Negotiating with Al-Qaeda, Drill Sergeant Secrets, and Healing from War on the AT with Stephen "Near Miss" Palazzo (BPR #357)

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Stephen Palazzo, aka Near Miss, an Army veteran, thru-hiker, and peak bagger who has completed the AT, CDT, AZT, and Colorado Trail, summited all 58 of Colorado's 14ers, and knocked out three of the seven summits.

This one runs the gambit. Stephen walks us through 24 years of military service, from crossing into Iraq on the first wave of the ground war in 2003 to negotiating with the number two guy in Al-Qaeda over a solitary confinement dispute, to a very geopolitically tangled deployment in Syria. He also shares how thru-hiking became the thing that finally got him to put down the bottle, why post-trail depression hit harder than anything he experienced in war, and a magical moment in the Wind River Range where he locked eyes with a bull moose. And- as Chaunce comes to grips with her impending move, she has made it her mission to make each podcast an ultra-marathon. This one is sure to give you enough content to get through the week (or year). Also, warning: this episode contains discussions of war, combat, death, PTSD, and alcohol abuse.

We wrap the show with an article about thru-hiker entitlement, discussing why a Sawyer filter lasts a lifetime but you're supposed to swap a Brita every few months, the triple crown of mountain peaks, a new sun hoody review series, a detailed mailbag about a listener's experience on the San Diego Trans County Trail, and Chaunce schedules an impromptu summit of Mount Rainier.

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Interview with Stephen "Near Miss" Palazzo

• Stephen's Instagram
• Stephen's Trek Author page

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:25 - Reminders: Check out our new merch, get tickets for our LIVE Chaunce send-off podcast, apply to be a guest co-host, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon

00:13:40 - Introducing Near Miss

00:15:50 - What got you started in the military?

00:22:00 - Were you still on your five year plan when 9/11 happened?

00:26:45 - Talk to us in your drill sergeant voice

00:28:30 - Discussion about Stephen's time in the military after 9/11

00:40:50 - Did you prefer your more managerial or front-line roles?

00:45:40 - What are your go-to stories that you tell about your deployments?

00:49:18 - What was one of your near-death experiences?

00:53:00 - Discussion about post-trail depression

00:55:30 - Discussion about PTSD

00:56:00 - How did you deal with your drinking problems?

01:01:15 - Do you have any advice for hikers that want to process something on trail?

01:06:17 - Chaunce's voice memo story

01:09:50 - As a drill sergeant, what ticks you off the most?

01:14:00 - How many people left in the first few weeks?

01:21:00 - Tell us about your Ursack freezing to a tree

01:26:50 - Have you talked any of your veteran friends into hiking?

01:28:30 - Was there a moment you realized that hiking was healing you?

01:35:00 - Tell us about your trip to Ecuador

01;37:30 - Discussion about rhabdomyolysis

01:40:45 - How did you get interested in mountaineering?

01:44:16 - Do you have advice for someone who wants to save money for an adventure?

01:51:45 - How did you decide to hike the CDT next?

01:56:10 - Is there a difference between the fear you experienced while deployed versus hiking?

01:58:50 - What are your favorite stories from the CDT?

02:02:10 - What's the most real between ghosts, aliens, and mountain lions in New England?

02:14:35 - What time span did you complete all the Colorado 14ers in?

02:18:30 - Discussion about paratroopers

02:25:15 - Which was your first of the 7 summits?

02:31:17 - Discussion about summiting Denali

02:38:15 - Fuck Marry Kill: Denali, Kiliminjaro, Aconcagua

02:39:50 - If you had to cut a summit from the list, which would you cut?

02:43:00 - Discussion about deciding to quit a thru-hike and town food

02:49:50 - Tell us about the 13ers you've done recently

02:52:00 - Are you afraid of dying?

02:53:55 - What do you wear in extremely cold conditions?

02:55:45 - What advice would you give to someone interested in getting into mountaineering?

03:03:30 - Do you feel like a different person now?

03:06:00 - Zach and Chaunce have a fight

03:12:50 - What's next on the docket for you?

03:13:45 - In what way did you burnout on thru-hiking?

03:16:40 - Tell us about your Buffalo Wild Wings points

03:23:00 - Stay Salty Question: What's your hottest take in the world of backpacking?

03:25:50 - If you were 18 again, would you join the Army again?

Segments

Trek Propaganda: 7 All-Too Common Signs of Entitlement I've Noticed in the Thru-Hiking Community by Peg Leg

QOTD: Why does a sawyer filter last a lifetime but you're supposed to swap a brita every few months?

Triple Crown of mountain peaks

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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