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:

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:

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 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:

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:

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!