Dale Sanders, 91, has reclaimed his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.

He finished Monday atop Maine's Mount Katahdin, covering the 2,193-mile route.

Sanders, known as Grey Beard, first set the record in 2017 at age 82.

His friend M.J. Eberhart took the title in 2021, which prompted Sanders to plan a comeback.

Sanders counted 71 falls during the hike, including six hard falls.

One led to a brief hospital stay, and another happened just 200 yards from the finish.

In June, he fell in a boulder field in Vermont but kept hiking without cleaning his wounds.

Weeks later, a numb arm sent him to a Maine hospital, where doctors found a pinched nerve, not a stroke.

He briefly considered quitting but returned to the trail after his wife encouraged him.

Sanders said his mission has grown beyond the record.

He noted that people are motivated by his efforts, which surprised him.

Fellow hiker Meredith Ewenson said Sanders showed that the journey matters most.

She recalled his "victory dance" and said his fitness at that age seemed impossible.

Sanders was born in Kentucky in 1935, two years before the trail was completed.

He holds other age-related records, including being the oldest person to paddle the entire Mississippi River.

During this hike, he once lay down for a two-minute power nap and then continued walking.