Hikes and Mics Podcast

Ivan
  • 4.6 (23)
  • Wilderness
  • Updated Weekly

Hikes & Mics is where the trail meets the conversation. Each week, host Ivan Orozco brings together hikers, backpackers, and outdoor adventurers to share the stories, lessons, and inspiration they’ve found in the great outdoors. From life-changing summits to quiet moments on local trails, our guests open up about how nature has shaped their journeys—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Every episode blends thoughtful storytelling with a dash of fun, closing out with our signature This or That: Hiking Edition lightning round. Whether you’re a weekend wanderer, a long-distance thru-hiker, or someone who simply loves the outdoors, this podcast is your campfire circle for connection, community, and adventure. New episodes drop every Monday—plus occasional bonus episodes on Fridays. Lace up your boots, plug in your headphones, and join us on the trail.

  1. 5h ago

    People Over Peaks: An Erupting Volcano, a Toxic Ex, and a Naturalist Era | Justin 'JustRoc' Rimon | Just Trek Podcast

    Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Three years since his first episode, Justin "JustRoc" Rimon is back on Hikes and Mics. Host of the Just Trek Podcast, founder of the Just Trek Crew, and the guy whose Star Wars-themed group hike helped inspire Yakima Valley Trekkers — he returns to catch us up on the biggest chapters of the last three years. Justin revisits Sandstone Peak, the accidental April 2017 sunset hike that pulled him off the dance floor and onto the trail, and how one mountain keeps generating the friendships and moments that built his community. We get into Guatemala — the four-year dream of Acatenango and the Fuego Ridge that finally clicked after a random trail conversation — including the overnight climb, the 13,000-foot summit push, and the moment the overcast skies opened up right as the guides said it was time to turn back. He also shares the story behind recording his most stunning video episode yet with crewmate Francis Ngo, live at Mount Rainier National Park during golden hour. Then there's the Fool's Traverse: the 11-peak, 26-mile, 18-hour endurance challenge in the Mount Baldy area that Justin calls his toxic ex. Three attempts, three unfinished routes, and one philosophy that keeps winning out — people over peaks. Out of that weekend came an impromptu campground group pod at Manker Flats, proof of what "stay ready, rock steady" actually looks like in practice. We close out with the launch of his Trails and Tribulations survival-story series, the growing pains of moving from audio-only to in-person video episodes, and his full naturalist era — corvid identification, spark birds, Nocs binoculars, and co-hosting birding events with the Bird Homies and LA Trail Killers.  A sequel episode packed with epic treks, hard-earned lessons, and a whole lot of community. Episode Links: Just Trek on Instagram Just Trek Website Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

    People Over Peaks: An Erupting Volcano, a Toxic Ex, and a Naturalist Era | Justin 'JustRoc' Rimon | Just Trek Podcast

  2. Jul 20

    The Tables Turn: 4 Years of Hikes and Mics | Tami Interviews Ivan | Berg Lake Trail Anniversary Special

    Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Four years ago, Hikes and Mics started with a folding table, a mic, and total strangers at trailheads. Now, closing in on 200 episodes, the tables get turned — literally. For this anniversary special, my longtime guest and friend Tami (@tamionthetrail) takes over as host, interviewing me lakeside on the third night of a four-day trek on British Columbia's Berg Lake Trail. I get into why I started this podcast in the first place — from missing the outdoors during a stint in Phoenix to recording strangers at trailheads before going virtual. Then it's my closest call yet: turning back a Mount Adams summit attempt in deteriorating snow, including a scary moment post-holing through the snowpack on the descent, and the months-long chase of cancelled permits that finally landed back-to-back nights at Whitehorn, Berg Lake, and Kinney Lake. Plus Union Creek Falls, the short waterfall hike that actually got me hooked on hiking, my slow shift to an ultralight setup, why Hawaiian shirts are now trail staples, and my now-infamous "Berg Lake Ramen Bomb" backpacking meal. Tami and I also run a round of Season 15 This-or-That questions, with a few more to come, plus a bonus mailbag segment answering listener-submitted community questions. Four years, one flipped mic, and a whole lot of trail talk. 🎧 Subscribe to Hikes and Mics and follow @hikesandmics for new episodes every week. Episode Links: Mount Robson Provincial Park This episode was Produced by Tami while on the Berg Lake Trail, follow her on Instagram @tamionthetrail This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

    The Tables Turn: 4 Years of Hikes and Mics | Tami Interviews Ivan | Berg Lake Trail Anniversary Special

  3. Jul 13

    From Basalt Columns to Red Rock: A Park Ranger's Moab Chapter | Larkin | Park Ranger

    Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Larkin returns to Hikes and Mics — two years after his first episode, and 14 months deeper into life as a park ranger.  He traded Eastern Washington's basalt columns for the red rock of Moab, Utah, and he's back to catch us up on everything in between. Larkin talks helping open Utahraptor State Park (home to the largest species of raptor dinosaur ever discovered), hunting down hidden arches like Hunter Canyon Arch, and timing a visit to the Solstice Snake petroglyph just right to catch its brief, sun-cast arrowhead. We get into the Moab Mastodon debate, tips for a first slot canyon hike through Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass, underrated spots like Dead Horse Point and the surprisingly quiet La Sal Mountains, and archaeological finds out in Bears Ears. We close out with Larkin's long-awaited Wave permit, his push to beat last year's 615 AllTrails miles, and an ongoing boot recommendation search,  A great catch-up with an old friend, packed with desert wisdom, dinosaur trivia, and hidden-gem hiking advice. Episode Links: Larkin on Instagram This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

    From Basalt Columns to Red Rock: A Park Ranger's Moab Chapter | Larkin | Park Ranger

  4. Jun 29

    Hitting the SOS Button: A 20-Hour Backcountry Rescue | Meg Atteberry | Outdoor Educator & Writer

    Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Season 15 kicks off with outdoor educator and former pro writer Meg Atteberry — and a backcountry survival story that will stay with you. Six days into Wyoming's brutal Wind River High Route — 86 miles and 23,000 feet of gain, much of it off-trail — Meg's friend shattered six bones in her foot on a steep talus pass, 25 miles from the nearest trailhead. Meg had to hit the SOS button on her Garmin and hold it together through a 20-hour rescue: two failed helicopter launches, an overnight in an incoming storm, and an aviation "X" built from rocks to guide the chopper in. Meg breaks down exactly what that emergency taught her: why you should always carry a battery pack, never rely on your phone for SOS, double-check your emergency contacts, and pack a signal mirror. We also dig into facing a fear of heights in Moab and the Grand Canyon, why parenthood became her "superpower," backpacking with a 4-year-old, running her first ultra, and her 2026 goals in the San Juans and the Grand Canyon's Nankoweap route. A premiere packed with hard-won wisdom for anyone who heads into the backcountry. Episode Links: Meg in the Forest on YouTube Daily Vlog of her Trip What I learned about my InReach from hitting the SOS Step-By-Step what happens when you hit the SOS Meg in the Forest on Instagram This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

    Hitting the SOS Button: A 20-Hour Backcountry Rescue | Meg Atteberry | Outdoor Educator & Writer

  5. Jun 8

    From Alaskan Glacier to Global Brand: GG Edwards on Building Gnara & Redesigning the Outdoors for Everyone

    Send us Fan Mail What does it take to redesign the outdoors for everyone? Gnara Co-Founder GG Edwards joins our Season 14 finale to share how a glacier in Alaska sparked a revolution in outdoor apparel. While guiding on the Mendenhall Glacier, GG faced a choice every woman in the backcountry knows too well: trek across crevasses and peel off layers in freezing temps, or risk dehydration. Instead, she asked a simple question — what if her fly worked like the guys'? That idea became the patented GoFly® zipper and the brand now known as Gnara (formerly SheFly). In this conversation, GG opens up about sewing prototypes in her Vermont dorm room, a Kickstarter that raised over $100K in a single day, surviving a factory collapse during the pandemic, and the bold rebrand from SheFly to Gnara. We dig into why 56% of women report a bathroom accident outdoors, the taboo Gnara is dismantling, and the customer stories that prove this is so much bigger than a zipper — from Yosemite climbing guides to a solo round-the-world sailor. Plus GG on mountain biking, ice climbing, and training for the NYC Marathon. Episode Links: Gnara on Instagram Gnara's Website Gnara on YouTube This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

  6. Jun 1

    Protecting Washington's Vanishing Shrub-Steppe | Cyrus Philbrick & Bridget Clark | Cowiche Canyon Conservancy

