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

Latest Episodes:

Episode #190 - Sahada Buckley and Luke Runels (Cloud and Leaf) Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

We've had a variety of guests on the show over the past three years but I'm pretty confident that no guest (or guests) has ever been as laid back about their journey as Sahada Buckley and Luke Runels. They were out in the woods to get away from life's distractions, playing music, singing, and avoiding much of the modern paraphernalia of everyday life.

Often going radio silent, Sahada and Luke experienced the trail in a way I've never heard before. They took more than a week in Washington DC and even longer in New York City.

The first three photographs in these notes are credited to Carly Geraci, while I wanted to include a pic of Luke lying, seemingly asleep, on a railway track. Love it!

We also have Julie "Jester" Gayheart, our new host on "Jester" Section Hiker, a podcast coming soon. Julie shares a bit of news and gives a preview of what you can expect with the show.

Finally, Paul Stutzman's Hiking Through reaches the trail town of Hot Springs, where a bike ride triggers some difficult memories.

Episode #189 - Julie Obear and Barry King (Boston and Cubby) Oct 24, 2019

Show notes

Boston and Cubby have been long-distance hiking for nearly 15 years, having started with the Appalachian Trail in 2005. During that time they have completed the Triple Crown, climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, done the American Discovery Trail and the Long Trail. They even found time to hike across the state of Rhode Island!

They have simplified both their hiking style and their lives, finding peace and their desired solitude along America's trails.

You can find out more about Julie and Barry's journeys at the following links.

https://www.trailjournals.com/juliebarryjohn

https://www.trailjournals.com/bostonandcubby

https://www.trailjournals.com/adt2012

https://www.trailjournals.com/longtrail2015

They are also on Instagram at backpax and on Twitter at backpax14

Katy Amphlett completed the Mighty Blue Class of 2019 debriefs by letting us know how she got on this year. Whatever happened, we beat the odds overall.

Episode #188 - Dianne Seger (Lady Di) Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

Lady Di was part of one of my earlier "tramilies." We spent quite a bit of time together around Fontana Dam and the Smokies but were separated after that. She was yet another example of a fiercely independent, strong woman who brought a lot to the trail this year.

Starting her hike less than a week after her retirement, she was slow but steady throughout her journey. I particularly remember her cooking "real" food every night, unlike my own pathetic efforts.

Now that she has finished the trail–just a week before this conversation–she is still coming to terms with the impact of the hike on her and starting to adjust to retirement.

Tina Dunaway is the last but one of the Mighty Blue Class of 2019 and she has her own story that tells why she finished the trail after 600 miles. It isn't a happy ending but certainly one with hope for the future.

Episode #187 - Jason Elwood (Bamboo) Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

I met Jason and his friends in 2014. They were on the trail helping other hikers while achieving their own hiking goals at the same time. I don't believe that I quite understood how much their journey was geared towards supporting others until we spoke on the show.

Since then, Jason has completed both the Pacific Crest Trail and, very recently, the Continental Divide Trail, to complete hiking's Triple Crown. All these hikes have been motivated by the same theme of helping others while sharing his faith.

You can find out more about Jason and his mission work at

https://ywamrichmond.org/

You can also follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jason.elwood.12

and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bambooathiker14/

We also caught up with another member of the Mighty Blue Class of 2019, Carlton Johnson and he proved to have such a positive experience on the trail, despite not finishing it this time.

Finally, Paul Stutzman has reached North Carolina, with Georgia now in his rear-view mirror.

Episode #186 - Tammy and Curt Fackler (Lolli and Pop) Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

With an empty nest, sufficient money, and plenty of time on their hands, Curt and Tammy Fackler decided to drastically downsize. They sold their home and gave away most of their belongings before hitting the road in their truck with their new home attached.

Their adventures were always leading them to the Appalachian Trail and, six months after their travels started, they set off from Georgia. Tammy wasn't an experienced hiker but she wanted to support Curtis in his dream, so went along for the ride. Listen to how their journey unfolded.

