Hiking Challenges and Mental Health

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 during the interview. 

We also talk about what it’s like hiking in the U.S. as an international hiker (Juliette is from England), hear about her experience working on yachts, and learn how her Michelin-level culinary skills translate to the backcountry. All that and much more.

We wrap the show with the most common injuries to AT thru-hikers, small things that make our days better, the triple crown of gingers (fictional characters edition), and the definitive guide to the sluttiest fonts.

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Interview with Juliette “Scorpion Queen” Kerven

• SQ's Trek Author Page
• SQ's Instagram

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:56 - Reminders: Sign up for the Trek’s newsletter, apply to blog for the Trek, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!

00:10:30 - Introducing SQ

00:12:30 - How did you get your trail name?

00:15:05 - Why did you hate nature as a kid?

00:17:50 - When did you become fully nomadic?

00:21:07 - How did you decide to hike the PCT?

00:23:45 - What’s it like to work as a chef?

00:28:15 - What are your go-to dishes to make?

00:30:40 - When did you actually get on the PCT?

00:36:00 - Discussion about visas

00:37:30 - What are your crazy stories from working on super yachts?

00:39:00 - What grew your love for the PCT so much?

00:43:40 - What was your favorite trail town?

00:44:40 - What would you change about doing the PCT as an international hiker?

00:45:45 - What was your bad luck along the PCT?

00:52:30 - What’s your perfect shoe?

00:54:05 - How did being on the PCT affect your depression?

00:55:55 - Tell us about tearing your ACL

01:01:16 - Tell us about hiking the AT in 2024

01:03:50 - How did the AT impact your fibromyalgia?

01:06:35 - What was it like to start the AT so early?

01:09:50 - Discussion about SQ’s AT injury and bad luck

01:17:40 - We Love Love: Tell us about your AT romance

01:20:20 - What did you feel at the end of the AT?

01:23:20 - What did you do between the AT and CDT?

01:25:00 - What has your journey on the CDT been like so far?

01:47:20 - Why do you think you’ve decided to quit the CDT?

01:49:30 - Chaunce and SQ discuss quitting the CDT

02:02:25 - Why do you feel like a fraud if you quit?

02:07:00 - What would you do next if you quit?

02:15:50 - What scenario would make you want to keep hiking?

02:20:20 - Could you become less of a purist?

02:23:05 - What if you’re afraid to finish the CDT?

02:25:15 - Did you feel pressure to start the CDT too soon?

02:36:45 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?

Segments

Trek Propaganda: These Are the Most Common Injuries Reported by Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers (Plus Injury Prevention Tips) by Katie Jackson

QOTD:  What’s something small that makes your day better?

Sick Thing of the Week

Triple Crown of Gingers (Round 2: Fictional Characters)

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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