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 #328 - Kayla and Ken Bold (Nugs and Kenbo)
June 23, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 68.8 MBFather and daughter hiking partners, Kayla and Ken Bold, came to the Appalachian Trail with Ken originally intending to hike just a section in support of his daughter. As often happens, those plans changed, and they headed north together as a team. Each learned something about the other, with their familial bond strengthened along the way. You can follow Nugs on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kayla.bold/ Our two catch-ups this week are with Trumpet and his dog FrankE, as well as w...
Episode #327 - Jeff Hayes (Speedo)
June 16, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 71.5 MBThis week, we have a first for the podcast. Initially, our principal guest, Jeff Hays, lays out his views on why the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail should move to Alabama. As Jeff says, "Why not Alabama?" Then, Jeff and Nathan Wright debate the issue as they see it. They keep it respectful and agree far more than they disagree. At the end, I weigh in with my opinion. I hope you all learn something from this discussion. You can learn more about the issues at stake by visiting J...
Episode #326 - Ian and Eve Alderman (Our Spectrum Adventures)
June 09, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 70 MBToday, we have Ian Alderman on the show. Ian and his daughter, Eve, are hiking the entire length of Britain. While it isn't a super long hike, it is still over a thousand miles and there is very little in the way of a defined path. The West Highland Way WAS a path that made it a little easier for them and that's where I found them. What's remarkable about these two, though, is that both Ian and his daughter are autistic. Ian and his wife Sarah have determined that they don't intend for Eve ...
Episode #325 - Dennis Pack (Bookworm)
June 02, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 70 MBDennis Pack is nearer my generation of hikers, and this week he shares the story of his 2021 flip flop. He's a great believer in serendipity and enjoyed the way in which things just "happen" out there on the trail. He has a well-grounded, gentle wisdom, some of which he learned on the trail, though much of it he clearly accumulated over his 60 years. His cousin had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and, not knowing much about this, he learned what he could and shared it on the trail. I...
Episode #324 - Natisha Webb (Calypso)
May 26, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 71.5 MBNatisha Webb wrote to me recently about my West Highland Way trip, telling me she'd already booked to go on the same hike next year. We corresponded, and it turns out that she also thru-hiked the AT in 2021, having been "Covided" off in 2020. Naturally, I wanted her to tell her story, and she agreed to come on the show. As you'll hear, she is a pragmatic woman, making sensible decisions when decisions are required. If you'd like to learn more about Natisha and her hiking, and van, life, ch...
Episode #323 - Nathan and Kimm Wright (Switchback and Crewhiker)
May 19, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 71.1 MBToday, we have Nathan and Kimm Wright, from the Pinhoti Outdoor Center. I met them both at Trail Days this past weekend, and we got into a discussion on the benefits–or otherwise–of relocating the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail to Alabama, using the Pinhoti Trail to effect that change. This is a controversial subject that Nathan and Kimm are well-versed in. Indeed, Nimblewill Nomad, who was with the two of them at Trail Days, got particularly het up over the subject. We'll let y...
Episode #322 - Chris Veasey (Idaho Bones)
May 12, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 73.6 MBOur guest today is from the AT Class of 2017. His name is Chris Veasey, and we share an open chat about his experiences on the trail. He flip-flopped, heading north from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin, then south to Springer. His northern section was spent with a tramily, while he was largely solo in the south. We discuss the differences between both sections. Chris has written a book about his adventures and has put up a Kickstarter for those who would like to support his efforts to publish his...
Episode #321 - Brian Anderson (The Tick Terminator)
May 05, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 63.6 MBThis week, we have the aptly named Tick Terminator, otherwise known as Brian Anderson. Brian has had a fascination with ticks–and how to terminate them–for over ten years. He has advised companies on how to deal with their outdoor employees, suggesting best practice to keep them from contracting Lyme and other diseases. Today, he's offering advice to hikers and backpackers. He does this in a fun, informative way, and I think we hit all the important points. If you'd like to learn more, Br...
