bluewomanEpisodes greenwoman

home photo
Episode 58
5th Tuesday Special with Judyth Wier
June 30, 2020

Ever since seeing a play named Brigadoon during high school, Judyth had searched for her own Brigadoon. She grew up spending time out of doors through wild adventures with her vast network of cousins - 54 by blood! Judyth was also a member of the same Girl Scout troop for eleven years and they were known as the...
Read More


Episode 57
"El" Miller (Bear Spray)
June 23, 2020

Hiking and camping weren't something El was introduced to as a child but, as an adult, she feels that it has helped her relax. She says, "Hiking feeds my body, mind, and soul". Some of her favorite trails are the Goldmine and Section A of the Billy Goat Trail @ Great Falls in Potomac, MD. and she also enjoys Pine Grove...

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 56
Dana Ballard (a Trail Dames story)
June 16, 2020

Dana Ballard is a lifelong teacher, nature lover, and trail hiker. She teaches high school orchestra during the day and on the weekends, can be found exploring the parks of Georgia with her best friend, Husky Sura.
Read More


Episode 55
Lagniappe - Meditation Hikes with Stephanie Wright
June 9, 2020

Want to clear your mind, lower your blood pressure, and just find a bit more peace in your day? Join us on today's Lagniappe podcast as we talk about Meditation Hikes and how you can make your next walk a deeper one. Stephanie Wright co-hosts Incremental Steps Podcast along with Christine Gautreaux and is co-president...

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 54
MudButt hikes in Africa (a Trail Dames story)
June 2, 2020

Anna shares her story of a hike through the hills, ridgelines, and ravines of the Arusha National Park in Tanzania, Africa.
Read More


Episode 53
Julie Gayheart (Jester)
May 26, 2020

Ever since she was a small girl growing up in Ohio, Julie has been intrigued by the Appalachian Trail. She and her Dad would have many conversations and dreams about hiking the AT and without her knowing it, the AT climbed into her heart. Julie ended up in Charlotte, NC, and realized that, as an educator with summers...

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 52
Marie Ruff (A Trail Dames Story)
May 19, 2020

Marie is one of those trail fixtures in the Southeast. Gatherings, Rucks, Festivals....you will always see her there, hanging out with the 'we have all hiked a million miles' hikers. She has a zillion trail miles under her belt and spends her free time helping teenaged girls learn about hiking and backpacking.
Read More


Episode 51
Lagniappe - The Ladies of the Incremental Steps Podcast
May 12, 2020

Today's Lagniappe is all about making a difference. Malala, Jane Goodall, Lek Chailert, and Oprah all changed the world with giant, broad strokes.... dedicating their lives to making the planet better. But what about those of us that don't have that platform? What if we have families, jobs, responsibilities?? Can we...

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 50
Anna aka Mud Butt (A Trail Dames Story)
May 5, 2020

For the milestone of our 50th episode, Anna wants to share one of her very favorite stories. So join Mud Butt as she shares her tale of a wet, magical hike on the Appalachian Trail at Thanksgiving. And yes, the story is absolutely true!!!
Read More


Episode 49
Katherine Nilbrink
April 28, 2020

"Hike More-Worry Less" - That is the tee shirt Katherine wore while we did this interview and those words couldn't be more apt. Katherine has spent her life living and traveling all over the globe. Her studies in biological anthropology led to fieldwork all over Africa, and her work in this field solidified a lifelong....

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 48
Julie "Jester" Gayheart (A Trail Dames Story)
April 21, 2020

Ever since she was a small girl growing up in Ohio, Julie has been intrigued by the Appalachian Trail. She and her Dad would have many conversations and dreams about hiking the AT and, without her knowing it, the AT climbed into her heart.
Read More


Episode 47
Lagniappe - The Ins and Outs of Trail Magic
April 14, 2020

Note: This Lagniappe was recorded before all of the COVID-19 craziness hit our country and with so many trails closed it might seem strange to be talking about trail magic!! But what better way to pass some time than to plan your future trail magic. Before you know it, hikers will be out there again, ready for some...

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 46
Anna Huthmaker (A Trail Dames Story)
April 7, 2020

No danger, no drama....just a beautiful day on the Appalachian Trail. Join Anna, aka Mud Butt, as she tells the story of a simple hike in the mountains.
Read More


Episode 45
Fifth Week Special - Hiking with Kids
March 31, 2020

Today's episode is a special one!!! To celebrate the 5th Tuesday of the month, we are doing a panel discussion about hiking with kids!!! If you ever wanted to take your little ones out on the trail, this is the discussion for you. Join us as we talk about boys and girls of all ages and the fun of getting...

