Introduction
Greetings, dear reader, on a hot and humid first day of meteorological fall. It's steamy outside, and we could use some rain. A little while ago, I saw 98 degrees Fahrenheit on the porch thermometer.
This 91st entry in the Hiking Topic Section isn't about a recent hike of mine. I'm hoping for cooler, fall-like weather soon to begin my fall, winter, and spring hiking season.
Instead, this article focuses on Dale Sanders, from Millington, Tennessee. At 91, he set the record again as the oldest hiker to complete the entire Appalachian Trail. I am impressed and inspired.
Yesterday, Dale Sanders Completed the Appalachian Trail
Early this morning, my wife and I happened to catch a local television news segment about Dale Sanders. For Knoxville area readers, a local news story is found at “91-year-old sets record for oldest person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.” WBIR-TV, by Emma Henson, 8/31/2026. The story and the two sources below include several photographs, which is why I didn't include one in this article.
Two additional noteworthy sources, which I found, are “At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.” Associated Press (AP) News, by Holly Ramer and Robert F. Bukaty, 8/31/2026, and “Dale 'Grey Beard' Sanders, 91, Becomes Oldest Person to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail.” The Trek, by Katie Jackson, 8/31/2026. I read both articles.
From the above sources, we learn that Dale Sanders was born in Kentucky in 1935. His wife, Meriam, and he are from Millington, Tennessee, which is near Memphis. Before retiring at 67 in 2002, Sanders served in the US Navy and afterward worked for 37 years in parks and recreation.
In 2017, at 82, Dale Sanders first set the record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. A friend of his temporarily broke his initial record. Further, four years ago, at 87, Sanders became the oldest person to paddle the entire Mississippi River.
Yesterday, Dale Sanders completed his most recent hike of the entire Appalachian Trail. He started last year, on September 6, in West Virginia. Yesterday, he finished triumphantly atop Mount Katahdin in Maine. It was an almost 2,200-mile trek, completed in sections, which took him over 359 days. Sanders regained the record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.
I Am Impressed and Inspired
To say that I am impressed and inspired is an understatement! During our senior year in high school (fall 1977-spring 1978), two friends, Bill and Randy, and I planned to hike the complete Appalachian Trail after graduation.
Unfortunately, we were out of school for the entire month of January. It snowed every week, usually on Wednesdays. To make up for the snow closures, our school days were extended, and we graduated later than we expected. Randy and I planned to start college in the fall. A complete hike of the Appalachian Trail would delay our plans. Bill, who later joined the Navy, wanted Randy and me to focus on hiking the Appalachian Trail and postpone college. We didn't. Bill, who didn't want to hike alone, was angry with us for a while, but he got over it. Looking back, I wish we had kept our plan.
Early this morning, when we heard the local television news clip about Dale Sanders, I said, “That could be me.” Will I live to be 91? Will I be physically fit to hike the Appalachian Trail? Dale Sanders has inspired the goal. We will see. Only the dear Lord knows my future.
Conclusion
Are Dale Sanders and his wife Christians, children of God? It seems so. A previously mentioned source states that Meriam, Dale's wife, is a member of a tight-knit Filipino church community in Millington. She conducts Bible studies and prays in her native language. Further, a source above mentions that Dale Sanders paused to pray at the sign at the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. He said, “I had to thank God, and I had to thank my support team and everybody that got me here.”
I would like to meet Dale Sanders, shake his hand, and talk with him for a while. He has certainly inspired me at 66 years young. If he and I don't meet in this life, I hope to meet him in heaven.
Are you hiking the heavenly trail, dear reader? If so, I look forward to meeting you up there one day. If not, you should be. There is only one trail that leads to everlasting life. Please take and stay on that Christian path. You are welcome to reach out to me by emailing me. Simply use the “Contact Form” on the main page of this website. I am just one heavenly hiker who wants to guide others along the trail.
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