A friend of mine wrote reflections on “Hiking While Old”

https://www.trailjournals.com/journal/entry/683536

He mentioned “Greybeard” who was at least at one time the oldest person to have ever completed an Appalachian Trail through hike. I completed my own section hike this year at 64. Ken (sugarfoot) is still at it at 75.

I met Greybeard a few years back … well maybe a decade or more … I happened to be section hiking near Boiling Springs, PA about the time the AT Hall of Fame was having its annual dinner near there. For some reason I went.

Bob Peoples was being inducted. I first met him there. On a later section hike I stayed at his “Kincora” hostel and shared space and beds with the cats and stoked the wood stove to keep warm. Bob fed the raccoon that lived under the porch. I heard stories of Earl Shaffer, the first ever through hiker (1948) as he was coming through again in 1998. Earl balled up slices of Wonder Bread to pack out as food: “Same nutrition, less space”. At the time Bob was working with a group of disabled kids who would themselves never hike to design a new shelter. Just amazing. The man never met a living thing/person he did not embrace.

Greybeard was there as well. I think he had just completed his hike to become the oldest person (at the time) to do a through hike. I talked to him for a few minutes.

They were both incredibly gracious people. I’m going out with the PATC “Cadillac Crew” soon to do some trail work. The owners of the Mountain Home hostel are once again opening up their place to us.

The people are what keeps me coming back.