Frosty, known off trail as Jess Raechelle, spent 6 years dreaming and planning about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail before she got her 2020 permit. And then, well, 2020 happened but she scrambled and found herself at the southern terminus on March 18th. And it was all going fine until she hit Northern California and "Elliot" pushed her off trail, but that's a story I'll let her tell you. So in this episode, we talk about how the people she hiked with changed her, notes in the sand, hating Lucifer, and of course the Elliot of it all.

Lady Unicorn, known off trail as Christine Reed, in her new book "Alone in Wonderland" explores the longer journey we're all on when we come to thru hiking. In 2014, she started the Appalachian Trail only to be pulled off trail by the death of her mother. Four years later, she hit the Wonderland Trail, hiking back into herself. In this episode, we talk about her new book, about the inner conflict she battled while on the Appalachian Trail, her changing relationship with her body as she has fallen more and more in love with the hiker life, and the reciprocity of accepting help.

Eleven, known off trail as Meredith Johnson, hit the PCT in 2019 chasing her experiences from the Appalachian Trail.
But they are very different trails, so she struggled for much of the hike with whether or not she wanted to be there.
In this episode, we explore the challenge of chasing past experiences, finding a balance between independence and community, her changing relationship to fear, and deli blazing.

Kickstand, known off trail as Mike Papadatos, needed something to shake up his life. So of course, he decided to do a thru hike. But not just any thru hike - A Calendar Year Triple Crown. On January 31, 2018 he started at Springer Mountain and the rest as they say is history. In this episode, we talk about those that came before, the planning and logistics, struggles with feeling like a failure, finally finishing a trail...and a few Breaking Bad moments in New Mexico.

Little Skittle, known off trail as Becca Bergstrom, after one overnight camping trip tackled the Pacific Crest Trail
in 2019. Launching herself into the thru hiking life and following up with the Oregon Coast Trail and Timberline Trails this year... and a few miles on the Continental Divide Trail before everything came to a halt.
In this episode, we talk about hiking with her Ride or Die Chicks (Darth Jader & PCP), working through loss and
grief during the Oregon challenge, bear encounters, and a few rookie moves.

Jinx, known off trail as Jayson Shaffer, had never backpacked before in his life when he found himself at the southern terminus of the PCT. Three days in he seriously thought about quitting, but knew somehow that the journey would bring him back to himself. In this episode, we talk about what and who he found out on the trail, the crazy things people carry, a very profane PCT Anthem, and the kindness of strangers.

Good Flow, known off trail as Aliza Goldberg, purposely planned not to plan her 2019 thru hike of the PCT, wanting to experience the trail as she found it. In this episode, we talk about how she managed the overwhelming idea of 2650 miles, the struggle to stay on schedule when the weather wouldn't cooperate, exit strategies, her very pit toilet story and why Old Station means so much.

This episode of Hiking Thru Podcast is a little different and it's because of all of you! Your excitement for the trails, your
sharing of the agony and the ecstasy... your stories are infectious, and have inspired my next guest to focus his
attention on creating a new National Scenic Trail. John, known off trail as John Sprankel, has set his heart on establishing
the Oahu Coastline Trail, which would be a brand new trail that encircles the 227 miles of Oahu's coastline.
He will be doing the exploratory hike the beginning of December and he is documenting this entire process of
learning how to establish a national scenic trail as well as the hike itself.
In this episode, we talk about how the AT inspired him to create this trail, what he hopes his young daughters will take away from this challenge and his excitement over the adventure and father/son bonding to come.