This is the quickest podcast I've ever released. Jessica got to end yesterday afternoon (October 3) and texted me this morning. I knew you'd want to hear from her so I've rushed the episode out. As you'll hear, she saved the danger until the en

Episode #32 - Talking underwear

Sep 22nd, 2018 28m 33s

With Canada only a couple of weeks away, Dixie is facing a race against the snow. It is starting to get colder and she is adjusting her gear to meet the changing weather. We caught up yesterday morning and she had made it to town for an urgent

Episode #31 - A snowy sunset

Sep 17th, 2018 21m 17s

Jessica is now less than 300 miles from Canada and is moving well after her recent toe issues. However, she is about to enter 190 miles of wilderness, so she caught up with me yesterday to give an update. She has enjoyed the trip but is now rea

Episode #30 - Getting humbled

Sep 12th, 2018 24m 59s

With Dixie back to full mobility after her toe op, she is making real progress towards the Canada border. For the first time, she looks as if she'll make it before October or, at worst, a few days into the month. Today, she talks about the impa

Episode #29 - Powering through

Sep 8th, 2018 23m 43s

The last time we caught up with Dixie, she had decided to get her ingrowing toenails cut out. This was clearly going to disrupt the progress she had been making, and I fully expected her mileage to drop precipitously. She told me that we'd try

Episode #28 - Time to make a decision

Aug 30th, 2018 25m 26s

With her ingrowing toenails continuing to bother her, Dixie has made a decision to resolve the problem. This will slow her progress but she now has Kyle, Rogue, and Perk with her. Hopefully, the next few days will enable her to get back on trac

Episode #27 - Getting the gang back together

Aug 25th, 2018 29m 14s

With Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park now behind her, Dixie heads into Idaho with two very angry feet. We had a lot of trouble connecting to have a conversation but eventually managed to speak twice; once on the trail and once in a small t

Episode #26 - Alone again

Aug 15th, 2018 26m 54s

Having spent a couple of weeks with a mini "tramily," Dixie finds herself alone once more, with each of her various hiking companions heading in different directions. I caught up with her this morning, not having heard from her since she had in

Episode #25 - Slow down

Aug 9th, 2018 26m 43s

Jessica, Kyle and her brother, Dakota, have been hiking together for a week, at a predictably slower pace but revelling in the diversity of the trail. They've experienced some glorious views and some horrendous hail. Dixie has also had to adapt

Episode #24 - Reunited

Aug 3rd, 2018 24m 6s

This conversation was on Wednesday, August 1, so I apologize for not getting it to you earlier. Dixie has been joined by her brother and another familiar face. We got an excellent question from Shane Capps about hiker hunger, while there though

Episode #23 - It's a wild life

Jul 27th, 2018 21m 48s

We've not spoken for over a week and Jessica has moved into Wyoming. With another desert to contend with, she is getting help with her hydration from truckers as they pass her by. She has also had a few wildlife encounters, one of the great joy

Episode #22 - Can't do without the coffee

Jul 17th, 2018 27m 14s

Another catch up on the trail, with Jessica taking a break and having cell service. This time, we didn't lose her towards the end as we did last time. We ranged from coffee pots to guns and even got in another thunderstorm story. Listener, Joe

Episode #21 - Greased Lightning

Jul 12th, 2018 23m 25s

This week, we were able to catch up when Jessica was actually hiking on the trail. She had a signal and, particularly because I wanted to know about her electrical storm experience, I immediately got on the phone. Then, once she had told her st

Episode #20 - Favorite things

Jul 6th, 2018 26m 16s

It's been a few days since we spoke and Jessica is now almost due west of Denver. We learn about these small towns and what she does when she gets into town, as well as how much solitude she has been experiencing. We also learn about one of the

Episode #19 - Dixie or Jessica?

Jun 27th, 2018 33m 16s

We last night when Jessica was in town. Rogue was catching her and expected to get to town soon after we spoke. They will be hiking out together today. We had a long, wide-ranging conversation–both recorded and not recorded–that produced the be

Episode #18 - Is anybody there?

Jun 23rd, 2018 25m 19s

Once again, we had to wait until Jessica was in town for our chat, so I caught up with her in Walmart, of all places. She is currently separated from both Perk and Rogue, though expects Rogue to catch her soon. We talk about healthy trail food–

Episode #17 - Talking grizzly

Jun 17th, 2018 23m 11s

Happily, Jessica is back smiling once more and in Colorado. She's had to take another alternate route because of fires but is still, as she says, "connecting her footsteps." This week, she reflects upon the tough past few weeks and looks forwar

Episode #16 - Glum days

Jun 10th, 2018 18m 20s

While she was expecting to be able to get straight back into her hike, Dixie has found this week to be tough. Whether it is the elevation or the antibiotics still in her system, she has struggled and felt quite down. She is about to hit the Sa

Episode #15 - Right on time

Jun 5th, 2018 16m 36s

With Dixie's stay at home reaching two weeks, Steve spoke with her this morning to establish when she might be back on the trail. The timing could not have been better. Not only was she in New Mexico, but she was about to hit the trail once mor

Episode #14 - Home is where the tooth is

May 29th, 2018 19m 37s

While she was hoping to be back on the trail by this time, Dixie's journey has been interrupted by an extended stay at home due to a medical situation. She's happy to be there but itching to get back. When we hear from her next, she will be.

Episode #13 - Leavin' on a jet plane

May 22nd, 2018 22m 5s

With her sister's graduation coming up, Dixie left the trail this week. I caught up with her at Dallas Airport, between stops and already worn down by the transport system. She reflected upon her journey so far, comparing the desert on the CDT

Episode #12 - Heart thumpin' and camera filmin'

May 18th, 2018 28m 14s

Dixie is past the 700-mile mark and will be leaving the trail for a week to attend her sister's graduation back home. We caught up today and, without any warning, Dixie told me of her dramatic encounter with REAL wildlife.

Episode #11 - A Mother's Day wish

May 14th, 2018 24m 29s

Another five or six days between conversations, I managed to catch up with Jessica earlier today on Mother's Day. These are the days that make her miss her family, and I had been concerned that her blue mood of last week may still be there. But

Episode #10 - The Long and Winding Road

May 7th, 2018 28m 39s

We've been out of touch with Jessica for about a week. The spotty cell service has mitigated against us talking on a sufficiently clear line. Eventually, last evening, we spoke. Right from the start, she didn't sound her normal self, with the l

Episode #09 - Going Rogue??

Apr 28th, 2018 27m 2s

Got a text from Jessica today and caught up with her at over 8,000 feet where she had a decent phone signal. Plenty of sound effects in this one, with the click of her poles and her footsteps clearly audible.