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

Michael Duncan completed his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2017. Since the time he touched the brown sign on the top of Katahdin, the sadness of that moment has never left him. By that, he means that he knew his journey was over and he has yearned for that feeling again.

He has always been comfortable in the outdoors, with the AT a target for several years. He prepared assiduously, watching YouTube videos of Dixie and Darwin to work out the logistics of thru-hiking, then finding a buddy, Austin, to start the trail with. As every hiker discovers, relationships are fluid on the trail and when his buddy had to quit, Michael saw it as an opportunity to discover more about himself as a hiker, finding a new "tramily" in the process.

You can follow Michael through his Instagram account at adventureswithduncan.

We also met another young man–a member of the Mighty Blue Class of 2019–Matthew Ansart. Matthew possesses a strong streak of determination to complete his hike and I'm looking forward to catching up with him on the trail next year.

Finally, we'll finish with a shot of Michael and his girlfriend (now wife), Cameron, together at the top of Katahdin.

I interviewed Dave Paumen at 5:30 in the morning as he was about to enter the 100 Mile Wilderness. I was struck by his calm intelligence and his story. A Vietnam Veteran, he had demonstrated a cold-eyed determination in his life and brought that personality trait to the trail. He had been injured in his first attempt in 2017 but returned to complete his hike this year.

Dave's solid common sense shines through in both the interview and his journals of the two, linked hikes.

Read the journals at http://trailjournals.com/davepaumen17 and

http://trailjournals.com/davepaumen18

Our Mighty Blue Class of 2019 continued with the introduction of an experienced hiker, Tina Dunaway. Tina has had the AT on her bucket list for several years and is ready to get at it. We'll be checking in with Tina from time to time while we're both on the trail.

Let's finish with the triumphant Dave at the top of Mt Katahdin.

As I'll be hiking the AT myself in 2019, I won't be able to follow one hiker as closely as I did with Jessa in 2017 and Bruce this year in the Returning to Katahdin podcast. So, in an effort to still follow some of these adventurers, I'm starting a new series of five interviews with members of this incoming class. The segment will normally support the main interview, but this we have a full interview with Nate Ferguson as the first member of the Class of 2019.

Nate and I are fellow, members of the Fat Guys, and Gals, Back in the Woods hiking group. What originally started out as a ten- to fifteen-minute chat turned into a full-on interview and I thought it would be a great way to introduce the new series.

Nate is fun to be around on a hike and, along with the other members who we'll be featuring, I hope to be able to get some of their early–and perhaps later–thoughts on the trail once their hikes get underway.

Dan Wowak is back with what he refers to as the four critical survival priorities in the wilderness. As before, his clear guidance is really worth listening to. If you'd like to contact Dan for further information or tips, reach out to him at [email protected]

You can also check out his YouTube channel under Coalcracker Bushcraft or click on this link.

Darwin is a relatively new thru-hiker, having hit and completed the Appalachian Trail in 2015. Yet his YouTube channel is hugely popular, with over 135,000 subscribers at the time of writing. His articulate, information-laden content is of great help to hikers old and new.

Darwin and his wife, Snuggles, sold most of their belongings in 2014 and radically altered their lifestyle, preferring to travel constantly as they had adventures. While the two of them shared the Appalachian Trail thru-hike, for Snuggles it was a "one and done" deal. So now, with Darwin on various trails, Snuggles writes and takes the occasional road trip.

You can connect with Darwin in several different ways.

He's on Facebook at http://facebook.com/darwin.onthetrail, on Instagram at http://instagram.com/darwin_onthetrail, while his YouTube channel can be found at http://youtube.com/darwinonthetrail

He also has a website, which you can find at http://darwinonthetrail.com/

We had a nice chat with Bruce Matson as he told of his fund-raising venture for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Remember, Bruce has arranged $100,000 of matching funds, so if you contribute your donation will be worth twice that amount to fund the invaluable work of the folks at the Conservancy. To make your donation, please click on this link http://www.rtkchallenge.com/support/

For many people, hiking the Appalachian Trail is the culmination of a lifelong dream. There may be issues that they don't want to face, they may be grieving the loss of somebody. For many, the trail is spiritual in nature. For Stephanie Lorenze, eating unlimited pizza was her initial motivation. Despite this unlikely catalyst, Stephanie grew to love the trail and everything on it.

She faced doubters at the outset, yet she pushed on, confidence growing in her own abilities to complete the journey.

She chose to define her own life and didn't permit the negativity to deflect her from the goal of standing on that brown sign at the top of Katahdin. In the end, she had the perfect answer to everybody who doubted that she would be able to get to the end.

If you'd like to contact Stephanie, her Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/steph.lorenze

With just two days and about 32 miles left, Steve and Emma just had to contend with the torrential rain to get to Santiago.

While the journey proved to be a spiritual experience for many, the Pilgrim mass at the end was spectacular in its gravity and grave in its spectacle. The incense burner heightened those thoughts as it seemed to crash through the long aisles.

After 32 days and nearly 500 miles, our two adventurers made it to their ultimate destination, cold, wet, but very happy with their achievement.

If you'd like to contact Steve don't forget to email him at [email protected]

It's been a tough few days since Steve found out that he'd miscalculated the miles per day required to finish by this Friday. Emma and Steve have stepped up their mileage to make up for the mistake.

The two travelers have been responding to the kilometer markers by shouting down the reducing distance to Santiago.

One of the lasting memories of this trip will be the convivial meetings between pilgrims, with beers and coffees shared over conversation. Steve and Emma enthusiastically embrace this convention!!

If you'd like to contact Steve don't forget to email him at [email protected]

With almost 400 miles to their credit, Emma and Steve can hardly believe the luck they've had with the weather. Even where it has snowed there still seems to be a pristine path for them both.

Steve's favorite day was last Friday, when the two of them went through Ponferrada. The castle that greeted them in the early morning sun was a surprise and a treat.

As the day went on, the two of them knew that they were on the verge of a 20-mile day. That prospect is made much easier when you're surrounded by so much beauty in the evening sun.

If you'd like to contact Steve don't forget to email him at [email protected]

With Steve and Emma now firmly choosing to hike and stay at hotels as opposed to auberges, the hunt for bargains is on. Luckily, Steve is ready for the task!

The weather has been threatening for several days but our hikers seem to be leading blessed lives and avoiding the worst of the weather. After several cold and potentially wet days, the weather looks set for the next five days.

People continue to brighten every day with a shared camaraderie that often finds friends in every bar.

If you'd like to contact Steve don't forget to email him at [email protected]

The injuries continue but the Meseta is nearly done. Now, with less than 200 miles to go, there is snow on the horizon. We've had beautiful sunrises, spooky moon settings, and even a Cider Guy. Steve received a picture tonight of the settling snow several miles ahead, so he and Emma, even though they've reached León, still need to tread carefully in the coming days. The Meseta has been a dour place to traverse, so it was an excellent diversion to meet and be instructed on how to pour cider by the Cider Guy.