Hiking Thru

By Erin Egan

Society & Culture Health Sports & Recreation Outdoor Places & Travel Fitness & Nutrition

What's Hiking Thru about?

A weekly podcast in which I speak with experienced thru hikers about their stories from the trails and strategies for a successful thru hike.

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Hiking Thru episodes:

05.12.2021
REBECCA SPERRY aka SOCKED IN
Socked In, known off trail as Rebecca Sperry, was focused last year on her goal of Red-Lining, or Tracing, all the trails of The Whites within 12 months. And then in August, she received a breast cancer diagnosis and...
05.05.2021
ANDREW & LORA McIVOR aka PROMETHEUS & NOT A MINOR
Prometheus & Not A Minor, known off trail as Andrew & Lora McIvor, arrived at Campo looking like two British tourists and walked into Manning State Park as pure Hiker Trash. The Pacific Crest Trail 2019 was quite a...
04.28.2021
ASHLEY MANNING aka YARDSALE
YardSale, known off trail as Ashley Manning, has been chasing adventure for a long time. Whether its white water raft guiding or hiking the AT, she's ready for it whether you think she should or not. In this episode, we...
04.21.2021
MICHELE SCOTT aka GEEKY GIRL
Geeky Girl, known off trail as Michele Scott, got put through the wringer in 2019 on the PCT and wrote about the experience in her book "A 100 Mile Journey Plus A Few Extra". As you can probably guess,...
04.14.2021
EMILY FORD aka EMILY ON TRAIL
Emily On Trail, known off trail as Emily Ford, with her trusty companion Diggins just finished a winter hike on the Ice Age Trail. It started out as a way to get her hike on without leaving her job, but...
03.31.2021
KEVIN GROOMAN aka SPACE JAM
Space Jam, known off trail as Kevin Grooman, came to thru hiking from the side...a story he totally tells in this episode. He also fell in love just as he began the Triple Crown adventure, which greatly colored his entire...
03.24.2021
JONATHAN MAIDMENT aka MONEY MAKER
Money Maker, known off trail as Jonathan Maidment, has raised $250k through Hikes For a Cure for the Alpha-1 Foundation. Along the path to his Triple Crown he lost the trail many times, started way too early and even took...
03.18.2021
MEGAN HARMON aka SOCHI
Sochi, known off trail as Megan Harmon, had a dream. To be the first above knee amputee to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail. And for 600 miles in 2019 she was on target, until the desert heat and...
03.10.2021
DANIEL VORSTER aka TAILS
Tails, known off trail as Daniel Vorster, came from South Africa to hike the PCT last year. Having started in mid-March, he was already on the trail when the lockdown happened. In this episode, we talk about how the experience...
03.03.2021
JOSHUA LEUNG aka TAPE
Tape, known off trail as Joshua Leung, is one half of the 2020 PCT duo from Hong Kong known as Duct Tape. He hit the PCT first in 2019, but ran afoul to a severe case of frostbite. Pledging to...
02.24.2021
JESS RAECHELLE aka FROSTY
Frosty, known off trail as Jess Raechelle, spent 6 years dreaming and planning about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail before she got her 2020 permit. And then, well, 2020 happened but she scrambled and found herself at the southern terminus...
02.17.2021
PAUL BARACH aka SNAKE EYES
Snake Eyes, known off trail as Paul Barach, has hiked a few trails in his day but the Shikoku Pilgrimage Trail is where it all started. A 750 mile trail visiting 88 temples, it encircles Shikoku Island in Japan and...
02.10.2021
CSABA WINTERS aka DIGNITY
Dignity, known off trail as Csaba Winters, took quite the twisted trail on his journey from Mexico to Canada. In 2019, he found himself at the southern terminus of the PCT really only expecting to hike for a short...
02.03.2021
NHANDI SINGLETON aka SEA LION
Sea Lion, known off trail as Nhandi Singleton, had a serious case of imposter syndrome when she hit the PCT in 2018. Coming from a background with limited hiking, it took hundreds of miles for her to feel like she...
01.27.2021
CHRISTINE REED aka LADY UNICORN
Lady Unicorn, known off trail as Christine Reed, in her new book "Alone in Wonderland" explores the longer journey we're all on when we come to thru hiking. In 2014, she started the Appalachian Trail only to be pulled off...
01.20.2021
MEREDITH JOHNSON aka ELEVEN
Eleven, known off trail as Meredith Johnson, hit the PCT in 2019 chasing her experiences from the Appalachian Trail. But they are very different trails, so she struggled for much of the hike with whether or not she wanted to...
