Rocks and Roots

Happy Easter, Happy Greek Easter, and a Happy Passover to those who celebrate!  Crank and Tumbles return to the trail (even though we have done some hiking between August and now…). Some can say the podcast has been risen from the dead.  Hallelujah.  Go visit Neversink State Park NY.  Nice wee watering holes.  We love you guys! ❤️

Today we tackled Friday and Balsam Cap Mountains in the Catskills and boy was it awesome. A fun and challenging bushwhack for all levels, This is a perfect one to dip your toes in if you were thinking about trying out a bushwhack. Tumbles goes over the hike as well as has a mini TED talk on the importance of strength training.  Enjoy!

Hey R&R friends, we decided to head north this time and do a small section of Vermont!  Were there rocks?  Yes. Roots?  Yes. MUD?!  Oh hell yes.  We also caught the thru hiker bubble and chatted with some awesome humans. Enjoy!

Hello intrepid listeners!  A full report on the beauty of southern Virginia on the AT!   We saw ponies, longhorns, highlands, untrained dogs, and much more on this episode!

Hi friends!  We're happy to be back and talking to you about the small but mighty Bull Hill Loop in Cold Spring, NY! A great after work uphill and downhill trail that has fun for everyone.  Have you been here?  Let us know!

Hey friends and a happy belated New Year. We missed you and hope you missed us.  We have been working hard training for our redemption ultramarathon taking place in less than 2 weeks!  Check out our adventure running Manhattan. Mucho mucho love. 

Heyo!  The duo discusses one of Tumbles' favorite sections of the AT and its historic impact on the Appalachian Trail.  Crank goes into an unknown trail near the Zoo and Tumbles tries to not get sick.  Enjoy and thanks for listening!

Hey y'all!  We got our booties out and traveled down to Virginia for some AT/Mau-Har Trail action!  It's the height of foliage in western Virginia and we were blessed with great weather and even a rainbow!  Come check out the 3 Ridges Trail on this episode, known as one of the most difficult in Virginia!

Barefoot Ken joins us once again for a fantastic chat on his Ultra/Half Marathon run, the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run!  We get into the logistics of this trail and what made him decide to co-race direct this awesome race!  We also go into some of Ken's recent and upcoming races as well as New York/New Jersey Trail Conference updates. Thanks, Ken, it was fun to catch up!   We're signing up. Are you? runwild.org/srtrun or look for the Shawangunk Trail Run on UltraSignup.com Check Ken out at thelongbrownpath.com  

The lovely Tina Merritt joins us once again to talk all about her journey to the Grand Canyon. Not only that but Tina went to hike one of the most difficult trails out there, the R3 or Rim to Rim to Rim. That's going from the south rim of the Canyon to the North Rim and back to the South Rim. Just shy of 50 miles, Tina talks about her experience with Project Athena, heat induced hallucinations, and a SNAFU at the North Rim which resulted in a 10pm dinner with a 12am wake up time.  Tina's hard work and resilience training over the years has paid off since she was able to conquer this beast of a trail.  Congratulations, Tina!  We

And they said it wouldn't last, but we've reached 100 proper episodes on the Rocks and Roots Podcast!  We are thrilled to chat with ultrarunner and author Catra Corbett!   We hear about Catra's start in the ultra running world in the mid-90s after a battle with substance abuse.  Her determination on the road and then trail gives her an edge that not many possess; the ability to conquer very hard things seamlessly.  She went from 10ks to 100s in less than a year, has podiumed, don't multiple FKTs of the John Muir Trail and beyond, and loves her some 200 mile races.  She is on the way to do the High Sierra Route in August 2023 and we wish her the best in that awesome endeavor!   Looking forward to having Catra back on the show soon! https://catracorbett.com Insta: @dirtdiva333 TikTok: @dirtdiva3  Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/dirtdiva333/?wtsid=rdr_0Zdj0QQ6mL0s2wmkA

What a fun chat we had with Kate Cloud (Feathers)!  Kate has years of trail miles under her belt as she's an AT alum class of 2018 and a PCT alum class of 2019.   Her life took a fun turn with the adoption of her goat Little Leaf and her trail experiences in 2020-2022. The journey continues with Kate's recent acquisition of a laundromat-turning-hostel in Rawlins, Wyoming. Kate's energy and joy is contagious as we talked trail, goats, and hostels all while giggling.  If you're to take anything away from this episode it's this quote, “If you don't push back, the universe tends to bring you what you need.” Follow Kate! www.youtube.com/@KateCloud Insta: kate_cloud_feathers Art website: littlebitsandbigdeals.com Little Leaf

