In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Nathan Wright, known on trail as Switchback. Nathan is an ambassador for the Pinhoti Trail and Alabama trails more broadly, wearing almost too many hats to count. He is the co-founder of the Pinhoti Outdoor Center – a hostel he runs with his wife, President of the Alabama Hiking Trail Society, Vice President of the Alabama Pinhoti Trail Association, Chairman of the Board of the Pinhoti Experience Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Alabama Trails Commission. 

In this conversation, we go deep on everything to do with the Pinhoti Trail and Nathan’s many roles in supporting it. We cover the best time of year to hike it, what to expect in terms of wildlife, resupply, water, and logistics, as well as the standout physical features of the trail. Nathan also shares why the trail’s surrounding community makes it so special, the can’t-miss town stops and restaurants, and why he believes it’s the best off-season thru-hike in the US.

We wrap the show with a FREE STUFF alert for 2025 PCT Thru-Hikers, how to get college credit for thru-hiking the AT, how our lives would be totally different if our first names were spelled differently, the triple crown of thru-hiker fads, a shortest day of the year of the week, and a listener shares some intel on Texas’ most underrated trail.

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Interview with Nathan Wright

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:20 – Reminders: Sign up for the Trek’s newsletter, apply to blog for the Trek or to run Trail Correspondents and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!

00:13:20 – Introducing Nathan

00:14:30 – Tell us about your hiking experience

00:15:00 – What made you fall in love with hiking in Alabama?

00:17:40 – Did you get involved with the trail first or hike it first?

00:19:30 – Tell us about finding out you were having a baby

00:21:44 – Discussion about section hiking the AT

00:23:45 – Tell us about all the organizations you’re involved with

00:25:15 – What are the basic stats of the Pinhoti Trail?

00:29:30 – What’s the best season to hike the Pinhoti?

00:30:25 – What’s the APTA?

00:33:40 – What’s the Pinhoti Experience Foundation?

00:36:00 – What’s the Alabama Trails Commission Advisory Board?

00:37:00 – What’s your tech company?

00:38:48 – How does your hostel work?

00:42:00 – Discussion about resupplies along the Pinhoti

00:44:14 – How much of the trail is on a road?

00:47:05 – What’s the process for creating a trail town?

00:51:40 – How does your business background interface with your trail work?

00:55:38 – What’s the water like on the Pinhoti?

00:58:40 – What’s the wildlife like?

01:01:10 – If we go on an Alabama road trip, which football game should we go to?

01:03:04 – When are the ticks bad?

01:04:00 – Could you bring your dog on the Pinhoti?

01:06:42 – Are there shelters on the Pinhoti?

01:08:43 – If you had to sell someone on the Pinhoti, what would you tell them?

01:10:30 – What’s some cool history related to the Pinhoti?

01:14:20 – What are some standout trail towns and town spots?

01:19:50 – What are the main characteristics of the trail?

01:22:24 – What is Alabama food culture?

01:23:15 – What are the logistics of getting to or from the trail?

01:26:50 – Tell us about Pinhoti Fest

01:29:00 – What do you see for the future of the Pinhoti?

01:36:03 – What are some lessons of running a hostel?

01:39:00 – Stay Salty Question: What is your hottest take in the world of backpacking or the outdoors at large?

Segments

Trek Propaganda: How I Got College Credit for Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail by Jordan Charbonneau

QOTD:  Do you think your life would turn out different if your name was spelled slightly differently?

Triple Crown of thru-hiker fads

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Thru-hiking is an intensely personal experience that means something a little different to everyone. No two thru-hikes are alike, and in reality there is no special ritual you have to go through to earn the right to call yourself a thru-hiker.

All the same, there are a few oddly specific, unifying experiences that almost every thru-hiker can relate to on some level. Some are goofy and charming, others are … less so, but they’re all quintessential aspects of long-distance backpacking.

How many of these thru-hiker rites of passage can you relate to?

1. Shitting Your Pants in the Mountains

You would be amazed by how many thru-hikers have shit themselves at least once on trail. If you see someone hiking in their rain pants on a sunny day for no apparent reason — trust me, there’s a reason.

