Just Trek Podcast

**VIDEO VERSION ONLY AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY APP + YOUTUBE CHANNEL , all other streaming platforms are audio versions** 

For episode 74, I recorded a special and impromptu trail conversation with Joseph Durkin aka The Hiking Chef in the Angeles National Forest in LA County. Joseph is a SoCal based hiker, professional chef & baker, outdoor content creator, and is the creator of the amazing YouTube channel The Hiking Chef. We chatted about the origin story of The Hiking Chef YouTube vlog series, his most memorable gourmet meals he’s cooked in the mountains, why California has the best hiking opportunities, the historic Echo Mountain resort, his famous Tomahawk Ribeye steak on Twin Peaks, his Iron Mountain cooking disaster, how hiking impacts our everyday lives, and he loves showcasing the best trails and hidden gems in California through his outdoor vlogs. 

This episode is part of the Trek Talks series where I record on trail conversations with fellow outdoor enthusiasts. It is more raw and candid perspective of my outdoor adventures as these conversations are more unscripted and in the moment. You can even hear the sounds of nature in the background as we are recording out on the trails. 

Follow Joseph Durkin on https://www.instagram.com/thehikingchef/

Subscribe to The Hiking Chef Youtube Channel on https://youtube.com/@thehikingchef

Follow Just Trek on https://www.instagram.com/just.trek/

Support Just Trek on Patreon ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/justtrek⁠⁠

Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠

Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠

Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I have LA based adventure enthusiast, climber, military veteran, actor, TV personality, content creator, and Founder CEO of Trace Club, Christian de la Torre, join me on the show.

We chat about his first meaningful outdoor memories, the origin story to creating Trace Club, top outdoor destinations in California, outdoor tips & tricks, hosting a park nature cleanup series, how we first met on a sunset group trek , our first community collab event at Trail Canyon Falls in the Angeles National Forest, our second community collab event at the historic Nike Missile Site in the Santa Monica Mountains, the power of climbing and being present, how being a military veteran has impacted his outlook on life, working in the entertainment industry, equestrian therapy, and the one outdoor experience he would relive all over again.

Follow Christian on https://www.instagram.com/christiandelatorre/

Follow Trace Club on https://www.instagram.com/trace.club/

Visit Trace Club's website on https://www.thetraceclub.com/

Support Just Trek on Patreon ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/justtrek⁠⁠

Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠

Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠

Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I share my magical solo adventure of exploring Channel Islands National Park for the first time ever. It is California's most underrated island, one of the least visited national parks in the entire country, and is considered the Galapagos Islands of North America.

Join me on this action packed day trip that included wildlife sightings, choppy boat rides, an epic 10 mile trek, and almost ended with me being stranded on the island. What made this trip even more special was that I did it spontaneously during my birthday week.

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Support Just Trek on Patreon ⁠https://www.patreon.com/justtrek⁠

Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠

Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠

Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠[email protected]⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, climber, peak bagger, mountaineer, and mountain dancer, Brett Patrontasch aka Summit Shuffler, join me on the show.

We chat about his first hiking memories, top trails in California, hiking hacks & tips, summit shuffle dancing and climbing iconic peaks such as Mount Whitney & the Matterhorn, how dancing and climbing both fulfill him, the Pacific Northwest vs Southern California outdoor scene, his most dangerous on trail experience, how scaling mountains has impacted his overall life, and the one outdoor experience he would relive all over again.

Follow Brett on ⁠https://www.instagram.com/summitshuffler

Watch Youtube version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msWgx5Qzlo0

Support Just Trek on Patreon ⁠https://www.patreon.com/justtrek⁠

Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠

Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠

Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠[email protected]⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I have Pacific Northwest based trekker, peak bagger, outdoor adventurer, founder of the Yakima Valley Trekkers, and the voice behind the Hikes And Mics Podcast, Ivan Orozco, join me on the show.

We chat about his  first hiking memories, the origin story to creating the Hikes and Mics Podcast, top trails in the Pacific Northwest, hiking hacks & tips, experiencing a Star Wars / Mandalorian inspired group trek in Los Angeles, creating Yakima Valley Trekkers & hosting his first ever group hike, the Pacific Northwest vs Southern California outdoor scene, a magical wildlife encounter, and the one outdoor experience he would relive all over again.

Follow Ivan on https://www.instagram.com/hikesandmics and https://www.instagram.com/yvtrekkers/

Support Just Trek on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/justtrek

Shop Just Trek merch on https://www.justtrek.net/shop

Listen to more podcast episodes on https://www.justtrek.net

Want to send me a message? Email me at [email protected] or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode, I release the full recording from our second ever live podcast show. It was filmed at the Just Trek Podcast 4 Year Anniversary celebration on Sat, April 6th at the Happier Camper Outdoor Showroom + Happier Cafe here in Los Angeles. The guest panel featured SoCal Hometown Heroes such as Karla Amador (founder of @52hikechallenge), Cris Hazzard (creator of HikingGuy.com), Anjelica Avella (Lead Protagonist / Story Producer in the film “Forward”), and myself as the moderator. We chatted about each of their impactful work in the community, their most meaningful outdoor adventures / nature experiences, what the community each has cultivated has taught them, and the one must do experience that any outdoor enthusiast should at least do once.  After the group discussion, we opened up a live Q&A to the audience so that everyone could join in on the fun and ask the guests their own questions. The overall group panel talk was inspirational, impactful, informative, entertaining, and a blast of time.

