Episode #372 - Patch Leonard (Cold Brew)

05/04/23 • 86 min

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

We have Patch Leonard as our guest today. Patch is the son of Emily Leonard–a previous guest on the show–and he tells us of his own Appalachian Trail thru-hike last year.

He has grown up in Maine and New Hampshire, so hiking was more or less in his blood, yet the idea to hike the trail came after his mother blazed her way to Maine.

You can follow Patch’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ColdbrewPatch, but first, savor this sight at the top of an empty Katahdin early in the morning on Patch's Summit Day. Awesome.

Our three conversations with our Class of 23 were all very positive.

Betty McEnaney has to cope with an internal crisis, while Bryan Robbins starts, gets off trail to retire, then heads back out, while we hear from Mary Marks–with Wiley–from Virginia’s Triple Crown.

If you'd like to find out more about "Then The Hail Came," check out George's website at https://georgesteffanos.webador.com/. You can also find George's book on Amazon at this link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFG4ZR6

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We have Patch Leonard as our guest today. Patch is the son of Emily Leonard–a previous guest on the show–and he tells us of his own Appalachian Trail thru-hike last year.

He has grown up in Maine and New Hampshire, so hiking was more or less in his blood, yet the idea to hike the trail came after his mother blazed her way to Maine.

You can follow Patch’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ColdbrewPatch, but first, savor this sight at the top of an empty Katahdin early in the morning on Patch's Summit Day. Awesome.

Our three conversations with our Class of 23 were all very positive.

If you prefer NOT to use PayPal, you can now support us via check by mailing it to Mighty Blue Publishing, PO Box 6161, Sun City Center, FL 35751. Any support is gratefully received.

Previous Episode

Episode #371 - Zach Cross

Zach Cross is starting his NOBO thru-hike from Springer on May 1. That he is even attempting this hike is something of a miracle. Three years ago, as Covid hit us, Zach weighed about 400lbs. His journey since then, aided by hiking and nature, has brought him to contemplating an epic undertaking.

The simple act of committing to a daily hike up and down a mountain in Georgia speaks of his determination to not only feel better about himself, but also to inspire others, and that initially small actions can have such powerful repercussions.

You can follow Zach on his journey at https://instagram.com/hikingzach?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=, as well as on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@AT_Zach. You can hear his brief interview on CNN at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2g7jkLDd9c

Our Mighty Blue Class of 2023 is thinning out a little this week.

We say goodbye to Erin Conrad (and her Mom), and Sonny Blackwell, while Dale Shotkoski is still out there, lovin' his life.

As we say goodbye to Erin, here’s a pic of the two of them at the top of Springer.

If you prefer NOT to use PayPal, you can now support us via check by mailing it to Mighty Blue Publishing, PO Box 6161, Sun City Center, FL 35751. Any support is gratefully received.

You can also support our shows by visiting our online "Merch" store. Check it out at https://hrntradingpost.com/, or click on the store button on our network website at https://www.hikingradionetwork.com.

Next Episode

Episode #373 - Jana Giles & David Nelson (Ducky & Gravy)

We have a young couple as our guests this week; Jana Giles and David Nelson, otherwise known as Ducky and Gravy. They have known each other for some time but, in planning to go on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, they started dating just before they headed out on the trail.

Despite putting their relationship on the line, they clearly worked it out, finishing just five months after starting South bound from Katahdin.

Jana wrote a blog for the Trek, so you can check that out at http://thetrek.co/author/jana-giles

Our intrepid three from the Class of 23 are Steve Nota, who describes his encounter with the dreaded Norovirus, Joanne Flagg, who is gratefully through with Pennsylvania, and Dale Shotkoski, who puts some of Doctor Lynne’s advice to use.

If you prefer NOT to use PayPal, you can now support us via check by mailing it to Mighty Blue Publishing, PO Box 6161, Sun City Center, FL 35751. Any support is gratefully received.