8 Epic Shorter Thru-Hikes: the Long Trail, Teton Crest Trail, and More (BPR #339)
Release Date: 01/05/2026
8 Epic Shorter Thru-Hikes: the Long Trail, Teton Crest Trail, and More (BPR #339)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are talking “shorter” thru-hikes. We’re joined again by our guy, Michael Grizzly Ivey, to give you an overview of eight standout US thru-hikes that you can hike in four weeks or less. We cover the Long Trail, Teton Crest Trail, Superior HIking Trail, Timberline Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Foothills Trail, and Uinta Highline, give you the trail overviews, relative difficulty, resupply strategy, the best time to hike, which direction, travel logistics, permit requirements, resupply strategy,...
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Adventure Alan on High Routes, the Evolution of Ultralight, and Maintaining Health & Fitness (BPR #338)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Alan Dixon, better known in the backpacking world as Adventure Alan. Alan is a literal rocket scientist, a lifelong adventure junkie, and a foundational figure in the early days of ultralight backpacking, having co-founded Backpacking Light. Alan shares some jaw dropping stories from his many routes, including a near-death experience in the Tetons, his philosophy for developing routes—most notably his popular Wind River High Route, the South Sierra High Route, and the Escalante Overland Route. We dig into...
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Girl Stuff 4.0: Disordered Eating, Chronic Illness, PCOS, and Waxing (BPR #337)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, I’m sitting this one out because it’s the fourth edition of Girl’s Stuff. Chaunce is joined by former guest Christine Reed and BPR first-timer Maggie Schoemann. The three cover hiking with a partner, where to get a vag wax on trail, birth control, weird body changes, including managing a beard on trail as a woman, eating disorders and how thru-hiking can trigger or resurface disordered eating (trigger warning), and much more. These are Chaunce’s notes, so I’m just going to assume they’re all accurate. We wrap...
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Jess "Stitches" Guo, the First Woman to Connect the CDT and GDT in a Calendar Year (BPR #336)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Jessica Guo known on trail as Stitches. This year, Stitches became the first woman on record to connect both the Continental Divide Trail and Great Divide Trail northbound in one calendar year. We talk all about this logistically and physically impressive feat, hiking through the Sierra during a record snow year, how she earned her trail name the hard way, her unconventional relationship with pain, how 10 her day silent meditations better prepare her for thru-hiking and gives us a sample 2...
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Walking the Length of the Americas: Culture Shocks, Risk Mitigation, and Her Security Dog with Lucy Barnard (BPR #335)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Lucy Barnard. Lucy, along with her pup Wombat, has walked from the southern tip of Argentina all the way through the Great Divide Trail in Canada, and she’ll be picking up the final leg of this monster journey — through northern Canada and into Alaska — later this winter. We get into what compelled Lucy to take on such an audacious mission, especially given that she had virtually zero long-distance hiking experience beforehand. She shares some truly wild stories from the trail, including being held at...
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A Marine Corps Veteran on Hiking to Heal from PTSD and Reclaim His Peace, ft. Gabe "Wing It" Vasquez (BPR #334)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we’re joined by Gabe Vasquez, known on trail as “Wing It.” Gabe is a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, long-distance kayaker and cyclist, and the first known Mexican-American to complete the Triple Crown. Gabe opens up about his time in the Marines and the challenges that followed- PTSD, becoming addicted to prescription meds to manage the PTSD in addition to anxiety and depression, losing friends to suicide after their service, and night terrors. In his efforts to heal, Gabe turned to...
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Wander Women Kristy and Annette on Retiring to Thru-Hike, RV, and Adventure Full-time (BPR #333)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Kristy and Annette Burns—better known as the Wander Women. About seven years ago, Kristy and Annette ditched the home with the white picket fence, retired, moved into an RV, and shifted their focus to a life centered on freedom and adventure. Since then, they’ve taken on the AT, PCT, CDT, Arizona Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, the O Circuit, plus a slew of cycling and packrafting trips. We get into what it takes to keep your body ready for thru-hikes at retirement age, why downsizing has made them so much...
