Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis

Aron Goss did his thru-hike this year. It was about as perfect as a hike could be, with his family supporting him every step of the way, and climbing Katahdin with him at the end. On the way, he engaged with his fellow hikers, gaining an appreciation of the community and enjoying his interactions with younger hikers he met. You can follow his progress on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube....

We have Ed Riggs on the show today. Ed hiked the AT in 2013 and had to face some severe health issues on the way. In fact, he had to leave the trail and come back the following year to get it completed. He also faced the dilemma many of us encounter while we're out there; keeping the family comfortable with what we're doing, without scaring the living daylights out of them! Ed is inspirational and...

We have a returning guest this week. Chris Casado was the guy who was able to help me overcome the difficulties I was having with altitude out West, by getting me, in a guided hike, to the top of Mt Whitney. It remains one of my proudest moments. I wanted to catch up with Chris to get his perspective of our hike and the many others he's involved with. He's an interesting character who gives a lot...

Drexel Swanson, or Prepper, is our guest today. Drexel was a member of the Class of 23, and his story is an epic tale of resilience and a refusal to take no for an answer. What happened to him was, at times, truly stressful–even life endangering–yet he pushed on through with a grim determination. I've seen pictures of the damage to his foot that he talks about in the show and, trust me with this,...

We have a newly minted Appalachian Trail thru-hiker as our main guest on the show today. Laura Howe, or Moonpants, took on the trail with gusto. Near the end, she had a terrifying river crossing that eventually necessitated an SOS call. She made it, but had an up-close look at how things can go quickly wrong. Her can-do attitude shines through our conversation and, despite her untimely premature e...

Lee Lovelace and I met at Trail Days this year in the author's tent. My books are about my AT thru-hike, while Lee's book, Sawyer's Run, is a novel about the AT. We both share an abiding passion for the trail and I wanted Lee to come on the show to tell his story of resilience. Much of his novel is based upon real events, while plenty is made up; you decide what to believe!! Most importantly, when...

Suzanne Roberts is our guest today. She shares a thoughtful, female perspective on long-distance hiking, using her 1993 JMT hike as a backdrop. The concept of a different experience from men to women had never occurred to me, but I was intrigued to hear her story. She is releasing an Anniversary edition of her book about her JMT hike, and you can find it in the links she sent me below. Almost Some...

In our last episode before the 9/11 Anniversary, Earl "Chico" Porter shares his inspirational story, and mission, to help veterans contemplating suicide. Part of this was to take on a winter SOBO hike of the Appalachian Trail, starting on the 20th Anniversary in 2021. You'll hear how Earl fared, as well as his deeper message, which will resonate with most of us. Earl has supplied me with several l...

Steve Cole joins us on the show today. He was a guest on the podcast about two years ago, telling us about his first big hike; Le Tour du Mont Blanc. Since then, he's hardly stopped hiking. Today, we talk about his Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2021, as well as some of his other adventures. Steve shared his Facebook details, where he posted most of his thru-hike pictures. You can find it at https...

This week, we hear from one of the leaders of the Summit Project and the mother from a Gold Star Family about what the project means to them. This remarkable effort honors the fallen from Maine in an outdoor setting that is truly inspirational. If you'd like to learn more about the project, and maybe even sign up for one of their events, check out the links below. https://thesummitproject.org http...

Kathie Brennan is our guest today. She is President of the Ozark Trail Association, putting in hours of trail maintenance not only on her beloved trail, but also on the Appalachian Trail. She provides us with a sharp insight into trail work, with modern practices and even talks about leaf blowing for instant gratification! Find out more about the Ozark Trail at their website http://ozarktrail.com...

Steve Vilsack joins us on the show today. He refuses to see limitations that would prevent many others from even attempting the Appalachian Trail. He is legally blind, he fell too many times to count, and he got to the end by sheer strength of character. His story is an affirmation of the human spirit that will inspire many of us to not look at what we can't do, rather what we can do. You can foll...

One of our listeners introduced me to Adrienne Washney, who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2022. She incorporated her shakedown hikes into the thru-hike, by taking the first few weeks in weekend hikes and gradually adjusting or refining her set up. When she was ready to go it alone, she'd sorted out the kinks. Adrienne had quite the adventure, even leaving the trail with about 80 miles to go...

Some of the most recognizable hikers from the Class of 2019, The Wander Women, join us today. At least, two of them do. Kristy Burns and Annette Dumbell are two women in search of adventure, using their retirement time to travel, hike, bike, and canoe. They share their stories with Steve as they reminisce their adventurous life. These are two women who are clear-eyed and intentional about choosing...

Our guest today, Dan Nobles, was a Colonel in the Army, working out of the Pentagon, when he quit and went to Seminary School. I think I've rarely heard of such a drastic change of scenery. Vowing never to hike again after he left the military, his brother coaxed him back into it and he found the solace on the trail that he needed. Dan has some fascinating takes on many topics in this interview an...

On today's show, we have Nancy East, a retired veterinarian who is also an avid and accomplished hiker. Nancy is the perfect person to talk about dogs on the trail from a vet's perspective. As somebody who know's literally zero on the subject, I turned to my good buddy, ChaptGPT, to help me out with my questions that seemed to cover the subject pretty well. You can find more about Nancy's rich hik...

Today, we hear from a man who really loves the AT. Kevin Kinne and I have been communicating since 2017, and he maintains part of the AT near Great Barrington. He also provides trail magic for hikers, forming firm friendships along the way. One such meeting resulted in a thru-hike of the JMT with the Suttons and their son, Harvey. You can follow along with their journey at Kevin's YouTube channel,...

We're back to our usual format this week, with our main guest, three catch up interviews with our Mighty Blue Class of 2023 and the next chapter of George Steffanos's "Then the Hail Came." I met Samantha Sharkey at Trail Days this year and invited her to come on the show. She shares a deeply personal story and truly had a life-altering hike. That is an often hyperbolic statement, though not in Sam...

This is an unusual show for us. Our guest, Jillian Hitt, who attempted a thru-hike in 2018, isn't on the show, though three important people in her life are on to share her story. Centrally, we hear from Jillian's mother throughout the show, with contributions from her best friend Jessica Berringer and one of her hiking partners, Thomas Steiner, or Scatter. This is all intended to celebrate Jillia...

This week is all about the members of the Mighty Blue Class of 2023. We've never had the opportunity to track them down all at the same time, so I thought this week, in the middle of June, would be as good a time as any to take stock. We hear the latest disappointments, as well as the wonderful moments that they have all experienced. In editing this, I was made more aware than ever of the fickle n...

Our 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 htt...

Mark 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...

We 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...

Kelly 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, o...

We 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 bo...