Backpacker Radio

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Liz Crandall, a former US Forest Service field ranger who was fired by DOGE last February and has since transitioned into advocacy, activism, and podcasting, serving as the host of Rangers of the Lost Park. 
In this one, Liz walks us through nine years of climbing the federal government's career ladder, from GS3 volunteer to permanent employee, and what it actually felt like to receive the phone call telling her it was over. She breaks down the DOGE firing process, the spam-looking emails that nobody believed were real, the Fork in the Road offer that most people didn't take, and what it looked like inside a Forest Service office where even the people who voted for the administration were crying. She also shares what it took to go from a person who was trained never to talk to the press to someone doing live CNN, the roadless rule and why she thinks rescinding it is a bad idea, her crown jewel podcast guest Ken Burns, and two pants-shitting stories from her hitchhiking days that she's been dreading telling us since she booked this.
We wrap the show with hikers who discovered human remains in Vermont, the celebrity names we can never remember, how I butchered the boy who cried wolf, the triple crown of the worst gifts to give your kids, and an ALL TIME listener email and poop story.
Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com.
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OnX Backcountry: Through Memorial Day, use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com 
[divider]
Interview with Liz Crandall
Rangers of the Lost Park Podcast
Rangers of the Lost Park Instagram
Liz's Instagram
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:34 - Processing
00:10:30 - Reminders: Join us for Chaunce's live podcast sendoff, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, check out our new merch, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!
00:17:25 - Introducing Liz
00:18:10 - What's the story behind your ranger raccoon tattoo?
00:24:47 - Tell us about working in wildlife rehab between Forest Service seasons
00:30:23 - How did you go from wildlife rehab to becoming a field ranger?
00:33:00 - What do the GS pay grades mean and how does the Forest Service career ladder work?
00:36:39 - What were your biggest accomplishments climbing from GS-3 to GS-6?
00:41:13 - When did things start going wrong under the new administration?
00:43:01 - What were the Fork in the Road emails from DOGE actually saying?
00:47:15 - What happened when the February 14th firing emails went out?
00:52:06 - Is there any optimism that fired feds could get their jobs back?
00:53:32 - How fast did you go from being fired to becoming an advocate?
00:57:41 - What was it like representing all fired feds in the press?
01:00:15 - Discussion about the State of the Union and lobbying in DC
01:02:18 - What do you disagree with about the Forest Service and BLM?
01:09:25 - How did Rangers of the Lost Park get started?
01:10:31 - How did you land Ken Burns as a guest?
01:15:26 - What were the biggest takeaways from your Ken Burns interview?
01:17:46 - What are some of the top remaining battles for public lands?
01:20:48 - How do you respond to people who aren't affected by these issues?
01:26:45 - Where do you get your validation when the wins are invisible?
01:28:45 - Triple Crown of Liz's best podcast guests
01:31:20 - How do you find joy in a world of bad news?
01:34:07 - Pants-shitting stories from Liz's hitchhiking days
01:43:17 - What's your most underrated piece of backpacking gear?
01:45:45 - Tell us about your mountain lion and grizzly bear encounters
01:56:40 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: Hikers Discover Human Remains Near Vermont Appalachian Trail by Kelly Floro
QOTD:  What celebrity names can you never remember? 
Parenting Thing of the Week
Triple Crown of the worst gifts to give young kids
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
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Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play.
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Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.
A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "The Snail" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns
A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, Dakota J, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.

Segments
Geography Quiz
Smells Associated with Health Issues
Trek Propaganda: 7 All-Too Common Signs of Entitlement I've Noticed in the Thru-Hiking Community by Peg Leg
QOTD:  Why does a sawyer filter last a lifetime but you're supposed to swap a brita every few months?
Triple Crown of mountain peaks
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Support us on Patreon to get bonus content.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram.
Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.
Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. 
Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.
A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "The Snail" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns
A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, Dakota J, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Stephen Palazzo, aka Near Miss, an Army veteran, thru-hiker, and peak bagger who has completed the AT, CDT, AZT, and Colorado Trail, summited all 58 of Colorado's 14ers, and knocked out three of the seven summits. 
This one runs the gambit. Stephen walks us through 24 years of military service, from crossing into Iraq on the first wave of the ground war in 2003 to negotiating with the number two guy in Al-Qaeda over a solitary confinement dispute, to a very geopolitically tangled deployment in Syria. He also shares how thru-hiking became the thing that finally got him to put down the bottle, why post-trail depression hit harder than anything he experienced in war, and a magical moment in the Wind River Range where he locked eyes with a bull moose. And- as Chaunce comes to grips with her impending move, she has made it her mission to make each podcast an ultra-marathon. This one is sure to give you enough content to get through the week (or year). Also, warning: this episode contains discussions of war, combat, death, PTSD, and alcohol abuse.
We wrap the show with an article about thru-hiker entitlement, discussing why a Sawyer filter lasts a lifetime but you're supposed to swap a Brita every few months, the triple crown of mountain peaks, a new sun hoody review series, a detailed mailbag about a listener's experience on the San Diego Trans County Trail, and Chaunce schedules an impromptu summit of Mount Rainier.
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Shady Rays: Use code "TREK" for 40% off two or more pairs of sunglasses at shadyrays.com.
[divider]
Interview with Stephen "Near Miss" Palazzo
Stephen's Instagram
Stephen's Trek Author page
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:25 - Reminders: Check out our new merch, get tickets for our LIVE Chaunce send-off podcast, apply to be a guest co-host, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon
00:13:40 - Introducing Near Miss
00:15:50 - What got you started in the military?
00:22:00 - Were you still on your five year plan when 9/11 happened?
00:26:45 - Talk to us in your drill sergeant voice
00:28:30 - Discussion about Stephen's time in the military after 9/11
00:40:50 - Did you prefer your more managerial or front-line roles?
00:45:40 - What are your go-to stories that you tell about your deployments?
00:49:18 - What was one of your near-death experiences?
00:53:00 - Discussion about post-trail depression
00:55:30 - Discussion about PTSD
00:56:00 - How did you deal with your drinking problems?
01:01:15 - Do you have any advice for hikers that want to process something on trail?
01:06:17 - Chaunce's voice memo story
01:09:50 - As a drill sergeant, what ticks you off the most?
01:14:00 - How many people left in the first few weeks?
01:21:00 - Tell us about your Ursack freezing to a tree
01:26:50 - Have you talked any of your veteran friends into hiking?
01:28:30 - Was there a moment you realized that hiking was healing you?
01:35:00 - Tell us about your trip to Ecuador
01;37:30 - Discussion about rhabdomyolysis
01:40:45 - How did you get interested in mountaineering?
01:44:16 - Do you have advice for someone who wants to save money for an adventure?
01:51:45 - How did you decide to hike the CDT next?
01:56:10 - Is there a difference between the fear you experienced while deployed versus hiking?
01:58:50 - What are your favorite stories from the CDT?
02:02:10 - What's the most real between ghosts, aliens, and mountain lions in New England?
02:14:35 - What time span did you complete all the Colorado 14ers in?
02:18:30 - Discussion about paratroopers
02:25:15 - Which was your first of the 7 summits?
02:31:17 - Discussion about summiting Denali
02:38:15 - Fuck Marry Kill: Denali, Kiliminjaro, Aconcagua
02:39:50 - If you had to cut a summit from the list, which would you cut?
02:43:00 - Discussion about deciding to quit a thru-hike and town food
02:49:50 - Tell us about the 13ers you've done recently
02:52:00 - Are you afraid of dying?
02:53:55 - What do you wear in extremely cold conditions?
02:55:45 - What advice would you give to someone interested in getting into mountaineering?
03:03:30 - Do you feel like a different person now?
03:06:00 - Zach and Chaunce have a fight
03:12:50 - What's next on the docket for you?
03:13:45 - In what way did you burnout on thru-hiking?
03:16:40 - Tell us about your Buffalo Wild Wings points
03:23:00 - Stay Salty Question: What's your hottest take in the world of backpacking?
03:25:50 - If you were 18 again, would you join the Army again?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: 7 All-Too Common Signs of Entitlement I've Noticed in the Thru-Hiking Community by Peg Leg
QOTD:  Why does a sawyer filter last a lifetime but you're supposed to swap a brita every few months?
Triple Crown of mountain peaks
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Support us on Patreon to get bonus content.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram.
Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.
Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. 
Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.
A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "The Snail" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns
A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, Dakota J, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.

