Episode #494 - The End and Epilogue on the Camino de Santiago
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Release Date: 06/19/2025
Episode #515 - Jennifer Cole (Indy 5)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
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 at the end of September. You can see more of Jennifer’s on-trail photos on Instagram at and on...
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Episode #514 - Mike, Molli, and Kayla McCarthy (Blue Pére, Bad Camel, and Popeye)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
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. Molli and Mike also successfully completed the Camino this year, albeit a few months prior to my...
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Episode #513 - Lisa Laidlow (High Viz)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Lisa Laidlow came to the trail when she became an empty-nester. She had always been an outdoor girl–often along with her father–yet it was only fairly recently that she returned to hiking and discovered the idea of a thru-hike. As a black woman on the trail, she was embraced by hikers, though had a few uncomfortable encounters along the way. Despite these rare occasions, Lisa is a strong advocate of getting people of whatever color into the woods and on trails. You can follow Lisa on various social media platforms; on Facebook at , on Instagram at , and on her YouTube channel...
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Episode #512 - James Dalberto (Nomad)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
James Dalberto, or Nomad, joins the podcast today. James has been an RV'er for the past few years, earning a living as a “starving artist” (his words) all over the country. This year, he decided to mix it up a bit and headed out onto the Appalachian Trail for a thru-hike. On the way, he fell back in love with the hiking community he discovered last year, and even found time to provide his fellow hikers with some trail magic of his own. You should check out James’s work on his Etsy site, at and on Facebook at and . I used my hike last year on the South West Coast Path...
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Episode #511 - The ALDHA Gathering - October 2025
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Very limited notes this month, mainly because I'm away and rushing to get this out on Wednesday evening!! It was an honor to be chosen to present the Saturday evening keynote speech at ALDHA last weekend. I picked my own guests–and subjects–and the event was not only well-attended but also well-received. First up was Mills Kelly, the well-known AT historian and podcast host of the Green Tunnel. Mills shared a story of how close we came to losing our beloved AT shelters back in the 70s. After Mills, Casey Huffman, or Vegas, exemplified community on trail in his own distinctive,...
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Episode #510 - Ken Posner (Barefoot Ken)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
We meet an unusual hiker this week. Ken Posner has been a long-distance runner and hiker over the years, yet he has gradually morphed into a barefoot runner and hiker. Ken and I discuss this–to me–bizarre footwear choice, and he makes a compelling case for the advantages of barefoot walking. Ken has also taken on the fascinating project of “The Grid” in New York’s Catskill Mountains, whereby he hikes each of over 30 mountains in every month of the year. This entails over 400 ascents, and the ability to see those mountains in changing weather and terrain as the year develops. Ken...
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Episode #509 - Chrissy and Ady Schubert
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Chrissy Schubert and her daughter Ady will be attempting a 250-mile section of the Appalachian Trail next year. No big deal, you may think. Think again. Ady is afflicted by profound autism, communicates through writing, and has a heart as big as the trail itself. The adversity that Ady and her family have overcome during her earlier years has strengthened their faith and helped so many others along the way. These links each tell a short story or speak to the way in which Ady is triumphing in life as she faces her teenage years. It is worth checking them all out. I used my hike last year...
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Episode #508 - Woods Hole Weekend 2025
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
This week, we have a little change of pace. I attended the Woods Hole weekend last week as a presenter, and I came away with friendships, more knowledge, and a decent amount of humble pie as I savored the experience. My Dana came with me and experienced a little of what I experience on trail. She hiked into our campsite at Dismal Falls, then camped for her first ever night in a tent in the woods, before hiking back out the following morning. Our sessions at Woods Hole were informative, and we found a bunch of people ready to learn, to share, and to listen. We’re all lucky to be part of...
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Episode #507 - Glenn Sweitzer (Wanderer)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Glenn Sweitzer, designer and filmmaker, is our guest today. Glenn’s fascinating back story takes in working with Disney, designing artwork for Tim McGraw and others, then telling stories through film, before ending up on the Appalachian Trail, discovering and sharing stories along the way. Glenn is a natural raconteur with an eye for detail, and has produced an award-winning Appalachian Trail movie, Trail Mix, that is very evocative of my time out on trail, so there should be plenty for you all to enjoy as he hikes the trail and meets other storytellers along the way. Check out the trailer...
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Episode #506 - Sandra Katerina Schmelzer Alvarez (Peaches)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Sandra Katerina Schmelzer Alvarez, or Peaches, completed her Appalachian Trail thru-hike last month. She is a single mother who managed her autistic son’s reaction to her hike by preparing him for a year before she left. The hike allowed her to see herself as not just a mother, embracing the hiking community and returning home to her son, Nico, with a new perspective on life and motherhood. You can follow Sandra and see plenty of her thru-hike photographs on Facebook at . Additionally, check out the MeetUp she referred to for backpacking trips and tuition at . Beth and Andrew are...
info_outlineThis is it; the final days on my Camino trip in Spain. We cover the final four days, as well as interviews with Dave, plus Beth and Andrew from the Appalachian Trail. Next week, we'll be back to normal!
