Just Trek Podcast

On this episode, I sit down with LA based visual artist, illustrator, climate strategist, birder, wildlife photographer, and outdoor adventurer Valeree Catangay at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Los Angeles, California. Val takes me through her Long Beach roots, how Animal Planet and Tree Musketeers sparked her love for nature, and a formative Earth Watch scholarship trip to Texas studying whooping crane ecosystems. She shares how birding became a grounding practice during a tough season of life and naturally led her into wildlife photography, plus how her plein air painting community, Warrior Painters, makes her hyper-aware of light, weather, and seasonality. We also get into her Coastal Connections zine inspired by the Audubon Coastal Leadership Program, practical ways to plug into LA’s environmental community, her favorite local spots (Anza-Borrego, Sepulveda Basin, Ballona Wetlands), her Brower Youth Award and UCLA Environmentalists of Color Collective work, her sustainability role at Earth Justice, completing the Sierra Club Wilderness Travel Course, and birding and travel experiences in Peru and the Philippines.Follow Valeree on IG:https://www.instagram.com/valereeplantshttps://www.instagram.com/valoutdoorshttps://www.instagram.com/valereecatLean more about Valeree and support her work on https://www.valereecatangay.com/Follow Just Trek on https://instagram.com/just.trekShop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠Become a Just Trek Patron member on https://www.patreon.com/justtrekListen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode, I sit down with LA based outdoor adventurer, award-winning writer/editor, and Basecamp Outdoor founder/CEO Ali Carr at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Ali takes me through her Southern California outdoor roots - skiing Big Bear, camping, backpacking - then how a year in New York City led her to Outside Magazine and a mountain-filled life in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She breaks down how Basecamp Outdoor is an inclusive digital community connecting outdoor brands with industry curious job seekers through its Facebook group, newsletter, events, office hours and brand interviews, the Career Collective, and the Base Camp Match job board, plus what she’s seeing in hiring and why intentional networking beats “spray-and-pray” applications. Ali also shares standout adventures (Grand Teton, Smith Rock, Patagonia), local gems (Red Rock/Topanga, Chantry Flats/Sturtevant Falls, Cedar Grove, Leo Carrillo tide pools), her Outside story on her father’s disappearance at sea, surviving cancer in 2023, and her new birth doula project, Wild Grace.Stay Updated with Ali Carr, Basecamp Outdoor, and Wild Grace on IG: https://www.instagram.com/chasingalicarrhttps://www.instagram.com/basecampoutdoorjobshttps://www.instagram.com/lovewildgraceSign up for Basecamp Outdoor Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/4kskrukfJoin Basecamp FB Group: https://tinyurl.com/4whchwyeLearn more about Basecamp Outdoor on https://www.wearetheoutdoorindustry.com/Learn more about Wild Grace on https://www.lovewildgrace.com/Follow Just Trek on https://instagram.com/just.trekShop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠Become a Just Trek Patron member on https://www.patreon.com/justtrekListen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

In this volume of the Trails & Tribulations series, I chat with Tyler Wagoner, a San Diego native and new-to-hiking convert, about his Mount Whitney redemption push on June 24th, 2024 - a 22-mile day hike to the tallest peak in the continental U.S. (14,504 ft) that turned into repeated close calls. Tyler shares how he was turned back in 2023 at Trail Camp after being told he was ill-equipped for snow and cold, then returned in 2024. Tyler's second Whitney attempt had tribulations stacking up from the parking lot to the summit and all the way back down. A 21-hour battle with some genuinely terrifying moments and hard-earned lessons that you'll want to hear. Tyler is a San Diego-based hiker who caught the hiking bug in 2022 and has been going hard ever since — and his Whitney story is one for the books. What starts as a solo pre-dawn push quickly turns into an epic story that involves a bold wildlife encounter before the hike even begins, a sketchy icy section on the notorious 99 switchbacks, and a race against a weather system that the outdoor store in Lone Pine had predicted almost to the minute. The summit itself delivers one of the most surreal and spine-tingling moments you'll hear on this show. And then the descent — that's where things really unravel. Multiple setbacks stack up one after another, pushing Tyler to his absolute limit before he finally makes it back to his car deep into the night. He also shares key lessons on gear, preparation, and the one rule every Whitney hiker needs to know before they ever step on that trail. This is a story about perseverance, humility, and the kind of experience that turns a hiker into a lifetime student of the mountains.Have you ever experienced a survival moment or learned a tough lesson on the trail? Maybe you got lost, faced sudden weather, encountered wildlife, or found yourself pushed to your limits in ways you didn’t expect. Trails & Tribulations is the space where those stories come to life, inspiring and connecting the outdoor community. If any of these resonates with you, we'd love to hear YOUR story!Submit your story on https://tinyurl.com/47jdbvau for a chance to be featured or send us an email on [email protected] Tyler Wagoner on https://www.instagram.com/tyler_on_trailFollow Just Trek on IG https://www.instagram.com/just.trek/Support Just Trek on Patreon ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/justtrek⁠⁠Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

On this episode, I’m joined outdoors in Palos Verdes, California by Corbin Pickett (@outdoorswithcorb), also known as “Brotha Nature” — a SoCal trekker, outdoor creator, community builder, board member of Black Men Hike LA, and founder of Kuji Hiking Crew. We talk about his earliest outdoor memories, how the 52 Hike Challenge became a life changing spiritual “walkabout” while he lived in Atlanta, and how Black Men Hike LA helped him find brotherhood and community after returning to SoCal. Corbin shares what it’s like navigating outdoor spaces as a Black man, the origin of his trail name, and practical tips on safety, preparedness, and easing into camping. We also highlight his favorite SoCal trails, recap his Moab trip with Black People Who Hike, and chat about his spring adventure to Big Pine Lakes and Tahoe Rim Trail thru-hike supported by an ALDHA scholarship.Follow Corbin on https://www.instagram.com/outdoorswithcorbFollow Black Men Hike on https://www.instagram.com/blackmenhikelaFollow Kuji Hiking Crew on https://www.instagram.com/kujihikingcrewFollow Just Trek on https://instagram.com/just.trekShop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek

In this volume of the Trails & Tribulations series on the Just Trek podcast, I welcome back Juan Flores (Outdoor Adventures+, Nature’s Palette, Urban Youth Nature Project) as he recounts first attempt of big bad, Iron Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains near Bridge to Nowhere in December 2021. Starting at midnight on a 16 mile out-and-back, Juan and his friend encounter mountain lion chirps ahead and behind around 2AM while two women in their group push far ahead. After reaching the summit around 7AM, the brutal descent turns dangerous: Juan is left behind, runs out of water after starting with two liters, becomes lost on a false trail without a map, and collapses exhausted with miles remaining until a stranger with a dog finds him. It took 16 grueling hours for him to complete this trek and he shares key lessons on carrying more water, downloading maps, not relying on guides, and staying over-prepared.Have you ever experienced a survival moment or learned a tough lesson on the trail? Maybe you got lost, faced sudden weather, encountered wildlife, or found yourself pushed to your limits in ways you didn’t expect. Trails & Tribulations is the space where those stories come to life, inspiring and connecting the outdoor community. If any of these resonates with you, we'd love to hear YOUR story!Submit your story on https://tinyurl.com/47jdbvau for a chance to be featured or send us an email on [email protected] Juan Flores on https://www.instagram.com/__juanflowers__https://www.instagram.com/_outadvplus_Follow Just Trek on IG https://www.instagram.com/just.trek/Support Just Trek on Patreon ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/justtrek⁠⁠Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek