Returning to Katahdin: An Appalachian Trail Dream

We always planned to have this final episode, so it was great to catch up with Bruce in such good spirits after his epic journey. He'd been home for a month and was starting to absorb what he'd done,…

As all things must do, the end was in sight as Bruce set off into the 100 Mile Wilderness last week. I didn't hear from him again until Saturday evening when he had summited Katahdin and fulfilled hi…

Bruce is now within a week of Katahdin, at Monson, preparing for the 100 Mile Wilderness. By the time you hear this show, he'll be in the wilderness and out of touch, reflecting on the beauty he has …

With just a couple of weeks left on the trail, Bruce reassesses his difficulty rating after his New Hampshire and Maine experience. Recon has sustained an injury that forced him from the trail, leavi…

Bruce is in the last state–Maine. He has already gone through the Mahoosuc Notch, a kind of rocky jigsaw puzzle, where you work out the best route as you move through it. The pictures in these notes …

Bruce has been in one of my favourite parts of the trail; The White Mountains in New Hampshire. As always, he has researched his subject and knew what to expect. Consequently, he has had a tough time…

With twelve states in his rearview mirror, Bruce has started New Hampshire. As he alludes to in the show, this is a moment that makes you bring Katahdin into clearer focus and, in of itself, it is a …

With Bruce hiking in the lurking shadow of Mt Killington and Vermont, we caught up this week. His mood had turned around from his "Banana Pudding Moment" and, probably critically, he was hiking in mo…

This past week, Bruce put up a post on his blog that, for the first time, revealed some of the insecurities that can come with a long-distance hike. While we spoke about his latest progress on the tr…

Bruce spent several days off the trail this week. He has family in Connecticut and spent a couple of days with them, then a day hike with his daughter Amy and a family member.

Though not in the inte…

Bruce and his daughter, Brook, shared a couple of days hiking in New York this week.  So, after chatting with Bruce, I also had a word with Brooke about her father's almost serene progress. Water has…

Hoping for somewhat of a respite from Pennsylvania, Bruce had a tough time in one of the New York sections, skipping it temporarily when the forecast showed 100% chance of rain. As always, his instin…

Bruce invited yet another guest hiker to join him on his journey. The only problem might be that Pennsylvania isn't the easiest place to get your trail legs. Further, combining the climb up out of Le…

With Bruce deep into Pennsylvania, Steve was expecting this week to have been especially challenging for him. However, just as he's faced every adversity in the past, Bruce has managed his way throug…

Now back into the swing of things, Bruce has passed the halfway mark and is into Pennsylvania. He hasn't been fully tested by the rocks yet but has had a few early "tasters" to give him some idea of …

Bruce breezes past the 1,000-mile marker and reaches Harpers Ferry, the traditional halfway spot on the AT. He and Steve discuss returning to the trail the compartmentalization of his hike and his ho…

Bruce and Steve took the opportunity this week to reflect on his journey so far. He has been home for a week for his daughter Brooke's graduation and used the time to rest, spend time with friends an…

This week, Bruce had a shorter time on the trail, leaving last Friday to return home for his daughter's graduation and Mother's Day. He spent part of the week hiking in Shenandoah National Park with …

Bruce continues to shed weight as he pushes past the 800-mile mark with his boundless enthusiasm and positivity. Having come to his home state of Virginia, he is joined on the trail with Cheryl, his …

Bruce seems to be gaining strength from losing weight and gaining his trail legs after 700 miles on the trail. He is even making his friends give him a double take when they come and visit him.

This…