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

01:12:44

Episode #342 - Hunter Rud (Hunter)

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

2022/10/06

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. But, like many others before him, he became more absorbed by the prospect of hiking it the more he researched. It wasn't all sunshine and roses for Hunter when he was out there this year, yet the support and encouragement he received from his entire family–including the latest weather forecasts from his uncle–got him to his Katahdin moment. You'll be

01:07:08

Episode #341 - Julieann Hartley (Squirt)

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

2022/09/29

Julieann Hartley is today's guest. She hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2015 and transformed her life. She articulates this so beautifully in our conversation, and you may be a little confused about why we laugh so much while discussing difficult topics. Yet her positivity is what pulled her through both the hike and her subsequent life. Check her out at Instagram and TikTok, and even on Spotify at the links below. https://www.instagram.com/missjulieannmusic/

01:06:08

Episode #340 - TSX Challenge (Part 2)

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

2022/09/22

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. As many of you know, I've often spoken of my inability to hike at altitude. In this hike, I discovered that it was more about my attitude than the altitude. We covered the first three days of the hike last week. Today, we've got contributions from other hikers, as well as my own experience of those last five days. It was epic!! You can learn more

01:01:14

Episode #339 - TSX Challenge (Part 1)

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

2022/09/15

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 it is to hike in such a wilderness and, on my return, I was eager to share it with you all. I rarely start editing until the day before my podcast is due to be published, but I've been thinking about this one for the past three days and trying to marshal my thoughts as best I can. What you'll hear are my honest reflections of the hike as well as

Episode #338 - Clay Bonnyman-Evans (Pony)

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

2022/09/08

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"