Chris Powers hiked from the Northern Terminus to the Natural Bridge area as part of attempting a longer thru hike of the Sheltowee Trace Trail. We talk about what led to him deciding to leave the trail and lessons he learned along the way. 

We get into planning and logistics (gear, camping, food and water), the hard reality of road walking and its impact on his hike, and the joy found in photography along the trail. We also discuss some of the ways being a climber can help with both planning and executing a hike. 

Connect with Chris:

Instagram

Photography

Find Hike at the Virginia Black Bear Festival on June 7th; come say hi and pick up free stickers and I'll have a few new and exclusive Hike items for purchase. 

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Philip Werner comes on the show to discuss his new book, "Hiking over 60: A modern guide to Hiking Gear and Techniques for Active Adults". 

Philip's website SectionHiker.com has been sharing gear and trail advice for almost two decades. It's a great resource whether you are new to hiking or at the intermediate or expert level. 

This episode is a great introduction for those new to hiking and we talk about how this new book is meant for both those new to hiking and those who are reintroducing themselves to the hiking world after some time away. 

We cover topics 

- Finding Local Trail Systems 

- Essential Gear and Being Safe

- Hiking over 60 considerations

- Leave No Trace

- Some of Philip's hikes in the White Mountains and beyond

Buy the book (Amazon)

Hike Giveaway Alert

Enter the Hike Celebrates 250k Giveaway here (open through 5/9/25)

5 Random winners will be chosen to receive either a Sticker, Yeti Tumbler, Button or Hat

Stay tuned for how you can purchase your own Hike merchandise or send me an email/DM to inquire

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Lori gives an update on her Shenandoah 500 progress after officially making it halfway through the challenge. 

She chats about:

Winter hiking and favorite trails for the winter season, getting acclimated to elevation after life as a flatlander, navigating water crossings and blowdowns, memorable moments on trail 

Some of the trail links:

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/blackrock-summit.htm

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hawksbill-summit.htm

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hawksbill-summit.htm

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/dark-hollow-falls.htm

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/lower-whiteoak-falls.htm

https://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/BrownMountain/images/Map.pdf

https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/SHEN_BCTrip-Big_Run_Loop_and_Big_Run_Portal_B008-508.pdf

PATC Store: https://potomactrailclub.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/potomactrailclub/giftstore.jsp

Music Credit: https://thornandshout.bandcamp.com/album/thorn-shout

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Vegas comes on to chat about his 2023 thru hike of the Appalachian Trail and how those experiences shaped his current life as guide and started his quest for completing the triple crown in long distance hiking. We talk about trail magic, tramily life, gear, and a lot of lessons learned. 

We touch on other long distance hikes and thru hikes - including his Sheltowee Trace completion and international hike of the West Highland Way in Scotland. 

Vegas also shares his prep for tackling the PCT this year and what he's looking forward to as part of his trek. 

Go give Vegas a follow:

Instagram

YouTube

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Jessica Cocciolone is the Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Trust. She has helped nonprofits raise millions of dollars and establish sustainable organizations. 

Jessica comes on Hike to share some of the projects that the Shenandoah National Park Trust help fund for Shenandoah National Park. SNP Trust projects are wide reaching and touch on every aspect of the park operations and visitor experience. Whether it's supporting the  clearing of overlooks or a scientist in residence who is performing archaeological digs, they are behind many of the programs that make an everyday difference. 

Find out more:

www.snptrust.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SNPTrust

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snptrust/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snptrust

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Strider comes back on Hike to discuss completing his 2024 thru hike on the International Appalachian Trail (IAT). He started on the Pinhoti Trail and went all the way up to the tip of Newfoundland, though his hike was not always linear. We learn more about that in this interview, including how this hike led to his completion of the C2C (Coast to Coast) trail. 

We chat about some of the logistics of hiking across the Northern border including: border crossings, hitching a ride, camp sites, hiking during hunting season and resupplies. 

Connect with Strider:

[email protected]

Facebook - StriderC2C

Listen to our previous episode about the North Country Trail (2020)

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Brian of Keep Virginia Cozy comes back on the podcast to share updates on what's they've been up to, including corporate & community cleanups and being able to clean up 1,000,000 pounds of trash thus far.

We also talk about trail! We cover hiking trails in Shenandoah National Park, The Great Outdoors Challenge in Scotland, Trans-Catalina Trail, and the Wonderland Trail.

Connect with Keep Virginia Cozy:
Instagram: @keepvirginiacozy
Facebook: Keep Virginia Cozy
Website: Keep Virginia Cozy

Check out our 2021 episode here


Music clip credit:
"Whiskey on the Mississippi" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Best selling Author and Long Distance Hiker, Lauralee Bliss, comes on the show to talk about her experiences in the outdoors. She is a 2x AT Thru-hiker and is currently working on her 3rd hike of the Appalachian Trail as a section hike. With over 10,000 miles of hiking, she has many experiences to share with listeners about her time in the outdoors. 

We also talk about the founding of the Shenandoah 500 challenge and some of her favorite parts and moments in Shenandoah National Park.

Lauralee has written 2 books on hiking and is currently working on a memoir about her time as an Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner.  She spent 6 years working as a ridgerunner in both Maryland and Virginia, assisting hikers and helping promote leave no trace on the trail. 

She also is a best selling historical fiction novelist who takes inspiration from historical events and her own love of adventure and the outdoors. We chat about her most recent work of fiction which was just released on January 1st titled, "When the Avalanche Roared" which is based on the Wellington, Washington train disaster. 

Connect with Lauralee Bliss:
https://lauraleebliss.com
https://lauraleebliss.com/blissful-hiking-adventures/

Blissful hiking blog - https://blissfulhiking.blogspot.com/

New book
When the Avalanche Roared - https://lauraleebliss.com/books/when-the-avalanche-roared/

Shenandoah 500 - Hike all the trails in Shenandoah National Park
Find out more on the Shenandoah 500 Challenge by joining the Facebook group Shenandoah National Park Hikers
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BVfheYEZ4/


Music clip credit:
"Whiskey on the Mississippi" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Cori is hiking all of the trails in Shenandoah National Park and shares her favorite trail stories as well as some useful tips for those who are looking to recreate in the park. 

We touch on: 

• Research and Prep
• Water Crossings
• Hiking in the dark 
• Wildlife encounters
• Boundary trailhead access 
• Favorite trails
• Park's seasonal amenities and closures

Cori and Lori also compare their experiences so far as they work towards finishing the Shenandoah 500 challenge.

Connect with Cori:
Blog: The Space Between
Facebook: The Space Between Adventures
Instagram: @spacebetweenadventures

Check out the Shenandoah National Park's official hiking pages here

Learn more about park boundary access here

Listen to our previous episode here

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]

Artist Rosalie Haizlett shares her Tiny Worlds journey in the Appalachian Mountains. We discuss how she started drawing and painting, the healing power of nature and how she finds inspiration on the trail.

Rosalie’s illustration inspired me to pick up painting again when I saw her work in West Virginia.

Check out and purchase her work at
https://rosaliehaizlett.com

You can also follow her on social media @rosaliehaizlett

Order the book

Instagram
Substack 


Music clip credit:
"Whiskey on the Mississippi" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Support the show

Connect with Hike:
Instagram: @thehikepodcast @shenandoahexplorer
Facebook: @thehikepodcast
Email: [email protected]