In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, guest co-host Steven Shattuck aka Twinkle and yours truly are joined by Kylie Yang. Kylie is a Field Programs Manager at the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, a thru-hiker, a former AT ridgerunner, and overall a wealth of knowledge regarding all things related to the great outdoors. We chat about Kylie’s foray into the world of thru-hiking, what being an Appalachian Trail ridgerunner looks like- including being called “an overly tattooed, hipster slut” by an angry hiker, and we learn all about her present-day role with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and the challenges of getting volunteers to remote sections of the trail.

We wrap the show with a triple crown of conspiracies you maybe buy into a little, useful items you’ll likely find in a hiker box, new gear that we’ve been digging over the last season or two, what hitchhiking on the AT really looks like, and much more.

LISTEN

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Shoutout to our guest editor for this episode, Tina Mullen!

Interview with Kylie Yang

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:16 – QOTD: What does today’s guest’s dad do for a living?

00:06:13 – Reminder 1: Apply to be a blogger for 2023!

00:06:31 – Reminder 2: Please subscribe!

00:07:04 – Introducing Kylie

00:07:54 – Discussion about growing up in southeastern Virginia/Yorktown

00:09:15 – How did you get into the outdoors?

00:11:08 – How did you transition to thru-hiking?

00:13:40 – Did you have a partner when you hiked?

00:14:52 – Tell us about your social experience on the AT.

00:16:25 – What’s your favorite story from your AT hike?

00:19:05 – Tell us another AT story!

00:21:02 – What was it like to hike through the places you grew up?

00:23:03 – What is a ridgerunner, for those who don’t know?

00:24:17 – Tell us about bears in New Jersey.

00:26:56 – Tell us about your tattoos!

00:30:06 – What’s the most common fuckup you see hikers making?

00:31:03 – Discussion about Kylie’s job setup

00:32:33 – Tell us about the interplay between you and thru-hikers.

00:35:24 – What’s a regular day in the life of a ridgerunner?

00:36:45 – Were you trained in how to educate people?

00:39:27 – What’s the weirdest trash you collected?

00:40:34 – Discussion about becoming a ridgerunner, the salary, and tips for interested people

00:43:44 – What’s the most common way people went against LNT practices?

00:46:10 – Tell us about the Long Path!

00:48:42 – Why did you hike in winter?

00:50:01 – How long would it take the average person to hike the Long Path?

00:51:03 – Why the Long Path?

00:53:14 – More discussion about section hiking the Long Path in the winter

00:56:57 – Tell us about working for the Continental Divide Trail Coalition.

00:58:25 – Tell us about the Bridge Project.

01:00:00 – Shoe tangents

01:01:43 – What would you tell people looking to get into trail work?

01:02:12 – Is there a difference between volunteering out east and in the Rockies?

01:03:57 – Tell us about the type of work you do and what is most rewarding.

01:05:30 – Discussion about the openings at the CDTC.

01:07:20 – What’s been the most exciting project in Colorado?

01:08:05 – Discussion about qualifications and incentives for volunteering

01:13:20 – Discussion about trail adopters

01:15:52 – How much of the trail is adopted?

01:18:00 – What else should people know about volunteering or the CDTC?

01:19:08 – What’s next for you?

SEGMENTS

MG Check-In

Trek Propaganda

Triple Crown of conspiracies you maybe buy a little

New Gear Review

Listener Voicemail (and leave us your own!)

5 Star Review

Check out our sound guy @headnodculture.

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