91-year-old reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail
At the age of 91, Dale Sanders — known on the trails as "Grey Beard" — is once again the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.
Dale Sanders, a.k.a. 'Grey Beard,' fell 71 times along the mountainous 3,530-kilometre journey
Sheena Goodyear · CBC Radio
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As It Happens6:2491-year-old reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail
When Dale Sanders first captured the record for oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail at the tender age of 82, it was pretty chill.
Doing it again nine years later, however, was a different story.
"It was so much harder this time," Sanders, 91, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "Like, double or triple the difficulty."
Sanders — known on the trails as "Grey Beard" — recaptured his record on Monday, standing triumphant at the summit of Mount Katahdin, Maine's highest peak.
It was a long and arduous journey to get there, he says. He fell 71 times during his 3,530-kilometre trek, was briefly hospitalized with a pinched nerve, and considered throwing in the towel.
"But I was persistent and I stayed in there and I didn't quit," he said.
He almost didn't make it
Spanning 14 states from Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, according to the conservation organization that manages it.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy defines a thru-hike as completing all of the trail's sections in any order within a year. Sanders started his journey on Sept. 6, 2025, in West Virginia, bounced around to different parts of the trail with some brief breaks, before finishing in Maine.
It was hard on his body, he says, and he seriously considered quitting two weeks ago, just 230 kilometres shy of achieving his goal.
But with the help of his support team — and some nudging from his wife — he got back on the trail and finished the job.
He credits his support team, who helped with transportation and accompanied him on the trail, with making his victory possible.
"Every obstacle that would come up, there seemed to be a solution that I could find that would get me over that hurdle and into the next step," he said. "I was so blessed to have many things happen that pulled me through this whole year on the trail."
Asked how he was feeling two days after finishing, he answered with a chuckle: "Tired. But who wouldn't be tired?"
Motivated by a desire to motivate
Sanders, a navy veteran who retired from a long career in parks and recreation in 2002, is a man of many records.
In 2020, became the oldest person to cross the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim on foot. In 2022, he became the old oldest person to paddle the entire length of the Mississippi River, an 87-day trip he started on his 87th birthday.
He says he's still filing the paperwork to make his latest record official with Guinness.
He started planning his Appalachian adventure in 2021, when his longtime pal M.J. Eberhart — known by the trail nickname "Nimblewill Nomad" — swiped his record at the age of 83.
There were no hard feelings, says Sanders. The pair remain close friends, and Eberhart even helped him on the first leg of his journey.
But Sanders says reclaiming the crown was only part of his motivation.
"It was a deep-down-in-the-heart, more sincere reason why I went back," he said.
"I've done several age records — hikes and boating trips, canoeing in several different venues — and in each and every one of them I have gotten so many comments from people that say that I gave them hope."
One of those people is hiker Meredith Ewenson, who met Sanders in June while leading a hike in New Hampshire for 10 other women.
"My first thought was ‘Wow, his mobility is insane,'" Ewenson said. "His face on that body just doesn't make any sense. My brain couldn't compute how he was so impossibly fit for being that age."
The keys to long and healthy life
Sanders has four key pieces of advice for those hoping to maintain their vitality as they age.
"Number one is you better find the formula and live a happy life. And there is nobody that can tell you how to do that. That's up to you," he said.
"And the next thing is I tell them that if you really want to be truly happy and content, you have to have a good quality spiritual life."
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His third piece of advice will come as no surprise. Stay active, he says. But not just at the gym.
"I'm not knocking the gym, but get outside in nature," he said. "Enjoy nature and get your heart rate up."
And finally, he says, eat healthy, but don't wing it. Seek guidance from doctors and nutritionists about the best way to nourish your body as you age.
"And always listen to your physicians," he said.
With files from The Associated Press. Interview with Dale Sanders produced by Leïla Ahouman
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