Segments
Dramatic Survival Stories
Trek Propaganda:
Thru-Hiker Who Died on PCT Was Trek Blogger by Kelly Floro

The Dark Side of Trail Magic: The Negative Experiences Hikers Rarely Talk About by Peg Leg

QOTD:  What's the best/funniest word for boobs?
Triple Crown of (team) sports
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Support us on Patreon to get bonus content.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram.
Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.
Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. 
Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.
A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "The Snail" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns
A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, Dakota J, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we sit down with Becca Beckham, trail name Little Bag, a Peace Corps veteran, thru-hiker and all around world traveler.
Becca has hiked the Long Trail and PCT, and last year tackled the Colorado Trail, the Tour du Mont Blanc, and the GR20 in Corsica. In this one, Becca shares what it's like growing up in a military family bouncing across the country, to two years in Cameroon with the Peace Corps, to teaching English in France, to landing in the wonderful world of thru-hiking. She shares stories about floating a hippo-filled river in Central Africa, accidentally eating monkey, attending a rat festival, and what it's like to build community from scratch in a new place, over and over again. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to just keep saying yes, this is your episode.
We wrap the show with some very big and ungood news for the future of this podcast- hint it involves Chaunce- hint it's probably what you think it is, hint we are all processing it together- hint it's not related to health or anything serious on that level- but yes it's sad and bad. We also share the tragic news about Ian MacLurg, a thru-hiker, Trek Blogger, and Trail Correspondent who recently passed away while hiking the PCT. 
On a lighter note- we reveal details of a live podcast happening in Denver in late June, the triple crown of team sports, the funniest terms for boobs, and why Chaunce is looking at her phone all the time during the podcast.
Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com.
Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com. 
OnX Backcountry: Through Memorial Day, use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com 
Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com
[divider]
Interview with Becca "Little Bag" Beckham
Becca's Instagram
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:40 - Reminders: Live podcast in Denver on June 26! Listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon and subscribe to The Trek's Youtube!
00:08:17 - Chaunce's Big News
00:23:11 - Introducing Becca "Little Bag" Beckham
00:24:41 - How did you get into backpacking?
00:25:59 - What was it like growing up in a military family?
00:29:57 - What was it like making friends when moving to a new school every few years?
00:32:35 - Alabama snakes tangent
00:35:16 - How did you get from Peace Corps to the Long Trail?
00:39:08 - What brought you to the Peace Corps?
00:44:15 - What was your day-to-day life like integrating into the community in Cameroon?
00:51:30 - What kind of work were you doing in Cameroon?
00:53:27 - What is bush meat, and what was the wildlife like in Cameroon?
00:57:49 - Did you float a hippo-filled river in Cameroon?
01:03:30 - Do you feel like the Peace Corps prepared you for thru-hiking?
01:06:48 - Have you always been this adventurous?
01:08:23 - Has living a non-traditional lifestyle made it harder to find love?
01:17:15 - How did you come to the decision not to have kids?
01:20:14 - What were your biggest gear fails on the Long Trail?
01:21:25 - What did you learn from the PCT shakedown?
01:28:28 - What was the mud situation like on the Long Trail in a wet year?
01:33:02 - What happened in the gap between the Long Trail and the PCT?
01:39:54 - Did you get norovirus at Crater Lake on the PCT?
01:42:47 - What happened when you discovered you were allergic to Leukotape on the PCT?
01:51:41 - What was your best campsite on the PCT?
01:52:55 - How did you transition back to AmeriCorps after the PCT?
01:54:31 - What is the difference between AmeriCorps and Peace Corps?
02:00:56 - What was it like living in a 15-passenger van with your AmeriCorps team?
02:05:14 - What was it like doing a site visit inside an Idaho prison?
02:13:17 - What was it like installing wildlife-friendly fencing on a Montana ranch?
02:14:58 - How did the government cuts to AmeriCorps affect you personally?
02:20:27 - How did losing your job lead to an epic year of hiking?
02:21:54 - What was it like hiking the Colorado Trail?
02:27:43 - What was hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc like?
02:37:15 - Is the GR20 the hardest hike in Europe?
02:44:25 - Tell us about the pigs tearing a hole in your tent
02:51:18 - Peak Performance Question: What's your top performance enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda:
Thru-Hiker Who Died on PCT Was Trek Blogger by Kelly Floro
The Dark Side of Trail Magic: The Negative Experiences Hikers Rarely Talk About by Peg Leg
QOTD:  What's the best/funniest word for boobs?
Triple Crown of (team) sports
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Support us on Patreon to get bonus content.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram.
Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.
Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. 
Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.
A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "The Snail" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns
A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, Dakota J, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.