Maybe it’s the intense exercise playing havoc with the gut microbiome or maybe it’s the large quantity of Spam Singles most thru-hikers ingest daily (or hey, maybe it’s giardia!), but this is a surprisingly universal experience for hikers.

All I can tell you is to carry imodium and don’t feel too bad about yourself if it happens.

This is a common, but admittedly not totally ubiquitous, thru-hiker experience. Here’s an alternative you might find more relatable (or be more willing to admit you’ve experienced): accidentally pooping in front of a traumatized group of day hikers because you didn’t realize the trail curves around to go right by your carefully chosen cathole site.

2. Sharing a Hotel Room With 1-5 Random Strangers You Just Met That Day

Jumping into bed with mysterious strangers you met in the forest two hours ago is generally a no-no. But for thru-hikers, it’s a budget-friendly way to enjoy a night in town.

Motels are expensive for one person, but if two or three hikers share a room, it can be the same price or cheaper than staying in a hostel, only with more peace and a private bathroom.

This is a lighthearted little post, but let me just state here that common sense still applies for thru-hikers, as much as we want to be silly and goofy all the time. Don’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable just because “all thru-hikers share hotel rooms.” Use your best judgment and listen to your gut.

3. Pushing Mega Miles Just To Prove You Can and Immediately Requiring a Double Zero To Recover

I could hike 20 miles per day and advance 60 miles toward my goal over the course of three days. OR, hear me out, I could hike 57 miles in one day just to see if I can and then spend two days horizontal in a hostel bunk recovering.

No shade on the latter strategy. For many of us, thru-hiking puts us in the best shape of our lives, and I understand the urge to push the boundaries a bit and see exactly how much our bodies are capable of.

For those who appreciate the finer things in life (and have the budget to support it), there is also something to be said for hiking big miles and balancing them with more time spent in town. I knew plenty of AT hikers who hiked like this — mostly men who were following this or that major sporting event and therefore needed regular access to trail town sports bars — and they all seemed happy enough.

Still, if you’re under time pressure, remember that consistency often counts for more than big-mile days. Hiking 20 miles per day and taking fewer zeros might get you to your destination faster than wearing your body down by busting out 35-mile days that leave you in need of more rest.

Your mileage may vary with this advice; if your name is Heather Anderson, for instance, you can disregard.

4. Experiencing Existential Dread Over Every Minor Ache and Pain

Every hiker is bound to get down in the dumps sometimes after stubbing their toe extra hard on a cunningly concealed rock or feeling a stubborn mystery pain in their knee. In the photo above, I lost my head completely after experiencing persistent foot pain and compensated by completely encasing both feet in gauze and leukotape, which is admittedly a) unhinged, b) a terrible strategy, and c) a waste of leuko.

Thru-hikers put so much of themselves into the trail — time, money, sweat, tears, hopes, dreams — and the thought of some meaningless freak accident ending it all in a split second is frankly terrifying.

Imagine planning your hike for years and making it a thousand miles down the trail before one badly placed step halts your lifelong dream in its tracks. This kind of thing can and does happen, and we all live with some level of anxiety over the possibility of a hike-ending injury. Every minor ache and pain can therefore feel like an existential threat.

The best things you can do for yourself on trail are to stretch daily, stay hydrated, rest often, wear good shoes, and generally listen to your body.

A certain amount of pain is normal when thru-hiking. It is a lot of wear and tear on the body, after all. But pushing through extreme, persistent pain is only going to make a hike-ending injury more likely.

5. Experiencing Existential Dread After Realizing You’re Eating 5x The Recommended Amount of Tuna

Single-serving tuna packets are widely available in most grocery stores and gas stations in the US and seem like a near-perfect hiking food. They come in lightweight packaging and add a punch of flavor and extra protein to your meals. As a result, they’re a staple in many hikers’ food bags.

