[00:00:00] Tayson: Everybody welcome back to the live ultralight podcast. Powered by outdoor vitals. Today, I have a tremendous interview with Elina Osborne. For those of you that don't know who Elina is, she is a filmmaker and has a sizable Channel on YouTube of over 67,000 subscribers. But I would say that she is most well known for her storytelling abilities. Her videos are very captivating have great voice in the videos and are just a treat to watch. So in this episode we actually talk about filmmaking. We dive into maybe some some tips and ways that you might be able to document your own experiences as well as cover some of her experiences on the PCT through hiking. The PCT hiking through a trail in New Zealand called the Taya Trail which I probably butchered that name but sounds like just a fascinating fascinating Trail and it's just Fun to hear. The experiences of everyone internationally, you know, domestic there's Trails all over the world and I love hearing about all of them and I feel like every time I do an episode, I just start adding more trails to the list, but Elina was fantastic to interview. She gives lots of, really good insights. And I think you guys are gonna find that this episode is quite a treat. So with that, we'll go ahead and roll the interview with Elina Osborne Elina. I'm super excited to have you on the podcast today. You're an accomplished through hiker and you're all. So in my opinion, a fantastic Storyteller. I'm really excited to dive into some of that as well. But my first question to you is, where did you learn how to storytel?
[00:01:44] Elina: Oh okay, that's a good question. Thank you. honestly, when I think back to like, What? Why have chosen the kind of pop I have in terms of video making content? Hopefully, documentary in the future. I guess it's hard to pinpoint. Like, I always picked up the camera as a kid, you know, my dad had just kind of, I had a full siblings in the five of us, but I was only one who like, Camera. Made my siblings. You know, act in whatever stories I was trying to tell just boss them around pretty much and so I guess. Yeah, it will smack bang in the middle, but I had two younger brothers, have two younger brothers, so I can kind of bust them around, which was great. Yeah. And like with I learn it. I guess like it was a night curiosity and desire. And I guess because of that, I'm the kind of person who just is, really motivated by pursuing my own like personal passions. So just Continue practicing, I guess.
[00:03:03] Tayson: Yeah. I would, I would be lying if I told you that I hadn't as a kid all. So, like, picked up the old, you know, you pop in like the cassette, or I don't even know what it was called anymore, but like, it wasn't the full size VHS size cassette in our video recorder. But it was like the smaller ones, and we'd always be making just silly little videos around the house doing all sorts of things but I don't know, I never thought anything of that, but but I've always been interested in storytelling. I think the storytelling is just a really I mean, it digs deep into culture I would say but it's also just really goes into communicating and and connecting with with people and and sharing those experiences because one thing about it going and Hiking something like the PCT, There's, I mean, I don't know how many days you're out there months and months, right? And trying to wrap that into something you come home and tell your family or your friends like it's it's a daunting impossible task, right? So I think that's, that's what's fascinating about what she did is you unlike most people that go do these hikes as you really did, wrap it into one shorter form video. And that was kind of your start to massive success on YouTube, right?
[00:04:26] Elina: I think, just a knew that I wanted to tell some kind of story going out, this something's the same and it was a very, like, Santa just like, Yeah, a very broad I guess response to everything. I think I've experienced and I guess maybe that's where a lot of Um, we're like the story struck people and it was a sense of like how do I explain how do I even explain this experience to friends and family? Because, you know, those well that specific one was so transformative, but you come back from these trips, write it off, it happens. And you're like, man, I can't even encapsulate that and in the sentence, because somebody asks, how was it? And you're like, oh, It was everything. Um, how do you describe it? And I guess that was my yeah, I guess like motivation for putting that all in one thing. Just To express. Express that whole That whole journey.
[00:05:32] Tayson: Well if even if you don't maybe identifies as a YouTube star or something like that at this point, I will say that I don't know many channels that have Like I was just, I just was looking at your channel and you don't have a massive amount of videos. But will you do have is a lot of views per video and I think that what that really tells me looking at that as just that people that find your content stick, right? And so they're, they're seeing that they're getting really invested in the story. They're coming back for more story later on. And I think one thing that, that would be interesting for you because I think this is, this is where you have some expertise or some really unique ability. is I think a lot of people like to film themselves going outdoors and to share these experiences, especially now that everyone has, you know, basically a 4k camera in their pocket and and they're and they're trying to capture But I think a lot of people don't. Maybe know exactly how to approach that and how to record something that's that they can look back on and really enjoy themselves or potentially, share it with other people. So, I would be interested to hear your take on what you would tell a listener that You know, it's just, you know, it's an avid Backpacker or getting into backpacking and they're really interested in documenting this, right? Because like these are core memories. These are like you live your whole year. A lot of us, you know, live our whole year to go out on trail and experience some of these things and you hate to see it slip away or you hate to not be able to relive it the way that you want to relive it. So I'd be interested if you have any words of wisdom for for listening, just want to document themselves or tell us a story to their friends and family.
[00:07:21] Elina: I'm sorry for any background. Noise is a lot of cleanup after the big storms,
[00:07:26] Tayson: it's not coming right now.
