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Quitting a Thru-Hike, Living Nomadically, and Working as a Chef with Juliette "Scorpion Queen" Kerven (BPR #318)

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Aug 11, 2025

Guest

Juliette Kerven

Juliette Kerven, also known as Scorpion Queen, is a Michelin-trained chef and full-time nomad who has hiked both the PCT and AT. In this conversation, she grapples with the emotional decision of whether to continue her CDT thru-hike. Listeners learn about her transition from urban life to nature, the impact of hiking on mental health, and how her culinary skills add flavor to the outdoors. The chat also touches on unique hiking challenges, the social dynamics on the trail, and the balance between persistence and self-care.

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ADVICE

Skip Camp Shoes To Save Weight

Embrace lightweight simplicity: Juliette's top hack was simple—don't carry camp shoes to cut weight and hassle.
Ditch unnecessary items when trail access to towns is frequent and weight matters.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

AT Trail Romance That Later Ended

Juliette had a trail romance on the AT that helped her keep going and initially continued after finishing Katahdin.
That relationship later ended and contributed to the emotional weight leading into the CDT attempt.

insights

INSIGHT

Retrospective Glow Versus In-the-Moment Pain

The AT felt torturous in the moment but special in retrospect; long trails often gain value in memory rather than daily experience.
First thru-hikes bring a different, often idealized satisfaction than repeat long hikes.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Excitement and Preparation for Trail Days

04:11 • 2min

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Planning Fun Activities for PCT Thru-Hikers

05:50 • 2min

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From Chef to Trailblazer

07:26 • 6min

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From Urban Life to Wilderness Adventures

12:58 • 38min

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Hiking Challenges and Mental Health

51:27 • 11min

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Journey Through the Appalachian Trail

Navigating Emotional Turmoil on the Thru-Hike

01:57:26 • 6min

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Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Thru-Hiking

02:03:43 • 27min

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Navigating the Highs and Lows of Thru-Hiking

02:31:06 • 11min

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Tea, Triggers, and Trails

02:42:15 • 11min

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Nostalgic Redheads: Gingers in Animation

02:53:15 • 15min

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Radio Journeys and Sponsor Shoutouts

03:08:33 • 4min

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Lighthearted Wedding Registry Shenanigans

03:12:27 • 3min

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#19011

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Hiking from Home

A Long Distance Hiking Guide for Family and Friends

Juliana Chauncey

#2073

• Mentioned in 22 episodes

Anne of Green Gables

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Published in 1908, the novel tells the story of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is sent by mistake to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in Avonlea. Despite initial reservations, Anne's vivid imagination, talkativeness, and joyful spirit transform the lives of the Cuthberts and the community. The novel follows Anne's adventures in school, her friendships, and her rivalry with Gilbert Blythe, as well as her growth and adaptation to her new home. Montgomery infused the work with her own girlhood experiences and the rural life and traditions of Prince Edward Island.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we're joined by Juliette Kerven, known on trail as Scorpion Queen. Juliette is a Michelin-trained chef, former yacht crew member, full-time nomad, and a thru-hiker of both the PCT and AT, and we caught her during her CDT thru-hike attempt for this conversation.

This is a solo interview led by Chaunce, and it ventures into some uncharted emotional terrain for this podcast as Scorpion Queen openly wrestles with whether or not to continue her hike, and she ultimately comes to a decision during the interview.

We also talk about what it's like hiking in the U.S. as an international hiker (Juliette is from England), hear about her experience working on yachts, and learn how her Michelin-level culinary skills translate to the backcountry. All that and much more.

We wrap the show with the most common injuries to AT thru-hikers, small things that make our days better, the triple crown of gingers (fictional characters edition), and the definitive guide to the sluttiest fonts.

Topo Athletic: Use code "TREKFALL15" at topoathletic.com.

Gossamer Gear: Use code "LT520" for 20% off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.

Shady Rays: Use code "TREK" for 35% off sunglasses at shadyrays.com.

Betterment: Learn more at betterment.com/trek.

Ka'Chava: Get 10% off at kachava.com/backpacker.

[divider]

Interview with Juliette "Scorpion Queen" Kerven

SQ's Trek Author Page
SQ's Instagram

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:56 - Reminders: Sign up for the Trek's newsletter, apply to blog for the Trek, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!

00:10:30 - Introducing SQ

00:12:30 - How did you get your trail name?

00:15:05 - Why did you hate nature as a kid?

00:17:50 - When did you become fully nomadic?

00:21:07 - How did you decide to hike the PCT?

00:23:45 - What's it like to work as a chef?

00:28:15 - What are your go-to dishes to make?

00:30:40 - When did you actually get on the PCT?

00:36:00 - Discussion about visas

00:37:30 - What are your crazy stories from working on super yachts?

00:39:00 - What grew your love for the PCT so much?

00:43:40 - What was your favorite trail town?

00:44:40 - What would you change about doing the PCT as an international hiker?

00:45:45 - What was your bad luck along the PCT?

00:52:30 - What's your perfect shoe?

00:54:05 - How did being on the PCT affect your depression?

00:55:55 - Tell us about tearing your ACL

01:01:16 - Tell us about hiking the AT in 2024

01:03:50 - How did the AT impact your fibromyalgia?

01:06:35 - What was it like to start the AT so early?

01:09:50 - Discussion about SQ's AT injury and bad luck

01:17:40 - We Love Love: Tell us about your AT romance

01:20:20 - What did you feel at the end of the AT?

01:23:20 - What did you do between the AT and CDT?

01:25:00 - What has your journey on the CDT been like so far?

01:47:20 - Why do you think you've decided to quit the CDT?

01:49:30 - Chaunce and SQ discuss quitting the CDT

02:02:25 - Why do you feel like a fraud if you quit?

02:07:00 - What would you do next if you quit?

02:15:50 - What scenario would make you want to keep hiking?

02:20:20 - Could you become less of a purist?

02:23:05 - What if you're afraid to finish the CDT?

02:25:15 - Did you feel pressure to start the CDT too soon?

02:36:45 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?

Segments

Trek Propaganda: These Are the Most Common Injuries Reported by Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers (Plus Injury Prevention Tips) by Katie Jackson

QOTD: What's something small that makes your day better?

Sick Thing of the Week

Triple Crown of Gingers (Round 2: Fictional Characters)

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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