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 44
Diohn Brancaleoni, Ph.D.
March 24, 2020

Dr. Diohn Brancaleoni, psychologist and life coach, joins us today to talk about the outdoors, walk-and-talk therapy, and using nature to achieve mind-body-spirit wellness. Dr. Diohn is the author of the Happy Life Toolkit and a lover of all things nature. When she isn't doing life coaching sessions outdoors, she...
Read More


Episode 43
Christine Gautreaux (a Trail Dames Story)
March 17, 2020

Christine Gautreaux shares her story of a late-night calling to honor the spirit of the forest.
https://www.christinegautreaux.com/
https://www.facebook.com/christinenicholsgautreaux
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 42
Lagniappe - Trail Festivals
March 10, 2020

Join us on the Lagniappe episode as we celebrate all things Trail!! Today we are talking about Trail Festivals, so get out your calendar, throw your tent in your car and plan to join in the fun at one of the wonderful Festivals!!
https://www.amicalolafallslodge.com/appalachian-trail-kick-off/
Read More


Episode 41
Stacey Brazier (a Trail Dames Story)
March 3, 2020

Listen to Stacey's story about finding her bravery on the trail through solo hiking, and using hiking as an escape from the very real stresses of being a parent today.
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 40
Shelli Hemphill
February 25, 2020

"I was paralyzed on my left side in 2015. After relearning to walk, battling severe depression and anxiety, I was led to Trail Dames. I needed someone to walk with to help get me out of the house. I never really liked the outdoors, or so I thought, and Trail Dames was going to be my speed and get me out of my...
Read More


Episode 39
Shellie Hemphill (a Trail Dames Story)
February 18, 2020

Short and sweet.....a story of one girl's journey below. Shellie takes on caving despite her fears!
Shellie Hemphill is the Head Dame for our Kansas City Chapter. She was stricken with Lupus as a young adult and ended up paralyzed in a nursing home, before re-learning to walk. She has an amazing story that she will be...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 38
Lagniappe - Hiking Award Programs
February 11, 2020

Today's Lagniappe is a collection of neat hiking awards programs. Programs where you can tick off the trail miles while earning pins, patches, other SWAG, and of course bragging rights!! For anyone wanting to do a little more than just a walk on a weekend, pick a challenge here and add it to your list of goals!!!
Read More


Episode 37
Cindy Denise (a Trail Dames Story)
February 4, 2020

Cindy Denise is the Head Dame for one of our New York Trail Dames chapters, and she is also an EMT and a life-long lover of the outdoors. When she is not leading hikes and helping injured people in her community, she is acting in local professional theater productions in the Woodstock, NY area. Cindy is multi-talented...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 36
Debbie Wroten
January 28, 2020

Did you ever wonder what it was like to eat an elephant one bite at a time???
That is exactly what Debbie Wroten did with the Appalachian Trail. She was a day hiker who, in her own words 'never hiked far from a bathroom,' decided one day that she was going to hike the entire AT. Join us as we talk about watermelon...
Read More


Episode 35
Carla Robertson (a Trail Dames Story)
January 21, 2020

Carla Robertson shares a compilation of stories, with her first night in a shelter on the Appalachian Trail and other backpacking lessons learned.
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 34
Lagniappe - More of the 10 Essentials
January 14, 2020

Join Anna, aka Mud Butt, for a quick discussion of some of the things to throw in your backpack!! Being prepared is the name of the game, so you not only survive on the trail, but you thrive!!
Read More


Episode 33
Kim Weller (a Trail Dames Story)
January 7, 2020

Kim Weiler tells us of a funny encounter she had while on her first solo hike.
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 32
Margaret Webster
December 24, 2019

Margaret Webster grew up in Connecticut. She has had a lifelong love of science, the outdoors, travel, and exploration. As a child, she aspired to be a cross between Jacques Cousteau and Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
After raising her two sons, she decided to embark on a solo cross-country odyssey that...
Read More


Episode 31
Lagniappe: 2019 Gift Ideas
December 10, 2019

Gifts for $10-50
1. Give the Gift of Trees - (Global) Trees for the Future.org https://trees.org/
(US-based) American Forests.org https://www.americanforests.org/ways-to-give/gift-of-trees/
2. State Parks Pass
3. Hiking notebook/journal
4. Lightheart Gear Backpacking Dress -
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 30
Cheryl Suchors
November 26, 2019

Cheryl Suchors grew up in Southern, Eastern and Mid-Western US and is a proud graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
After getting an MBA from Harvard she began a career that spanned everything from management consultant to partner in a national accounting and consulting firm. After years in...
Read More


