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Trail Correspondents: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Trek
Trail Correspondents is a teleportation machine to the trail- in audio form. Every other week, a select handful of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and the American Discovery Trail, give us a glimpse into the world of long distance backpacking. Through their eyes and vocal cords, we learn all about the highs, lows, and nitty gritty details that go into a half-year, cross-country trek. Trail Correspondents is the next best thing to being on trail yourself.
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- 2 days ago1h 13m
Wildcard: A Raw $24k Budget Breakdown & Escaping 'Joyless Urgency' | S5 E4
Wild Card time! No prompts, no script, and no rules! Expect the unexpected as this jam-packed episode swings from the bizarre to the profound. You'll hear wild field updates featuring a 1:37 AM wake-up call by sheriff deputies in a cemetery, a chaotic mid-day standoff between a coyote and a turkey, and the pure joy of a trail angel loaning out a truck packed with ice cream. But it's not all crazy stories; the crew gets incredibly vulnerable about the logistics and psychology of thru-hiking, tackling everything from heavy pack weights and physical conditioning to the therapeutic escape from corporate "joyless urgency," the beauty of forming an all-female "girl band" trail family, and a completely transparent financial breakdown of a $24,000 thru-hiking budget. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan Hannah - Instagram Parrish "Quip" McWhorter - Instagram TJ McQuiston - Instagram Chris Becraft - Instagram Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - Instagram J Michael Shaw, II - Instagram Scott Anderson - Facebook Sorrel "Team Ultraheavy" Perka- Instagram Danny Nelson - Instagram MacKenzie "Wilt" Wieder - Instagram Sponsor Trail Correspondents is presented by Altra. Use code "TREK10" for 10% off at checkout at altrarunning.com Connect Questions, comments, or just want to say hi? Email us at podcast@thetrek.co. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. Subscribe on Spotify and leave us a review. Follow on Instagram: Trail Correspondents · The Trek Sign up for The Trek newsletter: thetrek.co/newsletter Credits Hosted, produced, and edited by Andrew "Shanty" Baldwin (Instagram). Trail Correspondents is a production of The Trek.
- 2 weeks ago1h 7m
The Trail Begins | S5 E3
One week down, and the honeymoon phase now officially collides with reality. Our 2026 Trail Correspondents check in from the AT, PCT, and CDT after their first week on trail, sharing sore bodies, emotional highs and lows, unexpected surprises, and the early signs of who's settling into trail life… and who's wondering what they've gotten themselves into. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan Hannah - Instagram Parrish "Quip" McWhorter - Instagram TJ McQuiston - Instagram Chris Becraft - Instagram Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - Instagram J Michael Shaw, II - Instagram Scott Anderson - Facebook Sorrel "Team Ultraheavy" Perka- Instagram Danny Nelson - Instagram MacKenzie "Wilt" Wieder - Instagram Sponsor Trail Correspondents is presented by Altra. Use code "TREK10" for 10% off at checkout at altrarunning.com Connect Questions, comments, or just want to say hi? Email us at podcast@thetrek.co. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. Subscribe on Spotify and leave us a review. Follow on Instagram: Trail Correspondents · The Trek Sign up for The Trek newsletter: thetrek.co/newsletter Credits Hosted, produced, and edited by Andrew "Shanty" Baldwin (Instagram). Trail Correspondents is a production of The Trek.
