The Trailside Tales

Trip Report – Electric Peak debuts a new form of episode. These pieces will recount the events of the hike in an effort to convey the feeling of the walk rather than any sort of message or greater meaning.

Are you looking for a challenging day hike in the Yellowstone National Park? Consider Electric Peak in the northern part of the park. In this episode, Stanley ‘DinoDNA’ Mordensky tells the tale of a relaxing, 20-mile walk to the summit of Electric Peak on a day with no forecasted thunderstorms.

We want to make the Trip Report a re-occurring sub-series to our show. If you would like to contribute your own work, we invite you to contact us.

The shelter system you use plays a large role in your backpacking experience. In this episode, Stanley ‘DNA’ Mordensky describes the effect the Appalachian Trail shelters had on this first thruhike attempt in 2013.

We thank Doctor Turtle, Matt ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Smith, and a long-distance backpacker who wishes to only be identified as David or ‘Strings’ for the music in this episode. The track names, respectively, are ‘Dead from the Beginning, Alive Till The End’, ‘Morning Stroll’, and ‘Trailside1’. You can find more of Doctor Turtle’s music through his Bandcamp page or through his Facebook page. If you are interested in the pieces from Sleeping Beauty or Strings, contact us and we will put you in touch with them.

Ever get the feeling that someone or something is watching you? What do you do when you feel this way, you are new to backpacking, and are alone in the backcountry? In this episode, Elizabeth ‘Etch’ Mordensky describes an experience from her early hiking career during which she saw all the tell-tale signs of grizzly bear on her proposed overnighter in the Greater Yellowstone Area. In doing so, she reminds us about why we walk in our natural spaces.

Matt ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Smith provided the intro track, Brown Cow. We also thank Admiral Bob and Durden (ft. Airtone) for the use of their music, Toddler Guitarist and Paper Planes, respectively, made available through a Creative Commons Attribution Attribution (3.0) license.

Changes in life bring new stresses that test our character. How can we let responsibility and ambition blind us from the facets of life that we have already identified as too important to preclude? What forces you stop and realize that you need to re-prioritize your life? In this episode, Stanley ‘DNA’ Mordensky tells his tale of his move to New Zealand to pursue doctoral research in engineering geology and how he deviated from the values he had carried with him from his long-distance hiking experiences.

We are grateful to Matt ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Smith, our friend from thruhiking, who provided ‘ABQ Train’, ‘Distant Dawn’, and ‘Thankfull Lull’. The closing piece, ‘Numbers‘, was provided by The Dice under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

Explicit Version

Explicit Language Warning: This episode contains some explicit language, nothing you would not hear on a long trail, but if you are listening with kids, you may want to listen to the Family Friendly Version provided below.

Family Friendly Version

Everyone makes mistakes. Thruhiking means new locales and new situations, which go hand-in-hand with unforeseen challenges. In this episode, Dennis ‘Foolhardy’ Worrell shares a comical tale of his error at the Goldmyer Hotsprings in the Washington Cascades when he made one simple oversight.

We, once again, give great thanks to Doctor Turtle for permission of the use of his lovely guitar melody ‘Know No No-Nos’. We suggest checking out Doctor Turtle’s music if you are interested in relaxing guitar pieces through his Bandcamp page or through his Facebook page . This track is licensed as Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

We also thank Airtone for the use of ‘reNovation’ and ‘reCreation’, both of which are licensed as Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

Children implicitly know what is important in this world; playing is the hallmark of youth. As we grow older, many reasons pull us away from the mindset that allows us to play. Eventually, most of us lose that all too important habit. Why is long-distance hiking so addictive? In this episode, Stanley ‘DNA’ Mordensky recounts his first attempt at a long-distance walk and the effect it had on him.

Matt ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Smith, a friend from our hikes, provided the music (i.e. Dishwashin Weirdo, On Delay, Steel Wheel Lounge, and The Fool) for this episode.

Long-distance hiking has developed a global following. Why do we do it? Patrons of long-distance hiking understand first-hand the hardships this passion throws at its followers. In this episode, Stanley ‘DNA’ Mordensky and Elizabeth ‘Etch’ Mordensky are midway through their attempt of the Continental Divide Trail. To reach this point they faced many new challenges and overcame numerous hurdles. Then, a summer solstice snow storm dumps two feet of snow on them in the in the Colorado Rockies. How do you react when you feel like you have been beaten for the last time? Where do you draw strength?

Welcome to the Trailside Tales. We give great thanks to Doctor Turtle for permission to use his guitar piece ‘Today’s Special: Jam Tomorrow’. If you like relaxing guitar picking, check out his music through his Bandcamp page or through his Facebook page. This track is licensed as Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

Trail Information:

National Scenic TrailsAppalachian Trail (AT) Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)Continental Divide Tr (CDT)Long Trail (LT)Pacific Northwest (PNT)Arizona Trail (AZT)Florida Trail (FT)North Country Trail (NCT)Wisconsin Ice Age TrailNew England Trail (NET)Natchez Trace TrailPotomac Heritage Tr (PHT)

National Historic TrailsPony Express TrailOregon TrailLewis and Clark TrailNez Pierce Trail

InternationalTe Araroa (TA)Great Divide Trail (GDT)Pyrenees High Route (PHR)El CaminoVia Alpina

Other TrailsJohn Muir Trail (JMT)Colorado Trail (CT)Oregon Desert Trail (ODT)Sierra High Route (SHR)Hayduke Trail (HT)