S14 - Episode #01 - Tami and Elise

Season 14 is HERE — and we're kicking things off with a reunion three years in the making.

Welcome back to Hikes & Mics! For our Season 14 premiere, I recorded in person on the banks of the Salt River in Arizona with two beloved returning guests: Tami and Elise — first featured back in Season 2.

In this episode, we cover:

🥾 Elise's life on two coasts — guiding women through her business HER (Hike, Explore, Recharge), REI gear testing, volunteering with the Fountain Hills Sonoran Conservancy, and what "Stay Curious" really means to her.

🧊 Tami's wild three years — from knee replacement to the John Muir Trail, Rim-to-Rim, the Enchantments, Tour du Mont Blanc, the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, and summiting The Fang ice climb in Vail on her birthday.

🎉 The story that started it all — how the podcast connected these two, and how Tami surprised Elise on the trail during the final miles of the AZ Bootleg 100.

🏔️ Enchantments permit tips, mindset shifts, wilderness first responder training, and a round of This or That with Four Peaks as our backdrop.

🎥 This is also an official VIDEO episode of Hikes & Mics, now available on our YouTube channel — watch the full conversation as it happened on the Salt River. And fair warning: stick around for the very beginning of the video for a special (and very relatable) blooper — Elise swallowed a fly on camera, and it's exactly as good as it sounds.

Whether you've followed Elise and Tami since Season 2 or you're meeting them for the first time, this episode is a reminder of why we do this — the trails, the people, and the connections that outlast any single adventure.

Episode Links:
Tami on Instagram
Tami on Facebook
Elise on Instagram
Hike, Explore, Recharge Website
Elise's Linktree

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic

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