Episode #320 - Mighty Blue on the West Highland Way
April 28, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBThis week's show is all about my recent "saunter" on the West Highland Way in Scotland. As many of you know, I'd never hiked before I moved to the US, and I certainly didn't know about this little gem in Scotland. I'd originally intended to couple a quicker hike on the WHW with a similarly fast walk on Hadrian's Wall Path. However, as you'll hear, fate intervened, and I had one of my most satisfying hikes. I've also added a lot more pictures this week (corresponding with the day they were ...
Episode #319 - Mighty Blue Class of 2022
April 21, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 94.7 MBToday, we catch up with ALL (available) members of the Mighty Blue Class of 2022. Having been away for more than five weeks, I've missed their starts–in many cases–and the suspension of their hikes–in a few cases. One thing that is apparent from these conversations is that nobody's experience is like any other hiker's experience. The conversations speak for themselves and, going forward, I want you all to know who we're following out there. Each of the interviews is time stamped to allow...
Episode #318 - Traci Galyon (Reroute)
April 14, 2022 07:00 - 51 minutes - 47 MBOur guest this week is Traci Galyon, or Reroute. Traci's evolution from irregular hiker to thru-hiker is interesting, in that it was her husband Don who was originally intending to hit the AT. Instead, Traci absorbed the information, found herself drawn in by the adventure, and eventually went alone on the trail. She plans to hike the PCT this year, WITH her husband Don, so we'll look out for that story later in the year. You can connect with Traci through Facebook at https://www.facebook....
Episode #317 - Ken and Allie Dravis (The Praise Team)
April 07, 2022 07:00 - 49 minutes - 45.8 MBToday's guests were known as the Praise Team on the trail, with the purpose of "spreading cheer" on the trail. As committed Christians, Ken and Allie Dravis saw their hike as an opportunity to encourage and learn about their fellow travelers, offering support and encouragement as they went along. Ken wrote a book following their hike, and that is to be released shortly. When I get back from the UK, I'll let you all have the link. Also today, Trumpet, or Dan Whitesides and his awesome dog...
Episode #316 - Ken Good (PTL)
March 31, 2022 07:00 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MBKen Good is today's guest. Ken took the name PTL (or Praise the Lord) on the Appalachian Trail. If you followed Ken's YouTube channel–Bestill on the Trail–you'll know exactly why!! Ken is such a positive person, carrying and expressing his faith all the way to Katahdin, meeting people along the way who were happy to pray with him. You can check out Bestill on the Trail at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU6UNNbl5GM2KoTeOU-nhAQ. Our Mighty Blue Class of 2022 members this week are Kera, Ry...
Episode #315 - J. Robert Harris (JR)
March 24, 2022 07:00 - 55 minutes - 51.3 MBWe have a wonderful story on the show today. J Robert Harris grew up in New York during the 1960s. His folks realized that the New York streets were no place for a young black man. JR was sent to the Catskills to join the Boy Scouts. The lessons he learned, and the things he saw gave him a new purpose in life to pursue knowledge and peace in the outdoors. Following a caribou migration, or turning up at an Inuit settlement, JR's natural curiosity has led him to many of the paths less travell...
Episode #314 - Bonita Curtner (Mother Goose)
March 17, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBI was introduced to Bonita Curtner, otherwise known as Mother Goose, by a listener. Bonita is something of an overachiever when it comes to racking up hiking miles. She is closing in on 50,000 miles. She also says the last 2,000 have been the toughest! We had a few tech difficulties getting recorded, but the story was worth the effort. Bonita didn't share any links or social media, but she shared her knowledge and wisdom, both of which are far more important. We also caught up with Chuck o...
Episode #313 - Hope Westall (Everest)
March 10, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBHope Westall is today's guest. Hope is the owner of Alt Route Meals, yet it is her hiking and her traveling that made me want to interview her on the show. But the meals are now a part of Hope's life, with a desire to mix her adventures with nutritionous, plant-based food that allows her to hike stronger and healthier. She has done the AT and PCT, several trails in Australia and New Zealand, as well as a summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Her hunger for these adventures pushed her into developing...
