Hiker Trash Radio

The plan looks clean on paper. Then you start hiking. Episode 2 of The Big Year follows the year through all three trails. The Aqueduct in the Mojave, hiked at night for four nights straight. A wildfire in Northern California that sends one hiker sprinting five miles downhill with a 30-pound pack while his partner waits at a parking lot, initially mistaking the chaos for trail magic. Two months of snowshoeing in Colorado that leave a hiker with frostbite and the growing sense that the year might never end. A Sierra bridge crossed at 1:30 in the morning, hours before it's scheduled to be demolished. And then there are the people, the unexpected ones. A relationship that starts over satellite texts at a high mountain lake. A trail family that shows up exactly when one hiker needs company most. And on Katahdin, at sunrise, on the first day the mountain opens for the season: two friends finishing their first trail, knowing they have two more to go. Guests: Billy "Wahoo" Meredith — 2023 CYTC FKT holder, 234 days Nick "Chezwick" Gagnon — 2025 CYTC FKT holder, 231 days Sammy "Buzz" Potter — 2022 CYTC completer (11th in history) Jackson "Woody" Parell — 2022 CYTC completer (12th in history) Charlie "Kansas Express" Janssen — 2022 CYTC completer Jack "Quadzilla" Jones — 2022 CYTC completer Philip "Slide" Witmer — 2025 border-to-border CYTC completer Carson "Anita" Oliver — 2023 CYTC completer Topics covered: The daily math of 40-mile days, every day, with no rest days on the calendar The Aqueduct: four nights of night-hiking through the Mojave A Northern California wildfire that separated two hiking partners Two months snowshoeing Colorado and Wyoming, and what frostbite costs A 12,600-foot Colorado pass: triumph and terror arriving in the same hour A cardiac ICU stay mid-thru-hike, and getting back on trail anyway A Katahdin sunrise that marks the exact halfway point of the year Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Kaylee Frederick is a 21-year-old elite ultra-endurance athlete from Pennsylvania, currently studying biology and secondary education at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (with a minor in chemistry, an ESL certification, and a STEM endorsement) while working four part-time jobs including forklift operator, assistant manager at a frozen custard shop, CrossFit coach, and tutor. At 18 she became the youngest person ever to finish the Badwater 135. She recently won the Eastern States 100 outright — first woman ever, first to break 24 hours, finishing 90+ minutes ahead of second place. She finished 12th female in the world at the 24-Hour World Championship in France. She trains with coach Eric Kosik. She ran a five-mile warmup before this interview at 4 AM New Zealand time. What's Covered in Part 2 The Origin Story — 7 to Badwater in Ten Years The Training Evolution — Learning What Training Actually Is Coming Up as a Teen in an Adult Sport 24-Hour World Championship — I Walk Now So I Don't Have to Walk Later The Achilles Pop Running for Her Dad — And Then For Herself Her Mom — AT 2024, 99 Days What's Next — Black Forest and Javelina Hiking Hack — Toe Socks Off the Beaten Path — The Line by Billy Yang Pay It Forward — Eastern States Trail Endurance Alliance/Association Links & Resources Kaylee Frederick — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederick.kaylee The Line — Billy Yang documentary on Badwater 135: https://www.youtube.com/@billyyang Eastern States Trail Endurance Alliance/Association: https://www.easternstates100.com Mount Coast T1 trail shoes — Kaylee's race shoe of choice. Recently also testing the lighter, more responsive M1. Eric Kosik — Kaylee's coach since January 2024. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hiker Trash Radio | Trail Correspondent Series · 2026 Jared "Fisherman" Lampal | CDT Post-Hike Interview Mexico to Canada — The Full Debrief Jared "Fisherman" Lampal set out from the southern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail on April 20th with a desk job on hold, a solar-powered Garmin watch, and a tattoo with two empty triangles on his arm. 141 days later, he touched the northern terminus monument at Waterton Lake in the pouring rain, surrounded by his finish-line crew, and holding a room-temperature IPA destined for a shoey. In this final episode of the 2026 CDT Trail Correspondent Series, Doc and Fisherman do the full debrief: every open loop, every answered question, and the final scorecard on one of the most documented CDT thru-hikes in HTR history. In this episode: The finish: Goat Haunt, Waterton Lake, pouring rain, and a shoey courtesy of an Australian named Hitch Master How Jared's parents ended up at the Canadian border — and why Sunny was not there No grizzlies — but a black bear in a Walmart parking lot in Steamboat Springs, Colorado Montana: Glacier vs. the Wind Rivers, the Beaverhead Range, and a lot of sagebrush The Hiker Trash moment Doc has been waiting two episodes for: a Goose concert near Missoula, secured entirely via digital panhandling in a Facebook fan group The JB Savreaux crossover that almost happened — and the yo-yo CDT skier who actually did cross paths Final stats: 141 days, ~2,850 miles, 11 zeroes, 5 states, 3 concerts, 4 fourteeners, 0 rodeos The five-state difficulty ranking — and why Jared still thinks the CDT is harder than the AT What the CDT taught him that the AT couldn't: water, weather, and respect Sunny's A+ resupply performance, homemade fudgy brownies, and why Jackrabbit always perked up when a box was coming The first meal back: not dim sum, not EB's burgers — it was a lasagna at Filomena in DC Post-trail depression, the inbox with thousands of unread emails, and the tactical beard shave plan The CDT tattoo triangle: appointment booked for this weekend PCT urgency level: low — "a life goal, not a today goal" Advice for anyone thinking about the CDT in 2027: do it, start in the bubble, and don't let the internet scare you off Mentioned in this episode: Goat Haunt, Glacier