Trail Stories - It Is Never Too Late to Rewrite Your Story with Joe Hardin

About the Guest Joe Hardin is a self-taught mechanical design engineer, ultra-endurance runner, race director, woodworker, and podcaster from Lebanon, Indiana. Seven years sober, he discovered running after getting a gym membership for his first sobriety birthday and found a flyer for a local turkey trot on the door. A Billy Yang video introduced him to trail running, and a friend's suggestion — "maybe you're just not cut out for 100 milers, maybe you should sign up for something longer" — led him to the Vol State 500K. He recently completed that race: 314 miles across Tennessee in July, self-supported, with no crew and no aid stations. He is the founder of Odd Duck Running, which hosts inclusive community races in Boone County, Indiana, and RTB Awards, which makes handcrafted wooden finisher and podium awards for trail races across the country. His podcast is Beyond the Finish Line on the Everyday Athlete Podcast Network. His Instagram handle is @TrailTortoise. Episode Highlights The Vol State 500K — What It Is Going Nocturnal — Church Porches and VFW Walls The Bench of Despair The One More Mile Signs The Rock — You Just Ran Across All That The Origin Story — From Oxygen Tank to Vol State It Is Never Too Late to Rewrite Your Story Links & Resources Odd Duck Running — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oddduckrunning RTB Awards — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rtbawards Beyond the Finish Line — Everyday Athlete Podcast Network: https://www.runtrivmag.com Vol State 500K — Sign up at UltraSignup. Registration fills quickly. Ultramarathon Man — Dean Karnazes. Joe's Off the Beaten Path recommendation. Dirty Jar — YouTube. Trail running channel Joe discovered through HTR. Highly recommended. Race to the Finish — Joey Metzger's foundation for immigrant visibility in trail running: https://www.racetothefinish.org Shake the Frost — Tyler Childers. Joe's go-to song when everything is falling apart. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Joe 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 Cottage — Episode 3: "The Whiteboard and the Sewing Machine" Behind every piece of cottage gear is a design process that looks nothing like what happens at a major outdoor brand. In this third episode of The Cottage, we go inside the process: Dan Durston thinking about tent geometry for hours on the PCT, Chef and his grandmother launching a fleece company from his living room, Gadget naming products after alpenglow puns while hiking solo, Mellow mailing pack prototypes back and forth to Vietnam, and Brice filling a whiteboard with ventilation frame sketches inspired by bridge engineering. None of them had formal design training. All of them had thousands of miles of discomfort to work from. Featured Voices Dan Durston (Lorax) — Founder, Durston Gear. Designer of the X-Mid tent. Cameron Abila (Chef) — Founder, Leave Outdoor Co. Placerville, CA. Tom Liggett (Gadget) — Founder, Alpenglow Gear. Sarah Berkeley (Mellow) — Owner and Founder, Symbiosis Gear. Leadville, CO. Brice Sokolowski — President, Vaucluse Backpack Ventilation Gear. Links & Resources Durston Gear — durstongear.com Leave Outdoor Co — leveoutdoorco.com Alpin Glow Gear — alpenglowgear.com Symbiosis Gear — symbiosisgear.com Voclu's Backpack Ventilation Gear — vauclusegear.com Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: [email protected] Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok 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 Cam "Swami" Honan is an Australian long-distance hiker, writer, and founder of The Hiking Life (thehikinglife.com). Backpacker Magazine has called him the most traveled hiker on earth — 75,000+ miles across 68 countries. He completed the legendary 12 Long Walks: 12 consecutive thru-hikes, 14,000+ miles, 29 states, 4 Canadian provinces, 18 months, 2011–2012. Along the way he completed one of the fastest Triple Crowns on record (~236 days — PCT northbound, CDT southbound from Montana, AT southbound from Katahdin) — as a byproduct, not a goal. He is the author of the Wanderlust book series (6 volumes and counting) and Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies. His trail name, Swami, was given to him on his first PCT hike in 2007 by a woman from Glasgow who found his trail yoga amusing. Hiking Poll score: 7 out of 100. What's Covered in Part 2 Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing The Hiking Life — What's On It The Wanderlust Series Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies Ultralight Philosophy — Your Own Best Teacher How Long-Distance Hiking Has Changed The Poodle Dog Bush — Ridgecrest Mark — Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary Off the Beaten Path — The Living Mountain Pay It Forward — The Three Trail Organizations Links & Resources The Hiking Life: https://www.thehikinglife.com Cam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehikinglife Wanderlust book series — Available wherever books are sold. Six volumes: USA, Himalaya, Nordics, Mediterranean, The Hidden Tracks, and more. A seventh — world's best day hikes — is due early next year. Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies — Available wherever books are sold. The Living Mountain — Nan Shepherd. Cam's Off the Beaten Path recommendation. An ode to the Cairngorms of Scotland; about 100 pages. Written during WWII, published in the mid-1970s. Nan Shepherd appears on the Scottish £5 note. Continental Divide Trail Coalition: https://www.continentaldividetrail.org Appalachian Trail Conservancy: https://www.appalachiantrail.org Pacific Crest Trail Association: https://www.pcta.