loader from loading.io

Wildcard II | S5 E9

Trail Correspondents

Release Date: 08/12/2026

Wildcard II | S5 E9 show art Wildcard II | S5 E9

Trail Correspondents

Another Wild Card, another chance for anything to happen. With the prompts set aside once again, our 2026 Trail Correspondents share the stories they feel need telling most at this point in their journeys. These unscripted, unfiltered dispatches from the AT, PCT, and CDT capture life on trail in its most authentic and unpredictable form. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan "Pipsqueek" Hannah -  Parrish "Quip" McWhorter -  Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell -  Scott "Steady" Anderson -  Sorrel "Team Ultraheavy" Perka- Danny "Noco" Nelson -  MacKenzie...

info_outline The Social Experience | S5 E8 show art The Social Experience | S5 E8

Trail Correspondents

Every thru-hike finds its own social rhythm—tramily, shelter mates, or long solo stretches. Our 2026 Trail Correspondents reflect on the people who've shaped their hikes, the friendships that formed faster than expected, and the solitude that proved just as meaningful. These stories from the AT, PCT, and CDT show the social side of the trail is as unpredictable as the miles themselves. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan "Pipsqueek" Hannah - Parrish "Quip" McWhorter - Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - Scott "Steady" Anderson - Sorrel "Big Dawg" Perka- Danny "NoCo"...

info_outline My Worst Day on Trail | S5 E7 show art My Worst Day on Trail | S5 E7

Trail Correspondents

Every thru-hike has a breaking point. In this episode, our 2026 Trail Correspondents revisit the toughest day they've faced so far, sharing the moments that pushed them to their physical and emotional limits. From relentless weather, painful miles, and rough social encounters to self-doubt and near-breaking points, these stories from the AT, PCT, and CDT reveal why the hardest days often become the ones hikers remember most. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan Hannah -  Parrish "Quip" McWhorter -  TJ McQuiston -  Chris Becraft -  Jessica "Hellman"...

info_outline What's Working, What's Not | S5 E6 show art What's Working, What's Not | S5 E6

Trail Correspondents

Every thru-hike becomes a gear test sooner or later. Our 2026 Trail Correspondents take stock of what's earned a permanent place in their packs, what's headed for the next post office, and which pieces of gear have surprised them—for better or worse. From luxury items to costly mistakes, these stories from the AT, PCT, and CDT prove that the right gear can make all the difference... until it doesn't. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan Hannah -  Parrish "Quip" McWhorter -  TJ McQuiston -  Chris Becraft -  Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell -  Scott...

info_outline Expectations vs Reality | S5 E5 show art Expectations vs Reality | S5 E5

Trail Correspondents

Every hike begins with a story we tell ourselves about what the trail will be. Now several weeks into their journeys, our 2026 Trail Correspondents reflect on where expectation has collided with reality. From romanticized visions and unexpected hardships to surprising joys and perspective-shifting moments, these stories from the AT, PCT, and CDT reveal what the trail is really like once the dream meets the dirt. Correspondent Roster In this episode, we hear from: Logan Hannah -  Parrish "Quip" McWhorter -  TJ McQuiston -  Chris Becraft -  Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - ...

info_outline Wildcard: A Raw $24k Budget Breakdown & Escaping 'Joyless Urgency' | S5 E4 show art Wildcard: A Raw $24k Budget Breakdown & Escaping 'Joyless Urgency' | S5 E4

Trail Correspondents

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...

info_outline The Trail Begins | S5 E3 show art The Trail Begins | S5 E3

Trail Correspondents

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 - Parrish "Quip" McWhorter - TJ McQuiston - Chris Becraft - Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - J Michael Shaw, II - Scott Anderson - Sorrel "Team Ultraheavy" Perka- ...

info_outline Preparing for the AT, PCT, and CDT | S5 E2 show art Preparing for the AT, PCT, and CDT | S5 E2

Trail Correspondents

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 -  Parrish "Quip" McWhorter -  TJ McQuiston -  Chris Becraft - Jessica...

info_outline Meet Your 2026 Correspondents | S5 E1 show art Meet Your 2026 Correspondents | S5 E1

Trail Correspondents

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 - Parrish "Quip" McWhorter - TJ McQuiston - Chris Becraft Jessica "Hellman" Bagnell - J Michael Shaw, II Scott Anderson - Sorrel "Team Ultraheavy" Perka- Danny Nelson - MacKenzie "Wilt" Wieder - ...

info_outline S4 Episode #15 | Interview With Your Former Self show art S4 Episode #15 | Interview With Your Former Self

Trail Correspondents

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...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Another Wild Card, another chance for anything to happen. With the prompts set aside once again, our 2026 Trail Correspondents share the stories they feel need telling most at this point in their journeys. These unscripted, unfiltered dispatches from the AT, PCT, and CDT capture life on trail in its most authentic and unpredictable form.

Correspondent Roster

In this episode, we hear from:

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.