Shows / Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
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.
Episodes
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #471 - Tina Tempest (Chunky)
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #470 - Nick Thatcher (Hotfoot)
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #469 - Dr Lydia Kuhn (Tetris)
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #468 - David Kibiloski (Texas)
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #467 - Al Marriott (Lookout) Triple Crowner
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #466 - Collyn Nielsen (Doc) Hiker Trash Radio
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #465 - Wyly O'Brien (Calamity Jane)
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #464 - Beth Bakke Stenehjem and Dave Santi (Mighty Blue Class of 2025)
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…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #463 - Daniel Shaw (Team Whimsy)
Daniel Shaw, of Team Whimsy, give us his view of some of the Hurricane Helene clean up and recovery, meeting people where they are, on their worst day ever…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #462 - Jessica and Largo Sueiro (Sunshine and Captain)
We've got a couple of free spirits on the show today, who happen to be mother and son. Jessica and Largo Sueiro, went on a big adventure this year; taking on…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #461 - John Turner (Raven)
John Turner is an avid listener to our HRN podcasts and is a board member of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club–and a trail ambassador. John completed a…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #460 - Dave Fleischman (J.I.F.)
This week, we welcome back Dave Fleischman, a trail maintainer and a newly minted Triple Crowner. Dave already had the PCT and the AT under his belt, after…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #459 - Katie Westling (Phoenix)
We've got a bit of a change of pace this week, with previous AT thru-hiker, Katie Westling, sharing her past year of adventures, with hikes in France, Ireland…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #458 - Frank Mularcik (Snowman)
Frank Mularcik, who recently completed a 100-day SOBO thru-hike, is our guest today. Frank reached out to me a few weeks before he finished, then followed up…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #457 - George Eshleman (Keeper)
It's a slightly shorter show than usual this week, but it is about as powerful as any of my interviews have ever been. Our guest is George Eshleman, or Keeper…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #456 - Hunter and John Rud (Hunter & JR)
Another former guest returns to the show today, this time with his hiking partner, and Dad. Hunter and John Rud completed the CDT this year. For Hunter, it was…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #455 - Don Robinson - 900 Miler Award
We're going to talk about the Great Smoky Mountains today, with Don Robinson sharing his love of the park, and his recent induction into the 900 Miler Club…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #454 - Rob & Gavin Duncan (Waffle and Hawkeye)
We have a couple of returning guests today. Rob and Gavin Duncan attempted a thru-hike in 2019 and were forced off the trail due to injury. It was a bitter…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #453 - Paula Martin (Windeagle)
We have a very different show this week, with Paula Martin, or Windeagle, sharing her dramatic survival from a bad accident that may well have killed her…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #452 - John Pearson (Magellan)
We have another recent Appalachian Trail successful thru-hiker as our guest today. For many, the AT is a years-long dream, but for John Pearson, or Magellan…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #451 - Kim Shoop (Gator)
We have a really accomplished young woman on the podcast today, with Kim Shoop, or Gator, sharing her story about section hiking the entire Triple Crown in…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #450 - Larry Ripari (Bird)
Larry Ripari, fresh from his recent completion of not only an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, but also the hiking Triple Crown, shares his story with us this…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #449 - Mighty Blue Class of 2024
We're catching up with all five members of our Mighty Blue Class of 2014 this week, so each of them will update us on where they are and their coming plans…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #448 - Sarah Zettler (Cricket)
Sarah Zettler is our guest today. Sarah is a teacher, and has had to fit her six-year section hike of the Appalachian Trail into her summer vacation as a…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #447 - Georgetta Frederick (Trail Mama)
Georgetta Frederick finished her Appalachian Trail thru-hike just a few weeks ago, at the beginning of August. You can hear that she still has the joy of the…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #446 - Dr Daniel Warren on Lyme Disease
Dr Daniel Warren is our guest this week, with a subject very close to the heart of a hiker; Lyme Disease. I try my best to pick his brain and learn a little…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #445 - Nick Kindred (Sgt Pepper)
We have a NASA guy on the show today. Nick Kindred worked on the Artemis Program, and when he was able to retire, he set his sights on completing his…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #444 - Heidi Nisbett (Sketch)
Today, we're looking at the Allegheny Trail, with Heidi Nisbett talking about her contribution to the trail's 50th anniversary. Heidi is an accomplished artist…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #443 - Glenn Van Peski (G Squared)
Our guest today is Glen Van Peski, a man who made a significant contribution to the ultralight backpacking movement when he founded Gossamer Gear. It takes an…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #442 - Linda McAbee (Castaway)
We have another packed show today, with an interview that is quite unlike any I have ever done before. Linda McAbee wrote to me and told me her own harrowing…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #441 - Florence Bradley (Fireflo)
We have a retired firefighter on the show today. Florence Bradley had been wanting to hike the Appalachian Trail for some time, waiting until retirement to get…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #440 - Martin Pazzani
Today, we welcome Martin Pazzani to the podcast. Martin is a true outdoorsman, having hiked and climbed in all seven continents. He's parlayed that experience…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #439 - Casey Huffman (Vegas)
