Hiking Thru

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 episode we talk about those fears and pushing through them,
balancing your alone time with people time, learning trail culture, and how she might have broken her parents.

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 miles at a time on the PCT and use long weekends for the Tahoe Rim. In this episode, we talk the section hiking life and why it’s almost perfect, their experience on the trail from a non-binary and transgender perspective, working through the challenges of altitude sickness and earthquakes.

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 where it all started. In his new book, JOURNEY’S NORTH, he recounts his and Frodo's 2007 thru hike while also lovingly telling the amazing stories of the tramily they walked with for 2650 miles. And for those missing the trail, I asked for an after dinner talk. So get your cup of whatever, settle in and enjoy the stories with Scout.

­­­­­­­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
4000 footers. Also known as the Direttissima. It took 2 attempts, but on July 29th he set a new unsupported FKT.
In this episode, we talk about his FKT and the different types of FKT’s, how his hiking partner leaving trail
threw him for a loop on the AT, and why thru hiking is whimsical.

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 in epic trail magic fashion. In this episode we talk about racism on and off trail and story of those three broken toes, finding their nonbinary trans identity while on trail, the not so much fun of ice cold stream crossings… and why sometimes you just need your Mom.

Poppins, known off trail as Marie-Pier Tremblay, went from thinking she wasn’t the type of person who could thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail to “I can”. She reached into the thru hiking community with her illustrations and found mentors and cheerleaders. And courage to face her fears and do it anyway. In this episode, we talk about the journey before the journey, tramily group decisions, hiking even when you hate it… and the shrimpcicle.

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 education of Peanut. From hiking with a dog to stress fractures and 20+ pound base weight… it has been an evolution from that first hike to the PCT in 2018 and attempting the Wind River High Route. In this episode we talk about that evolution, what a pre-trail night at Scout and Frodo’s is like, seeing her first rattlesnake outside of a church… and her trail inspired tattoo.

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. In this episode, we talk about how he hiked zero waste, the miles he dedicated to plant trees, how to zombie walk… and why you shouldn’t and a cleansing rain shower.

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 this episode we visit the four state challenge, the lucky and unlucky weather…can you say tropical storms, drive thru windows and how things never quite go as planned.

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 outside of Idyllwild on March 27, 2020. Trevor was just 11 days into his hike. Doug’s mission now is to make sure no other family gets that same call through advocacy and encouraging hikers to embrace three key mindsets that might have saved his son’s life.

1 - #EmbraceTheAlternate

2 – Don’t short change your safety at the expense of grams and ounces.

3 – Develop sound risk management strategies before you hit the trail.