Quitting and Returning to Thru-Hikes, Glissading Mishaps, and Swamp Walking with Taylor "Hamilton" Santa (BPR #370)

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Taylor Santa, aka Hamilton, a thru-hiker who completed the Appalachian Trail in 2017 before returning to complete both the Florida Trail and Continental Divide Trail in 2024. 

In this one, we dive into Hamilton taking shots of pop and energy drinks every two hours on the night shift before quitting her job to hike the AT, surviving 30 miles of chest-deep swamp walking on the Florida Trail, getting bitten in the face by a fake service dog at a Chama bar, her sudden, blister-inducing allergy to Leukotape, a near-miss lightning strike that instantly killed a cluster of cows right in front of her group in Idaho, a wild night in Dubois that involved $3 VFW craft beers and charm-talking a cowboy out of his hat, and the secret to reading over 100 books in a single year. 

We wrap the show with a guide to dealing with wildfire smoke on trail, picking the ultimate torture song to play on repeat for your mortal enemy, a Triple Crown of cliche Instagram captions, how I used my kids to escape a ticket, and a mailbag praising the forgotten greatness of Nerds Ropes.

Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15HIKE" at topoathletic.com .

Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com . 

Shady Rays: Use code "TREK" for 40% off two or more pairs of sunglasses at shadyrays.com .

Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% off at hyperlitemountaingear.com

[divider]

Interview with Taylor "Hamilton" Santa

• Taylor's Instagram

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:15 - Reminders :  Join us for a hiker meetup in Seattle , apply to work for the Trek , and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon !

00:08:20 - Introducing Hamilton

00:10:40 - How did you get into the outdoors?

00:12:50 - Discussion about being a soda quality control tester

00:19:12 - What's the worst Pepsi product?

00:20:45 - How much soda have you consumed since leaving this job?

00:22:00 - Tell us about your first time on the AT

00:27:00 - Discussion about Hamilton's foot issues

00:28:25 - Where did you and Katie meet?

00:31:00 - What are some standout stories from the AT?

00:34:55 - How did you end up on the Florida Trail next?

00:40:30 - Discussion about Hamilton's time on the Florida Trail

00:45:10 - Tell us about the starting the CDT

00:48:04 - What went wrong on the CDT in 2021?

00:54:45 - Glue facts

00:59:30 - Tell us about your redemption on the Florida Trail in 2024

01:04:50 - How did the Florida Trail compare to the AT?

01:05:45 - How did it feel to start the CDT with trail legs?

01:07:10 - What are your tips for surviving the boot heel?

01:10:00 - Discussion about water quality in New Mexico

01:13:50 - Was it harder for your body or brain to deal with transitioning to the CDT?

01:16:25 - How much did you dread Colorado knowing how it went previously?

01:23:20 - What was the worst moment in that experience?

01:30:00 - How did you decide to get off trail temporarily on the CDT?

01:34:07 - How did it feel to get back on trail after your break?

01:36:14 - How did you know it was the right decision to take that break?