The Hiker Podcast | Day Hiking, Backpacking, Thru Hiking

So yeah, it's been a minute but I am back answering your questions! We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. ⁠https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv⁠ Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at ⁠https://www.gregorypacks.com/⁠ ... The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Begin Again” by Andrew Judahwhich you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64⁠ Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes

By far one of my favorite interviews in 30 months of doing the Podcast. This week I’m excited and honored to have a conversation with Cal "Starburst" Dobbs (they/he)! Cal "Starburst" Dobbs (they/he) @cal_hikes is a 26 year old queer and trans hiker, runner, and teacher. They are the first known transgender person to complete the Triple Crown of hiking. Cal used his 7,000+ miles of backpacking to raise $7000 for the Trevor Project, an organization that provides resources and support to lgbtq+ youth and allies. In 2023 Cal will be running across America to raise awareness about anti-trans legislation and fundraise for local groups working to protect and advocate for trans youth. Follow Cal on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cal_hikes/ A Penny Per Mile by Cal Dobbs (The Trevor Project): https://give.thetrevorproject.org/fundraiser/3515742 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Begin Again” by Andrew Judahwhich you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes

We're back and I am so excited to have Sarah Red-Laird of Bee Girl on the show. Sarah Red-Laird is the founder and Executive Director of the Bee Girl organization, a grassroots nonprofit centered on bee habit conservation through research, regeneration, & education.  She is a graduate of the University of Montana's College of Forestry and Conservation and the Davidson Honors College with a degree in Resource Conservation, focused on community collaboration and environmental policy. Sarah also serves as the “Kids and Bees” program director for the American Beekeeping Federation.  To see her commitment to good policy and community collaborations realized, she also has served as president of the Northwest Farmers Union and Western Apicultural Society, and as a board member of the National Farmers Union.  When she is not tirelessly working with bees, beekeepers, kids, farmers and ranchers, and policy makers, Sarah loves to read books while drinking coffee, ride her vintage 10-speed, run in the hills, and see new places, things, and people.  To see her latest projects updates visit Instagram and Facebook @sarahbeegirl or www.beegirl.org. Notes from the show: Venn diagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfHpZsANRZ8/ All We Can Save: https://www.instagram.com/allwecansave/ How 2 Save the Planet Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/how2saveaplanet/  This weeks episode was recorded and edited in its entirety at the podcast studios at Catalyst Ashland. Catalyst Ashland is a family-run, BIPOC, and veteran-owned business in the heart of Downtown Ashland, Oregon. A collective creative co-working space serving the community and its visitors, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Southern Oregon friends to support and encourage diverse entrepreneurship and collaboration. For more information about Catalyst Ashland go catalystashland.com. Ashland, OR in the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Latgawa and Takelma peoples who lived here for millennia & were displaced between 1851 and 1856. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz identify their members as living descendants of the Takelma and Shasta peoples of this area. We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Begin Again” by Andrew Judahwhich you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes

This week Andy is excited to Welcome Back Hiker, Speaker and Author Derick Lugo! Storytelling is Derick Lugo’s forte; he’s the author of the popular book, The Unlikely Thru-Hiker, a humorous memoir of his 6-month thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. He has written several pieces for outdoor magazines, short stories for various books and is currently working on two new books, including a children’s picture book, and a second memoir detailing his 5-month thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail. He’s a sought-after keynote speaker, adventurer, and host of the Unlikely Stories Podcast. To learn more about Derick Lugo, his new writing projects, and his next adventure, follow him on Instagram & Facebook @dericklugo, and at www.dericklugo.com Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsor CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Begin Again” by Andrew Judahwhich you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! Andy Neal 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week Andy is excited to talk to hiker and traveler Meredith McAlister. Meredith McAlister is a solo travel enthusiast, Instagram influencer and HR professional. Meredith discovered her love of the outdoors when she was young and is passionate about sharing that love with others. She has solo traveled all over the world and wants to inspire other women to follow their passion and curiosity and get out and explore. They outdoors have been key to unlocking her overall happiness, peace and pleasure. Follow Meredith on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/meredithtx/ Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Begin Again” by Andrew Judahwhich you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes

This week I am so excited to welcome Chelseas McCurdy to the show. Chelsea McCurdy is a queer plus-sized hiker who advocates for body positivity, health at every size, and joyful movement. She believes that nature is healing and that everyone deserves to enjoy the outdoors, regardless of their body type or fitness level. She lives in Arkansas and owns a business (Hobbit Hikers) dedicated to hikers who love to take their time, enjoy the view, snack a little along the way, and experience nature on their own terms. She is also a video creator on TikTok (@whatwouldellewoodsdo) and Instagram (@_whatwouldellewoodsdo_) where she shares her hikes, outdoor tips, and self-love journey with her friend Shelby Varner, who is the Samwise Gamgee to Chelsea's Frodo Baggins. Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Begin Again” by Andrew Judahwhich you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes

