The Attempt

Benjamin comes home and looks back on his time on the trail. And also, a few surprises.    The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.  Transcripts of all episodes of The Attempt are available here.  

Benjamin loses his pillow. His body is falling apart. And every day, the finish line gets closer.     The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.  Transcripts of all episodes of The Attempt are available here.    

Benjamin takes a little break from the trail to hang out with our Uncle Eric in Los Angeles.     The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.  Transcripts of all episodes of The Attempt are available here.  

It's a rough transition, coming down from the Sierras. As he hikes through the desert, Benjamin starts to realize how close he is to the finish line.     The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.  Transcripts of all episodes of The Attempt are available here.

Brass skips ahead and finds himself in the epic Sierra Mountains.      The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.  Transcripts of all episodes of The Attempt are available here.   Also, there is a moment in this episode when Benjamin says "August" when he means to say "October." I chose to leave it in because - as I've come to understand - the days, weeks, and months blend together on the trail. I hope you'll excuse any resulting confusion and enjoy the time warp that is long-distance backpacking.  

Benjamin is hiking at his top gear when his friend Peter hops in for a week on the trail.  The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions. 

From the Washington/Oregon border to Crater Lake, Benjamin calibrates his hiking machine. The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is form Blue Dot Sessions. 

One state down. Two to go.   The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is form Blue Dot Sessions.  Transcripts of all episodes of The Attempt are available here.

Benjamin has a friend join him for a week of hiking and gets to see some other familiar faces along the way. Plus, we get to hear the story behind Benjamin's new trail name: “Brass.” The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is form Blue Dot Sessions.  

Week one is a soggy one. Follow along as Benjamin hikes the first section of his PCT SOBO (Southbound) journey. The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Benjamin and a two other thru-hikers set off on the trail. The Attempt is produced by Julia Drachman with help from Doug Beyers. We are a production of Bad Cat Media, created in partnership with The Trek. All music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions. 

It's July 2019 and Benjamin Drachman is gearing up to attempt to thru-hike the PCT. As his sister –and a professional storyteller– I can't help but ask: can we make a podcast about it?