Hiker Sessions

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of HikerSessions. Thank you for tuning in to the podcast. I believe you will find today's show particularly engaging.

In this episode, we are joined by Don Bolduc, or as he isknown in the FarOut app, “Ranger Don”. Don is a seasoned law enforcement officer from Maine who served the public in various roles for 33 years such as Chief of Police, County Sheriff, patrol officer, dispatche...

In this episode of Hiker Sessions I was very excited and honored to be joined by Janice Clain, the newly elected President of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC). If I had to describe Janice in just a few words, I would say "she gets involved!" Janice grew up in Milo, Maine, about 30 miles from the 100 Mile Wilderness section of the Appalachian Trail. She holds degrees in world languages (she speaks French, Spanish an...

In this episode, I was accompanied by Dana Thurston. Dana began volunteering with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club in 1988. During his time volunteering on the AT, he encountered numerous inspiring stories from the many thru hikers he met along the trail. Reaching a pivotal moment in his life, Dana decided to embark on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1991, adopting the Trail name “Stryder” as part of a group that were fans ...

I first met Bait-A-Bear, or Bear as we would come to call him, at the one room school house trail magic in southern Virginia.I would go on to see him and his tramily of Busted, Huckleberry, and dog Wyatt many other times on my 2024 AT NOBO thru-hike.It always put a smile on my face when I would meet up with Bear, he always seemed so positive, carefree and cheerful. We had many great times along the way and created memories for me t...

Alpine was yet another great acquaintance I was fortunate to make on my 2024 AT NOBO thru-hike. While I didn't hike with him for long, he was way to fast for me, I truly enjoyed his conversation and company. One of my most memorable mornings on the trail was when he and I, along with a few others, tented near Chestnut Knob Shelter (NOBO mile 570.1) just south of Burke's Garden Hostel. We awoke to this amazing sunlit fog tha...

In this episode we were joined by Bruce Matson, or “RTK” as he is known on the trail. Bruce is an avid hiker with very positive energy and passion for anything he sets out to accomplish. Whether it’s running marathons, writing books, building a successful law practice, or finishing his 2018 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, Bruce has a competitive spirit that has served him well throughout his life.We sit down to discuss his memo...

"Quixote", or "Professor Milkshake" as he came to be called, was another one of my favorite people I met on the trail. I also know without a doubt he is another person that I will continue to communicate with the rest of my life. Forging relationships with people such as him is the part of the trail that I don't think many people give much thought about when they are planning for such a journey.In our sit down we discuss trying to ...

On this episode I was honored to be joined by Sean Gobin. Sean is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served 12 years as an Infantry Rifleman and Armor Officer. After returning home from 3 combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Sean thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2012. In 2013, Sean founded Warrior Expeditions and now serves as its Executive Director. Sean earned a Bachelor of Science inFinancial Management from the ...

Pilgrim was probably the nicest person that I encountered on my 2024 AT NOBO thru-hike. He is one of those people that would give you his last ounce of water if you needed it, or the last snack in his backpack if he knew it would get you the miles that you needed to hike.I was fortunate to hike with Pilgrim through almost the entire state of Virginia and then met up with him again for a food drop in the 100 Mile Wilderness and hike...

In this episode I was joined by a special guest who I met inport Clinton, Pennsylvania right out in front of the town Post Office. She was dropping off another hiker and I asked her if she could shuttle me to the next town over Hamburg, PA, which was about 2 miles away. I had been craving Chinesefood, so she recommended the JA Buffet. It ended up being one of the best Chinese buffet restaurants I’ve ever eaten at, and I sat there a...

Kimberly and Jarrod Hester, known on the trail as Hippie Chick and Poet, are the current owners of Shaw's Hiker Hostel in Monson, Maine, which is located about 2 miles from the Appalachian Trail. Together they thru-hiked the AT from Georgia to Maine in 2008. After working as schoolteachers for a few years they decided to change their lifestyle for the betterment of their family and purchased Shaw’s in 2015.Shaw’s Hiker Hostel has b...

Busted is another one of my favorite people I met on the trail. Not only was I proud of him for finishing the trail, but also gave him mad props for completing the half gallon ice cream challenge for breakfast, and then crushing miles the rest of the day!In our interview we discussed the sadness he felt after summiting, what advice he would give to aspiring thru-hikers, how he got interested in hiking the entire AT, his worst hikin...

Approximately a year before commencing my northbound Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike, my brother-in-law introduced me to the “Mighty Blue” podcast. Instantly captivated, I was drawn to Steve Adams' genuine enthusiasm and passion for the Appalachian Trail and its community. Since then, I have been a dedicated listener and fan, with the honor of being featured on his podcast multiple times.

Steve Adams, also known as Mighty Blue, is ...

Dixon and her husband "Econoline", whose interview you can watch here: https://youtu.be/mfjD8Fwvy3Y completed the second leg of their Triple Crown goal when they summited Katahdin on September 8, 2024.In this interview we discuss her thoughts on an attempt to complete the Triple Crown achievement with a #thruhike of the CDT in 2026, what surprised her on their AT hike, and the origin of her trail name and the long history behind it...

In this episode I sit down with Huckleberry, a twice wounded in combat Marine who did 3 tours of duty in Iraq, worked in the oil fields of Texas, and hunted down poachers in Africa before deciding to attempt a #thruhike of the #appalachiantrail.We discuss what prompted him to hike the Appalachian Trail, the challenges of hiking with a dog, the strong relationships he forged while on the AT, and his plans to soft open a hiker hostel...

I nicknamed Econoline, or Steve as most of us called him on the trail, the Most Interesting Man in the World. He and his wife Olivia have traveled all over the world on many exciting adventures, and completed their NOBO #appalachiantrail thru-hike on September 8, 2024. They have now completed two-thirds of the coveted "Triple Crown" of long distance hiking, and are hoping to complete it with a 2026 thru-hike attempt of the #contine...