What would you do to stay motivated to pursue your outdoors adventures?

Would you start a podcast?

That’s exactly what Rudy Giecek did when he realized that it had been entirely too long since he had last hit a trail.

Rudy learned about hiking and camping the old fashioned way--with his dad. They spent a lot of time on trails. Rudy’s dad would even stop by the high school and pick Rudy up to go hit a trail when he got the urge. Rudy and his dad put a lot of miles under their feet in the mountains around their home.

And then Life happened, just like it does for so many of us. Rudy graduated, got a job, and fell into the patterns of modern life. Those modern patterns don’t leave much time for exploring the mountains. One day Rudy realized that it had been six or eight years since he had been out on a trail. He realized that he needed to do something to stay deliberate about maintaining his backpacking life.

Rudy had started listening to podcasts, and he realized that there were all sorts of trails and outdoors people that he could talk to for his own podcast series. He figured that by talking to people involved in hiking and backpacking, he would stay motivated for his own hiking adventures.

He started out with no media experience whatsoever. He researched how to build a podcast, got some equipment, and started recording his Cascade Hiker Podcast. Episode #100 aired on March 12. For this special milestone, Rudy interviewed his inspiration…his parents. You can easily see why Rudy is drawn to the mountains as you listen to him talk with his parents about hikes and other outdoors experiences they share.

Rudy’s passion is hiking and backpacking. You can feel his passion from every podcast intro, where he asks how long our recent hikes have been, or whether we have even left the couch yet, before inviting us to “go on a backpacking trip,” where he will “introduce you to some folks that have done that---and a whole lot more.”

Rudy learned that “there is more to an interview podcast than pressing ‘record’ on your equipment.” Even for interviews that go smoothly, there is editing to be done to cut out coughs, long silences, and those ”ums” and “uhs” that season real speech from even the most articulate speakers. After he has those smoothed over, Rudy still needs to add his theme and segment break music (a song called ‘Tall Grass’ by Whiskey Fever). He also adds contact information for the accompanying Cascade Hiker Podcast website, and for backpacking gear he endorses, and how to support the podcast through Patreon.

Over the course of over 100 regular episodes, plus bonus episodes, Rudy has talked to fascinating people associated with the outdoors, primarily in the Pacific Northwest. You might have heard from people who have hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), but when was the last time you have heard a one-hour interview with somebody who actually works to build and maintain the PCT? Rudy recently spoke with outdoor photographer Stacey Arnold, and she explains the serendipity surrounding her incredible photo of Mt. St. Helens. (You can see the photo by following the link, too.)

Rudy interviewed Shannon Cunningham, who found herself in a tight spot after taking a bad fall on the trail and getting separated from her backpack. The search-and-rescue story is fascinating.

He interviewed Tenley Lozano about hiking with a service dog.

He talks about backcountry painting with an artist who packs all of his supplies into the mountains to paint them on site.

He talks to Brian Curtis, of The Trailblazers, a volunteer group with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Trailblazers pack trout into the mountains to stock them into high mountain lakes.

The most enthusiastic and inspiring guest I have heard on his podcast so far has to be Anastasia Allison. Anastasia is a former police officer and park ranger who had a life changing experience. She left law enforcement, and now her mission is to motivate people to get outdoors.

Rudy stays busy finding guests and recording interviews. In fact, when I spoke with him, he had about twenty podcasts recorded and ready to air. This ensures that his podcast subscribers can be sure they will receive a new podcast every week. I think the motivation is working for him, too, because he has been describing mountain trips with his kids lately.

If you could use a regular shot to your motivation to get outside more often, Rudy’s Cascade Hiker podcast is sure to do the trick. Check it out!

George T. Parker lives outside of Redding, California with his family. He is close to retirement, which will free up time to follow his passion and chase after stories for his blog, CCC: Hard Corps. He is also working on a memoir of his three years with the California Conservation Corps.