Ending season four, Andy reflects on the last four seasons, where the show is going, and how hiking in the hiking and outdoor community has impacted him. Season five will begin August 1. Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes This weeks episode was recorded and edited in its entirety at the podcast studios at Catalyst Ashland. Catalyst Ashland is a family-run, BIPOC, and veteran-owned business in the heart of Downtown Ashland, Oregon. A collective creative co-working space serving the community and its visitors, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Southern Oregon friends to support and encourage diverse entrepreneurship and collaboration. For more information about Catalyst Ashland go catalystashland.com Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This recording is 3 weeks old but happy to finally get it out... Andy answers your questions!  Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  This weeks episode was recorded and edited in its entirety at the podcast studios at Catalyst Ashland. Catalyst Ashland is a family-run, BIPOC, and veteran-owned business in the heart of Downtown Ashland, Oregon. A collective creative co-working space serving the community and its visitors, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Southern Oregon friends to support and encourage diverse entrepreneurship and collaboration. For more information about Catalyst Ashland go catalystashland.com Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This Week Andy is excited to welcome Climber, Backpacker, Storyteller, Model and Advocate Emmeline Wang to the show!  Climbing and the outdoor environment are what inspire Emmeline to advocate for the things that matter: our earth, social equity and justice, and finding peace through the chaos we all experience. Emmeline lives for getting high off the ground, playing in the vertical world, and protecting the places that we love. Check out more from Emmeline at https://emmelinewang.com Follow Emmeline on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/emmelinewang   Phone Credit: Rachel Ross https://www.instagram.com/rach4thesky/  This weeks episode was recorded and edited in its entirety at the podcast studios at Catalyst Ashland. Catalyst Ashland is a family-run, BIPOC, and veteran-owned business in the heart of Downtown Ashland, Oregon. A collective creative co-working space serving the community and its visitors, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Southern Oregon friends to support and encourage diverse entrepreneurship and collaboration. For more information about Catalyst Ashland go catalystashland.com   Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week I am excited to have our first IN PERSON interview of the show. I sat down with Tara Laidlaw of the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy to talk about her story and work, climate change, educating children and adult about the outdoors and how hikers can help conserve the land they are hiking on... Tara has worked in place-based education for 15 years as a frontline facilitator, instructional designer, teacher trainer, and program manager, helping students develop scientific, environmental, and social-emotional literacy in outdoor spaces. She grew up exploring in the high Sierra, and now calls southern Oregon home. Tara currently serves as the Education Program Manager with Southern Oregon Land Conservancy (www.landconserve.org) and offers consulting services through her company Out to Learn (www.out2learn.com). She also volunteers on the board of the Environmental Education Association of Oregon (www.eeao.org).  This weeks episode was recorded and edited in its entirety at the podcast studios at Catalyst Ashland. Catalyst Ashland is a family-run, BIPOC, and veteran-owned business in the heart of Downtown Ashland, Oregon. A collective creative co-working space serving the community and its visitors, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Southern Oregon friends to support and encourage diverse entrepreneurship and collaboration. For more information about Catalyst Ashland go catalystashland.com   Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ ... We'd like to thank our sponsors:  CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv  CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal .  Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com  Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker  The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64  Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week I am excited to have writer, influencer and hiker, Logan Marie Logan Marie is a writer, content creator, hiker and outdoors woman based out of Oregon. We talk about how Logan discovered her love of the outdoors and its mental health benefits, moving to Oregon, becoming a content creator and the tension content creators and influencers face being authentic in the outdoor industry. Follow Logan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsloganmarie/ Check out everything Logan has going on on her site: http://www.itsloganmarie.com Our host Andy is now an Ambassador for Gregory Packs. To get 15% off your order, and help Andy out use promo code ‘Andy15’ when you check out at https://www.gregorypacks.com/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The Music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week I am excited to have Eoin Hamilton, Chief Marketing Officer of Hiiker and Host of The Hiiker Podcast. Follow Hiiker on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiiker_/  Check out the Hiiker App: https://hiiker.app  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week I am excited to have back on the show Runner, Hiker, and Advocate Darrah Blackwater. Darrah Blackwater is from Farmington, NM and is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. She is a recent graduate of the University of Arizona, where she earned her law degree studying Indigenous law and telecommunications law. In July of 2020 she hiked the 486-mile Colorado Trail to raise awareness about the digital divide in Indigenous communities. Last month she ran to Oak Flat with a group of O'odham and Yaqui runners in solidarity with Apache Stronghold. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Tewa homelands. Follow Darrah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackwatersoul/ Vice New Doc Featuring Darrah, “Why The Internet Needs The Navajo | Still Connecting”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Ud7V_IYis Determi-Nation Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4u4xUXS3JLuhWroYoDd7xx?si=a42940b4bff64c0e Check out everything Darrah has going on on her site: https://blackwatersoul.org Save Oak Flat: http://apache-stronghold.com/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker The music for the Hiker Podcast is licensed from Musicbed.com. This weeks opening song is “Kindred Spirits” by Analog Heart which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week I am excited to talk with thru hiker Will “Akuna” Robinson. Will “Akuna” Robinson (he/him) is an army vet who has used thru-hiking as a tool to manage PTSD. He is the first known Black man to earn the Triple Crown of hiking, which is the completion of the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail. Along the way, his journey became a mission not just for himself to heal but to share the healing power of nature with veterans, people of color and everyone who doesn’t fit the stereotype of an outdoorsy person. Follow Akuna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akunahikes  Akunas Website: https://akunahikes.com ESPM Article: https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/32586256/iraq-war-veteran-akuna-robinson-trailblazing-superstar-thru-hiking  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv  CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use the link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal .  Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Listen to music from the show on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week I am excited to talk with Author, Influencer, & Hiker Kara Richardson Whitely. Kara Richardson Whitely is the author of Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds, which is being made into a movie starring This Is Us actress Chrissy Metz. She took on 100 miles of The Long Trail in 2020 and wrote about being fat shamed along the way in this piece for Backpacker magazine. As an advisor & influencer, she helps brands connect with the 67 percent of women who are size 12 and above. She has worked with L.L. Bean, KEEN, Pfizer, Uber, Smuckers, Discover Puerto Rico, HIKI, Novo Nordisk and more. She has been featured in The New York Times, on Good Morning America, The Today Show and countless online publications and is a contributor to Backpacker magazine and Outside Business Journal, with pieces coming out in both publications this month. Connect with her at www.kararichardsonwhitely.com and follow her on Instagram @kararichardsonwhitely or connect with her on LinkedIn If you're interested in working with Kara, here is her one sheet! We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Use the link & be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles. https://tinyurl.com/2p93ecrv CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use thelink to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker This weeks opening song is “Skjønnhet” by Judah Earl which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Welcome to The Hiker Podcast. This week I am excited to talk with Hiker and Influencer Nelson Holland. Hey my name is Nelson Holland better known as Fatblackandgettinit. I was born in NY but moved to Colorado in 2014. Ever Since I saw the Rockies in person, I was enamored. At first I would drive around and take in the beautiful views but before long, I knew I had to get out and explore. One day I ran into a herd of elk hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park and I turned into the 5 year old version of myself again. I was hooked. Since then, I have learned about some of the amazing physical and mental benefits of hiking. My social media goal is to share those benefits and amazing views with the world, especially the communities who rarely see nature in this way. I really want to do my part in making the outdoors inclusive and accessible for everyone. I did the Manitou Incline 3 times last year twice at over 300 lbs and a 14er at about 320lbs. I hope to become a mountaineer one day. Nelson's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatblackandgettinit/  Nelson's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fatblackandgettinit  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. Makers of water filters, insect repellent, and other items that keep you on the trail. Sawyer Products says yes as often as possible to millions who need our help and expertise – delivering water filters, saving lives. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “The Get Back” by Ruslan and Paul Russell which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQMSeBpY4zwyFBB5Z8U79Q Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Welcome to The Hiker Podcast. This week I am excited to talk with Hiker and Trail Angel Skye "Trouble" Schneck. Skye "Trouble" Schneck grew up in the Sierra hiking and camping. It wasn't until she was 30 that she started backpacking and it was love at first sight. Since then, she has backpacked all over from the Adirondacks to Patagonia. "Trouble" has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the Long Trail and the Colorado Trail. In the future she plans to complete the Continental Divide Trail, Appalachian Trail and many more. Skye's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trouble.hikertrash Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQMSeBpY4zwyFBB5Z8U79Q We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Sawyer Products: MORE THAN AN OUTDOOR COMPANY. Makers of water filters, insect repellent, and other items that keep you on the trail. Sawyer Products says yes as often as possible to millions who need our help and expertise – delivering water filters, saving lives. For more information go to https://www.sawyer.com Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Indigo” by Tony Anderson which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Welcome to The Hiker Podcast. This week I am answering your questions from Instagram. Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQMSeBpY4zwyFBB5Z8U79Q Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Follow Andy on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andyfilmsandhikes  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “A Boy, A Man, and a Satellite” by N. Kerbin which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Welcome to The Hiker Podcast. This week I am excited to talk with influencer, writer, and hiker Shilletha “Dragonsky” Curtis. Shilletha Curtis (she/her) known on trail as "Dragonsky " is a queer hiker, professional writer and influencer from New Jersey who is actively pursuing the Triple Crown of hiking. She will be the second Black woman to achieve the status and will be thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail this April. And, she successfully completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in November 2021. Shilletha is also an excellent writer and her first article "Not Just Another Hiker" was published in 2020 by the ATC and The Trek prompting conversations about racism around the world.  Since then, it has been her mission to diversify the outdoors, make the AT more accessible to BIPOC and  address inequalities and racism within the hiking community. Follow Shilletha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i_am_dragonsky/ Support Shilletha on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimetoflyDragonsky/posts Subscribe to Shilletha’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/IAmDragonsky Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQMSeBpY4zwyFBB5Z8U79Q We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Indigo” by Tony Anderson which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Welcome to The Hiker Podcast. This week I am excited to talk with hiker, writer, and adventurer Retha Charette. Retha Charette is a long-distance hiker, travel writer, and adventure lover. As a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts, she learned at a young age how to get outside and make the perfect s'more. In 2015 after her divorce she decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro on a whim. After that, there was no turning back from a life of adventure. Since then she started her blog, roamingnanny.com, to help women find adventure all over the world. She has trekked to Everest Base Camp, hiked the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu, and in 2021 she took on her biggest adventure yet, thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Some of Retha's other loves include all things Disney (especially Donald Duck), rock climbing, watching old movies, and eating ice cream. Retha’s Blog: roamingnanny.com Follow Retha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roamingnanny/ Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQMSeBpY4zwyFBB5Z8U79Q We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “High Roads” by Upstate which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Welcome to The Hiker Podcast. This week I am excited to talk with Chamise Kramer, Public Affairs Specialist with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest! A Southern Oregon local, Chamise Kramer got her art degree in 2001 from Southern Oregon University, and realized that her soul craved the next step. So, she went back to school to become a botanist—because plants are COOL. (Fun Fact: “chamise” is a plant—a shrub—and Chamise’s mom is also a botanist. Hence Chamise’s name!) Chamise’s career in public lands stewardship is approaching two decades, and has included working across all of southwest Oregon for both the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, and in fields including fire ecology, botany, environmental planning, and most recently, public affairs and community outreach.  Her favorite outdoor places to play include (but aren’t limited to!) Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, the Ashland Watershed, and the Sonoran Desert. Chamise’s favorite adventure buddies are her partner, Brian, her 11-year old son, Rye, and their golden retriever, Olli. Resources from this weeks conversation: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest’s website, Facebook, and Twitter Leave No Trace Center for Environmental Ethics Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles or here:  CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “High Roads” by Upstate which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Welcome to the Season 4 Premiere of The Hiker Podcast. This week I am excited to talk with Hiker, Traveler and Author Tim Mathis! Tim Mathis was raised near Middletown, Ohio. The town was the subject of J.D. Vance's memoir of poverty and suffering, "Hillbilly Elegy," but he didn't think it was that bad. He completed a Masters Degree in Theology and worked as a minister in Ohio, New Zealand and Seattle before leaving religion and retraining as a psychiatric nurse a decade ago. Along with his wife Angel, he's travelled extensively in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. They've hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Pacific Crest Trail, and long sections of Te Araroa in New Zealand along with a lot of other shorter trips. Long distance hiking and travel are his favorite coping skills, and he feels most at home on the trails of the Pacific Northwest and New Zealand. He's written two books: The Dirtbag's Guide to Life: Eternal Truth for Hiker Trash, Ski Bums and Vagabonds, and I Hope I Was Wrong About Eternal Damnation: An Absolutely True Memoir. Follow Tim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtbagguide Read Tim’s Blog: https://timmathiswrites.blogspot.com/?m=1 Order Tim’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tim-Mathis/e/B07N7JRLLJ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQMSeBpY4zwyFBB5Z8U79Q Follow Andy on We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/andynealplussizehiker Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Changes” by Canyon City which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am finally closing out Season 3 with the promised Ask Andy Anything Episode. Thank you all for an amazing 2021. Season 4 Begins Monday January 17. Be sure to subscribe to Andy’s new YouTube Channel- ‘Andy Neal: Plus Size Hiker”- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQMSeBpY4zwyFBB5Z8U79Q We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Amber Light” by Shawn Williams which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with hiker, backpacker, & photographer Mike “Nomenclature” Aspiras. Born in California and have been living along the West Coast Mike is serving as a member in the US Coast Guard as an Operations Specialist with main focus on emergency management and search and rescue. Outside of the service, Mike is a volunteer with the National Park at Point Reyes National Seashore patrolling the trails and assisting other backpackers. In addition, Mike is also a graduate student with California State University Long Beach contributing to research in the emergency services field. On the trail, going by “Nomenclature” or “Nomen” for short, Mike is an avid hiker, backpacker, aspiring thru-hiker with some musings and photos of the beautiful landscapes which we recreate on. Check out Mike on YouTube, The Micro Nomad: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Cs-KrbVnic7FGbL_6pC3g Follow Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themicronomad/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: - CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F - CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “The World is Yours” by Bloom and the Bliss, which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with hiker, baker, & small business owner Lucy Navarrete. Lucy Navarrete, 27, is a baker & small business owner in Big Bear Lake, Ca. When she isn’t busy making cakes, she uses any chance she gets to get outside with her dogs, Oli and Xena. Lucy started hiking only about a year and a half ago after a hard break-up. The day she made one of the hardest decisions of her life, she went on a hike and has continued to hike regularly since then; she even joined and recently completed the @52hikechallenge which challenges you to hike every single week for a whole year. Lucy strongly believes the outdoors is a form of natural therapy that helps you get through the toughest times in your life; heartbreak, grief, and depression. Hiking has also helped her love herself and the body that can take her to the top of humongous mountains. Lucy has set a new goal for herself for next year to hike at least 6 Southern California peaks. She hopes to continue to use Mother Nature as a form of soul cleansing and to inspire other people to do the same. Follow Lucy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bad_fish_luz/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “A Light Without a Flame” by Slow Meadow, which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with hiker, lawyer and outdoor advocate Charlotte Buell. Charlotte is a lawyer by trade and outdoor junkie at heart. When you meet her, you’ll quickly learn she is all about supporting others in believing they can do and be anything they want, regardless of their life history or body type, and to be gentle with themselves along their life’s journey. Backpacking and hiking are her favorite ways to spend time outside. However, she doesn’t stop there. Charlotte also skis, snowboards, mountain bikes, and kayaks, all in a plus size body. Unapologetically. Faced with tragedies early in life, she started her adult outdoor experience as a means of escape. Now, she’s morphed this mindset into one where the outdoors is a place of healing and her favorite feeling of unbridled freedom. Charlotte decided to quit drinking almost 6 years ago in her 20’s when she was bit by the backpacking bug HARD. She hasn’t looked back since. She is currently trying to build a backpacking gear library in her “treehouse” so she can outfit beginners for free when she takes them backpacking for the first time. This is her favorite thing to do. Charlotte lives in North Carolina with her husband, 3 cats, and 3 dogs. Follow Charlotte on Instagram @basecampkreative (https://www.instagram.com/basecampkreative/) We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Wild Calling” by Virgil Arles which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with Kristen Berkeley of Amplify Outdoors. Kristen Berkeley (she/her) is originally from Toronto and has been living in the Northwest Territories for nearly four years. Kristen is a former journalist that enjoys writing about social issues and outdoor lifestyles. When she's not cooking delicious meals, Kristen can be found exploring the Northwest Territories and promoting diversity in outdoor spaces with her organization Amplify Outdoors. Follow Kristen's adventures @Travel_Adventurehers & her goal to diversify the outdoors @AmplifyOutdoors Check out Amplify Outdoors at https://www.amplify-outdoors.com We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Emerge” by Waes Hael which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with Ginny and Josh of Trail Keepers of Oregon. Almost all of today’s hiking trails were built more than 80 years ago.Almost all of them are currently maintained by volunteers.  Explosive trail use and a lack of funding for trail maintenance is a real threat to our favorite trails. In 2007, a group of concerned hikers founded Trailkeepers of Oregon. Our work takes the form of trail maintenance projects and advocacy work to restore proper funding to a resource so beneficial and beloved by Oregonians. Backed by the generosity of hundreds of donors and volunteers, Trailkeepers of Oregon is committed to making sure everyone has access to Oregon’s most special places for years to come. For More on Trail Keepers of Oregon go to trailkeepersoforegon.org Follow TKO on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailkeepersoforegon/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is After the Storm” by Tony Anderson which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with hiker, backpacker and advocate Kamrin Peterson. Kamrin is a PNW raised gal who prioritizes any opportunity to get outside. You can often find her reading in a fire lookout, backpacking into an alpine lake, or snowboarding down a mountain. Her passion is fueled by helping other women feel safe and prepared in the outdoors. Follow Kamrin on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/kamrinkaylee/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Wildly Goods are makers of the most comfortable Merino Wool Socks. Wildly Goods is more than a sock brand. They are a seasonal sock, accessory and apparel business with the goal to create products that are highly functional with an extreme degree of comfort and satisfaction. Each season Wildly Good launches new custom accessories such as socks, neck gaiters, compression sleeves, headwear, base layers and more. All of their products are created in small seasonal batches: Designed in Ohio and crafted globally with top-notch sustainable manufacturers. Hiker Podcast Listeners can use this link and code to receive 10% off your first purchase. Personal Referral Link: https://wildlygoods.com/?ref=andyneal Referral Code: HIKERPODCAST10 Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Crazy Good ” by The TVC Featuring Paris Carney which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with poet, author, artist, advocate, & avid hiker Bronwyn Preece, PhD Bronwyn is a writer who documents her unfurling understandings on, and of, the trail  through poetic narratives — weaving in ethical considerations, humorous realities, soundbites and historical anecdotes. She is also, recovering from a leg-shattering injury which has left her with an actutely-angled knee. Though significantly slowed — instrumental to her recovery — has been a return to the trail. Follow Bronwyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poetichiker We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Wildly Goods are makers of the most comfortable Merino Wool Socks. Wildly Goods is more than a sock brand. They are a seasonal sock, accessory and apparel business with the goal to create products that are highly functional with an extreme degree of comfort and satisfaction. Each season Wildly Good launches new custom accessories such as socks, neck gaiters, compression sleeves, headwear, base layers and more. All of their products are created in small seasonal batches: Designed in Ohio and crafted globally with top-notch sustainable manufacturers. Hiker Podcast Listeners can use this link and code to receive 10% off your first purchase. Personal Referral Link: https://wildlygoods.com/?ref=andyneal Referral Code: HIKERPODCAST10 Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Where I’m Meant to Be” by The Invention of Flight which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with writer, travel blogger, and hiker Alex Schnee. Alex is a professional writer and travel blogger. Her work has been featured in USA Today, the Huffington Post, Travel + Leisure, Fodor’s, and many more. Montana born-and-raised, she now runs her own international travel blog, Alex n the Map, where she shares her passions of cooking, photography, and traveling as a digital nomad, as well as encouraging conservation and respect for natural spaces. She has been to over 50 countries and has worked with brands such as National Geographic, Contiki, Gutsy Women Travel, The North Face, and many more. Alex’s site and Blog: https://alexonthemap.com Follow Alex on Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexonthemap  Listen to Nomads on the Map on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2zj5hSyBcz0yN1Y4Bk1wOS?si=fd7ca627796b4b12 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Wildly Goods are makers of the most comfortable Merino Wool Socks. Wildly Goods is more than a sock brand. They are a seasonal sock, accessory and apparel business with the goal to create products that are highly functional with an extreme degree of comfort and satisfaction. Each season Wildly Good launches new custom accessories such as socks, neck gaiters, compression sleeves, headwear, base layers and more. All of their products are created in small seasonal batches: Designed in Ohio and crafted globally with top-notch sustainable manufacturers. Hiker Podcast Listeners can use this link and code to receive 10% off your first purchase. Personal Referral Link: https://wildlygoods.com/?ref=andyneal Referral Code: HIKERPODCAST10 Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Experience” by Summer Kennedy which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with rock climber, mountaineer, chiropractor, & advocate Dr. Megan Banker. Dr. Megan Banker is rock climber and mountaineer living in Portland, OR. At her day job, she is a Health At Every Size chiropractor that owns and operates her wellness clinic. She stands for diversity, equity and inclusion in both the outdoor and healthcare industries and aims to bring awareness to inequities in these areas. She is one of the newest ambassadors for Outdoor Research and was on the advisory board for the creation of their new plus and extended size gear that is launching this Fall. She is a co-founder of Climb Big, an initiative to introduce more fat folx into climbing and plans to do more climbing instruction for bigger bodies in the future. She is also an ambassador for PNW Outdoor Women. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdxoutdoorchiro/ Photo Cred: Tommy Corey (IG: @twerkinthedirt) We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal. Wildly Goods are makers of the most comfortable Merino Wool Socks. Wildly Goods is more than a sock brand. They are a seasonal sock, accessory and apparel business with the goal to create products that are highly functional with an extreme degree of comfort and satisfaction. Each season Wildly Good launches new custom accessories such as socks, neck gaiters, compression sleeves, headwear, base layers and more. All of their products are created in small seasonal batches: Designed in Ohio and crafted globally with top-notch sustainable manufacturers. Hiker Podcast Listeners can use this link and code to receive 10% off your first purchase. Personal Referral Link: https://wildlygoods.com/?ref=andyneal Referral Code: HIKERPODCAST10 Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Experience” by Summer Kennedy which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I (Andy) take some time and answer your questions from Instagram!  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal. Wildly Goods are makers of the most comfortable Merino Wool Socks. Wildly Goods is more than a sock brand. They are a seasonal sock, accessory and apparel business with the goal to create products that are highly functional with an extreme degree of comfort and satisfaction. Each season Wildly Good launches new custom accessories such as socks, neck gaiters, compression sleeves, headwear, base layers and more. All of their products are created in small seasonal batches: Designed in Ohio and crafted globally with top-notch sustainable manufacturers. Hiker Podcast Listeners can use this link and code to receive 10% off your first purchase. Personal Referral Link: https://wildlygoods.com/?ref=andyneal Referral Code: HIKERPODCAST10 Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Soaring” by Airplanes which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with Fat/Plus Size Personal Trainer, Coach, Hiker and Outdoor Enthusiast Tasheon Chillous! Tasheon Chillous (she/her) is a Fat/Plus Size Personal Trainer, Coach and Outdoor Enthusiast located in Western Washington. She believes that all bodies are capable and worthy of finding movement that brings them joy and supports them in all their big and small adventures. She is the creator of BOPOMO, a series designed for fat and plus size folks looking for community and support in moving their body. BOPOMO is designed to be safe, affirming, and free from fatphobia and diet culture. Outside of the gym space she spends her time day-hiking, backpacking and being outdoors. Tasheon is an Ambassador for Unlikely Hikers, PNW Outdoor Women and  the Thru Hike Syndicate. Follow Tasheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chilltash/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=014f2c2f-7334-473e-95aa-fd74821c174c&website_id=1d7833e9-53d7-4a11-beec-6bd6ff4b65c4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnocoutdoors.com%2F  CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal. Wildly Goods are makers of the most comfortable Merino Wool Socks. Wildly Goods is more than a sock brand. They are a seasonal sock, accessory and apparel business with the goal to create products that are highly functional with an extreme degree of comfort and satisfaction. Each season Wildly Good launches new custom accessories such as socks, neck gaiters, compression sleeves, headwear, base layers and more. All of their products are created in small seasonal batches: Designed in Ohio and crafted globally with top-notch sustainable manufacturers. Hiker Podcast Listeners can use this link and code to receive 10% off your first purchase. Personal Referral Link: https://wildlygoods.com/?ref=andyneal Referral Code: HIKERPODCAST10 Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Soaring” by Airplanes which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week I am so excited to talk with Hiker, Adventurer, Author, & Host of the new Unlikely Stories Podcast, Derick Lugo. Derick Lugo had never hiked, camped or pitched a tent a day in his life. However, this Brooklyn-born, New York City urbanite hopped a train to Georgia, grabbed a taxi to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail, and then he did as he has always done — put one foot in front of the other and never looked back. After thru-hiking for 2,192 miles and several thousand more on various different trails, he now feels invincible and plans to cross the Sahara barefoot. (Not really, but when an ambitious spirit is successful, it will strive for even greater accomplishments.) Storytelling is Derick’s forte; he’s the author of The Unlikely Thru-Hiker, a memoir of his 6-month hike of the entire Appalachian Trail, he’s written several articles for outdoor magazines, and short stories for various books. He’s a keynote speaker, adventurer and host of the new podcast, Unlikely Stories. To learn more about Derick Lugo and his next adventures follow him on Instagram @dericklugo, Facebook @dericklugo and at www.dericklugo.com. We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal. Wildly Goods are makers of the most comfortable Merino Wool Socks. Wildly Goods is more than a sock brand. They are a seasonal sock, accessory and apparel business with the goal to create products that are highly functional with an extreme degree of comfort and satisfaction. Each season Wildly Good launches new custom accessories such as socks, neck gaiters, compression sleeves, headwear, base layers and more. All of their products are created in small seasonal batches: Designed in Ohio and crafted globally with top-notch sustainable manufacturers. Hiker Podcast Listeners can use this link and code to receive 10% off your first purchase. Personal Referral Link: https://wildlygoods.com/?ref=andyneal Referral Code: HIKERPODCAST10 Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Keep On Moving” by Red Licorice which you can listen on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=c12c1fa33cd94c64 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to http://www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504.

