Who is Zoner and What is the Hot Springs Trail?

Welcome back to the Off Trail Podcast and welcome Zoner!

Today we sit down and chat with the one and only, Zoner and learn all things Hot Springs Trail. Shout out to Star-Lord for putting us together as it is a trail that has sparked our curiosity for awhile and now we have the privilege to learn all about it.

We begin the show with our broad question and Zoner goes quickly into depths that we try and follow. We learn about his pursuit of health and the measures he takes to fuel his body and mind, whether that is on trail or off trail. We go deep into the topic of health and learn that for Zoner it is more than just optimally performing physically but also the precursor to much more of life. We chat about his evolution of health personally and then look at it through a hiking lens.

We chat how to not just survive a journey but to thrive within it. We discuss hard times off trail that let the difficulties of a hike become the "good times." We dive into a knee injury that changed his perspective and a injury that has not held him back from over 30 Fastest Known Time completions. We then get an answer to a question that we have been pondering for a long time. Why do thru-hikers take pride in their junk food diets?

A answer that is a theory, but one that makes sense. It is less the "diet" and more so a reward system that triggers the brain to seek more. Sure, sugar can be addictive, but the reward to have a snack at the top of a mountain, at trail magic, at the end of a hard section is the true addiction. It is a new thought line for us and we explore it as much as we can. There is no "right" nor "wrong" only what works for the individual, but it is an interesting thought to dive deeper into.

We then talk all things Hot Springs Trail! A trail that Zoner has continued to advocate, build, and promote along its way to becoming a National Scenic Trail. We discuss the reason behind seeking the designation and the reason behind his passion for this trail. He sums it up eloquently with the simple statement of "The Hot Springs Trail for me is a therapeutic journey." Therapy of the body in the springs themselves, therapy of the mind in freedom, and therapy of the heart on an adventure. Take that quote however you may, but we have never heard a trail defined by such, and it contextualizes much about this trails creation.

We chat going between high points, encyclopedias of the word hot springs, and all methods of travel. We then chat the progression of the designation of a National Scenic Trail and here about the current progress. Zoner wants a community and not a empty piece of paper to define this trail and wants a heart in definition before a designation of bureaucracy. It is a very inspirational goal to seek, and one we hope to shed more light upon.

We chat roots and seeds, more accountability then Vitamin-I, and bias and opinion having no place in the creation of a trail. We are asked to name founders of National Scenic Trails and have a very difficult time in doing so. The trail is an unliving organism but the trail becomes alive when it becomes stories shared.

A truly wonderful chat with Zoner, thank you for sharing more about you and the trail with us!

To learn more about the Hot Springs Trail click below:

Website: AriaZoner.com

To learn more about us click below:

Website: www.ElevenSkys.com