Appalachian Trail Hikers Tell All

[@funwiththefacklers8346]

What a great discussion. It shows everyone’s hike is different but still so much in common.

[@cozytrails17]

This was the best. Thanks for hosting a great conversation. Keep shining bright.

[@WorldTowning]

You are most welcome

[@lorispeers7690]

Had so much fun listening to all you ladies discuss the AT trail! So cool!💜

[@WorldTowning]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jackiesiemens9112]

Pstyle for the win!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@WorldTowning]

Knew you would love that

[@mjcoils5447]

I'm Grateful for thes post APT vids. 1st vid of my morning ritual for half a year and I need decompressing too🎉

[@jasonspears1246]

These post trail interviews are awesome. Such great insights. Thanks for sharing!

[@denniscall2454]

What Fun😊enjoyed, Thanks

[@sandrap3047]

Great to see the interviews! Have to watch the boys from yesterday.

[@striderserge2]

Hey Spark, SideQuest here! I actually have that recording of Ketchup singing about Omar at The Quantum Vortex. I'll upload it tomorrow for ya. So glad to hear you made it before Katadhin closed for the season. Sunshine, what a surprise to see you pop up in my feed! It was wonderful getting to see you again heading up Katadhin. I'm surprised with how many vloggers I was hiking around and didn't realize it. Wish you all the best!

[@WorldTowning]

SideQuest!!! How are you? Hope you started to feel better as you summited. We will always have the drive in. Ha

[@striderserge2]

I made it to a clinic a couple days after and found I had an infection that moved into my inner ear making me deaf for a month before it cleared, along with bronchitis and pneumonia. I'm mostly back to normal now though, with only a ACL tear to deal with. I was in rough shape at the end there.

[@WorldTowning]

@@striderserge2 OMG that sounds terrible, glad you are on the way to recovery. AT thru-hiking is no joke.

[@jasonpursonal3126]

These were very interesting and I really enjoyed them. It is better if you don't tell your subjects in advance that they don't have to answer a question if it is too personal. They are grown ups and, if they don't want to answer a question, they can just decline to answer. If you must, you can tell them that off-camera. Good interviews don't start with giving their subjects an escape hatch.

[@WorldTowning]

I find people are more open to answering questions if they feel seen and can opt out. They answered every question so I guess it worked.

[@loislanee]

@@WorldTowning I have to agree with @jasonpursonal. It appeared amateurish.

[@OG-PapaDude]

I love the bear story. So many merch ideas! 😅

[@WorldTowning]

I know, right!

[@harolddenton6031]

Captain is a very impressive young man. You and will have done an amazing job raising up such an intelligent and strong young man.

[@joankline343]

Thanks to you all for taking the time to share your thoughts about your Hike. Haha 😂 i never sit 1 hr to watch 1 video. 😅 Yesterday I watched the one Sunshine shared with the guy's. I really enjoyed both videos and you all have a lot of positive and encouraging wisdom to help people prepare for a hike. Happy Trails & Happy Holidays to you all! 🦃 🍴 🤶 🎄 🛷 ☃ 🙏

[@WorldTowning]

Glad you enjoyed it. They were so great

[@kingrafferty]

This is great! All the women I watched on youtube!

[@WorldTowning]

Badass women!!

[@kingrafferty]

@@WorldTowning Badass! You all inspired me to walk the Camino Portuguese. Just got back. Loved it. So much you talked about is true for "reentering" life after the Camino as well.

[@ijblessjourney]

Great discussion!

[@Golfpt62]

This is great

[@sherifudge563]

So glad to hear(Not glad she has it lol) someone else with an inflammatory arthritis has completed, I don’t have rheumatoid arthritis but I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and am worried about managing flares on trail..did spark have a KZbin channel or blog?

[@WorldTowning]

Spark has the Trek and their IG as they mentioned on the live. Love Spark.

