Jun 15, 2017
This week, I've got another diverse array of guests from Trail
Days in Damascus a few weeks ago. While I guess a parade of hikers
could have been interviewed, I preferred to go with others
associated with the Appalachian Trail, so I've managed to get
another interesting mix together. Dan Bedore is hiking a
kind of alternative AT, keeping the pioneering spirit of the trail
alive by spending large amounts of time totally by himself. He said
that he preferred it that way. When I checked his website, bedore.org, I was amazed at the variety
of trails that he has completed. For those of you wishing to go a
little off the beaten track, Dan's site is a good place to start.
You can reach out to Dan at danshike@yahoo.com if you'd like to
find out more about his journeys. Next, I spoke with the
first of the vendors this week. One of the Jacks, of Jacks R
Better, demonstrated the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock, based upon
the design of a suspension bridge. It provides a flat sleeping
surface. I was a little doubtful, but it was terrific. Had I seen
this in 2014, I may have even considered a hammock. You can find
out more about the company at the Jacks R Better website and
this
video demonstrates the setup of the hammock. Eric Fox,
the son of Alison and Bob Fox, hiked the AT a couple of years back.
Bob wrote Eric's story for him, in a really interesting family
collaboration, called The Endless Trail. Check out the book on
Amazon. You can also see more about the book at Bob's website and
Facebook page. Click on the appropriate link. Here's a picture
of the two of us. 
Kyle Jeffreys introduced me
to a very reasonably priced air pad. The company is Klymit, and I
highly recommend their website. I tried out the Static V2. At just
over $60, it is a bargain and extremely comfortable. The website will give you far more
information, as well as some really excellent deals for somebody
putting together a bunch of equipment from one supplier. Once
again, click on the link that appeals to you. Moe Lemire is
a hiker who wanted to give back. Instead of just talking about it,
he joined the NY-NJ Trail Conference, responsible for more than 50
miles of the AT in these two states. If you're from that area, or
simply want to see the great work that Moe and his team do, check
out their website.
Eddie Hinnant was showing us The Packa, his very own invention, at
Trail Days. He demonstrated his combination pack cover and jacket
with the fervor of a man who knows he has done good work. Let Eddie
himself show you in this video. If you
want to learn more, go to Eddie's website. Lisa Quigley,
representing the Virginia Creeper Trail, told us as much as she
could in the few minutes we spoke. If you'd like to learn more, you
can see their pretty website or even their
Facebook page. Finally, Dave Degler was kind enough to
talk to me about the work of A Christian Ministry in the National
Parks. I was so impressed with Dave and his charming team, three of
whom are hiking the trail this year. If you'd like to learn more
about the extensive outreach that they do, visit their website. I hope that you enjoyed
meeting some of the people at Trail Days. I'm really glad that I
went, and I PROMISE, the audio quality of outdoor recordings will
improve if I do this again!! Charlotte Taney, a previous
guest, was originally unsure about any concerns that she may
have had prior to starting the AT. On reflection, however, it
turned out that she had a few for this week's Fear and Loathing
on the Appalachian Trail. Attie seems right back into
it, so we're both looking longer term than we had in previous
weeks. I can't tell you how delighted I am. I also know that I
posted this picture a few weeks ago, but I wanted a Trail Days
picture to go with the podcast on Facebook and this turns out to be
it. 
One last thing. If
you've read any of my three books and you HAVEN'T left a review,
please do me a big favor and click on the appropriate link below to
take you directly to the review page of that book. Thanks so much.
My Appalachian Trial I: Three Weddings and a
Sabbatical
My Appalachian Trial II: Creaking Geezer, Hidden
Flagon
Hiking the Appalachian Trail is Easy: Especially if You've Never
Hiked Before. By the way, remember that
this last book is free at my author's website, though I won't be in the
least bit offended if you want to pay me $2.99 for
it!!