Episode #469 - Dr Lydia Kuhn (Tetris)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Steve Adams
4.8 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 30 January 2025
⏱️ 81 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Dr Lydia Kuhn joins us this week to talk about both her Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2020, and her CDT thru-hike last year, proving herself to be a "true badass."

She reminds us of the need to live your life on your terms, and not to be constrained by how others might want you to live your life.

Lydia also shares some information on wilderness medicine that we should all pay attention to. Check out the link below to learn more. Home

We hear again from Chris Casado of TSX Challenge, who gives us an update on some of the adventures that you could be having this summer. Check out their incredible group hikes at TSX Challenge - Guided Backpacking Trips to Mt. Whitney, Grand Canyon & Beyond, and save 10% at checkout by using the code MIGHTYBLUE.
Our 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 earlier this year on the South West Coast Path in the UK 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.
Additionally, you can "Zelle" me a donation to steve@hikingradionetwork.com. Or "Venmo" me at @‌Steve-Adams-105. They both work!
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, |
| 0:23.9 | joins Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine. |
| 0:33.5 | Hey guys, it's so good to be back with you all again, |
| 0:35.8 | and we've got another pet show for you this week. |
| 0:38.2 | You're listening to episode number 469 of Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, |
| 0:42.3 | the ultimate midlife crisis. |
| 0:43.9 | Our main guest today is another one of those extraordinary young women who I'm always raving about. |
| 0:50.7 | Her name is Dr Lydia Coon, and she was described to me by a listener Mark Alamong |
| 0:55.5 | who described her as a true badass. And as you're going to be hearing shortly, that is exactly |
| 1:00.9 | what she is. Lydia will be on in the moment. As you know, we've been running ads from our show |
| 1:05.8 | sponsor, TSX Challenge, for the past few weeks. So I thought it might be a good idea for the man |
| 1:10.1 | himself, Chris Casado, to come on the show |
| 1:12.4 | for a chat to update us on some of the exciting places these guys visit. |
| 1:16.2 | Chris will be on after Lydia. |
| 1:18.3 | Finally today, after both Lydia and Chris, in her book Happy Hiking, Emily starts hiking |
| 1:23.3 | with another of our previous guests on the podcast, Steve Vilsack, or Why Not? |
| 1:28.3 | They also meet the Cookie Lady together, another great ride of passage on the Appalachian Trail. |
| 1:33.5 | Now, just before we move on to meet Lydia, I've got some really exciting news to tell you all. |
| 1:40.2 | Hopefully you listened to the show last week, and you probably remember that David Kiboloski was our guest. |
| 1:45.8 | And we started an auction for the Smyconics book that David had bought from the Marcus McConaish radio show on Sirius XM. |
| 1:53.3 | I opened the bidding at $100 and of course I was hoping to spark enough interest to get the number up to $400. |
... |
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