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Filmed at the Just Trek Podcast 4 Year Anniversary 4.6.24

Watch Youtube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyo5fdGGj4Q

We'd like to thank our sponsors:

Cotopaxi - https://www.cotopaxi.com/

KEEN - https://www.keenfootwear.com/

52 Hike Challenge - https://www.52hikechallenge.com/

Parch - https://drinkparch.com/

Juneshine - https://juneshine.com/

Easy Rider - https://drinkeasyrider.co/

Tony’s Chocolonely - https://tonyschocolonely.com/us/en

Event was in partnership with Happier Camper, Happier Cafe, and Tada Coffee. 

Use code “TADAATREK” on https://happiercamper.com/ for an exclusive upgrade to any camper purchase. With this code you receive and choose one of two options 1) Full-shell Gel Coat of any standard color (Mojave Sage, Palms Springs Yellow, Venice Breeze, Topanga Turquoise) valued at $1,500.00 or 2) $1,500.00 of Adaptiv Credit towards a custom made-to-order camper.

Follow our guest panelists on instagram www.instagram.com/lovekarlamador,  www.instagram.com/52hikechallenge,  www.instagram.com/hikingguy_com, and  www.instagram.com/adventureswithanjelica

Support Just Trek on Patreon www.patreon.com/justtrek

Shop Just Trek merch on https://www.justtrek.net/shop

View photos from the discussed hikes on https://www.justtrek.net/explore

Listen to more podcast episodes on https://www.justtrek.net

Want to send me a message? Email me at [email protected] or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, peak bagger, outdoor content creator, and solo world traveler, Tomasa aka @iamoneness11, join me on the show.

We chat about her first hiking memories, her top mountains in California, top international treks, hiking hacks & solo travel tips, what sparked her passion for solo adventuring, her love for Cotopaxi the outdoor brand, the importance of solo exploring, her intense volcano experience, her international travels to Iceland & Banff, Mount Baldy winter wonderland adventures, and the one outdoor experience she would relive all over again.

Follow Tomasa on https://www.instagram.com/iamoneness11/

Support Just Trek on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/justtrek

Shop Just Trek merch on https://www.justtrek.net/shop

Listen to more podcast episodes on https://www.justtrek.net

Want t send me a message? Email me at [email protected] or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, peak bagger, outdoor adventurer, dancer, marketer, entrepreneur, restaurant owner of Sampa, and member of the Just Trek Crew, Jenny Valles, join me on the show.

We chat about her first hiking memories, her top SoCal mountains, hiking hacks & tips, intense Death Valley storms, exploring an ancient lake, unforgettable Eastern Sierra summer trip, utilizing the Great Outdoors as an entrepreneur, traversing from the dance community to the outdoor community, being the owner of a Filipino American restaurant in LA, her perspective of being apart of a hiking/adventure group, and the one outdoor experience she would re-live all over again.

Follow Jenny Valles and Sampa on https://www.instagram.com/jennyvalles

https://www.instagram.com/sampa.la

Support Just Trek on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/justtrek

Shop Just Trek merch on https://www.justtrek.net/shop

Listen to more podcast episodes on https://www.justtrek.net

Want to send me a message? Email me at [email protected] or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, backpacker, writer, plus size outdoor explorer, diversity & inclusion advocate, hiking guide, and community leader, Anjelica Avella aka Adventures with Anjelica, join me on the show.

We chat about her first hiking memories, what sparked her passion for backpacking, the debut of her film documentary "Forward" at the Coast Film Festival, her top SoCal hikes, hiking hacks & backpacking tips, the 5 peak challenge in the San Gabriel mountains, summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, unfortunate encounters on the trails, her special connection with Karla Amador & the 52 Hike Challenge, the transition from thru-hiking to settling back to everyday life, empowering women + men of all shapes and sizes to get outside, and the one outdoor experience she would re-live all over again.

Follow Adventures with Anjelica on https://www.instagram.com/adventureswithanjelica

Support Just Trek on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/justtrek

Shop Just Trek merch on https://www.justtrek.net/shop

Listen to more podcast episodes on https://www.justtrek.net

Want to send me a message? Email me at [email protected] or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, outdoor adventurer, solo world traveler, award winning international speaker, self defense expert, creator of Outdoor Defense, and CEO of Girls Fight Back, Nicole Snell aka Adventures of Nik, join me on the show. We chat about her relationship with nature growing up in the desert, the origin stories to creating Outdoor defense and Girls Fight Back, the importance of solo adventures, her top California hikes, outdoor safety strategies & defense tactics, thru-hiking Mt. Whitney, Exploring New Zealand, her Yellowstone National park adventure, and the one outdoor experience she would re-live all over again. 

Episode Sponsor:

Cotopaxi is an outdoor apparel brand known for their high quality outdoor essentials. They create sustainable products to fight extreme poverty, inspire adventure, and move people to do good. Their social impact strategy focuses on global poverty alleviation, and they strive to employ responsible sourcing and manufacturing practices throughout their supply chains. Check out their gear & outdoor apparel more on ⁠https://www.cotopaxi.com/⁠

Follow Nicole Snell on https://www.instagram.com/adventuresofnik/

Follow & Visit Girls Fight Back on ⁠https://www.instagram.com/girlsfightback ; https://www.girlsfightback.com/

Support Just Trek on Patreon ⁠https://www.patreon.com/justtrek⁠

Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠

Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠

Want to send me a message? Email me at [email protected] or DM on Instagram @just.trek