Meet our FarOut Scouts

a woman standing next to a trail sign with two bikes nearby

Hi! I’m Angie, better known as “Spartan” on the trail. I live in southwest Indiana in an area that’s largely rural, so it’s a great place to get out and enjoy nature. I try to be outside as much as possible.
My first backpacking trip was the day that I left Springer Mountain to head north on the Appalachian Trail. I made it to the Smokies that trip, and I was hooked! I finished the AT last year after doing sections for 8 years. I usually go on some type of hike wherever I go.
I have also started bikepacking. I’ve ridden the Natchez Trace, GAP, and C&O trails. The Katy and the Southern Tier are on my radar. Now that I’ve retired at the age of 60 years young, one of my goals is to visit all of the national parks in the United States. I also hope to inspire other retirees to get outside and keep moving!

Angie Baker

a hiker standing next to a trail sign

Araceli is an Argentine thru-hiker, trail runner, and artist that goes by “Full Circle” on the trail. She lives outside of Washington, D.C. where she frequently trains on the American Discovery Trail, Potomac Heritage Trail, and Rock Creek Park. Her first thru-hike was the Appalachian Trail in 2021. She has since thru-hiked the Colorado Trail, the Nüümü Poyo (JMT), the Vermont Long Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. She hopes to become the first Argentine, Bolivian, Quechua person to complete the Triple Crown. In 2025, she will attempt the Continental Divide Trail, the Benton MacKaye Trail, and travel to Argentina & Chile to hike in Patagonia, perhaps on the Paine Massif Circuit (Torres del Paine O Circuit).

Araceli Muñoz Chaira

a hiker posing next to the Mt Katahdin trail sign

Bruce “Dudley” Watts has truly been there and done that, with some 50 years of backwoods exploration under his aging belt.  He has camped in all of Canada’s Provinces and Territories, summited most of the high peaks in New Hampshire and New York State, hiked all the backpack trails in Algonquin Park, thru-hiked the  Bruce Trail, Rideau Trail twice, the  Great Divide Trail,  Appalachian Trail, the East Coast Trail, and much more. He also paddles his Canoes and Kayaks at every opportunity, cycles several thousand kilometres each year, and is a multiple participant in the Canadian Ski Marathon. Spending quality time with his grandkids is far more important, and what gives him his greatest joy!
Follow Dudley’s 2025 adventures on the Arizona Trail in the spring, a cross-continental RV tour in the summer and plenty of bikepacking in Ontario this fall.

Bruce Watts

Heather Anderson 2024 FarOut Scout Ambassador

Heather Anderson is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, three-time Triple Crown thru-hiker, and professional speaker whose mission is to inspire others to “Dream Big, Be Courageous.” She is also the author of two hiking memoirs Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home and Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail and a preparatory guide to long-distance hiking Adventure Ready. Find her on Instagram @WordsFromTheWild or her website wordsfromthewild.net.

Heather Anderson

a thru hiker sitting on a mountain smiling

Jakub Jonas

a hiker standing next to the Continental Divide Trail terminus

Joe “Mr. Overhill” Gonzalez first thru-hiked the PCT in 2016 and never looked back. Since then, he’s hiked the North American Triple Crown, the Arizona Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail (twice) and many other iconic treks. He’s a professional hiking storyteller with a background in adventure travel and nonprofit trails stewardship.
This year, you’ll find him section hiking and foraging wild mushrooms across the Pacific Northwest. Get up close and personal with his vlogged journeys at www.youtube.com/@FootstepsandForaging. You can follow him on Instagram at @Mr.Overhill or get trails resources at mroverhill.com

Joseph Gonzalez

a hiker smiling in front of a lake

Hello all! My name is Kayci, and I go by “Mountain Goat” (@travel_by_goat) on the trails. More accurately “Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep” but that’s a mouthful to say. I’m constantly on the hunt for the next adventure. I’ve completed a handful of thru-hikes and a couple of cycle tours such as The CT (2x’s), AZT, TRT, and PA-ME/PA-FL on a bicycle. 
 I can always count on a long meander through the wilderness to provide me with solace and healing which acts as a necessary salve in these current times. This year I’m looking forward to thru-hiking the JMT as well as the WT, and a handful of other journeys speckled across the year!

