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#58: Why You Should Hike Right Now | Robert Moor

October 27, 2026 · 1 h 2 min

Show notes

Michael speaks with Robert Moor, author of On Trails and the new book In Trees, about what five months on the Appalachian Trail taught him about quitting and comfort, why going off trail sharpens your mind, how to get off what his tree climbing instructor calls the neurotic merry-go-round, and what old, wounded trees know about aging well. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(00:42) Why he walked from Georgia to Maine
(03:56) What a thru-hike does to your mind
(08:53) Why most thru-hikers quit
(12:39) Learning to love discomfort
(17:51) What every trail has in common
(24:00) Why go off trail
(28:09) Getting outdoors in a city
(30:14) His outdoor routine and thru-hike advice
(35:55) The power of trees
(42:07) A case for climbing trees
(47:20) David Attenborough, bonsai and growing around wounds
(56:33) What trees teach about aging

Get Robert's book, In Trees: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/In-Trees/Robert-Moor/9781476739250

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Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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