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

Episode #443 - Glenn Van Peski (G Squared)

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #442 - Linda McAbee (Castaway)

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ha...

Episode #441 - Florence Bradley (Fireflo)

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We have a retired firefighter on the show today. Florence Bradley had been wanting to hike the Appalachian Trail for some time, waiting until retireme...

Episode #440 - Martin Pazzani

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ex...

Episode #439 - Casey Huffman (Vegas)

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode #426 - South West Coast Path (Days 15-17)

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Rich...

Episode #425 - South West Coast Path (Days 11-14)

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #424 - South West Coast Path (Days 8-10)

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #423 - South West Coast Path (Days 4-7)

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 wa...

Episode #422 - South West Coast Path (Days 1-3)

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Episode #421 - Briana DeSanctis

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #420 - Clay Bonnyman Evans (Pony on the Cape Wrath Trail)

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode #419 - Sarah Denison Williams

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #418 - George Steffanos

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Episode #417 - Bern Leibensperger (Yardsale)

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bern Leibensperger discovered the Appalachian Trail when her daughter expressed an interest in section hiking the trail several years ago. Since then,...

Episode #416 - Audrey Payne (Glowstick)

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 earl...

Episode #415 - Al Marriott (Lookout)

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 vari...

Episode #414 - Jessie Gehner (Twisted Sister)

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 mem...

Episode #413 - Daniel Clark (Lucky Colleague)

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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, ad...

Episode #412 - Roxanne Lashley (Foxy)

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Indepen...

Episode #411 - Molly Beth Gaynier (Breaky)

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our two guests today have something in common; they've both thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, yet their stories have taken entirely different turns. O...

Episode #410 - D. J. Mullet (Dos Entradas)

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 see...

Episode #409 - Alyssa Whoaa (Rainbow Brite)

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 diff...

Episode #408 - Olive McGloin and Darrell Johnson (Raindance and The Chimp)

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode #407 - Jason Tompkins (Out & About)

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Car...

Episode #406 - Sarah Beatrice (Too Long)

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 we...

Episode #405 - Clark L Ward (Wild Coyote)

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #404 - Mary Wilson (Shades)

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode #403 - Lynne Savino (Caboose)

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 i...

Episode #402 - Dan Klaiber (Rockhopper)

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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. Wh...

Episode #401 - Emily Johnson (Cobweb Rose)

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

Episode #400 - Chris Marshburn (Roll Tide)

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 N...

Episode #399 - Beth Bakke Stenehjem & Frank Levine (Dos Caminos)

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the completion of my Camino Francés hike in 2018, I've invited two friends to the show to share their Ca...

Episode #398 - Kyle O'Grady (Narnar)

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is the host of the popular YouTube channel, Kyle Hates Hiking. Kyle O'Grady did his AT thru-hike in 2018, then started his channel...

Episode #397 - Aron Goss (OG)

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #396 - Ed Riggs (Phys Ed)

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Episode #395 - Chris Casado (Commissioner)

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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, b...

Episode #394 - Drexel Swanson (Prepper)

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Episode #393 - Laura Howe (Moonpants)

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #392 - Lee Lovelace (Hooker Tush)

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ab...

Episode #391 - Suzanne Roberts

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 co...

Episode #390 - Earl Porter (A.Ham)

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In our last episode before the 9/11 Anniversary, Earl "Chico" Porter shares his inspirational story, and mission, to help veterans contemplating suici...

Episode #389 - Stephen Cole (Sweat Bucket)

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Episode #388 - Greg Johnson (Midwatch) and Betsy Hutchins

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 rem...

Episode #387 - Kathie Brennan

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 trai...

Episode #386 - Steve Vilsack (Wye Knot)

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode #385 - Adrienne Washney (Mother Hen)

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of our listeners introduced me to Adrienne Washney, who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2022. She incorporated her shakedown hikes into the th...

Episode #384 - Kristy Burns and Annette Dumbell (The Wander Women)

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Dumbe...

Episode #383 - Dan Nobles (Wandering Monk)

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 hea...

Episode #382 - Nancy East

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode #381 - Kevin Kinne

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Ba...

