meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis

Episode #498 - Brigid Bell (Purple Haze)

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

Steve Adams

Sports, Wilderness

4.8 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2025

⏱️ 75 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Brigid Bell set out on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail just two years ago, and had the most extraordinary encounter in the Smokies. That she lived to tell the tale–and continued her thru-hike–is testament to her resilience and the calmness she gained as a 911 dispatcher.

Brigid not only flourished on the trail, but she also grew a deep love for the community she found there, and wanted to give back, eventually finding her way into hostel ownership, at the excellent Weary Feet Hostel.

You can check out more of Brigid's story by reading the excellent Trek interview that initially sparked my interest, as well as Pat Stith's article. The links are below. A Woman Was Bitten by a Bear on the Appalachian Trail - The Trek and Bear Bait

You can follow Weary Feet Hostel on Facebook at Weary Feet Hostel | Bland VA , as well as visit their website at Home

Beth and Andrew have reached New York, only to find that the famed rocks of Pennsylvania didn't end at the New Jersey border. Andrew continues to feed his hunger voraciously, while Beth is mounting up the dinners she owes Andrew by falling too often! They've been visited by several friends, a feature of their hike.

Dave has made it into New Hampshire and has positioned himself perfectly, with a bunch of fellow hikers as they all prepare for the White Mountains. As you'll see below, the pictures are also getting even better.

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, 3821 Milflores Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573. 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 taught 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.

0:33.6

Hey everybody, nice to be back with you once more. This is episode number 498 of the Mighty Blue podcast, and I'm your host, Steve Adams, on Mighty Blue.

0:42.9

I hiked the trail twice in 2014 and 2019, and I've met so many hikers over the year, each with their own story of what happened to them.

0:51.3

So much so did I thought I may have lost my capacity to be surprised by

0:54.7

a hiker's story. Yet this week's main guest, Bridget Bell or Purple Hayes, shares what

0:59.6

happened to her one morning in the smokers. And it's something I've never been told about before.

1:04.5

Bridget is also a hostile owner, so she has a lot to tell us this week. In our Mighty Blue

1:09.9

Class of 2025 section, Beth and Andrew continue to eat their way up the East

1:14.0

coast, having left Pennsylvania behind only to discover that rocks don't stop at the Pennsylvania,

1:19.5

New Jersey border. They're in New York now and continue to be treated to searing temperatures,

1:24.6

loads of humidity followed by plenty of rain. We'll hear from the two of them after Bridget. Then Dave Santy has reached New Hampshire, and he's getting tighter with his tramney of older guys as they're about to hit the whites. Sound move, because there is definitely safety in numbers when you reach New Hampshire. And as a bit of an update to something I mentioned two weeks back, I've decided not to open a patron account.

1:46.5

Instead, I've started an account with Buy Me a Coffee, and I'm fleshing that out more and more

1:51.3

so that it will be ready to share with you all on my 500th episode in two weeks time.

1:55.8

Remember, for those of you currently donate through our donate button on our website, you don't

1:59.7

have to change anything.

2:01.0

I'll still make sure you get access to things I'm offering on buy me a coffee.

2:05.1

Anyway, that's nearly ready and as I say I'll be rolling it out in a couple of weeks.

2:09.6

By the way, I want to thank all of you who took the time and effort to write to me

2:13.7

about how you appreciated the way I handled last week's interview with Jim and Sarah

2:18.1

over the loss of their son Tristan. Those stories are never easy to tell and I worked hard

2:23.4

to do Tristan justice and I appreciate all your kind words. So now let's hear from Bridget Bell,

...

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.