[00:07:31] Elina: Yeah. Like like you said, the whole sense of like, did hate to see Yeah, it's slip away but I think there's the other element of you hate to see yourself. Go out there and feel overwhelmed by like How do I capture this? You know, like I'm in it right now and I really want to capture it and it maybe it's living. I'm letting it overwhelm me and take away from the experience. So it's difficult one, because you know, the word balance is like, there's a lot of ya connotations are like a little weight to that word about how do you even explain finding balance between experiencing what you're, you know, going through and capturing and filming the moment because, you know, it's a push poll, you know, some moments feel too special to Yeah, to Unique or too. in that moment to you know, want to be filmed for yourself to pull out the camera, but I think the biggest My biggest tip would be. And it's the approach I took on the PCT and I feel like I was able to manage the balance. the most probably out there in terms of Experience and filming which was just what what theme or what element do you really want to capture? What? The kind of story, you think you want to tell and base your approach to filming around that. And don't let every other waking moment feel like it needs to be filmed. Like it needs to be captured because that's when it can take away, you know? Yeah, with this key things you want to capture. You get them and then you like cool I'm just gonna continue my day. Continue allowing whatever happened to happen. And I think that approach is probably. Yeah, the most, the most ideal and even just things are really underrated. I just voice, memos, or little Snippets to camera, where it's you know, just before authentic Emotions from where you are that time. Yeah, yeah. It's you have to figure it out as well like you know, you see what works best for you.
[00:10:04] Tayson: I think that there's a lot of wisdom in that. I think having the foresight ahead of time to maybe just pick up on a few cues or themes, that could be the trip, right? And then just focusing your effort there does make a big difference because I've done it multiple ways, multiple, not that it's ever been right either. But like, when you're out there, trying to capture everything, Its way overwhelming its way distracting. And sometimes by trying to capture everything, you capture nothing type of feeling, you know and the cameras never out exactly in the moment that you want to be out. Like when something really happens in real time like the cameras never even be out at seems like so Picking up on like a theme. I think is really interesting. It does take some foresight but at the end of the day it's it's it's the story that's going to pull people through, you know your experience. It's your underlying story there too. And so then you really can film for five or 10 minutes and check out for hours at a time and actually present, right.
[00:11:05] Elina: yeah, and I think as well like your whole experience, informs the story and if you too busy caught up in capturing things, you're not going to have those experiences that will shape the story and post. So, He's gonna allow yourself to have those moments of yeah, real presence. Even if the story is told in hindsight, even if you don't capture those moments, you still have them. And that's when, you know, recording voice memos, or whatever can yeah encapsulate. That.
[00:11:41] Tayson: that's really good advice and and hopefully we'll see some people take that to heart through This next year and maybe they'll even share some, I'd love it. If anyone listening to share your experiences even inside some of our groups and whatnot. So So, how the heck did you end up on the PCT? You're from New Zealand? You come all the way over to the United States. Hike this crazy Trail sounded like you were getting gear. Shift somewhere in the US, you're picking up that gear and the trail. I mean, it's just a massive Endeavor, right? So, where did the desire first? Come to go and Hike the PCT?
[00:12:22] Elina: It's a desire. Like, I mean, as I did read while like yes ago, but For that, maybe when I was like 16. So I didn't, I hiked it when I was 25 but I must have read the book when I was like 16 but I didn't think when I read it I wasn't like oh I'm gonna do that. I read it and I was like oh this is a woman who needed a lot of healing and she chose this crazy thing and I would never do that. Like I don't think I'm in a bad way to go to, this is what I thought, you know, it's like you really, you know, needed to be that. So I felt in a dark place to want to do something. We really remove yourself and then, I guess, Yeah, I lived in the states for a year and a girl whose room, I was subbly saying in Denver, she was hiking the Colorado Trail, and maybe it was like a little subtlety that was planted. I didn't really understand what she was doing. I was like oh she's hiking in Colorado for four to six weeks or whatever. Cool. I've got a room like I didn't really comprehend what she was. I didn't realize that was a parallel and I guess yeah, it just I must have got to that point of not really, it was just the same like, okay. I had a lot of like life. jolting moments where like not, you know, I wasn't feeling fulfilled by my career. I'd had a relationship and voice classic. You know, the heartbreaks, the heartbroken on the PCT there are many And yeah, my mum had recently been like been diagnosed with cancer and it was just these moments of like, okay? Wow? Like if I want to go, Do something. You know? This is probably a good time, right? I need to make a clean. Cup transition. Some reason it just got it, came back, the idea came back. I think I'd been talking about it maybe with somebody but kind of is just like a pipe dream. and yeah, I guess I just started looking into it like okay what's something that's gonna give me the sense of empowerment and feeling like I've Accomplished something and yeah, regaining. A sense of self-confidence and the somehow maybe fit into my albums so much. And yeah the decide just grew I didn't really think about how overwhelming it would be as You said an international coming over maybe because I spent some time in the US and I had friends there, that seemed a little bit less daunting but it was still like, okay, what the heck am I getting myself into? I do also credit. I don't know if you know, heaps or will while the bound Aisha. She's like the PCT three times now. And I remember when I started really looking into it, I was like, man of any woman who have hiked. This, are there any people from New Zealand who have hiked this? And I found her page and she had hiked it already. I think twice by then I'm gonna say I think she's 16 and 18. I was like Oh, she's
[00:15:44] Tayson: done a. Um, yeah, it gave me that little like Burst of confidence that, you know, a key, we could go over there and do it. Had you always been a hiker? Or was this something that was like totally foreign to you? I guess I should I say hiker
[00:16:01] Tayson: but I should say Backpacker, I guess were you consistently backpacking and doing that or what was kind of your background leading into this?
[00:16:09] Elina: I think my first mall today hot was when I was Ah, 21, maybe I was like, it must have been 2015. Anyway, I was, I'd done a lot of, not a lot on day hikes as a kid, but just like bushwalks essentially which are, you know, they're around the corner and in New Zealand. So, very casual bushwalks, and maybe I'd done five multi-day hikes before doing the PCT. So I wasn't an avid back or a hiker. I didn't even know about the world of Ultra Lite gear and just like how much people the frost? How much people? Yeah, I just
[00:16:52] Tayson: stuck a chord. You struck a chord already.