This week I am so excited to talk with Andrea Kelly. Andrea Kelly is an outdoor enthusiast, size inclusion advocate, public speaker, and curvy model. She has been with Columbia Sportswear for over 10 years and now serves as the Senior Merchandiser for the brand’s Extended Sizing division. She’s spent the last half of her 20-year career in the Outdoor Apparel industry championing size inclusivity, with the intention of changing the industry from the inside out. Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeplusequal/  Follow Columbia Sportswear on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/columbia1938/ CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Also use the Promo Code “hikerpodcast” when checking out to be entered in the contest Andy told you about on the end of the show! Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks opening song is “Fearless” by Kat Leon. The Closing music is “Tenderness” by Tony Anderson. You can find both songs and all the music used in The Hiker Podcast Episode on this Spotify Playlist. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lXwaTWf2f0CUnXiogxCLj?si=2c8d274a139d4240 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504.

This week I am so excited to talk with HIKER, ADVENTURER, EDUCATOR & AUTHOR Gail Muller! Gail Muller is an adventurer, hiker, author, and educator. For fifteen years she struggled with muscular-skeletal issues and the chronic pain that would arise from them. In 2019, after years searching for cures for her physical and mental health, she realized it was time for a profound change. She knows now she’s not able to live a regular life and is embracing this new understanding of herself: adventuring, hiking, writing and inspiring others to do the same. She lives, hikes and swims in Cornwall. She has recently returned from the Continental Divide Trail - a massive hike across the United States where she battled with unmarked trails, weeks at altitude and raging snowmelt-filled river fords. A large, ever-growing online community accompanied her on her trip, gaining advice, inspiration and embracing the joy of her adventures. Gail’s debut memoir Unlost: A journey of self-discovery and the healing power of the wild outdoors, is set to release on Tuesday September 7. Buy Gail’s Book Unlost: A journey of self-discovery and the healing power of the wild outdoors:  https://www.amazon.com/Unlost-journey-self-discovery-healing-outdoors/dp/1800196849/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1630612611&sr=8-1 Follow Gail on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegailmuller/ Check out everything else Gail does: https://gailmuller.com We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Also use the Promo Code “hikerpodcast” when checking out to be entered in the contest Andy told you about on the end of the show! Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed by muscbed.com This weeks song is “Where the Adventure Begins” by Tim Halperin which you can listen to on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5BOLg0rOdRET26jZiFMmct?si=780fkitLTIS78K2fARtrEQ&dl_branch=1 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504.

This week I am so excited to talk with a climber… that’s right, I have Cimber and outdoor advocate Drew Hulsey on the show! Drew is a climber and plus sized outdoor advocate from Tennessee who believes that climbing is for everybody and everyBODY! Drew’s goal is to let everyone know that climbing is an amazing sport that you should at least try it once. Drew’s INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/drewclimbswalls/  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Also use the Promo Code “hikerpodcast” when checking out to be entered in the contest Andy told you about on the end of the show! Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week on The Hiker Podcast Andy has another great conversation talk with filmmaker, YouTuber, PCT and Te Araroa thru-hiker Elina “Tip Tap” Osborne. Most recently Elina completed the Te Araroa which spans the length of Elina’s home of the nation of New Zealand. In 2019 “Tip Tap” also hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650 mile (4270 kilometers) trail that runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington in the US, in 2019.  Her short documentary film on her PCT hike, “It is the People”, was selected at this years New Zealand Mountain Film Festival. Elina's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/elinabox Elina's INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/elinasborne/ Elina's WEBSITE:  elinaosborne.com We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Also use the Promo Code “hikerpodcast” when checking out to be entered in the contest Andy told you about on the end of the show! Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week Andy is excited to talk with Ranger Allie of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument outside of Ashland, Oregon.  After growing up miles away from the San Andreas fault in Southern California , Allie became fascinated by fault systems and mountains. She spent 5 years studying geology in Hawaii before taking her experience as a park ranger to pursue her dream job (at the time) working at the Monterey Bay aquarium as a tour guide. While living and working in Monterey, Allie was able to earn her Certified Interpretive Guide certification solidifying her love of informal education to the public. During her time in that area, she also fell back in love with being outdoors and started leading guided hiking tours through Airbnb experiences. She wanted to take these skills to the next level and search for a way to keep growing. She started backpacking and realized this is where her career path was going. This is how Allie came to be an undergraduate in Outdoor Adventure Leadership at Southern Oregon University. She has earned her Wilderness First Responder certification and is excited to continue to grow as a leader in the outdoor field. She looks forward to the opportunity to travel and gain experience in other cultures. Follow Allie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventure_allie13/  Allies Blog- https://adventurealliecom.wordpress.com  Be sure to listen to the end of the episode to find out how to win a year supply of coffee from our sponsor CS Instant coffee.  We'd like to thank our sponsors:  CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast  CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Also use the Promo Code “hikerpodcast” when checking out to be entered in the contest Andy told you about on the end of the show!  Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER!  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!  Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com  Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!  Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

This week Andy is excited to talk with Bennett Rahn (she/her) from Seattle, WA (occupied Duwamish territory). Bennett is a climber, mountaineer, activist, software engineer, teacher, plus size human, artist and a queer woman who is passionate about a lot of things and loves to work hard and play harder. ***Some content in the episode MAY not be appropriate for younger audiences*** Follow Bennett on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennettrahn/ Be sure to listen to the end of the episode to find out how to win a year supply of coffee from our sponsor CS Instant coffee. We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Also use the Promo Code “hikerpodcast” when checking out to be entered in the contest Andy told you about on the end of the show! Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Renee Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie, Ava, Annette , Matthew, and Maggie for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREON SUPPORTERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504

Season 3 Premiere! This week Andy is excited to talk with Miranda Webster, know on YouTube as “Miranda in the Wild” Be sure to listen to the end of the episode to find out how to win a year supply of coffee from our sponsor CS Instant coffee. Miranda is a backpacker, rock climber, and occasional van dweller who left NYC to pursue life outdoors. In 2020, after ten years of working in the outdoor industry, she launched Miranda In The Wild on REI's YouTube channel. Miranda shares her knowledge and humor through content that is accessible, relatable, and designed to break down barriers to getting outside. She lives just outside Seattle with her adventure dog, Nala, her boyfriend, Sky, and her cat, Oscar, who is slowly learning to walk on a leash. Follow Miranda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirandagoesoutside/ Watch Miranda on REI’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7tqTAgUK4Uz-_qEwjQXk6FIni-PIow20 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal . Also use the Promo Code “hikerpodcast” when checking out to be entered in the contest Andy told you about on the end of the show! Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

