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)
Release Date: 07/07/2025
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, 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 all about these treks, why cows are the most dangerous animal on trail, and how she makes her perpetual hiker trash lifestyle work. Leah also recounts her past life living and working aboard ships, confirming that all the stereotypes about drunk and horny sailors are, in fact, hilariously accurate, complete with some entertaining hazing stories.
We wrap the show with news of a group who trusted ChatGPT to plan their hike, and how that went terribly wrong, Chaunce details the stress associated with planning a wedding, and the triple crown of movie/tv shows that broke us.
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[divider]
Interview with Leah “Twig” Harman
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:30 - Reminders: Take our survey, sign up for the Trek’s newsletter, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, reach out if you’ll be at Trail Days, and apply to blog for the Trek or to run Trail Correspondents!
00:12:45 - Introducing Twig
00:15:30 - What’s your take on the current state of public lands?
00:20:46 - What should you do if you get charged by a burro or cow?
00:23:00 - Tell us about your career before backpacking
00:26:40 - What are your crazy stories from living on a boat?
00:35:30 - What was the wildest storm you encountered at sea?
00:43:20 - Story about rescuing another ship
00:44:45 - Tell us about working on fishing boats
00:45:34 - What’s the coolest marine animal?
00:47:00 - What marine animals would you steer clear of?
00:55:00 - How did you go from living on boats to living on trail?
00:57:30 - What are the biggest similarities and differences between living on a boat and trail?
01:03:30 - How’d you end up on the Trans Catalina Trail?
01:05:00 - Did your career make you more risk tolerant?
01:06:10 - Tell us about going from the TA to the PCT
01:08:45 - Did you feel under pressure on the PCT?
01:12:20 - When did you adopt some more trail technology?
01:13:30 - Tell us about hiking the CDT
01:15:30 - What are your top 3 trails of all that you’ve done?
01:19:50 - How was the Hayduke in a high snow year?
01:21:30 - Refresh us on the Grand Enchantment Trail
01:28:00 - Discussion about mountain top geography
01:30:57 - What novice tips do you have for being more aware of your surroundings on a trail?
01:34:30 - Any standout stories from the AT?
01:40:30 - Tell us about the Mogollon Rim Trail
01:45:00 - How much was on trail vs route-finding?
01:47:40 - Tell us about your Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail
01:55:00 - Animal noises
01:57:00 - Tell us about rafting in the Grand Canyon
01:59:10 - How are you funding all your hikes?
02:04:10 - Tell us about your 2024 hikes
02:07:40 - Tell us about your Desert Winter Thru-Hike
02:11:30 - How was the navigation?
02:15:30 - Discussion about Twig’s footwear
02:16:18 - What was the timeline and weather like?
02:20:30 - What are a few pieces of gear you feel strongly about?
02:28:10 - Stay Salty Question: What is the hottest take in the world of backpacking or the outdoors at large?
Segments
Trek Propaganda:
- They Trusted ChatGPT To Plan Their Hike — And Ended Up Calling for Rescue by Katie Jackson
- Cause of Death Revealed for 1 of 2 Hikers Found Dead on Katahdin by Kelly Floro
QOTD: What’s the hardest part of wedding planning?
Mexico Weather of the Week
Triple Crown of movies and TV shows that broke us
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
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