{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Ask A Kansan","title":"Discovering Hidden Trails with Jeri Brungardt | Hiking Kansas","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3298,"description":"What if the best hiking in Kansas has been right under your nose the whole time?\n\nJeri Brungardt co-founded Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond in 2019 with a simple idea: stop losing track of friends who wanted to tag along on hikes and just make a Facebook group. What happened next surprised even her. Twelve strangers showed up to that first hike — none of them personal friends — and the group has grown to over 12,000 followers since. Jeri shares how the group scouts trails, what gear actually matters, why rattlesnakes dictate their summer schedule, and how hiking has become an unexpected source of community for women going through life's hardest moments.\n\nHighlights\n\nWomen Hiking Kansas and Beyond started in 2019 and now has over 12,000 Facebook followers — grown entirely organically with no paid advertising\nThe co-founders personally hike every trail before taking the group, checking parking, safety, and seasonal hazards like rattlesnakes at Horse Thief Canyon\nThey use the AllTrails app to discover new trails across the state\nThe group is open to any female 12 and older; their oldest participant is in her upper 80s and outpaces most of the group\nMonthly hikes are free; overnight trips charge a $20 fee managed through Eventbrite\nTheir annual September trip to Estes Park, Colorado has been running every year since 2020\nJeri recommends hiking poles for everyone — they reduce strain on your back and help probe water crossings\nAlways bring sunscreen, a hat, water or electrolyte drinks, and a small first aid kit\nThe group has attracted women from 12 different states to their Colorado trip\nCindy Kuhnauer, the co-founder, also runs Fearless and Female, a self-defense business out of Wichita\nSydney defends Spangles with her whole chest (and eats it in the Walmart parking lot so her kids don't find out)\n\nChapters\n\n0:00 — Madeline's softball ear muff situation\n2:13 — Podcast intro\n2:49 — Meet Jeri Brungardt\n3:25 — How Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond got started\n5:06 — How...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/31uDhQmE-73zaqpWjXtwnyYffNMsUnDPiL6GtjTddEQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mNzBm/YzFkNDBkODVjNGM2/MzMwMGViYjhmZTY4/Nzc0Mi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}