Episodes

2 days ago
2 days ago
On this episode: tortoise helicopters, misplaced vs lost, and names that sound like trail names, but aren’t. We’re talking with adventurer, triple-crown thru-hiker, and wildlife biologist Sage Clegg.
We talk with Sage about her “name-name”, her path to thru-hiking — which also led to her working with desert tortoises — and building a life that allows her to prioritize outdoor adventure.
In this Episode
- Grand Enchantment Trail in New Mexico/Arizona
- Outward Bound
- Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) – Sage hiked southbound (SOBO)
- Yogi’s PCT Guide
- Continental Divide Trail (CDT)
- Appalachian Trail (AT)
- The Triple Crown
Learn More About Desert Tortoises
- Desert Tortoise Council
- Ironwood Consulting sometimes hiring for studies
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
On this episode: mountain bike racing, the 80% rule, and trail maintenance. We’re chatting with professional mountain bike athlete, cycling coach and trail advocate Emma Maaranen.
We talk with her about how she entered the world of professional racing, why she ended up started a new women’s mountain bike racing team, the chaos of a race start, the most important training day of the week, and much more.
In this Episode
- Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – getting a UCI pro license gets you into more races
- Bowen Sports Performance – where Emma coaches
- Moab Rocks – a 3-day stage race where Emma realized she had been over-training
- Sisters Stampede – see the photo gallery
- TransRockies Race Series – next up for Emma in 2023
- COTA – the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (where Emma pays “rent” on her “office”)
Connect with Renee Patrick
- You can find her on Instagram @emmamaaranen and on YouTube also @emmamaaranen
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Episode 80: Renee ”She-ra” Patrick on the Value of Long-Distance Hiking
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
On this episode: the Oregon Desert Trail, hikertrash, the Campmor catalog, and ground-truthing. We’re talking with Renee Patrick, self-identified as hikertrash who has been hiking for decades and is currently coordinator for the Oregon Desert Trail.
Renee is a triple-crown thru-hiker with over 20 years of experience planning, hiking, and improving long-distance trails. She is an environmentalist and passionate outdoor enthusiast who believes that long-distance hiking can deepen our relationship with the landscapes and environmental issues that desperately need more advocates
In this Episode
- Oregon Desert Trail – A 750-mile route that traverses some of the most spectacular natural areas of the state’s dry side, including the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Steens Mountain, the Pueblo Mountains and the Owyhee Canyonlands.
- The Peace Corps (unintentionally) helped prepare Renee for long-distance hiking
- Appalachian Trail – Renee’s first thru-hike
- Pacific Crest Trail – One of her favorite distance trails
- Wonderland Trail
- Arizona Trail
- Continental Divide Trail – Capped off her Triple Crown
- Apps: FarOut Guides and Gaia GPS
- Blue Mountains Trail and Renee’s article on the history of the trail.
- Ground truthing: the facts that are found when a location shown on a map, air photograph, or satellite image is checked on the ground (i.e. hiked), as validation.
- And while the newsprint Campmor catalog may be a memory, the company is still around online.
Connect with Renee Patrick
- She-ra Hikes – Her personal website
- Renee Patrick – Long Distance Trail Consulting – Renee provides insight and services to help long-distance trail organizations and developers to improve the hiking experience and inspire action on behalf of the environment.
- You can find her on Instagram @wearehikertrash
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Monday Feb 27, 2023
Episode 79: Lee Welton on Hiking Fitness and Injury Prevention
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
On this episode: thru-hiking, Wolff’s Law, stretching your hip flexors, and nose breathing. We’re talking with Lee Welton, PCT thru-hiker, physical therapist assistant, and personal trainer. We talk about how to train for completing long hikes injury-free.
Lee “Flick” Welton thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2018. As he was preparing for the trek in 2017, he found that there weren’t a lot of great resources that focused on training for long distance thru-hikes, so he founded Trailside Fitness, where he provides personal, online training for aspiring thru-hikers, helping them prepare and complete their thru-hikes injury-free.
You can also find Lee on Instagram @trailside_fitness and be sure to check out his YouTube channel for great content on training, recovery and more. It’s good information for all hikers.
In this Episode
- Pacific Crest Trail
- Wolff’s Law
- Is long-distance thru-hiking good for your body?
It might come down to what you eat during your thru-hike.
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Episode 78: The Knoth Family on Bikepacking Year-Round
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
On this episode: cheese, cat motels, is math the worst subject, and bikepacking as a family. We’re talking with The Knoth Family: Rob, Dawn Rae, and Max. They’ve been bikepacking as a family for nine years, and spend about a month of nights camping outside each year on their year-round bikepacking trips… all while holding down full-time jobs and school.
About The Knoth Family
Find Dawn Rae on Instagram @dawnraek and Rob @robknoth. They invite you to reach out with any questions about bikepacking.
Mentioned on this Episode
Become a Supporter!
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
On this episode: art school, communism, and being out in the wild. We’re talking with Patrick Dunn, climber and founder of OUT in the Wild, an organization that makes the outdoors more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community and teaching technical climbing skills.
About Patrick
Haling from the infamous beaches of the Jersey Shore, Patrick moved to the west coast in search of adventure and queer community. After struggling to find the queer outdoor community he hoped for, he started OUT in the Wild to create a space for LGBTQ+ folks to connect with each other in the outdoors and learn new skills. Patrick has been climbing since he was 18 years old and started guiding in 2019. Through guiding he loves to share his passion for climbing and the outdoors. In his spare time, he is also an artist and amateur chef!
