Posts in Thru Hiking Podcast
DANIEL VORSTER aka TAILS

Tails, known off trail as Daniel Vorster, came from South Africa to hike the PCT last year. Having started in mid-March, he was already on the trail when the lockdown happened. In this episode, we talk about how the experience of thru hiking changed because of the pandemic, from an easier time finding camp sites to the way he chose to share the experience on social media and along the way he regales me with a few trail stories and what was lost, and found during those 6 months and three days.

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JOSHUA LEUNG aka TAPE

Tape, known off trail as Joshua Leung, is one half of the 2020 PCT duo from Hong Kong known as Duct Tape. He hit the PCT first in 2019, but ran afoul to a severe case of frostbite. Pledging to return, he came back in 2020 with his girlfriend, Duct ;), to get the job done. In this episode, we talk about wanting to do something totally unforgettable, visas, his severe frostbite adventure and mosquitos in his peanut butter.

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MEREDITH JOHNSON aka ELEVEN

Eleven, known off trail as Meredith Johnson, spent 10 years dreaming about thru hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Embracing her inner bad ass, she stepped on the trail in 2018. One trail stumble..one surgery for a broken elbow...6 weeks of rehab and a burning desire to complete her thru hike, she successfully summited Katahdin after 118 days.  If you happen to see her on the Pacific Crest Trail this year, be sure to say "HI".

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EDDIE BOYD aka OILCAN

Oil Can, known off trail as Eddie Boyd, spent his senior year of high school prepping for his SOBO hike of the Appalachian Trail.  Twenty-five miles in, he abandoned the trail.  As you can probably guess, that's not the end of the story.  In this episode, he talks about leaving then returning to the trail in the same year and subsequently completing his Triple Crown. 

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GRETEL SCARLETT aka AMERICAN IDOL , CONTINUES...

Today's episode is the continuation of my conversation with American Idol, known off the PCT as Gretel Scarlett.  In this bonus episode, she discusses the dangers of following other people's footprints, her on-the-trail reality versus family at home impressions and the delicate topic of hygiene on the trail.

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GRETEL SCARLETT aka AMERICAN IDOL

American Idol, known off trail as Gretel Scarlett, is an actress, singer, dancer and successful Pacific Crest Trail thru hiker from Australia.  During this episode, we discuss the unique challenges of being a SOBO PCT thru hiker, a woman and a non-American on the trail.  And how a little DIY ingenuity to stay warm created the Tyvek Burrito.

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MATT BERGER aka SHERIFF WOODY

Sheriff Woody, known off trail as Matt Berger, has made a career out of thru hiking since stepping on the AT in 2012.   Having completed the Triple Crown, he admits there are some sections he wants to go back and pick up in order for it to feel truly finished.  In this episode, he shares some great stories of animals, food and learning the hard way.

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DOUGLAS HURDLE aka TIN MAN | DEEP DOUG

Whether you know him as Tin Man or Deep Doug,  Douglas Hurdle has hiked over 7900 miles to complete is Triple Crown in 2017 and along the way discovered his passion for adventure photography.  Having hiked both solo and in groups, during this episode he shared his perspective on the good and bad of both and their impact on trail finances.

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NEAL HANLIN aka OG

O.G. (or "Old Gear" to the rest of us), known off trail as Neal Hanlin, currently works for a green coffee warehouse in Portland, having completed his Triple Crown in 2017 by successfully SOBO hiking the Continental Divide Trail. Neal also has a deep background in gear, so we totally geek out during this episode.

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NICK JOHNSON aka J-MAN

J-Man, known off trail as Nick Johnson is a 1st Asst Director and self-described van living hiker person who has completed the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails.  If you hiked the PCT in 2018, you might have seen him in Southern California where he paid it back by spreading a little trail magic.

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ANDY LAUB aka CAMEL

Camel known off trail as Andy Laub is a documentary filmmaker who has completed the Appalachian trail, Pacific Crest Trail and most recently the Pacific Northwest Trail. He has also started the Arizona Trail, but for reasons we discuss on the podcast, he hasn’t quite completed that one yet.

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