The Atlas Obscura Podcast Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: To the Hiker Carrying Two Backpacks
Sep 2, 2025
Maggie Downs, a talented writer from Joshua Tree, shares her insights on traveling and human connections. She recounts a memorable hike on the Inca Trail, where she encounters a fellow hiker burdened by two backpacks, sparking deep reflections on emotional and physical weights. Topics include battling altitude sickness, the beauty in shared struggles, and how our perceptions of others can be misleading. She also discusses the upcoming travel writing course, encouraging listeners to rethink their approach to storytelling.
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Struggling At Altitude
- Maggie Downs describes struggling with altitude and asthma on the Inca Trail while noticing a hiker carrying two backpacks.
- She contrasts her breathless effort with the hiker's steady ease, which sparks judgement and curiosity.
Terrain Shifts And Contrasts
- The trail shifts from cloud forest to punishing stone steps, and most trekkers struggle while porters move effortlessly with massive loads.
- Maggie notes the porters' grace and contrasts it with the group's labored pace and her fixation on the two-pack hiker.
Projection Masks Others' Burdens
- Maggie admits she invented a harsh story about the hiker to explain his ease and extra pack.
- She realizes her projections obscured the real, tender reason he carried two bags.