You can learn more about Patrick and OUT in the Wild here:
- OUT in the Wild official website
- Follow @out_inthewild on Instagram
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Episode 76: 2022 Year in Review
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
On this episode: 2022, our favorite episodes, and plans for 2023.
This is a shorter version — no guests — just Jason, Saveria and Jeff looking back on the past year and ahead to 2023.
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Episode 75: Jill Rose and the Importance of Rest
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
On this episode: Quiet quitting, rest, walks in nature, and sea turtles. We’re talking with Jill Rose, a life coach for women working in the realm of burn-out. She helps women find rest, which can seem to run counter to the active outdoor lifestyle, but is necessary to refuel the tank.
We talk about the layers of rest, and how rest can help us be happier, better balanced and ultimately perform better in other areas of our lives.
Before you do anything in the morning, get centered.
Jill Rose
Our conversation ran the gamut, covering the impact of social media, how rest looks different for each of us, and practical ways to “reset” during this busy season.
We close the podcast with Jill leading us in a short breathing exercise that you can take with us.
Connect with Jill Rose
You can learn more about Jill Rose and her coaching at her website, Jill Rose Coaching and on Instagram @jillrosecoaching, or via email at info@jillrosecoaching.com.
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Friday Dec 02, 2022
Episode 74: Jason Hardrath and Collecting Fastest Known Time Records
Friday Dec 02, 2022
Friday Dec 02, 2022
On this episode: Norman’s 13, rubrics, and 100 FKTs. We’re talking with Jason Hardrath, badass hiker, running, and collector of FKTs.
Jason was a world-class triathlete until he went through the windshield in a car accident. Doctors said he’d have to leave that part of his life behind, and front that point, he was determined to come back. During his recovery he got to the point where he could hike. From hiking, he started peak-bagging. And soon, he was doing more technical climbs that required acquiring new skills.
Since then, he’s gone on to accumulate 115 (and counting) historical fastest known time (FKT) records.
Jason’s story is an incredible inspirational tale of rehabilitation, grit and determination. We talk about the experience of some of his FKTs, the missed FKTs, and inspiring his students (he’s an elementary phys-ed teacher when he’s not collecting FKTs).
PLUS… we learn about the process behind the creation of the film, Journey to 100, documenting his FKT on the Bulger 100.
Mentioned in this Episode
- fastestknowntime.com
- Strava
- Jason gets the FKT on the Bulger 100
- Norman’s 13
- Journey to 100 – YouTube
- The Yosemite Picnic
Connect with Jason online at jasonhardrath.com and IG @jasonhardrath
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.

Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
On this episode: world premieres, documentaries, and the Colorado Trail. We’re talking with Jeff “Legend” Garmire, Dylan Harris and our very own Jason Fitzpatrick about their new documentary FREE OUTSIDE.
On August 28, 2020, Jeff Garmire set out to break the unsupported Colorado Trail record. His goal was to hike 485 miles without resupply or outside assistance in under 9.5 days. No film crew had ever captured an unsupported record before. They would have no contact with Garmire for the entire journey. FREE OUTSIDE follows Legend’s FKT attempt on the 486-mile Colorado Trail.
Show Notes
- 00:33 – Introducing Dylan Harris, Jeff “Legend” Garmire and FREE OUTSIDE
- 02:00 – What is FREE OUTSIDE all about?
- 03:35 – The rules of an “unsupported” fastest known time (FKT) and how they have changed
- 10:00 – Carrying batteries, cameras and memory cards for self-filming the FKT attempt (and all the other stuff you’re carrying)
- 12:35 – The blister-popping scene
- 13:30 – How Dylan got into the outdoors, film and video
- 16:08 – Dylan’s 27 day thru-hike of the Colorado Trail
- 19:45 – The world premiere of FREE OUTSIDE
- 22:40 – What was it like to see the footage from two different perspectives?
- 25:05 – What Dylan’s been doing since filming FREE OUTSIDE
- 28:35 – Legend’s FKT on the John Muir Trail
- 38:00 – Respect for the Long Trail (and a throwback to Episode 2).
- 39:45 – Next on Legend’s FKT to-do list
- 44:10 – Dylan’s film THE PARTICPANT and running a 100-mile race
- 60:00 – Wrap-up
Mentioned in this Episode
- FREE OUTSIDE premieres on Tuesday, November 15th in Denver, Colorado. You can get tickets at https://holdmyticket.com/event/403195.
- THE PARTICIPANT – Dylan’s film about his experience running in a 100-mile race
- Follow Legend @thefreeoutside
- Follow Dylan @spiritofdylan and Dylan Harris Films on YouTube
Become a Patron
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is and will always be free. If you’d like to help us keep the lights on, we are now on Patreon, where you can support our work with a bus or two (or more) each month. Send us some green and help us keep the pod rolling!
Connect with us!
Like Almost There on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthereadventurepodcast/
Follow Almost There on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostthere_ap/
Send us a voice message! https://www.speakpipe.com/AlmostThere
Our Co-hosts
- Jason Fitzpatrick – IG: @themuirproject
- Saveria Tilden – IG: @adventuruswomen web: AdventurUsWomen.com
- Jeff Hester – IG: @thesocalhiker web: SoCalHiker.net
Theme song by Opus Orange. Courtesy of Emoto Music.
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is a celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and talking to adventurers, artists, legends and activists within the outdoor community.