Episodes

April 2, 2024

Episode #253 - Lite Shoes Tales of the AT (June 3-4)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

March 26, 2024

Episode #252 - Debby Roberts (Bear Repellent)

Debby became a Girl Scout leader when her daughter was young, and found herself learning all the camping and backpacking skills so that she could take her troop out. What started as a fun thing to do soon became a passion as she jumped into year after...

March 19, 2024

Episode #251 - Lite Shoe's Tales of the AT (June 1-2)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

March 12, 2024

Episode #250 Lagniappe - Karen Rutter

Dr. Karen Lord Rutter is a retired teacher and administrator with over 30 years in education whose work with students ranged from preschool through high school. Dr. Rutter has a passion for travel, children, animals, and perpetual learning. Her first...

March 5, 2024

Episode #249 - Lite Shoe's Tales of the AT (May 30-31)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

Feb. 27, 2024

Episode #248- Christine Reed

Bio- Christine discovered long distance backpacking while surfing the internet at work. She decided that day to attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Her Rugged Outdoors Woman persona started as a joke, a nod to the outdoor adventurer that she...

Feb. 20, 2024

Episode #247 - Lite Shoe's Tales of the AT (May 28-29)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

Feb. 13, 2024

Episode #246 - Kara Hardman (Thicket Adventure)

Bio- Kara Hardman is the Chief Fun Officer of Thicket Adventure and a curvy adventurer living in Colorado. Her favorite adventures include hiking with her adorable dog and kayaking. Kara has been in a plus size body for many years and understands the...

Feb. 6, 2024

Episode #245 - Lite Shoe's Tales of the AT (May 26-27)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

Jan. 30, 2024

Episode #244 - Fifth Tuesday - Bonnie Nork

Bio- Bonnie Nork lives in Southern Oregon with her husband, Mike, and daughter, Elaina. Her son, Ryan, is in college. Being active in the outdoors has always been a big part of Bonnie’s life. With adventurous parents, she was always out and about as...

Jan. 23, 2024

Episode #243 - Aaron Owens Mayhew (Back Country Foodie)

Bio- Aaron is a registered dietitian and backpacker with over twenty years of experience in the field of nutrition and in the backcountry. In 2017, she left her clinical dietitian career with dreams of thru-hiking the PCT and starting a business...

Jan. 16, 2024

Episode #242 - Lite Shoe's Tales of the AT (May 24-25)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

Jan. 9, 2024

Episode #241 - Judy Young (Gray Jay)

Bio- Born on a dairy and tobacco farm, one of my chores was bringing in the cows for milking. I enjoyed walking over our 100 acres to get the cows, or just to be out in Nature. I had never heard of hiking trails…I followed the cow paths. After...

Jan. 2, 2024

Episode #240 - Lite Shoe's Tales of the Trail (May 22-23)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

Dec. 26, 2023

Episode #239 - Heather Kelly (Heather's Choice)

Bio- I was born and raised in Alaska, where I still call home today. I was a two-time NCAA National Champion in women's rowing and was voted CRCA/Pocock All-American my senior year. I still consider myself an athlete and love everything from CrossFit...

Dec. 19, 2023

Episode #238 - Lite Shoe's Tales of the Trail (May 19-21)

Jan Leitschuh was bitten by the AT bug in 2002. With no real backpacking experience, she threw herself into learning, training and stomping down fears and questions that swirled around her preparations. She joined the infamous Pack 31- a group of...

Dec. 12, 2023

Episode #237 - Lindsay Wenndt - Healthy Knees for Hiking

Bio- Lindsay Wenndt is a nationally certified health coach and fitness instructor, with specialty certifications in weight management and orthopedic health (a.k.a. joint pain). She’s the founder of Break Free Fitness, a curvy women’s health and...

Dec. 5, 2023

Episode #236 - Katlin (Katie) Rhodes

Katie Rhodes is a mountain ultra runner, hiker, Wilderness Education Instructor and NYS Licensed Guide based out of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. She's currently pursuing a Masters in Conservation Biology with a focus in alpine ecology...