Episode #442 - Linda McAbee (Castaway)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Steve Adams
4.8 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 18 July 2024
⏱️ 102 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We have another packed show today, with an interview that is quite unlike any I have ever done before. Linda McAbee wrote to me and told me her own harrowing story that, fortunately, worked out in the end, though it could have taken a far worse turn.
Despite that outcome, her story is a salutary lesson in the dangers of being in the woods with no means of navigation. I'm sure she'll be fully prepped on her upcoming hike on the Buckeye Trail.
At the same time, Linda's ordeal proved her perseverance and determination, both qualities required for a successful hike.
We also caught up with three members of the Mighty Blue Class of 2024, with new member, Sondra Lee (Lemonade) introducing herself, along with catch ups with Bobby Campbell (Sloggy Hikes), and Michael Gaasch (No Rush the Elder).
I'll be playing a notice inviting people to the ALDHA Gathering this coming October in Abingdon, VA. If you'd like to register at the discounted price before August 15, go to Events
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 recent 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.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | You are listening to the Hiking Radio Network, where we taught the walk with shows by hikers |
| 0:05.3 | about hikers for everybody. |
| 0:19.3 | Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis, joins Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine. |
| 0:34.1 | Hey guys, it's good to be back again. You're listening to Mighty Blue in the Appatchen Trial |
| 0:38.0 | the ultimate midlife crisis and I'm your host, Steve Adams and Mighty Blue. Making a rod for my |
| 0:43.1 | own back, we have another long show this week with four, count of four interviews, as well as |
| 0:49.5 | the next chapter of Emily Leonard's book, Happy Hiking. Our main guest this week is a story that, well, you're going to be hard-pressed to believe. |
| 0:58.0 | I was shocked when Linda McAbee wrote to me and told me what had happened to her |
| 1:01.8 | just a few days into her 80 hike. |
| 1:05.0 | In fact, I'd never heard of this story and imagined it would be a cautionary tale for many of you, |
| 1:10.1 | but in the end it turns into |
| 1:11.2 | a story of perseverance with a never-give-up attitude that was pretty inspiring. We'll hear from |
| 1:16.0 | Linda in a moment. After Linda, we're going to catch up with three of our Mighty Blue Class |
| 1:20.5 | of 2024 members. We made a new member today, Sandra Lee, then catch up with Bobby Campbell and |
| 1:25.6 | Michael Garsh. But before we get into any of this, |
| 1:28.7 | I wanted to share something with you all. You may recall a couple of years ago, in fact, about |
| 1:35.0 | two months before I summited Mount Whitney, I ended up in hospital after my heart rate shut up |
| 1:40.4 | to 175 for no apparent reason. Well, a night in a hospital, a nuclear stress test and a |
| 1:46.7 | huge bill sold nothing. I was left to hope that it was just a one-off. Then on about day six or seven of |
| 1:53.9 | my hike in the UK, exactly the same thing happened. This time I was on trail, I took off my pack |
| 1:59.9 | and waited it out for 30 minutes or so. |
| 2:02.6 | When nothing happened, I adopted my normal philosophy and just got on with it, slinging my pack |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Steve Adams, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Steve Adams and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.