Our “Featured Hobnailers” series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Russ and Susan Moore of Buhl, Alabama. The Moores are Hobnail’s most tenured trekkers, having undertaken three previous adventures with us — Everest Base Camp, the Central Alps Odyssey (temporarily unavailable), and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Rongai Route. This August 4-18, they will embark on our amazing Ecuadorian Odyssey.
Q: Where do you live?
A: Buhl, Alabama, about 20 miles out of Tuscaloosa.
Q: What are your occupations?
A: Susan is a gymnastics coach at Bama Bounders Gymnastics. I’m a math geek at The Arbitrage Group, Inc. specializing in municipal bonds consulting and yield calculations. I know…yawn!
Q: How long have y’all been together?
A: We met our second semester at the University of Alabama at a gymnastics clinic for Bama cheerleader tryouts. Been together over 40 years, and our 35th wedding anniversary is this June!
Q: How and when did you get into adventure travel? Where was your first out-of-country adventure?
A: We’ve always traveled and usually end up on a hike or climbing something on our vacations. We actually climbed the 2,600ft Gros Piton in St Lucia one year (fairly easy) and the next year went back and did the twin 2,400ft Petit Piton (much harder and sketchier)! The views were so awesome! Our first time out of the country was on our honeymoon to Ocho Rios, Jamaica!
A: We’ve always traveled and usually end up on a hike or climbing something on our vacations. We actually climbed the 2,600ft Gros Piton in St Lucia one year (fairly easy) and the next year went back and did the twin 2,400ft Petit Piton (much harder and sketchier)! The views were so awesome! Our first time out of the country was on our honeymoon to Ocho Rios, Jamaica!
Q: How did you discover Hobnail Trekking?
A: Back in 2017, Susan noticed a post on Facebook that advertised an Everest Base Camp discussion in Tuscaloosa and asked me if I wanted dinner and a movie. We met Mark and Holly at that meeting and have been dear friends since!
Q: You’ve also been to Nepal, Tanzania, and the Central European Alps with Hobnail. What were those trips like?
A: Our first trip with Hobnail Trekking Co. was Everest Base Camp in 2018, and it was literally life-changing. We saw 7 or 8 of the world’s 12 tallest mountains, breathed the cleanest air, met some awesome Nepalese people, and ate great food! We made great friendships with Mark, Holly and the other 13 in our group (this was Hobnail’s inaugural trek). There is nothing as breathtaking as seeing Mount Everest for the first time! The Central Alps Odyssey was awesome, too, but much different. The mountains are amazing but not nearly as tall. And it was just the two of us with no guide — just maps and an app to follow. The trails are marked great and the food was unbelievably good, especially the breakfasts! The scenery was incredible — literally like the Sound of Music in some places! We also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania last year — 19,400 feet! We had wonderful guides and porters and a great chef. That was more of an achievement for us. The country and people were beautiful but the safari afterwards made the trip even better. Elephants, seriously, four feet from you!
See photos of Russ and Susan’s adventures below.
Q: Have you ever been to Ecuador? Why did you choose the Ecuadorian Odyssey for your fourth Hobnail trek?
A: We’ve never been to Equador. The Galapagos Islands definitely interested us with all of the animals and the kayaking on the Amazon just sounded crazy, not to mention climbing a huge volcano! (Cotopaxi.) It’s right up our alley — adventure mixed with animals and craziness!Â
Q: What are you most excited about regarding this trip?
A: All of the Equadorian Odyssey sounds interesting! The local food sounds yummy, and the snorkeling with wildlife in the Galapagos Islands is going to be great!
Q: What other destinations are on your bucket list for adventure travel?
A: We’re very interested in another Tanzania safari and possibly doing Everest Base Camp again one day with the Gokyo Lakes extension. We never know what’s on our bucket list until it shows itself!
I want to add that Mark and Holly put a lot of heart and soul into these trips and will actually talk on the phone with you, message you, and email you. Live your bucket list! Sign up for one of these great adventures!
The Ecuadorian Odyssey is a guided, 17-day, immersive experience encompassing the most distinct ecosystems of Ecuador — the Galapagos Islands, Amazon rainforest, and the Andes Mountains. There are still available spots on the Moores’ August 4-18, 2025, trip! See the details and reserve your spot today!
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