I'm back from the UK and am eager to bring more great guests for you. First, though, I want to thank all of you who reached out to me while I was away. Your…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #426 - South West Coast Path (Days 15-17)
I'm into my third week on the trail and still spending most nights indoors. The first two weeks were always going to be that way, with John, then Richard and…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #425 - South West Coast Path (Days 11-14)
I'm using my hike in the UK on the South West Coast Path to help raise money for my absolute favorite charity, Parenting Matters, on whose board I've been…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #424 - South West Coast Path (Days 8-10)
The last three days have tested me yet again, though I'm pretty much on schedule. A schoolboy error on my part led to a very low energy day, though meeting…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #423 - South West Coast Path (Days 4-7)
The first week has been unexpected, exciting, and even a little scary. I'm now 80 miles into the hike and just starting to feel that I'm finding my way. John…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #422 - South West Coast Path (Days 1-3)
The first three days of my South West Coast Path hike are in the books. Unfortunately, my notes weren't in the books! I somehow lost them, so this first…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #421 - Briana DeSanctis
Today's guest has recently completed a truly epic journey. Briana DeSanctis set out to hike the American Discovery Trail in January 2022. 6,800 miles later…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #420 - Clay Bonnyman Evans (Pony on the Cape Wrath Trail)
We have an old friend on the show today. Clay Bonnyman Evans completed his AT thru-hike back in 2015, yet his latest hike is the intriguing Cape Wrath Trail…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #419 - Sarah Denison Williams
A few weeks ago, I met today's guest, Sarah Denison Williams, at the Appalachian Trail Club of Florida, and was so impressed by her presentation that I invited…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #418 - George Steffanos
We have an old friend back on the show today, though it's the first time I've met him! He is George Steffanos, writer of the hugely entertaining blog, now…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #417 - Bern Leibensperger (Yardsale)
Bern Leibensperger discovered the Appalachian Trail when her daughter expressed an interest in section hiking the trail several years ago. Since then, the two…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #416 - Audrey Payne (Glowstick)
We have another successful AT thru-hiker on the show today. Yet Audrey Payne seemed very unlikely to get the chance to hike the trail a few years earlier. How…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #415 - Al Marriott (Lookout)
We have two returning guests today. First up, Al Marriott, fresh from his AT thru-hike in 2022, followed up with the PCT last year. Al shares his varied life…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #414 - Jessie Gehner (Twisted Sister)
Jessie Gehner, MD, is a thru-hiker from 2008 who then went to medical school. She currently works as an ER physician at Roanoke hospital, and is a member of…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #413 - Daniel Clark (Lucky Colleague)
We meet another Brit on the show today. Daniel Clark is a listener to the podcast, and he filled in the form to register as a guest on our website, adding rich…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #412 - Roxanne Lashley (Foxy)
Roxanne Lashley took on the AT last year and took her time. She had planned to go straight north to south, yet reaching Harpers Ferry past the Independence Day…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #411 - Molly Beth Gaynier (Breaky)
Our two guests today have something in common; they've both thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, yet their stories have taken entirely different turns. Our main…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #410 - D. J. Mullet (Dos Entradas)
DJ Mullet, or Dos Entradas, had been a hiker for several years, with the Appalachian Trail firmly in his sights. Yet a Type One Diabetes diagnosis seemed to…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #409 - Alyssa Whoaa (Rainbow Brite)
The uniquely named Alyssa Whoaa is our main guest today. She came to me as a member of the TSX team and she is widely experienced in a variety of different…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #408 - Olive McGloin and Darrell Johnson (Raindance and The Chimp)
Olive McGloin and Darrell Johnson don't seem content with straightforward thru-hikes, they tend to go for the YOYO. That is: they turn around and head back the…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #407 - Jason Tompkins (Out & About)
Jason Tompkins is a returning guest to the show this week. He was on last year, discussing a new route / trail that he came up with and named "The Carolinian."…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #406 - Sarah Beatrice (Too Long)
Sarah Beatrice, a fellow member of the Appalachian Trail Class of 2014, is my guest today. Sarah started after me and finished before me, so we may well have…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #405 - Clark L Ward (Wild Coyote)
Clark L Ward is our guest this week. Clark is a Native American and, while his hike was important to him, it was the story he was sharing with hikers along the…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #404 - Mary Wilson (Shades)
Mary Wilson is our guest this week and, when you know that her trail name is Shades, the blind hiker, you'll understand what an extraordinary endeavor she took…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #403 - Lynne Savino (Caboose)
We've got our favorite doctor on the show today. Lynne Savino shares with us her recent backpacking medical adventure that she was a part of, taking in the…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #402 - Dan Klaiber (Rockhopper)
Dan Klaiber is our guest this week and, while he had been planning a PCT thru-hike, Covid threw a wrench in the works and he had to look elsewhere. What he…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #401 - Emily Johnson (Cobweb Rose)
Another newly minted thru-hiker from the Class of 23 joins us this week. Emily Johnson turned to backpacking when she met a guy who would become her hiking…
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life CrisisEpisode #400 - Chris Marshburn (Roll Tide)
For our 400th show today, I have Chris Marshburn, or Roll Tide, as my guest. Chris is a phenomenal steward for the trail, having been a Caretaker in New…