Amazons

Return from the Wild

In May 2022, Marci Kornegay set off from the Southern Terminus to hike the Pacific Crest Trail but as the journey progressed into Northern California, Oregon and Washington State, wildfires interrupted her goal of reaching the Northen Terminus in Canada by the fall. Undaunted and determined to complete the through hike, Marci and her trail buddies reconvened in June 2023 to complete those elusive miles and claim their PCT through hike crown. Marci shares her highs and lows from the challenge and why it was important to her to complete it. In the meanwhile, she teamed up again with Chris Stafford to take on another long trail bike ride—they completed the 450-mile Potomac Heritage Trail in 2022—this time it was the Empire State Trail. The EST runs the width and length of the state of New York along the Erie Canal from Buffalo (via a detour to Niagara Falls in Canada) to Rochester, Syracuse, Albany where it joins the Hudson River Valley all the way to Manhattan in New York City; a total of over 650 miles. Chris & Marci share that journey from the wilds of upstate NY all the way to Battery Park, back and forth across the Hudson River - with high bridges and fast traffic! Hear what these two adventure buddies got up to along the way and what may be next on the horizon. Hosts: Chris Stafford & Marci Kornegay Produced by WiSP @WiSPSports @blondebearhikes

S4E1: Wander Women

Since retiring in 2015, The Wander Women, thrill-seeking nomads Kristy Burns and Annette Demel have hiked tens of thousands of miles, including the Colorado Trail, the Oregon Coast Trail, Superior Trail in Minnesota, Lonestar Trail in TX, going back-to-back-to- back on the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail to earn the Triple Crown. In addition they have added a few thousand miles on their bikes touring through the Pacific Northwest, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and through some American Rail Trails, including the C&O Canal, Great Allegheny Passage and the Empire State Trail—biking from Buffalo, NY to the heart of New York City. Living out of their RV full-time, they are no strangers to seeking adventure and living life to the fullest. They embody what it means to “Find Your Feral” and don’t shy away from the opportunity to share the importance of getting out and finding joy with others. They are living out their goals and continue to find more epic journeys as they set out to through hike the Arizona Trail, The Camino de Santiago, to complete the Ragbrai bike ride across Iowa, and to go global with long distance hiking in Slovenia and Coatia. There is no stopping these wander women, who definitely live up to their name. Host: Marci Kornegay Recorded: January 12, 2023

Marci Kornegay's Pacific Crest Trail, Pt 5 - Finding Joy

Marci Kornegay completed the Pacific Crest Trail on September 21; a journey that started in the desert at the Mexican border on May 12. The ultimate finish, the touchstone that PCT hikers aim for at the Canadian border was denied her and her trail friends due to wildfires that closed the final 80 miles. And there were other closures that Marci had to navigate and reroute in Northern California and into Oregon. Having reached as far north in Washington State as she could, Marci turned south to complete the miles in California and Oregon that she had earlier had to jump. This time she was completely alone and for her it felt like two different hikes. it became a battle of her will to complete these miles against the quietness of the solitude and loneliness. Her determination to complete held strong. And she found the joy that made hiking the PCT so worthwhile. The sights, the sounds, the smells… all of it unique to the wild and desolate high country that makes the PCT so special. Alas there are still about 280 miles that were closed and she plans to return to before she can check this box. And yes of course there is a next big hike waiting for her: the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) 3,100 miles. Host: Chris Stafford Recorded: October 10, 2022 WiSP Sports is the ONLY GLOBAL PODCAST NETWORK FOR WOMEN’S SPORT with more than 60 hosts, 1600+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. Every episode is a WiSP SPORTS ORIGINAL PRODUCTION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We are ranked in the top 2% of more than 2.71 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at wispsports@gmail.com [wispsports@gmail.com].

Marci Kornegay on the Pacific Crest Trail, Pt 4 - Lake Tahoe Revisited

As we continue to follow the tracks of our friend Marci Kornegay (aka blondebearhikes) on the Pacific Crest Trail, we find her back at Lake Tahoe after wildfires in Northern California and Oregon closed the trail. During the course of the hike, which began on the California - Mexico border on May 12, Marci has befriended two women; Simone Federici (aka Glider) and Ultra Marathon/ Endurance runner and Haley Gamertsfelder (aka nattyg), a wilderness conservationist, who have become trail buddies. Thee three of them reflect on the trail so far, their reason and purpose, what they are looking forward to and will take away from this experience. And they also shares some very private habits that they’ve picked up along the way. https://hikingwithsimone.wordpress.com/pct-blog/ [https://hikingwithsimone.wordpress.com/pct-blog/] Host: Chris Stafford Recorded: August 3, 2022 WiSP Sports is the ONLY GLOBAL PODCAST NETWORK FOR WOMEN’S SPORT with more than 60 hosts, 1600+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. Every episode is a WiSP SPORTS ORIGINAL PRODUCTION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We are ranked in the top 2% of more than 2.71 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at wispsports@gmail.com [wispsports@gmail.com].

Marci Kornegay on the Pacific Crest Trail - Pt 3 - Lake Tahoe

Our friend and intrepid hiker Marci Kornegay arrived in South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday July 20, Day 70 and 1091 miles in on the Pacific Crest Trail. She has now completed the High Sierra of California, which involved five days with over 10,000ft elevation gain, including summiting Mount Whitney. In Marci’s own words: ’Immeasurable magical moments in the first 100+ miles of the Sierra including a Mt. Whitney summit (highest peak in lower 48 at 14,505’) and Kearsage Pass. Exploding with incredible views, challenges, and memorable moments with ridiculously cool people.’ Her closest companions on the trail are Montana native Haley and Californian Simone who have become fast friends while sharing so many special memories. The wildlife has been varied from marmots, who are regular food thieves, to deer, pika, ground squirrels and chipmunks. We caught up with Marci after she had spent the night renewing supplies so she was ready to get back on trail after recording this podcast. The next section of the PCT is known as the Desolation Wilderness round the side of Lake Tahoe, which has a heavy black bear population. The next goal is to cross the Northern California dessert and reach Oregon by August 14. Host: Chris Stafford Recorded: July 21, 2022 For more information, links and resources and hundreds more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the ONLY GLOBAL PODCAST FOR WOMEN’S SPORT with more than 60 hosts, 1600+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. Every episode is a WiSP SPORTS ORIGINAL PRODUCTION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We are ranked in the top 2% of more than 2.71 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].