The Cast of Characters…
Welcome to The Long Ways Podcast! We're excited to have you here.
We're a father-son duo who are hiking the great long trails of Europe with our sidekick photographer friend. Each episode, we bring you a day on the trail, from our first steps on the Tour of Mont Blanc through the highlands of Scotland, the hills of Ireland and along the coast of Portugal.
We've recently added a new segment, called the Short Ways. Day hikes that prove that you don’t have to go far from home to get into trouble.
We're not pro hikers -- far from it! In fact, part of the reason we started this podcast is to inspire others who might never have thought to set foot on a long trail. If a band of misfits like us can do it, then you can too.
Read on below to learn more about us!
Devin Windelspecht
“ 45 Minutes”
A journalist based in Washington, D.C., Devin is from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where he grew up hiking not far from the Appalachian Trail. Aside from an ill fated attempt to hike the Colorado Trail after high school, Devin was an amateur to long distance hiking until spontaneously deciding to tackle the Tour of Mont Blanc while on study abroad in France.
Besides hiking, Devin enjoys reading, rock climbing, and learning new languages. When not on the trail, he can be found working on a story at a D.C. coffee shop or playing video games into the late hours of the night.
Michael Windelspecht
“Bengay Lomond”
Originally from upstate New York, Michael is an author and science educator living in North Carolina. Previously a professor of biology, Michael now splits his time between being a science writer and running Inspire EdVentures, an educational experience company that focuses on engaging people to support wildlife conservation in Belize.
Michael's first long trail was the Tour of Mont Blanc, where he received a last-minute invitation from Devin to join him in France. Days later he found himself at the foot of Les Houches, wondering what the hell he had gotten himself into -- and hasn't looked back.
Eric Weber
“The Storker”
You might hear us on the podcast talking about Eric, our third hiking partner, who joined us on the West Highland Way in Scotland. Eric is a professional photographer and a co-founder of Inspire EdVentures, and almost all of the images you see around the site are his work.
We encourage you to check out more of his work at 5 Blue Media if you're a fan of his photography! Word is we might be able to get him on the podcast one day (to be determined...)