Episode #312 - Shepard Smith (Soundscape)
March 03, 2022 08:00 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBShep Smith, or Soundscape, had a particular mission when he was on the Appalachian Trail. As a former oceanographer, Shep chose to map the sounds of the trail. He shares a few insights today, along with stories from his hike. If this fascinating subject gets you as much as it did me, you can check out the interactive map that Shep refers to in our conversation. It is at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8839ac254aa2473a9f2d2947d48ce799 Also today, I caught up with Chuck Hays, now in th...
Episode #311 - Lee Brackman (General Lee)
February 24, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBI have a wonderful reunion this week, with Lee Brackman, General Lee, from my Class of 2019. Lee and I ran into each other in Virginia and hiked around each other for a few days. Despite that brief time, we felt like firm friends, our nearly 50 year age difference notwithstanding. It was great to catch up. Lee is a pretty remarkable young man, having packed an awful lot of stuff into his 24 years, including both his long hikes, mission work in a Cholera Hospital, and Cancer Research at Vand...
Episode #310 - Kelly Hays (9 Lives)
February 17, 2022 08:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBThis week, another intrepid young woman shares her story with us. Kelly Hays, who has developed quite a following on YouTube, hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2021, yet hers was no ordinary hike. Emergency surgery for most people would take them off the trail for more than just a few weeks, yet Kelly was so desperate to get back with her trail family that she returned just three weeks after the surgery. Hear how she coped with this setback and how she experienced the trail in all its glory. ...
Episode #309 - Grant Breidenbach (Detour)
February 10, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBGrant Breidenbach is our guest this week. Grant hiked the John Muir Trail in 2021, his longest backpacking trip to date. But, as you'll hear, his preparation and knowledge base is impressive from many perspectives. He is a consummate planner who considers the many factors that go into completing a long-distance hike. He also has some insights into the weather patterns in the Sierras that culminated in a huge storm on his second day. His telling of that story is riveting. Finally, Grant mak...
Episode #308 - Will Henry (Teaberry)
February 03, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 66.3 MBThis week, we have four guests on the show, with Will Henry leading the way. Will tells us about his 1994 Appalachian Trail thru-hike. He also talks about meeting Bill Irwin, the blind hiker who hiked a few years before Will with his dog, Orient. Bill not only befriended Will, but he also changed the course of Will's life and career path. It's truly amazing when you consider the reach of the Appalachian Trail and the people who walk along it. You can check out the work that Will does with g...
Episode #307 - Annmarie Noonan (Vista Seeker)
January 27, 2022 08:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBMy guest today is Annmarie Noonan. Annmarie wrote to me recently to tell me about her passion for hiking the Appalachian Trail. Indeed, it was the words from her journal and her story of her own four-year section hike of the trail that convinced me she'd be an excellent guest. When we spoke, the enthusiasm was infectious and I think you'll enjoy our conversation. Also this week, one of the last members of our Class of 2022. I intended to get Dave Burge in December but, as these things go,...
Episode #306 - Steve Barbour (Trail Dust)
January 20, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBSteve Barbour is the Executive Director of the Sheltowee Trace Association, and our guest this week. Steve hiked the Appalachian Trail in the mid-2000s, and has nearly completed a second section thru-hike with just New Hampshire and Maine to go. But it is his work with the STA that especially interested me. We had an informative and fun conversation about this 340 plus-mile trail, as well as an explanation of an innovative way to promote the trail and introduce the novice hiker to it. If y...
Episode #305 - Garrett Tandy (Jive Turkey)
January 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBGarrett Tandy is this week's guest, a 2021 flip flopper who finished at Delaware Water Gap in October 2021. He has fresh memories that he shares in a wide-ranging conversation. Garrett is in his late 30s, which is a rarer demographic on the trail, and he did what he needed to do to hike the AT, making necessary changes and arrangements to fulfill his dream. You can find out more about Garrett on his Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/jive_turkey_hikes/, where he has some pretty co...
Episode #304 - Michael Dunford (Honeybun)
January 06, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBMy guests normally get on the show through listener suggestions, but this week, I found Michael Dunford on Facebook. He received a remarkable letter from a grateful father, and it was Mike's reaction to that letter that made me want to reach out to him and invite him on the show. Our initial conversation, which I always try to do prior to recording, was illuminating in so many ways. Mike's path hasn't always been smooth, and he shares a visceral tale of dark days before he ...
