At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail
MILLINOCKET, Maine (AP) - More than 14 million older adults fall every year in the U.S., perhaps none so often as 91-year-old Dale Sanders.
MILLINOCKET, Maine (AP) – More than 14 million older adults fall every year in the U.S., perhaps none so often as 91-year-old Dale Sanders.
What happened
By his count, Sanders fell 71 times while reclaiming his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. Six were what he calls hard falls, including one that led to a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the finish. But none were enough to permanently divert him from the 2, 193-mile (3, 530-kilometer) trail that runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.
The bottom line
In short, at 91, Dale Grey Beard Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.