We're thrilled to welcome back 46 of 46 Podcast host James Appleton to the show to speak to us about his half marathon experience with minimal running training (but a bunch of hiking training).   Along with that, we learn about James' decade long passion for lifting and how the sport of Powerlifting has strengthened not only his body but his mind as well.  As a well-rounded student of exercise, James has lost over 100 lbs, completed two rounds of the ADK 46 and is now a bonafide runner.   We also speak about his ebook and guiding experience in the Adirondacks.  46of46.com @46of46podcast  @jamesappleton46  

We had the pleasure of chatting with Mike of the popular Adirondacks-based Instagram handle @ADKFunPolice.   With a passion for the park and a sense of humor, Mike has made it one of his missions to bring up-to-date trail news and trail memes to his followers… with some light prodding in there too.  We also spend some time talking about the ever popular topic of registration and permits to hike the popular trails, especially in the High Peaks Region.  A big thanks to Mike for joining us and we hope to have you on the show again sooner than later!  

The deluge hit the High Peaks with many hours of rain, thunderstorms, bugs and unnerving river crossings.  Cranky and Tumbles took a few days to bag some peaks only to find that it wasn't as easy as they thought.  A trying expedition up to Nye Mountain would make or break the aspiring 46er along with bagging another orphaned peak we left behind a few weeks ago made it one for the books.  Honestly it wouldn't have been bad at all if we didn't do it torrential downpours.  We also scouted out Catamount Mountain which is going to prove a favorite in the ADK.  Onward!

Finally coming out of the busy season of spring, Cranky and Tumbles bring you the latest trail related news including…. FIRES, PRIDE MONTH, ESG SCORES, and more.  We are going a bit out of order since we did do Whiteface in the ADK Memorial Day weekend but we figured this is current events and we'll post the hike AAR next week.  Enjoy the episode, dear friends. 

It's Trail Talk day with Cranky and Tumbles!  We catch you up on a couple of trail news reports as well as dive into the importance of resistance training and why we've been slacking.   We'll be back on Trail soon with a surprise trail coming up that we are excited to start.  Stay tuned!

We have a very special guest who combines several of our passions,running, hiking, and books. Ken Posner is an ultra marathoner, hiker, and author. He has completed 100 marathons/ultras, the ADK 46, the Catskills Grid (35 peaks each month for 12 months for a total of 420 summits), he has hiked the Long Path in NY and John Muir Trail. Ken has also completed 51 races barefoot including 13 marathons and ultra marathons. He has completed the Catskills 35 barefoot and the ADK barefoot. Ken was also an Airborne Ranger. In this episode we discuss Ken's Badwater record, the Catskills 9, and the work of the NY/NJ Trail Conference! Kim Levinsky's Long Path FKT to raise money for trail conference. https://www.nynjtc.org/news/ultrarunner-aims-set-record-long-path-raise-funds-trail-conference

We don't know whether to call this a proper hike or just a jaunt in the woods (a la John Muir), but the Rocks and Roots crew have filled in their 3.16 mile section to connect their miles from central Virginia to Bennington, Vermont.  It was a gentle start to the AT hiking season.  From there, it all went to the #glamplyfe where there were cabins and campfire pizzas for dinner.  Some Harper's Ferry history rounded out the trip too. 

We welcome back Frankie Wilde to continue talking about his 2022 bike tour of Colorado!  While it has been a hot minute (5 months to be precise) since we last spoke to Frank, he jumped at the chance to relive his adventure once again.   We covered the rest of his trek including visiting ancient Puebloan ruins at Mesa Verde, skinny dipping in hot springs, experiencing scree fields for the first time, and even getting a music festival in! While he doesn't have a big tour planned for this year (yet!), we look forward to see what he has in store in 2024! Check out our last episode with Frankie: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocks-and-roots/id1545645681?i=1000581714092 And give him a follow on Instagram @wildeacrossamerica

Well kids, another DNF in the books and I have to say we learned a lot about our training and endurance during our 50k attempt this past weekend.  We both made it to mile 21.  Cranky's ankles literally seized up at 19 and Tumbles' time was increasingly getting longer and longer where she would have definitely be DFL (dead freaking last, by a long time). Not that would have been the worst thing in the world, but stopping before an injury is definitely preferable.  Tune in to learn about what we failed to do to train and how we're going to redeem ourselves in the future.  ✌️ 

As the title suggests, your esteemed hosts are attempting the Rat Race 50k in south Jersey.  Crazy?  Yes.  Especially when we're prepared-ish-maybe-sorta?  Absolutely.  Weeks (yeah, not months) of training with gradually upping mileage at weekends plus injury and rest time puts some doubts in our plan, but we're still going to give it a go.  Come along for this unedited episode where we talk trail, running, trail running, injuries, history with Mrs. Cranky too! The race is Saturday (3/18). Pray to your god for us. 

