Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
An 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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This week, we have a little change of pace. I attended the Woods Hole weekend last week as a presenter, and I came away with friendships, more knowledge, and a decent amount of humble pie as I savored the experience. My Dana came with me and experienced a little of what I experience on trail. She hiked into our campsit
Glenn Sweitzer, designer and filmmaker, is our guest today. Glenn’s fascinating back story takes in working with Disney, designing artwork for Tim McGraw and others, then telling stories through film, before ending up on the Appalachian Trail, discovering and sharing stories along the way. Glenn is a natural raconteur
Sandra Katerina Schmelzer Alvarez, or Peaches, completed her Appalachian Trail thru-hike last month. She is a single mother who managed her autistic son’s reaction to her hike by preparing him for a year before she left. The hike allowed her to see herself as not just a mother, embracing the hiking community and return
Roxanne Strine completed her Appalachian Trail thru-hike just a few weeks ago, at the sprightly young age of 70. She proved her mettle after her original plans fell through at the last minute, deciding to modify those plans and just go for it. On the way, Roxanne discovered an inner strength that she always knew was th
Darrell Eck, or Old Stag, is this week’s main guest. Darrell retired as a teacher in 2022 and fulfilled his dream of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. He had kept a picture of the AT behind him in his classroom, so the completion must have been sweet indeed. On the way, Darrell helped rescue a woman lost on trail lead
Mike Wetherhold, who was in the running to be part of the Mighty Blue Class of 2025, is our guest today. Mike went ahead and started the Appalachian Trail at the end of February, and finished mid-July. As you’ll hear, he is a resilient kind of guy. Mike also had a serious purpose to his hike, raising a considerable sum