Episode #380 - Samantha Sharkey (Lemon Drop)

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Ge...

Episode #379 - Jillian Hitt (Buckets)

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 li...

Episode #378 - The Mighty Blue Class of '23 Update

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 tho...

Episode #377 - Spencer McKay (Warpzilla)

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 tol...

Episode #376 - Mark Beno (Papa Dump)

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode #375 - Al Marriott (Lookout)

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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." ...

Episode #374 - Kelly Jaworski (Birdie)

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode #373 - Jana Giles & David Nelson (Ducky & Gravy)

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Episode #372 - Patch Leonard (Cold Brew)

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have Patch Leonard as our guest today. Patch is the son of Emily Leonard–a previous guest on the show–and he tells us of his own Appalachian Tr...

Episode #371 - Zach Cross

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Zach Cross is starting his NOBO thru-hike from Springer on May 1. That he is even attempting this hike is something of a miracle. Three years ago, as ...

Episode #370 - Jim LePage (Grey Ghost)

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim LePage is a man who spends a lot of time outdoors. He hiked the AT in 2018, having thought about it for years. The proverbial window of opportunit...

Episode #369 - Bob Delaney (Jon's Dad)

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We leave the AT behind today for a trip to Sweden and the Kungsleden, a trail that I'd never heard of before. Bob Delaney, or Jon's Dad, has a history...

Episode #368 - Kenneth Pararo (Moron)

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kenneth Pararo is our guest today. He reached out to me, sending me a link to his podcast, and I entirely misjudged him. When I eventually spoke with ...

Episode #367 - Rachel Hadley-Leonard

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel Hadley-Leonard is our guest today. I heard about Rachel walking the South West Coast Path in England from one of our previous guests and wanted...

Episode #366 - Matt Hengst (Masochist)

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Hengst, or Masochist, is today's guest. He is one of those guys who has managed to parlay his passion for hiking into pretty much a full-time ...

Episode #365 - Mike (Blaze Dog) and Marla Hansen (Shows Up)

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our guests today are a husband and wife couple who worked out their own way to share the Appalachian Trail experience, even though only one of them wa...

Episode #364 - Mel Vogel

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have a true one-of-a-kind story today. Mel Vogel set out to hike the Trans Canada Trail in June 2017. Even when part of the trail was closed for re...

Episode #363 - Charlie Janssen (Kansas Express)

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Charlie Janssen was just ten miles into his Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2012, he wondered what it would be like to complete a Calendar Year Tr...

Episode #362 - Leah Harman (Twig)

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Leah Harman, or Twig, is our guest today. She is a self-confessed nomad, concentrating in the past few years on backpacking her way through many trail...

Episode #361 - Casey Beeman (Freedom Pouch)

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I found this week's guest by reading an article he'd written about Post-Trail Depression. I know some people scoff at this concept, but it is real, an...

Episode #360 - Emet Baker (Quickbeam)

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emet Baker, or Quickbeam is our guest today. He was able to complete his first year college finals before heading out on trail last year, with a missi...

Episode #359 - Toby Busch (Stovetop)

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is Toby Busch, a young man who lives out of his Ford Connect and records his life adventures on YouTube. Last year, he fulfilled a...

Episode #358 - Amanda Wylie (Two Braids)

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda Wylie is an independent, strong young woman from Queens, NY. She hiked the Appalachian Trail last year and, despite loving the impact it had up...

Episode #357 - John Jordan (Morning Glory)

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we hear from one of the unsung heroes of our hiking world. He's not a thru-hiker–though his son did one–but he's a member of the Board of A...

Episode #356 - Julia Widmar (Stretcher)

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have one of our younger newly minted thru-hikers today. Julia Widmar was only 20 when she hit the trail last year, though she had learned so much i...

Episode #355 - Nick Gagnon (Chezwick)

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Gagnon is an elite level hiker. He completed the Great Western Loop in 2022 in under 200 days, a remarkable achievement in that the loop is just ...

Episode #354 - Billy Arthur (Backwards)

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today, Billy Arthur, or Backwards, met and fell in love with another hiker on the AT this year. Billy had wanted to get on the trail since h...