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 Cam "Swami" Honan is an Australian long-distance hiker, writer, and founder of The Hiking Life (thehikinglife.com). Backpacker Magazine has called him the most traveled hiker on earth: 75,000+ miles across 68 countries. He completed the legendary 12 Long Walks: 12 consecutive thru-hikes, 14,000+ miles, 29 states, 4 Canadian provinces, 18 months, 2011–2012. Along the way he completed one of the fastest Triple Crowns on record (~236 days: PCT northbound, CDT southbound from Montana, AT southbound from Katahdin) as a byproduct, not a goal. He is the author of the Wanderlust book series (six volumes and counting) and Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies. His trail name, Swami, was given to him on his first PCT hike in 2007 by a woman from Glasgow who found his trail yoga amusing. Hiking Poll score: 7 out of 100. What's Covered in Part 1 Trail Name — Swami Trailblazer's Toolkit — Head Net (and Katabatic Quilts) The Hiking Poll — Score: 7 The 12 Long Walks — Planning and Execution The Calendar Triple Crown The Eggnog The Rabid Dog — Siwa, Egypt, 1995–96 Trail Characters — Insane Dwayne and Tea Bag Links & Resources The Hiking Life: https://www.thehikinglife.com Cam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehikinglife Wanderlust book series — Available wherever books are sold. Six volumes: USA, Himalaya, Nordics, Mediterranean, The Hidden Tracks, and more. A seventh — world's best day hikes — is due early next year. Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies — Available wherever books are sold. The Living Mountain — Nan Shepherd. Cam's Off the Beaten Path recommendation. An ode to the Cairngorms of Scotland; about 100 pages. Written during WWII, published in the mid-1970s. Nan Shepherd appears on the Scottish £5 note. Continental Divide Trail Coalition: https://www.continentaldividetrail.org Appalachian Trail Conservancy: https://www.appalachiantrail.org Pacific Crest Trail Association: https://www.pcta.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.

The Barkley: A Love Story concludes. This is the episode the series has been building toward. We hear from the finishers: the 26 people in 40 years who have completed five loops in 60 hours. Jared Campbell, four-time finisher, on what the race selects for in a person. John Kelly, who grew up across the road from Frozen Head State Park and calls the Barkley his home course. Ihor Verys, who didn't like running six years before he finished first. John Fegyveresi, who applied from Antarctica and held the slowest known time for over a decade. And then . . . Jasmine Paris. In her own words. The veterinarian and mother of two who wore patched shoes and a borrowed bag, who touched the yellow gate with 99 seconds to spare, and became the first woman in Barkley history to finish. Part three of three. The payoff. Guests Featured Jasmine Paris — first female finisher of the Barkley Marathons Jared Campbell — four-time Barkley finisher John Kelly — four-time Barkley finisher Aurelien Sanchez — 2023 Barkley finisher, first non-American finisher since 1995 Ihor Verys ("Eeyore") — 2024 Barkley first-place finisher John Fegyveresi ("Lakewood") — 2012 Barkley finisher, former slowest known time holder Finn Melanson — Single Track Podcast, eyewitness to Jasmine's 2024 finish Jacob Zocherman — photographer of the iconic Jasmine Paris finish image Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Barkley: A Love Story continues. In Episode Two, we go to Frozen Head State Park. This episode is anchored by audio captured live at the 2025 Barkley Marathons: the conch blow, Laz's pre-race speech, the reading of the names of those no longer with us, taps, and the lighting of the cigarette. You hear the race begin. Then you hear what happens to the people who go out into those woods. We hear from runners who trained for years and came up short. From crew members who waited at the gate for 16 hours with no information. From a Swedish war photographer who recovered from PTSD by running trails at night and found himself crying at the Barkley finish line in 2024. And at the end, a name. 99 seconds to spare. More on her in Episode Three. Part two of three. Guests Featured Finn Melanson — Single Track Podcast, 2024 Barkley media Jacob Zocherman — Swedish war photographer and photojournalist, 2024 Barkley Damian Hall — British ultra runner, 3× Barkley competitor Multiple 2025 Barkley runners and crew members including Kelly Halpin, Richard Shannon (first Zambian to run the Barkley), Ben Wernick, Chris Fisher, Dena Carr, Tomo Ihara, and more Jamil Coury — race director and Barkley competitor Mike Wardian — marathoner, Barkley competitor John Kelly — four-time Barkley finisher Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Barkley Marathons has only been finished 26 times in 40 years. This is the first episode of a three-part audio documentary series from Hiker Trash Radio — The Barkley: A Love Story. In Episode One, we go to the beginning. Who is Gary "Laz" Cantrell, the man who built the most obsessively followed race in endurance sport? We hear from Laz himself on how the Barkley was born, why it was designed the way it is, and what he sees when he looks at the people who come to run it. We also hear from Jared Beasley, the only authorized biographer of Laz, interviewed live at the 2025 Barkley