Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
430 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 450 ratingsAn overweight, 61-year-old retiree, with zero hiking experience, decided to hike the entire 2,185.3 mile length of the Appalachian Trail in 2014. What could possibly go wrong? As his brother, Mike, commented, "It's a bit like taking up boxing and fighting Mike Tyson in your first bout." Join Steve and his guests as they discuss all aspects of the trail, from gear to Lyme Disease, then back to trail magic and injury.
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Episodes
Episode #377 - Spencer McKay (Warpzilla)
June 08, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBOur guest today, Spencer McKay, completed his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2007. The poignant reason he went on the trail at that time is told in his conversation with Steve this week. As an Eagle Scout, he always believed he’d hike the trail at some time during his life, but events of the previous winter pushed his timeline up considerably. You can see more of Spencer on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/warpzilla and if you’d like to read his book, Walk With You, you can fi...
Episode #376 - Mark Beno (Papa Dump)
June 01, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 84.9 MBMark and David Beno, a father and son hiking team, took on the Appalachian Trail in 2022. Mark shares their story in this week’s show. The two of them chose to flip flop, choosing an unusual plan by leaving from Damascus headed north in March, then flipping back to Damascus after summiting Katahdin and heading south. This was more than a bucket list item for Mark, and he appreciated the community he found himself in. You can follow Mark and David’s hike on Facebook at https://www.facebook....
Episode #375 - Al Marriott (Lookout)
May 25, 2023 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBWe have a shorter show than usual today, as I’m away hiking. There is still a great interview and the next segment of the book “Then the Hail Came.” Al Marriott is an adventurous guy, traveling worldwide to satisfy an urge to wander, recording his journeys via his YouTube account. His mind fell to the Appalachian Trail, and he set out to do it last year. Al is a natural storyteller and shares some poignant moments out there, particularly with his tramily, though an unpleasant encounter wit...
Episode #374 - Kelly Jaworski (Birdie)
May 18, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 88.8 MBKelly Jaworski hiked the AT in 2021 with a former guest of the show, Stuart (Puppy Love) Phelps. I reached out to her when I saw her epic summit photo on Facebook. She returned my invitation to the show a year later!! She had an excellent excuse, though; she was having a baby. Kelly came on the show and demonstrated that, even though we walk the same path, even when we hike with the same person, our perspective informs our story, and those perspectives are often so different. She doesn’t u...
Episode #373 - Jana Giles & David Nelson (Ducky & Gravy)
May 11, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 82.7 MBWe have a young couple as our guests this week; Jana Giles and David Nelson, otherwise known as Ducky and Gravy. They have known each other for some time but, in planning to go on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, they started dating just before they headed out on the trail. Despite putting their relationship on the line, they clearly worked it out, finishing just five months after starting South bound from Katahdin. Jana wrote a blog for the Trek, so you can check that out at http://thetrek...
Episode #372 - Patch Leonard (Cold Brew)
May 04, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 79.2 MBWe have Patch Leonard as our guest today. Patch is the son of Emily Leonard–a previous guest on the show–and he tells us of his own Appalachian Trail thru-hike last year. He has grown up in Maine and New Hampshire, so hiking was more or less in his blood, yet the idea to hike the trail came after his mother blazed her way to Maine. You can follow Patch’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ColdbrewPatch, but first, savor this sight at the top of an empty Katahdin early in the morni...
Episode #371 - Zach Cross
April 27, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 84.6 MBZach Cross is starting his NOBO thru-hike from Springer on May 1. That he is even attempting this hike is something of a miracle. Three years ago, as Covid hit us, Zach weighed about 400lbs. His journey since then, aided by hiking and nature, has brought him to contemplating an epic undertaking. The simple act of committing to a daily hike up and down a mountain in Georgia speaks of his determination to not only feel better about himself, but also to inspire others, and that initially small...
Episode #370 - Jim LePage (Grey Ghost)
April 20, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 94.2 MBJim LePage is a man who spends a lot of time outdoors. He hiked the AT in 2018, having thought about it for years. The proverbial window of opportunity eventually opened, and he climbed straight through it. Jim talks about the importance of spousal support and was lucky enough to have his family either hiking with him or resupplying him. Overcoming doubts as to his ability to finish, Jim managed it to the end and returned home with his accomplishment secure. He owns a camp with a spectacul...
