Adventure Has No Expiration Date with Beverly McDowell
What if some of your greatest adventures are still ahead of you?
In this episode of On Adventure, Josh sits down with Beverly McDowell, a retired educator, hiking guide, trail maintainer, and lifelong learner based in Asheville, North Carolina. She’s also the sister of actress Andie MacDowell – but Beverly has carved out an adventurous story entirely her own, much of it after age 50.
Beverly shares how hiking became a source of joy, confidence, community, and purpose, from introducing women over 60 to backpacking to maintaining sections of the Appalachian Trail. Along the way, she and Josh explore the beauty of Western North Carolina, the recovery following Hurricane Helene, the remarkable restoration of Max Patch, and why continuing to challenge ourselves physically and mentally becomes even more important as we age.
At the heart of the conversation is a simple reminder: you don’t have to take on crazy risks to become an adventurer. And you certainly don’t have to stop because you’re getting older.
🥾 In This Episode
- 00:00 — Beverly’s unexpected second career as a hiking guide
- 03:00 — Guiding visitors through Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains
- 05:00 — George Vanderbilt’s lasting impact on Western North Carolina
- 09:00 — Helping women over 60 experience backpacking
- 13:00 — What first-time backpackers discover about themselves
- 14:00 — Favorite destinations: the Smokies, Mount Mitchell, and 6,000-foot peaks
- 17:00 — Hiking and tourism in Asheville after Hurricane Helene
- 19:00 — How Max Patch recovered from being “over-loved”
- 24:00 — Beverly’s favorite places to take first-time visitors
- 30:00 — Why the mountains keep calling her back
- 33:00 — Discovering camping at 36—and raising outdoor kids
- 34:00 — Why it’s never too late to start hiking
- 36:00 — Movement, balance, aging, and becoming more “antifragile”
- 39:00 — Finding your own challenge and growth zone
- 41:00 — Nature as meditation and an antidote to distraction
- 44:00 — What outdoor experiences teach the next generation
- 49:00 — Beverly’s search-and-rescue training and continuing desire to learn
- 53:00 — The enduring lesson: adventure can begin at any age
- 54:00 — How to connect with Beverly and hike with her
🌲 Key Takeaways
It’s not too late. Beverly didn’t begin camping until her 30s, joined the Carolina Mountain Club in her 50s, began maintaining the Appalachian Trail at 59, and started search-and-rescue training at 65.
A little challenge is good for us. Hiking asks the body and brain to constantly adapt—from navigating rocks and roots to maintaining balance—and Beverly believes those challenges become especially valuable as we age.
Guidance can turn intimidation into independence. By providing equipment, knowledge, safety, and community, Beverly has helped women over 60 discover that backpacking isn’t beyond their reach.
Nature restores more than the body. For Beverly, being outside is simultaneously exercise, meditation, education, and connection. As she puts it, getting outdoors is simply “a balm.”
Protecting wild places matters. From her trail-maintenance work at Max Patch to her love for Pisgah National Forest, Beverly’s story is also a reminder that the places that give us so much need something from us in return.
💬 Memorable Moments
“The majority of everything I did was post-50.”
“It’s a balm to get outside, to get your feet on the earth and walk.”
“A little challenge is good.”
“It makes you a completely badass grandmama.”
Connect with Beverly
Follow Bev McDowell on Facebook for Western North Carolina hiking, wildflowers, mushrooms, and outdoor adventures.
You can also find Beverly and request a guided half-day, full-day, or backpacking experience through Blue Ridge Hiking Company.
Whether your next adventure is a multi-day backpacking trip or simply walking a trail you’ve never explored before, Beverly’s message is worth carrying with you:
Start where you are. Keep moving. And don’t assume your best adventures are behind you.