Marathons after three years of reporting. This is not a recap. This is a love story. Part one of three. Guests Featured Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell) — creator of the Barkley Marathons and Backyard Ultra Jared Beasley — journalist and author of The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley, and a Race With No End (Simon & Schuster) 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 Cam "Swami" Honan is an Australian long-distance hiker, writer, and founder of The Hiking Life (thehikinglife.com). Backpacker Magazine has called him the most traveled hiker on earth: 75,000+ miles across 68 countries. He completed the legendary 12 Long Walks: 12 consecutive thru-hikes, 14,000+ miles, 29 states, 4 Canadian provinces, 18 months, 2011–2012. Along the way he completed one of the fastest Triple Crowns on record (~236 days — PCT northbound, CDT southbound from Montana, AT southbound from Katahdin) as a byproduct, not a goal. He is the author of the Wanderlust book series (6 volumes and counting) and Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies. His trail name, Swami, was given to him on his first PCT hike in 2007 by a woman from Glasgow who found his trail yoga amusing. Hiking Poll score: 7 out of 100. Episode Highlights Trail Name — Swami The Calendar Triple Crown — A Byproduct The Eggnog The Rabid Dog — Siwa, Egypt, 1995–96 Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing Mark — The Swiss Tom Bombadil Links & Resources The Hiking Life: https://www.thehikinglife.com Cam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehikinglife Wanderlust book series — Available wherever books are sold. Six volumes: USA, Himalaya, Nordics, Mediterranean, The Hidden Tracks, and more. A seventh — world's best day hikes — is due early next year. Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies — Available wherever books are sold. The Living Mountain — Nan Shepherd. Cam's Off the Beaten Path recommendation. An ode to the Cairngorms of Scotland; about 100 pages. Written during WWII, published in the mid-1970s. Nan Shepherd appears on the Scottish £5 note. Continental Divide Trail Coalition: https://www.continentaldividetrail.org Appalachian Trail Conservancy: https://www.appalachiantrail.org Pacific Crest Trail Association: https://www.pcta.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Cam 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 Cottage — Episode 2: "Quit Your Day Job" Four people walked away from careers that paid their bills to chase something that kept them awake at three in the morning. A commodity broker who was dying at his desk. A photographer who got fired on the day he expected a promotion. An IT consultant who could see thirty years of misery ahead. An art professor whose first thru-hike was a disaster — and who couldn't stop thinking about it afterward. In this second episode of The Cottage, we hear the stories behind the leap, and what it costs to bet everything on a sewing machine, a whiteboard, and a freeze dryer. Featured Voices Whitney LaRuffa (Allgood) — Former commodity broker. Former VP, Six Moon Designs. Now Chief Revenue Officer, FarOut. Luke Piersall (Bus) — Photographer, filmmaker, South America guide. Founder, Trail Goods Company. Brice Sokolowski — Former IT consultant. President, Voclu's Backpack Ventilation Gear. Sarah Berkeley (Mellow) — Former art professor. Owner and Founder, Symbiosis Gear. Links & Resources Trail Goods Company — trailgoods.co Vaucluse Backpack Ventilation Gear — voclusegear.com Symbiosis Gear — symbiosisgear.com Six Moon Designs — sixmoondesigns.com FarOut — faroutguides.com Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: [email protected] Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok 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 Andrea "Watergirl" Zelinski is a writer, former political reporter, and two-trail thru-hiker based in North Carolina. She covered the Texas State Legislature for the Houston Chronicle and Austin-based outlets before hiking the Appalachian Trail during the COVID pandemic in 2020. The AT led her to abandon political journalism, pivot to travel writing as senior cruise editor for Travel Weekly — a job that took her on 36 trips across five continents in three years, including Antarctica — and then to leave that job too, in 2025, to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. She is currently working on a memoir about the experience. Trail name: Watergirl. Named by a man called Medicine Man in Georgia after she embarrassed herself at a water source. They have been friends ever since. What's Covered in Part 2 Why She Was Primed — The Professional Side Why She Was Primed — The Personal Side The Cruise Editor — 36 Trips, Five Continents Why She Left the Dream Job Journaling on Trail The Book — Don't Rush Me Coming Home to January 6th Tramily Versus Solo Hiking Hacks — Turmeric and Psyllium Husk Off the Beaten Path — The Name of the Stars Pay It Forward — Local Trail Maintenance CDT Plans Links & Resources Watergirl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventuresofwatergirl The Name of the Stars: A Life in the Wilds — Pete Fromm. Watergirl's Off the Beaten Path recommendation — a memoir about nature, fatherhood, and what happens as we age. Blaze Physio —: https://www.blazephysio.com Appalachian Trail Conservancy — www.appalachiantrail.org — Pay It Forward: volunteer for local trail maintenance. Pacific Crest Trail Association: https://www.pcta.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.