Dale Sanders, 91, climbs a section of Mt. Katahdin, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 in Baxter State Park in Piscataquis County, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
MILLINOCKET, Maine (AP) — At 91, Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders has reclaimed his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. He hiked the trail in sections with breaks in between, taking plenty of tumbles along the way before finishing atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin.
Dale Sanders bumps fists with fellow Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Hans Rechsteiner, south of Maine’s Mount Katahdin, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)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)Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders, 91, takes a brief power nap near Monson, Maine, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders steps over roots on the 100-Mile Wilderness north of Monson, Maine, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders, left, discusses his plans with Dan Faust, a support team member, in Monson, Maine, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)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)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)Dale Sanders, 91, celebrates after completing a difficult section of Mt. Katahdin, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in Baxter State Park in Piscataquis County, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders looks out at the vast landscape ahead of him near the start of the 100-Mile Wilderness north of Monson, Maine, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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