Our Name
The view from our property was breathtaking! The muddy and wild Missouri River rolls southward out of Nebraska along the Western border of its namesake state. A few miles north of Kansas City, it turns sharply to the East. It bisects the Show Me state as it snakes through hills, valleys, and farmland toward St. Louis and its confluence with the mighty Mississippi.
Along the way it's relentless, pounding current carves a trench through Missouri’s karst topography. The resulting bluffs soar hundreds of feet above the muddy water. Their faces are pockmarked with sandstone caves, and their ridges are crowned with thick jungles of cedar pines, evergreen firs, and native deciduous trees. One of those bluffs, one right near the middle of the state, was on my family’s property. It juts out to a point as the river rolls around the bend, and it offers a panoramic display that extends from the Pacific to the Atlantic and down to the Gulf of Mexico. It is high ground. It stands sentry over the river valley below, as it has for millennia. It is the tip of the spear, the Pike.
Accessing the Pike was no easy task. It required salt and grit, blisters, and blood. With nothing more than a pickaxe and hand saw, my family, friends, and I carved a trail through the dense woodland leading up the bluff. The way is narrow and winding. Our trail skirts a massive ravine on one side and a steep canyon on the other. It bobs and weaves. It crosses a stream and traverses outcroppings. The Pike Trail is no easy climb, but nothing worth doing ever is.
Our company was forged in the same spirit as the trail that bears its name. We are the tip of the spear, rugged and determined, dedicated to leading the way in quality, value, and reliability. We don’t take shortcuts, and we don’t let others blaze trails, we do that. We do it because the view from the top is amazing, and we want everyone to see it.
Whether you’re stalking a Muley in the Rocky Mountains, riding the rapids in the Canyonlands, or blazing a trail through the Appalachians, you can rest assured that Pike Trail has your back, and our gear will never let you down. The rest is up to you.
Meet the Team
Josh Hendershott
A Life Built on Adventure
My passion for the great outdoors has shaped me for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I spent countless hours hiking through the woods, camping with friends, and joining my dad on fishing and hunting trips. These experiences instilled in me a natural ease with the wild and, more importantly, deepened my connection with my Creator. There’s something undeniable about the way God reveals His love through the beauty of nature.
Being close to the Allegheny Mountains meant that a day trip could take me deep into the heart of the wilderness, and summers were filled with camping and white-water rafting adventures at Ohiopyle State Park. Navigating the rapids and setting up camp not only built skills but also sparked a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors.
In 2007, I moved west with my wife and three daughters to Columbia, MO—an incredible place to call home, with its vast network of trails. The MKT Trail winds through the heart of the city and connects to the KATY Trail near the Missouri River, a resource we’ve treasured as a family. As we raised our children, my wife and I made it a priority to help them experience the beauty of nature, right here in our city’s backyard.
The KATY Trail runs along our property next to the great Missouri River, and to extend the spirit of exploration, I cut Pike Trail as a continuation of this incredible network. Our family has gained so much joy from it that I felt compelled to create a product line designed to help others experience the many gifts of the great outdoors.
At Pike Trail, we see our products as a partnership with you. Whether you’re hiking new terrain or simply soaking in the sights and sounds of nature, our goal is to provide solutions that make every adventure more enjoyable.
See you on the trail!
Jay Atkins
Jay Atkins, Pike Trail’s Senior Outdoor Editor and Product Consultant, grew up in Fort Collins Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. When he was twelve, his dad taught him how to fish for trout on the roaring Cache la Poudre River, and he’s been hooked on the outdoors ever since. Jay and his family now live in Columbia, Missouri, where they spend their summers exploring America’s treasure trove of National Parks in their renovated 1972 Airstream Ambassador, Mr. Miles. Jay is proud to be part of the Pike Trail family where he helps ensure every Pike Trail product meets or exceeds our clients’ rigorous demands in quality, value, and innovation.
Chris Cooley
Chris was born and raised in the small town of Palmyra, IN. He was introduced to the sports of hunting and fishing at an early age by his father, Chuck Cooley. With all of his outdoor experiences, Chris always depends on gear that is light, durable, dependable, and effective. Chris is extremely excited and blessed to be a part of the Pike Trail family and to have the opportunity to work with such a talented organization that shares the same passion for the outdoors. Chris is a father of 2, and he and his wife are now enjoying the opportunity to introduce their children to the outdoors, and passing on their passion for the outdoors to the next generation!
Erik Darkow
Born and raised in the Midwest, Erik has always spent time outdoors. He’s an avid believer in living an active lifestyle and spends his free time traveling, fishing, hiking, biking, and running. A backpacking trip to Rocky Mountain National Park as a child ignited his desire to explore as much of the outdoor world as possible. Erik was an early tester of Pike Trail products during his recent hiking trips to Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Guatemala, and Belize. He is married with 2 kids and looks forward to continuing his partnership with Pike Trail to bring forward the best products to the market.
MJ Gordon
As the newest member of the Pike Trail Team, MJ Gordon is a breath of fresh air that has revitalized and reenergized everything we do! As Pike Trail’s Chief Media Evangelist, MJ drives our social media and marketing presence with her passion for outdoor fitness and creative energy as a photographer and videographer. If you want to know what makes Pike Trail special, just watch MJ. Her passion for healthy living, personal empowerment, and outdoor adventure animate everything she does. And that’s what Pike Trail is all about: Gear up, Get out, Go strong. Just like MJ!
John Keller
What do you get when you combine twenty years of experience in banking and a passion for the outdoors? You get John Keller, Pike Trail’s Chief Financial Strategist and Product Integrity Specialist. John is a native Missouri son who grew up hunting whitetail bucks deep in the Ozark mountains and harvesting waterfowl along the marshy banks of the Missouri River. Whether hiking through dense woodland to scout the perfect spot for his tree stand or navigating a Cattail forest to set his Mallard decoys, John demands gear that works as hard as he does. He brings that same passion for precision and excellence to the Pike Trail team.
Rob Murray
Rob has spent his entire life in the outdoors hunting, fishing, and enjoying activities such as water and snow skiing, scuba diving, hiking, mountain biking and camping. He is a Christian and considers himself closest to his Creator when outside. He is married with two grown children, Caleb (24) and Emily (22). His wife Debbie is also a lover of the outdoors and shares his passion for all of the above. When not in Missouri you can typically find him and his family in Florida in the summer searching out new reefs and Colorado in the winter skiing the slopes.
Paulene Williams
Paulene is from California - loves alpine climbing and spends her weekends bagging peaks at California’s snow-capped mountains just for fun, well, sort of. She is a top-ranking age group triathlete who has represented the USA in four (count them) Ironman 70.3 World Championships (most recently August 26, 2023 Ironman 70.3 Lahti, Finland). She is ranked in the top 1% of the world. Additionally, she is a 2x Boston Marathon runner and 3x State TTT Champ. Mountaineering plays a crucial role for her training regimen. She relies on outdoor gear for safety and executing demanding training exercises.
See you on the trail.
We hope you choose us on your search for hiking gear companies.