- May 6, 20261h 27m
Preparing for the AT, PCT, and CDT | S5 E2
Every thru-hike starts long before the first step. Our 2026 Trail Correspondents share how they've been preparing for their AT, PCT, and CDT thru-hikes, physically, logistically, mentally, and emotionally. From deliberate zero-prep approaches to 123-sheet resupply spreadsheets, the range of strategies is as diverse as the trails themselves. One thing they all have in common: the trail has a way of humbling even the most prepared hiker. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan Hannah - Instagram Parrish "Quip" McWhorter - Instagram TJ McQuiston - Instagram Chris Becraft - Instagram Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - Instagram J Michael Shaw, II Scott Anderson - Facebook Sorrel "Team Ultraheavy" Perka- Instagram Danny Nelson - Instagram MacKenzie "Wilt" Wieder - Instagram Sponsor Trail Correspondents is presented by Altra. Use code "TREK10" for 10% off at checkout at altrarunning.com Connect Questions, comments, or just want to say hi? Email us at podcast@thetrek.co. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. Subscribe on Spotify and leave us a review. Follow on Instagram: Trail Correspondents · The Trek Sign up for The Trek newsletter: thetrek.co/newsletter Credits Hosted, produced, and edited by Andrew "Shanty" Baldwin (Instagram). Trail Correspondents is a production of The Trek.
- Apr 22, 20261h 11m
Meet Your 2026 Correspondents | S5 E1
Every thru-hike starts with a "why." In our Season 5 premiere, ten Trail Correspondents introduce themselves before stepping onto the AT, PCT, and CDT. A retired cop. A stand-up comic. A welder down 180 pounds. A guy chasing his trail buddy onto the PCT. Ten people, ten origin stories, and the trail hasn't even started yet. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan Hannah - Instagram Parrish "Quip" McWhorter - Instagram TJ McQuiston - Instagram Chris Becraft Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - Instagram J Michael Shaw, II Scott Anderson - Facebook Sorrel "Team Ultraheavy" Perka- Instagram Danny Nelson - Instagram MacKenzie "Wilt" Wieder - Instagram Sponsor Trail Correspondents is presented by Altra. Use code "TREK10" for 10% off at checkout at altrarunning.com Connect Questions, comments, or just want to say hi? Email us at podcast@thetrek.co. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. Subscribe on Spotify and leave us a review. Follow on Instagram: Trail Correspondents · The Trek Sign up for The Trek newsletter: thetrek.co/newsletter Credits Hosted, produced, and edited by Andrew "Shanty" Baldwin (Instagram). Trail Correspondents is a production of The Trek.
- Oct 25, 20231h 56m
S4 Episode #15 | Interview With Your Former Self
Welcome back to Trail Correspondents! This is the final episode of season 4: an interview with your former self. Traditionally, this episode is formatted such that we pan back and forth between the present and the past as the Correspondents ask and answer questions they posed to themselves prior to leaving for their journeys; however, as I started to dig into putting this episode together, I was struck by the stark difference in tone between these two chronologically distant clips. So I made a unilateral, editorial decision to mostly change the formatting of this episode in order to preserve its potency. Rather than split each question up with its associated answer I've elected to present both in their entirety so that you as the listener can really hear the doubt, uncertainty and honestly fear of the unknown give way to courage, confidence, and acquired knowledge. So, for the most part I've abandoned tradition. If you'll grant me one final indulgence, I present to you now our concluding episode. Let's get into it, one more time. One final chance to send us your questions about anything and everything here: https://www.speakpipe.com/TrailCorrespondents In today's episode we hear from: Abbey Turnbull Harking from the South Coast of the UK, Abbey, aged 26, is swapping the rolling hills of the South Downs for the mountains of the Pacific Crest. A thru-hike of the JMT last year confirmed what she thought to be true – hiking from Mexico to Canada was her destiny for 2023. Loves good food and wine, Taylor Swift, American hospitality, and mountain vistas. Hates steep downhill slopes, her own unfortunate susceptibility to altitude sickness, and oatmeal. Abbigale (Abby) Evans Abby Evans (she/they) has a hankering to shave their head and hike the AT and now they will get to do both! They will be fulfilling their vagabond-dirtbag-poet dreams and aspire to one day become a creative writing professor. They'll be listening to seventies