Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
This show is about what it was like to hike the AT in 2014 as a fat 61-year-old with zero hiking experience. Guests join me to share their stories and insights all the way from Georgia to Maine. At the end of each episode is a chapter from the latest hiking book that I'm reading.
Episodes
David Lowe, or El Flaco, is our guest today. I saw a post on Facebook, with David at the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail after his FOURTH successful completion. Along with those four, he’s completed the Triple Crown by doing the PCT and CDT as well.
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We have such an interesting guest this week. Guinevere Drabik, or Lucky. She thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2023 and found a community that she had been looking for.
Anna McKinney Smith, a 2021 thru-hiker, is our guest today. Anna found her people out on trail and, more significantly, she also found her person, who became her husband.
Melanie Wood is our guest this week. She hiked SOBO last year, running into the devastation of Helene with about 700 miles to go, having to prematurely end her hike. She is still recognized as a thru-hiker because, quite rightly, she hiked the trail that was available.
We have a German hiker on the podcast this week. Annika Ananias recently flew into the US to hike the Arizona Trail with her American boyfriend, when she was pulled out of line, harshly interrogated, deported, and banned from re-entering the country for five years. This, despite having a ten-year visa. She has a compelling story.
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This week, we meet Bill Zyckowski, or Big Willy Dawg. Bill is a retired police officer who truly needed a walk in the woods to bring some meaning to his life.
As you...
Nicole Markovich joins us on the podcast to tell us about her 2022 AT thru-hike, the drastic changes to her life that ensued, and the ultimate formation of a business that encompassed both her teaching and backpacking experience.
Nick Panetta is our guest this week. He is an avid section hiker on the Appalachian Trail, and a stickler for detail. He attempted a southbound thru-hike back in 2012, was woefully ill-prepared, and only made it part of the way through the 100 Mile Wilderness.
I saw a great Facebook post on one of the Appalachian Trail pages recently. Shelley Harris (Hopscotch) wrote her reflections after her thru-hike, offering common sense solutions to those contemplating such an adventure.
JC Van Etten, or Catmando returns to the show. We first met him on the Appalachian Trail a few years ago, I seem to have missed him on the PCT, but caught up with him again after his Continental Divide Trail thru-hike last year to complete his Triple Crown.
We meet David Alan Lane, aka Squarepeg, today. David has been sharing his trail experience extensively over the past few years on Facebook. He helps with all sorts of advice, including gear and what to eat out on trail. It’s a cherished resource for hikers.
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We have Tina Tempest on the show today. Tina, or Chunky, completed a SOBO thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2009. The trail had such an impact upon her life, that she and her husband, Brett, ultimately opened the Quarter Way Inn, a hostel near Marion, Virginia. Tina’s breakfast at the hostel is the stuff of legend!
Our main guest today is Nick Thatcher, who I found when he posted an epic Katahdin summit picture on Facebook. I hoped there would be more to his story than a December summit, so I reached out to him. He shared a story of determination and drive, culminating in that epic picture on the top of Katahdin.
Dr Lydia Kuhn joins us this week to talk about both her Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2020, and her CDT thru-hike last year, proving herself to be a “true badass.”
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David Kibiloski is our guest today. What starts as a story about his Appalachian Trail thru-hike, tracks his evolution into an AT hostel owner, then a 501(c)(3) with AT Kids, followed by Stumble Inn 2.0. It is a fascinating journey.
Today, we welcome back a friend of the show, a fellow Brit, Al Marriott. Al has already been on for his AT and PCT adventures, but last year he went and completed the CDT to complete his Triple Crown.
We have a fellow hiking podcaster on the show today. Collyn Nielsen, known as Doc to his listeners, is the host of Hiker Trash Radio. The show was originally the John Freakin' Muir Podcast, but Doc extended its remit by re-branding to reach a wider audience, speaking to climbers, kayakers and others who spend their time in the outdoors.
Wyly O’Brien, or Calamity Jane, is our guest today. Wyly attempted her thru-hike in 2007, researched the trail and her gear to give herself the best chance ot completing the hike, and began with a self-confidence that was ultimately shattered when she quit the trail after more than 1600 miles.
Today, we meet the two members of the Mighty Blue Class of 2025, with Beth Bakke Stenehjem and Dave Santi under the spotlight.
Beth is my friend, having hiked twice with her, enjoying her sunny smile and encouraging manner. She’s heading out there at the end of March, with her stepson, Andrew. The two of them will make a terrific couple as they plough their way north. I’m looking forward to hearing their j...
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