Andy wraps up Season 2 of The Hiker Podcast. Season 3 coming to you July 27, 2021. Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS     Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  GET 10% off your order by using the PROMO Code ‘hikerpodcast’. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Renee Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie, Ava, Annette  and our newest Patreon Patron Maggie for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREONS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm excited to talk with the co founders of C.S Instant Coffee, Monica & Ian. Monica and Ian are the co-founders of CS Instant Coffee.  CS was created by a love of simplicity, coffee, and being outside.  Monica grew up in a small town in Ohio.  She recently biked solo across the USA.  Ian was born in Upstate New York and spent most of his youth outside in the great outdoors of New England. Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS     Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  GET 10% off your order by using the PROMO Code ‘hikerpodcast’. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Renee Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie, Ava, Annette  and our newest Patreon Patron Maggie for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREONS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm excited to talk with Hiker and YouTuber Cory “Second Chance Hiker”. Cory better known as Second Chance Hiker was 33 years old when a cardiologist told him he was close to having a heart attack in he next few years. With the support of his family Cory sold his house and decided to change his life by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, staying on trail for 8 months and chronicling his journey on YouTube. Since the PCT Cory started hiking all over from Germany, Croatia, and Florida with no plans to stop. Cory’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/secondchancehiker Cory’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/secondchancehiker/ Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS     Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  GET 10% off your order by using the PROMO Code ‘hikerpodcast’. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Renee Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie, Ava, Annette  and our newest Patreon Patron Maggie for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREONS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm excited to talk with artist and hiker Alina “Abstract” Drufovka!  Alina “Abstract” Drufovka is a Colombian-American painter and illustrator based out of Philadelphia, PA. She has hiked the Appalachian Trail (2015 & 2017), Israel National Trail (2018), and Pacific Crest Trail (2019). After 5,000+ miles of thru hiking, she now transforms all the nostalgia and beauty from her treks into surreal paintings back to the "trailverse." Website: www.thrudesigns.com IG: @abstract.hikes Follow Abstract on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abstract.hikes Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS     Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  GET 10% off your order by using the PROMO Code ‘hikerpodcast’. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Renee Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie and our newest Patreon Patrons Ava and Annette for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREONS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm excited to bring back Julia "Rocket" Sheehan, after completing her thru hike of the Arizona Trail. Julia is a veteran thru-hiker who still feels like she has no idea what she is doing in life and trail. As a military veteran, nurse and outdoor adventure lover Julia has learned to take life one step at a time. After spending years taking care of others, Julie set out on a journey and trajectory that would have her life head down a path she had never dreamed of.  Now she juggles half her life in the real world and half as hiker trash. Julia hikes in hopes of spreading love and information about how healing the outdoors can be! Follow Rocket on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliasheehan Subscribe to Julia "Rocket" Sheehan's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jls935 Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS   Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  GET 10% off your order by using the PROMO Code ‘hikerpodcast’. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Renee Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie and our newest Patreon Patrons Ava and Annette for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREONS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm  excited to bring you a conversation with my friend hiker, mountain biker, rock climber and skier Ben Allen. Ben Allan is a hiker, mountain biker, rock climber and skier who currently lives in the Bay Area, working as a Ranger Aide for Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Ben was born in England and grew up in the Bay Area, and was exposed to a lot of classic hikes in both California and England by his family. In 2017 Ben moved to Ashland, Oregon to attend Southern Oregon University. Through SOU's Outdoor Program, Ben was introduced to more outdoor activities, and started working for the program as trip staff. Through working in the outdoors in an institutional setting, Ben has become passionate about making outdoor experiences more accessible for others and ensuring that others can have the same transformative experiences he has had in the outdoors. This has also led him to a complete career change from studying Communications/Digital Cinema in college, to hopefully working in public lands as a ranger. Ben is currently in the selection process for the CA State Parks Ranger Academy and hopes to become a full-time generalist ranger. His Instagram is @Ben_Allan_ Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! Send Andy a Postcard from the trail! The Hiker Podcast 1750 Delta Waters Road STE 102-406 Medford, OR 97504 We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  GET 10% off your order by using the PROMO Code ‘hikerpodcast’. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Renee Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie and our newest Patreon Patrons Ava and Annette for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREONS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER! Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm VERY VERY excited to bring you a conversation I had with Hiker, Advocate and Founder of Unlikely Hikers, Jenny Bruso! Follow Jenny on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennybruso/ For more about Jenny and Unlikely Hikers go to https://jennybruso.com/unlikelyhikers/ Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  GET 10% off your order by using the PROMO Code ‘hikerpodcast’. Anchor.fm- go to Anchor.FM to easily create a Podcast of your own. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Danielle, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie and our newest Patreon Patron Renee for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. ALL PATREONS GET AN EXCLUSIVE "HIKING IS FOR EVERYBODY" STICKER!  Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week Andy is excited to talk to hiker and yoga instructor Sarah Settimo. Sarah Settimo grew up and currently lives in Ashland, Oregon where her love of the outdoors began. With Ashland's trail network in her backyard, Sarah grew up exploring the southern Oregon forests and cultivating a bond with the natural world. In 2015, Sarah's father gifted her a camera and her passion for photography began. In college, Sarah spent her weekends hiking across Oregon to photograph the beauty that surrounded her. Over time, this led her to hike further and venture deeper into the forests of Oregon. Since returning to Ashland in 2020, Sarah has been re-discovering her love of day hiking and discovering her love of backpacking with her canine co-pilot Kyah and friends. While she's itching to thru-hike the PCT, Sarah's backpacking plans this summer include a week on the Colorado Trail, the Teton Crest Trail, and weekend trips in the Pacific Northwest. Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahsettimo/ Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Anchor.fm- go to Anchor.FM to easily create a Podcast of your own. Big thank you to our Patreon Patron's Danielle, Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Danielle, Ren, Jacob, Tommy, Chad, Alasdair, Stephanie and our newest Patreon Patron Renee for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week Host Andy Neal takes your questions from Social media. Big thanks to everyone who submitted a question and sorry if I was unable to get to yours. :( Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! We'd like to thank our sponsors: - CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS - Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  - Big thank you to our  Patreon Patron's Danielle, Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Danielle, Ren, Jacob, Tommy & our newest Patreon Patron Stephanie for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm excited to bring you a conversation I had with Plus-size outdoor professional and adventurer Ashley Manning. We have an amazing conversation talking about our experiences as plus-sized outdoors people regarding social media, stigmas, gear, how other hikers like Jenny Bruso of Unlikely Hikers have encouraged us, and how much we appreciate companies like Columbia that make clothes for plus sized adventurers! Thank you so much Ashley for coming on the show and having this conversation with me. This was one of my favorite thus far and I am so excited to share it with you all! Ash Manning is a plus-size hiker and river runner from North Georgia. Her mission is to encourage others to break the stigma around fat bodies and get into the outdoors responsibly and safely. Through humor and entertainment, Ash aims to bring knowledge to aspiring plus-size outdoors folk.  ***Some language used in this episode may not be appropriate for younger audiences*** Follow Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleysadventure/ Follow Ashley on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleysadventure Thumbnail photo by Tommy Corey : www.instagram.com/@twerkinthedirt Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! We'd like to thank our sponsors: - CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS - Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  - Big thank you to our  Patreon Patron's Danielle, Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Danielle, Ren, Jacob, Tommy & our newest Patreon Patron Stephanie for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. Music licensed through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week I'm excited to bring you all a conversation I had with John Sprankel of The Oahu Coastline Trail. Big thank you to John for being so patient on getting this episode out!  John Sprankel is an Eagle Scout and US Army veteran that graduated from Georgia Southern Universitywith a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, where he met and married his wife, Tori. Since then, their careers lead them to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and later to Honolulu, Hawaii, in order to pursue the opportunity to ive in paradise, while also demonstrating to their daughter, Rowan, the value of travel, meeting new people, and seizing opportunities. With a civilian career path that has always focused around logistics and leadership consultation, the availability of time that came from the COVID shutdowns provided an opportunity to develop the idea of hiking around the island of Oahu from a passing thought to a viable endeavor.  While training for the Honolulu Marathon in 2019, the idea of circumnavigating the island transitioned from anidea for a fun challenge to a backpacking thru-hike, and, finally, to a scouting trip to develop a recognizedNational Scenic Trail. Working with the Hawaii DLNR and the National Park Service, John has been working to identify the many facets of a National Scenic Trail that this pathway will need to meet in order to fulfill the requirements said status, while also working to generate interest via Instagram (@the_oct_project) by bloggingthe 100 days leading up to the start of the scouting trip.  Follow John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_oct_project/ Go to https://www.facebook.com/TheOCTProject/ for more information on the OCT Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com  Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!  We'd like to thank our sponsors:  - CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS  - Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  - Big thank you to our Patreons Danielle, Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Danielle, Ren, Jacob and Tommy for supporting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast.  Music licenced through musicbed.com.  Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week Andy talks with Hiker, Author, YouTuber and founder of Hike Oregon Franziska Weinheimer. Franziska Weinheimer is a 25+ year resident of Oregon and grew up enjoying the outdoors. In her mid-twenties she started hiking every week and grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of reliable information about the hiking trails that was available online. So she decided to work her way through the hiking guidebooks she owned and after every hike documented the hike online with detailed photos, trail descriptions, accurate mileage and elevation gain and made her own fun maps that point out special things to look out for along the way. This website was named Hike Oregon. Over the next few years Franziska started the Hike Oregon YouTube channel, published two hiking guidebooks, and continues to add hikes to the website monthly. Subscribe to Hike Oregon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClmtRlQX9GvG6vQohRcRoSg Follow Franziska on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hike.oregon/ Go to www.hikeoregon.net for more information on Hike Oregon and to buy Franziska's Book: OREGON'S BEST VIEWS: 50 BREATHTAKING VIEWPOINT HIKES Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast! We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal \ Big thank you to our Patreons Danielle, Mike, Daniel, Deb, Cade, Danielle, Ren, Jacob and Tommy for supoorting The Hiker Podcast. If you'd like to support The Hiker Podcast on Patreon go to https://www.patreon.com/thehikerpodcast. Music licenced through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6 Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!