National Park (final campsite before the monument) Waterton Lake / Waterton, Alberta (northern terminus) Banff, Alberta (where Jared's parents were) Steamboat Springs, Colorado (black bear, Walmart parking lot) James Peak, Colorado (hardest day of the trail — already recapped in Check-In #2, referenced here) Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana (where the lasagna craving hit) Glacier National Park (up there with the Wind Rivers as a favorite section) Beaverhead Range, Idaho-Montana border Rogers Pass, Montana (jump-off point for Missoula) Missoula, Montana (Goose concert) Filomena restaurant, Washington, DC (the celebration lasagna) EB's Burgers, Washington, DC (still on the list) Goose (jam band; Jared has seen them approximately 30 times) "Hitch Master" (Australian Far Out commenter, alleged originator of the CDT shoey tradition) Jackrabbit (trail companion for more than two-thirds of the trail) CB, Snowbird, Arson, Ty, Tie-Dye (finish-line crew) Dana "Sniper" Wolf (HTR AT yo-yo correspondent, northbound complete, southbound in progress) JB Savreaux (HTR SOBO CDT correspondent — crossover did not happen) Gannett Peak, Wyoming (still unchecked; dedicated trip planned with CDT friends) Far Out app Capital Bikeshare (DC) NH 48 / US High Points (ongoing completionist side projects) Final CDT Scorecard: April 20 – September 7, 2026 141 days / 11 zeroes / 130 hiking days ~2,850 miles (official route ~3,040; alternates shortened it) 5 states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho (border), Montana 4 fourteeners: San Luis, Elbert, Grays, Torreys 3 concerts: Elks Lodge metal show (Grants, NM) · Denver · Goose (Missoula, MT) 1 black bear (Walmart, Steamboat Springs) 0 grizzlies 62.1 miles in 23 hours (Great Basin Challenge) 0 rodeos Sponsors: Far Out · Garage Grown Gear · Hilltop Packs · Jolly Gear · Off the Trail Recreation · Six Moon Designs · Triple Crown Coffee · Vaer Watches Follow Jared: Instagram @jl_onthe_trail Connect with HTR: Facebook · YouTube · Instagram · TikTok · [email protected] · BLEAV Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About the Guest Kaylee Frederick is a 21-year-old elite ultra-endurance athlete from Pennsylvania, currently studying biology and secondary education at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (with a minor in chemistry, an ESL certification, and a STEM endorsement) while working four part-time jobs including forklift operator, assistant manager at a frozen custard shop, CrossFit coach, and tutor. At 18 she became the youngest person ever to finish the Badwater 135. She recently won the Eastern States 100 outright — first woman ever, first to break 24 hours, finishing 90+ minutes ahead of second place. She finished 12th female in the world at the 24-Hour World Championship in France. She trains with coach Eric Kosik. She ran a five-mile warmup before this interview at 4 AM New Zealand time. Her mom hiked the Appalachian Trail in 99 days. Her trail name is Thunder Butt. Episode Highlights Thunder Butt Badwater at 18 — On Cloud Nine Eastern States 100 — First Overall, First Under 24 Hours The Pain Cave — Mile 93, Age 16 24-Hour World Championship — Walking on Purpose Running for Her Dad — and Then Not The Youngest at the Finish Line Links & Resources Kaylee Frederick — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederick.kaylee The Line — Billy Yang documentary on Badwater 135: https://www.youtube.com/@billyyang Eastern States Trail Endurance Alliance/Association: https://www.easternstates100.com Mount Coast T1 trail shoes — Kaylee's race shoe of choice. Recently also testing the lighter, more responsive M1. Eric Kosik — Kaylee's coach since January 2024. Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. The full interview with Kaylee drops Wednesday in two parts. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For four episodes, this series followed people who look at a map and see a line that isn't there: across deserts, mountains, and cities. We saved this maker for last, because her story holds the final lesson. We first met Renee Patrick, trail name She-Ra, in Episode One, at the height of her craft: the longtime coordinator of the Oregon Desert Trail, a professional route maker who thought about the difference between a trail and a route more deeply than almost anyone. She was planning the hardest routes of her life. The next time we spoke, everything had changed. This finale tells her full arc: the architect at her peak, a life-altering diagnosis that brought her forward motion to a screeching stop, and the reinvention that followed. Because Renee is a thru-hiker, and a thru-hiker knows how to cover an impossible distance: incremental progress, one step at a time. The route maker who built some of the most remote, difficult trails in the country now wants to build the opposite: accessible routes, Camino-style trails, lines that the most people can walk. It's the perfect ending to a series about lines that never stop changing. Two episodes ago, in the city, we met the makers who bring the wilderness home. Renee, from the far end of the maker's world, arrives at the same truth: the best thing a route can do is include people. She's living proof that a maker's greatest line might be the one that lets the most people walk it. This episode is shared with Renee's blessing, and includes candid discussion of serious illness. It is, at its heart, a tribute to a route maker, and to the oldest thru-hiker wisdom there is: one step at a time, one day at a time. You can follow Renee's own writing at shera-hikes.com. If the themes in this episode resonate personally, please know that support is available. Featured route: Oregon Desert Trail (with the American Perimeter Trail and Great Western Loop referenced) Featured maker: Renee "She-Ra" Patrick (with Rue McKenrick and Andrew Skurka) This is the final episode of The Route Makers. A bonus episode — on the newest big trail in America — follows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.