Lotta Anvret, from Sweden, is another member of the Mighty Blue Class of 2019, and she is back to reveal how her hike ended up.

Finally, Paul Stutzman's Hiking Through covers the early miles and the first main stop, at Mountain Crossings.

Episode #185 - Mike Colburn (Bassman) Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

Mike Colburn started his years-long section thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail during the last century. While he never intended to complete the trail in sections, it wasn't until the earlier years of this century that he realized that it was in his sights. With so little now to do, Steve and Mike discussed his long, long journey to this moment.

Along the way, Steve and Mike have run into one another on the trail, sometimes fortuitously, sometimes by design. The two of them have shared a friendship that was born on the AT and continues to thread through the AT.

Our Mighty Blue Class of 2019 debrief continues with Nate Stockton, or Turd Ferguson, as he recounts what happened on his epic hike this year.

Finally, Paul Stutzman provides us with some context for his feelings on that first night on the top of Springer Mountain, in Georgia.

Episode #184 - Olivia Miller Bakke (Mama Lion) Sep 19, 2019

Show notes

When you finish the Appalachian Trail, your mind is in a bit of a whirl. You can't fully articulate your thoughts and, really, those thoughts mature over time. I wanted to capture the thoughts of a hiker within 24 hours of his or her finish, so when I saw Olivia Miller Bakke's summit photo on Facebook, I reached out to her. This is that conversation.

I also caught up with Lea Ann Hogan, another of our mighty Blue Class of 2019 and her reasons for stopping her hike after 500 miles. As you'll hear, she wasn't desperately happy about it!

Chapter Three of Paul Stutzman's Hiking Through brings Paul to the trail at Amicolola State Park. During those initial steps, he entertains a few doubts!

Episode #183 - Bob Curran (Trigger) Sep 12, 2019

Show notes

When I met Bob Curran in the Grayson Highlands, I could never have imagined that he and I would end up at the top of Mt Katahdin together, some 1700 miles later. We came together by accident and stayed together more by circumstance than by design. That said, each of us acknowledges the positive impact that we both had on each other's hike.

As two 66-year-olds we fitted perfectly with one another when it came to hiking style and speed. We weren't the fastest but we were also not the slowest. Our progress was measured and we seemed destined to finish on about the six-month mark. That we were able to finish prior to that is down to Bob's unyielding determination to squeeze out extra miles each day. If it hadn't been for him I'd have been out there a lot longer.

Margi Mimms is the first of our Class of 2019 debriefs and, by happy coincidence, Margi was the first of us to finish. She reflects upon her journey.

Don't forget, if you have a copy of Paul Stutzman's Hiking Through and would be happy to lend me it, please email me at Steve@mightyblueontheat.com. I will, of course, arranged for its safe return to you.

Episode #182 - Appalachian Trail (Debrief) Sep 05, 2019

Show notes

Now that I've returned to Florida and had a week off from the podcast, I felt ready to answer a few questions from listeners. There turned out to be so many of them that I had a good friend–and star podcaster–Glenn Hebert doing the honors. Glenn has a way of eliciting nuggets from people and he certainly kept me on my toes the whole time.

While I didn't expect to be able to articulate precisely how I was feeling after another 2000+ mile hike, I tried to be as honest as possible in this debrief. I hope that it gives you more insight into the ups and downs of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike.

The regular show will return next week, with another guest to entertain and amaze you about the trail that we all love.

If you have further questions, about my hike or about the podcast, I'd really love to hear from you at steve@hikingradionetwork.com.

Episode #181 - Appalachian Trail (Day 179) Aug 24, 2019

Show notes

I wanted to share my last day on the trail with you all. The sound is often distorted through wind and even our paces. That said, I hope you gather from the show my enthusiasm and delight at getting this job done.

Don't forget, we'll be back to normal service next week, with another guest telling their story, as well as a new book that I'll be reading for you.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

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

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected