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🌿 Season 12 Finale: One Year Later with Chickpea — Movement, Mindfulness & Coming Home 🥾✨

Chickpea returns to close out Season 12 — one year to the day since her first appearance on the podcast. In that time, she's left her nine-to-five at Amazon behind for good, becoming a full-time traveler, backpacking and mindset mentor, trail yoga instructor, and writer, all while redefining what "home" means when you're living out of a suitcase.

Chickpea talks through a year shaped by long trails and inner work — house-sitting cats in Scotland before hiking the 96-mile West Highland Way (honesty boxes and all), the coastal wonder of Portugal's Rota Vicentina Fisherman's Trail, and an emotional return to the PCT in Washington that doubled as her honeymoon after eloping with her partner Artifact in the North Cascades. We also get into her Yoga for Hikers program, an upcoming women's hiking and yoga retreat in Spain, why Oregon might be the PCT's most underrated section, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — summits or waterfalls, tablets or powder, stream crossing or snowfield.

An inspiring send-off to Season 12 — a love letter to curiosity, courage, and coming home to yourself, one step at a time.

Episode Links:
Chickpea on Instagram
Chickpea’s Website

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

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🎙️ The Trail Angel With a 7-Course Welcome

Ben — known on trail as Paladin — joins us this episode. His trail name traces back to a Western theme song he was singing solo on the PCT and a code of honor he's carried since his days as a history minor and biker: chivalry, looking out for others, doing the right thing. His path into long-distance hiking runs deep, from childhood summers tracking animals on his grandfather's Maryland farm to section-hiking the Smokies while at Western Carolina University.

Ben talks through completing both the AT and PCT, a memorable close encounter with a bison herd on the Trans-Catalina Trail, and the origin of his "Cheer Trail Angel Experience" — multi-course meals, campfires, full resupplies, and genuine hospitality for weary thru-hikers passing through Pine Grove Furnace, born from wanting to pay forward the kindness he'd received on trail. We also get into stealth camping in Norway, an unforgettable pre-smartphone road trip through 11 states with his cousin, passing a love of the outdoors on to his son, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — summits or waterfalls, sunrise or sunset, stream crossing or snowfield.

A heartfelt conversation about legacy, connection, and the belief that moments shared outside can change us forever.

Episode Links:
Ben on Instagram
THRU-r on Instagram
Hartford County Woodshop

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

🎙️ The Artist Who Climbs Into Her Own Paintings 🏔️

Erin joins us this episode — a Central Washington hiker, contemporary landscape artist, and the creative force behind Nuwave Gallery in Ellensburg. Her art career started almost by accident, painting watercolors on hikes with college friends just to get away from the computer, and has since grown into a decade-long career defined by her signature "breaking the borders" technique — discovered after an accidental paint drip she decided to lean into.

Erin talks through how faith and nature are deeply intertwined in her creative process, a vulnerable Instagram post about revisiting a trail that once felt unsettling and finding unexpected peace and a message about finishing what she'd started, and her love for the "softer, quieter beauty" of Manastash Ridge since moving from Seattle to Central Washington. We also get into teaching watercolor and alcohol ink classes, painting old snowboards back to life, her first-ever group trip through Yosemite, Big Sur, and Three Rivers in 2026, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — summits or waterfalls, sunrise or sunset, tablets or powder.

A grounded, reflective conversation about creativity, faith, and the belief that nature has something to teach us every time we show up.

Episode Links:
📸 Erin on Instagram
🌐 Erin’s Website
🖼 Nuwave Galley Website
✈️ Explore with Erin
📖 Mountain Proverbs: Art & Wisdom for the Adventurer’s Soul

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Hikes & Mics, we caught up with a familiar face.

John Mark returns to the podcast after two years — and a lot has changed. He's shifted careers from college Spanish professor to full-time court interpreter, a move that's actually given him more flexibility to chase waterfalls and squeeze in micro-adventures between jobs. In 2024, he set out to camp every single month of the year and pulled it off, refining his gear system down to a science along the way.