But in the face of all these great reasons to eat tuna, it’s easy to forget that experts recommend limiting your consumption of tuna to just once per week, since ocean fishies higher on the food chain contain a lot of mercury. Convenient though they are, it’s probably best to lay off the tuna packs if you’re relying on them heavily.

Tuna Alternatives

Salmon packs are also fairly common. Salmon contains mercury but in lower concentrations than tuna, so the FDA recommends up to three servings per week.

Many grocery stores stock chicken packets in the same area, which could be a great alternative.

I hesitate to recommend Spam Singles as a healthier alternative to tuna because, well, you know. But if you’re a carnivore in search of single-serving, protein-rich flavor bombs, that is another option.

6. Hiking 1,500 Miles and Then Calling a Shuttle To Go 0.8 Miles to the Store

OK well first of all, zero days are meant to be rest days. Rest is good! We like rest. No shame in saving as much of your energy for the actual trail as possible.

And second of all, not all trail towns are walkable. Hiking on the shoulder of a busy, narrow road with fast-moving traffic is not the safest plan.

Even just half a mile can become an impassable distance if the shop or restaurant you want to visit is on the opposite side of a six-lane highway with no official pedestrian crossing.

One of the strange dualities of thru-hiking is that you come to love the feeling of traversing great distances but deeply resent the inconvenience of smaller journeys on foot.

7. Eating Hiker Box Mystery Powder

Is it whey protein? Mashed potatoes? Laundry soap? No one knows. But after perusing enough hiker boxes, your curiosity about the ubiquitous, unlabeled mystery baggies is bound to overwhelm your common sense — especially if you’re a hungry hiker on a budget.

Look, I can’t in good conscience recommend eating the unlabeled mystery powders. But if your heart is set on trying, maybe just give the contents a little sniff first and try preparing a small sample in town before adding the lot to your food bag.

Who knows, maybe you’ll discover your new favorite trail food. I sure did. (It was refried bean flakes, if you’re wondering.)

8. Hiking for More Than 1 Hour in the Wrong Direction, Crying

Generally this happens accidentally. But I did know one AT hiker who realized, 12 miles into his day, that he had left his Garmin inReach at the shelter that morning. So he hiked 12 miles back to retrieve it and camped at the same shelter that night, adding 24 miles to his legs but ending up no closer to Katahdin. 

I love alpine starts when thru-hiking, but the combination of low visibility and sleep deprivation makes it all too easy to take a wrong turn early in the morning. The risk is highest when I’ve been camping a bit off trail. When I get back on the treadway, I now know I have to be extra careful to turn the right way.

My worst mix-up was on a predawn ascent of Mt. Washington. In the half light, I accidentally got onto a social trail where many hikers had cut a switchback. When it rejoined the AT, I accidentally turned the wrong way, never realizing I had briefly been off trail. I led my companions more than a mile back down Washington the way we had come up before realizing our (my) mistake. 

Hiking the wrong way is a funny story after the fact, but it feels pretty darn bad in the moment, when you’re tired and hungry and just want to make forward progress. Take comfort in the knowledge that pretty much every hiker has done this at least once.

How Many Can You Relate To?

By no means do you have to experience all, or even any, of the “rites of passage” above to call yourself a thru-hiker. Much like getting a trail name, these are simply experiences many long-distance hikers share or can relate to. How many have you experienced?

Graphic design by Zack Goldman

Day 102- 8 Miles today Library Spring Campsite from to Garfield Ridge Shelter, 2900 Feet Up, 2800 Feet down, 1836 AT Mile Marker

Bear Attack

Caretaker Mac had to pack the tents on the rickety platforms at Liberty Springs because there were so many of us. I arrived early and set up so I could lay down for a sort of nero.

A recent bear attack that went viral on social media happened here. There was a designated area to eat, wash cooking gear, and store food away from the tenting area.

More tents were set up as hikers arrived but I just laid in my tent and tried to sleep.

Starting the Day

Slept really well last night other than the tossing and turning of my neighbors sharing the tent platform. Got up really early this morning at 3:30 in the morning and I laid around for a little while and then decided to get packed up and get going.