This week Andy talks with hiker and backpacker Justice Wise. Justice Wise is a day hiker and a backpacker who is returning to it after a short hiatus which caused her to miss it greatly. She was a Girl Scout as well as a YMCA Camp Counselor in Northern New Mexico. She grew up exploring the mountains of New Mexico and this is where she feels the most at home. She feels that the mountains ground her and finds healing as she moves through trails as she explores with her dog, Rio. She is an advocate for mental health and healing in the outdoors and shares her experiences with mental health. In addition, she promotes Leave No Trace principles. In her off trail life, she is a Special Education Math teacher as well as a classical flautist. This summer, Justice plans to complete the Colorado Trail as well as many backpacking trips in New Mexico and has plans for future thru hikes in the years to come, one of which she hopes to take her dog Rio on next year. Follow Justice on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mindfulsyncopations/ We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Music Licenced through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6 Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

On the 2nd episode this week, Andy talks with Tracy, owner of BearVault. Thank you to BearVault for sponsoring this weeks episode. Tracy is the owner of BearVault, manufacturer of bear resistant food canisters for backpackers and adventurers. An experienced backpacker, Tracy idolizes a world in which wilderness stays truly wild, and considerate adventurers will have the privilege of being awed by nature, now and forever. Tracy stays busy working on virtually every aspect of the business, and in her spare time she enjoys hiking and skiing. Before focusing on bears, Tracy worked for startups and initiatives in wind, solar, green building, and with environmental nonprofits. She holds an MBA, a BS, and a BA.  Get a BearVault Bear Canister at www.bearvault.com  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast   CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal    Music Licenced through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6 Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This Week Andy Talks with photographer, filmmaker and hiker Tommy Corey. Tommy Corey, otherwise known as “Twerk” is a 33-year-old thru-hiker and outdoor photographer from Bend, Oregon. In 2018, while thru hiking the Pacific Crest Trail he created an editorial photo series called “Hiker Trash Vogue”. Currently, he has created a film project called “Twerk’s Visual Podcast” where he explores the emotionally intimate stories of those that inhabit the outdoor community. Follow Tommy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twerkinthedirt/  Check out Tommy's work on his website: https://www.tommycorey.com ***Some content in the episode may not be appropriate for younger audiences*** We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or use this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Music Licenced through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6 Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This Week Andy Talks with AT and LST Thru Hiker Kayla Bold! Kayla Bold is an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and Lone Star Hiking Trail thru-hiker. She lives in her RV full time in Central Texas and plans to start traveling in a few years. In her free time, she enjoys writing and painting.She's a strong advocate for mental health and is open about her own struggles. She has plans to complete the Long Trail this year and many more next year. Follow Kayla on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayla.bold/  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Music Licenced through musicbed.com. Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6 Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week Andy is excited to talk with hiker and author of ALONE IN WONDERLAND, Christine Reed !  Christine discovered long distance backpacking while surfing the internet at work. She decided that day to attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. One adventure led to another and a few years later she set out on the Wonderland Trail in Mt Rainier National Park. Her Rugged Outdoors Woman persona started as a joke, a nod to the outdoor adventurer that she wished to be. But in the years since, she has come into her own as a backpacker, rock climber, and trail runner. Her debut memoir, Alone in Wonderland, is a testament to the decision to name who you want to be and make it so. Get ALONE IN WONDERLAND - https://campsite.bio/ruggedoutdoorswoman  Follow Christine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ruggedoutdoorswoman/   We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Music Licenced through musicbed.com.  Intro Song: NEVER STOP by Tyler Brown William-  https://open.spotify.com/track/4fGgmcD5Ke4I4ZfJ1hZeiW?si=cc831237612840c6  Closing Song: STILL WANDERING by Bronze Radio Return- https://open.spotify.com/track/7wJyGhYZ6OjFmxaD62tlbZ?si=565bd9892e944732 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week Andy is excited to talk with hiker and owner of Purple Rain Adventure Skirts, Mandy Bland. Purple Rain Adventure Skirts was founded by Mandy ‘Purple Rain’ Bland and first launched on Etsy in March 2014.  During a 2012 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail Mandy was inspired to try hiking in a skirt.   Unable to find what she wanted, she went about designing her own. Hacking up an old pair of convertible hiking pants, adding a comfortable waistband and some pockets, Mandy then headed back out on trail testing the design on the PCT that following summer.  Thus the Purple Rain Adventure Skirt was born. Originally based out of Portland, Oregon Mandy launched the business from a dining room table.  Completing a grant program with Mercy Corp Northwest she gained access to small business resources and assets to further expand the company.  Now residing in southern Oregon, each skirt is handmade with love from her in-home studio.  All emails are handled by Mandy directly, providing an intimate customer/owner connection unrivaled by big box stores. Purple Rain Adventure Skirts is dedicated to providing people with performance apparel that inspires the freedom of adventure without compromising style or function.  We believe that hiking gives us strength to take on life's challenges.  The wilderness we trek through teaches us to find peace and perseverance in a hectic world.  Purple Rain Skirts encourages others to take comfort in the natural world, find their inner strength and to simply live. Find out more about Mandy and get your own Purple Rain Adventure Skirt at https://www.purplerainskirts.com. We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week Andy is excited to talk with hiker, mountaineer, skier, mountain biker and environmental educator Sami Wolniakowski. Sami Wolniakowski is a recent graduate of the Master of Science in Environmental Education at Southern Oregon University. Before attending the program, she was a teacher and environmental educator for 4 years. She believes in utilizing the outdoors as her classroom and making it accessible for all students. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, mountaineering, skiing, paddle boarding, and mountain biking. Follow Sami on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/samiski21/  We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week Andy talks with filmmaker and hiker Darwin Rakestraw. They have a great conversation about being a filmmaker and a hiker, creativity, social media and the hiking community, and what he is doing to encourage everyone to protect public lands. Go to www.theoutdoorevolution.com to see everything Darwin is doing. "Through the Great Southwest", Darwin's  documentary film about the Arizona Trail: https://theoutdoorevolution.com/through-the-great-southwest  Darwin’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18exdGWh7piVWisrnDXiZg Support Darwin on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darwinonthetrail Darwin’s Blog: https://darwinonthetrail.com We'd like to thank our sponsors: CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

This week on The Hiker Podcast Andy talks with the founders of CNOC Outdoors (pronounced K'nock, who are also a sponsors of the Hiker Podcast) Gilad and Mika Nachmani.    Gilad Nachmani founded CNOC Outdoors in 2016 upon moving to Portland, OR with his wife, Mika and two small children. An avid outdoorsman and outdoor retail industry professional of over 17 years, Gilad used, tested, broke, tinkered and played with gear in both personal and professional capacities. Throughout this time, he was developing new product ideas and improvements to items already in the market. Together, Gilad and his wife Mika scraped together enough resources for Gilad to place an order of redesigned trekking poles.  Gilad designed and made his first truly unique product with the profits from the pole sales, and CNOC quickly became known for the Vecto, as well as for our commitment to doing the right thing – for our customers, our community, and the environment.  CNOC is also offering, STARTING FEBRUARY 3, 2021, a 10% discount on new trekking poles with discount code “Hiker Podcast” or use of the following link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast The trekking poles, handmade in PORTLAND, OREGON will likely be the last pair you need to buy. FOR MORE ABOUT CNOC GO TO:  https://cnocoutdoors.com  We'd like to thank our sponsors:  CNOC Outdoors making our adventures the best possible, simple, enjoyable, fulfilling and sustainable. Go to https://cnocoutdoors.com and be sure to use coupon code 'Hiker Podcast' for 10% off trekking poles.  Or is this link: https://cnocoutdoors.com/discount/Hiker%2520Podcast  CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!  Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com  Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

On this weeks episode Andy talks with Hiker and Writer Maggie Slepian about her experience on the trail, social media, and the outdoor industry.  Maggie Slepian is an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, a full-time writer, and the co-founder of BackpackingRoutes.com. She lives in Bozeman, Montana, and is loosely putting together a plan for four thru-hikes in 2021... but we all know plans are very loose right now.  Get in touch at MaggieSlepian.com. Follow Maggie on IG: https://www.instagram.com/maggie_slepian We'd like to thank our sponsor CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal For more information about Unlikley Hikers go to https://jennybruso.com/unlikelyhikers/  Check out CNOC Outdoors: https://cnocoutdoors.com Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

On this weeks episode Andy talks with Hiker and Vlogger Becca “Little Skittle” Bergstrom about her hike of the PCT, canceling hikes because of covid, vulnerability, and her YouTube channel. Becca Bergstrom had a single-night's experience of backpacking before she embarked on her solo thru-hike of the 2,650-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. In the span of 135 days, she walked from Campo to Manning Park carrying everything she needed to make the long journey, including a newfound sense of happiness, confidence and self-worth. She earned her trail name Little Skittle very early on, powered through the Sierra during one of the highest snow years on record and unfortunately spent the final 1,000 miles processing grief and honoring her grandma, documenting it all and more on cell phone videos she would upload to YouTube. In 2020, Becca had plans, like many of us did. She had hopes of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in March, and when those plans fell through, she attempted to thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail in July, but called it after only eight miles because Coronavirus cases had recently spiked and it just didn't feel like the right thing to do. She still has her sights set on hiking those two trails, earning her the Triple Crown title, but until then, she's using her voice to share her struggles with eating disorders and bringing awareness to mental health, all while prioritizing the management of her own in the best way she knows how, getting outside and moving through the mountains. Follow Becca on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ms_rebecca_ann/ Subscribe to Becca’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa_pWpSu7iVSKQlYd_tQAgQ We'd like to thank our sponsor CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show! Get some CS Instant Coffee: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal Check out CNOC Outdoors: https://cnocoutdoors.com Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast!

