BirdShooter's Backpacking Blog & Podcast Series
In Episode 27, You think you're tough? Well Niki Rellon just might have you beat! Niki's sports pursuits include professional kickboxing, ski instructing, cross-country cycling, thru-hiking, and currently a six month journey on the Appalachian Trail. Did I mention that she is doing it on one leg? Well now you know. In the podcast, Niki talks about her first ventures in to the outdoors, her hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, and the event that changed her life - a … [Read more...]
In Episode 26, I speak with Director Clint Ross who is hard at work with Producer Paula O'Neal on the film adaptation of the book Blind Courage, which is based on the 1990 Appalachian Trail thru-hike of Bill Irwin - the first legally blind hiker to complete the entire Trail within a single year. In the show, Clint discusses the first draft of the screenplay, the trailer, and the upcoming plans to film the movie. He also give us some personal insight in to Bill Irwin and how he … [Read more...]
In Episode 25, Scott "Squatch" Herriott talks about his three part series Flip Flop Flippin'. The films were shot on the Appalachian Trail during the summers of 2011, 2012, and 2014 and they follow the thru-hiker community as they make their way along the nearly 2200 mile trail. In the show, "Squatch" talks about his first ventures in to the wilderness, some of the thru-hikers and trail angels that he met on the A.T., and his experience as a filmmaker in the backcountry. His … [Read more...]
In Episode 24, 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. "Backcountry 101" is the first installment in this mini-series where we sit around the campfire and discuss the fundamentals of backpacking. In this episode, we talk about the … [Read more...]
In Episode 23, Kori "Rocket" Feener talks about her recently released film Hard Way Home which documents her personal journey on the ~ 2200 mile Appalachian Trail in 2012. In the movie, Kori talks about her physical and emotional struggles on the A.T., the healing powers of long distance hiking, and what it's like to film and produce a film while hiking the Appalachian Trail. She also gives us some insight in to the film industry and talks about her recent trips to various film … [Read more...]
In Episode 22, Ken (aka "The Weasel") and I discuss our experience as extras in the soon to be released movie Walk In The Woods. It is based on the best-selling 1998 book by Bill Bryson, and stars Robert Redford and Nick Nolte - both who were on set for our scene in the movie which was filmed at Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia. Ken and I record the podcast 2 years to the day of an interview we did on the Chattooga River Trail (Episode #5). We … [Read more...]
In Episode 21, JD (aka Trail Hard) tells us about his passion for hiking and backpacking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park - the most visited national park in the United States. On the show, we discuss his quest for a third map in the "Smokies" - or the completion of every trail in the Park. While a "map" is technically ~900 miles, a hiker walks roughly 1500 miles to complete it. And JD is on his third map - dang! Fewer than 400 can even claim one! So he … [Read more...]