[00:16:55] Elina: I didn't even comprehend that. I was like, okay, this old 65 later on. I guess I started getting a little bit more into it in my year in the US but again it was like maybe some overnighters and mainly just like, day hikes. So yeah, I had this old, I had this backpack and I was like, cool, just take all this then I saw looking into it and yeah, went down the web. All of like, oh, this is a thing and this is when I it must have been like this Simba 2018. So I did the trail and April 29th, 2019 started but investment to seam between 18 where I started really looking into it and that's when I discovered also just like the world of YouTube and so right because and I was like all this is a whole niche. Um, that's when I found like Darwin and Jupiter and you know like John's in all of them and Dixie. Yeah, you just kind of find that corner of the internet and like oh this is this is a whole world and people have been following these people for years and years.
[00:17:58] Tayson: Right. So did you start the trail with adequate gear or did you start with like that 65 liter pack?
[00:18:08] Elina: I am not, I'm kind of old enough. So I went down the rabbit hole. Saw some gay lists And bought all the ultralight stuff, you know. I just felt like I had to Just I don't know why. Maybe in a sense. It was like this feeling of this is the best. Like the most prepared I can be by having the lightest. It is reading about people's experience as having lightest stuff, I wasn't super super hardcore with it, but I definitely wanted the lightest tag. I just wanted to make my life easier. so yeah, I started
[00:18:49] Tayson: the year humble enough to learn from these other people and said of go out and make the mistakes, right? And then and then be switching it on the trail and introducing more. Or potential issues or stress on trail, so it's definitely smart. I'm sure you were very thankful for that. Once you got started in hiking, these Mi write
[00:19:10] Elina: Yeah. Yeah. It was nice. It was nice. It was a nice feeling like okay. It's not, it's not so bad.
[00:19:15] Tayson: Yeah, yeah. So as you're getting started on the trail, And going through this. What do you feel like was the hardest aspect of a through hike?
[00:19:29] Elina: The hottest aspect. if
[00:19:37] Tayson: you think of I'll go ahead, And okay. You know, I was gonna give you an hour, I don't want to give you an out. No, I was gonna say like if you think of like just the darkest day on the PCT and like the struggle, like what does that look like? Where does that come from? You know what's that experience? Like
[00:19:59] Elina: Think honestly. The hottest element. Like I said, a pretty Cool. Nothing. So in my mind, I was like, there's no way I'm not gonna finish. So mine's it was like very strong. I guess that hot element was a little bit worrying about ankle issues, maybe that could take me off Trail Logistics felt pretty All right because it's such a well traffic Trail. I think the hardest element was actually social, it was the best on the hardest, right? Because you find that there's so many people and you know, you almost feel Not indebted, but maybe in a way to people. Because you you connect very easily out there, right? But sometimes you're kind of like, okay, what does what I want my journey to look like. And as the person I've just met contributing positively or kind of maybe taking away from it. And yeah, I like to make friends. But, you know, sometimes you do want time for yourself and so special, the early days, I found a bit of Maybe. Pressure. I mean, I think about my heart this day it was Yeah, a day involving it's like a story. I still told, but it was like my Sierra day that I feel like I can only really truly tell it and writing because it was quite complicated but another person and it just I did from there. But yeah
[00:21:31] Tayson: well it's it's really. This is a very interesting. Vein of conversation because I've I'm not a through hiker. I've There's a good chance. I'll never be a true hacker, right? I've I'm married. I have some kids.
[00:21:44] Elina: Oh, come on.
[00:21:46] Tayson: I just can't. I can't leave them, right. I'm too addicted to my kids, but but I love I love section hiking and we went out and did a section hike on the at this summer, and this last year and It was really interesting to get a taste of of that because I mean, it's like the hiking family thing is such a real thing where people get, I mean, and a lot of them, they met on the trail. Like it's not like they came out together, hiking together, some did, some didn't know, and they're just, like, by the time we were, like, I think we were jumping onto the trail. Around my 500 or no crap. I mean, I've got like this picture in my mind of walking over the rocks that someone's like put in the trail of what mile is that, but it was, it was a milestone for a lot of these people. But they were like already, so entrenched in these groups. And here we are, it's just two of us. and we're bouncing forward between groups, because we were pushing pretty hard mileage, and, but it was like a real factor of you know, whether you want to hike at your pace and it's a different pace than them whether you want to hike a different hike and it's not their hike, whether Whether maybe your positive person and they might be looking, you know, going through struggles and and whatnot. But it's very interesting conundrum in my mind and we only were out there a few days. So I can't imagine how that, how that gets bigger and it seems like for you, right? You eventually found a group and continue to hike with them. So I would be interested just to hear your perspective on this idea of You know, going through different groups of people or different little, you know, families on trail. It was a family as a people of the shortened it too.
[00:23:35] Elina: Yeah.
