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

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 his 2016 Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Since then, he has racked up a bunch more miles and trails, so we caught up before I headed to hike in California. As always, Clay is witty, thoughtful, and open as we chat about his hiking. He is also an excellent writer, so you can check out his latest book "Adrift on the Pacific Crest Trail: A Thru-Hiking Story" at this link. We discuss what he means by "adrift," and he gives insight to the necessary separation that a thru-hike will cause in relationships. He has more books to check out, on his website, claybonnymanevans.com, and he has offered his email should you want to contact him about anything to do with hiking the great trails of America. You can reach him at claybonnyman@gmail.com. We catch up with Dan Whitesides, our last remaining Mighty Blue Class of 22 participant. As always, he's smiling through. If you're

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 of our guests on the show. He produced a documentary movie–Walking Home–that followed the hike of a father and son duo, along with two other characters who intermittently entered the story. But Ryan has always been a thrill seeker, and he shares his fascinating story of climbing Katahdin in the winter, a negotiating Knife's Edge with a reluctant friend, and spending time working on a nineteenth century whaling ship. You'll really enjoy meeting him. As we said on the show, the documentary is free and available on YouTube, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4TWPbBlf70. It is so good and I hope that, if you haven't seen it, you give it a look. Our Mighty Blue Class of 2022 has been drastically reduced over the summer, and we lost another member this week. Dom Tammaro sustained a hike-ending injury that made him reluctantly quit his journey for the time being. H

I found Kelly Thomas, or Spotter through my rather unhealthy habit of cyber stalking the Appalachian Trail Facebook pages. She had just summited, and her proud Dad recorded that fact. I reached out to him and eventually spoke with Kelly. For me, her demographic, of a mid-30s female, was under-represented on the trail in past years, but I've noticed it growing in recent years. I wanted to talk with her about that. You can follow Kelly on her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/UnboundCrow Today, we also speak with Katie Westling at the end of her successful hike of the Appalachian Trail. She hiked with a buddy of mine, Hugh Ickrath, from her last shelter, then met her family at the finish. Here is a picture that Hugh took of Katie with her daughter and her grandson as she "crossed the line" at the end. Marvelous!! Also today, an announcement of another podcast on the network. Paul Collins introduces the Hammock Hangers Podcast. I hope you give it a try. You can find it at https://www.hikingradione

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 the AT and finish on his birthday. Being a precise, mission-driven military man, that's exactly what Ted did. He shares his story with us. He met people he wouldn't normally come across when he was out on the trail and delighted learning from all of them. He didn't always enjoy the hike, but he took something positive from it every day. At Katahdin, Ted was lucky enough to be joined by two of his daughters and achieve that epic summit with them. What a glorious moment that must have been. Also today, we catch up with Dan Whitesides and Katie Westling, both close to the end of their own epic journeys. Two things I mention on the show. 1. The Woods Hole Weekend, which is being held on October 6-9 at the iconic Woods Hole Hostel. Details of the weekend can be found on the Woods Hole website, at https://woodsholehostel.com/. I've only just sent the details to Nevi

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 hike (we had a picture taken together) and I saw him for the second time a few weeks ago, presenting to a local charitable group near my home. I loved his presentation style and got him to come on the show. He's a professional photographer so, as you'd expect, his Instagram and YouTube channels are worth checking out. You can find them here. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTWPiN81Eb6laUrzIMBoRXA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recklessabandon2021/   We're following the two ladies closest to the end of there hikes, with Sarah Landis and Katie Westling checking, with great news from both. Check out Sarah's soaking Katahdin pic. If you'd like to find out more about "Then The Hail Came," check out George's website at https://georgesteffanos.webador.com/. You can also find George's book on Amazon at this link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFG4ZR6 If

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 completing half of the PCT last year before she was forced to get off trail because of the fires. In between, she managed to fit in a bikepacking trip on the Great Divide Trail. But Monica's passion for adventure triggered another, more creative side of her. She started to draw and paint in her journal to record the sights she was seeing. When she returned home, she parlayed that hobby into a business. If you'd like to check out some of Monica's work, go to her website, http://www.chasingtrailsart.com/ or her Instagram page at http://www.instagram.com/chasingtrailsart. She also runs a podcast, which you can hear at https://shitoutdoorspod.com/   Katie and Sarah, so close to the end of their respective journeys, are back on the show this week. They share their experiences of the past week. If you'd like to find out more about "Then The Hail Came," check out G

