Episodes
-
Cozy Trail Beverages
Hello Trekkies! Do you have your own favorite pleasure beverage? Let us know! Send your stories, suggestions, questions, corrections, physical ailment complaints, threats, or love letters to: [email protected] Join the crickets on our very quiet socials: Facebook @highwatertrekco…
more -
Highwater Trek Co Still Exists!
Hello? Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear us.... Sam and Katy are BACK to check in on our beloved trekkies (we hope you're still with us) and let you know that we're here, we're alive, we still exist. Join us and our enthusiastic new co-host Luck Wilder (who couldn't quite figure...
-
The Ozark Trail's Upper Current River Section
We're here, it's November, and acorns are falling from the sky. Join Katy and Sam as the talk about one of their favorite sections of the Ozark Trail: The Upper Current River Section. We talk a bit about the history of this section, and the hard work that went into taking it from a seed of an…
more -
Ozark's Mountain Challenge: Mission Accomplished!
Hello Mountain Lizards! Welcome to another episode of Highwater Trek Co's podcast, where we live to gab about all things outdoors and backpacking. Join our hosts as they reminisce on their experiences participating in the Ozark's Mountain Challenge, a 17 mile, all-ascent trail event that takes...
-
Camino de Santiago: The Frances, The Portuguese, & The Variante Espiritual
Hello Trekkies, our old friends! We've come to talk at you again.... Grab your passports and pack your bags with all your TSA approved items, because we're off to the Camino de Santiago! Join Sam, Katy, and longtime friend of the show, creaky farm table, who had a lot to creak about in today's...
-
Checking In
Hello Trekkies! We just wanted to pop in and check in with you all. We have been on a bit of an impromptu hiatus, and it's likely to continue for a little while longer. It has been such a bustling time of year, and although we had full intentions of keeping on with our regular podcasting…
more -
21ish Questions for Katy
Team Struggles is THE VIBE for this episode. Disclaimer: our precious Michael got lost in the woods without his ten essentials, so he was unable to join us for recording, and the audio is not what it usually is. We did our best, but this one is probably better suited for headphones than car...
-
Ozark Mountain Challenge: Training for Mudlick Mountain 2024
Highwater Trek Co is on a mission! Join us for today's episode as we are preparing for 9 ascents up Mudlick Mountain in the upcoming Ozark Mountain Challenge, taking place May 4th in Missouri's own Sam A. Baker State Park. Our hosts describe their individual training approaches to the almost 8000...
-
Active April 2024 Spring Hiking Challenge
Team Struggles is back to tell you all about our Spring Challenge for 2024: Active April! Join Sam, Katy, and a very hungry dog who hasn't learned to chew with her mouth closed for this shortie episode. It's chock-full of giggles and nonsense before we finally get to the point--which is to tell…
more -
21 Questions for Sam
Welcome to the Highwater Trek Co podcast, where our hosts discuss all things backpacking plus more! Get to know the humans behind Highwater in today's episode, as Katy asks Sam 21 random questions related to hiking, and offers her own replies in return. Join us for this easy going episode as we...
-
We're Back, Trekkies
Sam and Katy are back in the hot seats. Yes, actual hot seats as the sun pours through the windows on an unseasonably warm February day, sweating away as we dust Michael off and try to remember how to record a podcast. It's been a hot minute. And that is the last of the heat jokes. Join us as we...
-
We’re Taking a Break
My, what a lovely day… The windows are open and the skies are noisy. Join us, (Sam and Katy, in case you’re new here) at the creaky farm table once again for a chat about what we have going on in our lives and why… We’re taking a break! The wind joins us with gusto, a helicopter with no chill...
-
Hydration
Welcome back Highwater Trekkies! It is once again time for a brand spankin' new episode. Join our hosts as they take a deep dive into the topic of hydration, and how to utilize beverages to best serve us as we adventure on trail and beyond. Tune in as Katy gives us an education about our own...
