View Full Version : jobs and thru hiking
sailorman50
01-21-2012, 21:00
i am 21 right now and love hiking and am planning a thru hike of my own after college. i have a specific question for everyone who has a full time job and does thru hikes. in certain threads i have read about people who have hiked the AT and PCT or CDT. i dont know the exact average time length of each trail but i know the AT is around 6 months so i am assuming the other trails take around the same time if not longer. my question is how do you people with full time jobs set aside 6 months or more to hike? i have thought about hiking the PCT and CDT but i dont understand where everyone gets the time and still holds a job
4eyedbuzzard
01-21-2012, 21:07
Some get leaves of absences, some are self-employed, most probably just quit and worry about finding a job when they're done. That's why you will find two predominant groups thru-hiking: those in-between school and career, and retirees.
you got to prioritize, is your career more important? In my case no, so its time to hike, and 6 months on the AT I hope not thats about 12 miles per day.
sailorman50
01-21-2012, 21:50
i agree, im hoping to do 20 miles a day after the first 2 weeks. i guess i will need to figure out what is more important when i get to that point in my life
Slo-go'en
01-21-2012, 22:32
Indeed, people who do mulitpule thru-hikes don't have real, full time jobs. How they can afford to do this is a good question. Being self-employed and able to make buckets of money in the off season is one way. Having relatives in the 1% is another.
In my case I did seasonal jobs and hiked inbetween winter and summer jobs. Still haven't gotten to do my thru hike, that will have to wait 5 1/2 more years until I retire from my current non-seasonal, full time, racking up benefits job.
4eyedbuzzard
01-21-2012, 22:48
Or get a really good job, like one with a lifetime appointment - William O. Douglas thru-hiked at age 60 while a sitting Supreme Court Justice.
Alpha Wolf
01-21-2012, 23:37
I know of a doctor here in town getting ready for a thru hike. He is simply closing down his practice for 5 months.
Todd Tarbox
01-22-2012, 00:14
Im just quitting my job that I have had for three years as a pharmacy tech. I hope that I have left a good enough impression on everyone I've worked with that they will want to hire me back. If not I'll just go for another hike.
Sierra Echo
01-22-2012, 00:19
I have the worlds best job. Wouldn't risk losing it for the world. Not to mention they most likely wouldn't give me a 6 month leave of absence.
boyinasuitcase
01-22-2012, 00:31
i'm quitting my job of 6 years in march to thru hike in april. it's a good job, but i can't let it prevent me from doing something awesome. i have no idea what i'll do after the AT, i've always landed on my feet.
Mountain Mike
01-22-2012, 01:31
Many get seasonal jobs. Say a ski resort. Waiter/waitress, bus tables etc & live really cheap. Others are retired. For the most part. I got a leave for my AT hike & PCT attempt. Had to quit to finished up what I missed of PCT due to bad snow year.
blackbird04217
01-22-2012, 03:31
My career has a longest job of 18 months, second longest of 11 months... Not something I am particularly happy with, but it was during a break between jobs that I hiked the AT in 2009, and since I've been infected with the desire to do more. Unfortunately my student loans are keeping me from more adventuring until I pay them off, the daily interest is more than I paid per day on the AT, no lie. :(
On the note about 20 miles per day after the first 2 weeks, don't rush yourself. Set aside the time and enjoy it. The pressure for more miles will be inevitable, but in the end the experience is less rewarding, at least for me it was more rewarding, and comfortable, when I slowed down.
When I was a kid I always thought of a career in terms of how much you make and how that job is preceived in society. I think this was a mistake, but now that I have a decent amount of job experience I realize that money is not a long term motivator for me. Id rather have job satisfaction and live humbly. The majority of AT hikers seem to fall into groups: the college age and younger, retirees, people going through transition periods, and career hikers. I am going through a transition so I think it is a perfect time for a thru-hike. When I finish I am going to look into Teach for America, or just become a student teacher. I dont think thru-hiking means you cant have a traditional career but most jobs arent set up to allow you to leave for months at a time (just doesnt make buisness sense). If being promoted and working are important to you then the AT isnt going to help you. I just dont think that when I am old and gray I will look back and wish I made more money or worked more hours.
Jim Adams
01-22-2012, 11:34
I am so fortunate to have the career that I do because it was just started on a whim. I have been a paramedic for 35 years. The pay sucks but gets me by...the self rewards of the job are wonderful but the best thing is that i am in major demand due to poor wages and a lack of interest of this field. I took my first leave of absence @ age 37 for 13 months and did a huge trip. I took my second major leave of absence @ 49 y/o and hiked the AT again for 6 months. I have taken shorter 2 week to 2 month trips in those other years and have always kept my same jobs due to demand. I have gone as far as turning in resignations but they simply wouldn't accept them and gave me leaves and told me to walk fast.
I will never be wealthy...but I am the richest man that I know!
geek
Assuming you're not just running on a trust-fund (and some are), good jobs to support Appalachian Trail hiking mostly take place in winter. The key is to make enough money to live during the duration of work and save enough for a thru-hike - here are a few:
Hotel / Restaurant work in Ski towns
Retail Christmas Trees (you'd be shocked how much money is in this)
Ski Lift Operator, Ski Patrol, Instructor (depending on your skills)
Winter work on a Cruise Ship (lots of people "cruise" in the winter)
Another career to consider is becoming an EMT or a Paramedic - while you can't necessarily take off half the year, most states have reciprocity and you can move around (assuming you are honest with your employers and don't just leave them high and dry every spring.
