John Bourdet
Two-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and artist known as "Bodacious" who hand-carves the hiking sticks awarded annually to Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame inductees.
1
APPEARANCES
1
PODCASTS
Jul 6, 2026
Jim FosterHOST
So you've, you've selected your, your sourwood, uh, stick, and what's the next step then after that?
John BourdetGUEST
Well, uh, people that make these sticks have, you know, all have a unique collection of tools.
John BourdetGUEST
But it's mostly you start with a draw knife, which we use in trail maintenance a lot, taking the bark off of logs to use in, for on the trail.
John BourdetGUEST
I mean, you have to go out in the woods and find the nice piece of wood to begin with.
John BourdetGUEST
Uh, sourwood is particularly good also because the, you know, the woodsmen say you can't kill a sourwood.
John BourdetGUEST
If, if a, if a big tree falls and it knocks the sourwood down as it comes down, sourwood's an understory tree, well, the sourwood won't die.