About
The History of Adventure
Welcome to Better Hiker — a podcast and blog dedicated to outdoor interests and lifestyle.
Environmental philosopher and wilderness preservation advocate John Muir said:
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”
John Muir
True in his day, and exponentially true today. National Parks, Wilderness Areas, and Scenic Trails are seeing more visitors now than ever before in history. Great Smoky Mountain National Park alone sees over 11 million adventurous souls every year. This increasing public interest in our wild lands is a great boon to future wilderness preservation, but with it comes an increasing responsibility on all of us to keep these lands as clean and pure as Mother Nature made them.
We also are responsible for ourselves. A skillful and wise hiker is safe, self-reliant, and is always mindful to Leave No Trace.
Better Hiker is a podcast and blog about understanding and appreciating the outdoors through past experiences and the lessons of history. We want to be better. We want you to be better. Together we will explore the lessons learned by adventurers new and old, and we will study the wise words of ancient philosophers, natural scientists, poets, gear gurus, and more to increase our knowledge— to expand our skill set— to become better hikers.
There’s no better place to start bettering your knowledge of the history of adventure than our first podcast episode featuring John Muir’s Letters from Yosemite.
Who’s Running This Thing?
Arthur McMahon
Arthur McMahon has walked thousands of trail miles and has written articles for established outdoor organizations such as the Pacific Crest Trail Association, the Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, and he contributes regularly to Backpackers.com.
Arthur grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey and later moved to Oregon where he earned his BS in Journalism from the University of Oregon. After college he relocated to Boston, MA and then spent a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area before returning to Oregon where he now resides in Eugene with his beautiful wife Jillian and their dog Huckleberry.
Hiking and camping had always been a regular part of Arthur’s life, but his 2015 thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail sparked a passion for the outdoors that continues to this day. He hasn’t stopped crushing miles since.
You can find out more about Arthur at ArthurMcMahon.com.
