Episode #525 - Tony Roddy (Silverback)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Steve Adams
4.8 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 22 January 2026
⏱️ 67 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Tony Roddy joins the podcast. Tony walked across America in 2015, vowing to do one of the long-distance American trails ten years later. His original choice was the CDT, but a last-minute change took him to the Appalachian Trail, where he relished his experience.

Tony used his time on the AT to raise funds for autism, an affliction close to home in his family. He also raised funds for the Make A Wish Foundation on his walk across America ten years ago.

You can see more of Tony on his YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xCmVyyYpxDw , a magazine article at https://vue-magazine.dcatalog.com/v/July-2025/?page=1, and his blog at https://vue-magazine.dcatalog.com/v/July-2025/?page=1 .

In our Hike the Good Hike cohort this week, Colby Park shares his story and his upcoming Colorado Trail thru-hike later in the year. He was self-deprecating about his YouTube channel in our conversation, but you can check it out here. https://youtube.com/@colbyonthetrail?si=CxewWH8BFNnJdzwg

Finally, the accountability blog continued my training and gear journey, with the major new item this week being a 5-pack of underpants!!
I used my hike in 2024 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.
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 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. |
| 0:33.3 | Hey guys, good to be back with you all again for episode number 525 of the Mighty Blue podcast. |
| 0:39.1 | Before we get into it though, I wanted to let you all know that I attended a podcasting conference |
| 0:43.7 | last week for three days and I came back home and fired up with ideas about how I could do things |
| 0:48.4 | with the podcast that I haven't done before. One of the things I considered was either adding |
| 0:53.0 | video to the show or maybe starting an entirely new show to run alongside this one. |
| 0:58.0 | What I have decided to do though is to be very intentional about my filming on the AT this year |
| 1:02.5 | by recording at certain iconic spots along the way. |
| 1:06.0 | I haven't totally tied down the type of things I want to record but I can't imagine a better backdrop for a hiking show than the Appalachian Trail itself. My thoughts on this and the content I can produce are still a bit muddled, though I expect to be firming some of these ideas up in the coming weeks. I thought you might want to know. The other thing that I've been thinking about is how I'm going to podcast out there this year. I already know actually how to do it, but I'm talking about what to record. People have already heard me walk in this trail and though I intend to still have the story of my journey, in keeping with my thought that this should be more about community, I'll be interviewing other hikers along the way to learn about their stories. I'm really looking forward to that part of my hike. But back to this week. Our main guest today is Tony Roddy or Silverbeck. |
| 1:48.4 | Tony undertook a walk across America in 2015 and vowed then to do one of the long-distance |
| 1:53.2 | trails 10 years later in 2025. Just weeks before heading out on the CDT last year, Tony changed |
| 1:59.4 | his mind and hit the 80. He's such a kind man and gave |
| 2:02.6 | his hike true purpose in raising funds for autism awareness. Tony will be on in a moment. Then our |
| 2:08.6 | Hike the Good Hike member this week is Colby Park, a veteran who's hitting the Colorado Trail later |
| 2:13.5 | in the year. He's a husband and a father who realises how much he needs a trail, |
| 2:18.0 | and I found him to be very open to my questions. Colby will be on after Tony. |
| 2:22.3 | Then bringing up the rear, my accountability blog once more. Thanks for those of you who have |
| 2:26.7 | reached out to me with suggestions and items I'm still unsure about. I'm ready to try anything |
| 2:31.0 | at this stage. So let's get to it and meet Tony Roddy or Silverback. |
| 2:38.3 | A previous guest on the show, Linda McAbee suggested today's guests, and I'm very grateful |
| 2:42.6 | that she did. |
... |
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.

