We meet a member of the Class of 2012 this week, who happens also to be a member of this years class of 2026. In fact, Todd Sears is starting the day after I start, in March this year.

He had a long career in military intelligence, and brings a military discipline to his hike, both back in 2012 and in his plans for this year. I should be meeting him very early on as he will doubtless breeze past me at speed.

You can read about his earlier hike from a blog that he wrote; Nor'easter's 2012 Appalachian Trail Journal : March 20, 2011 : Trail Journals, Backpacking and Hiking Journals. To compare his hiking and his writing back then, you should check out the Tek, as Todd is one of their trail correspondents this year; NorEaster, Author at The Trek

We start our season of Hike the Good Hike participants for 2026 with Elizabeth Thompson, who has endured both domestic abuse and cancer in recent years. She is hiking the PCT and our conversation became quite emotional. You can keep up with Elizabeth on Instagram at (@footstepsandforests) • Instagram profile , and on YouTube at elizabeth

With just eight weeks to go before I head out, I share some mildly disappointing news about my gear, and some encouraging news about my protein intake!!

I used my hike in 2024 on the South West Coast Path in the UK to help raise money for my absolute favorite charity, Parenting Matters, on whose board I've been privileged to serve for over a decade. You can learn more about the hike and the organization–and donate–by visiting Hike with Steve - Empowering Parents, One Step at a Time | Parenting Matters %. I hope you want to support this critical mission.

Don't forget. Our entire series of videos from our Woods Hole Weekend in 2022 is now FREE and available at my YouTube page at Woods Hole Weekend - Trailer There, you'll find all sorts of tips and tricks that our guests took away from the weekend that helped them with their own hikes this year. Check it out.

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