You are listening to the Hiking Radio Network where we talk the walk with shows by hikers about hikers for everybody. Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis,

joins Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine.

Hi, thanks for coming back again to Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail,

and I'm recording this from a place called Surplus Pond in Maine.

It's about 7 o'clock at night.

The sun's gone down behind the mountain.

You can hear ball frogs every now and then, sometimes way too close and noisy.

But it's a very atmospheric place to be. Obviously, I'm hoping to see some moose.

And if I do, I'll probably interrupt recording and take a picture. But this is a glorious evening, quiet, as I say, very, very atmospheric.

We're in Maine now.

And I want to tell you the story about the last three days,

or actually the days before this one, there's a bullfrog.

The day number 158.

Day number 158.

US Route 2, which is in Gorham, mile 8, sorry, 1893.7 to Jension Pond Shelter,

mile 905.5, an 11.8 mile day. And my first day back after spending three days with Gary and Kathy, I came back, I took

three zeros, and I came back kind of confident that I was feeling better.

And frankly, I think I probably overdid it and should have taken a fourth day but that's

kind of the way it goes. Gary and, as I say Gary and Kathy took me back and there were hugs all

round when we finished and not when we finished when they dropped me off and they were so darn

kind. I know I said it last time but really, you know, this is real trail magic.

And I love spending time with them, and I thoroughly enjoyed just getting better.

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