On this weeks episode Andy talks with Hiker and Vlogger Julia "Rocket" Sheehan.  After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2019, Julia Sheehan, aka Rocket has never looked back. Julia is a air force veteran, registered emergency medicine nurse and an avid backpacker. She vlogs, writes and hopes to inspire personal connection in the hiking community. Follow Rocket on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliasheehan/?hl=en Subscriber to Julia "Rocket" Sheehan's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jls935  We'd like to thank our sponsor CS Instant Coffee makers of environmentally sustainable and great tasting instant coffee for the trail. Use our affiliate link to get yours and help the show!  Get some CS Instant Coffee: https://cs-instant-coffee.peachs.co/a/andy-neal Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

We are opening up Season 2 with an amazing conversation with advocate and hiker Darrah Blackwater!  We talk about her story, hiking on Indigenous Lands, spectrum sovereignty and her work as an advocate.  Darrah Blackwater is from Farmington, NM and is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. She is a recent graduate of the University of Arizona, where she earned her law degree studying Indigenous law and telecommunications law. She spent a year of law school working on tribal issues in Washington D.C. for the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, the Inspector General of the Department of Interior. This summer she hiked the 486-mile Colorado Trail to raise awareness about the digital divide in Indigenous communities. For more from Darrah Blackwater: https://blackwatersoul.org Follow Darrah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackwatersoul/ Find out who’s land you’re hiking on by texting 907.312.5085 Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

For the final episode of 2020 and of Season1 Andy reflects on the last 21 episodes and the last year of hiking while answering your questions. Season 2 begins Monday January 4, 2021. Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

This week, Andy is talking with Writer, Redliner, & Hiker Rebecca “Socked In” Sperry. Rebecca "Socked In" Sperry is an avid hiker based out of New Hampshire. She is a big proponent for encouraging women to get outdoors, with or without someone else, and has done hundreds of hikes solo herself. After finishing the NH48 4000'ers in 2018, she went on to hike the NE67 4000'ers in thirty-six days. In 2019 she focused her attention on backpacking and has done a small handful of backpacking trips including the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway in New Hampshire. In 2020, she began an attempt at redlining all of The White Mountains in a year, something no female has accomplished. She was sidelined in her attempt, first by COVID, and then was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in August, 2020. She has continued to hike throughout her cancer treatment and hopes that she can inspire other people who are going through treatment to remain active. She uses her social media platforms to educate people about what cancer treatment is really like as well as to share her own journeys both in cancer treatment and hiking. Follow Rebecca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sockedinhikes Rebecca's Blog: https://sockedinhikes.com  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

This week, Andy is very excited to talk with Blogger and Hiker, Danni Krumins Danni has been day hiking in the Canadian Rockies since moving to Alberta in 2018. She is a former college athlete, a CrossFit Level 1 certified coach, and a gymnastics coach. Danni has created Summiting Strong to combine her passion of hiking with strength and conditioning as a way to inspire health both mentally and physically.  She has goals of completing her first thru hike in the next couple of years. Check out Summiting Strong at: https://www.summitingstrong.com Follow Summiting Strong anywhere you are social: @summitingstrong Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival & World Tour- https://filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-163509 Follow the Southern Oregon University Outdoor Program on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/sououtdoorprogram/ Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

This week, Andy is very excited to talk with Creative Professional and Hiker, Luke Pearsall. Luke Pearsall is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences.  His career in media has spanned over 19 years including work on large scale Television and Film Productions in Los Angeles as well as Print Advertising Photography work with clients including Samsung Mobile USA and Bridgestone Tires among others. In 2006, Luke took a hiatus from film to work as an Adventure Guide in South America where his love for the outdoors grew in to a love for travel and adventure. Luke credits this period of time sparking what would become a lifelong pursuit of working creatively as a creative professional working primarily in the adventure lifestyle and outdoors industry genre of work. In 2015 Luke hiked 550 miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago and after a 2020 NO GO of the PCT, Luke hiked 495 miles completing the Colorado Trail in the state that he has been a resident of since 2016. Follow Luke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukepearsallphoto. Subscribe to Luke on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5p3HvKpH0vrmqtmpn9qc4A Luke’s Profession Website: http://www.lukepearsall.com/ Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media. Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

This week Andy talks with writer and hiker Katie "Oats" Houston about gear, getting injured on trail, and how hiking has changed her life! Katie got bit by the thru-hiking bug in 2019 on her trek of the AT. After meeting her partner 1,100 miles into her journey, she now lives in Texas with her partner and two pups and is currently converting a school bus into a tiny home. She has also thru-hiked the Colorado Trail and has goals including completing the Great Western Loop in 2022 and hiking 10,000 miles by 25. Follow Katie on IG: www.instagram.com/mosspetal Follow Katie On Facebook: www.facebook.com/mosspetal Read what Katie Writes: www.thethrucrew.com Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you on a journey to demystify hiking.   Andy sits down with voices in the outdoor and hiking community, getting to know the hikers behind the trekking poles.  Hikers tell stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the environment, getting past the how and to the why of hiking.  A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!   Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com  Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

This week Andy is very excited to talk with Hiker, Runner, & Outdoor Educator Heather Diaz!  Heather Diaz is a former experienced long-distance runner and first-generation hiker from the suburbs of Houston, Texas. She moved around Texas for her bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Life took her to San Francisco in 2012 to chase her career, and she met her partner along the way. He asked her to go on a hike for their first date, which led to thru-hiking nearly 2300 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail two years later (2017). What a loaded question! The rest is history.   Her other passions include weightlifting, day-hiking, backpacking, camping, cycling, conservation, and helping even the most novice feel included and empowered in the outdoors. You can now find her day-hiking along the Central Coast or Bay area. Look out for the girl in purple pants or vibrant colors or patterns, and she might be picking up trash at her favorite local preserve too. In 2021, she and her partner, Stephen, are planning to finish the Sierra section they skipped. Check out hikeandlift.com to follow her tips, adventure plans, and Bay Area trail guides at hikeandlift.com. Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media. Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

This week Andy is excited to talk to filmmaker, hiker, photographer and director of the forthcoming documentary chronicling the “Fastest Know Time” attempt of the Colorado Trail in Summer of 2020 by prior Hiker Podcast guest Jeff “Legend” Garmire, Dylan Harris. Dylan Harris is a Freelance Photographer, Film-maker, long-distance backpacker/bikepacker and explorer who lives in Phoenix, AZ. Traveling much of the year around the American Southwest, Harris works to capture human interaction with outdoor spaces, while promoting the usage and protection of local trail systems. For more from Dylan go to https://dylharris.com. Also CONGRATS TO DYLAN on his recent engagement! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media. Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes

On this weeks Episode of The Hiker Podcast I have a conversation with AT Thru Hiker, writer and Podcaster Rachel Meltzer. Rachel thruhiked the Appalachian Trail in 2018. She now works as a freelance writer in the tech education industry empowering others to change their lives with a new career. She’s also a climber, mental health advocate, and cat lover. You can find her on Instagram @meltzerseltzer or at trailnamehere.com. Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

On this weeks Episode of The Hiker Podcast we talk with the Fastest Know Time(FKT) holder for the Oregon Coast Trail Josh Pulattie. Josh Pulattie is a public school teacher, football coach, and hiker.  He currently holds the Sefl-Supported FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the Oregon Coast Trail.  He got his start backpacking long sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the summers before completing the OCT FKT in the summer of 2020, which presented unique challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Josh is married to Abi and credits her support and patience as one of the biggest reasons he is able to enjoy his hiking adventures. Go to https://www.oregoncoasttrail.org for more information on the Oregon Coast Trail! Also this week on the “Sawyer Segment” we  talk with “The Prodigy” about what Sawyer is doing to encourage environmental responsibility and leave no trace principles. This weeks episode is brought to you by Sawyer Products, makers of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

On this weeks episode of the Hiker Podcast we talk with Yoga instructor,Triple Crown Hiker and rabbit enthusiast Rachael “Rabbit” DeLano. Rachael aka “Rabbit” is a long-distance hiker and outdoor enthusiast residing in Colorado. She left behind a career in corporate America to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2016, and this journey ignited her passion for backpacking. After completing the Appalachian Trail she thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017 and the Continental Divide trail in 2018 completing the triple crown of hiking. Then in 2019, she went on to section hike portions of the AT, PCT, and CDT and pursued hiking abroad in England completing the Hadrian’s Wall walk. Rabbit’s other passions include yoga, bike-packing, and caring for the two most adorable bunnies in the world. She is a certified yoga instructor and finds joy in teaching and practicing yoga. You can find out more about her adventures on Instagram @rabbithikes and on her website www.rabbithikes.com. Also this week on the “Sawyer Segment” and  talk with “Peanut” about using permethrin from Sawyer Products to threat your hiking clothes and gear. This weeks episode is brought to you by Sawyer Products, makers of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

