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🎙️ Don Witt — founder of Hiking with the Bear — joins us for one of the most powerful comeback stories we've shared on this show. 

At 505 pounds, walking a block felt impossible. After gastric bypass surgery, hiking became his way of taking his life back one mile at a time — and it eventually carried him all the way to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Don talks through his rough-and-tumble start in backpacking (a 75-pound pack on his very first trip with the Gombe hiking group), the anxiety-filled night before summiting Kilimanjaro's Lava Tower, and the emotional summit moment at Stella Point, where he carried a flag honoring Pine Forge Academy — one of only two remaining all-Black boarding schools in the country. We also get into his "push to inspire" motto, the origin story behind the Hiking with the Bear name, breaking down barriers for plus-size hikers in the outdoors, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — switchbacks or straight up, tablets or powder, sunrise or sunset.

An honest, funny, and deeply moving conversation about transformation, community, and proving the outdoors is for everyone.

Episode Links:
DonWitt on Instagram
DonWitt on Facebook
Hiking With The Bear on YouTube

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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🎙️ Season 12 continues with a journey shaped by deserts, road trips, and unexpected trail moments. 🥾✨

Lyndsay joins us this episode — AllTrails ambassador, science teacher, and self-described "Midwest girl at heart" who traded Ohio winters for the deserts of Las Vegas. Her love of travel traces back to a 28-day family road trip at 17, and these days she's a devoted solo hiker with Death Valley (visited six times) as her favorite park in the country.

Lyndsay talks through one of her scarier trail moments — being stalked by two coyotes at dusk on the Old Spanish Trail — along with a memorable tortoise rescue in the Mojave National Preserve, hiking with a vestibular balance disorder, and the safety habits (location sharing, always carrying a power bank) that keep her solo adventures grounded. We also get into her "do hard things" philosophy, her AllTrails ambassador role, meeting Instagram hiking friends in real life, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — waterfalls or summits, sunrise or sunset, tablets or powder.

A grounded, funny, and honest look at solo hiking, safety, and finding beauty in the small things.

Episode Links:
Lyndsay 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

🎙️ Season 12 kicks off with a story that spans deserts, snowfields, and summits. 🥾✨

We're catching up with Jackson — trail name Gospel — just over a month removed from finishing the PCT and diving straight into a PhD program in New Testament studies. His 2025 thru-hike started with a bold call: entering the Sierra on May 7th, more than a month earlier than typically recommended, into deep snow, brutal cold, and a version of Mount Whitney that required an ice axe and spikes.

Jackson talks through the mental game of thru-hiking, the misconception that you need advanced experience before tackling the PCT, and how his faith shaped the journey — from praying alone in the desert while deciding on grad school, to drawing parallels between backpacking and the biblical image of going into the wilderness. We also get into his time living in Israel, his favorite national parks (Yosemite, Glacier, and an underrated pick in Death Valley), the origin story behind his trail name, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — trail runners or boots, switchbacks or straight up, sunrise or sunset.

A raw, reflective conversation about grit, faith, and finding your footing both on trail and off.

Episode Links:
Jackson on Instagram
Summiting Whitney Post
Jackson on The Trek.Co

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 fall, Hikes & Mics is back with Season 12—your trail companion for crisp mornings, golden leaves, and stories that push us further.

From long-distance hikers chasing switchbacks and international adventurers exploring new cultures… to veterans finding healing on the trail, storytellers bringing news from the mountains, and guides helping us connect mind, body, and nature—this season is packed with voices that inspire.

We’ll hear from outdoor educators, stewards protecting wild places, and familiar friends returning to share new adventures. Whether it’s thru-hiking deserts, chasing alpine sunrises, or rediscovering joy in the everyday hike—you’ll find it here.

Season 12 kicks off September 22nd. Lace up, plug in, and let’s hit the trail together.

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

🌿 Speaking Up for Our Parks with Dominique 🐾✨

🎙️ We're closing out Season 11 with Dominique — Georgia-based hiker, national park enthusiast, and the voice behind @domsdillydallies. A military brat born in Germany who's since lived in Michigan, the Bay Area, and Australia, she came home to Georgia in 2022 and spends her PTO road-tripping and camping her way through the park system with her two senior terriers, Winston and Oscar.