    Send us Fan Mail What if Washington's most overlooked landscape isn't a towering evergreen forest — but a sun-baked sea of sagebrush bursting with far more life than you'd ever expect? Cyrus Philbrick and Bridget Clark of Cowiche Canyon Conservancy join us at Snow Mountain Ranch to talk about the shrub-steppe — the vanishing ecosystem this nonprofit land trust has spent 40+ years protecting across 8,000+ acres and 60+ miles of free trails just outside Yakima. We get into how a community-driven land trust grows acre by acre, from a defunct railroad through Cowiche Canyon to the recent Konnowac Pass acquisition. Cyrus walks us through the two-volcano geology that carved the canyon's basalt and andesite cliffs, while Bridget shares how this landscape thrives on a quarter of the west side's rainfall. We also dig into the work that keeps this place wild: the battle against invasive cheatgrass and scotch thistle, the volunteers and school kids who make conservation personal, and a commitment to equity through Spanish-language wildflower walks that open the outdoors to all of Yakima. Plus their must-do weekend hikes and when to catch peak wildflowers. If you've ever driven east of the pass and written off the sagebrush, this episode will change how you see it. Episode Links: Cowiche Canyon Conservancy Website Cowiche Canyon Conservancy on Facebook Cowiche Canyon Conservancy on Instagram This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

    Protecting Washington's Vanishing Shrub-Steppe | Cyrus Philbrick & Bridget Clark | Cowiche Canyon Conservancy

  7. May 25

    From McKinsey to Mount Everest: Tom French on Gap Years, Summiting at 60 & Reclaiming the Life You Left Behind

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when a 33-year McKinsey career ends on Friday — and you're on an ice wall by Saturday afternoon? Tom French, author of The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiing, and the Journey Back, joins us to talk about trading his corporate corner office for crampons, summiting Everest under a full moon at 2:15 AM, and why it's never too late to reclaim the passions of your younger years. Tom's story begins with a childhood shaped by legendary mountaineer Willi Unsoeld — the first man to climb Everest's West Ridge — who literally taught Tom to climb at age eight. Decades later, after raising a family and building an elite business career, Tom didn't quietly retire. He launched a gap year that stretched into three and a half extraordinary years of ice climbing, cross-country ski marathons, and two Everest expeditions. We dig into his gripping turnaround at 26,000 feet on his first summit attempt, the remote Makalu Barun approach he took on his second, and what the emotional release at base camp — not the summit — truly taught him about achievement. If you've ever felt too busy, too old, or too settled to chase a dream, this episode is for you. Episode Links: Tom on Instagram Tom's Website Buy a copy of The Gap Years This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

    From McKinsey to Mount Everest: Tom French on Gap Years, Summiting at 60 & Reclaiming the Life You Left Behind

  8. May 18

    Seven Years, 10,000 Miles & One Film: Brendan Hall on Capturing the Soul of America's National Parks

    Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful story in a national park isn't the landscape — it's the people inside it? NYU-trained filmmaker, Explorers Club member, and director Brendan Hall joins us to share the journey behind Out There: A National Parks Story — a feature documentary seven years in the making, born from a post-graduation road trip across 10,000 miles of America's public lands. Brendan opens up about the Grand Canyon moment under the Milky Way that redirected his entire filmmaking career, how two friends with no plan found trail builder Gary in Acadia simply by asking a librarian, and why his relationship with Yosemite has evolved from a solo sunrise at Tunnel View to a surprise engagement in El Capitan Meadow. We cover the human tapestry behind the film: Jack Gladstone's Blackfeet stories at Glacier, photographer QT Luong's overlooked legacy, and a filmmaking philosophy built around accessibility over conquest. Brendan also reflects on his time as a selected crew member of the Dear Moon mission, what an Antarctica voyage with Neil deGrasse Tyson and William Shatner revealed about our planet, and how to carry hope in the face of ecological grief — from bleached coral reefs to smoke-filled wilderness. Out There has screened at 25+ festivals and 75+ community events nationwide. A screening tour and digital release with nonprofit partnerships are rolling out through 2026. Screenings & updates: outthere.film Episode Links: Brendan on Instagram Out There Film on Instagram Brendan's Website This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+ I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier. Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership! Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app) Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists  Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

    Seven Years, 10,000 Miles & One Film: Brendan Hall on Capturing the Soul of America's National Parks
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4.6
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Hikes & Mics is where the trail meets the conversation. Each week, host Ivan Orozco brings together hikers, backpackers, and outdoor adventurers to share the stories, lessons, and inspiration they’ve found in the great outdoors. From life-changing summits to quiet moments on local trails, our guests open up about how nature has shaped their journeys—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Every episode blends thoughtful storytelling with a dash of fun, closing out with our signature This or That: Hiking Edition lightning round. Whether you’re a weekend wanderer, a long-distance thru-hiker, or someone who simply loves the outdoors, this podcast is your campfire circle for connection, community, and adventure. New episodes drop every Monday—plus occasional bonus episodes on Fridays. Lace up your boots, plug in your headphones, and join us on the trail.

Information

  • Creator
    Ivan
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    197
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hikes and Mics Podcast
  • Show Website
    Hikes and Mics Podcast

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