[00:23:38] Tayson: That's wherever, but I'd love to hear your perspective on that because I think a lot of people that have never done it, through hike, or section, hike have no idea what's happening there. And and what that's like, Yeah,
[00:23:52] Elina: yeah. I mean I think the group like the people I did hike I mean I don't want to go back on my words but ya know, the people I ended with and like a couple who I started with who I'm still really good friends with like, Lucy and Irish and you know, bunch of others, but the group I finished with it was called because I think there was this Sense of understanding, like everybody hikes their own pace, right? During the day, it's like I might see you, you might see the others during the day. You might not everybody starts different times but the main thing was like, okay we're gonna have an understanding of maybe where we will camp together so there's no pressure to stay together during the day so that's kind of what it looks like. But there was a sense of yeah I just like row Unity of just wanting to finish together and really enjoying each other's company. and, I really was really. Soaked with how my hike ended. But yeah, I think there is always a bit of maybe a sense of pressure because if you want to stick together you've got to do the same mile. So I and so if you don't want to do those miles or if you want to do more, do you want to do lists? Then they can like, tension is created for sure, but it's like the kind of tension that, by that point because you have been so much time together. It does feel very family, like, sibling sibling battles, there's just like, oh, you know, Frustration,
[00:25:26] Tayson: you know, wants to another 25 miles a day and I have it in me.
[00:25:31] Elina: it's just, but there were, I think with Some kind of like magic and that group and really good Dynamic, I
[00:25:39] Tayson: felt. But yeah, I mean, and with how far in how far in were you before you found this group that you finished your hike with. So, I'm what I imagine if you guys are all starting it asimilar time, eventually you get into a Groove that the people I can 20 miles a day are going to be in similar Camp spots. They're going to kind of filter out versus the people that are only hiking 12 miles a day you know you're gonna slowly leave them behind. So it makes sense that you get into a Groove the farther down the trail you would go, right?
[00:26:08] Elina: Yeah yeah it was kind of like we had a smaller group and they had this huge group and I remember seeing them and actually heard them before I saw them. Guys are obnoxious. These guys allowed I don't want anything to do with them, but then, when I made a couple of individuals, I always these people are great. I think it is always just intimidating. Seeing a big group, but, yeah, you know, I was with a small trial family. And then I think, by that point would kind of all decided we wanted to do different miles. About the halfway mark. And we came across this group at the same time and then a couple of us, kind of hooked on in a way, I was kind of like, is this I felt a little bit like am I just joining somebody else you know, like do they want me around? But yeah, turns out they did. So Was cool. So it was about halfway and it felt cool in the sense, almost like a like a refresh. A reset to the trail off to this Sierra after some harrowing experience, as it was nice to kind of have this whole new chapter. To that to the trail.
[00:27:24] Tayson: Yeah. Now, I find that super interesting for sure. So thinking thinking back I guess on the experience of the whole because what? I also want to get into your New Zealand hike. I think that sounds really interesting and it's like a lot less popular Trail so I really would be interested to hear more about that but sticking with with the PCT for right now. was like, we're all of your expectations met or In other words, I guess. Did you did you get what you thought you would get out of this trip?
[00:28:09] Elina: Or. Exceeded. And I think it's because I I mean I didn't go in with a lot of expectation. I didn't go in, I didn't watch PCT videos so I still don't watch. trail videos themselves really, unless someone has sent me something like, okay, this is You know. But I don't seek them out so I didn't want spoilers. You know, I'm a big advocate for that, didn't want to spoil it. So the kind of travel videos, I watched beforehand were just preparation like, yeah, videos and that kind of thing. So, I didn't have expectations for the trail experience. Just what I needed to prepare and that was my mindset. You know, just get through. This is a physical challenge was the mental elements to it too but this yeah this is a challenge and I want to achieve achieve this big goal, but I think What I didn't really. comprehend was this whole sense of maybe feeling very liberated in, who I thought I was and which is actually, I don't think it's very much like, oh, I'm free Free to Be whoever I want, but it was more The Stance of maybe like shedding a lot of hosts. Identity that I held on to for a long time and often being a different place. Different environment allows you this space. uh, but yeah, I guess I just didn't really think about that sense of confidence that real. innate feeling of oh, I can I can do anything, you know, if I just choose something and really dedicate myself to it, In. I can I can achieve that. So that was something that was exceeded, as well as the whole Trail family experience. I didn't didn't even think That was a possibility to finish was like. 11 people. And families. I knew, I did not know that you know, the people and the friendships relationships would be vital and would be You know, a big lasting impact, but maybe not. The extent that I fell to. Out there.
[00:30:47] Tayson: Yeah. Um, Yeah, I think he'll get to something more recent. That
[00:30:56] Elina: was like four years ago now.
[00:30:58] Tayson: Yeah. Yeah. It's wild, it's it's crazy. it's to think back on time sometimes like you look I don't know that's a tangent but I think anytime you set a goal that big and go and accomplish it like you're going to have kind of a pivotal moment in your life where you don't see things quite the same and you have more faith in yourself and your ability and let's face it like hiking 2600 miles is Probably harder than anything you've ever done in your life. Before that point, I would, I would, I'm not, I don't know, but for many people, I'm gonna assume that and so it is, it becomes this really pivotal pivotal aspect, but you'll also touched on something there that we like to refer to here. And that's, it's basically just the concept of the healing Outdoors, right? There's something about being in nature and this connected that we think is completely vital to us, right? It's, it's kind of the the yin to the Yang of Technology now and just more important than it's ever been. but, Let's I'd love to hear your perspective on on, do you have to do with, through hike to get some of those benefits? Like you were describing of, maybe that's a deeper connection with yourself or maybe it's shedding? those stereotypes that the world puts on you or expectations that somehow have landed on your shoulders or, you know, whatever it is that that Maybe you experienced out there. Do you feel like that can be replicated on a shorter hike?
