On this episode I have LA based trekker, roller blader & skater, outdoor adventurer, wellness advocate, community organizer, and founder of the LA Skate Hunnies, Jennifer Yonda, join me on the show. We chat about how Jen’s desire to be in nature led her from the East Coast to the West Coast, the backstory behind creating the LA Skate Hunnies, her top places to skate and favorite hiking trails in Los Angeles,  tips & advice for newbie skaters & bladers, hosting a Palms Springs...

On this special edition, solo episode, I celebrate the podcast reaching its Two Year Anniversary along with my birthday. The show has grown quite alot from year 1 to year 2 with more incredible guests sharing their origin stories, outdoor adventures, tips and advice, and life lessons. This episode features intimate messages from the Just Trek community throughout the show. I share my biggest takeaways that I have learned from the guests and sharing highlights from my podcasting journey thus...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, peak bagger, trail steward, off trail adventurer, founder of Bushwacker’s Anonymous, and co-founder of Hike Revolution, Justin Williams (Rockhound Hiker), join me on the show. We chat about how Justin grew up in our local mountains and wilderness, the backstory behind Hike Revolution and Bushwacker’s Anonymous, trail maintenance, tragedies on Mount Baldy, his top SoCal mountains, tips & advice for off trail routes and backcountry hikes, the...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, outdoor explorer, professional hiking guide, and creator of HikingGuy.com, Cris Hazzard, join me on the show. We chat about how taking an international corporate job sparked his outdoor journey, the backstory behind creating HikingGuy.com, his top SoCal trails, tips & advice for long day hikes & newbie hikers, tips for outdoor bloggers & writers, current gear recommendations, All Trails vs Gaia GPS, how hiking and nature has impacted his...

On this episode I have LA based trekker, doctor of physical therapy, outdoor adventurer, and ultra peak bagger, Becca Dugan, join me on the show. We chat about how an international backpacking trip inspired her outdoor journey, completing the Fool's Traverse 11 Peak endurance challenge, climbing Middle Palisades in the Eastern Sierras, tips & advice for long day hikes and aspiring peak baggers, her sketchy adventure of sliding down a mountain, how summiting major peaks has impacted her...

On this episode, I kickoff the 2022 New Year with a special edition, solo episode dedicated to Sandstone Peak which is known as the tallest peak in the Santa Monica Mountains (Pacific Palisades/Malibu area). It is a most special place in my hiking journey that I hope you visit one day whether you are a LA local or are visiting from out of town. Reflecting back on 2021, I made the pilgrimage back here numerous times and each time solidified why this is my favorite trek of all time. I share how...

On this episode I have LA based trekker, outdoor adventurer,  travel + outdoor writer, outings leader for the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter, lead journalist & blogger for the LA Times,  editor of "The Wild" newsletter, and SoCal Great Outdoors advocate, Mary Forgione, join me on the show. We chat about why LA is one of the greatest hiking cities in the US, how Griffith Park sparked her journey, her top 3 hikes in LA, the launch of LA TIMES "The Wild" newsletter & the 24 page "Go Hiking...

On Saturday, Oct 23rd I attempted the most difficult trek in my outdoor journey and that was tackling the peak bagging extravaganza known as the #FoolsTraverse Challenge hosted by TRVRS Outdoors. The Fool's Traverse is an 11 peak endurance challenge located in the Mount Baldy area that is 26 miles long, and up to 12,000 ft elevation gain. Participants need to strategically navigate to as many peaks and checkpoints as physically capable to win prizes from sponsors and to claim bragging rights...

On this episode I have the ultimate LA explorer, urban trekker, experience curator, podcast host, and founder of LifeHacksLA, Stefan Fagerholm, join me on the show. We talk about how the culture of things to do in Los Angeles is different from other cities, the backstory behind LifeHacksLA, his top 3 neighborhoods, hacks for exploring Los Angeles, exploring the coastal gem known as Palos Verdes + Terranea Resort, our LifeHacksLA x Bungee America x Just Trek collabo giveaway, tips for growing...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker & runner, solo female traveler, cyclist and swimmer, outdoor adventurer, and founder of Babes Who Elevate, Sandra Rubio, join me on the show. we talk about how the pandemic led her to joining a running challenge, the backstory of creating Babes Who Elevate, her top 3 adventures, how physical activity helps battle depression, tips & advice for solo female travel & newbie hikers, her Sunset Peak collabo hike with We Explore Earth, from...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, solo world traveler, outdoor adventurer, and founder of LA Trail Killers, Victor Martinez, join me on the show. We talk about how  solo world traveling inspired him, the backstory of creating the LA Trail Killers hiking group, top 3 SoCal mountains, tips and advice for long day hikes & newbie hikers, his wild Guatemala adventure, the cloudy sunset experience at Moro Rock, and how he incorporates mindfulness & spirituality into his group...

