Bailey "Snake" Christopher hiked about 10,000 miles on nine long trails in two years, and in Part 1 of his interview the Australian former mining engineer explains how he earned his trail name: by moving rattlesnakes off the PCT with a trekking pole for hikers who were too scared to pass. This is also the episode where he survives trench foot in New Zealand (a stranger prays over his feet in a hostel), outruns a Chilean lightning storm, adopts a stray dog named Shadow for ten days, is chased by eight shepherd dogs more than once, and slaps himself awake at the end of 40-mile PCT days. His sanity score on the Hiking Poll is a 27. There is a very reasonable argument that it should be lower. Part 2 drops in 10 minutes.

Show Notes

About the Guest


Bailey "Snake" Christopher is an Australian environmental engineer, a former iron-mine hydrogeologist from Western Australia's Pilbara, who took a sabbatical to hike Te Araroa and the Pacific Crest Trail and never went back. In the two years that followed, he hiked about 10,000 miles on nine long trails: the Pyrenees High Route (HRP), the South Island of Te Araroa, the PCT, the Great Divide Trail, the Greater Patagonia Trail, the Arizona Trail, the Hayduke Trail, the Via Alpina, and the Transcaucasian Trail. He got his trail name from moving rattlesnakes off the PCT for hikers who were afraid to pass them. He is six foot four, and took up hiking at the end of 2020.


Episode Highlights


The Trail Name — Snake


10,000 Miles and a Great Divide Trail Invitation


Trailblazers Toolkit — Sandals


Trench Foot in the New Zealand Backcountry


The Hiking Poll: Lightning, Shadow, and Hell Hounds


Forester Pass and the Rapid-Fire Round


Connect with Hiker Trash Radio



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