Episode #353 - Jason Tompkins (Out and About)

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jason Tompkins is our guest today, with his stories about a new long-distance trail; The Carolinian. It's new because he named it, then hiked it this ...

Episode #352 - Brittany Rosendahl (Hot Hands)

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're sticking with the Class of 2022 hikers once more, with Brittany Rosendahl–one of my Facebook friends–sharing the story of her hike and what ...

Episode #351 - Samuel Crisp (Shaker)

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, our guest, Samuel Crisp, is another of the Class of 2022 thru-hikers. His mature approach to the trail, his understanding and treatment of ...

Episode #350 - Frank Dutman (Heineken)

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we have a visitor from the Netherlands. Frank Dutman first heard about the trail in some unrelated research back in the late 90s. Since then, h...

Episode #349 - Lauren Adamczak (Airbag)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest, Lauren Adamczak, described herself as "the quiet 30-year-old that never spoke up in groups, often looked down at the ground in public, ...

Episode #348 - Stuart Phelps (Puppy Love)

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Stuart Phelps, or Puppy Love, is our guest this week. Stuart had set himself a goal to thru-hike the trail when he turned 50, yet, as often happens, t...

Episode #347 - Syd Sayward (Bug)

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show features a recently successful thru-hiker, and the first of our Mighty Blue Class of 2023. Syd Sayward has wanted to complete the AT sinc...

Episode #346 - Mike Current (Energizer)

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest was a guest on the show at the beginning of 2021, sharing his stories about his PCT thru-hike. He never expected to go again–even thou...

Episode #345 - Tonya Lonsbury (Monarch)

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest recently completed her AT thru-hike and, joyous as she is, she and Steve get into a conversation that celebrates the joy, but also delve...

Episode #344 - Kristi McLeod Fondren (HQtie)

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Kristi McLeod Fondren joins us today to bring an academic's view on hiking. Kristi hiked the PCT over the last couple of years and has combined tha...

Episode #343 - Andy Hood

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest, Andy Hood, isn't a hiker. He's a runner, but the story of his recent journey parallels that of many long-distance hikers. It is his bac...

Episode #342 - Hunter Rud (Hunter)

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We have another recent thru-hiker today. He is Hunter Rud and, when you hear his story, the Appalachian Trail wasn't on his radar until very recently....

Episode #341 - Julieann Hartley (Squirt)

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Julieann Hartley is today's guest. She hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2015 and transformed her life. She articulates this so beautifully in our conver...

Episode #340 - TSX Challenge (Part 2)

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we have the second and concluding part of my recent 75 mile TSX Challenge hike in California, taking in Mt Whitney as its main highlight. ...

Episode #339 - TSX Challenge (Part 1)

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As many of you know, I recently fulfilled a long-held ambition to climb Mt Whitney. While I was out on this group-led hike, I could reflect upon what ...

Episode #338 - Clay Bonnyman-Evans (Pony)

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Clay Bonnyman-Evans, a friend of the show and a previous guest from our early days. Clay came onto the show in 2017 to talk about h...

Episode #338 - Clay Bonnyman-Evans (Pony)

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Clay Bonnyman-Evans, a friend of the show and a previous guest from our early days. Clay came onto the show in 2017 to talk about h...

Episode #337 - Ryan Leighton (Ken Burns)

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan Leighton is our guest this week and, though not a thru-hiker, he has probably impacted more people with regard to long-distance hiking than many ...

Episode #336 - Kelly Thomas (Spotter)

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I found Kelly Thomas, or Spotter through my rather unhealthy habit of cyber stalking the Appalachian Trail Facebook pages. She had just summited, and ...

Episode #335 - Ted Lovett (Bulldog)

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Just a week before I head out to hike in California, and we have another "vintage" hiker to hear from today. Ted Lovett, or Bulldog, wanted to hike th...

Episode #334 - Kevin Newsome (Reckless Abandon)

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest, Kevin Newsome, completed his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail a year ago. I'd briefly met him at Trail Days while he was on his h...

Episode #333 - Monica Aguilar (Moss)

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Monica Aguilar. Monica has been putting in the miles for the past four years, having thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2018, then...