Episode #369 - Bob Delaney (Jon's Dad)
April 13, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBWe leave the AT behind today for a trip to Sweden and the Kungsleden, a trail that I’d never heard of before. Bob Delaney, or Jon’s Dad, has a history with Sweden and returned there to hike this lesser known trail. He was so enamored by the trail that he’s started a YouTube channel, a blog, and written a book about it. You can reach out to Bob directly at [email protected]. He’ll be happy to hear from you and will try to help you if you consider hiking this Swedish trail. You can also...
Episode #368 - Kenneth Pararo (Moron)
April 06, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBKenneth Pararo is our guest today. He reached out to me, sending me a link to his podcast, and I entirely misjudged him. When I eventually spoke with Kenneth, he was articulate, thoughtful, and a lot of fun. He’s an AT thru-hiker, though when he went for a second time, he took a rather different route. Why and how he did so is explained in our chat. Once you get past his intro to the podcast, you’ll hear more of his somewhat quirky personality come through. You can find the podcast here: h...
Episode #367 - Rachel Hadley-Leonard
March 30, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 72.4 MBRachel Hadley-Leonard is our guest today. I heard about Rachel walking the South West Coast Path in England from one of our previous guests and wanted to know more about her hike. She instantly pushed this trail up near the top of my bucket list for a possible future walk with my brother, Mike. Rachel is a podcaster with two shows. One is specifically about her own journey, while the other is the official podcast of the Path itself. You can check them out here. https://open.spotify.com/show...
Episode #366 - Matt Hengst (Masochist)
March 23, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBMatthew Hengst, or Masochist, is today’s guest. He is one of those guys who has managed to parlay his passion for hiking into pretty much a full-time gig. He’s got an extensive outdoor resumé, but it is his 2021 thru-hike of the Eastern Continental Trail that we focus on today. On the trail, Matthew edited videos before getting out of camp, and his whole attitude is one of calm enjoyment in solitude. You can follow him on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/FirstChurchofTheMa...
Episode #365 - Mike (Blaze Dog) and Marla Hansen (Shows Up)
March 16, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBOur guests today are a husband and wife couple who worked out their own way to share the Appalachian Trail experience, even though only one of them walked the full 2200 miles. Mike and Marla Hansen used their RV to assist Mike’s hike, working out a routine that would be attractive to many, I’m sure. Marla did a lot of the resupply, as well as hiking into some of the iconic spots on the trail and supported Mike’s dream throughout. Their method is a way of sharing the journey that certainly w...
Episode #364 - Mel Vogel
March 09, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBWe have a true one-of-a-kind story today. Mel Vogel set out to hike the Trans Canada Trail in June 2017. Even when part of the trail was closed for recreational use during Covid, Mel remained on or near the trail in the Yukon, eventually completing it in November 2022. During her hike, Mel touched the Atlantic, Pacific, and even the Arctic Ocean, finding kindness and friends along the way, as well as her new friend, Malo, a lost dog. Mel and Steve share a personal conversation that touches...
Episode #363 - Charlie Janssen (Kansas Express)
March 02, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 88.3 MBWhen Charlie Janssen was just ten miles into his Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2012, he wondered what it would be like to complete a Calendar Year Triple Crown. He found out in 2022, and shares his story with us. Charlie’s thoughts eventually solidified and the planning began. His pragmatic approach and never-give-up attitude are clear in our conversation, yet this is still an epic adventure and one that so few people have managed to complete. Charlie is only the thirteenth to complete it....
Episode #362 - Leah Harman (Twig)
February 23, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 80 MBLeah Harman, or Twig, is our guest today. She is a self-confessed nomad, concentrating in the past few years on backpacking her way through many trails, both in the US and abroad. Despite the solitary nature of many of her hikes, Leah enjoys the trail community and Trail Angels in particular. You can check out Leah’s many hikes in her excellent blog at https://twigadventures.com/ Mary Marks becomes the final member of our Mighty Blue Class of 2023, and we speak from Franklin, NC, where sh...
