping, fishing, hiking, and padding guidebooks to his credit - covering 26 States in the U.S. with many in the heart of Dixie. We recently met at Trail Days … [Read more...]
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 about what it's like for a first timer at the event, what it’s like for a veteran of the festival (that hasn’t been for 20 years), and review our experiences at Tent City, in town, and on the parade … [Read more...]
In Episode 63, I speak with Black Sunshine about his 1994 thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. This is the second release in a flashback series where we speak with 11 prospective thru-hikers about their attempt to complete the A.T. in a single year. It was recorded in Charlotte, N.C. on March 5th, 1995, and is part of a series to honor the 25th anniversary of our '94 thru-hike on the A.T. In the episode, Black Sunshine tells us about his winter start in Georgia, the Virginia blues, and his … [Read more...]
In Episode 61, Alex "Money $hot" Maier returns to the show to talk with us about his recent film and adventure on the 812 mile Hayduke Trail which starts in Arches National Park and finishes in Zion National Park - traversing the slot canyons, desert washes, and mountain ranges that make the deserts lands of Southern Utah and North Arizona some of the most scenic landscapes in North America. In the podcast, Alex tells us about the remote wilderness and true solitude that awaits you on the … [Read more...]
