Episode #545 - Days 45-48 Appalachian Trail 2026

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

Steve Adams

Sports, Wilderness

4.8 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2026

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Early seven weeks in and a weakness is appearing. My feet are starting to get to me everyday, with my boots clearly too small and my toes all getting bruised as a result. I hope to be able to resolve the issue with a new pair of size 15s by Trail Days, next week.

My days are getting into the 16 mile realm, with two consecutive days at that mark.

Along the way I interviewed Loretta and Morgan Dewey, as well as Kyla Wing.

I'm using Polarsteps to record my AT thru-hike this year. If you'd like to follow my progress between episodes, as well as photos of my journey, please go to https://www.polarsteps.com/mightyblue and click on the follow button.

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
0:06.5	about hikers for everybody.
0:08.5	Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail,
0:22.3	the ultimate midlife crisis,
0:24.8	joins Stephen his guests every week
0:27.2	as he staggers from Georgia to Maine.
0:34.9	Thank you so much for coming back to the podcast.
0:39.3	You're listening to Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail,
0:45.0	and I am Marty Blue, and I am on the Appalachian Trail. I'm coming up on seven weeks on trial now,
0:50.3	and I really only have one issue that might give me problems. My fate have been bothering me lately,
0:54.2	yet I've been learning to live with them, but I fear that I need to address this issue before it gets much worse. Other than that, I continue to have a blast with the feeling
0:58.9	that I'm getting stronger all the time and improving as a hiker. I've noticed in the last few
1:03.6	days that there are less people around and I wonder if there's a bubble behind me, a bubble in front
1:07.9	of me, I'm currently without a bubble. Nonetheless, it's going to be
1:12.5	trail days next week and I'll be meeting a lot of people who I've met already along the way,
1:17.5	as well as Dave Santee and his friends who are going to pick me up in about 50 miles time and
1:22.4	bring me back to Damascus. But before we hear our other week has gone, let's have a quick word
1:26.8	from our sponsor, Polo Steps. If you're heading out on a long hike this year, which I am, I've got something I think you're going to love. It's called Polar Steps. It's a travel tracking app that's going to become a favourite with hikers. You set your start date, let it run quietly in the background, and it maps your entire journey automatically, all on your own beautiful spinning 3D globe.
1:46.0	And don't worry, the tracking feature uses about 4% of your battery on a single charge,
1:50.3	so it's not going to kill your phone when you're out there.
1:52.7	You can have photos and short journal entries as you go, so your map shows you where you were
1:56.8	and your words remind you of what that day actually felt like.
	...

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