Road Correspondents: S5 Episode 5 | Expectations versus reality

Each hike begins with a story we tell ourselves about what the trail will be like. After several weeks of travel, our Route 2026 correspondents reflect on where expectations have collided with reality. From romantic visions and unexpected hardships to surprising joys and perspective-shifting moments, these AT, PCT, and CDT stories reveal what the road is really like once the dream meets land.

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List of correspondents

In this episode, we hear from:

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Credits

Hosted, produced and edited by Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin (instagram). Trail Correspondents is a The Trek production.

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