Episode #361 - Casey Beeman (Freedom Pouch)
February 16, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBI found this week’s guest by reading an article he’d written about Post-Trail Depression. I know some people scoff at this concept, but it is real, and Casey Beeman articulates it beautifully. He did his thru-hike, along with his wife, Kylie, last year. They enjoyed the freedom to have a big adventure, but coming down to earth at the end turned out to be problematic, especially for Casey. I asked him to read the article during our conversation, which he duly did, and I think it adds power ...
Episode #360 - Emet Baker (Quickbeam)
February 09, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 87.3 MBEmet Baker, or Quickbeam is our guest today. He was able to complete his first year college finals before heading out on trail last year, with a mission to accomplish and complete the trail before he needed to return to camp. Emet was suggested to me by a previous guest, who wrote such kind words about him, that I wondered if they were hyperbole. They weren't. He's an impressive young man with, I'm sure, a great future, both in hiking and pretty much whatever he turns his hand to. You'll be...
Episode #359 - Toby Busch (Stovetop)
February 02, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBOur guest this week is Toby Busch, a young man who lives out of his Ford Connect and records his life adventures on YouTube. Last year, he fulfilled a long-held dream and moved out of his van and onto the Appalachian Trail. Along the way, he found his mix of solitude and community, and he reached Katahdin as a joyful thru-hiker. He's now back in his Connect and often moving about the country finding "70 degree weather!" Toby recorded several of these adventures too, so you can follow along...
Episode #358 - Amanda Wylie (Two Braids)
January 26, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 98.2 MBAmanda Wylie is an independent, strong young woman from Queens, NY. She hiked the Appalachian Trail last year and, despite loving the impact it had upon her, she had to address a few issues on her journey that were unexpected, and often unwanted. Despite that, she wants her experience to inspire women to take on the trail and embrace the experience. You can follow Amanda on Instagram at http://Www.instagram.com/realamandawylie, while her clothing brand can be seen at http://Www.instagram.co...
Episode #357 - John Jordan (Morning Glory)
January 19, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBToday, we hear from one of the unsung heroes of our hiking world. He's not a thru-hiker–though his son did one–but he's a member of the Board of ALDHA, the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. Where the ATC concerns itself with the well-being of the trail itself, ALDHA focuses on hikers. John joined the board quite recently and is coordinating the ALDHA Care project, bringing a new enthusiasm to the role as he works out the best way to assist hiker hostels and, by association, hike...
Episode #356 - Julia Widmar (Stretcher)
January 12, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBWe have one of our younger newly minted thru-hikers today. Julia Widmar was only 20 when she hit the trail last year, though she had learned so much in the previous five years as she looked forward to this journey of a lifetime. Julia is an EMT nurse who was thoroughly prepared at Amicolola to take on the trail and, despite a three-week break in the middle, she pushed on to complete it in just over four months of trail time. While she didn't blog or vlog herself, Julia wanted to share the ...
Episode #355 - Nick Gagnon (Chezwick)
January 05, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBNick Gagnon is an elite level hiker. He completed the Great Western Loop in 2022 in under 200 days, a remarkable achievement in that the loop is just shy of 7,000 miles. Virtually by definition, Nick spent a lot of time by himself, and he shares with us his coping mechanisms for such a solo endeavor. He was so disciplined in his approach, sharing why this is so necessary for this particular trail. You can find out more about Nick by visiting his website at https://chezwicktreks.com/. He ha...
Episode #354 - Billy Arthur (Backwards)
December 29, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBOur guest today, Billy Arthur, or Backwards, met and fell in love with another hiker on the AT this year. Billy had wanted to get on the trail since his scouting days, yet he left it until his late 20s and found more than he'd bargained for! Backwards and Pigpen bonded throughout their hike and stayed together once they reached Katahdin. I'd always wondered about these on-trail romances, and Billy shares how they got together, as well as how they're coping with after-trail life. That he'd ...