John Mark talks through an ice-coated, sub-zero packing ordeal at Savage Gulf State Park, a close encounter with a timber rattlesnake at a waterfall in his favorite spot, Bankhead National Forest, and the time a raccoon made off with his brick of melted trail mix candy on a solo trip. We also get into chasing the 2024 solar eclipse in Arkansas, his return to the stage in local theater, his ongoing love of the hiking kilt, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — waterfalls or summits, tablets or powder, stream crossing or snowfield.

A fun, wide-ranging catch-up on two years of cold nights, wild encounters, and the small adventures that add up to a life outdoors.

Episode Links:
John Mark on Instagram
John Mark on Facebook

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

🎙️ A Life Built on Adventure, Partnership & Big Peaks

Amy joins us this episode — a phys-ed teacher, adventurer, and newly minted Adirondack 46er whose journey through all 50 states and 52 national parks has become a lifelong mission. It all traces back to a chance reconnection with her now-husband Tim at a local bar, which sparked 26 years of adventure — and a winter ascent of Mount Marcy, New York's highest peak, that lit the fire for chasing the Adirondack High Peaks.

Amy talks through the emotional finish of her 46er journey on Saddleback Mountain, her love of writing about her adventures on Wattpad, feeding Highland cows in Scotland after hiking Conic Hill, and completing three of the four subspecies in the Turkey Grand Slam. We also get into her next big challenge — the Northeast 115 — her dream of becoming a park ranger after retiring from teaching, and a full round of season "this or that" questions, including a few new backpacking-specific ones.

A joyful, adventure-packed conversation about partnership, perseverance, and chasing every corner of the map.

Episode Links:
Amy on Instagram
Explore With Amy - Wattpad

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

🎙️ A Conversation on Healing, Service & the Power of the Trail

Just in time for Veterans Day, Chappy joins us — Program Director for the Veterans Engagement and Trail Stewardship Program with the Arizona Trail Association. After years working outreach for REI, Chappy stepped into the role during a difficult stretch post-pandemic, and has since built the program into something he calls "mission therapy," giving veterans purpose through hands-on trail maintenance and stewardship rather than recreation alone.

Chappy talks through the meaning behind carrying the American flag in honor of fallen brothers and sisters in arms, a powerful moment speaking alongside young Marine Vine Bahe at Window Rock on the Navajo Nation, and his favorite stretch of the 800-mile Arizona Trail, the aptly-named Wilderness of Rocks on Mount Lemmon. We also get into Operation Freedom March — a statewide effort running through July 2026 to celebrate America's 250th birthday while getting veterans out on the trail — his philosophy that "the trail may not always give you what you want, but it always gives you what you need," and a full round of season "this or that" questions, including some new backpacking-specific ones.

A powerful conversation about healing, service, and hope — and how much the trail truly gives back.

Learn more about the AZT Vets Program and support Operation Freedom March, a statewide effort running through July 2026 to honor America’s 250th birthday and empower veterans through the outdoors. Check out the episode links below to get involved, hike a segment, or donate.

Episode Links:
Chappy on Instagram
Arizona Trail Association - Vets Program on Instagram
Arizona Trail Association VETS Program Website
Operation Freedom March - Learn More

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

🎙️ Chasing National Parks: A Father–Son Quest 🥾🌄

Grant returns to the podcast for a special first — joined by his dad John for the very first time. Recorded live at a snow-dusted overlook on Washington Pass in North Cascades National Park, this conversation traces 13 years of father-son national park trips that started when Grant was a senior in high school and have since taken them everywhere from Glacier to the Tetons to Zion.

John shares his old-school system of laminated, hand-written trail notes ("John Trails," as Grant calls them) that saved the day when unexpected snow derailed their plans, and the two look back on standout moments — a windswept pass at Glacier where Grant's cowboy hat blew into a canyon, a champagne toast at the Grand Canyon's North Rim honoring Grant's late grandmother, and a 16-hour pandemic-era road trip to the Grand Tetons. We also get into how their roles have shifted over the years, John's youngest son Spencer and the joy of introducing him to local hikes, Grant's own podcast Grateful Galavanters, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — switchbacks or straight up, sunrise or sunset, loop or out-and-back.