01.13.2021
ANDRE & LIAN DE JEL aka MORNINGSTAR & COOKIE MONSTER
Cookie Monster & Morningstar, known off trail as Lian & Andre De Jel, have covered a lot of miles in their 30+ years of hiking. But even with all those miles on their legs, the Pacific Crest Trail tested...
01.06.2021
CHRIS PHILLIPS aka MISCHIEF
Mischief, known off trail as Chris Phillips, in November of 2018 slipped on some ice and fell getting water while hiking the AT. He woke up with severe frostbite. Its been quite the journey to find his way...
12.23.2020
MIKE PAPADATOS aka KICKSTAND
Kickstand, known off trail as Mike Papadatos, needed something to shake up his life. So of course, he decided to do a thru hike. But not just any thru hike - A Calendar Year Triple Crown. On...
12.16.2020
BECCA BERGSTROM aka LITTLE SKITTLE
Little Skittle, known off trail as Becca Bergstrom, after one overnight camping trip tackled the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. Launching herself into the thru hiking life and following up with the Oregon Coast Trail and Timberline Trails this year......
12.09.2020
ZELZIN AKETZALLI aka QUETZAL
Quetzal, known off trail as Zelzin Aketzalli, is the first and only known person from Mexico to complete the Triple Crown. Sneaking in the Hayduke Trail along the way. She treated the hikes like a sport, purposely pushing...
12.02.2020
JAYSON SHAFFER aka JINX
Jinx, known off trail as Jayson Shaffer, had never backpacked before in his life when he found himself at the southern terminus of the PCT. Three days in he seriously thought about quitting, but knew somehow that the journey...
11.25.2020
ALIZA GOLDBERG aka GOOD FLOW
Good Flow, known off trail as Aliza Goldberg, purposely planned not to plan her 2019 thru hike of the PCT, wanting to experience the trail as she found it. In this episode, we talk about how she managed the...
11.18.2020
BEN CRAWFORD aka THE FAMILY
The Family, known off trail as The Crawford Family, hiked the AT together in 2018. They are the largest family to successfully complete the trail, with kids at the time ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old....
11.11.2020
JOHN SPRANKEL aka JOHN - THE OAHU COASTLINE TRAIL PROJECT
This episode of Hiking Thru Podcast is a little different and it's because of all of you! Your excitement for the trails, your sharing of the agony and the ecstasy... your stories are infectious, and have inspired my next...
11.03.2020
KATELIN REESER aka EAGLE EYE
Eagle Eye, known off trail as Katelin Reeser, would shoulda been on the PCT with me this year. Instead, she stayed closer to home…adding the Long Trail to her completion list. It joins the John Muir Trail which...
10.28.2020
DANA PICA & RYAN BUNTING aka MAGPIE & CONSTANTINE
Magpie & Constantine, known off trail as Dana Pica & Ryan Bunting, joined me for a two perspective take on their thru hike of the Great Divide Trail this year. They had quite the wet and cold adventure....
10.21.2020
ALINA DRUFOVKA aka ABSTRACT
Abstract, known off trail as Alina Drufovka, had been dreaming about hiking the AT since she was 13. Finally in 2015, she loaded up her pack and set out, getting half way before injury forced her off. Not...
10.14.2020
RYAN BUNTING aka CONSTANTINE
Constantine, known off trail as Ryan Bunting, has done quite the trail tour in the last 5 years. From the Big 3 he fell in love then went on a search for more trail time…casting his pack onto the...
10.06.2020
SAM LEE aka GINGERSNAP
Gingersnap, known off trail as Sam Lee, prepped for this conversation by pulling out the old journals from her 2012 AT thru hike. Which brought the memories flooding back. Memories of bear javelin throwing technique and reconnecting to her feminine...
09.30.2020
DARRAH BLACKWATER aka DARRAH DID IT
Darrah Did It, known off trail as Darrah Blackwater, really did do it. This summer she got herself onto the Colorado Trail, fears and all, with a little help from Hiking Prodigy and the lifesaving application of Leukotape. In this...
09.23.2020
MAX CROOKS & JAYE GROVES aka THE BOSS & PRETZEL
The Boss and Pretzel, known off trail as Max Crooks and Jaye Groves, are simultaneously section hiking both the Tahoe Rim Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. With 3 weeks off a year, they carve out 200 – 300...
09.16.2020
BARNEY MANN aka SCOUT
Scout, known off trail as Scout or Scout & Frodo and sometimes Barney Mann, is known within the thru hiking community for hosting PCT hikers at the southern terminus. But he’s also a Triple Crowner and the PCT is...