Dominique talks through the quieter Georgia state parks she loves (Etowah's Indian Mounds, Sloppy Floyd, Vogel in fall), why Death Valley holds a special place in her heart and the moment at Ubehebe Crater where she teared up, and the stretch of the Trail of Tears at Chickamauga that mattered more to her than the battlefield itself. She makes the case that advocating for public lands is the bare minimum we owe them, shares what a Trees Atlanta invasive-removal day actually feels like, and explains why park rangers are her first stop in any park. We also get into her Pure Trail POV series — unedited, no music, just what the trail actually looks like — the wrong turn that led her to Capulin Volcano National Monument, why she'd pick Teddy Roosevelt as her ideal hiking partner, and a full round of season "this or that" questions.

A thoughtful season finale celebrating love for the land, respect for its stories, and the communities built along the way.

Episode Links:
Dominique on Instagram
Dominique’s Linktree

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

🦌 Moose Encounters & Mountain Stillness with Mark🌲📸

🎙️ Mark joins us this episode — wildlife photographer, storyteller, and something of a moose whisperer along Utah's Wasatch Front. He picked up a camera back in middle school to get closer to his brother and dad, but hiking only became central about three years ago, after a breakup sent him looking for an escape. Now he's on trail four or five times a week and has logged well over a hundred moose encounters.

Mark talks through the bobcat he spent minutes eye-to-eye with at 40 yards near Lake Desolation, and the early mistake with a bull moose at ten yards that taught him to read the signs — the lip licking, the ears going back — and give wildlife the space it's owed. He shares his year-long project photographing Lake Blanche through every season, why Paintbrush Canyon to Lake Solitude in the Tetons is the best hike he's ever done, and finally winning a Wave permit after two years of applying (and driving through a blizzard to get there). We also get into his goal of 250,000 feet of elevation gain in 2025 and why the number matters less than what it's taught him about his own body, the hours he spends in a hammock at Lake Mary, how Zen and Alan Watts reshaped how he sees the trail, his hope of selling prints at local farmers markets, and a full round of season "this or that" questions.

Unforgettable wildlife encounters, trail reflections, and the belief that hiking is more than a hobby — it's a sacred act of becoming.

Episode Links:
Mark 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

🎙️ From First Steps to Thousands of Miles with Melanie 🌲🥾

Melanie — known on trail as Poppi — joins us this episode. A Portland-based hiker with a master's in nutrition, she's completed the Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail, and Arizona Trail, which is remarkable considering she'd only done two single overnights before setting out on the PCT in 2023.

Melanie talks through her flip-flop PCT year, when heavy Sierra snow sent her north instead — a decision that ended up dodging every wildfire, giving her a nearly empty Sierra, and closing out her hike with a 2 a.m. climb to a stunning sunrise on Mount Whitney with ten strangers in frosted sleeping bags. She shares how her nutrition background shapes her resupply strategy (real macronutrients, whole foods, and the protein coffee ritual she stops for every single day), plus stacking Fourteeners on the Colorado Trail, unexpected snow and storms on the AZT, and the mindset she keeps returning to: the storm always passes and nothing is permanent. We also get into the origin of her trail name, hiking with her Aussie Butters and the dog treat business she runs, her "summer of loops" around Rainier and St. Helens, an eye on the CDT and mountaineering, her advice for anyone intimidated by a thru-hike, and a full round of season "this or that" questions.

If you've ever dreamed of a thru-hike but felt intimidated, Melanie's story proves that courage, community, and curiosity can carry you farther than you think.

Episode Links:
Melanie on Instagram
PNWoofs Dog Barkery

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

🎙️ Peak Lists, Family Trips & 1,000+ Summits with Brett ⛰️

Brett Marciasini joins us this episode — peak bagger, hunter-turned-hiker, and the dad behind @thehuntindaddy. He got into peak bagging in 2018 almost by accident, tired of showing up to hunting season out of shape, and it's since taken over: he's now past 1,000 lifetime summits, has finished all 63 Tahoe Ogul peaks, 91 of the 115 Great Basin Peaks, and every one of Nevada's 17 county high points.

