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 process creating Purple Rain Adventure Skirts.  In this episode we talk about the evolution of her rain skirts and how putting a pocket on it makes life so much better, navigation challenges on the Grand Enchantment Trail and staying a solo hiker.

MANDY BLAND aka PURPLE RAIN

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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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 life as she knew it completely changed.  In this episode, we talk about those months of diagnosis and early treatment, how hiking prepared her for cancer treatment and how cancer has taught her to stay present with everything in her life, coming home to the trails again and doing what makes you happy.

REBECCA SPERRY aka SOCKED IN

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 trip...quite THE trip.  Missed miles due to circumstance led to a finish personifying the adage "Smiles over miles." In this episode, we relive the five days of trail magic, walking toward home, fathoming the scale of it & finishing those miles.

ANDREW & LORA McIVOR aka PROMETHEUS & NOT A MINOR

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 talk about the importance of normalizing all body-types on the trail and how @UnlikelyHikers has helped, how her habit of dumping out her backpack led to her trail name, the early struggle to get on and stay on the trail and the difficulty of finding safety gear and apparel that fits.

ASHLEY MANNING aka YARDSALE

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, it didn't go quite according to plan.  In this episode, we talk about the things you need to think about when you're 50 hiking the trail, the costs to everyone of the dream, the importance of remembering to be where you are, her changing relationship with the trail...and a few photobombing cats.

MICHELE SCOTT aka GEEKY GIRL

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 became so much bigger as people began to follow her journey. In this episode, we talk about that crazy, beautiful adventure, advice for any future Ice Age Trail winter hikers, the documentary being done about her hike called "Breaking Trail", and just how loud nature can be.

MANDY BLAND aka PURPLE RAIN

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