Episode #404 - Mary Wilson (Shades)

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis

Steve Adams

Sports, Wilderness

4.8 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 14 December 2023

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mary Wilson is our guest this week and, when you know that her trail name is Shades, the blind hiker, you'll understand what an extraordinary endeavor she took on attempting a thru-hike in 2023. Mary is overwhelmingly positive and looks to the reasons why she can do a thru-hike as opposed to the reasons why, perhaps, she shouldn't.

Family circumstances took her off the trail after more than 600 miles, yet she has pledged to return in 2024 to get the job done. She's a remarkable woman.

You can follow some of Mary's journey on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075877519390 and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shadesblindhiker/

Jessica is within spitting distance of the end of her own epic journey, with just 100 miles to go, expecting to reach her goal two days before Christmas.

If you'd like to find out more about "Then The Hail Came," check out George's website at https://georgesteffanos.webador.com/. You can also find George's book on Amazon at this link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFG4ZR6

If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, and want to see our shows continue, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. You'll find the donate button on each Hiking Radio Network page at https://www.hikingradionetwork.com

If you prefer NOT to use PayPal, you can now support us via check by mailing it to Mighty Blue Publishing, PO Box 6161, Sun City Center, FL 35751. Any support is gratefully received.

If you'd like to take advantage of my book offer (all three of my printed hiking books–with a personal message and signed by me–for $31, including postage to the United States) send a check payable to Mighty Blue Publishing at the address just above.

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, joins Steve and his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine.
0:33.4	Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. You're listening to Mighty Blue in the Appalachian Trail,
0:37.7	the ultimate midlife crisis and I'm your host, Steve Mighty Blue Adams. One of my hiking friends
0:43.7	from my 2014 through hike, Molly McCarthy, who had, by the way, an epic trail name of Bad Camel,
0:50.2	Molly suggested I reach out to interview today's guest. I made contact with Mary Wilson prior to her setting out on her through hike this year.
0:58.3	We arranged to talk again when she was done.
1:00.6	And as you're going to hear, there are plenty reasons why Mary shouldn't have been doing a through hike,
1:04.8	but Mary concentrated on all the reasons to do a through hike.
1:08.7	We're going to be hearing from Mary in a moment.
1:11.2	Then we'll catch up with Jessica Lang Wright as she closes in on Harpers Ferry and the end of our own nine-month trek that's broader to within 100 miles from Harbors.
1:20.9	Then George Tophon reaches back to State Park as he gets ready to summit Catan after his epic through exactly 40 years ago in 1983.
1:29.6	So let's get on and meet the remarkable Mary Wilson or Shades.
1:35.9	My friend Molly McCarthy suggested today's guest.
1:39.3	Her name is Mary Wilson, a trial name is Shades.
1:43.2	Hey Mary, thanks for coming on the podcast.
1:45.5	Thank you so much for having me. It's a delight to be here today.
1:48.8	Well, I hope it is. We'll see how this works out. Now, you're called Shades for a reason.
1:55.4	You're visually impaired. What does that expression actually mean? And on a scale, where do you sit in the progression of that impairment?
2:04.4	Sure. So if you've got fully cited somebody that's 2020 on the left hand side, and then you've got somebody that's totally blind on the right hand side with zero light perception, no ability to see shadow shapes or anything like that.
2:20.4	Those are your two ends of the spectrums.
2:22.9	And for me, I used to be all the way at that left end
	...

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