This week, our guest, Samuel Crisp, is another of the Class of 2022 thru-hikers. His mature approach to the trail, his understanding and treatment of his injuries, and his intentional reflections, make for a fascinating conversation.

Sam was lucky enough to summit Katahdin with his mother; indeed, he summoned up that image to keep him motivated on the trail when the going got tough.

To see more of Sam, you can watch his hike through his vlog at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZuwzNRxP0Q&t=3s

Our latest member of the Mighty Blue Class of 2023 is Mark Carpenter, a retired firefighter, whose real concern is facing the prospect of extended separation from his wife. For many, missing family is a real test, yet it is one of many aspects of a thru-hike that we all have to face out there.

I got a message from one of our guests from the past; Stephanie "Sunshine" Lorenze. She hopes that the Mighty Blue family can help her YouTube channel move up a level by subscribing to it. She did the PCT in 2022, so subscribe if you'd like to watch her stories. https://www.youtube.com/@sunshineshikingandadventur9932/featured

While I can't promise it will be ready when you read these notes, our "merch" store is projected to be open this week. You should be able to find it at https://hrntradingpost.com/. I hope you find something there that you like!

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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