Hikes and Mics Podcast
Hikes & Mics is where the trail meets the conversation. Each week, host Ivan Orozco brings together hikers, backpackers, and outdoor adventurers to share the stories, lessons, and inspiration they’ve found in the great outdoors. From life-changing summits to quiet moments on local trails, our guests open up about how nature has shaped their journeys—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Every episode blends thoughtful storytelling with a dash of fun, closing out with our signature This or That: Hiking Edition lightning round. Whether you’re a weekend wanderer, a long-distance thru-hiker, or someone who simply loves the outdoors, this podcast is your campfire circle for connection, community, and adventure. New episodes drop every Monday—plus occasional bonus episodes on Fridays. Lace up your boots, plug in your headphones, and join us on the trail.
Hikes and Mics Podcast
People Over Peaks: An Erupting Volcano, a Toxic Ex, and a Naturalist Era | Justin 'JustRoc' Rimon | Just Trek Podcast
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🎙️ Three years since his first episode, Justin "JustRoc" Rimon is back on Hikes and Mics. Host of the Just Trek Podcast, founder of the Just Trek Crew, and the guy whose Star Wars-themed group hike helped inspire Yakima Valley Trekkers — he returns to catch us up on the biggest chapters of the last three years.
Justin revisits Sandstone Peak, the accidental April 2017 sunset hike that pulled him off the dance floor and onto the trail, and how one mountain keeps generating the friendships and moments that built his community. We get into Guatemala — the four-year dream of Acatenango and the Fuego Ridge that finally clicked after a random trail conversation — including the overnight climb, the 13,000-foot summit push, and the moment the overcast skies opened up right as the guides said it was time to turn back. He also shares the story behind recording his most stunning video episode yet with crewmate Francis Ngo, live at Mount Rainier National Park during golden hour.
Then there's the Fool's Traverse: the 11-peak, 26-mile, 18-hour endurance challenge in the Mount Baldy area that Justin calls his toxic ex. Three attempts, three unfinished routes, and one philosophy that keeps winning out — people over peaks. Out of that weekend came an impromptu campground group pod at Manker Flats, proof of what "stay ready, rock steady" actually looks like in practice.
We close out with the launch of his Trails and Tribulations survival-story series, the growing pains of moving from audio-only to in-person video episodes, and his full naturalist era — corvid identification, spark birds, Nocs binoculars, and co-hosting birding events with the Bird Homies and LA Trail Killers.
A sequel episode packed with epic treks, hard-earned lessons, and a whole lot of community.
Episode Links:
Just Trek on Instagram
Just Trek Website
Follow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics
This episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic
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