Episode #35 - Byron Church (BC)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Steve Adams
4.8 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 18 May 2017
⏱️ 78 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Byron Church has had his sights set on the Appalachian Trail since he read Bill Bryson's book in High School, nearly two decades ago. Section by section, he has completed more than 2,000 miles of the trail and will be finishing this year. As all section hikers do, Byron has had to earn his hiking legs every year. He reached out to me to tell his story as he is soon to set out for his final leg later this year. You can follow Byron on his blog, earthandasphalt.com and contact him at earthandasphalt@gmail.com 
In this week's Fear and Loathing on the Appalachian Trail, I caught up again with Steve Walker, or Big Bird. Steve was forced off the trail last year and has returned to complete his mission. He's currently slogging his way through Pennsylvania's rock and you can hear that in his voice! Steve's has one of the more thorough video logs, so follow him on YouTube if you want to share his journey towards Katahdin. Attie had a big decision to make this week. She has struggled with homesickness and needed to take a week's break before she made up her mind what to do. Thanks to all for your support, via email, reviews or through my book sales. I'd also like to thank those of you who have signed up to be patrons on Patreon, though you'll notice that nothing has been debited from you. It was me; I messed up my Patreon entry. I'll be trying to resolve it soon. The joys of technology in your 60s!!
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis, joined Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine. |
| 0:26.6 | Hi and welcome back to the show if you're a regular listener and welcome to the show |
| 0:30.7 | if this is your first time. You're among friends so settle back and take a listen to a diverse |
| 0:35.5 | bunch you share one thing in common. |
| 0:41.5 | They all love hiking in general and the Appalachian Trail in particular. |
| 0:46.8 | This is episode number 35 and if it is your first time, where on earth have you been? |
| 0:51.9 | You want to go back to the archived episodes as I read a chapter from my two books on the trail and I'm already up to chapter four of my second book. |
| 0:55.8 | This week I'm interviewing Byron Church, somewhat unimaginatively named BC and he has had a long |
| 1:02.5 | association with the Appalachian Trail. Byron read Bill Bryson's book when he was at school |
| 1:07.7 | and this sparked a couple of decades' odyssey that has him, to say the |
| 1:11.9 | least, fired up by this year's section hike back on the trail. This is an important year for |
| 1:16.6 | Byron and I'm sure you'll enjoy his story. We're welcoming back Steve Walker or Big Bird this week |
| 1:23.5 | for our Fear and Loathing on the Appalachian Trail section |
| 1:29.3 | and this week's will cover |
| 1:31.2 | not only Steve's fears |
| 1:32.5 | but also his progress |
| 1:33.8 | on his return to the 80th this year |
| 1:35.6 | he's got some interesting comments |
| 1:37.9 | on the differences he found this year |
| 1:39.5 | against last year |
| 1:40.3 | by the way he's been on the |
| 1:42.3 | Pennsylvania rocks in the past week or so, |
... |
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