folk music and reflecting on their life as they wander through all the states they grew up in: they were born in Maryland, grew up in New Jersey and went to college at Virginia Tech. Abby is excited for this Bildungsroman and hopes to celebrate their 23rd birthday (August 24) near Maine. Aly Pagano Aly is local to the southern Appalachians in western North Carolina. She has spent her life hiking, trail running, fishing, foraging, and farming; she aspires to increase her own knowledge and awareness of traditional Appalachian folk medicine, music, and skills as in an effort to live harmoniously with the mountains around her. With a degree in Ecology, Aly focuses on seasonal changes, flora, and fauna while hiking the Appalachian Trail. David Firari David "Good Soup" is excited to be sharing their northbound Appalachian Trail with you! This is their first ever backpacking trip and they hope all the reading and shakedown hikes they did pay off. In addition to being a novice backpacker, Good Soup is also managing a schedule of recurring medical treatments back home in Wisconsin in order to make this trip happen. Derek Witteman Derek is a 37 years young Northern California native, presently thriving in San Antonio, Texas. In no particular order he is a physician, veteran, hiker, nerd, and jokester. In his free time he enjoys taking selfies with wildlife, and thinking of spirit animals the represent his current mood. Eddie Arriola Eddie is a travel PTA, physical therapist assistant, who's been dreaming of the PCT for four years. In his spare time he enjoys photography, karaoke, and has other eclectic hobbies. He's originally from southern Arizona, Tucson, and is excited to get back to his primary partner and dogs after the trail. Elke Pabst Elke comes from Germany and wants to thruhike the AT with her dog Tilli. It is her first stay in the USA und doesn t hiking before. She has 3 nearly grown up sons and a husband who take care of everything while she is hiking with her 9 year old dog Tilli. <div id="c140" class="rPU8He" data-chart="1248578204" data-
- Oct 11, 20231h 15m
S4 Episode #14 | The Finish
Welcome back to Trail Correspondents! We've finally come to it: the finish. Send us your questions about anything and everything here: https://www.speakpipe.com/TrailCorrespondents In today's episode we hear from: Abbey Turnbull Harking from the South Coast of the UK, Abbey, aged 26, is swapping the rolling hills of the South Downs for the mountains of the Pacific Crest. A thru-hike of the JMT last year confirmed what she thought to be true – hiking from Mexico to Canada was her destiny for 2023. Loves good food and wine, Taylor Swift, American hospitality, and mountain vistas. Hates steep downhill slopes, her own unfortunate susceptibility to altitude sickness, and oatmeal. Abbigale (Abby) Evans Abby Evans (she/they) has a hankering to shave their head and hike the AT and now they will get to do both! They will be fulfilling their vagabond-dirtbag-poet dreams and aspire to one day become a creative writing professor. They'll be listening to seventies folk music and reflecting on their life as they wander through all the states they grew up in: they were born in Maryland, grew up in New Jersey and went to college at Virginia Tech. Abby is excited for this Bildungsroman and hopes to celebrate their 23rd birthday (August 24) near Maine. Aly Pagano Aly is local to the southern Appalachians in western North Carolina. She has spent her life hiking, trail running, fishing, foraging, and farming; she aspires to increase her own knowledge and awareness of traditional Appalachian folk medicine, music, and skills as in an effort to live harmoniously with the mountains around her. With a degree in Ecology, Aly focuses on seasonal changes, flora, and fauna while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Iris Hartshorn A queer Alaskan, Iris, aka Panther, strives to build adventure into their life. The last years have been filled with world travel, skiing, packrafting, hiking, backpacking, vanlife, and epic trips across Alaska. This year's highlight is to walk from Mexico to Canada. Or, at least, just to keep walking somewhere. David Firari David "Good Soup" is excited to be sharing their northbound Appalachian Trail with you! This is their first ever backpacking trip and they hope all the reading and shakedown hikes they did pay off. In addition to being a novice backpacker, Good Soup is also managing a schedule of recurring medical treatments back home in Wisconsin in order to make this trip happen. Derek Witteman Derek is a 37 years young Northern California native, presently thriving in San Antonio, Texas. In no particular order he