Why We Hike – Details, episodes & analysis

Melanie Stone is an actor, film producer, rock and roll goddess and passionate nature lover. In this episode Mel talks about her recent backpacking trip to Paria Canyon in Southern Utah which at one point caused her to seriously wonder if she might actually die in that Canyon. We have an incredible conversation about the benefits of being humbled by nature and whole bunch of other stuff.

I played in Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera with Mel for nearly 10 years. Listen to the end of the episode to hear a lil' snippet of Mel killing it at a live Deep Love performance.

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@MelanieSt0ne

Watch ALL of Melanie's movies:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5752523/

• He's Dead & So Am I
• V/H/S/99
• Deadstream
• Cupid for Christmas
• Love, Lost & Found
• Scarlett
• Retreat to Paradise
• Gone Hollywood
• Shattered Memories
• We're Alive: Frontier
• Christmas Wonderland
• My Christmas Inn
• Devil's Got My Back
• Little Women
• Chasing Shadows
• Extinct
• The Killing Pact
• GruntSlingers
• Lunchtime Battle: A Mobile Strike Story
• Mythica: The Godslayer
• Nocturne
• In the End: Sketch Comedy
• Mythica: The Iron Crown
• Mythica: The Necromancer
• Riot
• Miracle Maker
• Waffle Street
• Mythica: The Darkspore
• He Knows My Name
• Be My Frankenstein
• Wildlife
• Mythica: A Quest for Heroes
• The Christmas Dragon
• One Shot
• Survivor
• Chronologic
• Christmas for a Dollar
• No Precedence

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Bob Donoho is an incredible human lifeform. He has had all kinds of wild experiences in the backcountry as a wilderness therapy guide for many years. He is an, in my opinion, expert woodworker and crafter of all kinds of things from nature. But beyond all those things, Bob has a golden heart and the wisdom of an ancient Greek philosopher. And he really likes bengal spice tea. 

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@GoodPeopleFanClub

Follow Bob's Dog!

@My.Dog.Pancho

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Nathan Donnelly is best known for surviving 72 days in the Northern Canada wilderness on Season 6 of History Channel's Alone Show. Nathan is the only person in the history of the Alone Show to choose NOT to bring a modern fire starting device, and chose instead to rely on his expert friction fire building skills. This is what initially drew me to Nathan! Nathan is a man of great wisdom and deep experience living in harmony with and in wild places.  In the past, he has been a wildlife biologist, backcountry park ranger, wildland firefighter, search and rescue team member, builder, outfitter, and homestead caretaker. Follow Nathan! Insta: @Northwest.Resilience Email: NWresilience@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ford-erickson/support

Callie Russell is a long time outdoor "surTHRIVAL" practitioner and instructor as well as nomadic goat herder, and wilderness therapy backcountry guide, but is perhaps best known for her appearance on season 7 of History Channel's Alone show, where she survived and thrived for 89 days completely alone in the Arctic. In this interview Callie talks about her journey from a typical middle class angsty teen from the city to a full time nomadic goat herder living almost entirely off of goats milk! Follow Callie! Instagram: @CapraKhan --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ford-erickson/support

Abi Ayres is a REAL LIFE Instagram influencer (@AbiAyres) and draws people in with her genuine, bright, goofy personality. She recently took it upon herself to train for and attempt to hike 24 miles from Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon in one day. Abi says this was WAAAY out of her comfort zone. Abi talks about why the heck she felt compelled to do this and what the incredibly hard trek taught her about taking the power back in her life. Abi is the greatest.

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Instagram: @AbiAyres

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Growing up in foster care, Sam Smith had a confusing and challenging childhood. He explains how engaging with the wilderness has helped him overcome and heal from the past and how it continues to do so for him. He once found himself stranded in the Mountains and decided to live out there alone for 2 months. He now lives outside in a Wikiup (AKA primitive living shelter made of sticks) full-time while attending a primitive skills university in Montana called Green University. What a guy!!!!

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Facebook: Sam Smith

Instagram: @Backcountry_Runaway

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In this episode you will join my comrades and I as we venture, for the first time, into the ominous Wind River Mountains in Wyoming. In addition, toward the end of the episode there is an interview with Alex, who we stumbled upon out there. He was severely sick with altitude sickness and couldn't stop throwing up. Fun times! Join my Patreon cult to help keep this podcast ad-free!: https://www.patreon.com/FordThunderErickson --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ford-erickson/support

In this episode Elizabeth Baird demands to interview the normal podcast host, Ford Thunder Erickson. She prevails. Ford talks about his most meaningful wild places he's been, a powerful experience he had on the John Muir Trail annnnd why he hikes. What else would he talk about? Ford's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FordThunderErickson Instantgraham: @Ford_Thunder_Erickson --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ford-erickson/support

Elisabeth Baird is an experienced wilderness therapy guide as well as a middle school art teacher. She once did an internship combining art therapy and wilderness therapy together, which I have never heard of anyone else doing before.

Elizabeth is one of the most thoughtful people on earth and every human being would benefit from hearing the insights and experiences she shares in this episode.

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@Elisabeth_Ruth_Baird

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Good ol' Clutch Lambert was on the 2nd episode ever on this podcast but it was definitely the worst interview I have ever done....not because of him but because of my crappy interviewing skillz. In this episode Clutch and I discuss the ethics of killing animals as well as the sacredness we will exists on ancient ruins of all kinds. FOLLOW CLUTCH: Thunderstone Wilderness Ventures @Thunderstone86 @ClutchFootSnakeHands --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ford-erickson/support