Episode #353 - Jason Tompkins (Out and About)
December 22, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 67.3 MBJason Tompkins is our guest today, with his stories about a new long-distance trail; The Carolinian. It's new because he named it, then hiked it this year. Yet that isn't all of Jason's story. He's worked out his life for the foreseeable future to spend pretty much all his time out on a trail! We agreed that he should come back on next year when (not if!!) he completes the East Coast Trail, from Key West up to Newfoundland, when he'll be taking in the Appalachian Trail along the way. You c...
Episode #352 - Brittany Rosendahl (Hot Hands)
December 15, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 73 MBWe're sticking with the Class of 2022 hikers once more, with Brittany Rosendahl–one of my Facebook friends–sharing the story of her hike and what brought her to the trail. She's lived a demanding life as a nurse and recalls some really tough times during the Covid Pandemic. Sharing some more intimate details, she opens up about relationships and attitudes that she found to be so reassuring on the AT. You can check out more about Brittany on her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/ch...
Episode #351 - Samuel Crisp (Shaker)
December 08, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 63 MBThis week, our guest, Samuel Crisp, is another of the Class of 2022 thru-hikers. His mature approach to the trail, his understanding and treatment of his injuries, and his intentional reflections, make for a fascinating conversation. Sam was lucky enough to summit Katahdin with his mother; indeed, he summoned up that image to keep him motivated on the trail when the going got tough. To see more of Sam, you can watch his hike through his vlog at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZuwzNRxP0Q&t...
Episode #350 - Frank Dutman (Heineken)
December 01, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 67.7 MBToday, we have a visitor from the Netherlands. Frank Dutman first heard about the trail in some unrelated research back in the late 90s. Since then, he's immersed himself in further research, and this year he achieved his dream of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. We hear a European perspective, even a European sensibility, in his approach to the trail and the preparations he made towards achieving his goal. Along the way, he tended to hike mainly alone, allowing himself the luxury of self...
Episode #349 - Lauren Adamczak (Airbag)
November 24, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBToday's guest, Lauren Adamczak, described herself as "the quiet 30-year-old that never spoke up in groups, often looked down at the ground in public, and wouldn’t dare leave the house in mismatched clothes." Four days into the trail, she accepted–with glee–the trail name, Airbag. When I read a post she made on Facebook, I knew I wanted her on the show. Lauren didn't make it to the brown sign on Katahdin, but she had an adventure that energized and enhanced her life, taking on "Airbag" with ...
Episode #348 - Stuart Phelps (Puppy Love)
November 17, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 64 MBStuart Phelps, or Puppy Love, is our guest this week. Stuart had set himself a goal to thru-hike the trail when he turned 50, yet, as often happens, the window opened a little earlier and he set out in 2021, turning 48 on the trail. His story is a mixture of fun, mutual respect, love, and illness, and makes for a fascinating conversation. Wait until you hear how his first date with his girlfriend went!! You can follow Stuart's blog at https://stuhikes.com/blog/, and on Instagram at https:/...
Episode #347 - Syd Sayward (Bug)
November 10, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 79.5 MBToday's show features a recently successful thru-hiker, and the first of our Mighty Blue Class of 2023. Syd Sayward has wanted to complete the AT since, as a 15-year-old, her athletics coach took her and some school friends up Mt. Washington. The experience stayed with Syd, and she started preparing for what she knew would be an AT attempt at some future date. That turned out to be 2022, and Syd shares her story. Syd kept a blog while she was out on the trail. You can check it out here. ht...
Episode #346 - Mike Current (Energizer)
November 03, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBToday's guest was a guest on the show at the beginning of 2021, sharing his stories about his PCT thru-hike. He never expected to go again–even though his wife always knew that he would–but there's something about the Appalachian Trail that was drawing him in. He didn't know what it was, but he discovered his "why?" on the trail. Mike, as an ex-military man, is an extremely detailed planner. He shares much of his planning and actual hikes at his YouTube channel, Old Man and the AT, at https...
Episode #345 - Tonya Lonsbury (Monarch)
October 27, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 68.4 MBToday's guest recently completed her AT thru-hike and, joyous as she is, she and Steve get into a conversation that celebrates the joy, but also delves into some of the more difficult, but ultimately triumphant, aspects of her journey and life. Tonya shares her faith with us and the important role it played in her ability to get to the end of her hike. You can follow more of Tonya's journey(S) on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/c/travelingwithtonya on Instagram at http://www.instagram....
