From a 28-Day Road Trip to Solo Desert Hikes: Lyndsay on Coyotes, Tortoises & Doing Hard Things
From a 28-Day Road Trip to Solo Desert Hikes: Lyndsay on Coyotes, Tortoises & Doing Hard Things  
Podcast: Hikes and Mics Podcast
Published On: Wed Oct 01 2025
Description: Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Season 12 continues with a journey shaped by deserts, road trips, and unexpected trail moments. 🥾✨Lyndsay joins us this episode — AllTrails ambassador, science teacher, and self-described "Midwest girl at heart" who traded Ohio winters for the deserts of Las Vegas. Her love of travel traces back to a 28-day family road trip at 17, and these days she's a devoted solo hiker with Death Valley (visited six times) as her favorite park in the country.Lyndsay talks through one of her scarier trail moments — being stalked by two coyotes at dusk on the Old Spanish Trail — along with a memorable tortoise rescue in the Mojave National Preserve, hiking with a vestibular balance disorder, and the safety habits (location sharing, always carrying a power bank) that keep her solo adventures grounded. We also get into her "do hard things" philosophy, her AllTrails ambassador role, meeting Instagram hiking friends in real life, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — waterfalls or summits, sunrise or sunset, tablets or powder.A grounded, funny, and honest look at solo hiking, safety, and finding beauty in the small things.Episode Links:Lyndsay on InstagramThis episode was Produced by Jordyn Smith, follow her on Instagram @jordyn.journeysFollow us on Instagram, @Hikesandmics AllTrails+I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.