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

Episode #521 - James Kinch (Firewalker)

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

Steve Adams

Sports, Wilderness

4.8599 Ratings

🗓️ 25 December 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The self-deprecating James Kinch is on the show today, claiming the title of the "Fattest Known Time" on the Appalachian Trail, having twice thru-hiked the trail, starting at well over 300lbs each time.

                       

James has published his journal of the hike, and he serves as an inspiration to those who convince themselves that they can't do this hike for many reasons, one of which is often their weight. James just got on with it and made it to Katahdin each time.

         

You can check out his book at Fat Man Walking: 330 Pounds and 2200 Miles on the Appalachian Trail and read his blog on Substack at Middle-class Homeless | James Kinch | Substack.

       

This week on my accountability blog, I log further physical and gear progress as the year draws to a close.

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 .

Additionally, you can join our membership at Steve (Mighty Blue) Adams. It's worth checking out what is on offer for you there.

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

0:33.9

Hey guys, welcome back to episode number 521 of the Mighty Blue Podcast, and if you happen to be listening

0:39.2

on the day, the episode has released a very Merry Christmas to you all.

0:43.1

Given that it is Christmas, this episode will be a little shorter than some previous ones.

0:47.5

The main reason for that is that my intended middle section was to be an interview with somebody,

0:52.6

which we'll hear about in the accountability blog, but I totally up the arrangements on that so that conversation is going to have to

0:58.1

wait for a week. Once these short gear segments are done I'll be introducing the Hight the Good

1:03.0

Hike cohort for next year and we'll probably be starting these in the middle of January.

1:07.2

I've already interviewed two of them and I'm happy with how those conversations panned out.

1:12.2

Today we've got a guy who claims that he holds the fattest known time on the Appalachian Trail

1:16.6

with two through hikes to his name, starting each, weighing in at well over £300.

1:22.1

His determination is inspiring so I think you're going to enjoy hearing from James Kinch or Firewalker.

1:27.3

After we've heard from James, given that I screwed up the middle section, my accountability blog

1:31.7

will round out this week's show, with my preparations well ahead of schedule for my March start.

1:37.0

But for now, let's meet this week's guest, James Kinch.

1:39.8

I shall let you know that we had some difficulty with James's voice this week, but I've tweaked

1:43.5

the volume and it's turned out okay. Here's James.

1:49.7

Today, we've got a big guy on the podcast. This is James Kinch. Hey, James. Thanks for coming on the podcast.

1:55.9

Thanks for having me, Steve. And I'm not being rude referring to you as a big guy, because, am I? Because the book you published after two Appalachian Trail through hikes

2:06.2

is called Fat Man Walking 330 pounds and 2200 miles on the Appalachian Trail. That is a big guy.

2:12.3

I think you'll agree. That's right. And that covers my daily journal written on the trail during my second through hike.

...

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