Episode #303 - Sarah Robison (Serendipity)
December 30, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBOur guest today is Sarah Robison. As you'll hear, she is very reflective about the hike and how it came about, articulating clearly some of her thought processes along the way. Sarah has changed her life to suit the "new" person who came back from the trail. She is a Nurse Anesthetist, specializing in neurosurgery, and resigned from this position to hike the trail. The adventure had such an impact upon her that she has modified her lifestyle to accommodate less stress and allow more freedom...
Episode #302 - Kyle Stranagan (Huck Finn)
December 23, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBWe have another of the newly minted Class of 2021 thru-hikers today. Kyle Stranagan, or Huck Finn, was just as inexperienced as I was when he started his own AT thru-hike last year. Yet, a combination of grit, luck, and determination saw him at the top of the brown sign at Katahdin just a couple of months ago. Kyle is clearly still processing what happened to him and he shares what he's discovered so far. You can see Kyle's hike unfold on his YouTube channel, as he is now uploading his vid...
Episode #301 - Reta Walton (Fire Goddess)
December 16, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 70.4 MBA few weeks ago, one of our recent guests, Shannon Shaver, connected me to today's guest, Reta Walton. Reta has wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail since she was 13, but, as often happens, life got in the way. This year, now retired, Reta took on her dream. She is an avid hiker, and the AT was everything she'd hoped it would be, even though she caught hypothermia on the way! Her passion and emotions come through vividly in this conversation, and I'm sure you'll find her inspiring. You can...
Episode #300 - Life Lessons From the Trail
December 09, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 83 MBThis week is our 300th episode, and we're doing something a little different, including minimal show notes!! Every guest we've had in the past has shared their impressions, their stories, and the lessons they've learned. For this special show, I've put together nine short conversations with people who've been on the show or who I've hiked with. I was asking for just one lesson they've picked up from the trail. Their different takes were illuminating. The conversations are with Tee Bird a...
Episode #299 - Shannon Finn (Joy)
December 02, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBShannon Finn became Joy this year. I followed her on Facebook and appreciated her visceral writing, where she rarely held back if she had something to say, which was often! We've often remarked at the life-changing nature of a long-distance hike, and Joy has experienced this change in compelling ways. Not only did she lose weight through her hiking, she also found out who she was meant to be. Her story is inspiring. You can follow Joy on Facebook and Instagram at https://www.facebook.com/...
Episode #298 - Gail Muller (Hot Mess Express)
November 25, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 71.7 MBThis week's guest, Gail Muller, is another of those unlikely adventurers, whose story is a breathless tale of triumph against a debilitating illness and chronic pain. Gail reveled in the "normal" cuts, scrapes, bumps, and bruises of the Appalachian Trail, precisely because they weren't the chronic pain she'd been experiencing for 15 years. Returning home and basically housebound because of Covid, Gail wrote an inspiring tale about her journey to and on the trail. It is a love letter to the...
Episode #297 - Tom Sherry (Stellar)
November 18, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 74.1 MBTom Sherry has been on a bit of a tear regarding long-distance hiking over the past few years. His hiking bio is growing quickly, and I took the opportunity to catch up with him after he breezed through the Appalachian Trail this year in 99 days. He even had time to attempt a revival of a meme within his family. The "Phoon" is a pose he used in all the best places!! Tom has some great advice to share with others, particularly with those planning their 2022 thru-hikes. He talks about gear, ...
Episode #296 - Lisa P Parker (Tex)
November 11, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBThis week's guest is another of those intrepid female hikers who follow their passion and find out what the world has in store for them. Lisa Parker has had a varied career, from teaching to the New York fashion scene before finally finding her own passion. She had started the Appalachian Trail in 2020 but got off the trail after more than 300 miles because of the Covid outbreak. She wanted the "full experience" and went back to Amicolola Falls to start from the beginning in 2021. If you'd...
Episode #295 - Rebecca Brackbill (Savage)
November 04, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBWhen I went out to hike the AT in 2014, I met a breed of woman I'd hardly known existed. These were strong-willed, fiercely independent young women, many of who were vastly more impressive than a lot of the men I met out there. It has been a theme of the trail for this past decade. Women are hitting the AT, and other trails, with little or no backpacking experience and proving to be more than equal to the task. Rebecca Brackbill turned out to be one of those women this year. She turned up i...
