Lightshow and I met two weeks into my thru-hike when the world was shutting down due to COVID. He completed the southern half of the AT last year. This year he plans to start at Katahdin and head south. He joins me this week to talk about his unique approach to hiking the trail, why you should take the blue-blazes, his time working at Standing Bear Farm, and so much more! Lots of love and lessons in this one.       Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!     

Walking and Talking: An Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike

Lightshow!

Hey everyone! My mom, Mary Schlosser, joins me this week to reminisce about her experience with the AT in 2020. No intro or outro today. Audacity keeps crashing whenever I try to edit, so it’s all interview this time around. Join us for a conversation about putting on a brave face, learning lessons from the woods, eating cold oatmeal, apple cider festivals, and so much more!   If you’d like to listen to other episodes with Mary, check out episodes 1 & 8       Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!     

The Schlossers talk AT

On this one-year anniversary episode I’m joined again by Chase Bontemps (Shotgun). Shotgun is a 23 year-old West Virginia University grad who now works as a civil engineer in Washington DC. He’s one of my best friends from the trail and we hiked the northern half together. Today’s episode is a relaxed conversation in which we reflect on the one-year anniversary of our start dates. If you’d like to hear Shotgun’s backstory, I recommend first listening to episodes 11 and 19. If you’ve already heard those episodes, or if you just want to dive into this episode, welcome aboard!   **I was riddled with technical difficulties while recording and editing this episode. I tried my best to make everything sound as normal as possible   Thank you to everyone who has listened to the show over this past year! You all rock!    Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!     

One-Year Anniversary & The Return of Shotgun

This week I’m joined by Scott “Hell Yeah Jesus” Hughes. He’s the host of his own podcast I Just Wanna Be Hiker Trash (link below). Scott was 1,400 miles into a sobo AT thruhike attempt in 2016 when he made the decision to get off trail for the year. He returned Katahdin in 2018 and set off again – this time successfully making it all the way to Springer Mountain. Anyone who hikes 3,500+ miles on the AT comes away with some great stories. Lucky for me, all those stories make for a great interview! Join us for a conversation about determination, crazy trail names, podcasting, lessons the trail teaches, and so much more!   Check out I Just Wanna Be Hiker Trash here https://ijustwannabehikertrash.com/   or on FaceBook https://m.facebook.com/justwannabehikertrashpod/     Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!    

Hell Yeah Jesus!

This week I step away from the normal interview format and instead bring you some recordings from the trail in early April 2020. I had stopped releasing podcasts at this point due to COVID. Hopefully this episode shines some light on the difficulty of the hike at that point and my thoughts as I debated whether or not to continue my hike.     Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!    

The Unreleased Tapes- Part 1

This week we head to a different trail – Vermont’s Long Trail! This trail stretches 273 miles through Vermont from the Massachusetts border to Canada. Natalie Muskin joins me to recount her 2018 thru-hike and her experience the following summer as a backcountry caretaker! Join us for a conversation about the naturalness of hiking, persevering through injury, the assumptions people too often make when a woman hikes alone, everything coming full-circle, and so much more!       Learn more about Green Mountain Club Backcountry Caretakers! https://www.greenmountainclub.org/looking-back-50-years-how-the-caretaker-program-began/   Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!  

The Long Trail with Natalie Muskin

This week I’m joined by Laura Bee, aka Neck Knife. She was living in California when she decided to come back home east for a 2020 AT flip-flop thruhike. She felt the trail was approachable and could fulfill nostalgic goals, as she grew up in New Hampshire. Join us for a conversation about how the AT can bring families closer together, encouraging women to thruhike alone, why the AT can be a great place for people with opposing viewpoints to have respectful conversation with each other, how moving slower can make you happier, and so much more!   Check out Laura’s great AT blog! https://www.tobeeaflipflop.com/   Follow her on Instagram: @laurabee0   Bonus episode once I reach 100 ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts!    Happy 2021 Everyone!   Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!  

The Journey of a Sparkle Chasing Mountain Mermaid called Neck Knife

This week, I’m joined by Phill Toomasian, aka Flamingo. He is a triple-crowner, having hiked the 2,650-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail in 2018 and the 2,200-mile-long Appalachian Trail and the 3,000-mile-long Continental Divide Trail in 2020. That’s over 7,000 miles of hiking on those trails alone! (about the distance from Denver to Hong Kong!) Phill partnered with the non-profit “Dressember” this year to raise money to fight human trafficking. Join us for a conversation about living your “real-life” no matter where you are or what you’re doing, following your faith to use your natural gifts to better the world, social media pressure during COVID-19 and the amplification of “cancel culture”, why the AT is the most difficult part of the triple-crown, a really neat pair of pink pants, and so much more!   Follow Flamingo on Instagram! @phillip.david.t   Become a donor to Phill’s Dressember fundraiser! https://dressember2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/phill-toomasian?fundraiserPrompt=1108924&fbclid=IwAR3rbpIFKSHxrpWrvb193JzMRtIIw-D5O4hNcbAaSZQXyfXItT5-KSgNgAU     Happy Holidays! I can’t believe this is already the last episode of 2020. I’m so appreciative of all of you who have been with me this year to share this journey with me :)        Connect with Walking and Talking!   All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!      

