When Hallie Halprin - trail name Monarch - sets off to hike the Continental Divide Trail, she’s doggedly determined to go alone. While the people who know her best express concern, Monarch is unfazed. She has a plan to interview people for an audio project about supernatural encounters, a catalogue of campfire stories (no reason! she’s just interested!).

The perils Monarch encounters on her five-month journey, real and imagined, mirror her complicated, optimistic, and doomed attempt to use adventure as a way to be reborn.

Website: monarchcast.com YouTube/Instagram/TikTok: @monarchpodcast