is a physician, veteran, hiker, nerd, and jokester. In his free time he enjoys taking selfies with wildlife, and thinking of spirit animals the represent his current mood. Eddie Arriola Eddie is a travel PTA, physical therapist assistant, who's been dreaming of the PCT for four years. In his spare time he enjoys photography, karaoke, and has other eclectic hobbies. He's originally from southern Arizona, Tucson, and is excited to get back to his primary partner and dogs after the trail. Elke Pabst Elke comes from Germany and wants to thruhike the AT with her dog Tilli. It is her first stay in the USA und doesn t hiking before. She has 3 nearly grown up sons and a husband who take care of everything while she is hiking with her 9 year old dog Tilli. Jake Landgraf Jake is currently on the AT attempting his first thru-hike. A proud Wisconsin resident, he enjoys beer, the outdoors, and the Green Bay Packers. On trail, Jake is known as "Radioface" and is obsessed with cosmic brownies. Follow Jake on his own, daily podcast at whereisjakeat.com. Summer Midyett Summer has had an adventurous spirit since she was young, having
- Sep 27, 20231h 4m
S4 Episode #13 | Last Week On Trail
Welcome back to Trail Correspondents! I am your host moron and this is episode 13 all about the last week on trail. There are a lot of complex, possibly mutually exclusive and contradicting feelings that can arise on the last week of trail. You've found a groove, have your gear and resupply system fine tuned and have all of the intellectual, emotional and physical momentum you could need to reach your destination. But then, there you are at the sign or monument signifying your journey's conclusion. While the contents of each day on trail are usually unknown at the outset and are filled in by the the whims of fate as you make your daily mileage, as you approach nearer and nearer to what you've been chasing for so many weeks and months, it's hard to grasp what the end of the experience will mean for the near future. There's no doubt that the end of a journey like a long-trail is a hard pill to swallow and it's uniquely individualized for each person. Send us your questions about anything and everything here: https://www.speakpipe.com/TrailCorrespondents In today's episode we hear from: Abbigale (Abby) Evans Abby Evans (she/they) has a hankering to shave their head and hike the AT and now they will get to do both! They will be fulfilling their vagabond-dirtbag-poet dreams and aspire to one day become a creative writing professor. They'll be listening to seventies folk music and reflecting on their life as they wander through all the states they grew up in: they were born in Maryland, grew up in New Jersey and went to college at Virginia Tech. Abby is excited for this Bildungsroman and hopes to celebrate their 23rd birthday (August 24) near Maine. Aly Pagano Aly is local to the southern Appalachians in western North Carolina. She has spent her life hiking, trail running, fishing, foraging, and farming; she aspires to increase her own knowledge and awareness of traditional Appalachian folk medicine, music, and skills as in an effort to live harmoniously with the mountains around her. With a degree in Ecology, Aly focuses on seasonal changes, flora, and fauna while hiking the Appalachian Trail. David Firari David "Good Soup" is excited to be sharing their northbound Appalachian Trail with you! This is their first ever backpacking trip and they hope all the reading and shakedown hikes they did pay off. In addition to being a novice backpacker, Good Soup is also managing a schedule of recurring medical treatments back home in Wisconsin in order to make this trip happen. Derek Witteman Derek is a 37 years young Northern California native, presently thriving in San Antonio, Texas. In no particular order he is a physician, veteran, hiker, nerd, and jokester. In his free time he enjoys taking selfies with wildlife, and thinking of spirit animals the represent his current mood. Eddie Arriola Eddie is a travel PTA, physical therapist assistant, who's been dreaming of the PCT for four years. In his spare time he enjoys photography, karaoke, and has other eclectic hobbies. He's originally from southern Arizona, Tucson, and is excited to get back to his primary partner and dogs after the trail. Elke Pabst Elke comes from Germany and wants to thruhike the AT with her dog Tilli. It is her first stay in the USA und doesn t hiking before. She has 3 nearly grown up sons and a husband who take care of everything while she is hiking with her 9 year old dog Tilli. Jake Landgraf Jake is currently on the AT attempting his first thru-hike. A proud Wisconsin resident, he enjoys beer, the outdoors, and the Green Bay Packers. On trail, Jake is known as "Radioface" and is obsessed with cosmic brownies. Follow Jake on his own, daily podcast at whereisjakeat.com. Mary Garcia<br /
