EPISODE · Aug 5, 2026 · 36 MIN
Carry the Damn First Aid Kit - Dave, aka Slowfoot (Part II)
from Hiker Trash Radio · host Bleav + Doc
About the Guest Dave — trail name SlowFoot — is a three-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, seven-time Long Trail thru-hiker (including three winter traversals), and among the first to complete both the Eastern Continental Trail and the International Appalachian Trail. He has logged over 30,000 miles across 30 years of hiking in the Eastern United States. A former Forest Service trail crew supervisor, caretaker at Upper Goose Pond Cabin, and wilderness EMT, he holds a master's degree in forestry from the University of Vermont and has worked for AMC, ATC, Forest Service, and the Green Mountain Club. He is the co-founder of Mountain Blaze Arts, a family gear company he runs with his wife from their home just outside the Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine. Links & Resources Mountain Blaze Arts — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountainblazearts Mountain Blaze Arts — Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMountainBlaze Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (ALDHA): https://www.aldha.org Appalachian Trail Conservancy: https://www.appalachiantrail.org Green Mountain Club: https://www.greenmountainclub.org International Appalachian Trail: https://www.internationalat.org Eastern Continental Trail: https://www.easterntrail.org Connect with Hiker Trash Radio Email: mailto:[email protected] Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Embed this episode
What this episode covers
In Part 2, Dave's background comes into full focus: an inner-city kid from just outside Boston who read a book about walking in high school, went to an ALDHA gathering in his early 20s, and never really came back. His grandfather helped cut the last section of the AT as a teenager with the CCC. Dave eventually took over as head of trails for the Forest Service, caretaker at Upper Goose Pond Cabin for 20 years, and wilderness EMT who watched the rescue numbers climb decade by decade. He also walked from Key West, Florida to the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec — nearly 5,900 miles, among the first to complete the Eastern Continental Trail and International Appalachian Trail. His take on what hikers today are missing is direct: learn to use a compass, take a zero in the woods instead of in town, stop following everybody else, and remember that the gear doesn't make the hike. The mentality does. He also tells you why his last thru-hike was in 2013, what ended it, and what he misses most about the old days. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there — it dropped 10 minutes ago.
NOW PLAYING
Carry the Damn First Aid Kit - Dave, aka Slowfoot (Part II)
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.