We were thrilled to speak with Glowstick this week about her trail adventures on the AT, Foothills Trail, and the Colorado Trail!  Coming off of a back injury and surgery, Glowstick's motivation along with a bit of encouragement from Bill Bryson had her complete the AT in 2018.  From there it was love as her move to Colorado afforded her peaks and trails to her heart's content.  We also dive into her 2022 Foothills and Colorado trail experiences which made Cranky and I thinking hard about our trail schedules this year.  Thanks again, Glowstick, it was great to chat!  Follow Glowstick on YouTube! youtube.com/@AudreyAdventures and Insta! @audreysadventuresyt Tumbles' Treadmill Mental Fight: runtothefinish.com/survive-long-runs-treadmill/

We once again welcome to the show Greg Calabrese, owner of Rip Van Winkle Adventure Guides in the Catskills!  (Tumbles apologizes for not getting this episode out last month).   We were intrigued about Greg's experience hiking the Catskill 9 and how it ranks with the notorious Devil's Path.  Greg also talks about his deer and turkey hunting experiences as well as a run in with a very lazy bear! Thank you, Greg, for taking your evening to chat with us and looking forward to catching up with you again soon! Check out Greg's business here!  ripvanwinkleadventureguides.com And check him out on Insta!  

Mr O'Grady is back and doing better than ever!  Always a pleasure to chat with him, Kyle dives into his Pacific Crest Trail thru hike and goes over the trials and tribulations of illnesses, fires, and (just one) video malfunction as well as meeting new friends and growing the bond with old friends.  We also chat about what direction Kyle is going with his YouTube channel as well as talk about the return of the beloved podcast Trail Tales! Follow Kyle on YouTube: YouTube.com/@kylehateshiking  Everywhere you listen to Podcasts: Trail Tales  and on Insta: kylehateshiking 

First off, forgive the background noise; Tumbles' neighbors house was on fire.  Secondly, we had an excellent talk with IBTAT, discussing his experience on the Scottish National Trail.  Going 862 km from the England/Scotland border to Cape Wrath, he took in the castles, highlands, lochs, the ocean, and a good bit of rain.  We also get into his vlogging and his National Geographic-esque flair to these videos.  As usual it was truly great to chat with IBTAT again.  Check out his website for his photography and his IBTAT merch.  savedbymtnsphotography.com He's also on Instagram: savedbymtns and to see his vlogs head to YouTube: IB TAT. 

Hey y'all, we opted outside or at least tried to this mild Black Friday. Alas it ended in a comedy of errors and a good meal in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  Along with this, however, we are responding to a message we received from one of our listeners concerning our pandemic amnesty episode.  We will return to our regularly scheduled outdoors episodes, but we felt this response needed to be said.  We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate) and we'll “see” y'all next week!

You get a twofer from us this go around!  We're back with some Trail Talk in the Adirondacks!  Cranky and Tumbles wanted to get in one last nice warm temp hike before the big freeze of winter set in and we were (mostly) successful!   Tropical Storm Nicole was due to land in Northern New York State around 3pm that day so we were out at 4am to bag Algonquin, Iroquois, and Wright peaks.  Once we broke daylight and clearing tree-line, it was like being in the middle of a hurricane with no visibility, 60 mph winds and a drizzle or two.  Tune in to hear all about it! 

Cranky and Tumbles get a bit political in this episode as they are not talking trail per se but discussing an Atlantic article written by a Brown University professor.  Do you remember when we were told by the ATC, the AMC, our governments not to go outside or hike?  That we needed to stop our thru hikes because we would endanger the trail towns with our hiker stank?  Did they not realize that we were in the safest places on earth during a pandemic and that it was more likely us who would becoming infected by townspeople?  I do and now they want us to forgive and forget.  Yeah, right.  Listen in to hear our take on a “Pandemic Amnesty”.  More trail fun on the next episode! theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/Covid-response-forgiveness/671879/

We had the pleasure of speaking with Bionic Man Tony Montana!  Tony, or Tex, has been hiking the High Peaks, Low Peaks and all peaks in between for over 10 years and has no plans of stopping.  We talk about his Summer and Winter ADK 46s, the North East Ultra 8 and how an accident in between Marcy and Haystack resulted in an amazing helicopter tour of the Great Range. Tony, we look forward to your 2023 season of adventures and hanging with ya again soon!