- Sep 13, 20231h 17m
S4 Episode #12 | Lessons Learned
Welcome back to Trail Correspondents! You'll certainly find a noticeable theme throughout these clips - especially with those who are completing their first long trail, that it's difficult to sum up in words what's been learned. The duration of time a thru hike requires is definitely enough to cause a thorough change within a person - it's so all-encompassing and transforming that it's hard to nail down exactly who and what you were before embarking on your journey. It requires re-acclimation to the life you left in order to reorient who you've become. On that note, let's get into what our correspondents have to say on the matter. Their closeness to the essence of this kind of experiential change is sure to be captivating… In today's episode we hear from: Abbey Turnbull Harking from the South Coast of the UK, Abbey, aged 26, is swapping the rolling hills of the South Downs for the mountains of the Pacific Crest. A thru-hike of the JMT last year confirmed what she thought to be true – hiking from Mexico to Canada was her destiny for 2023. Loves good food and wine, Taylor Swift, American hospitality, and mountain vistas. Hates steep downhill slopes, her own unfortunate susceptibility to altitude sickness, and oatmeal. Abbigale (Abby) Evans Abby Evans (she/they) has a hankering to shave their head and hike the AT and now they will get to do both! They will be fulfilling their vagabond-dirtbag-poet dreams and aspire to one day become a creative writing professor. They'll be listening to seventies folk music and reflecting on their life as they wander through all the states they grew up in: they were born in Maryland, grew up in New Jersey and went to college at Virginia Tech. Abby is excited for this Bildungsroman and hopes to celebrate their 23rd birthday (August 24) near Maine. Aly Pagano Aly is local to the southern Appalachians in western North Carolina. She has spent her life hiking, trail running, fishing, foraging, and farming; she aspires to increase her own knowledge and awareness of traditional Appalachian folk medicine, music, and skills as in an effort to live harmoniously with the mountains around her. With a degree in Ecology, Aly focuses on seasonal changes, flora, and fauna while hiking the Appalachian Trail. David Firari David "Good Soup" is excited to be sharing their northbound Appalachian Trail with you! This is their first ever backpacking trip and they hope all the reading and shakedown hikes they did pay off. In addition to being a novice backpacker, Good Soup is also managing a schedule of recurring medical treatments back home in Wisconsin in order to make this trip happen. Derek Witteman Derek is a 37 years young Northern California native, presently thriving in San Antonio, Texas. In no particular order he is a physician, veteran, hiker, nerd, and jokester. In his free time he enjoys taking selfies with wildlife, and thinking of spirit animals the represent his current mood. Eddie Arriola Eddie is a travel PTA, physical therapist assistant, who's been dreaming of the PCT for four years. In his spare time he enjoys photography, karaoke, and has other eclectic hobbies. He's originally from southern Arizona, Tucson, and is excited to get back to his primary partner and dogs after the trail. Elke Pabst Elke comes from Germany and wants to thruhike the AT with her dog Tilli. It is her first stay in the USA und doesn t hiking before. She has 3 nearly grown up sons and a husband who take care of everything while she is hiking with her 9 year old dog Tilli. Jake Landgraf Jake is currently on the AT attempting his first thru-hike. A proud Wisconsin resident, he enjoys beer, the outdoors, and the Green Bay Packers. On trail, Jake is known as "Radioface" and is obsessed with cosmic brownies. Follow Jake on his own, daily podcast at whereisjakeat.com. <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/no1wantsrea
About Trail Correspondents
Trail Correspondents is a teleportation machine to the trail- in audio form. Every other week, a select handful of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and the American Discovery Trail, give us a glimpse into the world of long distance backpacking. Through their eyes and vocal cords, we learn all about the highs, lows, and nitty gritty details that go into a half-year, cross-country trek. Trail Correspondents is the next best thing to being on trail yourself.
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