Episode 35: There and Back Again: an Appalachian Tale

Pete found himself disgruntled, angry, 300lbs, and in a job he hated. Thinking back on his childhood, he remembered hiking portions of this 2,100 mile trail, as a boy scout with his dad.  An idea formulated. He reached out to his father, a triathlete and iron man competitor in his 60s, and proposed the journey of a lifetime: Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail! We interview Pete Sauber about the ups and downs of this father and son journey. Find out how he turned his dad (who had never even read the Hobbit) into a Tolkien super fan, navigating the trip based on Lord of the Rings, mile by mile. As well as, learning all the cool things you never knew the U.S. postal service could do, how whippoorwills are natures car alarm, and why cotton is the enemy. The lovely and talented Jen Bixler, guest hosts with Alena to look under the hood of this 6 month mythical adventure.