Episode Details

Our 2026 Pacific Crest Trail correspondent Austen Goring made it 76 miles before a mysterious ankle injury forced him off the trail. In this episode, Doc sits down with Austen to talk about what happened out there — the physical toll of a desert that doesn't negotiate, the emotional weight of stepping off a dream, and the strange, coyote-adjacent ending to his first attempt at the PCT.

In this episode:

• The lead-up to the trail — gear prep, resupply boxes, and that last restaurant dinner
• Life in the desert: solo hiking, deep thoughts, and an urgent craving for fruit
• How the ankle injury developed — and why Austen kept going anyway
• The decision to step off trail, and the guilt that came with it
• A missing shoe, a suspected coyote, and one very clear sign from the universe
• What Austen would do differently — and why 2027 is already on the radar

Mentioned in this episode:

• Chris "Winslow Walks" Anderson, former HTR guest
• FarOut app
• Kennedy Meadows
• Julian, CA

Sponsors: Six Moon Designs | Triple Crown Coffee | Off the Trail Recreation | Hilltop Packs | Vera Watches | Far Out | Garage Grown Gear | Jolly Gear

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