We have another section hiker on the show this week. I recently saw Sarah Ellison's awesome summit picture at the top of Katahdin, joyously capturing the end of a 16-year odyssey that started when, as a cop, she spoke to a young man camped behind a store in Roan Mountain.

The whole concept of being a "thru-hiker" was alien to Sarah, yet the thought of hiking this trail never left her, and she made progress year after year.

Along the way, she was able to cope with the grief of losing her mother, then formed a bond with a young hiker named Moose. I'm grateful to Moose's widow for allowing us to discuss this part of the journey. His picture is below.

Sarah has hiked on and off with dogs, one of which is featured in her YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/user/sheepdog0059

Katie's seven and a half month hike came to an end this week, as she decided to wait until next year to complete the AT. We discuss all aspects of her trip in a longer than usual conversation.

Winton Porter's Passin' Thru has served up a number of fascinating characters, though none more so than Minnesota Smith, who we get to meet in this week's reading.

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