Completing journey in spring ’26 will make him the oldest hiker to make the trek; a record he broke once before in 2017
By Grayson Banning
LURAY — Dale “Greybeard” Sanders made it a goal to be the oldest through hiker to ever hike the Appalachian Trail. His journey started back on Sept. 6 at the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) headquarters in Harper’s Ferry, WV. (PVN caught up with him during a stay in Luray this fall as he came through the Page Valley.)
Before his current attempt, Greybeard got the record for being the oldest hiker in 2017 at the age of 82. Three years later, Greybeard’s best friend, Meredith Eberhart also known as “Nimblewill Nomad,” broke his record in 2021 at the age of 83.
“He didn’t even want to start because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings and I kept telling him records are meant to be broken,” said Greybeard.
Greybeard had a desire to get the record back and Nimblewill Nomad is helping along the way. At 90, Greybeard has been told that hiking the Appalachian Trail cannot be done, but he’s determined to prove his doubters wrong.
For the past couple months, Greybeard has been traveling southbound to Springer Mountain, GA. After he reaches Springer Mountain, he will be taking a break from hiking during the winter months. And by spring of 2026, he will then return to the hike to complete the northern part of the hike.
Throughout the journey to completing the hike, Greybeard will experience challenges along the way. Greybeard is unable to carry a full backpack and camp out with all of his food for a week to 10 days at a time without support. The real challenge is figuring out a way to lighten the load on the trail while having the necessary equipment to eat, sleep, and be protected from the weather.
“It’s also a real challenge getting physically fit because the older you get, the harder it is to change your body from unfit to fit,” said Greybeard.
Greybeard hiking “rim to rim” at the Gand Canyon in 2020.
Greybeard started his preparation back in January hiking in his local parks traveling further each week. He then trained with weight from the backpack he would go on to use on the trail. It took Greybeard six months to complete his training before he was ready to set out on the trail.
Part of the reason Greybeard hikes is to be an inspiration to people wanting to be in good health when they’re older. His advice to younger people is: finding out things that make you happy, having a good spiritual life, being active, and thinking about the food that you are eating.
“One of the greatest compliments someone can pay to me is ‘I want to be like you when I’m 90’,” said Greybeard.
To follow up with Greybeard’s journey, visit his website:
https://www.greybeardadventurer.com/
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