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Casey "Vegas" Huffman on His WILD Trail Name Origin Story, Reinventing Himself through Hiking, and an Expedition in Alaska (BPR #332)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Casey Huffman, known on trail as Vegas. Vegas has been mentioned a couple of times on this podcast in the past, as “the guy whose chest we signed” in 2023, and more recently, “the guy whose ass we signed”. As we learn in today’s episode, “signed ass guy” is also a real good hang. We chat about how Vegas’ mental health struggles ultimately lead him to the trail, how the hiking community and culture gave him the space to reinvent himself, and he shares quite possibly the...
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Triple Crowning with a Trombone, Working as a Hiking Guide, and the South Dakota Centennial Trail with Amy "Slider" Hunsucker
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Amy Hunsucker. On trail, Amy is known as “Slider” because she hikes with a trombone- something she’s done for the entire triple crown. We of course learn all about this fun quirk, including which animals were most appreciative of her on-trail concerts, which parts of trail provided the best acoustics, the reactions she’d get from other hikers and the broader trail community, and her go-to on-trail trombone jams. Slider also gives us the low down on getting her sawyer...
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Triple Crowning with Stage 4 Cancer with Jeff "Long Strides" Vonvai (BPR #330)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we’re joined by Jeff Vonvai, known on trail as Long Strides. This conversation will put life’s problems into perspective—because for the past seven years, Long Strides has been thru-hiking with stage 4 colon cancer, despite being given just a 3–6 month prognosis. Jeff shares what it’s like to balance intense rounds of chemo and surgery between hikes, the challenges of rebuilding his trail legs each time he returns to the trail, and how cancer has transformed his outlook on life—saying he’s...
info_outlineIn today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are talking “shorter” thru-hikes. We’re joined again by our guy, Michael Grizzly Ivey, to give you an overview of eight standout US thru-hikes that you can hike in four weeks or less. We cover the Long Trail, Teton Crest Trail, Superior HIking Trail, Timberline Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Foothills Trail, and Uinta Highline, give you the trail overviews, relative difficulty, resupply strategy, the best time to hike, which direction, travel logistics, permit requirements, resupply strategy, standout wildlife, water availability, and our overall 30-second elevator pitch for each trail. Much like my waistline, your bucket list is about to expand.
We wrap the show with tips for getting primo service at any restaurant (from a restaurant general manager), the triple crown of birds, and we prove that we will read just about anything in a 5-star review.
Topo Athletic: Use code “TREKWINTER15” at topoathletic.com.
[divider]
Panel with Michael “Grizzly” Ivey
- Grizzly's Instagram
- Backpacker Radio # 29: Valentine’s Day 2.0 with Grizzly + Jenna, Tent Orgies, and How to Hike 30 Miles in a Day
- Backpacker Radio #191 | Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail 2.0: High Snow Year Considerations, Gear Changes by Section, and More
Time stamps & Questions
00:07:30 - Reminders: Apply to be a Trail Correspondent, apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, , and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!
00:13:00 - Introducing Grizzly
00:15:50 - What have you been up to since you were last on the podcast?
00:18:20 - Long Trail
00:29:00 - Ozark Highlands Trail (Learn more from BPR #199 and BPR #197)
00:41:15 - Superior Hiking Trail
00:56:20 - Tahoe Rim Trail (Learn more from BPR #157)
01:11:40 - Foothills Trail (Learn more from BPR #243)
01:24:20 - Uinta Highline Trail
01:36:20 - Timberline Trail
01:44:12 - Teton Crest Trail (Learn more from BPR #265)
02:04:20 - What’s your top performance enhancing hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: 10 Short Trails You Can Thru-Hike in Winter by Jordan Charbonneau
QOTD: What are some tips to getting the best treatment possible when eating out?
Triple Crown of birds
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
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Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
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