Susie McNeely decided as a young woman in 1979 that she would hike the Appalachian Trail with two of her closest friends. That trip had a lasting impact on her, as she went on to complete the Pacific Crest Trail in 1983, and then after retiring in 2016, the Continental Divide Trail which made her one of about 200 people to complete the triple crown of American hiking. Richard Judy, from Episode 1, is a longtime friend and hiking companion, and said of her strength on the trail: "When it comes to hiking, I would follow her into hell."