Episode #344 - Kristi McLeod Fondren (HQtie)
October 20, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 73 MBDr Kristi McLeod Fondren joins us today to bring an academic's view on hiking. Kristi hiked the PCT over the last couple of years and has combined that love of the outdoors with her work as a Professor at Marshall University. She has some great insights that she shares with us, as well as her deeply personal story. You can find out more about Kristi from her two journals from 2021 and 2022. They are at http://www.trailjournals.com/HQtieandTurkeyB for the 2021 hike and at http://www.trailjou...
Episode #343 - Andy Hood
October 13, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBToday's guest, Andy Hood, isn't a hiker. He's a runner, but the story of his recent journey parallels that of many long-distance hikers. It is his backstory that attracted my attention, as well as offering me a chance to introduce you all to a different hiking trail; in England, no less!! Andy talks movingly about wanting to do something to empathize with his mother's plight and, in going so, he finds out much about himself and others. He also tells us about an often overlooked part of self...
Episode #342 - Hunter Rud (Hunter)
October 06, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MBWe have another recent thru-hiker today. He is Hunter Rud and, when you hear his story, the Appalachian Trail wasn't on his radar until very recently. But, like many others before him, he became more absorbed by the prospect of hiking it the more he researched. It wasn't all sunshine and roses for Hunter when he was out there this year, yet the support and encouragement he received from his entire family–including the latest weather forecasts from his uncle–got him to his Katahdin moment. Y...
Episode #341 - Julieann Hartley (Squirt)
September 29, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBJulieann Hartley is today's guest. She hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2015 and transformed her life. She articulates this so beautifully in our conversation, and you may be a little confused about why we laugh so much while discussing difficult topics. Yet her positivity is what pulled her through both the hike and her subsequent life. Check her out at Instagram and TikTok, and even on Spotify at the links below. https://www.instagram.com/missjulieannmusic/ https://www.tiktok.com/@missju...
Episode #340 - TSX Challenge (Part 2)
September 22, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBThis week, we have the second and concluding part of my recent 75 mile TSX Challenge hike in California, taking in Mt Whitney as its main highlight. As many of you know, I've often spoken of my inability to hike at altitude. In this hike, I discovered that it was more about my attitude than the altitude. We covered the first three days of the hike last week. Today, we've got contributions from other hikers, as well as my own experience of those last five days. It was epic!! You can learn ...
Episode #339 - TSX Challenge (Part 1)
September 15, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBAs many of you know, I recently fulfilled a long-held ambition to climb Mt Whitney. While I was out on this group-led hike, I could reflect upon what it is to hike in such a wilderness and, on my return, I was eager to share it with you all. I rarely start editing until the day before my podcast is due to be published, but I've been thinking about this one for the past three days and trying to marshal my thoughts as best I can. What you'll hear are my honest reflections of the hike as well...
Episode #338 - Clay Bonnyman-Evans (Pony)
September 08, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBOur guest today is Clay Bonnyman-Evans, a friend of the show and a previous guest from our early days. Clay came onto the show in 2017 to talk about his 2016 Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Since then, he has racked up a bunch more miles and trails, so we caught up before I headed to hike in California. As always, Clay is witty, thoughtful, and open as we chat about his hiking. He is also an excellent writer, so you can check out his latest book "Adrift on the Pacific Crest Trail: A Thru-Hikin...
Episode #338 - Clay Bonnyman-Evans (Pony)
September 08, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBOur guest today is Clay Bonnyman-Evans, a friend of the show and a previous guest from our early days. Clay came onto the show in 2017 to talk about his 2016 Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Since then, he has racked up a bunch more miles and trails, so we caught up before I headed to hike in California. As always, Clay is witty, thoughtful, and open as we chat about his hiking. He is also an excellent writer, so you can check out his latest book "Adrift on the Pacific Crest Trail: A Thru-Hikin...