If you can imagine the sun hitting the vibrant foliage of the trees at dawn while you are standing encapsulated in snow and ice covered trees at elevation, that's what we experienced in the Adirondacks.   It was pure magic as we climbed Giant (of the Valley) Mountain and it topped the best hikes we've done.  Full after action report of Giant mountain along with questions and criticism about very young children doing these hiking challenges. all on today's episode. Enjoy! ps. Stay tuned to the end for an addendum to our episode! 

Mr. Frankie Wilde of Wilde Across America joins us once again to talk about his epic 1100 mile bike trip exploring Colorado!  While a shorter trip compared to his 3 prior cross country jaunts, Frankie and his friend Mike were able to explore the Centennial State more off bike and get a few National park stamps as well.  We talk about altitude woes and triumphs, oxygen in a can, and delicious sounding hot springs.  Stay tuned for part 2!

We welcome back the fall season with our first guest after a busy summer!  Sean O'Dwyer is the boss man of Total Catskills, a fantastic Instagram page where you can find all the tips, tricks, and lovely photos of the Catskills as well as mountain-hiking.com where you can find more in-depth coverage of the park!  Sean's hiking journey has  taken off in the past few years and he is a plethora of information on the Cats and surrounding areas. It was an absolute pleasure to chat with Sean and we look forward to seeing his Catskills 35 of every season completion! btw folks, I did promise a link to the Russian Brewery deep in the Cats (it's about 5 miles from the Panther Mtn trailhead) but for the life of me I can't find the name of it :-( 

Hey y'all, we're back at ya with the first episode since our epic western trip.  Only two and a half weeks after we came back and we're feeling it!  Despite that, we had an absolutely EPIC morning exploring the crags and squeezes at Mohonk Mountain Preserve near New Paltz, NY.  You'll hear about the fortuitous empty trail, fire tower, and delicious breakfast we encountered and how despite the entry fee, the Preserve boast some of the best groomed trails in New York.  Enjoy!

Cranky and a tired Tumbles do a redo of their play-by-play Half Dome hike in Yosemite and add their displeasure about Las Vegas.  Culture shock from woods to urban sprawl is very real!   The duo did manage to find an oasis in Spring Mountain Park, woods about an hour from Vegas and the Mojave heat!  Check out the episode to find out about this little gem and enjoy!

We are so sorry that the Half Dome episode didn't yield any audio!  We will be re-recording this tomorrow, but for this episode we are bringing you highlights from our Wheeler Peak 13,000 ft climb and our experience at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!  Tumbles and Cranky go over all the specs of these two amazing hikes and hope you will visit and experience this too!

Team Tumbles including the lovely Mrs. Cranky talk about their final leg of their west trip, the Grand Canyon!   We talk trails, temps, and gear and needless to say the excitement is building!   The next time you'll hear from us will be on trail in California!  Enjoy!

Join the duo for 16 minutes of walking and talking about Great Basin National Park and Philadelphia and Wheeler Peak and carnivals.  We're giving you the skinny of the second leg of our western trip visiting eastern Nevada.  Nothing more to say really. Enjoy the shit show and follow us on all the socials! ❤️❤️❤️

Alright y'all, we're mentally and physically prepping for perhaps one of the more epic hikes we've done in our tenure as Team Tumbles, HALF DOME.  That's right friends, in just 3 weeks time we will be out West and soaking in that dry heat all while conquering feats that no native east coaster has dreamt of conquering…the drama.. We talk stats and gear for the 14 mile hike in Yosemite and voice our delirious opinions (since it is a humid 100 degrees on the east coast and they just ran..) about the upcoming saga.  Enjoy!

It is a momentous milestone for Team Tumbles as Tumbles and the Crank complete the AT section of Shenandoah National Park.  It was a pretty anticlimactic ending view-wise as they finished in the middle of the park but 2+ years later, it was pretty exciting.  A well deserved blackberry milkshake at Big Meadows Wayside and a trip to Luray Caverns rounded out the day as the duo sets sights for south and back north in Vermont.  You also get a bonus review on a Metallica concert as well as Civil War time with Mrs. Cranky.  Enjoy, y'all!

