Dog Mushing, 20+ Years in the Navy, and the Triple Crown with Ben "Ginger Ballz" Vaughan (BPR #294)
Release Date: 02/24/2025
Quitting a Thru-Hike, Living Nomadically, and Working as a Chef with Juliette "Scorpion Queen" Kerven (BPR #318)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Juliette Kerven, known on trail as Scorpion Queen. Juliette is a Michelin-trained chef, former yacht crew member, full-time nomad, and a thru-hiker of both the PCT and AT, and we caught her during her CDT thru-hike attempt for this conversation. This is a solo interview led by Chaunce, and it ventures into some uncharted emotional terrain for this podcast as Scorpion Queen openly wrestles with whether or not to continue her hike, and she ultimately comes to a decision...
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The Pinhoti Trail with Nathan "Switchback" Wright (BPR #317)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Nathan Wright, known on trail as Switchback. Nathan is an ambassador for the Pinhoti Trail and Alabama trails more broadly, wearing almost too many hats to count. He is the co-founder of the Pinhoti Outdoor Center - a hostel he runs with his wife, President of the Alabama Hiking Trail Society, Vice President of the Alabama Pinhoti Trail Association, Chairman of the Board of the Pinhoti Experience Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Alabama Trails Commission. In this...
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The Northern Colorado Trail with Kevin "Sunshine" Silvernale (BPR #316)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Kevin “Sunshine” Silvernale. Originally a commercial pilot from Seattle, Kevin thru-hiked the PCT in 2016 and immediately fell in love with the Hiker Trash lifestyle. That passion led him to put his flying career on hold to hike the AT, Colorado Trail, much of the CDT, and most recently, to begin creating a brand-new long trail route, the Northern Colorado Trail. We chat about his life as a pilot, including when Chaunce coaxed him into sharing a story about how he joined...
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Impacts of Climate Change on the Colorado Trail with Triple Crowner and Scientist Karl Ford (BPR #315)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Karl Ford. Karl is a retired environmental scientist, conservationist, and author of Triple Crown Hiking Adventures and The Colorado Trail in Crisis: A Naturalist's Field Report on Climate Change in Mountain Ecosystems. In this conversation, we dive into Karl’s experiences hiking the Triple Crown, his perspective on the current state of conservation and what the future may hold, and how climate change is already impacting our beloved long trails, with a special focus on the Colorado...
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Fascinating Colorado Outdoor Recreation Stories with OutThere Colorado's Spencer McKee (BPR #314)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Spencer McKee, the Director of Content and Operations for OutThere Colorado. If you’ve been to Colorado and have Instagram, you’ve likely already come across Spencer’s videos - he’s mastered the art of packaging interesting Colorado news stories, culture, and fun facts into short form video content through OutThere’s social media channels. Spencer shares some of his favorite standout outdoor rec stories from the great state of Colorado with us, including what's underneath...
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20,000+ Miles in under 10 Years, a Desert Hike from Tucson to San Diego, and Life as a Mariner with Leah "Twig" Harman (BPR #313)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Leah Harman, known on trail as Twig. Although Twig is relatively new to the world of thru-hiking, with less than 10 years of experience, she’s hit the ground running, accruing well over 20,000 miles in the process. In addition to all the usual suspects, triple crown trails, Colorado Trail, TA, Arizona Trail…Twig has also completed a number of lesser known trails, including the Mogollon Rim Trail, Bigfoot Trail, and a Desert Winter Thru-Hike from Tucson to San Diego. We of course learn...
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Thru-Hiking for 30 Years, Working for ALDHA-West, Six Moon Designs, & FarOut, and Ridgerunning with a Dog with Whitney "Allgood" La Ruffa (BPR #312)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Whitney La Ruffa, better known in the world of backpacking as “Allgood.” Allgood is the former president of ALDHA-West, the current Chief Revenue Officer at FarOut, and a certified backpacking OG—his first thru-hike dates all the way back to the early ’90s (some of you weren’t even alive then… which is weird). Since that first trek, Allgood has racked up an impressive list of trails, including the JMT, Wonderland Trail, Chinook Trail, Sierra High Route, PCT, CDT, and others. In this episode, we...
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Julia "Rocket" Sheehan on Her Social Media Fall from Grace, Quitting on a Thru-Hike, and Her New Book (BPR #311)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Julia Sheehan, known on trail, as Rocket. Julia is a thru-hiker, former Trek Vlogger, social media sensation, nurse, and now a published author. Julia details how impulsive decision-making lead her to the wonderful world that is thru-hiking, inspired in part by everyone’s favorite Hiking Viking. Rocket also shares how health issues ultimately forced her off-trail, the unsavory response she’s gotten from some in the social media sphere in light of “quitting” and subsequently...
