Off Trail

Today we sit down with the one and only "She-Ra" A.K.A Renee Patrick!

We begin the show with what it means to identify as a thru-hiker. Renee has been involved in the outdoor, backpacking, thru-hiking world for 20+ years now, and we dive into what it means to her to be a thru-hiker, and whether or not that definition has changed over the years. 

We dive deeper into time itself and as she describes it "Deep Time." Is there a finite amount of time needed to reach this type of time and what are the conditions that it is found? Along the way we go through her time in the outdoors and her progression into who she has become today. We start with her initial thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail back in 2002, and how the fire that began there, never was quenched. Travelling forward through 4 years of college to her next thru-hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2006, we chat the thoughts when she reached the point many in the outdoors eventually reach, the question of. "How can I make hiking my life?"

We discuss the growth from a hiker into making hiking your life. We chat Wilderness First Responder courses, meeting other hikers involved in the industry, and following your curiosity. We chat being open to wherever the job may take you and learning the lessons along the way. We learn the steps Renee took to follow her passion and create a life in the outdoors. 

We chat all things trail maintenance. We discuss the incredible amount of work that goes into even just a mile of trail. We wander the line of thought of when doing trail maintenance, when it is done the best, it is the least "seen" or "felt." We send out appreciation to all past, present, and future trail maintainers, for without them, well there would not be trails. 

We go into all things Blue Mountains Trail and Oregon Desert Trail. Two trail systems both located in the state of Oregon, which Renee has an important role in the decisions of trail routing, conservationism, and trail awareness. We discuss the missions of both trails, and how one goes about bringing the thought of conservationism to the forefront of each hiker's minds and most importantly actions. Is it the maps, the trail association, the individual's responsibility, the preparation, the information along the way, what are the ways and how does it become a reality? We discuss what a trail mean's when sometimes the very point of a "trail" is to not become a "trail."

We chat a pair of scissors and $5 per cut of hair "fundraising", the immensity of time in 6 weeks to build 30ft of trail, and the beauty of alternates. We discuss waypoints as suggestions, hiker-trash as a company, concept, responsibility, and connection amongst hikers. We discuss dirt being the greatest equalizer. We chat not being ashamed of one's stink and circle back to the definition of "thru-hike" and how it becomes different for every hike. 

As she puts it: "The trail is the unknown but the trail is also me." 

Truly a wonderful chat, thank you Renee! 

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"I identify as a thru-hiker over most other things."

"I didn't really have the money, but I had the time."

"Follow your curiosity."

"Dirt is a great equalizer."

To learn more about She-Ra:

Instagram: @wearehikertrash

Website: Sherahikes.com

Oregon Desert Trail Website: ONDA.org

Blue Mountains Trail Website: HellsCanyon.org

To learn more about who we are click below:

Website: www.ElevenSkys.com

Today we sit down with the one and only Star Lord!

We instantly regret not getting the story behind his trail name, as one can only imagine, is he a lord, is he a star, is he the lord of all stars? Well one can only imagine...

We begin the show by quickly going into the only subject that matters, you guessed it MARMOTS! We hope that everyone takes a moment or 5 minutes, to lose themselves inside the joy, wonder, and unbridled love that is the cutest animal in the world, marmots. We then diverge to the questions that truly matter, like what would one's choice of "animal pokemon" would you chose in Wisconsin?

We chat when love surpasses porcupine quills, Twinkies on trail, and "knowing the suck." We get a quick background into Star Lord's progression into what he calls "basically just being a bum" or what others more commonly know as thru-hiking. We chat health on trail and the growth of a hiker through junk food, to healthy food, but mostly back to junk food. We chat about the progression of lightweight backpacking in Star Lord's hiking progress, and the journey to become quicker and lighter. 

We dive deep into many thoughts on the Appalachian Trail. We look into Star Lord's first long distance thru-hike and the mentality one has to have going into it and the mentality he had to maintain the joy in the journey. We talk wet. We talk the special wet of the Appalachian Trail, the only type of wet that matters, the AT rain and humidity. We dive into the appeal of hiking through 14 states, and the mentality of either getting used to it or going home.

We quickly touch on comparing the PCT and AT and West vs East hiking. Then the conversation takes on a wonderful ride along a "chatting rollercoaster" as we bounce from topic to topic. We chat near death in the Sierras, the Pacific Crest Highway, Bradwell Bay on the Florida Trail, and the crown jewel of hiking, the Continental Divide Trail. We chat route finding along the Hot Springs Trail, no filter no problem, and the underrated state of Wyoming.

