About the Guest

Dr. Caroline Himbert, trail name Earthcake, is a German expat and cancer researcher on the faculty at the University of Utah's cancer center in Salt Lake City, following a postdoc at Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital. Her research focuses on cancer survivorship, mainly colorectal and prostate cancer, and how exercise can improve survival and quality of life. She moved to the United States in October 2015 and thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016, followed by the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. She then moved into ultrarunning, finishing her first 100-miler, the Wasatch 100, in 29 hours and 45 minutes for a top-ten finish and a sub-30 buckle. On the John Muir Trail, she set the unsupported women's FKT in August 2025 in 4 days, 4 hours, and 58 minutes, edging a record that had stood since 2016 by eight minutes. In July 2026 she came back and lowered it to 3 days, 16 hours, and 36 minutes, running northbound from Whitney Portal to Yosemite Valley. She is coached by Joe "Stringbean" McConaughy, and she got her trail name from mispronouncing "earthquake" on the PCT. She is on Instagram at @im_earthcake.

What Happens in This Episode

Twelve Miles From the Finish

A Planner Who Trusts Her Legs

How "Earthcake" Happened

From Thru-Hiker to Wasatch 100

Rachel and Kevin

Taking It Back at Donahue Pass

A Bear, a Burrito, and a Grudge

Doing It Alone, and What Comes Next

Links & Resources

• Earthcake on Instagram (@im_earthcake)
• Caroline Himbert's 2026 JMT FKT page (3 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes)
• GearJunkie: "John Muir Trail FKT: Ultrarunner Fights Hallucinations to Beat Record by 8 Minutes" (2025)
• GearJunkie: "Shattered Record: The Queen of the John Muir Trail Does It Again" (2026)
• Moab 240 Endurance Run (Destination Trail)
• iRunFar: Joe "Stringbean" McConaughy sets the men's supported JMT FKT
• The Third Man Factor by John Geiger — the book on survival-mode hallucinations Caroline recommends.

• Email: hikertrashradio@gmail.com
• Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.

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The Cottage — Episode 5: "Work Hard. Stay Curious."

The series finale of The Cottage asks the question behind all the others: why do these people do what they do? Allgood on waiting for his life to require a walk of that magnitude. GVP on creating margin and slipping into soft focus. Bus on never giving up the walks that changed his life. And the realization that ties the whole series together: the cottage industry exists because people who carry less learned to do more, and they found the answers they needed on trail.

Featured Voices

Whitney LaRuffa (Allgood) — Gossamer Gear. AT '96, CDT '16.

Glenn Van Peski (G Squared) — Founder, Gossamer Gear. Author, "Take Less, Do More."

Dan Durston (Lorax) — Founder, Durston Gear.

Luke Piersall (Bus) — Founder, Trail Goods Company.

The Full Series Cast

Glenn Van Peski (Gossamer Gear) | Whitney LaRuffa (Gossamer Gear/FarOut/Six Moon Designs) | Lloyd Vogel (Garage Grown Gear) | Dan Durston (Durston Gear) | Cameron Abila (Leave Outdoor Co) | Brice Sokolowski (Vaucluse) | Sarah Berkeley (Symbiosis Gear) | Luke Piersall (Trail Goods Company) | Tom Liggett (Alpenglow Gear) | Elliot Dick (Different Dimension Designs)

Connect with Hiker Trash Radio

Email: hikertashradio@gmail.com

Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok

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Imposter Syndrome — Across Every Area

The JMT Conclusion and Its Contradiction

Why Beginners — Because She Was One

Teaching and Creating — Both Stem From Creativity

What Bee Wants Solo Women to Know About Safety

Dirty Pot Water — The LNT Case

Follower Growth — PCT as the Catalyst

What's Next — Camino, Spanish, and the Classroom

Hiking Hacks — Three for the Price of One

Off the Beaten Path — Further by Heather Anderson

Pay It Forward — NPCA

Crack Sniffer — Why She Declined

• Bee on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Substack: https://www.instagram.com/beeswildlife
• Topo Athletic UltraVenture — Bee's trail shoe of choice for the PCT. Five pairs. Zero Achilles problems.
• Six Moon Designs Trekker — The trekking-pole tent Bee switched to on day 5 of the PCT and used for the remainder of the hike.
• Further by Heather Anderson — Bee's Off the Beaten Path recommendation. Heather's Triple Crown FKT story. Highly recommended.
• National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): https://www.npca.org

• Email: mailto:hikertashradio@gmail.com
• Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.

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