I interviewed Dave Paumen at 5:30 in the morning as he was about to enter the 100 Mile Wilderness. I was struck by his calm intelligence and his story. A Vietnam Veteran, he had demonstrated a cold-eyed determination in his life and brought that personality trait to the trail. He had been injured in his first attempt in 2017 but returned to complete his hike this year.

Dave's solid common sense shines through in both the interview and his journals of the two, linked hikes.

Read the journals at http://trailjournals.com/davepaumen17 and

 http://trailjournals.com/davepaumen18

Our Mighty Blue Class of 2019 continued with the introduction of an experienced hiker, Tina Dunaway. Tina has had the AT on her bucket list for several years and is ready to get at it. We'll be checking in with Tina from time to time while we're both on the trail.

Let's finish with the triumphant Dave at the top of Mt Katahdin.