x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

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.

sports wilderness

All Episodes

01:16:26

Episode #382 - Nancy East

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/07/13

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 on the trail from a vet’s perspective. As somebody who know’s literally zero on the subject, I turned to my good buddy, ChaptGPT, to help me out with my questions that seemed to cover the subject pretty well. You can find more about Nancy’s rich hiking life and hiking achievements by visiting her website at https://www.hopeandfeathertravels.com/ We

en

01:37:22

Episode #381 - Kevin Kinne

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/07/06

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 Barrington. He also provides trail magic for hikers, forming firm friendships along the way. One such meeting resulted in a thru-hike of the JMT with the Suttons and their son, Harvey. You can follow along with their journey at Kevin’s YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTX1tw8B4M1VYKsfJnEH8GA If you’re inspired to volunteer for the

en

01:37:55

Episode #380 - Samantha Sharkey (Lemon Drop)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/06/29

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 George Steffanos’s “Then the Hail Came.” I met Samantha Sharkey at Trail Days this year and invited her to come on the show. She shares a deeply personal story and truly had a life-altering hike. That is an often hyperbolic statement, though not in Samantha’s case. You can see more of Samantha’s hike on her Instagram at

en

01:01:04

Episode #379 - Jillian Hitt (Buckets)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/06/22

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 life are on to share her story. Centrally, we hear from Jillian’s mother throughout the show, with contributions from her best friend Jessica Berringer and one of her hiking partners, Thomas Steiner, or Scatter. This is all intended to celebrate Jillian’s life and the legacy and imprint on the lives of people she knew. As you can see from the picture

en

01:49:04

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

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/06/15

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 thought this week, in the middle of June, would be as good a time as any to take stock. We hear the latest disappointments, as well as the wonderful moments that they have all experienced. In editing this, I was made more aware than ever of the fickle nature of the Appalachian Trail and its ability to still surprise me. If you'd like to find out more

en

01:38:58

Episode #377 - Spencer McKay (Warpzilla)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/06/08

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 told in his conversation with Steve this week. As an Eagle Scout, he always believed he’d hike the trail at some time during his life, but events of the previous winter pushed his timeline up considerably. You can see more of Spencer on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/warpzilla and if you’d like to read his book, Walk With You, you can find it on

en

01:32:40

Episode #376 - Mark Beno (Papa Dump)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/06/01

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 chose to flip flop, choosing an unusual plan by leaving from Damascus headed north in March, then flipping back to Damascus after summiting Katahdin and heading south. This was more than a bucket list item for Mark, and he appreciated the community he found himself in. You can follow Mark and David’s hike on Facebook at

en

59:46

Episode #375 - Al Marriott (Lookout)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/05/25

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.” Al Marriott is an adventurous guy, traveling worldwide to satisfy an urge to wander, recording his journeys via his YouTube account. His mind fell to the Appalachian Trail, and he set out to do it last year. Al is a natural storyteller and shares some poignant moments out there, particularly with his tramily, though an unpleasant encounter with a tree

en

01:36:55

Episode #374 - Kelly Jaworski (Birdie)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/05/18

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 on Facebook. She returned my invitation to the show a year later!! She had an excellent excuse, though; she was having a baby. Kelly came on the show and demonstrated that, even though we walk the same path, even when we hike with the same person, our perspective informs our story, and those perspectives are often so different. She doesn’t use

en

01:30:14

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

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/05/11

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 time but, in planning to go on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, they started dating just before they headed out on the trail. Despite putting their relationship on the line, they clearly worked it out, finishing just five months after starting South bound from Katahdin. Jana wrote a blog for the Trek, so you can check that out at

en

01:26:29

Episode #372 - Patch Leonard (Cold Brew)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/05/04

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 Trail thru-hike last year. He has grown up in Maine and New Hampshire, so hiking was more or less in his blood, yet the idea to hike the trail came after his mother blazed her way to Maine. You can follow Patch’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ColdbrewPatch, but first, savor this sight at the top of an empty Katahdin early in the morning on

en

01:32:20

Episode #371 - Zach Cross

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/04/27

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 Covid hit us, Zach weighed about 400lbs. His journey since then, aided by hiking and nature, has brought him to contemplating an epic undertaking. The simple act of committing to a daily hike up and down a mountain in Georgia speaks of his determination to not only feel better about himself, but also to inspire others, and that initially small actions

en

01:42:50

Episode #370 - Jim LePage (Grey Ghost)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/04/20

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 opportunity eventually opened, and he climbed straight through it. Jim talks about the importance of spousal support and was lucky enough to have his family either hiking with him or resupplying him. Overcoming doubts as to his ability to finish, Jim managed it to the end and returned home with his accomplishment secure. He owns a camp with a spectacular view

en

01:19:28

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

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/04/13

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 with Sweden and returned there to hike this lesser known trail. He was so enamored by the trail that he’s started a YouTube channel, a blog, and written a book about it. You can reach out to Bob directly at JonsDadHikes@gmail.com. He’ll be happy to hear from you and will try to help you if you consider hiking this Swedish trail. You can also find

en

01:21:33

Episode #368 - Kenneth Pararo (Moron)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/04/06

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 Kenneth, he was articulate, thoughtful, and a lot of fun. He’s an AT thru-hiker, though when he went for a second time, he took a rather different route. Why and how he did so is explained in our chat. Once you get past his intro to the podcast, you’ll hear more of his somewhat quirky personality come through. You can find the podcast here:

en

01:19:02

Episode #367 - Rachel Hadley-Leonard

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/03/30

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 to know more about her hike. She instantly pushed this trail up near the top of my bucket list for a possible future walk with my brother, Mike. Rachel is a podcaster with two shows. One is specifically about her own journey, while the other is the official podcast of the Path itself. You can check them out

en

01:33:58

Episode #366 - Matt Hengst (Masochist)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/03/23

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 gig. He’s got an extensive outdoor resumé, but it is his 2021 thru-hike of the Eastern Continental Trail that we focus on today. On the trail, Matthew edited videos before getting out of camp, and his whole attitude is one of calm enjoyment in solitude. You can follow him on his YouTube channel at

en

01:23:17

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

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/03/16

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 walked the full 2200 miles. Mike and Marla Hansen used their RV to assist Mike’s hike, working out a routine that would be attractive to many, I’m sure. Marla did a lot of the resupply, as well as hiking into some of the iconic spots on the trail and supported Mike’s dream throughout. Their method is a way of sharing the journey that certainly worked

en

01:31:36

Episode #364 - Mel Vogel

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/03/09

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 recreational use during Covid, Mel remained on or near the trail in the Yukon, eventually completing it in November 2022. During her hike, Mel touched the Atlantic, Pacific, and even the Arctic Ocean, finding kindness and friends along the way, as well as her new friend, Malo, a lost dog. Mel and Steve share a personal conversation that touches nerves

en

01:36:26

Episode #363 - Charlie Janssen (Kansas Express)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate... ·

2023/03/02

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 Triple Crown. He found out in 2022, and shares his story with us. Charlie’s thoughts eventually solidified and the planning began. His pragmatic approach and never-give-up attitude are clear in our conversation, yet this is still an epic adventure and one that so few people have managed to complete. Charlie is only the thirteenth to complete it. He has

en

504 results

Similar Podcasts

Keeping Karlsson Fantasy Hockey Podcast

Elan Dubrofsky and Brian Kom

Daily Fantasy Sports by Ship It Nation

Ship It Nation

Fantasy Football Today

CBS Sports, Fantasy Football, FFT, NFL,...

Bring The Pain

Heat00veride

ESPN SportsCenter Update

ESPN