Triple Crowning with Phill Toomasian (Flamingo)

This week I’m joined by Anthony Kaplon, known on the AT as Half-Baked. He might be able to compare COVID-era hiking to BC (before-COVID) hiking better than anyone else, as he flipflopped Harper’s Ferry to Springer in the Fall of 2019 and Harper’s Ferry to Katahdin this May thru August. Join us for a conversation about knowing exactly when the right time to thruhike is, spending two-and-a-half zero days at a music festival back when those were a thing, finding your genuine self as the AT breaks you down, time-warping on a foggy mountain, and so much more! Want more from Half-Baked? Instagram: @flopflipped_at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClVQz21H4P45tOvlNmleFZQ     Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every other Wednesday at Noon EST!      

Flip-Flopping Thru the Pandemic, with Anthony Kaplon (Half-Baked)

This week I’m joined by Kevin Rocks, aka Goat. He is a farm-to-table chef who brought a wonderful food culture to the AT on his thruhike this year. Join us for a conversation about foraging, cooking, cultivating patience, slowing life down, and so much more!   Check out Goat's 5-star AT dinners on his Instagram: @rocks_chef   Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every Wednesday at Noon EST!    

Foraging from Georgia to Maine, with Kevin Rocks (Goat)

This week I’m joined by Jacob Myers, aka Valhalla. He is an avid hiker and writer who decided to stop his thruhike 200 miles in this year due to COVID-19. Join us for a conversation about the importance of community, the value in sharing both sides of a story, insane training routines, escaping death in a surprise storm, hiking someone else’s hike, and much more! Follow Jacob’s blog on The Trek: https://thetrek.co/author/jacob-myers/ Check out his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9NIz7SQeSJmCwrBULCI7w?view_as=subscriber     Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every Wednesday at Noon EST!  

Jacob Myers (Valhalla)

This week, I’m joined by Ben Crawford. He is a 2018 thru-hiker who hiked the AT with his wife, Kami, and their 6 children (ages 2, 7, 11, 13, 15, & 16). Known as the Crawford Family, they hold the record for the largest family to complete an AT thruhike together. Ben is the author of the brand-new book “2,000 miles together: the story of the largest family to hike the appalachian trail”. Join us for a conversation about finding a balance between experience and safety, overcoming the “internet hate machine”, the process of converting a life-changing experience into a book, just being a normal family, and so much more! Want to hear more from Ben? Find his new book here: https://geni.us/2000MilesTogether   Follow his family’s YouTube vlog: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT2WgHiawhWgbahB0CNENkg   Follow on Instagram @fightfortogether   Visit the website: https://fightfortogether.com/     Connect with Walking and Talking! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every Wednesday at Noon EST!        

Ben Crawford: The Largest Family to Hike the AT

This week, I’m joined by 2020 thru-hiker Bobby Sanders, aka Lefty. I often refer to Lefty as the socialite of the AT, as so many hikers this year have a story of a memorable moment shared with him. In 1999, he suffered an electrical accident that resulted in the loss of his right arm, two fingers on his left hand, and damaged his left leg. The doctors were unsure if he would walk again. He has since run four marathons and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Join us today for a conversation about the importance of family, perseverance through injury, seeking faith on the AT, and so much more.      Find Lefty’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCshWGLiqN63IXuM9GefnvyQ     Connect with the show! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every Wednesday at Noon EST!      

Bobby Sanders (Lefty)

A different type of episode this week! I take some time to look back at the state of Georgia, the “freshman year” state for a NOBO thru-hike hopeful. I hope you enjoy this shorter episode, and I plan on being back with a regular length episode with an interview next week.   Connect with the show! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every Wednesday at Noon EST!    

State Profile: Georgia

This week I’m joined by 2020 thruhiker Zach Tucker (FreeFall). He is a long-distance hiker, traveler, peakbagger, and AEA stage manager. Zach is one of the very first people I met on my journey. As you’ll hear, him and I took different approaches to handling the mid-thruhike COVID-19 outbreak. Join us for a conversation reflecting on thruhiking, exploring a possible calling as a hostel manager, seeking ways to make the AT experience reignite passion in a career, and so much more!  Find Zach’s website here http://bytarmacortrail.com   Connect with the show! All Things Walking and Talking: https://ryanschlosser.com/   Links to Listen: https://ryanschlosser.com/podcasts/   Donate: https://ryanschlosser.com/donate/   Contact: https://ryanschlosser.com/contact/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingtalkingpod   New Episodes every Wednesday at Noon EST!

Zach Tucker (FreeFall)

Curious what life is like while attempting to thru-hike all 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail? Interested in hearing interviews with other hikers? Join host Ryan Schlosser, during this gap semester of his junior year at St. Lawrence University, as he does a whole lot of walking and a good bit of talking while making his way from Georgia to Maine.