The Santa Fe to Taos Trail, Backpacking with Your Dad and Brother, and the Transcaucasian Trail with Lauren Roerick 2.0 (BPR #244)

On today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, presented by LMNT, we are joined once again by outdoor filmmaker and long-distance backpacker, Lauren “Longway” Roerick.

Lauren shares the ups and downs of a huge year of backpacking and international adventures, including dragging her “indoor cat” brother on the pilgrimage to Temple 88 in Japan and her not-so-fit father on the Camino del Norte in Spain, her less-than-stellar experience on the Via Dinarica, and how a particularly unfortunate stretch in Montenegro finally forced her off the trail, quickly rinsing her palette with some great hikes on the Transcaucasian Trail in Georgia, and her experience hiking through Santa Fe to the Taos Trail as part of our “get paid to hike” sponsorship. We also learn more about Lauren’s background, including a chaotic international divorce, how she learned calculus in Chinese, and how she once sang opera even though she refuses to do it for you; we forgive her and this is a fun and inspiring talk anyway.

We close the show with a hidden gem in New York, a Triple Crown of Pop (not SODA!), and what trail traditions should be celebrated on the spring equinox.

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Interview with Lauren Roerick

Timestamps and questions

00:04:57 – Reminders: Apply as a vlog or blog for Trek And apply for Badger sponsorship!

00:09:10 – Introducing Lauren Roerick.

00:10:10 – Discussion about Te Araroa

00:13:30 – Discussion on a near hypothermia experience in the Tararua Mountains

00:19:10 – Give us an overview of the Santa Fe to Taos Trail

00:26:45 – Any notable stories from the Tahoe Rim Trail?

00:27:55 – Tell us about the 88 temple pilgrimage in Japan

00:35:00 – Discussion about Lauren’s tea ceremony experience.

00:37:20 – What did you do during the three years you lived in Taiwan?

00:39:20 – Did you really move to California to study and sing opera?

00:43:30 – Discussion about Lauren moving frequently

00:47:35 – Tell us about your hometown

00:49:50 – Tell us about starting a sales agency.

00:55:20 – Who is the pilgrimage to the 88 temples for?

00:58:20 – Tell us about cycling in Taiwan

01:05:50 – What is the least safe thing you felt during your international travels?

01:21:15 – Tell us the good things about Via Dinarica

01:28:35 – Tell us about hiking in Georgia.

01:35:35 – How often do they recognize you?

01:37:00 – Was the Santa Fe to Taos trail boring in comparison?

01:39:08 – Tell us about the trail you walked with your dad.

01:43:40 – How did the Camino rate compared to other trails you hiked last year?

01:46:24 – Discussion on

01:51:45 – Do you have general tips for international travel and hiking?

01:58:35 – What’s next on your hiking schedule for 2026?

02:03:15 – Stay Salty Question: What is your best view of the backpacking world? pdf view.

Segments

Propaganda Clues: The Epic 358-Mile Walk in New York You’ve Never Heard of by Alex McClain

QOTD: The summer solstice is a day of walking naked. What should the spring equinox be like?

Fear of the week

Triple Crown of pop/soda

mail bag

5 star review

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

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