Episode #294 - Sarah J. Ellison (Sheepdog)
October 28, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 77.9 MBWe have another section hiker on the show this week. I recently saw Sarah Ellison's awesome summit picture at the top of Katahdin, joyously capturing the end of a 16-year odyssey that started when, as a cop, she spoke to a young man camped behind a store in Roan Mountain. The whole concept of being a "thru-hiker" was alien to Sarah, yet the thought of hiking this trail never left her, and she made progress year after year. Along the way, she was able to cope with the grief of losing her mo...
Episode #293 - Emanuel & Karen Bravo (Ema el Astronauta & Hungry Marmot)
October 21, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBOur shows come together each week with a kind of serendipitous whimsey. This week's guests, Emanuel and Karen Bravo, wrote to me to share how they had prepared for the Sierras and eventual climbing of Mt Whitney. Emanuel wanted to encourage me to go again and told me exactly how he did it and suggested I could be successful if I adopted his approach. I was intrigued, and invited both Emanuel and Karen on the show to share their story. As you'll hear, they are an adventurous couple, with Em...
Episode #292 - Lord Thomas Bouissaguet (Lord Tom)
October 14, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBYou're going to love the story that today's guest is going to tell you. Lord Thomas Bouissaguet is part of a group of French visionaries whose ambition is to bring to reality nothing less than a French Appalachian Trail, now named Hexatrek. I first heard of this on Dixie's Facebook page and reached out to Lord Tom, who had his own, somewhat tenuous link to the Appalachian Trail. He'd tried to get here from Belgium in 2020, but was thwarted by Covid. Luckily, for Hexatrek, he went elsewhere ...
Episode #291 -Shannon Shaver (Feather Blue)
October 07, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBI recently saw a bunch of hikers finish under a banner headline of "Warrior Expeditions," and I was drawn to a black and white summit picture of today's guest, Shannon Shaver. Shannon's hiking really started after she saw Martin Sheen in The Way, that terrific little movie that tells about a pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago, in Spain. That lead to her own pilgrimage and an early attempt on the Appalachian Trail that was ended by Covid in 2020. But Shannon is nothing if not tenacious, st...
Episode #291 - Shannon Shaver (Feather Blue)
October 07, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBI recently saw a bunch of hikers finish under a banner headline of "Warrior Expeditions," and I was drawn to a black and white summit picture of today's guest, Shannon Shaver. Shannon's hiking really started after she saw Martin Sheen in The Way, that terrific little movie that tells about a pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago, in Spain. That lead to her own pilgrimage and an early attempt on the Appalachian Trail that was ended by Covid in 2020. But Shannon is nothing if not tenacious, st...
Episode #290 - Deb Taylor and Danny Mooney (Sundial and FIIK)
September 30, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBWe have a husband and wife section-hiking team on the show today. Deb Taylor and Danny Mooney have done Iron Man races, Triathlons, and Marathons for years, yet Covid cemented and grew a new love–backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. Deb and Danny share their insights and reflect upon the correlations they have found between hiking the trail and those other disciplines. You should also check out their AT journeys at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8hBpjbcE1Gil9GwPEb8s1Q/videos where, amo...
Episode #289 - Chris Casado (The Commissioner)
September 23, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBChris Casado was lucky enough to be taken on a hiking trip in the Sierras at the age of 14 by a teacher who became a good friend. Fast forward 25 or so years, and Chris and his teacher are offering the same trip–and other trips–to people of all different hiking abilities. Even Chris's children have shared the adventure. Given my love/hate relationship with the John Muir Trail (I love it, it hates me), talking with Chris opened my eyes to a possibility that I may still get to Mt Whitney one ...
Episode #288 - Christian Foster (Bear)
September 16, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBWe rarely feature A.T. Southbounders on the show, but this week's guest is halfway through his SOBO hike of the Appalachian Trail. Christian Foster, or Bear, is an insightful young man, gaining much from his hike. We discuss not only the journey but also the impact of the trail upon his general well-being. Christian also introduces the perfect articulation of what it is we need on a long-distance hike. I'd never heard the words "cognitive flexibility" in conjunction with one another before,...
