Martin welcomes returning guest Jessica Bagnell as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail with a trail partner, where weather governs tempo and small errors accumulate into consequence. Jessica reflects on the first weeks on trail, when comfort becomes irrelevant and daily life is reduced to judgment, pacing, and mutual reliability.

Shared distance exposes character with unusual speed. Jessica and Martin explore companionship, self-command, and why long trails continue to attract people who distrust the false satisfactions of modern ease.

Follow Jessica Bagnell’s adventures here → @jcababy814

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Get outside, have fun and be safe!
Martin Armitage,
Host of the Papa Bear Hikes Podcast
https://www.papabearhikes.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/papa-bear-hikes/id1541491746
https://www.instagram.com/papabearhikes01/

Papa Bear Hikes Podcast with host Martin welcomes returning guest and friend of the show, Ben “Paladin” Cox.

A life shaped through hiking, backpacking, and environmental stewardship informs Cox’s perspective, grounded in sustained engagement with the outdoors rather than occasional escape. Service within the thru hiking community and long trail experience reinforce a consistent ethic of responsibility toward land, wildlife, and shared spaces.

Cox shares field tested insight alongside several remarkable upcoming expeditions that carry the scale and intention of true once in a lifetime pursuits. Discussion moves beyond surface level outdoor culture into conservation, ethical harvest, and the discipline required to live in alignment with the natural world.

Follow Ben’s journey and upcoming expeditions on Instagram @bencox357.

Avalon Publicity & Business Services
Increasing the Digital Footprint of Content Creators via Modern Publicity and Social Media Services

Support the show

Get outside, have fun and be safe!
Martin Armitage,
Host of the Papa Bear Hikes Podcast
https://www.papabearhikes.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/papa-bear-hikes/id1541491746
https://www.instagram.com/papabearhikes01/

Martin welcomes Darren Silver to Papa Bear Hikes for a grounded conversation on wilderness as teacher, rites of passage in the modern world, and how nature shapes purpose, resilience, and leadership.

Darren Silver, MA is a rite of passage guide, mythologist, and founder of Great Earth School, a yearlong experiential program rooted in nature based leadership, ritual, and deep relationship to land. With nearly two decades of experience guiding vision quests, wilderness immersions, and transformational retreats across the world, Darren works with people seeking clarity of purpose, belonging, and a more aligned way of living.

This episode explores how wild places support mental wellness and balance on and off the trail, why modern culture lacks meaningful rites of passage, and what initiation can look like today. Darren shares insights on modern masculinity, nature informed leadership, dreamwork, and ancestral wisdom, weaving myth and lived experience into a vision of personal and collective transformation grounded in relationship to the Earth.

The conversation invites hikers, outdoor enthusiasts, and seekers alike to consider wilderness not as escape, but as a profound guide for living with presence, responsibility, and gratitude.

Follow Darren and explore his work
Website https://www.darrensilver.com
Great Earth School https://www.greatearthschool.com
Podcast The Return with Darren Silver https://www.darrensilver.com/podcast
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darrensilver
Retreats and programs https://www.greatearthschool.com/programs

Avalon Publicity & Business Services
Increasing the Digital Footprint of Content Creators via Modern Publicity and Social Media Services

Support the show

Get outside, have fun and be safe!
Martin Armitage,
Host of the Papa Bear Hikes Podcast
https://www.papabearhikes.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/papa-bear-hikes/id1541491746
https://www.instagram.com/papabearhikes01/