Buddy Wier is something of a late bloomer. He became interested in hiking after his retirement, accumulating gear though not immediately getting out to hike. He had always been a traveler and soon combined his love of travel with the various opportunities that arose to hike.

Having traveled extensively and hiking when and where he could, Buddy was inspired to hike the AT when he heard the inspirational Jennifer Pharr Davis speak about her FKT record.

So, over the next couple of years, Buddy took on this monumental task at the age of 69, finally reaching Katahdin at the age of 71. Buddy would be happy to field any questions that you may have and he can be reached at wieriii@att.net.

Instead of If I Did It Again this week, I have a couple of parents, Kathi and Bob Bucklin, who endured, and enjoyed, their daughter's hike back in 2014. I thought their clear-eyed perspective would be reassuring to many of you who are faced with similar announcements from your nearest and dearest.

We hope that you take the opportunity to support our sponsor, Trailtopia, when you consider your next backpacking trip. Go to https://www.trailtopia.com/ to check out their wide variety of meals.