Finding Thru-Hiking Community, the Jordan Trail, and Bigfoot Trail Mishaps with Claire "Marmot" Dumont (BPR #354)

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Claire "Marmot" Dumont, a mapmaker, writer at The Trek, and thru-hiker who has completed the AT, Mountains to Sea Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, JMT, and more. In this one, Marmot walks us through what it's like to spend three months on trail with your dad, how a Fulbright fellowship brought her to Jordan to research land ethics and outdoor recreation, and what happened when COVID shut down the borders and kicked her off the Jordan Trail mid-hike. She also shares the story of assisting a rescue on Mount Washington and hitching out to town in the ambulance, what it meant to find a queer trail family on the AT and how she thinks about femininity and queer identity in spaces that have traditionally skewed pretty dude-bro, and why she will never apologize for hiking in a dress with an AeroPress in her pack. We wrap the show with a new YouTube channel from The Trek, some kick ass trail days we'll be hosting, how a billionaire game developer has been buying up thousands of acres of wilderness in North Carolina, asking whether we'd rather be able to thrive off of 4 hours of sleep, or have the full month of September off each year, the triple crown of BBQ foods, why Chaunce now likes inflatable sleeping pads, we reignite the gas station bathroom debate, and we opine on whether a listener should hike the AT as a flip flop or NOBO. [divider] LISTEN Download this episode. [divider] Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com. Gossamer Gear: Use code "backpackerradio" for 20% off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.  Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com</sp