-
Trailments: Dehydration and Heat Illness
Welcome Back Trekkies! Take off your boots and stretch your toes, because we're back with our second installment of our Trailments Series! Join Sam, Katy, a creaky table, some aggressively rolly chairs, and the a/c that refused to be silenced by noise reduction techniques as we discuss…
more -
Social Media vs Reality
Summertime is in full swing here in the Ozarks, and the swelter is our companion on today's episode as we tackle the at-times contentious topic of how backpacking and nature are represented on social media. We ponder if backpacking is accurately portrayed, and does social media lead to…
more -
Post Trail Blues
Team Giggles is back to tackle a not-so-giggly subject: Post Trail Depression. We've all been there--wrapping up a backpacking trip riding an adventure high, only to descend into melancholy after returning home. Join us as we explore where this phenomenon potentially comes from and ways we can…
more -
Trailments: Infections and Allergens
Welcome back Trekkies! Join Team Giggles (and an abundance of song birds) for some front porch sittin' as they discuss physical ailments that can put a damper on your trail time, and can even result in dangerous outcomes. Katy dives into the immune's lymphatic system, and explains the biological...
-
Looking Back on 20 Episodes
20 Episodes, WHAAAAT? Highwater Trek Co's 20th Episode has come and gone. Join us as we look back over the last 20 episodes and reflect on all we've learned, things we wish we'd done differently, and our hopes for the future! We (and the creaky farm table) converse about our desire to be more...
-
Lessons Learned, Pieces of Advice, & Grains of Salt
Welcome back to Highwater Trek Co's podcast, where we discuss all things hiking! As recounted in today's episode, Katy recently had the experience of leading backpacking novices through a tough Ozark section of trail. Her adventure led our hosts to ponder what they believe to be the most…
more -
Solo Section Hike on the Ouachita Trail
Welcome back, Highwater Trekkies! Buckle up and settle in friends, for Katy's chaotic and "like"-riddled account of her first solo section hike. Katy chronicles in rambling and unfocused detail, what went into planning her first solo section hike and her first backpacking trip with her dog in…
more -
Water, Ticks, Snakes, and Bears, Oh My!
Welcome to the latest episode of the Highwater Trek Co podcast! In today's episode, our hosts will discuss some common hazards one may encounter on an Ozarks trail in the springtime and year round. Join in as the conversation starts with water crossing safety, and continues as we discuss several...
-
Trail Etiquette
Highwater Trek Co's Sam and Katy are back to talk trail etiquette, do's and don't's, the principles of Leave No Trace, and how to avoid being dubbed the trail nincompoop. Have you ever wondered how not to be a dipsh*t on trail? Well set your fears of ineptitude aside and open your ears, because…
more -
Early Spring Stop In
Happy March Trekkies! Join us for our newest episode as we welcome the emerging salutations of Spring; including frogs and flowers, ticks and skunks. We discuss early spring conditions in the Ozarks that may require consideration before hitting the trails. We also discuss upcoming, hiking related...
-
Nature and Mental Health
Sam and Katy are back from a much-needed break to tackle the tough subject of mental health, and the positive impact that actively engaging with nature can have. TW: Mental health, suicide Join us as we explore the connection between wild spaces and mental wellness in general as well as the...
-
The Appalachian Trail, Georgia Section: The Good, Bad, and the Clammy
Join Katy and Sam as they reflect upon their section hike of the southernmost miles of the Appalachian Trail. Team Giggles reminisce about their favorite moments and most difficult challenges as they traversed the trail through Georgia and into North Carolina. Tune in to hear how our hosts found...
-
New Year New Gear
Is this lethargy, or relaxation? Sam and Katy kick off their first episode of the New Year with a mini road trip. Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to hike we go... Our quest takes us down a forest service road of dubious condition, down a lovely stretch of the Ozark Trail, and lands us right next to...
