Manzo Walking Home

Joe Rando, trail name Manzo, is a 59-year-old businessman-turned-professor, attempting a NOBO thru hike in 2026. He lives in Nashville now with his wife, and he has 3 grown children. Joe’s planned AT thru hike is a journey 10 years in the making. A Maine native, he’s calling his hike “Manzo Waking Home”. What began as a bucket list item 30 years ago became a determination over the past 10 years, inspired by visits to AT trail heads, drives past AT overpasses, and AT day hikes in the Smokies.

On February 3, Joe will set off from Springer Mountain and attempt to hike all 2,197.9 miles of the Appalachian Trail. He’ll be documenting the highs, lows, miles, meals, and moments along the way. Please subscribe and follow along. You can also follow his blog on The Trek: https://thetrek.co/author/joe-rando/