Episodes

The three days from NOC to Fontana Dam were my toughest section so far. I made it, but the difficulty shook my confidence a bit. The walk down into NOC was a totally different story, for one specific reason, which you'll learn today. Along the way, I met more great people and they shared their stories with me, including Sue Powell (Sweet Tears) and Henry Southall (Hot Tang). With the Smokies next, this is going to be a another important week. I'm using Polarsteps to record my AT thru-hike this...

Into the third week on trail and my first zero day, spent in Franklin, NC. The weather remains atypically unusual, with sun and great hiking conditions leading us on. this week I spoke with Fancy, from Fancy's Place, as well as Chica and Sunsets with their hiking experience and super Airbnb. I was unable to get a photo of Fancy, but here is one with me and Chica and Sunsets. I'm using Polarsteps to record my AT thru-hike this year. If you'd like to follow my progress between episodes, as well a...

Nearly two weeks in and I feel I'm hiking stronger than ever. These past four days were testing but I think I came through most of the tests. the feeling of community out here, in these early stages, has been something I was hoping for, yet those hopes have been exceeded every day. Along the way, I've met and spoken with loads of fellow hikers, hostel owners, day hikers and so on. Each encounter has provided me with something new to think of and memories to cherish. This week, I was lucky eno...

Now a week into the hike, I've gotten into my stride and my body is holding up under the pressure. Already, the "feel" of the trail is as welcoming as it was the last time I went, and I'm feeling right at home. The fact that the weather has been kind to us is a massive bonus. This recap covers last Sunday thru Tuesday, ending at Dick's Creek Gap, about 70 miles in. Amanda Aguillard invited me into her home, along with Dan, I guy I'd been hiking around, and she wqas the perfect hostess, running...

I'm back on trail and getting back into the swing of things. This episode tracks days 3 to 6 after my return to the AT. I'm telling my story, along with those of the people I meet. This week, I spoke with Olivia Neal of the Hidden Pond Hostel and Sarah Lopez, or Maybelline, (on the right) who is attempting her own AT thru-hike. I'm using Polarsteps to record my AT thru-hike this year. If you'd like to follow my progress between episodes, as well as photos of my journey, please go to https://ww...

This short episode brings everybody up to date with how I got to the trail, then, how I left it, followed by my plans to get back to it. I never do anything the easy way!!! I'm using Polarsteps to record my AT thru-hike this year. If you'd like to follow my progress between episodes, as well as photos of my journey, please go to https://www.polarsteps.com/mightyblue and click on the follow button. I used my hike in 2024 on the South West Coast Path in the UK to help raise money for my absolute...

We have a husband and wife hiking duo on the show today. Mosey and Sourpatch hiked the Appalachian Trail last year, needing to get it done before Sourpatch’s eye condition deteriorated further. On the way, they found purpose in several ways, with Mosey on the logistics as Sourpatch carried a bunch of military dog tags on to Katahdin. Summiting Katahdin on 9/11 with two previous guests of the podcast–Tony Roddy (Silverback) and Rob Diamond (Dog Tag)–gave extra meaning to their hike. You can che...

Tom Bennett, or Porkie is today’s guest. Tom had an epic adventure on the Long Trail in Vermont, sharing with us the family connection he has to the trail. It wasn’t a straightforward hike, with serious injury and recovery, plus dramatic floods punctuating his efforts over two years. He remained resilient and completed his mission after his various mishaps. Tim also wrote a blog of his journey for the Trek, which you can read here at Tim Bennett, Author at The Trek . He has now written a book ...

Michael Neiman, who, along with Bruce Matson, brought us Platinum Blazing to the trail, is our guest this week. Michael thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2018, and his new book tells that story–as a 98% true novel. Michael, or Sharkbait has been juggling a job, parenthood, and his writing to bring this book to publication, and it’s a good read, with plenty of page turning moments. You can check out the book at his website, Hello Neiman, or on Amazon at Hello My Name is Sharkbait: A 2,000-Mil...

We welcome Rob Diamond to the show today. I met Rob in 2024 in Hot Springs, when we went and tried to help out after Hurricane Helene. Rob told me then that he was planning on a 2025 thru-hike, so I asked him then to follow up with me once he was done. Rob’s hike didn’t turn out as he had expected, yet he battled through innumerable obstacles as he made his way to Katahdin, eventually summiting on his intended summit date of 9/11. On the way, Rob raised awareness of the scourge of suicide amon...

Savannah Schuring, or Snazzy Cat, took on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike–which she completed in a remarkable three months–as her graduate thesis. On the way, she was interviewing hikers as to their motivations to be out on the trail and learned so much from them, and about herself, with some fascinating conclusions. Savannah always loved the outdoors and, indeed, was a long-distance runner, but she came to love long hikes and completed her Triple Crown. Her new book, Between the Miles, is avai...

Today, we meet an AT thru-hiker from the Class of 2015 who went on to buy and run a hostel near the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Erin Tuveson, or Bookie, became so enamored of the trail that she wanted to be around the community she met out there. Erin now owns and runs the Rambling Roots Hostel, bringing her AT knowledge to bear as she puts together the kind of place she loved when she was hiking. You can learn more about Erin and her hostel at her website Rambling Roots Hostel. Additionally, yo...