Nathan Echols recently completed a sub-70 day, supported, thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. How he was able to even set foot on trail is an extraordinary story. Just two years ago, he suffered a cardiac arrest in his sleep. It was only the rapid response of his wife that saved his life. Yet Nathan had long wanted to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and he resolved to get it done. He resumed his training AFTER open heart surgery and, since then, has racked up over 7800 training miles. With the help of his son, Derek, he put together a completely supported hike, with Derek meeting him every day at road crossings, logging roads etc.   He even got off trail for several days when he fell on Moosilauke and injured his face (pictured below). Nathan's resilience is remarkable, and he wanted to tell his story to prove that, with a lot of determination, and a bit of luck, you can overcome most things in life. Katie and Sarah are getting to the end of their respective hikes, so we caught up with them both and will c

The remarkable Arlette Laan is this week's guest. Arlette recently completed the eleventh and final leg of her quest to hike all the National Scenic Trails, becoming the first woman to do so. She's not a super-honed athlete, she's a down-to-earth woman who knows her strengths and limitations, and hikes accordingly. When she's not hiking these long-distance trails, Arlette leads hikes in New Hampshire and has shared with us the epic photo below. If you'd like to connect with Arlette, you can check out her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/arlette_laan/ We hear from two of our Mighty Blue Class of 22. This week, Dom Tammaro and Dan Whitesides have progress and pictures to report.   If you'd like to find out more about "Then The Hail Came," check out George's website at https://georgesteffanos.webador.com/. You can also find George's book on Amazon at this link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFG4ZR6 Thanks also to Emanuel Bravo-Ramos for sending me this handmade hat to wear in the Sierras next month

Amber and Joshua Niven were next to me in the Author's Tent at Trail Days, and I asked them to come on the show when I heard their great stories of having separately hiked the AT before meeting one another at Trail Days. They have experienced the trail differently, so their book is a product and amalgamation of those experiences. It is a true coffee-table book that you can pick up and open anywhere; there'll always be something of interest to read, or to see. If you'd like to learn more about them and their book, you can find them on these sites. http://Www.discoveringtheat.com http://Www.joshuaniven.com http://Www.AmberAdamsNiven.com Also, if you're in the vicinity of Hot Springs on August 13, why not drop into Big Pillow Brewing to meet them at the official launch of their book? http://www.thru-at.com/events/launch%20party One of the members of our Class of 22 still heading north, Sarah "Sunny" Landis, has reached Vermont and continues to have a blast. We caught up with her at Manchester Center on a zero

I met Emily Leonard and her husband Bruce at the Author's Tent at Trail Days in Damascus early this year. Not only does Emily write about her AT hikes, but she also has terrific stories to share about them. Like me, she has completed two Appalachian Trail thru-hikes and has now written about the first one. She also produced a children's book that will introduce a whole new generation to the trail. Additionally, Emily was featured quite prominently in the AT documentary, Walking Home. You can check that out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4TWPbBlf70 If you'd like to learn more about Emily and her adventures, or buy her books, visit her website at https://www.emilysescapades.com/. You can also see all her books on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Emily-M-Leonard/e/B08JMCXGL3?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1656540614&sr=8-1 Follow Emily on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/emilysescapades/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Emily-M-Leonard-109205634573859 Also this week, we caught up

Father and daughter hiking partners, Kayla and Ken Bold, came to the Appalachian Trail with Ken originally intending to hike just a section in support of his daughter. As often happens, those plans changed, and they headed north together as a team. Each learned something about the other, with their familial bond strengthened along the way. You can follow Nugs on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kayla.bold/ Our two catch-ups this week are with Trumpet and his dog FrankE, as well as with Katie Westling, who is filling in the miles she missed in her thru-hike attempt last year. I mentioned our other shows on the podcast today, so here are the links you'll need to find each of them going forward. Mighty Blue: https://www.hikingradionetwork.com/show/mighty-blue-on-the-appalachian-trail-the-ultimate-mid-life-c/ Trail Dames: https://www.hikingradionetwork.com/show/the-trail-dames-podcast/ Jester Section Hiker: https://www.hikingradionetwork.com/show/jester-section-hiker/ Hiking Unfiltered: https://www.hiki

