On September 6, 2025 Dale Sanders set out on his second Appalachian Trail thru-hike in an attempt to reclaim his record as being the oldest person to hike the Appalachian Trail.
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About the Trip
The journey commenced on September 6, 2025, from the ATC headquarters in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, heading southbound toward Springer Mountain, Georgia. Dale completed the majority of the section before Christmas, poor weather forced him to take a short break. He is chipping away at the remaining miles and in a good position to complete this section and start the section hiking North on April 6, 2026.
Adding a unique element to this attempt, Dale will deliberately skip a small section in North Carolina. These final miles will be completed after summiting Mount Katahdin, serving as the symbolic and celebratory conclusion of his record-breaking hike.
You can follow Dale's journey via his SPOT messenger, and on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
Sponsors for Dale's 2025 Appalachian Trail thru-hike include:
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Dale's Support Team
Dale is getting help from a number of people on the trip. They are not in the limelight and are doing everything they can to ensure Dale is successful.
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Jonathan Biebesheimer (aka "Rabbit") is Dale’s behind-the-scenes coordinator and social media manager. A lifelong adventurer, he grew up exploring the woods of Connecticut and the New England coast. As an adult, he’s logged hundreds of hiking miles, off-roading in his old ISUZU Trooper and solo-paddling North Carolina’s major rivers from source to sea. When he’s not in the wild, he’s planning trips, following others’ expeditions and lending a hand however he can. |