I am talking with Calvin and Patti Yarbrough better known as Tripper and Slipper on the Appalachian Trail.
In this podcast we are talking about thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, what it took to accomplish this adventure but how this opportunity also shaped how they continue to live today.
They are a beautiful story of how living with less is definitely more.
Episode Summary
On this episode Jeanne is talking with Calvin and Patti Yarbrough better known as Tripper and Slipper on the Appalachian Trail. They are talking about thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, what it took to accomplish this adventure but how this opportunity also shaped how they continue to live today. They are a beautiful story of how living with less is definitely more.
Episode Notes
Podcast 009 | Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail
On this episode, Jeanne talks with Calvin and Patti Yarbough about their experience of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, and the way that adventure has shaped their lives.
2:20 “We were novices when it came to hiking, and so we found ourselves tripping and slipping quite often, and so Tripper and Slipper seemed like appropriate trail names.”
5:09 “Really, just saying we’re gonna do it, and the more we talked about it, the more emboldened we became…”
12:15 “I love reading, so the more information I could get about the AT, the more excited I got. It wasn’t so much trying to plan so I could avoid things, it’s just because the AT is such a passion for me.”
13:52 “When we started, what we didn’t know is that we would actually begin our attempt to thru-hike with an ice storm…”
17:44 “We hiked on top of mountains when there was lightning, you never know that’s going to come up, that’s not what you want to do. We ran the mountain trying to get down…”
18:31 “One of the things we discovered on the trail is, you know what, a hiker is a hiker, we hike our own hike, but we are there for the same purpose, to be out and to hike.”
25:04 “My favorite time of everyday was getting up and having coffee and a honeybun.”
33:06 “We all live in our own bubbles, but when you get out and you’re walking through a town you see it in a whole different light.”
36:27 “If there was any one thing that would keep you motivated to move, it would be the mosquitoes and the black flies.”
38:25 “My mindset was: for a time such as this, this is what I’m doing, and everything that might be uncomfortable or might be different, it’s all worth it.”
41:27 “Coming up to that sign, that epic, iconic sign of Mt Katahdin (man I’m starting to get emotional even now), everything just wells up within you, all that you had accomplished together…”
46:07 “Coming Back, we asked ourselves ‘how can we adjust our lives now that we’re back into the everyday world. How now can we adjust our lives to this storm, to continue to live out our purpose to meet people right where they are?”
48:07 “Today, we are living more with less, living from our Airstream…”
“Slipper” has read untold amounts of books and blogs about the Appalachian Trail and the Full Time RV Lifestyle, and we have discussed our reasons and purpose for thru-hiking the A.T in 2016 (and other trails thereafter) and for living the Full Time RV Lifestyle asap upon our return from our thru-hike.
“Tripper’s” life purpose is “To meet people where they are and help them to become all that they can be.”
Tripper’s thru-hike purpose is to learn as many “life lessons” as possible from nature and creation and return to write 4 books about the epic experience: a Relational book, an Inspirational/Motivational book, a How-We-Did-It book and a Children’s book. Why? To help people “trip” less and hike more on their journey of life and to hike their own hike (whatever path they are on) to becoming all that they can be.” Living the RV Lifestyle will help us to maintain the simplicity of life while striving to live the rest of our lives as an ongoing adventure!
“Slipper’s” purpose is to be the helpmate to “Tripper” (with photo, media and partnership) and to help create and capture the “life lessons” that will be shared with others for generations to come. It is “Slipper’s” desire to join “Tripper” in this epic venture to help people “slip” less and hike more on their life journey and to encourage others (via her thru-hike) to “put their best foot forward” in an attempt to climb and conquer any mountain that may stand before them. While some may want to move their mountain… Slipper’s encouragement is: “Why not climb it?” The RV Lifestyle and the minimalist living that it provides enables us to “keep the main thing the main thing” (living a full and meaningful life of adventure, purpose, abundance and enjoyment).
People are always asking us:
How did you feel about your attempt to thru-hike The Appalachian Trail in 2016 and other trails around the world thereafter? How do you you feel about selling your house (and everything in it) to live Full-Time from an Airstream RV (less than 240 sq.ft)?
You can read more about Tripper and Slipper on their blog and Instagram.
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