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

Episode #473 - JC Van Etten (Catmando) Triple Crowner

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

Steve Adams

Sports, Wilderness

4.8 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2025

⏱️ 90 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

JC Van Etten, or Catmando returns to the show. We first met him on the Appalachian Trail a few years ago, I seem to have missed him on the PCT, but caught up with him again after his Continental Divide Trail thru-hike last year to complete his Triple Crown.

Cat is a great raconteur, sharing plenty of advice through our conversation, as well as recording some of the epic sights he was able to see out on the CDT.

One of those epic sights was a chance encounter with four grizzly bears which, startlingly, Cat decided to capture with his iPhone. Here's the link.

Dave Santi and I talked again, this time invoking our Desert Island Discs take-off, with Dave's choices of music that evoke memories for him.

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 last 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, joins Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine.

0:34.1

Hey guys, good to be back with you again. This is episode number 473 of the Mighty Blue podcast,

0:39.6

and I'm Mighty Blue or Steve Adams. I'm putting out two episodes this week, or at least putting together two episodes,

0:45.4

with one going out on February the 27th and the other one next week on March the 6th.

0:50.2

Welcome to you back in the UK for my younger brother's 70th birthday. It absolutely blows

0:55.6

my mind that my kid brother is 70. Obviously I didn't want to miss it so I'm working at getting

1:00.4

these two shows out so that we don't miss a beat. Today we've got an old friend back on the show.

1:05.6

Last year seemed to have been a big year for hikers completing their triple crown, most often

1:09.9

out on the CDT.

1:11.5

We had out Marriott a few weeks ago doing just that. And today, J.C. Van Etton or

1:16.0

Cap Mendo returns to the show to share his latest epic adventure. When I say epic, just click on

1:21.9

a link in the show notes when he's charged by four grizzly bears. The fact that he has the presence of mind to turn on his camera,

1:30.9

just blows my mind.

1:32.4

Cat will be on in a moment.

1:34.6

After Cat, one of our Moneyblue Class of 2025 members, Dave Santee, returns.

1:39.1

This time in my version of a long-running British radio show, Desert Island Discs.

1:44.4

I'll explain what it's about in the interview, but we had a lot of fun putting it together,

1:47.8

so we're going to repeat the idea with Beth in a couple of weeks' time when we hear about her prep for the trail.

1:53.0

Dave will be on after Cat.

1:54.7

Then Emily crosses over the border into Maine with the Mahusik Notch an immediate target,

1:59.6

and Kataden already in her thoughts.

...

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