Pacific PodCast Trail: The Desert

Introducing the Pacific PodCast Trail – a walking syllabus for learning about the peoples, plants, and, yes, politics, connected by the thin line that is the Pacific Crest Trail.   

SPOTIFY: Pacific PodCast Trail: The Desert

This playlist is for broadening horizons beyond the narrow tread underfoot and encouraging thoughtful relationships with the land and all its inhabitants. I have mostly avoided hiking-specific podcasts since you are already spending all day everyday doing and talking about exactly that. My own commitments are evident here, but I think there’s something for everyone who wants to learn: Border culture. Cannabis. Sierra Survival stories. LA’s water-grab. Indigenous resurgence. Volcanic drama. Scorpions, condors, snakes, bears, moss, trees, fires, and, the State of Jefferson.

This is a labor of love and a work in progress – suggestions most welcome! I will keep adding, so be sure to update your downloads list. Part 2: the Sierra coming soon.

The playlist is currently organized NOBO. The listening guide below has suggested mile markers and short explanations for what goes where.

LISTENING GUIDE

Mile	Episode	Description
0-30	Port of Entry: 50 Years of Friendship Park	Transborder lives where the border fence reaches the sea, threatened by COVID closures and planned expansion of the wall.
	Port of Entry: Moved by Music: Bostich of Nortec Collective	Border crossing beats to move you norte.
	Port of Entry: Cannabis Politician	Reframing “drugs” (plants!) at the border.
	Port of Entry: Cannabis activism in Tijuana	Continued!
	BONUS: Radiolab Border Trilogy Parts 1-3	Unfortunately now behind a paywall, but amazing for learning about border/wall history, policy and the people who live with the consequences.
60	EcoJustice Radio: Chaparral: California’s Misunderstood Biodiversity Hotspot	Chaparral: you’re in it! And there’s so much more ahead.
77	Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter: How much water do you actually need in a day?	It’s hot, dry and uphill from Scissors Crossing; the 3rd Gate Cache is clutch, but how much should you take?
85	Ologies: Scorpiology	If you night hike in the San Philippe hills, you might spot scorpion friends.
110	How to Save a Planet: Environmentalist Drag Queen Pattie Gonia	Making the outdoors safe and welcoming for everyone.
130	Poaching the Sacred: The Fight to Preserve White Sage	SoCal Plants and Indigenous Justice
150	The Hero Beside Me: Ruling with a Golder Paw: Mayor Max of Idyllwild	Yes, the Mayor is a dog and you might be lucky enough to meet him.
170	Lost in the Woods: San Jacinto Parts 1 & 2	Will one PCT thru-hiker’s fatal mistake save lost day hikers? Never underestimate the mountain!
190	Ologies: Genicular Traumatology (Bad Knees)	Oh hey, how is the massive downhill going?
270	Completely Arbortrary: Coulter Pine	Wondering about those massive pine cones that look like they could destroy your shelter or knock you out?
330	Revisionist History: McDonald’s Broke My Heart	I bet you can’t think about anything else right now.
380	All Creatures Podcast: Saving Amphibians with LA Zoo	Because you are road walking for the frogs.
452	The Unofficial Trek Podcast: Vasquez Rocks	No, not that trek, Star Trek. And other Vasquez Rocks film and TV fame.
455	National Park After Dark: 94 Liquid Avalanche: Saint Francis Dam	You are basically walking though LAs utility closet for a few hundred miles. The valley where this went down, is about 25 miles west of Agua Dulce.
500	The Wild: California’s Condor: The Dinosaur Bird	Future trail reroutes to newly protected condor habitat in the mountains above Antelope Valley.
517	American Scandal: LA Steals Its Water (4 Episode series)	LA utility tour continues! The open canal is the California aqueduct, the steampunk pipe which then goes underground is the LA aqueduct
535	How to Save a Planet: How We Got our Grid and How We Get Another One	For walking in wind farms.
560	TehachaPod: Mountain Lions in Tehachapi and the things you should know	Kitties are active in these parts.
580	California City (8 Episode series)	A wacky real estate scam that takes place near Mojave
615	Completely Arbortrary: Joshua Trees	Lots of Joshua trees as you leave the Kelso Cache, but the end of the desert is near!
630	EcoJustice Radio: No More Joshua Trees. Climate Change in the Desert	And also solar power vs. tortoises, desert fires, and fun roadrunner facts.
650	Completely Arbortrary: Pinyon Pine	For the amazing transition zone in and out of Walker Pass.