We chat ground truthing and the mystery of "actual" miles done each day compared to "map" miles. We chat losing your mind to find your soul. We then dive fully into the Ice Age Trail which Star Lord finished only a few days prior. We chat about the passion of the IATA and all its volunteers and members, we discuss bars of the trail, trail magic, and road walking. We chat water carries, having a hiking companion, and assumptions vs reality along what he calls "The Florida

We then finally arrive at the point in the show that we all have been waiting for... the cows of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, we get sidetracked only a few minutes into the "cow love" talk and don't give them the full time and honor they deserve, and for that we are eternally sorry. We chat cow averages per day, barbed wire fence restrictions, and embracing the only animal that matters besides marmots, the cow.

We wrap up the show with a Ramen Rating Review from Star Lord on his most recent hike, The Ice Age Trail. Wonderful rating... yet his flavor profile has us crying slightly inside.

Truly a wonderful chat with Star Lord, with many tangents, much emotion, and rambles that only two passionate hikers can accomplish together. Thank you Star Lord, now go please "knock on some corn" for good luck!

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"Deep down every animal wants to be cuddled." 

DISCLAIMER: DO NOT CUDDLE WILD ANIMALS

"Everything wishes it could be a marmot."

"Weather is weather, whether you weather it or not."

"Life is short, the trail shorter."

To learn more about Star Lord:

Instagram: @chandlerstrailstories

To learn more about who we are click below:

Website: www.ElevenSkys.com

Today we sit down to chat with the one and only Larry Boy! 

A conversation we have been really looking forward to for awhile, we begin the show by instantly diving deep into a tangent of thought, which will turn out to be foreshadowing for much of the show. Larry Boy is a wealth of knowledge and a wealth of emotion for all things outdoors, and it is a true joy to explore the way he sees and feels the world.

We discuss trail names and how they begin, how a person "defines" themselves inside of them, and the growth from the beginning to when one has been living this life in the outdoors for years. We chat about defining oneself through the relationships they have. In Larry Boy's case the relationships with God, family and friends, and then all things outdoor pursuit. We dive deeper into Larry Boy's definition and relationship with God, and what it means for him as a person as well as a hiker. 

We jump into all things maps. Paper maps as well as GPS app related maps. We discuss situational awareness, the "routing tiredness threshold", staying found, and different comfort levels in when and where to use types of maps. We hop into his progression into "thru-hiking" with his first hike on the Appalachian Trail back in 2013. We then dive deep into his journey towards happiness as he "breaks the mold" by not doing the classic progression of thru-hiking, chasing the Triple Crown, and going AT, PCT, CDT. Instead as you will hear Larry Boy completes his AT thru hike, and then wonderfully chooses his own adventure. We chat his hikes through Utah, trails outside of the Big 3, own route creations, and following his own happiness instead of being consumed into the "classic path."  

We dive deep into the ribs of this chat and talk all things RIB, or Route In Between. A route mapped and created by Larry Boy to connect the Arizona Trail into the Idaho Centennial Trail, thus creating another hiking route from Mexico to Canada. The in-between portion being about 1,000~ miles through Utah. A route that was mapped with the purpose of as Larry Boy puts it, seeking "true adventure." We chat about the prep, the planning, and then the groundtruthing of hiking the route. We discuss trail agencies and what he hopes to see in the future with this route. We also discuss giving back, to not just this specific trail, but all trails. The only way to get the maps and data for this route, is by sending in a picture of proof of trail maintenance done. A wonderful idea as the only way these trails continue to be accessible, hike able, and enjoyed now and in the future, is by giving back. 

We chat Day Hiking vs. Thru Hiking, "Brush Free Spots", and white blazes of the Hayduke Trail. We chat bedtimes, snowstorms,  and the complexity of what it means when your bad foot becomes your good foot. We chat injury and happiness, Sir Larry Boy, companionship in solitary exploration, being terribly "un-entrepreneurial", and rolling around the salt flats on a scooter. 

We then wrap up the show with a challenge to Big Tabasco! Come get us! 

FAVORTIE QUOTES:

" The trail is not necessarily the point."

