Episode #2 - Josh Sutton

The Platinum Blazing Podcast

Josh, Cassie, and Harvey Sutton live in Lynchburg, VA. Known on Instagram as LiveSutton, they promote “Live life fully!" Josh, Cassie, and Harvey have done just that. After realizing that a healthy retirement wasn't guaranteed, they decided to restructure their life to one filled with extraordinary stories by taking mini-retirements throughout their life. After having their son Harvey in 2016, they began saving for their first mini-retirement in 2021, to thru-hike the entire Appalachian Trail as a family. Harvey would be 4 years old when they began in January 2021 and finished at 5 years 4 months old. After thru-hiking the East Coast, they have gone on to backpack the John Muir Trail in California, traveled to the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal to trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp, and continue to plan more adventures as a family.

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Josh also looks forward to some individual challenges and invites followers to participate in such future adventures.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@livesutton

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livesutton/

Email: [e-mail]

Our “Unsung Hero” is George “Beatnik” Lightfoot. After falling in love with hiking and the Appalachian Trail, George completed an AT section hike and then committed himself to helping AT hikers. When not teaching college, George spends many hours on the roads shuttling hikers to trailheads between Port Clinton, Pennsylvania and Kent, Connecticut. (He can be sweet-talked into Duncannon PA and Great Barrington MA.) George will also pick you up or drop you off at the Stewart, Westchester County, Newark, ABE, and (ugh) Philadelphia Airports. His vehicle fits four passengers. Dogs are welcome.... but only Good Dogs.

Message from George: “I carry no special insurance—I'm just an old guy with a car. I'm not a "drop-everything" kinda shuttle—please contact me as far in advance as possible. I don't have rates—I'll quote you my round-trip mileage, and you'll pay me what you judge appropriate. My teaching schedule changes every semester, but I'll do my best to get you on the Trail. Walk Well. Be Well.”

~ "Beatnik"

The podcast host is Bruce (“RTK”) Matson, who completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2018 at age 61. His adventures were captured as part of the Hiking Radio Network podcast known as “Returning to Katahdin: An Appalachian Trail Dream.”

Bruce’s memoir of that hike is also available on Amazon.

The Platinum Blazing Podcast was inspired by the book: Platinum-Blazing the Appalachian Trail: How to Thru-hike in 3-Star Luxury. A new, updated edition is soon to be released. It will be available on Amazon or on the Platinum Blazing website. For more information, write to the editors at [e-mail].

This new edition features many new Best Platinum honorees, including a new, Platinum-Blazing Hall of Fame. It also has a new section of the Best Platinum Shelters along the Appalachian Trail. Another chapter highlights the “Tennessee Hostel Hop” and the “Virginia is for Hostel Lovers Hike” - each listing helps hikers determine an itinerary to permit them to stay overnight in a hostel for over 200 miles straight in Tennessee and over 100 miles in Virginia.

More information about Platinum-Blazing is available as follows:

• Website: www.platinum-blazing.com
• Facebook: Platinum-Blazing
• Instagram: Instagram (@platinum_blazing)

Please email Bruce at [e-mail] with any ideas you have for topics or guests, especially hostel owners, shuttle drivers, AT maintenance club members, owners of best Platinum eating establishments, recent thru-hikers, etc. Please feel free to suggest or nominate yourself.