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A Lifetime of Trail Maintenance: the Blackburn Trail Center, Building the AT Rollercoaster, and the Potomac AT Club with Chris “Trailboss” Brunton (BPR #310)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Chris Brunton aka “Trailboss”. Trailboss is a legendary force in the construction and maintenance of the Appalachian Trail, most notably, the infamous Rollercoaster section of the trail through Virginia. Trailboss enlightens us with some history of the trail, the process for procuring the trail’s corridor through that section, how he met his wife (CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy) Sandi Marra, why he dedicates his life to the AT, and much more. We wrap the show with a...
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Thru-Hiking with Your Sister, Triple Crowning without a Trail Name, and Tour du Mont Blanc with Jamie Lambert (BPR #309)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Jamie Lambert. We learn why Jamie doesn’t have a trail name, and why it’s definitely not Strap On, what it’s like to thru-hike with your sister- which she did on the PCT in 2018, what it is about thru-hiking that makes it so addictive for her- having taken on long hikes every year over the last 8 seasons, what it’s like to become social media famous, and much more. We wrap the show with an overview from day one of Trail Days, some new legislation that could result in...
info_outlineIn today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Ben Vaugh, known on trail as Ginger Ballz. Ben is a Navy veteran, accomplished thru-hiker, and currently works as a dog musher, a topic Chaunce and Badger had way too much fun diving into.
Ginger Ballz takes us through his transition from the military to thru-hiking, why he recommends it to fellow service members, and the parallels between the two. He shares stories from his hikes of the Triple Crown trails, the Hayduke, Superior Hiking Trail, and Long Trail. We also get a deep dive into his current gig managing a dog mushing and guiding company in Colorado, working with Iditarod-winning pups. He breaks down the process of training huskies for guiding, the biggest challenges of mushing, and the unique bond he shares with his dogs.
We close out the show with a feature on a man who thru-hiked the AT while legally blind, a debate on whether airplanes have keys, why Zach is no longer allowed to enjoy pho, Chaunce’s honey grease, the Triple Crown of abbreviated insults, and more.
Topo Athletic: Use code “TREKWINTER15” at topoathletic.com.
Gossamer Gear: Use code “BACKPACKER20” for 20% off packs at gossamergear.com.
[divider]
Interview with Ben “Ginger Ballz” Vaughan
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:12 - Reminders: Join us for our live show in Austin, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek!
00:08:05 - Introducing Ben
00:10:00 - Tell us about your Navy experience
00:12:10 - What’s it like chasing down pirates?
00:16:06 - Tell us about transitioning between the Navy and thru-hiking
00:19:00 - How did the AT get on your radar?
00:20:38 - Did your military background help you go into the AT with confidence?
00:22:30 - Did you do thru-hiking specific research?
00:24:02 - Did you feel your purpose restored when you started the AT?
00:24:30 - Do you think thru-hikers could succeed in the military?
00:26:20 - Tell us about the Kona Ironman?
00:28:20 - Tell us about the Navy culture in Coronado
00:31:15 - Did you know right away that thru-hiking was for you?
00:34:10 - How did you feel upon finishing the AT?
00:36:00 - What other traits did you get from the Navy that aided you in thru-hiking?
00:39:44 - Tell us about going from the AT to the PCT
00:42:50 - What was it like adjusting to the high snow year on the PCT?
00:48:00 - Can you completely recover from frostbite?
00:50:00 - Did you freak out when you were stuck in a blizzard?
00:51:55 - Was it fun seeing the Sierra in a different season?
00:53:55 - When did you decide to complete the Triple Crown?
00:57:10 - What was the difference in reactions you got on the CDT versus the AT?
00:58:14 - What did your Big 3 look like on the CDT?
01:00:45 - How does a snowy Smokies compare to the snowy Sierras?
01:05:00 - Tell us about hiking the Hayduke
01:09:45 - Tell us about dropping your pack down a canyon
01:12:20 - Tell us about hiking the Superior Hiking Trail
01:15:12 - Tell us about hiking the Long Trail
01:17:00 - How did you end up in Alaska dog mushing?
01:19:30 - What are the dogs like in their off time?
01:22:00 - What does it take to win the Iditarod?
01:23:10 - How do you train the dog to do what it needs to do?
01:24:50 - How can you tell if one of the dogs is getting tired?
01:26:10 - What do the dogs eat?
01:29:15 - Story from the Iditarod
01:31:40 - How does the tour operation work in CO?
01:33:00 - What types of commands do the dogs know?
01:35:10 - Who are your dogs?
01:39:45 - What do you pack for a backcountry dog mushing trip?
01:40:50 - What is your bond like with the dogs?
01:42:00 - How long can the dogs run for?
01:43:40 - Are Huskies all not great off leash?
01:47:05 - Ben is hiring!
01:49:40 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda
- Thru-Hiking While Blind: Completing the Appalachian Trail With A Visual Disability by Andrew Neylon
- The Best Trail Runners for Thru-Hiking in 2025 by the Editors
QOTD: Do airplanes have keys?
Thing of the Week
Triple Crown of short insults
Gross or Not Gross
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
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