The 2180

The 2180

By Constant Spring Creative
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The 2180 episodes

  • 25 - Ed Higginbotham
    An airline pilot who had lived and flown all over the world, Ed Higginbotham wasn't going to stop traveling after he retired. So he set out to hike sections of the Appalachian Trail with a group of friends, and over the course of eight years, successfully section hiked from Georgia to Maine. After years in the sky and looking at America from 20,000 feet, he finally got a chance to experience America from an angle he hadn't been afforded after years of flying: close-up and on the ground.
    22 min
  • 24 - Kimberly Shaffer

    As a young child, Kimberly Shaffer didn't have a lot of understanding of the Appalachian Trail. But her great uncle, Earl Shaffer certainly did, as the first person to successfully thru-hike the AT in 1948. This year, Kimberly decided to mark the anniversary of his first walk, and set out on the trail. This is the story of her her own walk, honoring a family legacy and along the way getting closer to the words and experiences documented by her great Uncle Earl.

    16 min
  • 23 - Neville Harris
    34 years ago, Tillie and Roy Wood began running Woods Hole Hostel, a cabin built in the 1880's that they bought in the 1940's. 9 years ago, when Tillie passed away, her granddaughter, Neville and her husband Michael, took over running the business, and it's become one of the most popular hostels on the Appalachian Trail. What began as a place Neville would visit as a young girl has become a family legacy and given her a unique perspective on the thousands of hikers who pass through on their way to the end of the Appalachian Trail.
    29 min
  • 22 - John & Jennifer Taylor
    When John Taylor lost his sight, he wasn't going to be told what he could and couldn't do. When he met Jen, who loved the outdoors, she planted the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail with him, and he was up for it from day one. In February, the two set out on the Appalachian Trail where John proved that while he'd lost his sight, he hadn't lost his vision. Their story is one of seeing the world through other means and the depth of trust between two people who found each other in the second phase of life.
    26 min
  • 21 - Ron Tipton

    In 1978, Ron Tipton spoke to a longtime friend on the phone, who said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Ron hung up the phone, and when he couldn't sleep, called his friend the next morning and said he'd be joining him on the trip. What followed was a hike that would change his life, setting him on a course of working in the protection of public lands for the next 35 years.

    18 min
  • 20 - Shelly Martin

    As a psychology professor, Shelly Martin knew she'd have to learn to mitigate her fear of heights when she got on the Appalachian Trail in January of 2018. What she learned on her 2,000 mile walk was that the good of people always shows itself and confidence is in the ability to respond to the physical demands-and heights-involved in hiking the Appalachian Trail.

    29 min
  • 19 - Georganna Seamon

    Georganna Seamon grew up around outdoor gear. So it's only natural that after college, she'd head out on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with her then boyfriend and now husband, Logan. And in 2013, the couple took ownership of one of the Appalachian Trail's most noted outfitters and hiker resource, Mountain Crossings in Neel Gap, GA.

    18 min
  • 18 - Brad Stein

    Brad Stein has done a lot in his life. He's run a record label, worked in hunting camps, but at the age of 14, hiking the Appalachian Trail became a goal he never wavered from. At age 54, he set out on the trail on added another chapter to his already adventurous life.

    20 min
  • 17 - Bret Eady
    80 hour work weeks and five years without taking time off had taken a toll on Bret Eady. After he and his father sold their business, Bret and his wife moved to the North Georgia mountains, just steps from the Appalachian Trail, where he learned to love hiking, how to clear his head and how to get back to the person he wanted to be. With a push from his wife, a section hike in 2016 became the catalyst for a thru-hike where he went on a journey to repair what needed fixing the most.
    46 min
  • 16 - Dave Weinberg

    Like many who attempt a thru-hike only to see it end, Dave Weinberg has regrets about not staying on the Appalachian Trail. But his story is uniquely his, hatched a life-long love of the outdoors, and afforded him a summer of adventure that very few get to experience.

    26 min

About The 2180

From the publisher's feed

70 years ago, the Appalachian Trail was thru-hiked for the first time by WWII veteran Earl Shaffer. The2180 is a series of 70 stories from 70 people who have made the Appalachian Trail a part of their…