One of the highlights of the 2025 Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (ALDHA) Gathering was witnessing an onstage recording of the Mighty Blue Podcast with Steve (Mighty Blue) Adams as the Keynote Speaker. He interviewed Mills Kelly, Vegas, Pinkie, and Dennis Newton.
Later, I had a chance to chat with Steve and introduced myself as Porkie. Steve chuckled and asked how I came to be known as Porkie. I explained the history of porcupines on the Long Trail when my father hiked it in the 1930s. His trail journal was filled with mentions of “porkies.” So, I took on the trail name Porkie to honor my father’s legacy when I set out to retrace his footsteps on the Long Trail in 2022.
Steve is a Brit and asked if I knew the British meaning of the expression “porky or porkie pies.” He explained it’s a form of Cockney rhyming slang, meaning that someone is telling lies or “porky pies.”
When I told him a bit more about my unbelievable journey, I felt compelled to add, “Honest Steve, it’s all true. I’m not telling any porkies!” That conversation led to an invitation to join the podcast as a guest. I thank Steve for the opportunity to share my Long Trail story with his audience.
You can listen to the interview here:
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