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On this episode I have California based trekker, musician + songwriter, Men's life coach, founder of Better To Greater, and ultra trail runner, Devon Kelts, join me on the show. We talk about the differences between NorCal and SoCal, his top trail running experiences (Marin Ultra Challenge, Bishop 100k, etc), The Bad Water Basin Race (World's Toughest Race), overcoming addiction & achieving sobriety, his transition from starting a band & becoming a songwriter to becoming a purpose...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, backpacker, climber, and mountaineer, Valerie Campos, join me on the show. We talk about the epic challenge that sparked her outdoor journey, conquering Mt Whitney via the mountaineer’s route, Cactus 2 Clouds as a solo hike, summiting Mount Rainier in Washington state, top Southern California mountains, tips for long day hikes and aspiring mountaineers, finding purpose in the outdoors, building athleticism through mountaineering, how scaling these...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, experience creator, adventurer, protector, and founder of the non profit org We Explore Earth, William Vazquez, join me on the show. We talk about his strong affinity for protecting Mother Nature, the backstory of creating We Explore Earth, top 3 nature based adventures, tips and advice for taking care of Earth, tips for long day hikes and newbie hikers, Conquering Mount Williamson (Mt Whitney's evil twin brother), Exploring the Eastern Sierras, our...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, trail runner, preacher, LA Hip Hop Head, and founder of OUTADV+ , Juan Flores, join me on the show. We talk about how Hart Park & Zion National Park sparked his outdoor journey, back story to creating OUTADV+ , top California hikes, his suffer fest and redemption on Iron Mountain, tips & advice for long day hikes and newbie hikers, dangerous experiences on the trails, his background in the underground LA Hip Hop scene, Mental Health &...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, trail runner, visionary educator, dancer, yogi eskrimador, and member of the Just Trek Crew, Matt Kerr aka Machete Matt, join me on the show. We talk about his top SoCal mountains, tips & advice for long day hikes and newbie hikers, salsa dancing up Half Dome, redemption on San Gorgonio, disappearing on Ontario Peak, completing the Six Pack of Peaks challenge in one month,  Cactus to Clouds vs Iron Mountain, summit cypher, dance origins, and the...

On this episode, I share a guest interview I did for "In The Views" podcast hosted by Ray Medearis (founder of @CaliforniaHikingGroup) in case you might have missed it. This particular conversation was a special one because I really got to share my origin story in depth and take it all the way back to the beginning.  Consider this episode my “Behind the Music Story” but in the outdoor sense my “Behind the Trekking Story.” We talk about how I almost moved out of California, where I'm...

On this special episode, I celebrate the podcast reaching it's one year anniversary! I feature intimate messages from the Just Trek listeners throughout the show, share my biggest takeaways I have learned from the guests, and the highlights from my podcasting journey thus far. No special guests this time around, just me doing a solo episode with inspiring messages from the most incredible community of trekkers and adventurers a host could ask for. Thank you everyone for your support. Let's...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, content creator, former MTV's America's Best Dance Crew Champion, World of Dance Tour Judge, and movement artist, Just Jet (formerly Jet Li), join me on the show. We talk about he has re-discovered LA through epic peaks such as Sunset Peak, Mount Baldy, Strawberry Peak, Mount Baden Powell, and more. We chat about bringing style and dance to the trails, finding True North, how the outdoors is a powerful place to seek answers, the importance of...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, college athlete, content creator, and outdoor adventurer, Conley Harris aka Harris Hikers, join me on the show. We talk about trekking through the pandemic, backpacking the Trans-Catalina Trail, her top SoCal hikes, tips for long day hikes, advice for newbie hikers, how one of her videos went viral, body positivity, her partnership with Decathlon & Atomic Bear, Hawaii adventures, tackling the SoCal Six Pack of Peaks challenge, and how hiking is...

On this episode I have SoCal based trekker, founder of Seriously Stickers, taco connoisseur, and Tacos Every Day World Champion, Will Mattox aka  Taco Slayers, join me on the show. We talk about his epic taco food journey, his hiking + summit taco adventures,  top SoCal hikes, tips for cooking in the outdoors, hilarious moments from Deep Creek Hot Springs & The Fool's Traverse, top taco joints in SoCal, and how his business Seriously Stickers has developed a special connection with the...

On this episode I have LA based art director, design assassin, trekker, backpacker, and member of the #JustTrekCrew, Deanna Hjerling,  join me on the show. We talk about her perspective as a daughter of a mountaineer, backpacking The Narrows in Zion, the Summerland Trail (Mt. Rainier), her top California hikes, surfing in LA, tips for long day hikes, and her Iceland adventures.  Follow Deanna on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deannayukiko/ Check out Deanna's portfolio on...

On this episode I have Philadelphia based international traveler, trekker & backpacker, biker & bikepacker, and world class dancer, Domkey, join me on the show. We talk about Domkey's transition from the hip hop/breakdancing world to the great outdoors. His top adventures as a dancer and outdoor enthusiast, tips for backpacking & bikepacking, and advice for first time bikers. We even get his thoughts about breakdancing being in the Paris 2024 Olympics and his recommendations on...

On this episode I have LA based filmmaker, international explorer, trekker, content creator, and the founder of Stance, Daniel Zhu, join me on the show. We talk about Daniel's top international adventures in the world, his former Park ranger days at Katmai National Park (he considers it the coolest national park in the world!), proper bear protocol, and tips for capturing outdoor + travel content. We even talk about breakdancing being in the 2024 Paris Olympics, running the Yosemite Half...