This week, we have a first for the podcast. Initially, our principal guest, Jeff Hays, lays out his views on why the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail should move to Alabama. As Jeff says, "Why not Alabama?" Then, Jeff and Nathan Wright debate the issue as they see it. They keep it respectful and agree far more than they disagree. At the end, I weigh in with my opinion. I hope you all learn something from this discussion. You can learn more about the issues at stake by visiting Jeff's site, where he promotes building an entirely new trail. It is at https://www.at2al.net/ Jeff also offers the following site, which argues for using existing trails. That is at https://at2al.com/ You can find Jeff's hostel at https://www.nextstephostel.net/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NextStepHostel/ In between Jeff's chat with me and the subsequent debate, I caught up with Katie Westling, as she has now returned to the AT to continue her quest to complete her thru-hike. If you'd like to find out more ab

Today, we have Ian Alderman on the show. Ian and his daughter, Eve, are hiking the entire length of Britain. While it isn't a super long hike, it is still over a thousand miles and there is very little in the way of a defined path. The West Highland Way WAS a path that made it a little easier for them and that's where I found them. What's remarkable about these two, though, is that both Ian and his daughter are autistic. Ian and his wife Sarah have determined that they don't intend for Eve to be handicapped by autism, so they are giving her an adventure that, in itself, is spawning other ideas for further adventures. You can check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ourspectrumadventures If you'd like to offer some support, you can do so here. https://www.gofundme.com/f/eve-and-ian-john-o-groats-to-lands-end                 Dom Tamarro has taken a few days off the trail to return home for a graduation, yet he's now past 500 miles and loving it. By the time you listen to today's show, he'l

Dennis Pack is nearer my generation of hikers, and this week he shares the story of his 2021 flip flop. He's a great believer in serendipity and enjoyed the way in which things just "happen" out there on the trail. He has a well-grounded, gentle wisdom, some of which he learned on the trail, though much of it he clearly accumulated over his 60 years. His cousin had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and, not knowing much about this, he learned what he could and shared it on the trail. If you'd like to read Dennis's journal, you can find it at https://www.trailjournals.com/journal/24090 You can also follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Hikingforlewy If you'd like to learn more about Lewy Body Dementia, check out these two links: https://www.lbda.org/ and https://dementiaspotlightfoundation.org Our Mighty Blue Class of 2022 is thinning out fairly rapidly, and this week, we hear the diverging fortunes of Sarah Landis and Brittaney Allvord. If you'd like to find out more about "Then The Hail

Natisha Webb wrote to me recently about my West Highland Way trip, telling me she'd already booked to go on the same hike next year. We corresponded, and it turns out that she also thru-hiked the AT in 2021, having been "Covided" off in 2020. Naturally, I wanted her to tell her story, and she agreed to come on the show. As you'll hear, she is a pragmatic woman, making sensible decisions when decisions are required. If you'd like to learn more about Natisha and her hiking, and van, life, check out her Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/calypso_chronicles/. Additionally, you can check out at her YouTube page at https://youtube.com/user/uglybarnicle We caught up with two of our Class of 2022 this week, neither of whom is actually on the trail right now! Katie Westling, who we followed in 2021, is heading back to the Appalachian Trail in early June to complete the last 500 or so miles of her hike. She tells us her plans. If you'd like to find out more about "Then The Hail Came," check out George's website