[00:32:34] Elina: I think you know the answer to that. I think I think yes I think for sure. I think I guess these there is what like a one difference Maybe. Maybe more than that I really thought about it the answer but I think you can get all those benefits just by being you know outside is that whole sense of connection. Like you said to this Feeling of something bigger than yourself. And when you experience that with other people as well, this just Strong connection and bond can be formed. Even on a two-day. Three-day four-day hike, where it's just. You and a couple of friends having this conversations that you otherwise wouldn't and urban environment, right? There's something about being out there. We feel You know, like the way of your shoulder is like I can just talk about, you know whatever. whatever I'm feeling and maybe being more vulnerable, be more open, maybe through hiking introduces that whole element of It's just a longer period of time. So I think what? the difference there is you live in that a lot longer, so that becomes I guess more of your identity. Like, this is who I am. This is what I'm doing every day, which was the other challenge, right? When you have to return, when you go home and you're like, okay, I'm a true. I could lose out of a backpack but I'm living in a house. Now, you know, it's that shift back but I think it gives you the opportunity to realize oh, I can Change. I can be a different version of myself and a different iteration in different chapters of my life. I'm not just this one thing and I think that's the shift back that is healthy to come back to as well of, just understanding that. Okay, that was me and that chapter and maybe I'll do another through hike someday. But
[00:34:41] Tayson: well that's and that's I guess that's kind of what my next question was going to be. Is you've done it through hike? You've had this transformative experience but you want to go back and do more through hikes, right? Like that's on your your radar for the future. So where does that come from? Or like what? What are your expectations of like why you would do this whole experience another time? Versus like some of these other hikes, they're a little bit more bite-sized that you've been doing more recently. We're jumping back onto a 2000, Mile Trail.
[00:35:13] Elina: Why would I would do another right the main addiction?
[00:35:18] Tayson: That's what it
[00:35:22] Elina: I think now. It's the approach is different, right? The expectations are different because I believe, you know, okay, I can do it and maybe it's just all the sense of challenge. I also think that I'm really drawn to wanting to tell the stories, right? So that's the underlying. I guess drive. A lot of it too is that I've always wanted to tell stories and tell stories in an outdoor space is kind of the ideal pif I mean and when I think about a trail I think about the story as well. ah, I'm wondering if I would even do a through hike without capturing it and It'd be hard. For me, I think to justify just because it is a lot of time, it's a lot of time.
[00:36:16] Tayson: I guess I kind of wondering in my own seat here as far as just like maybe there's some benefit to Differences in preparation and then getting on trial. And I guess what I mean by that is obviously when you set on a through hike, you have to figure out a way to take everything that's going on in your life and put it on hold or positively you know for six months or longer. And it's almost like a reset button in some ways, right? Like, whereas, if I'm going on, Even a five-day hike or attend a hike. Let's say, I can just put things on pause, wait easier than when it's months, right? so, I'm just trying to think through this myself and be like, how could I get Or how can you get? That deeper level of benefit from, from that disconnected, from going Outdoors. And I wonder if that could play into it of just like maybe setting these big goals and having these big milestones. And then the way that you lead into them, could say a lot. Hmm.
[00:37:23] Elina: So yeah, sitting yourself a challenge and heading out there and Accomplishing it differently. So, there is something we said about that.
[00:37:35] Tayson: Do you think that most through hikers are pretty goal-oriented or do you think they're already think? It's like a mix because I would think they're massively goal oriented, but there's also a lot of people out there that just seemed Like they're just living every day, like like almost the opposite of what you would think of gold oriented as being, right?
[00:37:55] Elina: yeah, I mean I think. Specifically, for the first third is always going to be. That goal aren't going to type. But to have that experience, you kind of. Yeah. Like you didn't love that lived day-to-day without the sense of feeling over that goal. But I mean it's hard to say we can hit out do some just some hike interviews survey.
[00:38:20] Tayson: Yeah, and that's something that you do, right? You interview a lot of hikers.
[00:38:24] Elina: Yeah, I I do enjoy talking to other people to other hikers so I always make make that effort. Yeah. With a know always ask make sure that people are Keen or not.
[00:38:40] Tayson: Awesome. So I want to I want to Pivot here for a second, if that's all right. And here a little bit about the this New Zealand trail that I'm not gonna try to pronounce. I'm gonna go ahead and let you introduce this Trail. First, you How do you say the name of this Trail
[00:38:57] Elina: Seattle? So it's a bit of a bit of a tongue roll on the r. But if I was really trying to take me to be a lot softer like day, like it almost like a d. But, yeah, I'm so practicing my today pronunciation, which is today a Maori The language of. Yeah. The integers indigenous people of New Zealand but yeah,
[00:39:25] Tayson: he said Marie people.
[00:39:29] Elina: Yeah. Molly. Okay,
[00:39:31] Tayson: I can't even, I can't even get that one, right? But so so, I would just love to hear about what this trial is. You also documented this one On your YouTube channel, for those of you that want to go experience this as well. But tell us a little bit about this Trail. Why this Trail? Maybe what makes this Trail unique?
[00:39:55] Elina: Why this Trail? Yeah, I guess. It's just a heading out in PCT with people will like okay be done, the New Zealand trail and I was like, no, no interest, you know, when you grow up in a place and you so familiar with it, it doesn't Intrigue you as much. There's more familiarity, which makes it lists excit? But then I found myself, you know, locked and Country. I believe And you know, feeling that cold again. So felt like the perfect timing for me to go do it. what makes it unique is that the two islands are very, very different experience is It's a mixed bag, right? A lot of people just are not King for the North Island because it's a lot more walking. But this is still a lot and a lot less mountains. for me, what really Makes the North Island unique. Is how much you go through communities and you can chat to locals. And you chat a walk along really beautiful beaches. that don't feel beautiful after hours and hours but you know you I think I think so it's like the approach that it is the strike, but maybe to approach the North Island more. So as like a cultural pilgrimage as a slow, way of travel with option to do cool side trips. And then the South Island as maybe more of a traditional surprise, but with a lot of Hots and a lot of that Country Hearts. Yeah,
[00:41:31] Tayson: a lot of I mean there's not a lot of public land in New Zealand is there.