-
Cold Weather Safety
Greetings Highwater Trekkies! Welcome to the Highwater Trek Co podcast, where we discuss all things backpacking and hiking. In today's episode, our hosts discuss dealing with cold weather and stress the importance of the Triple P (Proper Prior Preparation.) Tune in for tips and tricks to keep you...
-
The Ozark Trail
The weather has been mush, and our brains are mush too. The wind is playing games and a joyriding airplane runs amok; flies amok? Amok, amok, amok. Team Giggles struggled a bit to make it out the gate, but the 5th time's a charm. Join us for a conversation about the Ozark Trail, the Ozark Trail...
-
Gratitude and Goals
Join our hosts as they once again flail throughout the episode introduction, eventually focusing conversation on reflections of gratitude and intentions for the future. As we transition into winter and the holiday season, Highwater Trek Co reminisces about defining experiences that we are most...
-
We’re Back!
Team Giggles is back! It's a chatty one, folks, so strap in and grab a delicious beverage. The lethargy is real, the breeze is blowing and the dogs are disruptive as we reconnect after a pretty long absence from each other, and our first hiatus from the show. Sam talks about getting vertical and...
-
Taum Sauk Part 2
We were seeking redemption, and perhaps even revenge. Instead, the mountain Taum Sauk'd it to us. Join hosts Katy and Sam for part 2 of the Taum Sauk saga as they recall their recent backpacking adventure through this 35 mile section of the Ozark Trail. Battling heat, spiders, brush, rashes…
more -
Taum Sauk Part 1: The OG Experience
Sam and Katy recount the infamous OG experience with the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail. Join us as we revisit suppressed memories of our encounter with the time vortex in evil fae land, rocks, coldness & cruel dreams, rocks, night-hiking, rocks, teeth-clenching river crossings, rocks, pain…
more -
Bodies On Trail
Join our hosts as they discuss bodies on trail. No, this episode is not a true crime story, but rather a conversation about how Katy and Sam like to care for their bodies before, during, and after a trail experience. Tune in as they also share how backpacking can help cultivate appreciation and...
-
Food: A Love Story
Sam and Katy discuss the greatest love story of all time; the epic connection between a backpacker and their food. Katy may or may not have had her mic operating correctly, but her allergies certainly showed up for this episode, as did Sam's undying passion for trail snacks, and what seems to be…
more -
Thunder, Chats, & Wayward Umbrellas
DISCLAIMER FOR PET OWNERS: This episode was recorded outside with a thunderstorm rolling in, so if you have a pet who isn't a fan of thunder, you may want to pop some earbuds in for this one. Team Giggles takes a break from information overload to sit down on the porch for a chat. Join us as we...
-
The Gear Episode
Join our hosts as they discuss the gear essential for most backpackers, share what exactly can be found in their beloved packs, and fend off multiple attacking insects in the simmering Ozark heat. Follow us on Instagram @highwatertrekco and Facebook @highwatertrekco, or send us a line at...
-
It’s a Red Wine & Jack’s Fork River Chat
Highwater Trek Co's Sam and Katy float and camp their way down the Jack's Fork River in this Bonus Episode! Join us at a very special but also secret campsite as we process some epiphanies, make fun of ourselves, and ramble-chat over some box wine under some stellar stars...pun intended. We talk...
-
Getting Started
Join Highwater Trek Co's Sam and Katy as they delve into the process of preparing for a backpacking trip! This episode guides beginners through the initial planning stages of backpacking, and discusses important considerations that ultimately affect the quality of a trail experience. Follow us on...
-
Meet Team Giggles
Highwater Trek Co's Sam and Katy live up to their collective trail name Team Giggles in this debut episode. Bear with us as we introduce ourselves, talk about our shared love of nature and outdoor adventures, and make some audio blunders along the way. Follow us on Instagram @highwatertrekco and...
About this show
Sam and Katy of Highwater Trek Co talk about their love of nature, backpacking, the Ozarks, and more.
Hosted by
Sam McFarland & Katy Mustion
Categories