Episode #70 - Jack Masters (Vagabond Jack)
Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis
Steve Adams
4.8 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 18 January 2018
⏱️ 71 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jack Masters is a member of the Class of 2018. While he's been interested in the possibility of hiking the appalachian Trail, a year ago it didn't seem likely. But life changes, and Jack has had a tumultuous year. Despite this, he has taken control of and redirected his life and, in a couple of short weeks, Vagabond Jack will be testing himself once more. He even decided to travel and hitched his wagon to hit the road.
I met Jack as a listener to my show. We emailed back and forth and he eventually decided to join the Fat Guys, and Gals, Back in the Woods. I took to him instantly and we became friends. Despite this experience (as opposed to because of it), Jack announced to ur group that a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail was in his future. This picture was taken on our hike together.
I hope that you all follow Jack on his journey. You can find his blog on Trail Journals and you can also reach him on Facebook.
Doctor Lynne has plenty of good advice on how to look after orthopedic injuries, with me, once again, providing the idiot questions.
Don't forget to follow our other show, Returning to Katahdin, with Bruce Matson. Bruce is also getting near the start of his adventure and this week we discuss his winter gear.
I'm so pleased that Trailtopia have continued to support the show, signing up for a further six months. I hope that you nsupport them and, in doing so, you'll be supporting me.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis, joined Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine. |
| 0:25.9 | Hi again and welcome back once more to Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, sponsored by our |
| 0:32.4 | friends at Trautopia. We're up to episode number 70 and this one was a bit special for me because I'm |
| 0:39.4 | interviewing a listener and somebody I never expected to meet. This guy is Jack Masters and he has a |
| 0:45.3 | really special story to tell and I'm sure that it's a story that will resonate with many of you. |
| 0:51.0 | Now I don't know if you recall but I had a guest on an early show called John O'Shea, |
| 0:55.6 | otherwise known as Skeezix. |
| 0:58.4 | John challenged me to come and join his mates in the Fat Guys Back in the Woods expedition |
| 1:02.4 | this last July. |
| 1:04.0 | I took him up on the challenge from my first visit back to the AT since I completed my |
| 1:07.8 | through hike in 2014. |
| 1:10.0 | John also threw out the challenge to listeners of the show |
| 1:12.4 | and Jack Masters wrote to me, actually about something completely different. As these things go, Jack and I |
| 1:18.4 | went back and forth via email and he ended up on our Fat Guys trip. So this show introduced me to somebody |
| 1:24.3 | who I now regard as a friend and my friend Jack will be on in a moment. |
| 1:30.0 | Dr Lynne is running out of ailments to scare you with but she does have a few more. |
| 1:35.0 | This week she's talking to us about orthopaedic injuries. As you'll hear I was yet again |
| 1:40.3 | completely clueless. Lynn will be on after Jack. But before we get on to those, |
| 1:46.6 | I think it's time for lunch, don't you? How about those days when you've struggled through the |
| 1:51.6 | morning, probably got 10 miles under your belt, and breakfast is a distant memory. It's lunchtime, |
| 1:58.0 | and yep, you could always have your full snickers of the day for yet another sugar rush. |
| 2:02.2 | But, sitting there in an empty shelter protected from the bit of wind, |
... |
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