Snacks, Stories, and the Trail That Changed Everything

**The first half of the episode Jared's microphone came from his iPods, the second half is from his condenser microphone.**

What happens when a college writing professor trades plagiarism cases for backcountry trails? You get Jared Champion, aka Snackbox, one of the most thoughtful voices in the outdoor storytelling space.

In this episode, Jared shares how motorcycle road trips through National Parks first sparked his love of the outdoors, leading to a deep dive into backpacking on the Colorado Trail and a life-changing pivot away from academia. We unpack the origin of his legendary trail name (earned on the JMT, snack wrappers included), and explore how he channeled his passion for writing into founding Backcountry Champions Creative Studio, a nonprofit helping outdoor adventurers turn their trail experiences into published books.

We talk about the anthology More Than Hope: Lessons from the Colorado Trail, a PCT book coming out this summer, and Jared's unique process for helping first-time authors find the specific, personal stories only they can tell.

We also get into the deeper stuff: why storytelling builds community, why the outdoor space needs more diverse voices, and why hiking hasn't gotten old for him the way everything else has.

Plus, his ambitious plans to link the High Sierra Trail and the John Muir Trail in one epic trip, and a hard take on earbuds vs. nature sounds that you won't want to miss.

Episode Links:
Jared on Instagram
Outside Comfort Zone YouTube
Backcountry Champions Creative Studio

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

Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics

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From College Professor to Backcountry Storyteller: Jared "Snackbox" Champion on the Colorado Trail & Beyond