This week, Tony Roddy joins the podcast. Tony walked across America in 2015, vowing to do one of the long-distance American trails ten years later. His original choice was the CDT, but a last-minute change took him to the Appalachian Trail, where he relished his experience. Tony used his time on the AT to raise funds for autism, an affliction close to home in his family. He also raised funds for the Make A Wish Foundation on his walk across America ten years ago. You can see more of Tony on hi...

We meet a member of the Class of 2012 this week, who happens also to be a member of this years class of 2026. In fact, Todd Sears is starting the day after I start, in March this year. He had a long career in military intelligence, and brings a military discipline to his hike, both back in 2012 and in his plans for this year. I should be meeting him very early on as he will doubtless breeze past me at speed. You can read about his earlier hike from a blog that he wrote; Nor'easter's 2012 Appal...

Michelle Michaud is our guest today. She has completed the Appalachian Trail three times, having been on trail every year since the late 90s. Her love for the AT is apparent, and she has managed to parlay that love into a business, helping hikers with their logistics and training as they try to fulfill their own Appalachian Trail dream. You can find out more by visiting Michelle’s website, http://www.appalachiantrailhikingsupport.com/ and her Facebook account at https://www.facebook.com/Wander...

We welcome Dr Rob Scanlon to the podcast today to talk about five essential skills that hikers need to learn to avoid becoming a depressing statistic on trail. Rob shares anecdotes and data to illustrate those five skills, and he has presented a book rich in detail that will benefit most hikers. I’ll certainly be paying attention to several of the points Rob makes in his book as I hit the Appalachian Trail this year. You can follow Rob on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dr_robscanlon?ig...

The self-deprecating James Kinch is on the show today, claiming the title of the “Fattest Known Time” on the Appalachian Trail, having twice thru-hiked the trail, starting at well over 300lbs each time. James has published his journal of the hike, and he serves as an inspiration to those who convince themselves that they can’t do this hike for many reasons, one of which is often their weight. James just got on with it and made it to Katahdin each time. You can check out his book at Fat Man Wal...

Ellen Langford, or Adventurine, joins us today. Ellen is a professional artist who had dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail for several years before 2025 opened a window for her. On the trail, she found logistics to be challenging, yet utterly “embraced the suck” as she knocked off 1700 miles before an unfortunate health condition curtailed her hike. She took her art tools of the trade with her, sketching as she went along. You can catch up with Ellen and her art at her website, http://www....

We meet Jesse Cody and Mike Rose today, and hear about their non-profit, Hike the Good Hike, an organization committed to enhance mental wellness through nature. They have partnered with several well-known outdoor brands to provide a path for a disparate cohort of people taking on US hikes in 2026. Jesse and Mike value the stories that hikers tell and this podcast will help tell some of those stories as we meet most, if not all, of the 2026 cohort in the coming weeks. I encourage you all to fi...

Emily Manzon, or Tic Tac, is our guest this week. Emily was looking for an epic way to celebrate her 40th birthday this year, so the Appalachian Trail certainly checked that box. Along the way, Emily gained a respect for the trail and the impact it had upon her, using mantras to reflect her attitude along the way. Missing 200 miles partway through, she could have been content as a 2,000-miler, yet returned to the trail for a more solitary experience as she filled in those miles, heading south....

Tom Margaria, a retired FDNY firefighter, set out on January 1st from Key West to hike the 5700 mile Eastern Continental Trail. On the way, Tom met up with–and joined–the “Over the Hill Gang,” the group including Dave Santi, one of my Mighty Blue Class of 25 this year. Tom, a man of deep faith, would ask people he met along the way how he could pray for them. This kind request came with a variety of answers, though Tom always saw the positives. He made it to the end, and reflects upon his mamm...

We meet a young New Hampshire guy today who had never hiked in New Hampshire prior to his Appalachian Trail thru-hike this year. Galloway Johnson had dreamed about the AT for five years and made it a reality this year. He didn’t enjoy those early days, finding it tougher than he had imagined and carrying on almost to spite the trail!! But he made it to the end and came on the show to share his story, telling me that despite vowing never to hike again, he is considering the PCT next year. We h...

This is indeed the season for hearing from successful thru-hikers, and we have another one joining us today. Jennifer Cole, or Indy 5, was looking for a great adventure and a bit of independence. She certainly found both on the Appalachian Trail. She has been a stay-at-home-mother to five children over the years, and decided to hike the AT back in 2015, planning ahead ten years for the last of her children to graduate. True to her word, she hit the trail earlier this year and reached Katahdin a...

We’ve got a family of three on the show today, with Mike, Molli, and Kayla McCarthy sharing their own hiking story. I met Molli and Kayla on my 2014 thru-hike, and found them to be charming company. Mike had started with them but had to get off trail due to an injury, supporting them the rest of the way. For Kayla, it wasn’t the end of her long-distance hiking, with an aborted attempt through injury on the PCT the following year. She still hikes but is concentrating on her career right now. Mo...