Cascade Hiker Podcast - Backpacking and Hiking

Dave Tucker wrote Geology Underfoot: Western Washington a couple years ago and I recently discovered it. The book plays out as a hiking guide to various styles of geological sites that are easily accessible from the Cascades to the Coast. Dave also takes gives the reader plenty of different theories and some history on each chapter or site. I asked about certain spots that were captivating to me, but I first asked Dave what some of his favorite sites are. He jokingly points out quite a few. First he brings up the Seattle walking building tour of rocks from around the world. Johnston Ridge on Mount St Helens and Beacon Rock are some of the other spots he brings up. The first site I wanted to ask Dave about is the Secret of the Mima Mounds just south of Olympia Washington. There are no true answers to the reason for the mounds. The chapter encourages people to explore the Mima Mounds Natural Preserve and ponder over some of the different theories he provides. Cape Disappointment has a history of coastal geological processes. The mouth of the Columbia River here is constantly changing. The sediment is distributed far north of the mouth and the drastic change can be greatly seen when comparing photos taken by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Dave brings up the fact that geology always wins despite an abundance of human intervention. Dave describes the history of the Tale of Two Forests and the Ape Caves on the south side of Mount St Helens. about 1,500 years ago lava surrounded downed trees, creating tubes suitable for kids to crawl through today along the ADA path at Trail of Two Forests. The trail on top of the Ape Caves, less than a mile away, has a ton of evidence, sitting above the basaltic lava flow tubes. Mount Rainier itself has been well covered in other book, so Dave decided to focus on the receding Nisqually Glacier and Burrows Mountain and the giant mudflow caused by a collapse 5000 years ago and the lava flows predating the mountain itself. Whidbey Island is home to Double Bluff which is a perfect place to view multiple glaciation periods. Mammoth bones have also been found here on this beach walk. This is another reason to visit Double Bluff in Langely, Washington. Dave explains why Hurricane Ridge and the Olympics are a mess for Geologists to try and unwind. Many discussions and debates have been held to try and figure out why marine rocks are scattered so high in the mountains. Go and see for yourself, using the different theories that Dave gives in his book. Highway 20 at Washington Pass and the popular hike Blue Lake there. Dave talks about the granite boulders there that are turning into sand and how rare this is to see. The sand itself is not good for making sand castles though! Mount Baker Highway takes drivers to Heather Meadows and here Dave talks about the Fire and Ice Trail which is one of our favorite family walks in summertime. The interpretive signs talk about "Valley in the Sky" and Geology Underfoot points out that the theory given to hikers there may be out of date.  Go out and find the book at your local book store! Go to- https://nwgeology.wordpress.com

http://www.aldhawest.org Ray Jardine is actually one of the people that spearheaded ALDHA West. Early members would gather at houses, giving each other ideas for ultralight hiking and companionship. They have become the home of the Triple Crown Award (people that have thru hiked the main three long distance trails AT, CDT and the PCT) The past three years ALDHA West has been trying to change the way they are perceived in the hiking community. Long distance hikers are members, but there are also section hikers, trail angels, and people that just love hiking.  There are two events that ALDHA West holds each year, with the biggest of the two being the Gathering. It is a weekend of connecting and learning. Movies and meeting new folks is Friday night. Saturday is the big day. Presentations by some top notch speakers, fun hiker games, the Martin Kapendick award ceremony and finally the triple crown award ceremony. The gear raffle is huge! Buys some tickets and cross your fingers. There $3,000 to $5,000 dollars in gear raffled off from sponsors.  The other event they hold is a winter ruck, held in multiple locations. This is a great place to go and learn about the technical side of backpacking. Pack shake downs and discussions on things like river crossings. The rucks will be:  Inland NW Ruck Coeur d'Alene, ID March 3, 2018 Cascade Ruck Cascade Locks, OR February 24, 2018 NorCal Ruck TBD Colorado Rockies Ruck Golden, CO March 17, 2018

Wildlife and hiking meet in this forest. Beavers create the environment for owls, frogs, otters, turtles, and woodpeckers. Listen to their sounds, read the stories and poems, and check out the pictures.