The weather was supposed to turn nasty today and there was several exposed sections above the treeline. Plus the technical rock sections would be treacherous when wet.

Light on Food

I got packed up and went over to the food area to grab my food bag and do my instant breakfast meal. I don’t have a whole lot of food selection so my breakfast is as simple coffee and instant breakfast milkshake. I’ll probably lose a bit of weight going through the Whites.

It is too important for me to not have to carry all this extra food weight. I have enough calories it’s just I don’t feel like eating what I have.

At the food area I ran into several other thru hikers including Righty. Tad and his crew were also there. I had to also pack all the water I needed for the entire hike today. There are no water sources.

On the Trail Nero

Got an early start on the trail at 6:00 a.m. this morning. So far today I feel much better than yesterday. I had a short hike yesterday even though it did involve some technical and some elevation. I took it easy yesterday. I intentionally wanted to try to get a nero in to get some rest.

Today is also going to be a nero day. I’ve got eight miles but eight miles in the Whites doesn’t mean anything. The miles all depend on the technicality of the climbs and descents.

Reunion

Yesterday when I was at the water source I saw somebody I hadn’t seen in a while. We both were surprised to see each other. Last time I saw Raptor she was at the Bears Den hostel at the roller coaster in the Virginia.

I was surprised to see anybody that I had traveled with before this far up. She said she’s from Maine than her husband had to go into the hospital so she’s lept ahead. It was good to see somebody from my original crew.

Now however I seem to be running with a different crew. It’s nice to see the same faces. We are all on the same mission. Most of us have the same state of mind having gone through the same experiences for 1,800 plus miles.

Franconia Ridge

It was a short climb up to the ridge. It was nontactical and just like yesterday was not too bad even though it was a steep climb.

On the Franconia Ridge it started as fairly level path. It is a bit overgrown so this is obviously not a path that day hikers take to get up here. The trail then got a little technical on the climb up Little Haystack Mountain.

I got a peek of the mountains around before the storm clouds started rolling in. It was then that we hit the alpine zone and things started to flatten out a little bit.

Storm Approaching

As I was walking the ridge the approaching storm is to my left. To my right some of the storm has made it over the ridge but most of the storm can’t seem to make it over the ridge yet. I can see the clouds come over the ridge, circle and then evaporate. The storm looks like it’s trying to push its way over the ridge.

Up ahead I can see Mount Lincoln and the spine that the trail travels along to the top. I got to admit it looks kind of intimidating from this vantage point. I can see Righty with his bright orange heading up the ridge to Mount Lincoln.

Fogged In

By the time I got to the top of Mount Lincoln the storm had fully enveloped the mountain. All views disappeared and the wind was picking up speed. It’s one mile now to Mount Lafayette.

Mount Lafayette was fogged with clouds too. There were steep drop offs along the trail made even more mysterious by the clouds that would open up just enough to give you a peek of how much of a drop off it might be. But not giving you a complete understanding of where the drop off ends making it a mystery.

The Storm

It start started to get darker and the breeze turned cooler. I continued to hike along the alpine zone not exactly sure where I was because it was so dark. The wind was trying to blow me off the mountain.

It then started to rain which made travel a little more slower especially on the bare rock faces. It was intimidating.

Then after the junction for the trail going down to the Cloudland hut the trail descended quite sharply.

Challenging Climb

The trail wound its way down leaving the alpine zone and entering into the sweet smelling spruce forest although the trees were pretty stubby only 15 feet high.

It’s not even 10:00 and I’ve got 2.3 miles left to get to the shelter. It will be interesting to see what time I get to the shelter. Climbing Mount Garfield on the south face looks like it’s going to be very challenging.

I continued to go through the spruce forest up and down with a few technical climbs when I came out to view of Mount Garfield. It is only 1.5 miles away but looks like it is 10 miles away. And it is going to be a hell of a climb.

Got to the shelter as it started to rain more heavy. Average pace 1.3 mph.

It rained all afternoon and the shelter filled up with hikers. It was nice to be in my bag warm, resting, and sleeping.

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