Finding Setbacks in the Hiking Community, Jordan Trail, and Bigfoot Trail with Claire «Marmot» Dumont (BPR #354)

On today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, presented by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Claire “Marmot” Dumont, a mapmaker, writer for The Trek, and hiker who has completed the AT, Mountains to Sea Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, JMT, and more.

In it, Marmot tells us what it’s like to spend three months on a trail with your dad, how a Fulbright scholarship brought her to Jordan to research land ethics and outdoor recreation, and what happened when COVID closed the borders and kicked her off the Jordan Trail mid-hike. She also shares the story of helping a rescue on Mount Washington and traveling to the city by ambulance, what it meant finding a queer trail family on the AT, and how she thinks about femininity and queer identity in spaces that have traditionally skewed pretty friends, and why she’ll never apologize for walking around in a dress and an AeroPress in her backpack.

We close the show with a new YouTube channel from The Trek, some days of incredible trails we’ll be hosting, how a multimillion-dollar game developer has been buying up thousands of acres of wilderness in North Carolina, wondering if we’d rather be able to thrive on 4 hours of sleep or have the entire month of September off each year, the triple crown of barbecue food, why Chaunce now likes inflatable sleeping mats, reigniting the gas station bathroom debate, and weighing in on whether a listener should hop on the AT like flip flops or NOBO.

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Interview with Claire “Marmot” Dumont

Timestamps and questions

00:05:35 – Reminders: Subscribe to The Trek Youtube and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!

00:11:45 – Introducing Groundhog

00:14:04 – How did you start backpacking?

00:18:15 – What is the Manaslu Circuit?

00:20:30 – How did you find the gap year program?

00:22:40 – What did you do after the gap year?

00:24:30 – Were you the youngest person you met at the JMT?

00:29:45 – Do you have any advice for a younger person who wants to get into hiking?

00:33:45 – How did you decide to do the next Tahoe Rim Trail?

00:36:00 – How does the Tahoe Rim Trail compare to the JMT in terms of people?

00:38:30 – What is your career?

00:41:15 – What makes a good map?

00:44:15 – Tell us about the Oregon Coast Trail and Bigfoot Trail attempts

00:59:22 – Did you like the parts of the trail you saw?

01:02:15 – Tell us about the Long Trail hike

01:04:35 – Tell us about your Fulbright and the Jordan Trail

01:10:45 – Discussion about being abroad when Covid started

01:15:30 – Tell us how to undertake the Long Road

01:17:55 – Give us the elevator pitch about the Jordan Trail

01:23:45 – Tell us about the path from the mountains to the sea

01:30:13 – Are they aiming for the entire route to be one-way?

01:35:20 – How did you decide to go up to the MST?

01:36:50 – What was it like to start the AT?

01:39:10 – Tell us about your tram experience on the AT

01:42:45 – Did being queer affect you on your hikes before the AT?

01:45:25 – What were your conclusions about intentional community building?

01:48:24 – What are the biggest differences between hiking with men and women?

01:49:44 – Tell us about walking in a dress and practicing femininity on the trail.

01:52:53 – Tell us about your article, Four things I will never walk without again

01:56:30 – Any other notable stories from the OT?

02:05:25 – Tell us about the Teton Crest Trail

02:09:35 – Tell us about your article, Actually, no, the trail won’t always be there: why you should walk now

02:12:15 – Peak Performance Question: What’s your top backpacking or performance-enhancing trick?

Segments

Propaganda clues

QOTD: Would you rather have every September off, fully paid, with no PTO, or be able to enjoy 4 hours of sleep?

Triple Crown of BBQ meals

One Minute Equipment Reviews

Listener Voicemail

mail bag

5 star review

Check out our sound technician. @mi_chico_pauly/ and your coffee.

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