09.09.2020
WILL PETERSON aka SISYPHUS
Sisyphus, known off trail as Will Peterson, hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2019 and was supposed to hit the Pacific Crest Trail this year… until everything got derailed. Instead he set his sights on an FKT of the New Hampshire...
09.02.2020
WALLACE WASHINGTON aka STARK NAKED
Stark Naked, known off trail as Wallace Washington, had completed 1182.1 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail when they decided to leave trail due to three broken toes. Not yet ready to leave however they finish the hiking season...
08.26.2020
MARIE-PIER TREMBLAY aka POPPINS
Poppins, known off trail as Marie-Pier Tremblay, went from thinking she wasn’t the type of person who could thru hike the PCT to “I can”. She reached into the thru hiking community with her illustrations and found mentors and cheerleaders....
08.19.2020
MELANIE HARSHA aka PEANUT
Peanut, known off trail as Melanie Harsha, was introduced to the Appalachian Trail by her mother who has section hiked it for years. So in 2016 she felt ready to take on a full thru hike…and there began the...
08.13.2020
DANIEL NOGUEIRA aka TRANQUILO
Tranquilo, known off trail as Daniel Nogueira, started his Te Araroa on October 31st of 2019. After a two month covid lockdown, he carried on reaching Bluff on June 14th in the middle of a New Zealand winter. ...
08.05.2020
DANNY EYERMAN & MOLLY McDONALD aka SHARKBOY & LAVAGIRL
Sharkboy & Lavagirl, known off trail as Danny Eyerman & Molly McDonald, are hiking the Appalachian Trail in the time of Covid. Having started the trail pre-corona, they got off for 5 weeks then circled back and continued north. In...
07.29.2020
DOUG LAHER
This episode is going to be a little different. Today’s guest is Doug Laher. He is sharing this story for his son Trevor “Microsoft” Laher who lost his life while thru hiking the PCT at Apache Peak just...
07.22.2020
PAIGE PASQUINI aka FIDDLEHEAD
Fiddlehead, known off trail as Paige Pasquini, earned her thru hiking cred on the Appalachian Trail, Colorado Trail, and Long Trail before hitting the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. In this episode, we have fun talking about a jolly man...
07.15.2020
NATHAN HANKES aka BB
BB, known off trail as Nathan Hankes, came back from Iraq heart set on thru hiking. Convincing his brother to join him, they SOBO’d the AT in 2009 from which sprang his book “Waking Up On The Appalachian Trail.” In this episode,...
07.08.2020
MANDY BLAND aka PURPLE RAIN
Purple Rain, known off trail as Mandy Bland, began her thru hiking career on the AT. Then moved to the Grand Enchantment Trail and section hikes of the PCT. Along the way she found her passion, in the...
07.02.2020
ANTHONY EARL aka LAYZER GOAT
Layzer GOAT, known off trail as Anthony Earl, has completed the distance of the Appalachian and Colorado Trails. On the AT, he started out with a 55 pound pack which included a different hat for each day of the week. Suffice it...
06.24.2020
CHELSEA FISHER aka PCP
PCP, known off trail as Chelsea Fisher, knocked out the Appalachian Trail in 2017, the Long Trail in 2018 and the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. So in this episode we compare and contrast each of the trails. We then dig into...
06.17.2020
SAM LLEVA aka TIGER
Tiger, known as Sam Lleva, did two life changing things in 2019. He thru hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and left trail for awhile to get married. In this episode, of course we have to talk about how he convinced...
06.10.2020
MIKE STONE aka SNAZZY
Snazzy, known off trail as Mike Stone, was also part of IB TAT’s late October PCT push to the border last year. So, of course, we have to talk about it. Along the way, we also get to reminisce...
06.03.2020
CAESAR SANGALANG aka HEAD TRAUMA
Head Trauma, known off trail as Caesar Sangalang, fell into thru hiking quite by accident. In New Zealand on a work visa, he was lured onto the Te Araroa. Okay maybe it was more of a “That sounds...
05.27.2020
GRIZEL WILLIAMS aka GRIZ
Griz, known off trail as Grizel Williams, is a strong, fierce LatinX woman one trail away from completing her Triple Crown. She found in hiking a space to find herself. And in this episode, we talk about hiking...
05.20.2020
CAROL COYNE aka CHEER
Cheer, known off trail as Carol Coyne, has 267 miles left to complete her thru hike of the PCT. Many things factored into her decision to leave trail and in this episode we talk about the “Whys”. How...

