Sounds of the Trail

In Episode 16 we finally find a home for some orphaned audio. Kimchi is all healed up and getting back on trail in Maine, and Par 3 is deep in the woods, somewhere. We have special guests Grasshopper, Mighty Mouse, Swass, and Killer. Check out Swass’s blog here. Music by Baby Gramps.

What is trail magic anyways? And who are the trail angels who make it happen? These are some questions we’re going to explore in the episode. Trail magic, trail angels – these are some pretty common hiker terms that are hard to pin down. Special guests Joan of Arc, Devilfish, Safari, Redwood, Allison, and Dick. Remember to check out our instagram: @soundsofthetrail. -Gizmo Music by Baby Gramps

The community of thru-hikers on-trail is one of the things that makes a thru-hike a little different from a weekend backpack. Your fellow hikers will encourage you when you’re down, squeeze you into their tent on a cold night, and be totally cool when they walk up on you taking a poop. What makes your fellow hikers not just trail friends, but trail family? We hear from special guests Tick, Pocahontas, and Chief, as well as Kimchi and Par 3, as we explore the meaning of trail families. -Gizmo Music by Baby Gramps

Hikers are gross. Deodorant, daily showers, and fresh undies all stay home during a thru-hike. This episode delves deeper than maybe we needed to know into hiker hygiene. TMI, you might say. Special guests Popsicle, Nettle, Briar, and Seahawk. We have a new instagram account, so if you’re interested in seeing what our contributors, interviewees, or just the scenery looks like, check us out @soundsofthetrail, or here. A couple listeners notified us last week that we were having some technical issues with our iTunes/Stitcher/RSS feed. Thanks for the heads up! I think we have it resolved. -Gizmo Music by: Baby Gramps

Thru-hiking isn’t just a walk in the woods – hikers get off trail for food,showers, laundry, or just to have a vacation from their vacation. In this podcast we discuss the best and worst parts of town, the pros and cons of hiker boxes, and the strange phenomenon of hikers refusing to walk unless absolutely required. Special guests Kodak, Silver, Redwood, Safari, and Pacman. Kimchi is back on the Appalachian Trail (for the moment at least) but Saina has taken a job at a summer camp while her foot finishes healing. She’s currently out of cell reception but we hope to hear from her soon. Par 3 is out on the Pacific Crest Trail and crushing it. -Gizmo Music by Baby Gramps

Life on the trail can be, well, poopy sometimes. Between not burying used TP, dropping trash, and forgetting to yield the right-of-way to hikers going uphill, Thru-hikers have their own set of sins that they commit. In this podcast, we explore what Leave No Trace means, how to be better hikers and humans, and what the best way is to talk to other people about it. We have special guests Kodak, Silver Lining, Sarge, Switchback the Trail Pirate, and Dirtnap. If you’re interested in learning more about Leave No Trace principles, check out the official website: www.lnt.org. If you’re interested in learning more about a backcountry bidet, you can google it yourself. I’m headed off to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington for a week of backpacking myself, so next week’s episode may be a little late. Stay tuned! And don’t forget to pack out your TP.

To walk through it, or get off trail? Our correspondents struggle with injuries, changes in plan, and aches and pains.What’s the best way to take care of yourself on the trail? In this podcast we discuss the hard business of thru-hiking, and the wear and tear on our bodies as a result. Injuries are incredibly common. According to a survey by distancehiking.com, 60% of thru-hikers report having been injured on trail. Although, if they are defining an injury as: “an injury, or more than a few days of aches and pains”, this rate seems a little low. Tune in to see how our correspondents are doing and how they are dealing with their setbacks. For more info on hiking injuries, check out this hiker injury survey here. To watch the climbing video I referenced in the podcast, go here. Stay healthy out there! -Gizmo Music by Baby Gramps

Eat to walk, or walk to eat? Without the right fuel for the fire, well, you’re never gonna make it. Hikers discuss their different food strategies, if hunger makes the best sauce, and what foods they just can’t stand anymore. We have special guests Dancemagic and Dr. Green Thumb. We also get introduced to our third and newest contributor, Par 3, currently hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Also, we’ve gone over some of the ups and downs of trail life, but the trail wasn’t through with us yet. We find out about some hurdles Saina and Kimchi are dealing with right now. Finally, don’t forget to check out our friend Tick Tock’s blog. Music by Baby Gramps -Gizmo

