Trail Stories - Is This the Summer We Quit?

About the Guests Fab (from Berlin, Germany) and Fitch (from the UK) met in Australia a year ago on a group hike at Pages Pinnacle, Gold Coast — a Facebook meetup they both almost didn't attend. They are currently thru-hiking the HexaTrek, France's Grand Traverse: roughly 3,000 kilometers across the entire country, from Wissembourg to Hendaye at the Atlantic Coast. They are doing it with Billie — Fab's eight-year-old Australian kelpie cross cattle dog — on their first thru-hike as a couple. They are in Stage 4, about 1,500 kilometers in, and in the process of buying a 200-year-old farmhouse in Brittany. They post on Instagram as @FabandFitch. What's Covered in Part 2 How the Relationship Grew Fitch's Origin — Leap Before You Look Fab's Origin — A Park in Hamburg How Their Two Relationships With the Road Fit Together The Brittany Training Hike — GR 380 Would You Do It Again — Honest Answer What's Next — The Farmhouse Hiking Hacks — Two for One Off the Beaten Path — Dust on My Shoes Pay It Forward — The Sugi Project Links & Resources Fab and Fitch — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabandfitch HexaTrek — Official Website: https://www.hexatrek.com Dust on My Shoes — Peter Pinney (1952). Fitch's media recommendation — a minimalist traveler's journey from Yugoslavia to Zanzibar. The Sugi Project — Pocket Forests: https://www.thesugiproject.com Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guests Fab (from Berlin, Germany) and Fitch (from the UK) met in Australia a year ago on a group hike at Pages Pinnacle, Gold Coast — a Facebook meetup they both almost didn't attend. They are currently thru-hiking the HexaTrek, France's Grand Traverse: roughly 3,000 kilometers across the entire country, from Wissembourg to Hendaye at the Atlantic Coast. They are doing it with Billie — Fab's eight-year-old Australian kelpie cross cattle dog — on their first thru-hike as a couple. They are in Stage 4, about 1,500 kilometers in, and in the process of buying a 200-year-old farmhouse in Brittany. They post on Instagram as @FabandFitch. What's Covered in Part 1 Trail Name — No Trail Names (Yet) Trailblazer's Toolkit — Two for One The Hiking Poll — Fab: 53, Fitch: 47 How the HexaTrek Happened Day 62 — The Near-Quit The Hexadog — What They Didn't Expect Hiking With Billie — Joy and Cost Links & Resources Fab and Fitch — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabandfitch HexaTrek — Official Website: https://www.hexatrek.com Dust on My Shoes — Peter Pinney (1952). Fitch's media recommendation — a minimalist traveler's journey from Yugoslavia to Zanzibar. The Sugi Project — Pocket Forests: https://www.thesugiproject.com Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Part 2 drops in 10 minutes. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Appalachian Trail is more than a footpath - it’s a living piece of American history. Stretching over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine, the A.T. winds through some of Virginia’s most beautiful and rugged landscapes. But have you ever wondered how this legendary trail came to be, and who the dreamers, builders, and hikers were that shaped it? We’re hiking through history with someone who knows the Appalachian Trail like few others do. My friend, Mills Kelly, is a historian, archivist, podcast host, lifelong hiker, and author of the new book, A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail. His book captures the A.T.’s history, not just as a collection of facts and dates, but as a human story about purpose, adventure, and our search for meaning in the mountains. Mills shares fascinating stories from the trail’s early days and how it has changed over the past century. And when you think about how far we’ve come - from hikers in wool suits carrying canvas packs filled with fresh produce, to today’s ultralight gear and freeze-dried meals - it’s amazing to see how the trail has evolved right alongside us. Mills reminds us that the A.T. wasn’t built for heroic end-to-end treks, but for ordinary people to breathe easier and feel a little wilder for a few hours or a few days. That simple idea still shapes lives, towns, and trail culture across Virginia and beyond. The story of the Appalachian Trail is as much about the people and their experiences as it is about the path beneath their feet. So join us as we hike back through time on the world’s most iconic long-distance trail. Let’s Go! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guests Fab (from Berlin, Germany) and Fitch (from the UK) met in Australia a year ago on a group hike at Pages Pinnacle, Gold Coast — a Facebook meetup they both almost didn't attend. They are currently thru-hiking the HexaTrek, France's Grand Traverse: roughly 3,000 kilometers across the entire country, from Wissembourg to Hendaye at the Atlantic Coast. They are doing it with Billie — Fab's eight-year-old Australian kelpie cross cattle dog — on their first thru-hike as a couple. They are in Stage 4, about 1,500 kilometers in, and in the process of buying a 200-year-old farmhouse in Brittany. They post on Instagram as @FabandFitch. Episode Highlights How They Met — Pages Pinnacle Day 62 — The Factory Pontoon The Hexadog — Designing a Thru-Hike Around a Dog Billie — Joy and Cost Fab's Origin Story — Walking After Loss The Couple on the HexaTrek What's Next — A 200-Year-Old Farmhouse in Brittany Links & Resources Fab and Fitch — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabandfitch HexaTrek — Official Website: https://www.hexatrek.com Dust on My Shoes — Peter Pinney (1952). Fitch's media recommendation — a minimalist traveler's journey from Yugoslavia to Zanzibar. The Sugi Project — Pocket Forests: https://www.thesugiproject.com Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Fab, Fitch, and Billie drops Wednesday in two parts. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The first two episodes of this series took us into deserts you cross with a map and a compass, and Alaska tundra a week from the nearest road. This episode is about a different kind of empty space on the map — the one most of us walk past every day without seeing the line at all. Because the impulse to look at a place and imagine a route through it doesn't need a trailhead. It doesn't even need a wilderness. Sometimes all it needs is a city. Liz "Snorkel" Thomas — a Triple Crowner and, per Outside magazine, a living legend —took the entire framework of a thru-hike downtown, inventing "urban thru-hikes" like a250-mile route across Seattle and a 100-mile "brew-through" connecting Denver's breweries. Alexandra "Sunshine" Kenin, founder of Urban Hiker SF and author of three Urban Trails guidebooks, has hiked more than a thousand public staircases in a single city— and inherited the project from Adah Bakalinsky, the woman who mapped San Francisco's stairs by hand before Google Maps existed. Along the way: why walking on pavement can be harder on your body than a mountain trail, why a route through a city might deliver more genuine adventure than a wilderness, why San Francisco is full of staircases in the first place, and how the urban route-maker's deepest cause turns out to be the same one a desert route-maker arrived at from the opposite end of the country — that a person on foot deserves to be safe. This is the series' warmest chapter: proof that the wilderness maker and the city maker are doing the same thing, and that the best routes are the ones the most people can reach. Featured routes: San Francisco Roundabout · Crosstown Trail · the Denver "brew-through"· Seattle urban thru-hike · the New England Trail Featured makers: Liz "Snorkel" Thomas ·Alexandra "Sunshine" Kenin (with Andrew Skurka & Rue McKenrick) Next time on The Route Makers — Episode 4: "The Eraser and the Gift," on what happensto a route after the map is drawn: the years of correcting, erasing, and handing it off towhoever comes next. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Chris "Rad" Carter is a Triple Crown thru-hiker (PCT, CDT + AT in a single calendar year), mountaineer, adventure filmmaker, and senior editor at Switchback Travel, where he runs the climbing, mountaineering, travel, and backpacking categories. Born in the United States and raised in Nairobi, Kenya by NGO parents, he came to America for college in 2014 and fell deeply in love with the country through his thru-hikes. In June 2025 he summited Denali — the highest peak in North America — as cameraman for Brandon's "Seek Your Summit" 50-highpoints record attempt. He is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently married, and currently training for The Shield on El Capitan. His PCT documentary is called To Measure a Mile. What's Covered in Part 2 The Seek Your Summit Project — Brandon's Record Attempt Post-Trail Depression and the Why What He Got Wrong The Kenya Trail Project Best Switchback Trip — The Haute Route in Switzerland The Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan Disaster — A Gear Review in Absentia The Roped Expedition Mindset vs. Solo Thru-Hiking Hiking Hack — Hypoxico Altitude Generator What's Next Off the Beaten Path — Two Reads Pay It Forward — PCTA Links & Resources Chris Carter — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris.cart.er Switchback Travel: https://www.switchbacktravel.com To Measure a Mile — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chriscarter Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage — Alfred Lansing. Rad's current read — an unbelievable expedition story. Kon-Tiki — Thor Heyerdahl. Read on Denali. A must for adventure lovers. Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA): https://www.pcta.org Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC): https://www.continentaldividetrail.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Chris "Rad" Carter is a Triple Crown thru-hiker (PCT, CDT + AT in a single calendar year), mountaineer, adventure filmmaker, and senior editor at Switchback Travel, where he runs the climbing, mountaineering, travel, and backpacking categories. Born in the United States and raised in Nairobi, Kenya by NGO parents, he came to America for college in 2014 and fell deeply in love with the country through his thru-hikes. In June 2025 he summited Denali — the highest peak in North America — as cameraman for Brandon's "Seek Your Summit" 50-highpoints record attempt. He is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently married, and currently training for The Shield on El Capitan. His PCT documentary is called To Measure a Mile. What's Covered in Part 1 Trail Name — The Ass Tat Trailblazer's Toolkit — Household Bleach The Hiking Poll — Score: 22 The Origin — Kenya, NGOs, and America Denali vs. the Trail — What's Different The Denali Poop System The Diving Board The Talkeetna Cemetery Links & Resources Chris Carter — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris.cart.er Switchback Travel: https://www.switchbacktravel.com To Measure a Mile — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chriscarter Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage — Alfred Lansing. Rad's current read — an unbelievable expedition story. Kon-Tiki — Thor Heyerdahl. Read on Denali. A must for adventure lovers. Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA): https://www.pcta.org Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC): https://www.continentaldividetrail.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Part 2 drops in 10 minutes. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Chris "Rad" Carter is a Triple Crown thru-hiker (PCT, CDT + AT in a single calendar year), mountaineer, adventure filmmaker, and senior editor at Switchback Travel, where he runs the climbing, mountaineering, travel, and backpacking categories. Born in the United States and raised in Nairobi, Kenya by NGO parents, he came to America for college in 2014 and fell deeply in love with the country through his thru-hikes. In June 2025 he summited Denali — the highest peak in North America — as cameraman for Brandon's "Seek Your Summit" 50-highpoints record attempt. He is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently married, and currently training for The Shield on El Capitan. His PCT documentary is called To Measure a Mile. Episode Highlights The Bleach Gang From Kenya to the Triple Crown Denali — The Mountain in Context The Poop System The Diving Board The Autobahn Post-Trail Depression and What the Trails Are For Links & Resources Chris Carter — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris.cart.er Switchback Travel: https://www.switchbacktravel.com To Measure a Mile — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chriscarter Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage — Alfred Lansing. Rad's current read — an unbelievable expedition story. Kon-Tiki — Thor Heyerdahl. Read on Denali. A must for adventure lovers. Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA): https://www.pcta.org Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC): https://www.continentaldividetrail.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Rad drops Wednesday in two parts. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Route Makers, Episode 2: "The Proving Ground" — Rue McKenrick, Kevin Koski, Wesley Tils, and Andrew Skurka on what it costs to prove a route no one has walked. Last episode, we watched five people look at a map and see a line that wasn't there. This episode is about what happens when the paper runs out — when a route stops being a plan and becomes a body on unmapped ground. Because a route isn't real when you draw it. It's real when someone walks the whole thing, corner to corner, and comes back to say it goes. The people who invent long-distance routes call that process "proving," and it's where they find out what their line actually costs. Wesley "Megaman" Tils invented a Mexico-to-Canada route as a thirtieth-birthday present to himself and met a −40 blizzard on day one. Andrew Skurka — who circumnavigated Alaska largely off-trail — describes the psychology of true wilderness, where "there's always a cloud." Kevin "The Animal" Koski's proving hike of his own Four Corners Loop went almost exactly to plan, until it didn't. And Rue McKenrick, who scouted the American Perimeter Trail alone over three years, is unflinchingly honest about the physical price of that undertaking — and about why he'd do it all again for the people who come behind him. This is the hardest, most honest episode of the series so far: the improvising when the map fails, the decisions no spreadsheet prepares you for, and the truth that the line on the map is never free. What these makers pay for it — and why they consider it worth paying — is the whole story. Featured routes: American Perimeter Trail · Four Corners Loop · the "Fourth Crown Route" (Mexico–Canada) · Great Western Loop · Alaska-Yukon Expedition Featured makers: Rue McKenrick · Kevin "The Animal" Koski · Wesley "Megaman" Tils · Andrew Skurka · Renee "She-Ra" Patrick This episode includes candid discussion of serious injury, physical hardship, and loss. Next time on The Route Makers — Episode 3: "The Concrete Wilderness," where the route-making impulse leaves the backcountry and heads downtown. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Jada "Flo" Lippincott is a 27-year-old thru-hiker, splitboarder, canyoneer, packrafter, and full-time truck dweller based in Big Sky, Montana. Originally from Fairfield, Iowa, she discovered the outdoors through a college exchange semester in Fairbanks, Alaska and found long-distance hiking after a catastrophic snowboarding accident that shattered her leg. Three days out of her walking boot, she boarded a plane to Arizona and started the Arizona Trail. She has since logged over 9,000 miles across the CDT, Arizona Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, Great Divide Trail (Canada), Hayduke Trail, Colorado Trail, and Sierra High Route (partial), all while living out of a 2009 Toyota Tundra with her 50-pound shelter dog, Indy (trail name: Roadblock). She has a tattoo on her leg that reads: Your time is limited. What's Covered in Part 2 Origin Story — Iowa, Motor Homes, and Negative 40 Finding Her People on the Arizona Trail CDT — The Breakup, Deep End, and Deep End Becoming a Triple Crowner The 'Yes Person' Philosophy Balancing Every Sport Roadblock's Grizzly Encounter The Great Divide Trail and the 1,000-Mile Hitchhike The Your Time Is Limited Tattoo The 2026 Season — and What Happened on the Sierra High Route Five Hiking Hacks Off the Beaten Path — Five Recommendations Pay It Forward — Three Causes The Crew Shoutout Links & Resources Flo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whereisjadaa Desert Solitaire — Edward Abbey. Flo's top desert book recommendation. The Adventure Son — Roman Dial. Memoir of the godfather of packrafting in Alaska. Tracks — Robyn Davidson. Real-life story of trekking across Australia in 1977. The Dark Wizard — HBO Max documentary about Dean Potter. Valley Uprising — Documentary about rock climbers in Yosemite. Edge of the Unknown — Jimmy Chin documentary series. Real Survival Stories — Podcast. Stories of people nearly dying in the outdoors. Greg MacCannan — YouTube. Currently cycling from Alaska to Argentina, four years in. The Wilderness Society: https://www.wilderness.org Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners: https://www.gsenm.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.