"The concept of purism does not exist on the RIB"

"Anytime I get to spend outside, is time well spent."

"Faith is just as important to dealing with the bad as embracing the good."

"Sometimes you just got to chew your cud mentally."

To learn more about Larry Boy click below:

Instagram: @lbhikes

Website: www.lbhikes.com

To learn more about us click below:

Website: www.ElevenSkys.com

Today we sit down and have a chat with the one and only Lyla! 

We begin the show by instantly jumping into some heavy hitting topics. Lyla begins the show with very openly and honestly sharing her past journey with becoming sober, as well as finding herself. Lyla is as she describes it, a sober queer trans woman. We begin the show by unpacking what this has meant for her in the backpacking world as well as the journey of life before. 

We get a quick run down of the trails she has accomplished, beginning with the Appalachian Trail in 2021, the Bay Circuit Trail FKT in 2021, the Arizona Trail in 2021, the Pacific Crest Trail in 2022, and her most recent accomplishment, the Woman's Unsupported FKT of the White Mountains Direttissima. 

We then jump into her accelerated pace in the backpacking world, and the "Dipping the Toe" mentality compared to the "Consumption" mentality. We chat about her previous work in Youth Development and dive deeper into her early 30s getting sober and starting her gender transition. We chat having a sobriety plan for the AT, and how even though trails can be a place for growth, health, and meaning, they can also have triggers. She gives us her tips and tricks for choosing health and remaining on her plan.

We chat about being mis-gendered on trail and the types of interactions that can occur and the techniques she uses. We chat Confederate Flags Vs. Pride Flags, we chat finding your tribe on trail, and we chat FKTs.

We chat dreams of mozzarella sticks, eating sticks of butter, and swallowing peanut butter like a pill. We chat new levels of exhaustion, "inner-child work", and the growth found through tears. We chat deconstructing societal pressures, the physical and mental intensity of FKTs, and deep fears of being alone that transcend into strength. 

We chat connection and disconnection inside of this lifestyle. We chat "the Hamily", Declan and giving him all the butter, cashing out one's chips, and being okay with where life takes you.

We dive deep into her most recent accomplishment of setting the Unsupported Woman's White Mountains Direttissima FKT. We chat connected steps and her route of 230~ miles accomplished in 7 days, 11hrs, and 44 minutes. We chat 8 days of food and a pack weight of 31.5 pounds. We chat calorie consumption, familiarizing oneself with the route, her motto of "Everything will be okay", and finding deeper levels of strength. 

It shouldn't even have to be said, but sadly it still does because transphobia is still prevalent. Lyla has experienced push-back in our community with her FKT accomplishment, and that is not okay.  We here at Off Trail, recognize Lyla's achievement as becoming the holder of the Unsupported Woman's White Mountains Direttissima. We know our audience and believe you all do to, but as we wrap up the show, we chat about what we can do as a community to recognize this achievement, and Lyla puts it quite plainly, stand up, be vocal, and show your support. 

We end the show with a Ramen Rating Review. 

We ask everyone listening to show your support and be a voice for support. Lyla is the Unsupported Woman's FKT holder, simple as that. 

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"Trans woman are woman."

"I got sober so I could do things, not so I could sequester myself from life."

"Can we just all agree not to eat butter and lard?!" 

"You don't have to be great all the time."

"Find people who share your values."

To learn more about Lyla click below:

Instagram: @seltzerskelter

To learn more about us click below:

Website: www.ElevenSkys.com

First off we want to begin with a heartfelt apology to Etic, or Pure Stoke! We got so caught up in the excitement and as he put it "infectious joy" of sharing in hiking stories, that we did not even mention his trail name one time! Even after having a pre-show chat and apologizing beforehand about all the puns we would make from such a wonderful trail name. "Pure Stoke", Eric, we are sorry we must have gotten carried away...and we say it...purely stoked?!?

Today we begin the show by experiencing high levels of stoke, as we chat the stoke master himself, Eric Kipperman. We begin by jumping right into Eric's first long distance thru-hike, this year on the CDT or Continental Divide Trail. Quite a trail to tackle as the first, and we fully unpack the feelings involved. We begin to chat about handling New Mexico that experienced a early and intense fire season this year, and how the concept of the CDT quickly became evident. It was a journey, a trail full of alternates, pick your way to Canada and go north! We talk about the feelings involved in having to tackle such a massive re-route only 500~ miles into his first thru-hike, and what it felt like to move forward. 