[@nancywittendorfer5982]

I'm going to be very selfish and say I wish you were back on the trail. For over a month now you've been back to civilian life and I'm sure it's not been easy. I'm just so used to firing up my phone, Googling sunshine and captain on the Appalachian Trail and there you are with the new day. How's it going for the both of you? Is there a transition going better than you would have thought? Thank you for bringing in these other hikers to get their thoughts and emotions. Love you sunshine, love you captain, Nan

[@WorldTowning]

Hi Nan. Captain is doing really well. I am not doing as well for a number of reasons including the trail and other life stuff, but I will get there. I am doing a lot of self care. Thanks for asking.

[@nancywittendorfer5982]

​@@WorldTowningI'm thinking Captain is doing better than you only because even though you had a job to go back to, he had a new venture that he was so excited about, even at the start of the trail. I remember when he found that little airport I think a few days before Katahdin. I can relate to his excitement because I worked at United Airlines for 37 years, my whole life. My dad used to take me to the airport when I was a teen so I could watch all the planes land at O'hare. My girlfriend, who did the PCT year before last, had a huge transition that she dealt with after she got done. It took her a number of months to get back into civilian life. I just looked you up out of habit and was ready to go to the next episode when I remembered, there was none. I still can't believe how 6 months seemed to go by in such a short amount of time. I know living on the trail for you is not what you want to do, but I can totally relate to how you're so used to it that it's something that keeps tugging at you. You're lucky to have Will and the type of person and husband he is, the patience that he holds along with the love for you. I can imagine some relationships may not do that well after someone finishes that many months on the trail. I really hope you do at least a section of the PCT so I can see you here in Washington state. Is there somewhere I can write to you on and off that's not on the trail here? In fact how do I find your new adventure? I guess go to KZbin and see if you're doing something different? I can't sign off without saying, love sunshine, love you captain, Nan

[@WorldTowning]

@@nancywittendorfer5982 thanks for sharing. To find us beyond the AT vlogs you can subscribe to our YT channel, red button, and you will get notified whenever we post a new vlog. We are also on instagram.com/worldtowning where I post regularly about a variety of stuff beyond hiking. Great to have you here Nan.

[@jetv1471]

For the retirees I have some advice : Regarding Your purpose : as my husband says our purpose now is to take care of ourselves ( physically and mentally ) so that we can live long enough and healthy enough to SPEND all that money we set aside all our life for retirement!,,, ( he had an unmarried employee die at the age of 59 and realized that all that man’s retirement funds were going to no one and that really struck him ) Great show ty !

[@WorldTowning]

Love this!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@sherifudge563]

Oh no, I’m doomed, I bawled watching you three KZbinrs 😅

[@WorldTowning]

Me too

[@sherifudge563]

Thank you all of you 😘

[@annettefrench-bearden5193]

What is the movie and book talked/recommended? Also links or names of the social media’s of you all?

[@WorldTowning]

Appalachian Trials: The Psychological and Emotional Guides to Successfully Thru-Hiking the AT. Wandering With Wilson, One Step at a Time from Georgia to Maine on YT. Spark is on The Trek.

[@annettefrench-bearden5193]

Thanks

[@harolddenton6031]

I ran into ketchup while doung trail magic along Shenandoah parkway over memorial day weekend. She was sitting on a bench by one of those trsil head cafes. SHE was tiny lITTLE LADY LIKE my grandma bonnie denton who barely stood 4'9" tall.

[@sherifudge563]

Being Canadian we’ll only have 6 months also, minus travel time

[@WorldTowning]

You can do it, just be very strategic.

[@karens6053]

I feel bad for Will, sounds like it was his dream to hike the AT, perhaps next year will be "Wills" year

[@WorldTowning]

It was his dream, but financially it made sense for him to stay behind, but he realize his dream too!

[@OG-PapaDude]

Funny you said "40 years" dreaming about doing the trail because that's exactly how long it's been , possibly to the day, since I first heard about the trail. Hey, I'm coming to the trail first week of January to find a place to help recover and I'm planning on doing a lot of fundraisers for towns and businesses along the trail. It's gonna be a blast if any of you want to join in on occasion. Be watching for "Papa Dude's Magic Mic"! 😜