We welcome back IBTAT to the podcast for a life update; what and where is he hiking?  After a fun weekend at AT Trail Days, he decided to continue hiking with Feathers, Roscoe, and Little Leaf Goat through the Shenandoah, the C&O Canal and beyond.  We talk about how full time hiking is going for him and what the next great trip awaits.  We hope that Little Leaf is on the mend and look forward to more adventure!  Follow IBTAT on Insta!  @savedbymtns on YouTube: IB TAT Buy his awesome merch! www.savedbymtnsphotography.com and Patreon: www.Patreon.com/IBTAT  Follow Kate Cloud Feathers on YouTube!: www.YouTube.com/c/KateCloud and Insta! Kate_Cloud_Feathers And Little Leaf! @little_leaf_goat

Another Cranky solo episode. This week covering the Austin Mountain and Furnace Mountain Loop in the Shenandoah. Learn how to sneak into the park, step by step directions for this loop, and about two cool plants. Leash your damn dogs!

(“69, dudes!”) kidding kidding. We were joined by Tennessee's Jess Lancaster for todays episode and we really want to explore that part of the US now! Jess goes into her love of the Cumberland Plateau and talks about some great sounding trails in Eastern TN!  We also learn more about the Art Loeb Trail and hiking in Georgia in December. We finish off the episode with Jess talking about anxiety and despite that, she still pushes herself to go out solo on trail.  Thanks, Jess, it was a real treat to chat!! Follow her on Insta! @shehikestn

Another bonus episode! Cranky explored the Ice Caves and Verkeerder Kills Falls of Sam's Point Preserve in the Shawangunk region of New York. Learn about these great sites and hear me bitch about the reservation system!

We are so pleased to have had author Brian Livingston (Mr. Frodo) on the show!  Cranky, flying solo, talks to Brian about his 2013 Appalachian Trail thru-hike, goes into characters and character arches in the book, and the process of writing and self-publishing a book.  Readers, and especially hikers, of ‘The Habits..' will be able to identify with the main character Gabe as he goes through his journey on the Great East Trail.  Growth, friendship and adventure course through the book and we guarantee that you will enjoy it! Thank you very much, Brian. It was a pleasure to chat with you.  Brian's website! brianlivingstonbooks.com

Cranky and Tumbles are BACK!  The duo finally started the Vermont section of the AT  at the southern end.  Covid, 95 degrees, ridge lines, and Bennington history phalluses await you this exciting episode. Enjoy, friends! 

A bonus episode! Cranky argues with a parkie. He then hikes Gertrude's Nose and Millbrook Mountain, in the Gunks, in New York. Learn all about this popular trail in Minnewaska State Park.

We're back, friends!  So sorry about the wee hiatus. Real work has heavily gotten in the way but have no fear!  We won't abandon you like that again… ANYWAY!  We have the loveliest guest on this evening, none other than Cranky's wife, Mrs. Cranky!  Mrs. Crank is not a hiker, nor does she like hiking very much, however she tolerates it for her husband and friend as they are a bit nuts :-) We talk about life as a spouse who does not share the same hobby, how trust plays a BIG role, and the things the Mr and Mrs do to make hiking a tolerable part of their journey.  Enjoy!

We interview the hiking partner in crime and dear friend of Kyle's, Flossy!  Flossy has quite a couple of thrus and an ultra under his belt as he gets ready for his second long trail out west.  He brings some perspective to our episode and reminds us not to take things for granted and someone always has it worse. We appreciate you, Flossy, and wish you the best on your PCT hike!   Flossy's Insta! Get him to 1500 follows! https://instagram.com/too_much_floss?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= You can also find Flossy here! https://youtube.com/c/KyleHatesHiking  

We're back with another episode with thru hiker, YouTuber, Podcast host, and all around good guy Kyle O'Grady!  If you recall, our last episode was chatting about Kyle's hiking history, starting Trail Tales, transitioning to YouTube and hints about an upcoming thru hike.  Well friends, this episode is all about the countdown to the Pacific Crest Trail. We talk about Kyle's physical and mental preparation as well as how he will vlog on trail. We're excited to follow along as he kicks off at the US/Mexican border in (now) less than a month! Also stick around for a hilarious trail tale about hippies and a moose.  The Moose Incident and Kyle's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/oQ9bxRMAaPI Trail Tales on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trail-tales-thru-hiking-backpacking-and-peak-bagging/id1441376382  

Cranky and Tumbles we're all excited to finish the Shenandoah National Park section of the AT. Things were going according to plan, gear and food was dialed in, we only had 24 miles to go. Best laid plans….long story short, things didn't go to plan at all but what we always learn is that once on trail, the frustration melts away. Despite it all, the duo had a great time making new acquaintances at the shelter and discovered a nice 10 mile section of the park. Tumbles just wishes it was 24 instead.  Find us on Insta, TikTok, YouTube and Patreon all with the same name.  Peace ✌️