Episodes

John Turner is an avid listener to our HRN podcasts and is a board member of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club–and a trail ambassador. John completed a five-year section hike in 2022, and is here to share his story with us. We have a wide-ranging chat; not only about his hike, but his work with GATC, and his new book, Killing the Buddha on the Appalachian Trail. John’s story is of a man who came late to our wonderful trail, and a man giving back to the trail he fell in love with. That’s quite a...

Somebody to be grateful for on Thanksgiving Day

New adventures

A 100-day mission - accomplished!!

A man on a mission

Father and Son on the CDT

A select club

We have a couple of returning guests today. Rob and Gavin Duncan attempted a thru-hike in 2019 and were forced off the trail due to injury. It was a bitter blow for a couple of guys who’d put in over 1300 miles. Gavin is now an 18-year-old, and both father and son wanted a do-over, starting again from Georgia. I’ve observed several father-son relationships on trail and would have loved to have had one of those myself, for the emotion of getting to Katahdin with your son (or your daughter, wife, ...

We have a very different show this week, with Paula Martin, or Windeagle, sharing her dramatic survival from a bad accident that may well have killed her. Several years later, Paula had recovered and decided that an Appalachian Trail thru-hike was something she could achieve. She ultimately summited Katahdin two years later, but her story is one of grit and resilience. She also shares a story about how a bear got a little bit close and personal with her tent. See the picture below. After Paula, ...

A fierce determination to succeed

A very accomplished hiker

A newly minted Triple Crowner

A catch up with the whole class

Filling her summers with hiking

A single-minded, single mother

Ticks: the most dangerous creatures on trail

A lasher among thru-hikers

Sketchbook in hand

Our guest today is Glen Van Peski, a man who made a significant contribution to the ultralight backpacking movement when he founded Gossamer Gear. It takes an engineer to work out the problems of heavy gear, and Glen’s engineering skills and natural curiosity made backpacking easier for all of us. He’s written a book about the many life lessons he has learned from a life outdoors, mixing moments from his life in with these lessons, making the book extremely accessible for hikers of all ages. You...

An apt name!

We have a retired firefighter on the show today. Florence Bradley had been wanting to hike the Appalachian Trail for some time, waiting until retirement to get to it. But it drew on all her resources as she got injured several times, even breaking a foot along the way. She returned earlier this year, in an attempt to finish her last 300 miles in time to be able to record a 12-month AT hike. You can see more of Florence on Facebook at Florence Bradley and on Instagram at Instagram (@ffireflo) . W...

Today, we welcome Martin Pazzani to the podcast. Martin is a true outdoorsman, having hiked and climbed in all seven continents. He’s parlayed that experience with his involvement in the fitness business, and an intellectual curiosity about the scientific benefits of simply getting outside and walking uphill. Those of us who have hiked extensively can identify with Martin’s conclusions, yet he presents it in such an accessible way that I’m sure you’ll enjoy being informed and entertained in equa...

I’m back from the UK and am eager to bring more great guests for you. First, though, I want to thank all of you who reached out to me while I was away. Your concern for my welfare was more than touching. I’m forever grateful to my listeners. Today, our main guest is Casey Huffman, AKA Vegas. Casey hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2023, and he shares his story with an infectious enthusiasm which, he’ll concede, may not have been there when he set out on his adventure. A solo hiker, and somewhat int...

Still indoors!