We then take a stroll north through the CDT itself. Touching upon the early season in Colorado and high intensity snow fields and traverses. We bounce up to the Great Basin in Wyoming, where we chat about the lowest point of the trail emotionally, and how it became a highlight. We dust ourselves off as we head into the Wind River Range, where loss of a trail family member becomes a defining factor. We gander at the enormity of the sky itself as we talk all things The Big Sky Alternate. Diving deep into the reasoning, feel, logistics and choice of creating your own adventure on the CDT. We put our hand upon the terminus and breath the words to life of the feelings of "done."

We take deep dives into the feelings as Eric shares with us the journey, the thoughts, and the moments of a first thru-hike. Truly a special experience that he lets us feel and see through his eyes. From the beginning to the end, we feel the moments and learn what it means to go from avid outdoorsperson to one who is now "consumed" or "obsessed."

We chat about techniques of squatting to be shorter than the person next to you in thunder and lightning storms, we chat about the difference between dollops of cherries and dollops of ketchup, we chat PB cookies and brownies as a diet, and we chat the 5 headed pressure was shower of Montana.

We chat about coming to peace with a trail being over, this generations philosopher we all know as 50 Cent, and intimate and emotional relationships with pieces of gear. We chat Wild Bill and Open Carry, we chat homecoming feelings in a new perspective, we chat lowest lows and highest highs, we chat new confidence, mayors of small towns, connection and disconnection, closure, and opening a door that never again can be shut.

We end the show with a Ramen Rating Review and are extremely happy to hear Eric's rating... until it takes a dark and personally painfully turn to our hearts. 

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"The CDT is a full bucket list of trails."

"It was a highlight because it was my lowest point on the trail."

"Instead of a cherry on top...it was a dollop of Ketchup."

"The Philosopher 50 CENT said: Sunny days wouldn't be so special if it wasn't for rain."

"Where you been, where you are, where you want to be."

To learn more about Eric Kipperman visit him on LinkedIn and Strava

To learn more about us click below.

Website: www.ElevenSkys.com

Today we sit down and chat with co-hosts Constantine and Magpie the grandest of trails, the most enchanting, the most...emotional, the Grand Enchantment Trail! 

We begin the show as we begin every show, with talking only and we mean only trail and hiking related content. That's right we discuss energy drinks! We get "Bucked Up" while drinking Bucked Up. Yes, that is not a euphuism, that is the actual name of the energy juice. As we crack the can we smell America, and guzzle some "Rocket Pop." 

After the most important part of the show we dive into all things the Grand Enchantment Trail. A wonderful route through Arizona and New Mexico that spans about ~766 miles. From just outside of Phoenix to Albuquerque the trail may begin and end in cities but goes into very remote territory. We discuss the "trail" conditions and the expectations when hiking a trail that is mostly a route.

We discuss and thank the creator of this route, Brett Tucker for making such an amazing journey. We chat about everything that wants to cut you, stick you, bite you, scratch you, and generally "ouch" you. We try and break down the trail by resupply points and wonderfully get lost in memories.

We chat the "town" that is not a town of Klondyke. We miss a fantastic opportunity to make a "what would you do for a Klondyke Bar" joke. We chat how not all miles are created equal. We chat about permits and being respectful to the trail so others can experience the beauty of this route in the future. We thank land owners, we talk about change in the route in the future, and we thank Brett again for all the work into creating a truly special, even enchanting, hike.

We give a shout out to Rocketman and talk soaking in the Gila Hot Springs. We chat "Horse Women" and hot spring shaming. We chat wild turkeys and what to do if a wild turkey falls on your head. We chat cinematic turkey silhouettes. 

We then transition into the sad portion of the show as we talk wildfires. We discuss being some of the last people in Diamond Creek to see it in all its grandeur. We chat the Black Fire and Bear Fire and the feelings of being stopped when physically and mentally we were ready to go. 

We discuss monsoon season, continuing and connecting footsteps, wilderness, and what it means to be a "thru-hiker." We chat about our New Mexico Grandmother. We chat shortcuts that are not shortcuts. 

We wrap the show with our realization that we had a blistering average of 3 miles per day when factoring in all of our "technical zeroes" on this trail due to wildfire season. 

We lose a part of ourselves to grow. 

