Hike

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 Outdoorswoman

Outdoorsy Women+ Book Club | Rugged Outdoorswoman

https://substack.com/@ruggedoutdoorswoman

https://www.instagram.com/rugged...

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 dat...

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 a...

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 biki...

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 hike
• Reactive dogs
• Town food and dog caloric needs on trail for a thru hike
• Considerations for backpacking and section hiking with dogs
• Your dog's gear set up based on season and care needs

Companies mentioned:

Dow...

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; and
• Educate visitors about the lives and culture of the people who lived in the mountains through living history presentations, exhibits, and demons...

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 experienc...

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 page

You can also check out o...

Pippa chats with Hike about her first big backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail and how that experience started her on the path that led her to hike in the North Carolina mountains. Pippa is also a singer-songwriter who gets a lot of inspiration from hiking in the outdoors. 

We specifically touch on the Roan Highlands and the AT from Carver Gap to Route 19e, Black Mountain Crest Trail / Mt. Mitchell and her upcoming Art Loeb ...

Explore Virginia is a new podcast coming Summer 2025 brought to you by the creator of Hike. 

Virginia has 43 state parks with more than 700 miles of trails, 24 wilderness areas, 22 national park sites and over 100,000 miles of streams and rivers. Whether you hike, bike, camp, paddle or are looking for a day trip itinerary, this podcast will highlight the best of what Virginia has to offer the outdoor adventure seeker. 

Subs...

Emma of the Hudson Bay Girls chats with Lori about their Boundary Waters expedition. 

Abby, Olivia, Emma, and Helena will be paddling the Boundary Waters from Grand Portage on Lake Superior to York Factory on Hudson Bay over the summer. They hope to call attention to women and girls in paddling and also the protection of the Boundary Waters. 

In this episode Emma describes how the trip came about, the planning that went int...

Chris Powers hiked from the Northern Terminus to the Natural Bridge area as part of attempting a longer thru hike of the Sheltowee Trace Trail. We talk about what led to him deciding to leave the trail and lessons he learned along the way. 

We get into planning and logistics (gear, camping, food and water), the hard reality of road walking and its impact on his hike, and the joy found in photography along the trail. We also dis...

Philip Werner comes on the show to discuss his new book, "Hiking over 60: A modern guide to Hiking Gear and Techniques for Active Adults". 

Philip's website SectionHiker.com has been sharing gear and trail advice for almost two decades. It's a great resource whether you are new to hiking or at the intermediate or expert level. 

This episode is a great introduction for those new to hiking and we talk about how this new book ...

Lori gives an update on her Shenandoah 500 progress after officially making it halfway through the challenge. 

She chats about:

Winter hiking and favorite trails for the winter season, getting acclimated to elevation after life as a flatlander, navigating water crossings and blowdowns, memorable moments on trail 

Some of the trail links:

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/blackrock-summit.htm

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hawksbi...

Vegas comes on to chat about his 2023 thru hike of the Appalachian Trail and how those experiences shaped his current life as guide and started his quest for completing the triple crown in long distance hiking. We talk about trail magic, tramily life, gear, and a lot of lessons learned. 

We touch on other long distance hikes and thru hikes - including his Sheltowee Trace completion and international hike of the West Highland Wa...

Jessica Cocciolone is the Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Trust. She has helped nonprofits raise millions of dollars and establish sustainable organizations. 

Jessica comes on Hike to share some of the projects that the Shenandoah National Park Trust help fund for Shenandoah National Park. SNP Trust projects are wide reaching and touch on every aspect of the park operations and visitor experience. Whether it'...

Strider comes back on Hike to discuss completing his 2024 thru hike on the International Appalachian Trail (IAT). He started on the Pinhoti Trail and went all the way up to the tip of Newfoundland, though his hike was not always linear. We learn more about that in this interview, including how this hike led to his completion of the C2C (Coast to Coast) trail. 

We chat about some of the logistics of hiking across the Northern bo...

Brian of Keep Virginia Cozy comes back on the podcast to share updates on what's they've been up to, including corporate & community cleanups and being able to clean up 1,000,000 pounds of trash thus far.

We also talk about trail! We cover hiking trails in Shenandoah National Park, The Great Outdoors Challenge in Scotland, Trans-Catalina Trail, and the Wonderland Trail.

Connect with Keep Virginia Cozy:
Instagr...

Best selling Author and Long Distance Hiker, Lauralee Bliss, comes on the show to talk about her experiences in the outdoors. She is a 2x AT Thru-hiker and is currently working on her 3rd hike of the Appalachian Trail as a section hike. With over 10,000 miles of hiking, she has many experiences to share with listeners about her time in the outdoors. 

We also talk about the founding of the Shenandoah 500 challenge and so...