Trails Worth Hiking

Deep in a remote corner of Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, there is a rather unusual lake.  Many lakes in the Sierra Nevada may have a small strip of shoreline where a tired hiker can sit and soak their feet, but Benson Lake has much more than that.  It has a full beach like you would expect to find at any ocean shore.  On this episode, Jeremy's daughter Sonya joins him as he narrates their 2018 hike of the 50-mile Benson Lake Loop, and Jeremy's hiking buddy Tony Wong joins the show to talk about their 2013 visit to Benson Lake while hiking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail.  Before talking about the Benson Lake Loop, Jeremy brings you the stories of Bridgeport and Bodie California, two towns near the trailhead east of the Sierra, but with two very different stories.TWH listeners get a 10% discount on backpacking meals:  https://outdoorherbivore.com/

Jack Witt of Active World Journeys joins Jeremy to talk about his trek on the Hadrian's Wall Path.  This trek goes coast to coast across northern England alongside the wall that Emperor Hadrian built in the second century A.D. to mark the northern boundary of the Roman Empire.  Today trekkers can spend a week enjoying the walk through the English countryside, staying in quaint inns along the way, and soaking in the history of Rome and England.Active World Journeys:  https://www.activeworldjourneys.com/Get Fit With Witt:  http://www.getfitwithwitt.com/Jack's post on the Hadrian's Wall Path:  https://nohoartsdistrict.com/all-life/get-fit-with-jack-witt/item/6500-a-walk-across-northern-england-on-the-hadrian-s-wall-pathOutdoor Herbivore (10% off for TWH listeners):  https://outdoorherbivore.com/

Learn about the Rota Vicentina Fisherman's Trail in Portugal, a hidden gem trek along the wild coastline. Discover the history and beauty of the Alentagio region. Explore accommodations and food options and the authenticity of the trail. Get inspired to hike in the Dolomites in South Terl, and get valuable advice for outdoor adventures.

Tony Wong is back on the show to talk with Jeremy about their hike of the Diablo Trail on their home turf in Northern California.  Jeremy tells some of the history of the area, including the legend about how Mount Diablo became named California's "Devil Mountain."  And don't miss Tony's advice about how to repurpose leftover takeout food as your go-to backpacking meal.Save Mount Diablo:  https://www.savemountdiablo.org/Outdoor Herbivore (discount for TWH listeners):  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Questions, comments, or suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.com

Andy Kermode from the Hiking Thru Life podcast joins Jeremy to talk about the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota.  The Superior Hiking Trail follows the North Shore of Lake Superior, the largest body of fresh water on earth by surface area.  Andy thru hiked all 300 plus miles of the trail in 2019.  Also, Jeremy recounts some of the history of the North Shore of Lake Superior, including its darker side as a hideout for gangsters and bank robbers.Hiking Thru Life:  https://hikingthrulife.net/Jeremy's appearance on Hiking Thru Life:  https://anchor.fm/hiking-thru-life/episodes/60-Trails-Worth-Hiking-with-Jeremy-Pendrey-el0fl3Outdoor Herbivore (TWH listeners get a discount!):  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Questions, comments, or suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.com

Ryan Cornia of Road Trip Ryan joins Jeremy to discuss the remote and beautiful Ruby Crest Trail in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada.  Jeremy shares some of the old west history of the area, which included wagon routes, the Pony Express, and even a cavalry fort.  Jeremy's dad Rusty also joins him on the show to talk about the Ruby Valley, the wildlife oasis below the Ruby Mountains.From the show:Road Trip Ryan:  https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/Ryan's Ruby Crest Trail post:  https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/nevada/northern-nevada/ruby-crest-trailOutdoor Herbivore - Listen to the show for a discount code!  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Questions, comments, or suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.com

Jeremy's son Justin joins him on this bonus episode to talk about their amazing hike of this alternate route of the High Sierra Trail.  Instead of just hiking the High Sierra Trail from west to east, this extended version of the hike loops back west and turns the hike into a grand circuit of several high sierra canyons and passes.  And don't miss the special treat at the end of the episode.Mentioned this episode:Hipcamp:  https://www.hipcamp.com/Outdoor Herbivore:  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Questions, comments, or suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.com

Jeremy's hiking buddy Tony Wong is back on the show to talk with Jeremy about Joshua Tree National Park and their 2018 hike on the California Riding and Hiking Trail through this high desert wonderland.  Jeremy and Tony talk about the history of Joshua trees themselves and Joshua Tree National Park before telling you how you can hike this fantastic trail and giving you a possible itinerary for the hike.  And Tony tells us about his almost fatal mistake backpacking years ago.Questions, comments or suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.com

Jeremy's daughter Sonya joins him on this episode to talk about her adventure on the Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.  In the first part of the show, they recount a bit of Hawaii's history, explain why Kauai doesn't have tall buildings (except one), and talk about the largest canyon of the Pacific.  Then they bring us to the Na Pali coast and its ancient footpath, the Kalalau Trail.  Sonya tells us about her hike along this beautiful and possibly dangerous coastal trail, including her encounters with some of its mysterious outlaw residents.  For more on that, see the February 2018 issue of Hakai magazine's article "Hawaii's Last Outlaw Hippies."  After talking about the trail, Sonya tells us about what growing up a backpacker has meant to her and why jelly beans just might be the solution to backpacking with kids.  She also tells us about her favorite footwear, key travel advice, and her aspirations to hike some longer-distance trails in the future.  And if all that wasn't enough, going nude in the outdoors comes up multiple times on this episode, so don't miss it!

Jeremy's son Justin joins him to talk about Ecuador and the Quilotoa Loop (spoiler alert:  it's not actually a loop).  They discuss visiting Ecuador's two rival equator theme parks, the capital city Quito, studying Spanish in the beautiful and friendly city Cuenca, visiting the crest of the Andes in El Cajas National Park, the Inca ruins at Ingapirca, the possibility of climbing the Cotopaxi volcano, the city of Latacunga and its legendary Mama Negra festival, as well as the indigenous Inti Raymi festival and how Ecuador celebrates Corpus Christi.  They talk about walking the Quilotoa trek on the route from Sigchos to Quilotoa, including their favorite hostel on the route, Llullu LLama, and its social media star St. Bernard dog (Baloo) and namesake llama, Tito.  And of course they recount the dramatic and exhausting finish of the trek at the beautiful and mysterious Laguna Quilotoa at almost 13,000 feet of elevation (almost 4,000 meters).  Justin tells us about what it was like growing up backpacking from a young age and how it impacted him.  He also talks about the benefits of warm socks, the joy of seeing the world at the speed of walking, and why he wants to hike in a jungle.  To plan this trek check out the Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Hiking the Quilotoa Loop on the Whirlwind Travellers blog, which Jeremy relied heavily on for planning his family's trek.  Reach out to us with any questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes at trailsworthhiking@gmail.com.