• Updated

Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders wades across Big Wilson Stream on the 100-Mile Wilderness north of Monson, Maine, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A 91-year-old man who goes by the nickname Grey Beard has reclaimed his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. Dale Sanders started last Sept. 6 in West Virginia, hiked the nearly 2,200-mile trail in out-of-order sections with breaks in between, and finished Monday atop Mount Katahdin in Maine. Sanders first set the record in 2017 at age 82. Four years later, 83-year-old M.J. Eberhart took the title, but within months, Sanders announced his plan for a comeback. By his count, he fell 71 times along the way, but only six tumbles were what he calls hard falls. While Sanders’ first journey was easier than he expected, he says the latest trek was considerably harder.

  • Updated

Dale Sanders, 91, celebrates upon completing his hike of the Appalachian Trail at the summit of Mt. Katahdin, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 in Baxter State Park in Piscataquis County, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • Updated

Dale Sanders, 91, pauses for a prayer upon completing his hike of the Appalachian Trail at the summit of Mt. Katahdin, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 in Baxter State Park in Piscataquis County, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • Updated

Grey Beard is a fitting trail name for 91-year-old Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders, seen enjoying a rest, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, north of Monson, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)