Record Taken by 83-Year-Old Friend... 91-Year-Old Walks 3,500 km to Reclaim Title

Oldest to Complete the Appalachian Trail
Overcoming Hospitalization, Arm Paralysis, and Family Loss

A 91-year-old American man has successfully completed the approximately 3,500 km Appalachian Trail in the United States, reclaiming the "oldest finisher" record he once held. On September 2, Yonhap News TV, citing AP and The Independent, reported that Dale Sanders (91), a resident of Tennessee, set a new record by reaching the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park, finishing the entire Appalachian Trail on August 31.

A 91-year-old American man successfully completed the approximately 3,500 km Appalachian Trail in the United States, reclaiming the record for the oldest finisher, which he had once held. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Among mountaineers, he is known by the trail name "Grey Beard" due to his long white beard. Sanders fell an astonishing 71 times during this challenge. Notably, in six of those incidents, he could have suffered serious injuries. On one occasion, he had to be hospitalized, and on the final day, he fell again just 183 meters from the finish line. Nevertheless, he got back up and walked all the way to the summit of Mount Katahdin.

AP Yonhap News

The Appalachian Trail is one of the world's longest hiking-only long-distance trails, stretching from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine and crossing 14 states. Because of occasional route changes and re-surveys, the official distance varies slightly each year. According to AP, Sanders completed 2,193 miles (about 3,530 km).

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) recognizes hikers who traverse the entire trail within 12 months as having completed a "thru-hike." It is not necessary to walk continuously from Georgia to Maine in a single direction; splitting sections or changing the order is allowed. Sanders also began his journey in West Virginia on September 6 of the previous year and hiked different sections according to the season and circumstances. The completion took about 359 days, coming within the ATC's 12-month guideline. For the last stretch, he chose Mount Katahdin, where he paused by the sign at the summit to offer a brief prayer.

A 91-year-old American man succeeded in completing the approximately 3,500 km-long Appalachian Trail in the United States, reclaiming the 'oldest finisher' record he once held. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The path to completion was not smooth. In June, while descending Killington Mountain in Vermont, he fell forward in a rocky area, injuring his legs, arms, and hands. He recalled, "Luckily, I didn’t break any bones," and added, "I just kept walking without even wiping the blood." A few weeks later, he suddenly experienced numbness in his left arm and was transported to a hospital in Maine. Medical staff initially suspected a stroke, but tests revealed it was due to nerve compression. Although he was cleared to resume walking, Sanders reportedly considered abandoning the challenge for the first time at that point.

He also had a family crisis. Early last month, his mother-in-law passed away, prompting him to return to his home in Tennessee to be with his wife. Instead, his wife encouraged him, saying, "Go back and finish what you started," so Sanders returned to the trail. This finish is particularly meaningful to Sanders. In 2017, at age 82, he walked the entire Appalachian Trail, setting the record for the oldest finisher at the time. The previous record-holder had been Lee Barry, who completed the trail at age 81 in 2004.

Among mountaineers, he is called by the trail name "Grey Beard" because of his long white beard. Sanders fell as many as 71 times by his own count during this challenge. Photo by AP Yonhap News.

Sanders’ record was surpassed four years later. In 2021, his friend M.J. "Sunny" Eberhart completed the trail at age 83. At the time, Sanders visited Eberhart to congratulate him in person, saying, "Records are meant to be broken." The ATC confirmed then that Eberhart had overtaken Sanders as the oldest finisher. However, Sanders soon announced his plan to attempt to reclaim the record, and nearly five years later, at 91, he succeeded. This new achievement surpasses the previous record by eight years.

AP Yonhap News

In a recent interview with AP, Sanders reflected, "Even now, I feel like I should be in better shape," but added, "But I am 91 years old. I have to remind myself that walking this distance is about exploring new frontiers." Initially, his primary goal was to regain the lost record. However, his perspective changed during the journey: thousands followed his progress online, and people he met on the trail told him they found courage through his example. Sanders said, "I still want the record back, but now that's secondary," emphasizing that inspiring others to find motivation and courage has become even more important than reclaiming the title.

The completion process was not smooth. In June, while descending Mount Killington in Vermont, he fell forward on a rocky area, injuring his leg, arm, and hand. Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

This is not Sanders’ first "senior challenge." Born in 1935, he is a former U.S. Navy serviceman who worked for a long time in the park and recreation field before retiring. In 2022, at age 87, he set the Guinness World Record as the oldest man to paddle the entire Mississippi River by canoe—his record then was 87 years and 86 days old. In 2020, at 85 years and 113 days, he set another age record by traversing the Grand Canyon by the "Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim" route. For Sanders, now 91, "completion" does not mean retirement; even after this latest achievement, he has stated his intention to continue pursuing new outdoor activities and challenges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.