Trail Days 2026 with Paladin

What does it look like to slow down, really slow down, and cross a country under your own power? Taylor Nichols is an actor, avid backpacker, and co-host of the Bike Talk radio show and podcast, and he did exactly that, biking solo and self-supported from San Francisco to East Lansing, Michigan. His destination was the house he grew up in, where his 101-year-old father still lives. Over 53 days and more than 3,000 miles, Taylor navigated the rugged California and Oregon coasts, followed the Lewis and Clark trail through Montana, and discovered that small-town bars in North Dakota double as community gathering halls. He opens up about the unexpected mental peace of life on the road, the headwind-as-metaphor insight that shifted his perspective, and the kindness of strangers, including a trail angel named Sherry who rescued him in an Oregon rainstorm. Follow Bike Talk onlineVisit Adventure Cycling Music:The Bicycle SongDavid Rovics https://www.soundclick.com/track/764943/david-rovics/the-bicycle-songused with Creative Commons licenseSupport the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

Relive Trail Days or just live vicariously through Paladin's adventures. We chat about the essentials - the woods, THRU-r Village, what it's like attending for the first time and the joy of the hiker parade. There's lots of stories about his tramily and hikers he ran into while in Damascus. Paladin's trail magic is a special thing and represents the best of our hiking community. Follow Paladin on InstagramCheck out THUR-r https://thru-r.com/Support the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

What happens when you leave behind the familiar and take a leap into the wilderness? Author Christine Reed joins me to share the story behind Alone in Wonderland, a powerful memoir about heartbreak, healing, and finding strength one step at a time on the trail.Outdoorsy Women+ Book Pod | Rugged OutdoorswomanOutdoorsy Women+ Book Club | Rugged Outdoorswomanhttps://substack.com/@ruggedoutdoorswomanhttps://www.instagram.com/ruggedoutdoorswoman/Support the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

What happens when you trade a four-decade career in business for the mountains, the trails, and the life you almost left behind? In this episode, I sit down with Tom French, author of The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiing, and the Journey Back, to talk about adventure, reinvention, and what it truly means to reconnect with the outdoors at any age. Tom's story is a powerful reminder that the call of the wild doesn't have an expiration date; some of the most meaningful journeys begin exactly when you think the adventure is over.Whether you're an avid hiker, a weekend adventurer, or simply someone who has ever felt the pull of wild places, this conversation will inspire you to lace up your boots and get back out there.🎧 Enjoy this episode? Pick up a copy of The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiing, and the Journey Back by Tom French on Amazon or your favorite independent bookseller!Support the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

When was the last time you actually stopped on a trail, not because you needed water, but because something made you pause? In this episode, Lori invites you to slow way down and experience the trail through all five senses. From the lichen-covered boulders of Blackrock Summit to the quiet of the southern AT, she shares what spring in Shenandoah National Park sounds, smells, feels, and even tastes like, and how bringing that same attention to your own local trail will change everything.Support the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

Scott Little of Green Cove Collective comes on the show to discuss the Virginia Creeper Trail as it exists post-Helene and what the impact the hurricane had on the trail and it's close knit community of shops, restaurants and outdoor enthusiasts. In this episode we chat about how Scott started his online shop and then the brick and mortar store in Green Cove during Covid as a way to both support and be an essential part of the biking and outdoors community that has been created around the Creeper Trail. The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 35-mile (56 km) multi-purpose rail trail. Located in southwestern Virginia, the trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop, near Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and the North Carolina border. The trail accomodates hikers, cyclists and equestrians on its descent from Abingdon to Damascus. 18 miles of the 34-mile mile Creeper Trail, from Damascus to Whitetop, have been devastated. To date, 18 trestles have been lost – destroyed or washed away. In extended sections, the trail itself no longer exists… reclaimed by the rushing, flooded creeks. Trailheads, access points, amenities and signage have been destroyed as well (Credit: Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy). To connect with Scott/Green Cove Collective and learn more: Instagram: @virginiacreepertrail, @greencovecollectiveWeb: greencovecollective.com Music clip credit:"Whiskey on the Mississippi" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

Maria Wishart aka Wheezy-Pee chats with Lori about hiking with your dog and as a hiker how to interact with dogs on trail. Some of the things we chat about:What makes your dog a candidate to accompany you on your hikeReactive dogsTown food and dog caloric needs on trail for a thru hikeConsiderations for backpacking and section hiking with dogsYour dog's gear set up based on season and care needsCompanies mentioned:Down Dog BagsAlpha PakRed Paw PacksSea to SummitConnect with Maria:Instagram: @hike_woof_wiggle_repeatFacebook: Maria WishartSupport the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

In this premiere episode of the Explore Virginia Podcast, host Lori Prima brings on guest Bill Henry of the Blue Ridge Heritage Project. The project's vision is:Develop a memorial site in each of the eight counties where land was acquired to create the Shenandoah National Park; andEducate visitors about the lives and culture of the people who lived in the mountains through living history presentations, exhibits, and demonstrations.In this informative episode you will learn more about the history of the project, the families who were removed from the land that is now Shenandoah National Park and how the chimney memorials came to be placed in eight counties where families called the mountains home. You can learn more by visiting:https://www.blueridgeheritageproject.com/List of recommended books and other resources can be found hereReach out to the podcast:[email protected] Subscribe to the podcast at: https://explorevirginia.buzzsprout.com/Support the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

Jen and Jess went on a Spring section hike on the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park with their friend Ziplock. In this episode we cover each day in the park. We discuss hiking amongst the wildflowers, camping at the huts/shelters/campgrounds and resupply advice. We cover shuttles, meeting thru hikers on trail and some of their favorite views and moments together. The waysides are a big part of the AT experience in Shenandoah. Jess highly recommends the Shenandoah turkey gobbler sandwich at the Big Meadows wayside and I can't help but recommend getting one of the famous blackberry shakes. If you find yourself hiking in Shenandoah National Park, give me a shout and I'll treat you to one. Follow Jen:@Jennythetrailhead &  @trashcantableclub (Disney/Universal)Follow Jess:@pagecatsSupport the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected] 

Tomcat shares three shorter thru-hikes that you can do in about 2 or 3 weeks. We chat about the Ouachita, Benton MacKaye and Allegheny Trails. He goes over trail logistics, camp sites and set up, gear, resupply options, water carries, trail angels and trail magic and favorite parts of each thru-hike. Listeners can find out more about these trails and more by visiting Tomcat's blog and Facebook pageYou can also check out our episode on The Colorado Trail here and our interview about completing the Northeast 115 here.Trail Info/Trail Associations:Ouachita Trail Benton MacKaye TrailAllegheny TrailSupport the showConnect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcast Facebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: [email protected]