Kayci Prevost

a woman smiling in front of a mountain

My name is Michelle.  I’m a wife and mom to two college aged girls, 3 cats, and a new giant breed puppy.  I also recently retired as Assistant Fire Chief from the Houston Fire Department and moved to the Durango, Colorado area.  I’m pretty sure I was born with an adventurous spirit and fell in love with the mountains at an early age.  I pretty much enjoy doing anything outdoors…hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, snowshoeing, skiing, fly-fishing.  I’ve summited several of Colorado’s 14ers (Mt. Massive, Windom, Handies, Uncompahgre, and Sneffels) and completed sections 22-28 of the Colorado Trail.  On May 1st, I’ll begin my first long distance solo hike of the Continental Divide Trail. I will begin at the CDT’s southern terminus at the Mexico-New Mexico border and end about 964 miles north at Spring Creek Pass after completing the San Juan Mountain sections of Colorado.  I originally planned to complete the CDT as a continuous thru-hike; however, I now intend to complete it in long sections over the next few years, allowing me more time to explore and enjoy side quests (like climbing 14ers)!   I also plan on revisiting multiple CT segments in the early fall…and more trails that I’ve discovered through FarOut!  My ultimate goal is to challenge others to not be afraid to step outside of their comfort zones and to get out and explore God’s beautiful creation! 

Michelle Bentley

a woman smiling

Hi I’m Janet Hensley and I’m better known as Miss Janet along the Appalachian Trail for the past 30 years. I provide support services, shuttles, hospitality, roadside calories and lots of unsolicited advice to long distance hikers from Georgia to Maine. This year I am excited to represent FarOut as a Community Ambassador as I travel north with the class of 2025 Thruhikers this historical year. The catastrophic devastation from hurricane Helene affected many of our most beloved communities along the Appalachian Trail as well as the Trail itself. The resilient individuals in these communities, dedicated trail club members and scores of volunteers, have all been working hard to start the recovery process! Working as a FarOut Ambassador along the trail this year gives me a unique opportunity to better understand how the AT Family can help these recovery efforts into the future. I will be introducing the ZERO HERO Challenge as a way for hikers to give back to the trail and these all important trail towns and communities. 

Miss Janet Hensley

a woman hiking wearing a hoodie smiling in front of a lake

Hi! I’m Peggy, AKA Paddle Girl and I just turned 74. I’ve been section hiking the PCT for a little over 10 years and now have only 230 miles left! I got my trail name because I race Hawaiian Outrigger Canoes when I’m not hiking. I started hiking after my husband and I got divorced in 2013. I’ve hiked with friends, I’ve hiked with my 33 year old daughter and I’ve hiked alone. I couldn’t have done that without my trusty Guthook, now Farout! 
I survived Kidney cancer in 2017 and suffered a spiral fracture in my left leg in 2024 while trying to finish my last section from Snoqualmie Pass to Canada. I had to be air lifted to Leavenworth and then transported by ambulance to Wenatchee for surgery. Now that my leg is semi bionic and starting to heal, I plan to do the Trans Catalina Trail (for the second time) in April and then go back up to Washington to finish the PCT in July. I can’t wait to share my adventures and hopefully inspire other people my age to get out and enjoy the wilderness.

Peggy Goddard

a hiker posing on the Pacific Crest Trail northern terminus

I am Rose Eidman, a Brazilian hiker! I used to smoke a lot for 32 years but quit 12 years ago! It’s when I discovered the trails and fell in love with long distance hikes.
This year my plan is to walk in Italy for a month and after, go to the “Tour du Mont Blanc” that is located in three different countries: Italy, France, and Switzerland.
I normally hike alone, and have completed many different trails in America: the JMT, PCT, Arizona Trail, parts of the CDT, Tahoe Rim Trail, Colorado Trail, Grand Canyon for 9 nights on beautiful trails, and also the St James Way in Spain twice.