Today, we have Nathan and Kimm Wright, from the Pinhoti Outdoor Center. I met them both at Trail Days this past weekend, and we got into a discussion on the benefits–or otherwise–of relocating the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail to Alabama, using the Pinhoti Trail to effect that change. This is a controversial subject that Nathan and Kimm are well-versed in. Indeed, Nimblewill Nomad, who was with the two of them at Trail Days, got particularly het up over the subject. We'll let you decide. Listen to the two of them, then read the article below by Nimblewill, and, if you're convinced, why not sign their petition on change.org? https://nimblewillnomad.com/2022/02/24/pt-bmt-at-let-em-be/ https://www.change.org/p/do-not-move-the-appalachian-trail-terminus They also talked about the Pinhoti Trail "Kick Off," later in the year. You can check that out at https://www.facebook.com/events/1437834616634802 Some of the surviving members of the Mighty Blue Class of 2022 report in, with Dom Tammaro and Dan W

Our guest today is from the AT Class of 2017. His name is Chris Veasey, and we share an open chat about his experiences on the trail. He flip-flopped, heading north from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin, then south to Springer. His northern section was spent with a tramily, while he was largely solo in the south. We discuss the differences between both sections. Chris has written a book about his adventures and has put up a Kickstarter for those who would like to support his efforts to publish his book. You can support that here. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/readuncivilized/uncivilized He can also be found on social media at https://www.facebook.com/chris.veasey.9 and https://www.instagram.com/thats1ezvz/ We catch up with some of the surviving members of our Mighty Blue Class of 2022, with Sarah Landis loving her time on the trail. Kera, Ryan, and Brittaney–while definitely loving the trail–have experienced both the highs and lows of trail life. Finally, I'm reading the first part of George Steffanos's

This week, we have the aptly named Tick Terminator, otherwise known as Brian Anderson. Brian has had a fascination with ticks–and how to terminate them–for over ten years. He has advised companies on how to deal with their outdoor employees, suggesting best practice to keep them from contracting Lyme and other diseases. Today, he's offering advice to hikers and backpackers. He does this in a fun, informative way, and I think we hit all the important points. If you'd like to learn more, Brian's website is https://www.thetickterminator.com, while he can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lymetick/ We caught up with another two of our Mighty Blue Class of 22. This time, Dom Tammaro tells us of his rattle snake encounter AND his new trail name, while Joanne Birditt has eventually called a halt to her hike. Her smiling face on the show told me that it was the right decision. Finally today, we have the Prologue of our new book. This was formerly a blog post, and I recently received permission to re

This week's show is all about my recent "saunter" on the West Highland Way in Scotland. As many of you know, I'd never hiked before I moved to the US, and I certainly didn't know about this little gem in Scotland. I'd originally intended to couple a quicker hike on the WHW with a similarly fast walk on Hadrian's Wall Path. However, as you'll hear, fate intervened, and I had one of my most satisfying hikes. I've also added a lot more pictures this week (corresponding with the day they were taken), because I didn't share many of them on Facebook or Instagram. For those of you who are interested, my itinerary was as follows: Day 1 - from Milngavie (Mile Zero) to Drymen Camping (Mile 11.0), an 11 mile day Day 2 - from Drymen Camping (Mile 11.0) to Balmaha (Mile 19.2), an 8.2 mile day Day 3 - from Balmaha (Mile 19.2) to Rowardennan (Mile 27.6), an 8.4 mile day Day 4 - from Rowardennan (Mile 27.6) to Inverarnan (Mile 41.5), a 13.9 mile day Day 5 - from Inverarnan (Mile 41.5) to Tyndrum (Mile 53.3), an 11.8 mil

Today, we catch up with ALL (available) members of the Mighty Blue Class of 2022. Having been away for more than five weeks, I've missed their starts–in many cases–and the suspension of their hikes–in a few cases. One thing that is apparent from these conversations is that nobody's experience is like any other hiker's experience. The conversations speak for themselves and, going forward, I want you all to know who we're following out there. Each of the interviews is time stamped to allow you to jump to your favorite. 1:50 - Dave Burge 15:52 - Chuck Hays 26:26 - Sarah Landis 36:57 - Hugh and Kerry Ickrath 52:30 - Daniel Whitesides 59:22 - Dom Tammaro 1:10:43 - Barry Hill - No pic 1:18:13 - Joanne Birditt - No pic 1:29:08 - Kera, Ryan, and Brittaney If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, and want to see our shows continue, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. You'll find the donate button on each Hiking Radio Network page at https://www.hikingradione