Episode #217 - Sarah Jones Decker (Harvest)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Steve Adams
4.8 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 7 May 2020
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, we have a book theme in the show, with a giveaway of six signed books. The principal guest is Sarah Jones Decker, or Harvest, who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2008, but that wasn't the primary reason that we have Sarah as a guest. She has photographed and written about all the AT shelters in a beautiful book that evokes all the memories we share at those often rundown places.
You can connect with Sarah and buy a signed copy of her book at https://www.sarahjonesdecker.com/
Sarah's question as part of our six-book giveaway contest is: What is the largest non-hut shelter on the AT?
Bruce Matson also came back to the show to talk about the three books that he has written since his thru-hike. You can find his books on Amazon at this link. https://amzn.to/3ccmmrU
Bruce's question is: In which town do participants in the Curly Maple Pizza Challenge purchase the beer and pizza necessary to complete the challenge?
I've added my two signed books about my 2014 thru-hike and my question is: What shelter has the highest elevation on the trail?
Answer ALL THREE questions correctly, email your answers to me at steve@mightyblueontheat.com, and you'll be entered into a draw for ALL SIX signed books. Best of luck.
Finally today, Grandma Gatewood faces a storm in both her personal and hiking lives. She also teaches us a lesson that was being learned the hard way, for some, in the 1950s.
If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. The donate button is on the Mighty Blue podcast page at https://mightyblueontheat.com/the-podcast/
Any support is gratefully received.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You are listening to the Hiking Radio Network, where we talk the walk with shows by hikers |
| 0:05.3 | about hikers for everybody. Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis, joined Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine. |
| 0:34.8 | Hi guys, and it is lovely that you've chosen to come back and support the show. |
| 0:39.3 | I am constantly surprised how many people will listen every week. |
| 0:43.1 | This is Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis, |
| 0:46.6 | and I, for my sins are Mighty Blue, a two-time Appalachian Trail through hiker in my 60s, |
| 0:51.5 | a time in my life when you think I should have known better. |
| 0:54.9 | As most of you know, we have guests on the show. We've also done the AT in part or in all, |
| 0:59.3 | as well as other long-distance trails. This week's episode is a little bit different to our |
| 1:03.7 | usual stuff, with the book theme running right through it. Both of our guests have completed |
| 1:07.9 | the trail and both have written books. If you stick around and listen closely, you'll hear that we have a giveaway later in the show, |
| 1:13.7 | so pay attention. |
| 1:15.5 | Our first guest today, Sarah Jones Decker, or Harvest, |
| 1:18.9 | hiked the trail in 2008, but it was her multi-day section hikes a couple of years ago |
| 1:23.2 | that most interested me. |
| 1:25.2 | Sarah is a photographer and chose a project that, frankly, I'd never |
| 1:29.3 | even consider would be a thing. But she produced a beautiful book about the shelters on the AT with |
| 1:35.3 | all sorts of details and stunning pictures of shelters. Believe me, when you see this book, |
| 1:40.3 | especially if you've ever camped at one of these shelters, you will be immediately |
| 1:44.3 | taken back there. It's really fascinating. Sarah will be long in a moment. Bruce Mattson, |
| 1:50.4 | who hiked in 2018, did a podcast with me, returning to Catardin. In it, we detailed Bruce's, |
| 1:56.2 | let's say, intense preparation and his hike, with weekly reports that tell a great story of a |
... |
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