Rose Eidman

two hikers with backpacks smiling on trail

Hi, my name is Seema (Hot Cheese) and this is my husband Brian (Birdbath). We met and fell in love in 2004 while I was thru-hiking the Long Trail in Vermont and he was doing his first AT thruhike.  The 2 trails run together for about 100 miles. In the years since, we’ve hiked many medium / long distance trails including the Appalachian Trail (2008), John Muir Trail (2010), Wonderland Trail (2016), Paria River Trail (2017), Northville Placid Trail (2019), and the Colorado Trail (2024) to name a few. Birdbath’s cancer diagnosis (2021) and subsequent treatment made us realize that we wish to pursue our dreams as life is short, so, we have quit our jobs, are selling our home and will spend the next few years hiking (AZT, PCT, Camino, CDT, etc) and paddling (NFCT, Yukon, etc) to fill our souls up full ! We used FarOut for our 2024 hikes and absolutely loved the app and the updated info; we are excited to be Ambassadors for this year and maybe the years to come?

Seema Iyer & Brian Reetz

a thru-hiker smiling in the desert

Anna is from western North Carolina and grew up romping through hollers and hills. Her love of the Appalachian mountains drew her onto the Appalachian Trail in 2021 where she became “Magic”. The AT was her first thru-hike and the place where she would meet her future husband, Truffles. After completing the AT, the pair moved to east Tennessee to work as backpacking guides in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Between guiding gigs, Magic hiked the Arizona Trail in 2023 and the West Highland Way in 2024. In 2025, Magic will travel west to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. When she isn’t in the woods, Magic enjoys writing, playing disc golf, and teaching yoga. You can follow along with all of Magic’s adventures on her Instagram (@annamckinney22) or by checking out her blog, magicinthemountains.blog.

Anna McKinney Smith

two thru-hikers posing at the top of the Pacific Crest Trail northern terminus

Meet FarOut Scouts Brian and Kiki, on the trail they go by Freight Train and Pickles! These 29-year-old high school sweethearts fell in love with backpacking in the White Mountains of NH. In 2021 they quit their jobs to hike the Appalachian Trail and were immediately hooked on the thru-hiking lifestyle and culture. Since then they’ve hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail, John Muir Trail, and in 2024 they hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. Now in 2025 they are going after their triple crown on the Continental Divide Trail! You can follow along with their adventures at Trekking_Thru on Instagram and YouTube!

Brian Walsh & Kristina O'Connell

a hiker standing next to the Arizona Trail terminus

Ellie Thomas

a hiker standing with the mt whitney sign

Hey there! My name is Jacob Eldred or “Vibes” on trail. I fell in love with the outdoors on a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon in 2022 and it changed my life. Immediately upon getting home from that trip, I bought a full set of backpacking gear and started exploring the White Mountains of New Hampshire. While hiking there I heard about The Triple Crown and became borderline obsessed.
In 2024, I completed a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail and now in 2025, I plan to hike the Continental Divide Trail! With family in Colorado, I am excited to visit them on trail and share this beautiful experience with them while working towards completing my second trail for The Triple Crown!

Jacob Eldred

a hiker smiling

Hiii I’m Jamie! Born & raised in the PNW, hiking and the outdoors have always been a big part of my life! I completed the PCT in 2018 and since then thru hiking has became more than just a hobby! Over the past few years I have completed many trails.. including the CDT in 2024; becoming one trail closer to achieving my goal of getting my triple crown! This spring you bet I am hitting the AT to make that dream come true!!  