[00:41:37] Elina: No, no. It's like a lot of it is stopped owned. Local Eli owned. Yeah, I guess. I should know the like proper percentages of Ontario, but for that, I'm just, yeah, yeah. But Yes, you are often paying for campsites, and that country passes and that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah. I mean, just
[00:42:14] Tayson: How far is it linked to the trail?
[00:42:17] Elina: That's 3,000 kilometers. So that's about 1800 miles.
[00:42:22] Tayson: Oh wow.
[00:42:23] Elina: All you American.
[00:42:24] Tayson: Yeah. I like her just translated that without me asking. So I really converted that. So, um, that's way bigger than I thought. It was actually. I mean, in my head New Zealand's, not big enough to have that much space, but I apparently I'm way off. So,
[00:42:43] Elina: If you
[00:42:43] Tayson: have not I'd love to I'd love to. And in fact our our Marina Wolfe that we that we work with this all coming out of New Zealand and headquartered out and New Zealand and I was just meeting with them the other day. they were, they were over here on a trip and Got the wheels spinning a little bit of like man we definitely need to go visit their their headquarters and shortly. Make a little Dhaka out of it. Yeah, exactly. We'll have you come film it so you can tell. Yeah, phenomenal Story. I mean that's that's one thing that you're doing as well, right? Is you're actually have a video course, right to teach people how to better capture film, right? So, maybe tell us just a little bit about that.
[00:43:30] Elina: That was that kind of came about I think, because I was being asked a lot. How to edit, how do you? Put together a story from all your like travel videos. So I kind of just wanted to streamline the answers and make it easy for myself and put that together its list of maybe like a traditional filmmaking kind of course. But it's more so like okay you've Captured a lot. You have a story. You want to tell and share? This is the approach that I took it is saying and putting it together and maybe maybe can help you. But yeah again it's just pretty I mean all of it but still Be relevant. But it's interesting because I, yeah, again, probably made that like, four years ago now.
[00:44:17] Tayson: Gotcha. Yeah, I mean to you probably feels like Basics, maybe, but other people, it's It's probably very transformative. Imagine education to approach.
[00:44:28] Elina: It's differently, entry-level for sure.
[00:44:31] Tayson: Yeah. Okay. And you've got a background in Communications. I mean, this is your whole life, right? It's just storytelling. I don't know if in communication. Did you do were you more on the writing side or what, what were you doing with that side?
[00:44:44] Elina: Yeah. So my, my bachelor's degree was Communications as a lot of essay writing to begin with but then maybe year two and three. I was able to pick up a camera, a lot more and jump into editing software as well Premiere After Effects learned. A lot there. So it was very balanced. Theoretical practical degree and my final year, I was able to major in video production and direct my own like short documentary and that going into that cold. That's what I wanted to focus on it just thought really I think difficult to like tell you something, that's okay. you know, go for that dream because you know, when you're a kid growing up and you're doing kind of well academically, you think okay, I have to go into a very traditional or like, prestigious sounding career and like filmmaker or video person isn't doesn't sound as great, but I knew that That's what I was most passionate about. So yeah, I pursued that
[00:45:56] Tayson: Yeah, that's awesome. Well, I'd encourage everyone to go look into this course if you're interested in recording your adventures out there, but jumping back to the this New Zealand Trail. Hey, What? So, so you mentioned there's some road walking, there's some beach walking but obviously there's there's all so some very mountainous Terrain in New Zealand. So take me through I guess. Just a little bit of your highlights. Like your favorite section of Trail. What does that look like? What are the challenges and the highlights of that?
[00:46:40] Elina: Fiction, I think I always say like the Nelson Lakes Region, it's just to me like the New Zealand version of The Rock's World business and Washington on the PCT. It's just incredible. likes and mountains, and in terms of beauty, I think probably objectively the most beautiful section, and that leads them to the Richmond ranges, which is also the most Difficult section of the trail. So most challenging as well.
[00:47:14] Tayson: What kind of elevation climbing and descending, are you seeing like
[00:47:19] Elina: I honestly I do not like measuring any of that. I Never I never pay attention to those steps. It's a lot of up a lot of up and a lot of down very, very steep. This is something we don't have switchbacks in New Zealand. So it's a lot of just, it's why it was can take a bit longer because You can't cover the miles. You can't on the PCT. You cannot sorry kilometers. You cannot cover those kilometers. I feel like a kilometer is equivalent to a PCT mile. So one kilometer What is it? 1.6 kilometers to a mile so it's just it's tough Trail. It's you wouldn't see anything that's steep. On the PCD. People would just be mad. They would be and people people. Hey, it's actually an unfortunate stereotype for a lot of you is high because sorry, guys, a lot of you it's like it's come over here and get quite frustrated with the trail because it's just Quite rough going. And I mean, in New Zealand, people call it tramping. They don't call hiking what majority. I actually don't know, but I've seen comments actually on videos that I've done on touted or of course are hiking and keywords are like it's tramping, not hyping like it's the same thing but the word I think. Provides this other connotation of like tramping, you know, you're like going through the the bush and maybe that is why.
[00:48:54] Tayson: Is it a lot of like foliage growing in? Or is it?
