Episode #441 - Florence Bradley (Fireflo)

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

Steve Adams

Sports, Wilderness

4.8 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 11 July 2024

⏱️ 99 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We have a retired firefighter on the show today. Florence Bradley had been wanting to hike the Appalachian Trail for some time, waiting until retirement to get to it. But it drew on all her resources as she got injured several times, even breaking a foot along the way.

She returned earlier this year, in an attempt to finish her last 300 miles in time to be able to record a 12-month AT hike.

You can see more of Florence on Facebook at Florence Bradley and on Instagram at Instagram (@ffireflo).

We meet three new members of our Mighty Blue Class of 2024 this week; Michael Gaasch, Anita Gschwendtner, and David Vose, aka No Rush the Elder, Moxie, and Professor Milkshake.

Each of them has shared links and a picture.

Michael: Michael Gaasch

Anita: Anita G on Snapchat

David: isn't into social media, but he shared this YouTube channel that he's featured in. Ben on the Trail. He's also happy to be emailed if you have any questions. He's at dave.vose@gmail.com

Our new book reading, Happy Hiking, by my friend, Emily Leonard is–of course–written from a woman's POV and a woman's voice. I hope you enjoy listening to my reading of it. If you'd like to buy the book, you can find it on Amazon at Happy Hiking: Falling in love on the Appalachian Trail, or on Emily's website, at Happy Hiking.

I used my hike in the UK on the South West Coast Path to help raise money for my absolute favorite charity, Parenting Matters, on whose board I've been privileged to serve for over a decade. You can learn more about the hike and the organization–and donate–by visiting Hike with Steve - Empowering Parents, One Step at a Time | Parenting Matters %. I hope you want to support this critical mission.

Don't forget. Our entire series of videos from our Woods Hole Weekend in 2022 is now FREE and available at my YouTube page at Woods Hole Weekend - Trailer. There, you'll find all sorts of tips and tricks that our guests took away from the weekend that helped them with their own hikes this year. Check it out.

I often ask listeners for ideas on who to interview, and I'm sure several of you say, "I could do that. I've got an awesome story to tell." You're the person we need to hear from. If you'd like to be interviewed on the podcast, just register as a guest on the link below, and I'll be in touch. Come on the show!

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 Hiking Radio Network.

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.

You can also support our shows by visiting our online "Merch" store. Check it out at HRN Trading Post, or click on the store button on our network website at Hiking Radio Network.

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

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

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 Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine.
0:34.8	Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. You're listening to Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail,
0:38.9	the ultimate midlife crisis, and I'm your host, Steve Adams, or Mighty Blue? Now, I know often
0:43.5	say it, but this is a really packed show this week, with our main interview, then three new
0:48.2	members of the Mighty Blue Class of 2024 fuel to meet, plus another chapter of Emily Leonard's book,
0:53.4	Happy Hiking. First up, we're going to
0:55.3	meet Florence Bradley or Fireflow, a very tough retired fire officer who had plenty to overcome
1:00.6	as she hiked the AT last year, finishing up this year within the 12-month window for a completed
1:05.5	through hike. Florence tells the story of resilience, which you could probably expect from a retired
1:10.1	firefighter.
1:12.3	Florence will be on in a moment.
1:18.4	Then we hear from Michael Garsh, who I'd hoped to introduce to you all last week, but I lost the recording.
1:23.1	Michael was a good sport about it and came back on for a second go round.
1:24.8	Happily, I didn't lose this one.
1:28.2	Then we're going to meet Anita Crentner, or Moxie,
1:32.9	another one of those awesome women on the trail who just embraced the entire experience.
1:38.5	Finally in the class of 2024 section, we'll meet David Vos or Professor Milkshake,
1:43.6	who's out there getting it done as a sabbatical from his job. Then we're going to get the next chapter from Emily's book,
1:45.0	so plenty to get into. Let's start off by meeting Florence Bradley or Fireflow.
1:52.8	Our guest today is a flip-flopper. This is Florence Bradley or Fireflow. Hey Florence, thanks
1:58.7	to coming on the podcast. Thank you so much. And I need to
	...

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