HikeArizona.COM

Has anyone found any podcasts being done on hiking, backpacking, or Arizona outdoors in general even? I have found very, very little.

Here's all I have seen...
• Ed Eberlein did one called Arizona Trails, in conjunction with KXCI. They were pretty good, but only posted 10 in 2007, and then they stopped These were really nice, even though they were only less than 5 minutes long.
• In 2005 Deborah Lee Soltesz started one called "hiking with deborah" on Arizona as well, mostly on trails in the Flagstaff area. But after 11 episodes it stopped as well.
• The National Park Service has one called "Hiking Grand Canyon"...done a few episodes this year, but not very much.
• Likewise, the Arizona State Parks have one called "Arizona State Parks update". They started it in 2007 and since this year put an episode out every 2 months or so. It was what tipped me off about Suvoyuki Day at Homolovi Ruins in July, which was awesome, and when I was there the guy who produces their podcasts was finding out from people leaving how they found out about the special weekend. When I told him the podcast he was encouraged.

I've even wondered if it might be possible to have different people in the HAZ community contribute to making episodes and getting a podcast going from those...although I'm not really sure if there would be enough interest??

I'd be willing to make a contribution, but I don't have a microphone...

Interesting concept, it'd be yet another way to get the HAZ name out on the web

What kind topics do you think would be most appropriate to make a quality podcast that you could make a regular broadcast?

You could do an actual trail log, if you've got a voice recorder, from the trail and edit it together later, sort of an audio expedition. I guess you could have gear and trail reviews...?

fairweather8588 wrote:Interesting concept, it'd be yet another way to get the HAZ name out on the web

What kind topics do you think would be most appropriate to make a quality podcast that you could make a regular broadcast?

What I think would be really good would be to basically talk about different hikes. Tell about where they are, why that spot is the coolest spot (in your opinion), give directions to the TH and for the trail itself. Could tell a story or two of what happened to you personally there when you did the hike...always cool to find out a little bit more about fellow hiking nuts along the way! If you go to iTunes and under the Search box type in "Arizona Trails" you will see Ed Eberlein's podcast, and can hear the ones he did. They were a great idea!

The "hiking with deborah" podcast did something along the lines of what Pagerob suggests, and they were good, but at least personally they could get a bit boring if they're too long to hear someone just walking around on a trail. If it were a video podcast it would be different, but the sounds of crunching feet and an occasional bird just didn't quite do it for me after several minutes. If you describing the area well and the things mentioned above WHILE you're out there, as guess that might be a bonus? :bigth:

One other idea that I think would be REALLY cool would be to get together HAZ regulars and do roundtable podcasts every now and then. Have an interviewer (like joe?! ;) ) ask some questions of 3 or 4 other HAZ hiking fanatics \:D/ based on a topic...like an episode on favorite hot water springs location, or most challenging hike you've ever done, or favorite gear, the options could go on and on. Those selected to do the podcast (or willing to do it! ) could meet somewhere to record it, or maybe even do it over Skype.

I think it's a great idea. HAZ is already THE best hiking website out there! There is more good information here than you can find anywhere else on the Net.

And you could close each "article" with a description of the hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant you found on the way home, mabye interview the waitress/waiter.

Sredfield wrote:And you could close each "article" with a description of the hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant you found on the way home, mabye interview the waitress/waiter.

That could make for a podcast in itself!

Sredfield wrote:And you could close each "article" with a description of the hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant you found on the way home, mabye interview the waitress/waiter.

I can see it now...