Our ramen rating review takes a weird turn as we compare Creamy Chicken Ramen with Shrimp Ramen. How can it be so low but so high? Let's find out!

Thank you Brett Tucker, thank you Grand Enchantment Trail, thank you land owners, thank you for letting us grow.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

"Brett knows Best!"

To learn more about who we are click the link below:

ElevenSkys.com

Off Trail Support:

www.patreon.com/offtrail

What is the Continental Divide Trail?

Today we sit down and chat with Constantine and Magpie as they fight the good fight of not having an energy drink induced heart attack. 

We break down the walls of time with a double recording. As always... we must do another energy drink review even though we literally just finished the last. It is what the audience wants, it is what this LIVE show demands, we hear you loud and clear. 

Taking a dip back into the past we now take a deeper dive into Magpie's first thru-hike, the CDT. We chat the feelings of going into the "hardest" of the Big 3 trails first, what it means to be a Southbounder, and the glory of the state of Montana.

We chat relocating problem bears, the fear of Colorado, trail families along a less travelled trail, and shaking eyeballs. We chat the actual Continental Divide, trail towns of New Mexico, and alternates, alternates and more alternates. 

We dive into the tangent of hiking with someone from "real life." Whether that is a friend, acquaintance, best friend, we chat about the challenges this can cause. In theory a fabulous idea, but we talk about the great equalizing factor of the trail and how it can bring about different wants, needs, and choices of friends. There are some that have not only solved this issue but excelled, but our word of advice, meet those that click with you.

We chat about the diamond that is Wyoming, singing "I'm A Barbie Girl" enough times to reach insanity, and feelings of accomplishment. We chat "chasing the high" and how a great thing can lead to a time of not being in the moment. We try to bounce around the "Super Butte Cutoff" but very ineloquently say there is no right nor wrong, but people still can have their own opinions. 

We as always recommend not bear spraying a moose. 

We become parrots as we can't break past our Ramen Rating Review scores of the past few weeks.

We end the show with sweaty knees, moist palms, and a possible trip to the doctors office. 

(P:S: A joke, Constantine is well and fine... well physically at least)

FAVORTIE QUOTE:

"I am a Barbie Girl!"

To learn more about who we are click the link below:

ElevenSkys.com

Off Trail Support:

www.patreon.com/offtrail

What is the Appalachian Trail?

Today we sit down and chat with co-hosts Constantine and Magpie all things Appalachian Trail. The trail that needs no introduction, no description, no embellishment. Known as the Grandfather of trails, you know it, we know it, most hikers and even non-hikers know it, so without further ado, let us define a trail that needs no definition! 

As always, we painfully begin the show with an energy drink review. We do not know how nor when this intro became our norm, but do not worry, we shall not disappoint you nor ourselves! We introduce our rock, our guiding post, our safe harbor... well more accurately THE ROCK's energy drink, Zoa! It becomes quite the journey.

After licking a coconut, we begin our chat on the Appalachian Trail. We chat trail community, we chat rain, rain and more rain. We chat first love, we chat steep learning curves, and we chat bunny slopes. We discuss bear canisters and come out of the proverbial bear den to state a quite unpopular opinion. We discuss responsibility, trail angels, trail towns, and the difference between NoBo and SoBo.

We then take a swift dive into the concept of freedom. Pulling ourselves up for a breath of air, we try to quickly tangent out of this minefield of a topic, but give our opinion nonetheless. We chat PG, PG-13, and R rated stories, being "bulky boys", broken knees, green tunnels, and faceplants. We chat pounds of ranch, pounds of carrots, two sleeping bags, an outfit for each day of the week, and electronics on the trail.

We discuss success rates with purely hypothetical statistics, we get in touch with our Tennessee roots, we touch on the "downside" of hitchhiking. We chat Naked and Afraid, the concept "AT hiker vibes", privy bonding, touching whiteblazes, and wildlife. We chat shelters, mistakes, and purism vs purity. 

We wrap the show with a very passionate Ramen Rating Review. A review from the heart but also from the trail. Hang on it gets a tad confusing.

Many conflicting feelings, emotions, and thoughts on this trail as it was Constantine's first. Hope some of it makes sense! 

Only one quote matters this week:

"The Appalachian Trail is Summer Camp"

To learn more about who we are click the link below:

ElevenSkys.com

Off Trail Support:

www.patreon.com/offtrail