The thing about bodies is, you only get one. Our physical link with the trail is sometimes the weak one. On this podcast, we talk about our bodies as connection with the trail, dealing with pain, and tune in with Kimchi and Saina for another day in the life of thru-hikers. Some days the miles come harder than others. Announcements: I WILL be getting the podcast onto Stitcher this week – some of you have asked. Meant to do it earlier, but life has been a bit crazy. And, a big thanks for all the lovely comments and reviews and messages this week. It is super encouraging and very much appreciated. Music by Baby Gramps Also, Spoiler alert: Saina’s foot. Keep elevating that thing!! Hope the cortisone shot does the trick.

With 500 miles apiece under their belts, we check in with Kimchi and Saina to see what life is like as a thru-hiker. This episode is a snapshot of some ups and downs, both for our hikers and for our producer. First you go up, then you go down. And then back up again. This is part 1 of 2 for A Day in the Life. Thanks for all the positive feedback we’ve received this week. It’s been super rewarding (and maybe a little intimidating) to know that we really have people out there listening to this podcast. Music provided by Baby Gramps. -Gizmo

What happens to someone when they become a thru-hiker? At the end of it all, what does walking thousands and thousands of miles do for you? It turns out, it ruins your life. In this episode we get to hear from three thru-hikers with over 12,000 miles of trail experience between them, as we find out what happens to a thru-hiker after the trail. Check out the Real Hiking Viking’s website and 3D’s website for more information about them. What has thru-hiking done to/for you? Like always, we’d love to hear from you. Music provided by Baby Gramps. -Gizmo

Thru-hiking is hard work. Are partners a help or a hindrance? We have interviews with three different couples talking about life on the trail when you are in a partner-ship, romantic or otherwise. What’s the secret to a successful partnership? (Dirtnap tells us it is keeping your farts to yourself.) Tune in for the rest! If you have been having trouble listening to the podcast on an iphone, please let me know if this episode works. If not, you should be able to listen to it through iTunes without any problems (See the link in the right sidebar). Don’t forget to leave us a review! Music provided by Baby Gramps.

Trail names – are they the symbol of a new identity, a silly nickname, or a waste of time? We ask a bunch of hikers – and ourselves – and come to no consensus. For myself, I think that the name you call yourself can be very powerful, but the same way that you must Hike your own Hike, you must Name your own Name. In addition to trail names, we get some trail updates from Kimchi and Saina. Check out the links to their blogs on the right sidebar if you’re looking for more stories from them. We end our episode with an interview with Max Heap, who has beautiful things to say about the trail, but neglects to tell us where his trail name came from. If you would like to share your own trail name story, I would like to hear it! (Or just opinions, I’m into those too.) If I get enough of them, I’ll cut a special episode. You can send me a recording at soundsofthetrail (at) gmail (dot) com. If the written word is more your style, I’d still like to read it, so drop it in the comments. Music provided courtesy of Baby Gramps. -Gizmo

Well friends, I can say without hesitation that this is our best episode yet. This week we talk about feet – if you plan on walking 4 million+ steps, somewhere along the way, your feet are gonna hurt. Join in with Saina on the Pacific Crest Trail and Kimchi on the Appalachian Trail, with guests 3D, Dennis, and Storybook. Just a reminder – we are on iTunes so be sure to check us out and leave us a rating. Feedback and comments are always appreciated! Music provided courtesy of Baby Gramps. -Gizmo

In our second episode we get to hear from Saina, who has passed mile 100 on the Pacific Crest Trail! Kimchi has officially started the Appalachian Trail, starting at Springer Mountain in Georgia – we’re looking forward to hearing from her next week. Guest appearances by a bunch of new thru-hikers who I had the opportunity to chat with at the Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kickoff in Lake Morena, CA. Other news: we are officially on iTunes, so don’t forget to stop by and give us a review. Or just say Hi here on the website! We’d love to hear from you. You can also catch up with Kimchi on her blog HERE, and Saina on her blog HERE. Thanks for tuning in! Music by Baby Gramps – Gizmo