Brett talks through what makes Nevada peak bagging so unique — the technical part isn't the climb, it's surviving the old mining roads to get there — and the strange satisfaction of opening a summit register and finding nobody's signed in for three years. He shares the ankle break at 996 peaks that sidelined him for months and forced him to cancel his 1,000th summit celebration, plus the trip to Ecuador where he went five for six on massive volcanoes, including a 19,000-foot sunrise on the crater rim of an active Cotopaxi and a Chimborazo attempt turned back by wind so strong it throws baseball-sized rocks. We also get into hiking with his 14-year-old son (already near 500 peaks and starting to outpace him), the arrowheads and ghost-town artifacts he keeps stumbling on, his dream of Nevada land near Elko, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — narrow ledges or creek crossings, sun on your back or wind in your face.

An inspiring conversation about grit, family, and finding beauty in the places few others go.

Episode Links:
Brett 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

🎙 No One Walks the Trail Alone

We sit down with George Eshelman — U.S. Army veteran, three-time Appalachian Trail finisher, and the real-life subject of the award-winning film The Keeper. In 2016, after losing his best friend, George set out on the AT carrying over 300 name tapes of fallen brothers and sisters, intending to honor them at the summit of Katahdin. He didn't expect the trail to save his own life along the way.

George talks through the chain of small human connections that changed everything — the tape company, the post office, the hostel owners, a cantankerous Vietnam veteran at a shelter who asked him a question he couldn't shake — and the moment behind a tree near Rainbow Stream where he realized no one walks the trail alone. He shares how the AT helped him confront PTSD, why he believes veterans need to drop the tough-guy guard, and the honesty of a hard night in 2024 when nearly a hundred missed calls proved the message all over again. We also get into the making of The Keeper, from journals to screenplay to award-winning film, the trail legends and hostels featured in it, why he's kept his phone number public since 2016, and a full round of season "this or that" questions.

A raw, generous conversation about resilience, healing, and the role the outdoors can play in saving lives.

📺 The Keeper is streaming now on Prime, Tubi, and YouTube.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains candid discussions of suicide, PTSD, and sexual assault related to military service. Some stories may be distressing. Please listen with care and take breaks if needed.

If you're a veteran in crisis — or anyone in need of support — help is available. Dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7. You are not alone.

Episode Links:
George on Instagram
The Keeper Movie on Instagram
The Keeper Movie Website
The Keeper Movie Facebook

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

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic

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

🎙️Bears, Breakups & Big Views with Maddie of @nomaddiie🐻⛰️

🎙️ Maddie joins us this episode — solo traveler, outdoor content creator, and aspiring wildlife biologist working toward visiting all 63 U.S. National Parks in her 2016 Toyota Corolla. Her page started almost by accident, made just so she'd stop flooding her friends' feeds with trip photos, and then the algorithm found her.

Maddie talks through the breakup that became the unexpected start of her solo travel journey — taking the road trip she'd planned with someone else, alone, and rediscovering the "little gremlin forest girl" she'd lost track of. She shares finally summiting Angel's Landing exactly one year to the day after winning a permit she couldn't use, beating an incoming monsoon down by about 60 seconds, and the intense solo bear encounter at Tokopah Falls in Sequoia, where a bear charged her twice and she stood her ground with trekking poles overhead. We also get into her coordinates tattoo and why Sequoia feeds her soul, catching the Yosemite Firefall in February, why elk calves are hidden (not abandoned) in early summer, building her own first-aid kits, nature's role in her mental health, an unapologetic case for raspberry Uncrustables as essential trail gear, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — narrow ledges or creek crossings, sun on your back or wind in your face.

A vulnerable, funny, and real conversation about choosing yourself, chasing big views, and protecting the places we love.

Episode Links:
Maddie on Instagram
Maddie on Facebook
Maddie's Beacons Page
Maddie on TikTok

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

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic

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.