What's Hiking Thru about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Hiking Thru episodes:

REBECCA SPERRY aka SOCKED IN

ANDREW & LORA McIVOR aka PROMETHEUS & NOT A MINOR

ASHLEY MANNING aka YARDSALE

MICHELE SCOTT aka GEEKY GIRL

EMILY FORD aka EMILY ON TRAIL

KEVIN GROOMAN aka SPACE JAM

JONATHAN MAIDMENT aka MONEY MAKER

MEGAN HARMON aka SOCHI

DANIEL VORSTER aka TAILS

JOSHUA LEUNG aka TAPE

JESS RAECHELLE aka FROSTY

PAUL BARACH aka SNAKE EYES

CSABA WINTERS aka DIGNITY

NHANDI SINGLETON aka SEA LION

CHRISTINE REED aka LADY UNICORN

MEREDITH JOHNSON aka ELEVEN

ANDRE & LIAN DE JEL aka MORNINGSTAR & COOKIE MONSTER

CHRIS PHILLIPS aka MISCHIEF

MIKE PAPADATOS aka KICKSTAND

BECCA BERGSTROM aka LITTLE SKITTLE

ZELZIN AKETZALLI aka QUETZAL

JAYSON SHAFFER aka JINX

ALIZA GOLDBERG aka GOOD FLOW

BEN CRAWFORD aka THE FAMILY

JOHN SPRANKEL aka JOHN - THE OAHU COASTLINE TRAIL PROJECT

KATELIN REESER aka EAGLE EYE

DANA PICA & RYAN BUNTING aka MAGPIE & CONSTANTINE

ALINA DRUFOVKA aka ABSTRACT

RYAN BUNTING aka CONSTANTINE

SAM LEE aka GINGERSNAP

DARRAH BLACKWATER aka DARRAH DID IT

MAX CROOKS & JAYE GROVES aka THE BOSS & PRETZEL

BARNEY MANN aka SCOUT

WILL PETERSON aka SISYPHUS

WALLACE WASHINGTON aka STARK NAKED

MARIE-PIER TREMBLAY aka POPPINS

MELANIE HARSHA aka PEANUT

DANIEL NOGUEIRA aka TRANQUILO

DANNY EYERMAN & MOLLY McDONALD aka SHARKBOY & LAVAGIRL

DOUG LAHER

PAIGE PASQUINI aka FIDDLEHEAD

NATHAN HANKES aka BB

MANDY BLAND aka PURPLE RAIN

ANTHONY EARL aka LAYZER GOAT

CHELSEA FISHER aka PCP

SAM LLEVA aka TIGER

MIKE STONE aka SNAZZY

CAESAR SANGALANG aka HEAD TRAUMA

GRIZEL WILLIAMS aka GRIZ

CAROL COYNE aka CHEER