Episode 29
Lagniappe: Glamping
November 12, 2019

This week's lagniappe has Anna chatting with her friend, Pam. They are talking about glamping and the art of comfort in the woods.
Anna hasn't been too well so I've revived an episode that has marginal sound quality. However, the subject was so much fun that I've put it together to share with you.
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 28
Melissa Zimmerman (Choquequirao Trek)
October 22, 2019

Melissa Zimmerman is an architectural consultant who stumbled into hiking three years ago. (Literally. She really needs to watch for those troublesome tree roots.) From the first time she saw a picture of Machu Picchu, she knew she needed to see it in person. Then she heard about Choquequirao, which is only accessed...
Read More



home photo
Episode 26
Marina LeGree: Ascend
September 24, 2019

Marina LeGree is the founding director of Ascend and brings over a decade of experience working in Afghanistan and other unstable environments. In 2014 she founded Ascend, a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop young Afghani women into leaders through community service and the sport of...
Read More


Episode 25
Lagniappe: The 10 Essentials-Hydration
September 10, 2019

Staying hydrated while hiking is one of the most important things you can do for your health, and one of the simplest ways you can make your hike a successful one!
Check out these articles for more information on hydrating yourself properly while hiking. And keep an eye (and ear) out for other Lagniappe episodes where...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 24
Cheryl Torain: Climbing Mount Kili
August 26, 2019

This month’s podcast features world traveler, marathoner, climber and adventurer Cheryl Torain.
Cheryl began to travel in her 20’s, going to Germany, Denmark, France and Sweden. That was only her first trip, but she fell in love with travel and she has been on the road ever since. In addition to...
Read More


Episode 23
Lagniappe - Cheryl Suchors, 48 Peaks-Hiking and Healing in the Mountains
August 13, 2019

At forty-eight years old, Cheryl Suchors―hoping to find concrete successes and a feeling of control as she changes careers and fifty stares at her from the horizon―vows to summit the highest forty-eight peaks in New Hampshire’s grueling White...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 22
Sarah Williams - Tough Girl Challenges
July 24, 2019

Sarah Williams as an award-winning athlete, podcast creator and motivational speaker. She created Tough Girl Challenges in 2014 as a way of motivating and inspiring women and girls.
She is the creator and host of the Tough Girl Podcast where she interviews inspirational female explorers, adventurers, athletes and...
Read More


Episode 21
Lagniappe - Hiking Etiquette
July 16, 2019

Did you ever wonder just what Hiking Etiquette was? What are considered to be good trail manners?
In this Lagniappe episode of the Trail Dames podcast, we dig into the best and worst hiking practices in hopes that we can all learn to be a little more knowledgeable and considerate on the trail.
Special thanks to the...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 20
Jacqui Kapinowski
July 2, 2019

When Jacqui first agreed to do the Trail Dames podcast, I thought that we would spend our time talking about the obstacles she has overcome in her life. Hit with bacterial meningitis twice, and later diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disease, Jacqui went from being an accomplished athlete to being confined to...
Read More


Episode 19
Lagniappe - Hiking the Inca Trail
June 10, 2019

So what happens when your awesome podcast producer goes on his very own thru-hike?? You realize that you forgot to release May's Lagniappe podcast!!!! So, with my apologies for the lateness....here you have it!!
Have you ever dreamed of hiking the Inca Trail? Does the very name conjure up daydreams of condors...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 18
Marcia Paul
May 14, 2019

Marcia Paul has lived in Georgia for most of her life. She is the proud mother of three children–Candice, Caylen, and John–and completely in love with her grandson, Beau. She spends her summers living on the lake, camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors. She notes that being outdoors is where she finds her escape...
Read More


Episode 17
Lagniappe - Hiking Food for Day Hikers
April 23, 2019

Make sure to fuel your body when you hike!! This Lagniappe episode will give you great ideas of what to eat and how to pack it. We will share some sources for great hiking snacks, as well as telling you what might not make the best food to throw in your backpack. And finally, we also make the case for fueling yourself...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 16
Steve Adams
April 9, 2019

Steve was born in the U.K. and moved to the United States in 2005. His work in the insurance industry took him all over the world, from London to Bermuda to New York before finally landing him in Sarasota Florida.
In 2014, newly retired, he decided that the time had come to hike the Appalachian Trail. The fact that...
Read More


Episode 15
Lagniappe - My Favorite Hiking Documentaries
March 26, 2019

We are living in the golden age of dreaming!! What do I mean by that? I mean that you can sit in your armchair, pull up Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon and dream your way onto the trail...doesn't matter what the weather is like, or if you have to be at work the next morning. Join me as I share some of my favorite...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 14
The Pooping, Peeing, and Periods Show
March 12, 2019