[00:48:56] Elina: Yeah. Actually, it's all so. Yeah, both everything and both and just you don't always gonna get me every day. Nothing like nothing, like TCT maintenance.
[00:49:12] Tayson: They get pretty spoiled. I mean, when I walked on the 80, I was like, this is this is real life, like this is ridiculously good trail. Like
[00:49:21] Elina: oh, really
[00:49:22] Tayson: fathom it. I mean, I I grew up out here in the west and so and I grew up, not always on trail, I guess, you could say doing more hunting in different things and so, It's a luxury to have nice trail and I couldn't believe how good the trail was on the at. So but it sounds like kind of Next Level. So, so what what kind of kilometers like? How long did it take you to do this 1800 miles 3000 kilometers? Make sure to get that in there.
[00:49:53] Elina: A full month. So a PCT took me four and a half out of that. Took me four, I was a lot more chill about it. I have an end day. I had three weddings. I had to get to while I was on the trail so I was popping and then out. and then, ah, if you only two while I was on there,
[00:50:13] Tayson: anyone else hiking out there with you? Like how many people there weren't many that? Yeah,
[00:50:19] Elina: it wasn't many that year at all
[00:50:21] Tayson: so that totally different
[00:50:23] Elina: in the video. But if you see in the videos, is pretty much every person. I mean, Completely different experience, very isolated her peaceful.
[00:50:35] Tayson: So which one do you did you prefer? I guess the more isolated New Zealand hike or, or like a PCT scenario?
[00:50:45] Elina: I'm really say more isolated. Like I still had a little trial family, me, and my my five younger brothers and I get along the way and Yeah, we was a firewall. Yeah, I don't want to Discount anyone. Yeah, the fireworks or six us together and so I still had a little trial family and I ended with these with two of the guys that I made pretty early on actually, one of my midday one, but we kind of You know, we're together and then I would hit off and then would rejoin to get the rejoin. So I wasn't isolated a bit, it was just quiet. I think I missed the international diversity just because people couldn't get into the country. but, I think because they were completely different hikes, it was good to have a real difference and was nice. Not I just thought way this pressure on down at all. but, You know, PCC is my first love. So Hard to compare. I already had expectations of what my second third would be like as much as you know, just regarding them, you have that on your shoulders a bit. Um, but yeah. Very, very different. But PCC is my yeah, my first love.
[00:52:07] Tayson: Did you end up changing out? Any pieces of gear for these different trials? Or
[00:52:13] Elina: I think I just I got a warmest sleeping bag for the South Island. I was trying to bring my stove for the southbound but I missed it. So I was. told so I can always just fun and let's say it's just a sleeping bag. I saw it out because it was real hot really, really hot. But the North Island, you don't need something like a down, or maybe you can like have just a real lightweight. Well, and I had the luxury of being able to swap out here PCT. I didn't do so much. yeah, I could literally about how much I was like, oh, this is what people So people are doing on the PC. This is yeah,
[00:52:58] Tayson: this is nice. You switch gear out so climbing up these, these crazy mountains. And in this kind of train Feel like he finally mastered the trekking poles.
[00:53:12] Elina: Look, I feel like I mastered them on, by the end of the piece I was down pat. Um,
[00:53:19] Tayson: so it's just the beginning, right? So maybe give a little back story here on your Trail name.
[00:53:24] Elina: Oh, look. I just didn't know how to use my drinking bottles, you know, just tip, tapping them on the ground. I just To me actually. I was just building a lot of Lake strengths so this Sierra it was my actual actually my taxic. Yeah, yeah. I love how to use them and I think
[00:53:47] Tayson: I'm sure you'd have to and it is always funny though. So I take I get the opportunity to take quite a few new people out. And seems like every time I offer him trekking poles and they're like now, I don't need trekking poles and you're so you're going along and then pretty soon like maybe they start struggling or something like Try my trekking pole poles for a minute and then they go like addicted to it and then I didn't have trekking poles. So it got to the point where I would leave, spare an extra trekking poles in my vehicle, And even if they didn't want him at first, Sometimes I just pack him because any by the end they would but it is always fun to watch. Like the first couple of hours with people getting used to trekking poles that have never had him.
[00:54:29] Elina: Mm-hmm, like a baby deer.
[00:54:34] Tayson: That's a great analogy actually. Okay, so Is there anything I guess about that New Zealand trail that we didn't cover that you think is really interesting or
[00:54:46] Elina: it's all in my videos.
[00:54:49] Tayson: It's a it's it just watch the video
[00:54:52] Elina: so I am, I mean, yeah, it's it's hard to explain like it's all yeah, it's rough. It's It's, it's raw. It's you get a real, I think Tyson New Zealand and there. It gives the opportunity to I guess conversed and I have chat with locals and maybe get to know more of the culture. As well as the terrain. And After command admined and I live very near the trail in Oakland now. So I've been smoking hiking and running chasing after them and some great. I love it.
[00:55:35] Tayson: It's running them down. So what are you up to now? So you've, you've been continuing to run your YouTube channel. It looks like you're doing some guiding or some group trips.
[00:55:52] Elina: Yeah um sorry A CDL before you finish your questions.