Episode #287 - Person Irresponsible (P.I.)
September 09, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBFor the Mighty Blue show, it's a bit of a first today. Our guest is Person Irresponsible, or PI, and she is as unlikely a hiker as you've ever met. Yet, with grit and determination–and the fact that she had nowhere else to go–PI managed to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail in Covid Year. It was lonely; she was inexperienced, and she shares how she used a program designed for something else to navigate her hike. It's a fascinating story. If you'd like to follow more of PI's adventure, and i...
Episode #286 - Eric Patterson (Wild)
September 02, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBIn the show this week, we have one of those guys who has wanted to do the Appalachian Trail for pretty much his entire life. That kinship with the trail and the forest began when he got lost on a scout trip at the age of ten. Eric Patterson harbored the feeling of peace and comfort throughout his life and finally got to achieve his dream in 2020. He tells his story and the impact it has had on him. You can follow Eric on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/WILDONTHETRAIL/videos and on I...
Episode #285 - Daniel Winsor (Beta)
August 26, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 69 MBToday's guest, Daniel Winsor, will make you wonder for his sanity, then marvel at his tenacity. He decided that a hike through the Sierras in snow would be a challenge not to be missed, so set himself up for precisely that–in a heavy snow year. Daniel shares his somewhat shaky preparations with us, then chronicles his journey, making it through about 400 miles of snowy trail. He wrote a book–named "Crunch"–about his experience and you can check it out at https://amzn.to/2V4l2E3 You can a...
Episode #284 - Josh, Cassie & Harvey Sutton (Hot Hands, Straps, and Little Man)
August 19, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 79.5 MBAnother stellar story for you all this week. Josh and Cassie Sutton started a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail back in the middle of January 2021. Apart from the early start, that wouldn't have been especially noteworthy–other than that they hiked with their four-year-old son, Harvey, or Little Man! What happened over the next seven months is a story of determination, patience, games, and a little bit of arm-twisting to get permission for Harvey to climb Katahdin–which he did last Monday,...
Episode #283 - Jesse Cody (The Boston Mule)
August 12, 2021 07:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBJesse Cody had never hiked until he read Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods." Something within the book spoke to him, and he saw a thru-hike as a way forward from some of his mental health issues. The result was a revelation, and Jesse devoted his days to helping others with some of the same issues. We spoke last week with Randi Silverman of the Youth Mental Health Project and Jesse is supporting that charity by raising money on the PCT. Jesse's website, https://hikethegoodhike.com/, ...
Episode #282 - Randi Silverman (Founder of the Youth Mental Health Project)
August 05, 2021 07:00 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBThis week's guest is Randi Silverman, the founder of the youth Mental Health Project. I think I can do no better than to replicate the notes that Randi sent me when I asked her about the information and Jesse Cody's hike. The Youth Mental Health Project The Youth Mental Health Project is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization that seeks to educate, empower, and support families and communities to better understand and care for the mental health of our youth. We believe that: • Mental hea...
Episode #281 - Richie Holbrook (Walks With Donor)
July 29, 2021 07:00 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBAbout ten years ago, you would never have guessed that Richie Holbrook would be taking on the Appalachian Trail. He was in a wheelchair, on oxygen, and with a hopeless pair of lungs. A transplant turned out to be his life-saver. This year, he was able to get on the trail and begin his journey to Katahdin. His remarkable story is a testimony to not only grit and determination, but also the unwitting gesture of an anonymous person who chose to be an organ donor. Richie's journey is a legacy f...
Episode #280 - Vince and Monica Strawbridge (Strawbridge Treks)
July 22, 2021 07:00 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MBToday is the first of four shorter shows, with just one main interview and a few words of commentary from me. With a bit of luck, I'll be out on the John Muir Trail as you're listening to me and my guests. Our guests today are Vince and Monica Strawbridge who, along with their four children and a friend, have recently completed the Appalachian Trail. For the Strawbridges, it was the culmination of their family Triple Crown. This remarkable feat was achieved over a few years as the family r...