The Coronavirus has forced millions of people across the country to stay at home for most of the last month and many of us aren’t likely to see this change in the next few weeks. This “kind of quarantine” has many looking for things to do, whether it be finding new shows to watch, stuff to read or music to listen to during these long days in isolation. Gaming has been around for decades but recently has taken on even greater value for those looking for things to occupy themselves while in their homes during these uncertain times. Our guest Jackson Huckins is an avid gamer and industry watcher and he’s here to give us the lowdown on all things gaming, including what to play, what not to bother with, trends he likes, trends he doesn’t like and the games he absolutely wouldn’t want to live without.

“The Last Dance” is a 10-episode documentary series chronicling the famed Chicago Bulls and the team’s sixth championship season in 1997-98. The series was originally slated to air during the NBA Finals in June but was released early after pressure from fans and media personalities grew to a fever pitch as stay at home orders forced most of the country indoors for days at a time, leaving much room for long form viewing. Austin Bumpus is the creator of the sports and lifestyle website The Swing of Things and has published a detailed review of the first two episodes of the documentary series. On this episode of Trails to Peaks Radio, Bumpus talks about the rise of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen being underrated, basketball’s GOAT and where sports goes from here during the Coronavirus Era. This episode is the first of a five-part weekly review series of "The Last Dance".

The news surrounding the outbreak of the Coronavirus and its impact on the world is grim and often difficult to absorb over long periods of time. For many of us, one of the best ways to deal with stress is getting outdoors, a habit which has physical, mental and emotional wellness benefits. However, this pandemic has made remote contact with others a high risk activity and many who love the outdoors are faced with the difficult decision to give up something which could make their days much more bearable. The good news is no one needs to completely stop engaging in outdoor recreational activities. In fact, doing these things may be more important than ever right now. But there’s a right way to head outdoors while keeping the spread of the virus from getting worse. In this episode, host Rob Huckins and producer Allison Spencer cover the basic principles and habits of getting outside while using the safest and most sensible precautions possible during the Coronavirus Era.

In this episode, Trails to Peaks Radio host Rob Huckins offers up six book recommendations ranging from nonfiction, fiction and poetry, in an attempt to provide some distraction from the current news cycle and related life disruptions caused by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. During a time where connection has become even more important than ever, the books recommended and discussed in this episode offer various voices about a wide range of subject matter for all kinds of reading interests. The six selections are: But What If We’re Wrong? (Chuck Klosterman), 1 Dead in Attic (Chris Rose), Life on Mars (Tracy K. Smith), The Uninhabitable Earth (David Wallace-Wells), Where You’ll Find Me (Ty Gagne) and The Plot Against America (Philip Roth). For additional perspective and insight into one of these six selections, listeners can read Huckins’ review of Gagne’s Where You’ll Find Me at the podcast's website, Chasing Jade Trails to Peaks.

Star Wars has been a major part of popular culture in America--and now the world's over--for the better part of four decades and remains the most financially successful film franchise of all time. It has spawned scores of merchandising and earned both the praise and scorn of critics and fans since first arriving on the screen in 1977. Today, the franchise continues to roll forward with new films, streaming shows, animated features, toys, books and more, creating a multi-billion dollar brand that shows no signs of slowing down. Star Wars superfan and pop culture afficianado Ron Delude joins the show to help break it all down in one conversational sitting--the movies, the fandom, what’s aged well and what hasn’t. You could say this podcast has been in the works for decades, FROM a certain point of view. Whether you love or loathe Star Wars AND you like deep dives into pop culture phenomenons, this episode is for you. “The State of Star Wars” with Ron Delude is an episode you don't want to miss.

Rue McKenrick is an outdoor enthusiast and advocate for the preservation and exploration of America’s natural environment. McKenrick has backpacked the Appalachian, Pacific Crest & Continental Divide Trails, completing the so called “Triple Crown”of American thru-hikes. An avid long distance backpacker, McKenrick was inspired to begin creating a thru hike circumnavigating the continental United States called The American Perimeter Trail. This project will traverse 12,000 miles, including parts of the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and North Country Trails, eventually forming the first established thru hike of the continental United States while enabling hikers to access various parts of this massive trail loop and its connected communities. On this episode, McKenrick talks about his hopes for this project, what he’s learned from hiking thousands of trail miles and why he thinks everyone can benefit from getting outdoors. For more details of McKenrick’s APT project, visit backtothepack.weebly.com

Alexander "Woody" Woodrow is a founding member of the independent rock band Our Last Night and author of the book, You Are the Rock Star: Step Into Your Power and Live Your Purpose, a self-empowerment guide to not only living your dream but your very best life. Woodrow talks about the publication process and his motivation to write the book, including his past struggles with establishing his self identity, developing confidence, overcoming anxiety and how this growth not only transformed his role as a band member but overhauled his entire life. He discusses the challenges of keeping a band together for over 15 years, growing up along with his fans, the highs and lows of social media, finding your own "tribe" and the power of meditation. Check out Our Last Night along with Woodrow's upcoming book events and band highlights on Instagram @woodywoodrow .

There are 48 mountains in New Hampshire exceeding four thousand feet in elevation. Each year, hikers near and far come to the Granite State to take on the challenge of climbing them all at least once. Today, these mountains are simply known as "The List". This series is meant to be a tribute to the White Mountains through having those who have completed The List tell their stories in their own words. What’s their favorite mountain? What was the best hike they had? The worst? What made them want to tackle The List and how did they feel once they did it? Everyone featured in this series has climbed all 48 four thousand footers in New Hampshire at least once. Most have hiked other places and scaled other heights, too. Most love the outdoors whether on a mountain or not. But the single thing each of them have in common is traversing the same trails up the same mountains at least once. This is a hiking bond anyone who’s seen the magnificent views off the Presidential Range or trudged through the muddy lower regions of Owl’s Head feels and understands because they’ve all been there. And, in many cases, probably will again. In this episode, Rhode Island native, lifelong camper and newly obsessive outdoor photographer Neil Blanchette talks about his experience completing The List.

Ari Iaccarino is the co founder and CEO of Ridj-it, a community adventure platform that brings people, organizations, and businesses together for activities and events within their own region, including hiking, biking, skiing and anything else participants can come up with. Ridj-it uses a variety of tools to make these adventures accessible, including carpooling and event creation. Ridj-it seeks to help create and maintain communities for both experienced and non experienced outdoors participants alike. On this episode of Trails to Peaks Radio, Iaccarino talks about what motivated him to create Ridj-it, the ups and downs of starting a company and why for profit businesses may well be the best thing to happen to the outdoors.

There are 48 mountains in New Hampshire exceeding four thousand feet in elevation. Each year, hikers near and far come to the Granite State to take on the challenge of climbing them all at least once. Today, these mountains are simply known as "The List". This series is meant to be a tribute to the White Mountains through having those who have completed The List tell their stories in their own words. What’s their favorite mountain? What was the best hike they had? The worst? What made them want to tackle The List and how did they feel once they did it? Everyone featured in this series has climbed all 48 four thousand footers in New Hampshire at least once. Most have hiked other places and scaled other heights, too. Most love the outdoors whether on a mountain or not. But the single thing each of them have in common is traversing the same trails up the same mountains at least once. This is a hiking bond anyone who’s seen the magnificent views off the Presidential Range or trudged through the muddy lower regions of Owl’s Head feels and understands because they’ve all been there. And, in many cases, probably will again. In this episode, New England native Eleni Philipon talks about her experience completing The List.