A heartfelt reminder that the best views are the ones you share, and that it's never too late to start a family hiking tradition.

🎧 Tune in for a beautiful reminder that the best views are the ones you share — and that it’s never too late to start a family hiking tradition.

Episode Links:
Grant on Instagram
Grant's Linktree
John on Instagram

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

🌄 Van Life, Second Acts & Saying YES to Adventure 🚐✨

Kathleen — known online as the Women's Vitality Alchemist — joins us this episode. At 59, she said yes to van life, hitting the road solo in her van "Blondie" after her husband gave her the gift of complete freedom to chase the adventure she'd always talked about.

Kathleen talks through unforgettable stops from Monument Valley to the North Cascades, including a profound moment with a Navajo guide who told her she carries the wisdom of a grandmother, and a white-knuckle Google Maps detour deep into Olympic National Park that became one of her biggest lessons in staying calm under pressure. We also get into her background as a functional nutritionist, her philosophy on embracing a "second act" after 50, encouraging other women past their fear of solo travel, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — summits or waterfalls, sunrise or sunset, fall colors or spring wildflowers.

An empowering conversation about reinvention, courage, and saying yes to the life that's still waiting for you.

Episode Links:
Kathleen on Instagram
Kathleen on Facebook
Kathleen on AllTrails

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

🌎 Weather, Wildfires & the Human Impact with Paul Rivera ☀️🌧️

Paul Rivera joins us this episode — a Louisiana-based journalist and environmental storyteller who's spent over a decade covering hurricanes, wildfires, and the changing climate. Paul's interest in weather traces back to Hurricane Katrina, which hit his home state when he was a kid, and his love of hiking took root years later during the pandemic, when trail time in Georgia and South Carolina became a lifeline.

Paul talks through the near-misadventure that turned a quick Mount Baker day hike into a seven-hour ordeal following disappearing snowshoe tracks through the Chain Lakes Loop, his investigative reporting on microplastics found in tap water across multiple states, and the growing strain on places like the Enchantments, where a single ranger now covers 900+ miles of trail. We also get into his journey from Louisiana to Seattle and back, the intersection of storytelling and advocacy, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — summits or waterfalls, sunrise or sunset, fall colors or spring wildflowers.

An eye-opening conversation about nature, media, and the responsibility that comes with loving the places we hike.

Episode Links:
Paul Rivera News on Instagram
Paul Rivera News on TikTok
Paul Rivera News on YouTube
Paul Rivera News on Facebook

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order. 

Send us Fan Mail

Courage, Comfort & Connection: Building Fridie Outdoors with Lestarya 🌲📱

Lestarya joins us this episode — founder of Fridie Outdoors, an app built to make camping and outdoor skills accessible anytime, anywhere, even offline. Her relationship with the outdoors began after losing both of her parents by age 11, when hiking became a way to heal while living with family in the Bay Area — and years later, that same instinct to help others through nature became the spark behind Fridie.

Lestarya talks through leaving a career in tech (product and UX work in robotics and natural language processing) to build Fridie full-time, the lessons from her very first camping trip (a yoga mat is not a sleeping pad), and the meaning behind the "Fridie" name, which honors generations of trailblazers on her Black side of the family. We also get into the app's offline-first design, her camp cooking workshops at the Refuge Outdoor Festival, partnerships with REI, Adidas, and Washington State Parks, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — waterfalls or summits, spring wildflowers or fall colors, trail runners or hiking boots.

An inspiring conversation about healing, innovation, and building a more inclusive outdoors.

Episode Links:
Fridie Outdoors Website
Fridie Outdoors on Instagram
Download Fridie Outdooors on iOS
Download Fridie Outdoors on Google Play Store

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

AllTrails+
I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.

Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!

Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists 

Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.