This episode of the Trail Dames Podcast features guests Victoria Heckler from Maryland, Kathy Rioux from Maryland and host, Anna Huthmaker in an in-depth discussion of all thing’s bathroom on the trail! Join us as we discuss the in’s and outs of going to the bathroom and dealing with female issues on the trail. ...
Read More


Episode 13
Lagniappe - Hiking Heroines
February 26, 2019

Come meet three women who have inspired so many of us. Once you get to know Jan Leitschuh, Sanne Larsen Bagby, and Carla Robertson, you will be moved to enjoy the trail with a heightened sense of joy and wonder.
Liteshoe's AT Journal- http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/1076
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 12
Winter Hiking
February 12, 2019

Have you ever tromped down the trail in the snow and ice? There is a special kind of peace and beauty that awaits those who are brave enough to go out in the winter. Join our host Anna Huthmaker as she welcomes guests Cindy Denise and Laura Donovan, accomplished winter hikers, and Head Dames for two of the New York...
Read More


Episode 11
Lagniappe - Hiking Uphill
January 22, 2019

Tips for going uphill!! Here are some links to help you in your quest to love, love going uphill! https://www.active.com/outdoors/articles/hiking-technique-the-rest-step
https://forgivenesswalks.com/reginas-meet-the-mountains-technique-2/

Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 10
Laura Donovan
January 8, 2019

When asked about herself, Laura Donovan says “two things run in my blood–hiking and teaching.” Several years ago, after moving up to New York, Laura found herself teaching music in the schools during the week and traversing the hiking trails of the Adirondacks during her weekends.
For years, she had done lots and...
Read More


Episode 9
2018 Ten Gift Ideas
December 22, 2018

1. A membership to an organization that is truly meaningful and helpful to the Trails. ATC, AHS, Florida Trail Association, your local trail association ($45 and up)
www.atc.org
www.americanhiking.org

2. Judy Gross new Under Shorts ($30)
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 8
Regina Reiter
November 13, 2018

Regina Reiter is an incredible woman who shows us all what it is like to take an unhappy event and use it to completely change her life. Through the loss of a job, Regina found herself at somewhat of a crossroads in her life. She had heard of the Appalachian Trail, and this tiny little seed of an idea began to take...
Read More


Episode 7
Judy Gross
October 9, 2018

Judy Gross, aka Lightheart, spent her whole life in the outdoors, hiking and enjoying the trail. She raised a couple of Eagle Scouts, putting in trail miles right alongside them, and throughout her adulthood, while she became a nurse and simultaneously studied sewing and design, she was hitting the trails.
In 2009,...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 6
Christine Gautreaux
September 11, 2018

Christine Gautreaux is a hiker, mother, author, artist and life coach. She centers her work around both art and the outdoors and has a special passion for helping what she calls 'the helper.'
Whether you are a caregiver, therapist, social worker, author or healer, Christine has made it her life's work to help make...
Read More


Episode 5
Karen Rutter
August 24, 2018

Karen Lord Rutter is a woman of many, many talents!! She is a retired teacher and administrator with a career littered with awards and accolades. With a self-professed love of all things learning, it is no surprise that she has traveled the world and experienced everything she possibly could! However, it was her son...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 4
Summer
May 29, 2018

Summer did not grow up hiking....in fact, it was pretty near the top of things she 'would just rather not do!' The mosquitoes and cold of Minnesota, combined with her speed and discomfort kept her off the trails and safely ensconced in the world of writing and photography. However, one day she moved to Portland and...
Read More


Episode 3
Sue Williams
May 11, 2018

When Sue Williams got into backpacking, she noticed that there was very little aimed at the over-50s hiker and even less at the female over-50s hiker. She decided to do something about it and, with her husband John, started FiftySense.com. The site is aimed at encouraging Baby Boomers that there is plenty to do out of...
Read More

home photo

home photo
Episode 2
Bunny Kramer
April 16, 2018

Today's guest has made a name for herself for not only loving the trail and the outdoors but for creating connections between women so that they can find and share that same love.
Bunny Kramer has spent years in online communities helping women learn about the logistics of hiking. If you need to know what clothes to...
Read More


Episode 1
Carla Robertson
March 20, 2018

Welcome to the new Trail Dames Podcast. The aim of the podcast is to inspire women to get out into nature and to realize that there are many like-minded, suportive women just like them.
I'm Anna Huthmaker, the founder of Trail Dames. In 2003, I hiked over 700 miles on the Appalachian Trail and discovered that...
Read More

home photo

Generic placeholder image SPONSORS