John has used wooden walking sticks for hiking since he was a boy. Eschewing the Leki poles popular with most hikers, he carried one of his own handmade sticks when he hiked the AT in 2001, 2003, 2010 and 2013. When he gave a few of these special sticks to fellow hikers, word spread through the hiking community and eventually reached the newly created Appalachian Trail Museum. Soon Bodacious was providing a stick for each inductee into the museum’s Hall of Fame. The award stick is called a Bodhi or Bo D. Hofman.
Art by John "Bodacious" Beaudet 