Clint "Lint" Bunting carries a trowel in his UL backpack setup

Sherry "Night Rider" Winslow is back on to chat about her thru hike of the Pacific Northwest Trail. She talks about taking a train to the trail start in Glacier National Park and then we go over some of her resupply spots. In episode 61, Sherry talked about her Pacific Crest Trail thru hike and in episode 65 we went over the West Coast Trail.  I asked her some questions from my Cascade Hiker Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadehikerpodcast/) where James Chapman asked her "What is like being so badass?"  Jeff Kish, who went over the Pacific Northwest Trail on episode 40, also asks Sherry a few questions, including what would you want to see changed about the trail? The Pacific Northwest Trail travels through Skagit and Island County, crossing I-5 and Highway 20. I made sure to ask Night Rider wether or not it was weird hiking this section since she lives close by. We also talk a bit about her Wonderland Trail hike just two weeks after her thru hike was finished. It snowed a lot on Mount Rainier during her hike. Follow Night Rider: Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/sher_nanigaans/ Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583 Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop: REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

Long distance hiking gets better with donations.

How much are social media posts causing overuse to easy access spots?  Mark Wetherington is passionate about a proposed idea about an 8th Leave No Trace (LNT). Currently there are seven rules posted on LNT.org - The Seven Principles  Plan Ahead and Prepare Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces Dispose of Waste Properly Leave What You Find Minimize Campfire Impacts  Respect Wildlife Be Considerate of Other Visitors Some ideas are on https://8thlnt.wordpress.com - “Be mindful when posting on social media and consider the potential impacts that rapidly increased use can have on wild places” “Use discretion when posting on social media and consider the potential impacts of creating a ‘buzz’ about specific destinations” And some links- “On Instagram’s Impact on Wilderness, and True Adventure Photographers” https://www.adventure-journal.com/2017/03/instagrams-impact-wilderness-true-adventure-photographers/  “Is Social Media Ruining Lake Tahoe’s Wilderness?” http://www.sierrasun.com/news/is-social-media-ruining-lake-tahoes-wilderness/ “Protecting Wilderness in the Social Media Age” https://www.adventure-journal.com/2017/07/protecting-wilderness-social-media-age/ “Is Instagram Ruining the Great Outdoors?” https://www.outsideonline.com/2160416/instagram-ruining-great-outdoors “A Local Gem in Danger” https://lnt.org/blog/local-gem-danger “Guffey Gorge is Instagram Famous” https://lnt.org/blog/guffey-gorge-instagram-famous “Loved to Death: How Instagram Is Destroying Our Natural Wonders” https://www.theringer.com/2016/11/3/16042448/instagram-geotagging-ruining-parks-f65b529d5e28 “A Tranquil Swimming Hole Is Overwhelmed by Its Own Internet Fame” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/20/nyregion/blue-hole-swimming-catskills.html “Does Social Media Impact the Trails We Love?” http://www.wta.org/news/signpost/social-media-and-the-great-outdoors “Is Social Media Spoiling Colorado’s Hanging Lake?” http://www.kunc.org/post/social-media-spoiling-colorados-hanging-lake “How social media hurts and helps the great outdoors” https://www.marketplace.org/2017/05/29/business/how-social-media-hurts-and-helps-great-outdoors “Too much love for the Columbia River Gorge” http://www.columbian.com/projects/2017/07/23/loving-the-gorge-to-death/ “Viral Trails: The Weird Popularity of the Devil’s Bathtub” https://highlonesometrails.wordpress.com/2016/06/09/viral-trails-the-weird-popularity-of-the-devils-bathtub/ Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583 Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop: REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

Anastasia Allison joins me to chat about her show The Inspired Adventurepreneur Podcast and her other backpacking business.  Inspired is really the key word to Anastasia's talks on her show. Her emotions are all in and it radiates throughout her episodes. It will only take a listener one episode to get catch onto her inspiration train. Adventurepreneur is a word that Anastasia combined from Adventure and Entrepreneur to describe what she is doing.  Her Facebook hiking group is called Toward the Mountaintop Inch by Inch. She tells the story about how that name came to be and she also sells a sticker with this on it. We also talk a bit about her Music in the Mountains which we discussed more thoroughly on Bonus Show 002 Listen HERE. Follow Anastasia:  Website- http://anastasiaallison.com Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583 Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop: REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

082 Rescued from the Trail with Shannon Cunningham

This is a repost from episode 17! Larry Colagiovanni, the chair of Seattle Mountain Rescue, came on the podcast to answer some questions about Seattle Mountain Rescue out of King County, WA. I asked him questions about their history, their procedures and some of the past missions they have been a part of.   Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583 Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop: REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

A few months ago, Mark Wetherington wrote an article on http://www.trailgroove.com about hiking podcasts. It featured the Cascade Hiker Podcast and one of my favorite podcasts The Trail Show.  I had the opportunity to chat briefly with Mark and thank him in person! The article: http://www.trailgroove.com/issue34.html?autoflip=103 Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583 Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop: REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

Dion Pagonis and Andrea Rego come on the podcast to chat about Christian "Buddy Backpacker" Thomas. Earlier this Fall Dion and Christian received their Triple Crown awards at the ALDHA West gathering in Colorado. Christian is now 9 years old, though he was much younger, 5 years old, when he completed his thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. Dion, Christian's Step Father, hiked every mile of the three major trails with him. The family hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2012,  Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, Colorado Trail in 2014 and they split the Continental Divide Trail into two summers 2016 and 2017.  Follow Buddy Backpacker- https://www.facebook.com/BuddyBackpacker/ https://www.instagram.com/buddybackpacker/ https://buddybackpacker.com Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583 Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop:  REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

Fearless Sarah just finished the Appalachian Trail and has also complete the Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail and the Annapurna Circuit in the Central Himalayas of Nepal. She now has her hiking eyes set on the Arizona Trail. Growing up in Hawaii, Sarah had corrective scoliosis surgery at age 15. She has a titanium rod in her back to correct her spine. She was struck by a car just six years ago while commuting on her bicycle and was able to walk away essentially unhurt because of her titanium rod.  Sarah decided that her injury would not define her. She took up multiple sports or activities, without fearing them,  after the accident on her bike. Eventually she took her no fear attitude to the Pacific Crest Trail and is now inspiring other hikers! When I asked Fearless Sarah if she has had any fears on the trail she said, "My mind will play tricks on me, but I keep telling myself that though it may be cold or uncomfortable, I need to keep going!"  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearlesssarah/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fearlesssarahd/ Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5262583 Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop:  REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

Randy Farrell is the owner of Green Gables, a hiker stop in Robe up the Mountain Loop Highway, with his wife Edith. In this bonus episode we chat about their mission to clean up the trailheads on the South Mountain Loop Highway.  On Saturday, October 28th Randy and Edith set up a volunteer day! They are working with the Darrington Ranger District to hopefully continue this event and turn it into a more consistent clean up effort. Stop by and say hello to the Farrell's on your next hike up the Mountain Loop Highway and don't forget to purchase your fluids and snacks there. Link to clean up event: http://www.makeadifferenceday.com/dashboard/project/adopt-a-trail-head Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! Click HERE Twitter @N_Cascadehiking Like our Facebook Page Cascade Hiker Podcast On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop: REI: https://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-156474-_-195158-_-103473&avad=195158_cfd055bd Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=caschike-20&camp=216797&creative=493977&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MGT9CD53WB7FW23K97M& My Trail Company (GoLite): https://mytrailco.com/collections/direct-down?avad=195158_cfd05595&utm_medium=aff&utm_source=156474

Anastasia Allison and Rose Freeman found each other in a round about way through an Instagram book giveaway. Rose plays classical piano and Anastasia plays classical violin so naturally they thought of the idea to hike their instruments to the top of local mountains and play together. I used a piece of their recording in the episode, giving listeners an idea of the what the scene of a  melodic mountaintop sounds like. "It is combining the two things I love; Music and Mountains," Anastasia tells me in this interview. I think that she is- Toward the mountaintop string by string. Anastasia was nice enough to come on the podcast and tell both of their stories and she also has a podcast of her own called The Inspired Adventurepreneur Podcast. I have recently binged on all of her episodes to date and highly recommend it! Here is the link to their appearance on King 5 News: http://www.king5.com/.../hiking-musicians-take.../477737312 Her Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/towardthemountaintopinchbyinch/ Don't forget to shop our Cascade Hiker Hats and Bumper Stickers! Join Me at Patreon to get exclusive content! Click HERE @N_CascadeHiking Like our Facebook Page CLICK HERE On Instagram Cascade Hiker Podcast Check out Whiskey Fever: https://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyfever The song used in the intro is 'Tall Grass' from their album Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. Shop: REI Amazon My Trail Company (GoLite)