Wards Adventure Travel Research & Trip Journal

We research U.S. national parks below latitude 35 ° N in hopes of finding somewhere awesome to hike and backpack in January or February. (Listener feedback with other options would be great! We’re looking for backpacking destinations that stay above freezing.) During this episode, we find Big Bend National Park, which sounds very promising. It’s … Continue reading »

We make important decisions about the future of this podcast. Why we decide to stick with backpacking adventures for now.

How does this show title apply to adventure travel? Blame dad!

In this podcast episode, dad and I discuss what type of adventure we should try next. Winter is coming, so we’re thinking of snowy endeavors. If you have any ideas or suggestions, we’d be happy to consider them. You can post in the comments at EpicFieldNotes.com/027…

Dad and I discuss our completed backpacking trip to Shenandoah National Park.

025E (Part 5 of 5)            

025D (Part 4 of 5)      

025C (Part 3 of 5)    

025B (Part 2 of 5)      

025A (Part 1 of 5)        

Published early because we’re leaving tonight at midnight. Here’s the pre-show research I did… From the PATC book, the number for reservations at Big Meadows Lodge is 800-999-4714 (however, this number is disconnected). So I called the number for federal and national park reservations (877-444-6777)–aka Recreation.gov–and the receptionist told me they only book campsites, and … Continue reading »

Dad got blisters, and I got chafing. Here we throw off all modesty to discuss our personal trail ailments in the name of helping others avoid two very common dangers with backpacking. We will be leaving for Shenandoah National Park in 5 days, so this is our final logistics episode, then next week we will … Continue reading »

Really coming down to the wire on the Appalachian Trail adventure. In this podcast, we make final decisions about several logistical questions, including where to stay, when to depart, how to get to Luray, VA, and more. I discuss my phone call with the desk clerk at Shenandoah National Park headquarters. We also create a … Continue reading »

The first half of this episode, dad and I debate our differences of opinion. The second half is debate free.

The first 30 minutes is a discussion about Fiona Hill from Bob’s novel Sea Turtles.

Visit the link below, then click the “A.T. Shuttle List” link for the PDF file dad and I discussed in this episode. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/find-a-hike/parking-shuttles-transportation

This episode begins with an overview of my family vacation to Niagara Falls. Next we discuss the Big Agnes Q-Core air mattress I purchased from REI. Then we talk about what training we’ve done–dad has a weight vest with approximately 40 lbs of weight for solo training–and what we plan to do to get in … Continue reading »

This is one of the most entertaining of the lot!

More hiking, overnight camping, and gear testing. One of my favorite types of episodes! We discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what we thoroughly enjoyed. For example, we enjoyed several scenic rest stops (sitting on a railroad bridge over a large creek, lying in the grass on a beautiful breezy mid-morning day at two separate … Continue reading »