Jamie Lambert

Katie Jackson 2024 FarOut Scout Ambassador

Howdy! I’m Katie, known on-trail as “Double Dip”, and am a Colorado based thru-hiker, ultrarunner, writer, and sustainability advocate. I’ve spent a lot of time backpacking in Colorado, California, and New Hampshire, including thru-hikes of the Continental Divide, Colorado, and John Muir Trails. I never leave home without my camera, and love sharing updates from my adventures on my Instagram (@k80.trail)

Katie Jackson

a hiker standing with hiking poles in front of a mountain

Hey there! My name is Madelyn (Wrong Way on the trails), and I am a Colorado-based thru-hiker. I didn’t begin my backpacking (or hiking) journey until after graduating from college in 2019, and I’m a strong believer that we are all capable of finding new passions and hobbies as we age. In 2021, I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and immediately got the bug for long distance hiking. Since then, I’ve completed the Colorado Trail and the Foothills Trail, and this year, I aim to hike the Continental Divide Trail. After getting injured on my CDT attempt last year, I’m hoping to prove to myself that perseverance is better than perfection and second chances come to those who chase them.

Madelyn Dukart

Mike Lawrence 2024 FarOut Scout Ambassador

Hey Mike here, or Marmalade as I’m known on trail. I am extremely proud to be an ambassador for my second year. I went on my very first backpacking trip on Jan 1, 2016 and have never looked back. I have hiked/backpacked almost 9,000 miles since then and am still going strong. Just a few of the trails I’ve completed are the PCT, Long Trail in Vermont, High Sierra Trail, TCT & more. I truly love inspiring other older hikers to get out there through my YouTube channel “Marmalade Outdoors. My goals for 2025 are the TRT (Tahoe Rim Trail) & CT (Colorado Trail). It should be an amazing year of hiking!

Mike Lawrence

a woman smiling in a shelter on the Appalachian Trail

My name is Monica and I am a molecular biologist. Though I live in a flat state, my heart belongs to the mountains. I’ve completed the Wonderland Trail, Hoh River, 400ish miles on the AT, and other section hikes. If you ask my friends, my favorite thing to do on a long trip is to forget some important piece of equipment like a headlamp. My actual favorite thing is learning about the local flora and identifying new flowers and ferns as I hike. When not hiking, I enjoy riding my horses and hanging out with my wife and dogs.
I love a good section hike, but my true passion is exploring the trails and parks in my own back yard. Local trail systems hold so much beauty and history that tends to go unnoticed. Seeing various precious ecosystems highlights the need to protect natural areas.  
This year I hope (like many others) to thru-hike the enchantments. If that doesn’t work then I will likely take on another section of the AT with my friends. I also look forward to using FarOut to plan trips within my state and to continue sharing my love for and knowledge of local plants and habitats. 

Monica Christian

a hiker smiling in front of a trail sign

Retired Navy living in Oklahoma. Big plans are a trip to northern NM for a week-long hike in the Pecos. Haven’t finalized those plans yet. I also have plans to hike some trails in Arkansas this year. Next year I’ll be fully retired and will do the Lone Star Trail and the Pinhoti Trail.

Raymond Rogers

a hiker standing behind the Mt Katahdin sign

Hi, I’m Russ Ellsworth. I started hiking with my father on the Appalachian Trail in 1969, when the only guides were AAA road maps with a dotted line representing the trail. Over the next several decades, life intervened and my love of hiking went into hibernation (despite my having to drive past the local AT trailhead every day for 11 of those years!) As my children got older I started hiking with them, and completed about 1/3 of the AT before I retired. Since retiring I have completed the rest of the AT, hiking mostly solo, in four LASHes, finishing on Mt. Katahdin in August of 2024 at age 66. All this despite getting 2nd degree sunburns while traversing the Presidential Range (hence the Trail Name “Bad News”), a dislocated shoulder 9 miles north of Damascus on one SOBO LASH, various scrapes, herniated disks and other minor injuries, and the worst experience of all: accidentally buying Lime Cucumber Gatorade during a resupply and not realizing the mistake until it was too late. Plans for 2025 include completing the New England Scenic Trail, the 130 miles of the Long Trail that I haven’t hiked yet, and the John Muir Trail in September.

Russ Ellsworth