Episode #337 - Ryan Leighton (Ken Burns)
September 01, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBRyan Leighton is our guest this week and, though not a thru-hiker, he has probably impacted more people with regard to long-distance hiking than many of our guests on the show. He produced a documentary movie–Walking Home–that followed the hike of a father and son duo, along with two other characters who intermittently entered the story. But Ryan has always been a thrill seeker, and he shares his fascinating story of climbing Katahdin in the winter, a negotiating Knife's Edge with a relucta...
Episode #336 - Kelly Thomas (Spotter)
August 25, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 71.5 MBI found Kelly Thomas, or Spotter through my rather unhealthy habit of cyber stalking the Appalachian Trail Facebook pages. She had just summited, and her proud Dad recorded that fact. I reached out to him and eventually spoke with Kelly. For me, her demographic, of a mid-30s female, was under-represented on the trail in past years, but I've noticed it growing in recent years. I wanted to talk with her about that. You can follow Kelly on her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/Unbo...
Episode #335 - Ted Lovett (Bulldog)
August 18, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 70.3 MBJust a week before I head out to hike in California, and we have another "vintage" hiker to hear from today. Ted Lovett, or Bulldog, wanted to hike the AT and finish on his birthday. Being a precise, mission-driven military man, that's exactly what Ted did. He shares his story with us. He met people he wouldn't normally come across when he was out on the trail and delighted learning from all of them. He didn't always enjoy the hike, but he took something positive from it every day. At Kat...
Episode #334 - Kevin Newsome (Reckless Abandon)
August 11, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBThis week's guest, Kevin Newsome, completed his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail a year ago. I'd briefly met him at Trail Days while he was on his hike (we had a picture taken together) and I saw him for the second time a few weeks ago, presenting to a local charitable group near my home. I loved his presentation style and got him to come on the show. He's a professional photographer so, as you'd expect, his Instagram and YouTube channels are worth checking out. You can find them here. ...
Episode #333 - Monica Aguilar (Moss)
August 04, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 69.3 MBOur guest today is Monica Aguilar. Monica has been putting in the miles for the past four years, having thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2018, then completing half of the PCT last year before she was forced to get off trail because of the fires. In between, she managed to fit in a bikepacking trip on the Great Divide Trail. But Monica's passion for adventure triggered another, more creative side of her. She started to draw and paint in her journal to record the sights she was seeing. Whe...
Episode #332 - Nathan Echols
July 28, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBNathan Echols recently completed a sub-70 day, supported, thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. How he was able to even set foot on trail is an extraordinary story. Just two years ago, he suffered a cardiac arrest in his sleep. It was only the rapid response of his wife that saved his life. Yet Nathan had long wanted to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and he resolved to get it done. He resumed his training AFTER open heart surgery and, since then, has racked up over 7800 training miles. With ...
Episode #331 - Arlette Laan (Apple Pie)
July 21, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBThe remarkable Arlette Laan is this week's guest. Arlette recently completed the eleventh and final leg of her quest to hike all the National Scenic Trails, becoming the first woman to do so. She's not a super-honed athlete, she's a down-to-earth woman who knows her strengths and limitations, and hikes accordingly. When she's not hiking these long-distance trails, Arlette leads hikes in New Hampshire and has shared with us the epic photo below. If you'd like to connect with Arlette, you ca...
Episode #330 - Amber and Josh Niven (Dandelion and Still Don't)
July 07, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 70.2 MBAmber and Joshua Niven were next to me in the Author's Tent at Trail Days, and I asked them to come on the show when I heard their great stories of having separately hiked the AT before meeting one another at Trail Days. They have experienced the trail differently, so their book is a product and amalgamation of those experiences. It is a true coffee-table book that you can pick up and open anywhere; there'll always be something of interest to read, or to see. If you'd like to learn more ab...
Episode #329 - Emily Leonard (Black Bear)
June 30, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 75.2 MBI met Emily Leonard and her husband Bruce at the Author's Tent at Trail Days in Damascus early this year. Not only does Emily write about her AT hikes, but she also has terrific stories to share about them. Like me, she has completed two Appalachian Trail thru-hikes and has now written about the first one. She also produced a children's book that will introduce a whole new generation to the trail. Additionally, Emily was featured quite prominently in the AT documentary, Walking Home. You ca...