[00:55:56] Tayson: It was a tiny bit of delay here but
[00:56:04] Elina: yeah, so what I'm up to now is everything and all the things so right now, I've kind of been trying to reassess my YouTube channel, because It's pretty hard to do with your right and film it all. And then if it's into videos, it's, it's a long process and I can take me to weeks to edit one like it's been a little
[00:56:31] Tayson: I was not gonna say anything, but did you end up putting like you got rid of maybe some expectations on the PCT and then you Created this YouTube channel, that maybe is putting expectations back on you to like, office and film it. For sure, for sure. And now it's what you love doing, right? But
[00:56:50] Elina: I love it but you know, it's not my entirety and I think that's why it can be difficult. As any other creator online it would experience is that you don't want to put yourself in a box because you're a multi-faceted human being right? And so yeah I've been trying to I guess I take it low sit back and reassess you know what do I want this channel to be because You know, there's a way to make money is a way to build an audience and a lot of that is through consistent content. But with consistent content, obviously requires like smaller time periods and You know, yeah, I guess I've just been a racing. What what I want to put on line a bit. So YouTube channels there. It's been a little bit stagnant for a bit. Might continue to be but we'll see. Yeah, what I'm up to. So right now I'm actually working on I guess I wanted to focus a bit more on my filmmaking side, so right now I'm editing, somebody's featured documentary. I took on this project, I am living in Auckland. I'm also developing I guess my time at the moment is divided in three ways, editing this person's film. I'm developing my own feature documentary. so, that's something that's taking up a lot of
[00:58:22] Tayson: time. I think speaks on that like topic or anything.
[00:58:24] Elina: Any sneak peeks,
[00:58:26] Tayson: what's the documentary?
[00:58:28] Elina: Okay. Okay so I'm heading to a pitching event in Melbourne and early March. Which will be very exciting with a trailer and everything. I don't know if I should. Hey, okay. I will Film will be called. I thought Jesus was Korean. It's kind of based I think I want to incorporate some elements through hiking but it's also Stems from my life. My my background, my upbringing. Which is a whole other story I guess, which is why I'm making film about it. and, Yeah, that was something I'm working on and yeah, watch watch the space. I guess other things I'm working on is or we'll be working on is that and early Early April, I'm heading out on the hey dude. Hey, Duke Trail. So I will be out your ways and Utah, some flying to the US in March. and I'll be out there for Two months or just strive two months, I think maybe seven to eight weeks, hiking with three others. And we are going to be filming and documenting capturing the whole journey. And that is, yeah, going to be a huge Huge undertaking. I think I haven't fully comprehended either.
[01:00:04] Tayson: Yeah, that's super interesting. I'm trying to just see exactly how close you get to us on that trail. That's pretty exciting though. So that's an April you said, right?
[01:00:19] Elina: Yeah, yeah, yes. Starting we push back the start date a little bit just because Dates and timings and it kind of works out because the highest Snow. Yeah, but we shall see. I don't have a lot of multi-day experience out there. Quite remarked. So, Yeah.
[01:00:40] Tayson: Yeah we might are the people you're hiking with locals or they
[01:00:47] Elina: so I'm hiking with any of you and if you know zelson Who has Triple Crown. She's a, she's from Mexico. And she lives actually in Utah now. And actually, I mean, yeah, memo app I think And I'll be hiking with a guy called Andy, Andy, Lauper hiked, the PCT and 20 11, I think, and he made a film called, as it happens. It was just one YouTube, and I'm kayaking with another guy called Peter. I'm not going to try pronounce the last time. He's from Austria. Heels made a PCT film, he hired and 20. Maybe 20. 20 2018, 26 days, maybe 16, he did it. So I guess three of us are gonna be I guess the main Film crew. And yeah, we're just gonna go on this journey together. The two of them Peter and anti have. Actually they went in the hype. The Pacific northwest trail in 2019 and made a made a series about it and they're releasing it on the YouTube channel heyo. And so it's kind of like season 2 in a way.
[01:02:10] Tayson: Yeah, on. Hey dude, that sounds super exciting if you need any support for that or any you know anything we can provide let us know we're like say it's just just looking down here. Are you gonna start in? Zion, are you gonna end in Zion, or in that side?
[01:02:27] Elina: Starting in out of MOA
[01:02:28] Tayson: Noah? Okay, so we'll pick you up at the end of the trail. Let's get it right, that's in Vegas.
[01:02:37] Elina: off a
[01:02:39] Tayson: Yeah, I love. That's the closest airport. We have to drive to Vegas. which is why
[01:02:43] Elina: it's okay yeah that's I kind of Imagine coming off a through hike and just going to Las Vegas straight away
[01:02:52] Tayson: just Yeah, when we were just meeting supplier down there, they flew into Vegas because it's literally the closest place to like. So do you guys like come down here all the time and hang out you know, because it's like because it's close and it's like no I spend like this much time in Vegas. Like I got straight to the airport and straight out of there.
[01:03:10] Elina: Yeah
[01:03:10] Tayson: he got time you know?
[01:03:12] Elina: I mean I can imagine the only time I was in the Vegas I took the other way and went through Area 51 instead and that was cool.
[01:03:22] Tayson: Yeah. Yeah. That's exciting. That's I'm a little jealous that trail will be a lot of fun and you're going to see some joy in country that people have never seen. Yeah. That that could be fun for sure. Keep us in the loop like when you're starting and whatnot and, you know, yeah. Okay. Now
[01:03:43] Elina: follow up.
[01:03:44] Tayson: Yeah, yeah. Bring some trail magic or something, you know, and and hike for a few miles so be a lot of fun. Okay, well, I don't want to take too much more of your time. Really appreciate you coming on the podcast. I know I was a little bit everywhere, but I feel like a lot of times he get like Recaps of people's trips, but you've already masterfully, recaptured trips. I feel like and I was trying to dig around just a little bit, but I appreciate you being a sport on that. Is there anything else that you feel like I missed? That. I don't know that like that describes you and what you're up to?