On this weeks episode of the Hiker Podcast we talk with new Colorado Trail FKT holder Jeff “Legend” Garmire. Jeff has completed the Calendar Year Triple Crown (AT, PCT, CDT in one year), climbed all the Colorado 14ers, The Great Western Loop, Nolans 14 in 59 hours, and broke the Arizona Trail self-supported FKT (Fastest Known Time), Pinhoti Trail self-supported FKT, Long Trail Unsupported FKT, and the Colorado Trail Unsupported FKT among 9 other records. You can go to https://freeoutside.com/ to find out where to buy his book or where to follow him on the various social media networks. Also this week on the “Sawyer Segment” we  talk with “The Prodigy” about what Sawyer Products has to offer to keep you insect free while on the trail. This weeks episode is brought to you by Sawyer Products, makers of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

In light of the tragic wildfires that have been plaguing Oregon and the Western United States this week, Andy tells you what’s been happening with the tragic wildfires in Southern Oregon that have devastated much of the Rogue Valley, especially the towns Phoenix and Talent Oregon. Andy has a conversation with the president of the the Oregon Department of Forestry’s ”Keep Oregon Green” program Kristen Babbs. Oregon Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster- orvoad.org Go to www.hikerpodcast.com to give directly to the Phoenix-Talent Families Fire Relief Fund administered by Phoenix-Talent Schools. It is estimated that approximately 50% of the families in the school district have lost their homes. Over 2,300 homes in Southern Oregon were destroyed in these wildfires. Also this week in our  “Sawyer Segment” we talk with “Peanut” about what Sawyer Products is doing to bring clean water around the world. This weeks episode is brought to you by Sawyer Products, makers of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

This week on The Hiker Podcast Andy talks about his upcoming and first ever backpacking trip along the PCT AND we are excited to talk with legendary “trail angel”, author, and hiker Barney “Scout” Mann.  We talk about his journey as a trail angel and hiker along with his new book “Journey’s North: The Pacific Crest Trail” Also this week we have our second “Sawyer Segment” and  talk with “The Prodigy” about Lyme disease and what Sawyer Products is doing to raise awarness and help prevent Lyme disease and tick born illness. This weeks episode is brought to you by Sawyer Products, makers of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Barney Scout Mann has hiked the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails. He is president of the Partnership for the National Trails System. Mann has been recognized with a Lowell Thomas Journalism Award and is the coauthor of The Pacific Crest Trail: Exploring America’s Wilderness Trail and author of The Continental Divide Trail: Exploring America’s Ridgeline Trail. He and his wife, Sandy, live in San Diego and have hosted more than 7,000 PCT hikers. Visit him online at his Website--BarneyScoutMann.com. Scout's new book Journeys North spins a compelling tale of six hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007 as they walk from Mexico to Canada. This ensemble story unfolds as these half-dozen hikers--including Barney and his wife, Sandy--trod north, forming relationships and revealing their deepest secrets and aspirations. They face a once-in-a-generation drought and early severe winter storms that test their will in this bare-knuckled adventure. Only a third of all the hikers who set out on the trail that year would finish. "Journeys North is a masterclass in story telling. Barney Scout Mann invites readers into his trail family to experience a journey in goosebump-inducing detail. Zach Davis, editor in chief of The Trek. Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast  Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

This week on The Hiker Podcast we talk with day hiker, trail runner and author of the trail book “Ashland Trails”,  Jim Faleknstein. Jim Falkenstein self-published his hyper-local trail guide AshlandTrails.com – The Book in 2019. Jim wrote the book based on his website www.AshlandTrails.com when he realized that some people couldn’t always figure out the internet and still liked purchasing books. He started building his website in 2015 when he realized that Los Angeles was noisy and crowded and moved to Ashland, Oregon. Jim had already created the hiking website www.TrailDummies.com in Los Angeles with help from his  co-host John Cooper. Something else that helps Jim out every day? - His Forestry degree from Michigan State University and his Master’s degree in Film and Television from The University of Michigan. Something else that really helps him out every day? – His wife Beth of 27 years and his two, not-in-the-house-anymore, daughters Freya and Gretel. Jim still dabbles in his 30 year career as a Property Master on television shows in Los Angeles, but that is just to support his full time bad habit of exploring, and sharing, as many trails in Southern Oregon as he can. Also this week we have our first “Sawyer Segment” and we talk with Andrew “Peanut” Glenn about the importance of properly filtering water while hiking and how Sawyer Products filters are making it easier and safer to do so. This weeks episode is brought to you by Sawyer Products, makers of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail! Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

On this weeks episode of The Hiker Podcast we are excited to talk with Hikers Tyler “The Prodigy” Lau and Andrew “Peanut” Glenn. Not only are they amazing hikers but they work for Sawyer Products, the sponsor of this episode. We spend our time talking about their story and how hiking has changed them and they in turn are making an impact on the world around them.  This weeks episode is brought to you by Sawyer Products, makers of the Sawyer Squeeze water filter.  Go to https://sawyer.com for where to buy all of their amazing products that help keep us safe on the trail!  Follow Tyler “The Prodigy” Lau on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hikingprodigy/  Some Facts about “The Prodigy” - Dual Citizen of Hong Kong and the USA - Always enjoyed hiking and turned that into 10 plus seasons of trail work, wild-land fire, conservation work, natural resource management, environmental education work across the US and even abroad. - First thru-hike PCT 2016 (also included the JMT cause why not?) - Calendar Year Triple Crown (PCT, CDT, AT) in 2018, becoming 1st Person of Color, Asian-American and 9th Person overall to do so. - Finished Colorado Trail (the non-CDT shared miles) in 2019. - The Hiker Meme King - Passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the outdoor space, making access available for disadvantaged groups - Likes long walks on the beach, bare foot of course Check out  Andrew “Peanut” Glenn on his blog: https://stilloutside.com or email Andrew@stilloutside.com Some Facts about “Peanut” - Texan, grew up in Arkansas with three older sisters - Thru-hiked the PCT (2017) - Thru-hiked the JMT with my dad (2018) - 5th person to connect the CDT to Canada's Great Divide Trail (2019) - The high snow years of 2017 and 2019 developed a love for mountaineering, which is where my outdoor love is currently focused. - Most likely to be found on trail dancing, napping, eating cereal, or finding a questionable ridge-line to scramble on.  Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast   Email Andy andy@hikerpodcast.com Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast  Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

The week we are excited to talk with Renee "She-Ra" Patrick.  Renee measures time by the miles she hikes. This long-distance backpacker has wracked up over 11,000 miles hiked on 12 different trails around the world including the triple crown trails: Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. To stay fit, she packrafts, skis, walks, bikes, enjoys a daily yoga practice, and sometimes drinks a beer (or two). Renee is a professional hiker whose current job is to establish the 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail through south-eastern Oregon.  Follow Renee "She-Ra" Patrick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearehikertrash/   Find out more about the Oregon Desert Trail: www.onda.org/OregonDesertTrail  Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast   Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast  Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

This week we have an amazing conversation with PCT THRU HIKER Jennifer “Close Call” McDaniel. We have an amazing conversation about what it means to be a hiker, expectations on the trail, when you have to get off the trails, how the trail provides and how she got her trail name. Follow “Close Call" on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dirtyskirt/ Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Follow Host Andy Neal on Instagram: @andyfilmsandhikes Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

This week on Episode 4 of The Hiker Podcast we talk with Michael "Einstein" Gelfeld. "Einstein" is a semi-nomadic, somewhat full-time long distance hiker. He has hiked over 8,000 miles on various trails since 2016 and also completed two cross-country bicycle tours. He is originally from Maryland and currently lives in Flagstaff, AZ.  Follow "Einstein" on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youth.retired  Read "Einstein's" Blog: https://www.unpublishedeinsteinthoughts.com Leave a voice message for Andy: https://anchor.fm/hikerpodcast Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all our social media accounts, email, and all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!  Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

This week on Episode 3 of The Hiker Podcast we talk with filmmaker, YouTuber, and PCT thru-hiker Elina “Tip Tap” Osborne. “Tip Tap” hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650 mile (4270 kilometers) trail that runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington in the US, in 2019.  Her short documentary film on her PCT hike, “It is the People”, was selected at this years New Zealand Mountain Film Festival. We talk about preparing for a thru hike, how hiking affects relationships with other people, what happened in Ashland, Oregon, and being a filmmaker on the trail. You can see Elina's film ‘It Is the People’, on her YouTube Channel as well as more amazing videos on her PCT Journey.  Elina's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/elinabox  Elina's INSTAGRAM: @elinasborne  Elina's WEBSITE:  elinaosborne.com Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers!  Go to www.hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen or to follow us on social media.

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Hiker Podcast, we are keeping it close to home today with conversations with the president of Keep Oregon Green Kristen Babbs and Franziska, the founder of hikeoregon.net and Hike Oregon On YouTube. Follow Keep Oregon Green at https://keeporegongreen.org/ Follow Franziska of Hike Oregon at https://www.hikeoregon.net For all the ways to listen to The Hiker Podcast  or to follow us on social media go to https://www.hikerpodcast.com Be sure to join us next week as we go half way around the world and talk with Kiwi, PCT Thru Hiker, and filmmaker Elina Osbourne. Check out her YouTube Channel before you listen to next weeks episode: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj7YznKvjMpXAXuzs9wWvtg  Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen, for our social media links, to sign up for our email list and to get more information.

Welcome to the first ever episode of The Hiker Podcast. This week Host Andy Neal tells you his story of how he got into hiking and how hiking helped changed him during an existential crisis and helped heal his mind and heart. Each week new hiker Andy Neal, takes you along on the trail, reviewing gear, exploring hiking trends and most importantly talking with voices in the outdoor and hiking community finding stories of how hiking has inspired them to grow, create, and better the world and environment around them. A show for those first starting out on the trail and for experienced thru-hikers! Go to hikerpodcast.com for all the ways to listen, for our social media links, to sign up for our email list and to get more information.