By Land Podcast
Welcome to the By Land Podcast! My name is Emory, and this show is all about having real, honest conversations with experienced adventurers, outdoor experts, and everyday people who love spending time outside. My goal is to help you feel inspired, informed, and confident to take on your own outdoor adventures—whether you're into backpacking, hiking, hunting, camping, or just getting started.
I cover a wide range of topics like practical outdoor skills, gear, conservation, mindset, and personal growth. Each episode offers something different—whether it’s an inspiring story, hard-earned lessons, or actionable advice to help you build confidence and develop the backcountry skills you need to explore further and adventure better.
By Land is about learning, growing, and making the most of our time in the outdoors. If you’re into that kind of thing, you’re in the right place.
By Land Podcast
#100 - Long Distance Relationships for Long Distance Trails
To celebrate Episode 100, my Wife, Jessica, joins me on the podcast to talk about what it was like for her when I hiked the PCT in 2017. We hear about the trials of a hiker, but we never hear from the loved one at home waiting for a hike to end.
Those we love reliably answer poorly timed phone calls, offer encouragement when in need of their own, ship off items to random locations they’ve never been to in hopes that it arrives in time, and patiently wait at home praying for the safety of their hiker. They balance the load for us emotionally and their voices are often never heard.
When the hike is complete, they don’t have memories of tall peaks, beautiful valleys, or quiet morning walks in the woods. Instead, they’re left to know the trail from afar, merely peering inside from time to time in hopes of gleaning some form of relief. If they could be there, they would.
For me, Jess was my rock and the only reason I hiked so many miles. She was far more dedicated to me than I was to the trail and I’ll forever be grateful for all she did.
This episode is dedicated to all those who support thru-hikers on long trails. You’ll never really know how important you are to the journey.
Show Notes
- When Emory first told Jess about the PCT
- Our approach
- The proposal
- Why so confident?
- Relationship prep leading up to the trail
- Planning visits
- The importance of being all in
- Jess’ connection to the trail
- Saying goodbye
- Dealing with the lack of information
- Benefits of a GPS tracker
- What it’s like on the other side of things
- How short videos helped us feel connected
- Visiting Emory on the trail
- Pros and Cons of visits
- Saying goodbye after a visit
- Observing hiking habits
- How to handle your partner when they want to quit
- When and how to communicate feelings
- Jess’ worst goodbye
- Looking to Canada
- The smell of a hiker
- What the trail means to Jess
- What it’s like being an “outsider” to the hiking world
- Advice to family and friends AFTER the trail
- The dynamics of a partner wanting to be there
- Watching the trail to life transition
- What about hiking WITH your hiker?
- What helped the MOST to feel close
- Concerns about thru-hiking becoming a habit
- How to deal with the desire to hike
Thanks for listening! Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.
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