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🎙️ Season 15 kicks off with outdoor educator and former pro writer Meg Atteberry — and a backcountry survival story that will stay with you.

Six days into Wyoming's brutal Wind River High Route — 86 miles and 23,000 feet of gain, much of it off-trail — Meg's friend shattered six bones in her foot on a steep talus pass, 25 miles from the nearest trailhead. Meg had to hit the SOS button on her Garmin and hold it together through a 20-hour rescue: two failed helicopter launches, an overnight in an incoming storm, and an aviation "X" built from rocks to guide the chopper in.

Meg breaks down exactly what that emergency taught her: why you should always carry a battery pack, never rely on your phone for SOS, double-check your emergency contacts, and pack a signal mirror. We also dig into facing a fear of heights in Moab and the Grand Canyon, why parenthood became her "superpower," backpacking with a 4-year-old, running her first ultra, and her 2026 goals in the San Juans and the Grand Canyon's Nankoweap route.

A premiere packed with hard-won wisdom for anyone who heads into the backcountry.

Episode Links:
Meg in the Forest on YouTube
Daily Vlog of her Trip
What I learned about my InReach from hitting the SOS
Step-By-Step what happens when you hit the SOS
Meg in the Forest on Instagram

This episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeys

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic

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Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)

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