Another responsible and excellent idea is work for a school (especially a private high school of K-12) - these schools usually still have a pretty generous summer break. While it isn't possible to do a thru hike in just 2 1/2 to 3 months (at least very rare), you could do half the trail one Summer and Half the trail the next summer - you can get some big miles on a lot of trails done in 2 months - you can also complete trails like the CT,LT, and JMT in a summer vacation.
Another reality is that the folks that do take 6 months to hike usually have money from another source - between high school and college, college to grad school and right out of college, many hikers have family support. Early retirees usually have saved enough bucks to do the trail in style. The full-time hiker set often holds down jobs like I have listed above. I also know a bunch of part time roofers, tree surgeons, etc. that work for themselves and go to the trail when they want. I own my own business and just make hiking long distances a priority - I have the money for another thru-hike but have to get to a place with family and the proper break in business to get 4-5 months - right now, the best I can do is 4-5 weeks - which is still a luxury to most.
MuddyWaters
01-22-2012, 12:10
Some people make their work, their life. Its all they do, its all they ever aspire to. This is a product of brainwashing by our educational and political system. You are supposed to be a good little worker bee.
Stop and think about it. What is important in life. A nice car? A big house? money? Or is it people and experiences? Experiences are what life is composed of, a great many people never live, they only exist. The "crap" they buy and surround themselves with is a surrogate for experiences. Their only experiences are a couple of weeks of vacation they took where they actually went somewhere.
$4000 to thru hike. Peanuts. Dirt cheap living. Where else could you live for $8000/yr? Talk about sub-poverty level.
The problem, is in saving the $4000 for many. Most persons in this country dont have that on hand. But, they drive decent cars, and have iphones w/bluetooth headsets, live in houses they cant really afford, have 200 cable channels and high speed internet. Their choices.
A friend of my daughters family went to disney world last yr for christmas. the deal was to have the money, they had to cancel cable TV for a year. So, they did. They never got the TV back. They discovered that all TV did was waste their time anyway, it wasnt needed. And they had been paying ~$150/mo for it.
Some people make their work, their life. Its all they do, its all they ever aspire to. This is a product of brainwashing by our educational and political system. You are supposed to be a good little worker bee.
Stop and think about it. What is important in life. A nice car? A big house? money? Or is it people and experiences? Experiences are what life is composed of, a great many people never live, they only exist. The "crap" they buy and surround themselves with is a surrogate for experiences. Their only experiences are a couple of weeks of vacation they took where they actually went somewhere.
$4000 to thru hike. Peanuts. Dirt cheap living. Where else could you live for $8000/yr? Talk about sub-poverty level.
The problem, is in saving the $4000 for many. Most persons in this country dont have that on hand. But, they drive decent cars, and have iphones w/bluetooth headsets, live in houses they cant really afford, have 200 cable channels and high speed internet. Their choices.
A friend of my daughters family went to disney world last yr for christmas. the deal was to have the money, they had to cancel cable TV for a year. So, they did. They never got the TV back. They discovered that all TV did was waste their time anyway, it wasnt needed. And they had been paying ~$150/mo for it.
I used to think just like this (sometimes, I still do) and I don't have cable TV and my daughter is about the smartest kid in her class - maybe because we read and spend so much family time playing games and so forth and stay away from the tube. I also agree that you can do a thru-hike on $4000 and that you might be able to live all year on the trail (holed up somewhere in the winter) for maybe under $10K a year and make a life of working odd-jobs to pay for perpetual trail life BUT, honestly, perpetual trail life doesn't complete the picture for me. I do like to live modestly but I DO like my house, my family, my dog, the ability to have a car (which I own for cash, thanks). I like to travel, I like to do cool things and the thing that I realize is that while I can easily go into the $4000 thru-hike just eating oatmeal and potatoes mode, I really think that for the long term, having a job, being productive in something you like and yes, having a few bucks makes for a longer and happier existence -- it's the proper balance -- whatever that means to you.
Sassafras Lass
01-22-2012, 12:52
You don't. Generally. At least, not the job/field you had before your hike.
Your hike will (at least should) change you in ways you can't foresee - and you won't feel the same way about a lot of things after you're done. And subsequently, you won't want the same kind of job/career (if a career at all) when you're done.
At least, that's been my experience, and what I've seen from others.
You save up money, go hiking, and worry about a job afterwards. If it really came down to it, you could make do waiting tables or something else "disposable" when you're done, while you're figuring out where you want to go from there. Of course, that's assuming you don't have deep roots somewhere already (kids, mortgage, etc.)
4eyedbuzzard
01-22-2012, 13:21
Another area to explore is contract / temp work / road tech. If you have a skilled trade like electrician, pipefitter, instrument tech, etc, there are always jobs during construction and maintenance shutdowns at power plants, refineries, mines, ports, pipelines, etc. The pay is generally excellent with lots of OT and they pay pretty good per diem living expenses. You often can make $30-35/hr, $2000 - 3000/wk based on the pay and hours available. 60 hours is very usual and I've worked a lot of 72 and 84 hour weeks when I did it. But, you have to generally get some combination of licensing, third party skill certification, nuclear certification / security clearance for nuke work, etc, and build a track record doing it as references from your last few jobs are very important and are always checked. All of this means putting a number of years in a trade (minimum 5) before you are honestly able to consider doing such work. There are less skilled laborer positions as well, but they are very competitive and of course don't pay as well ($20-25/hr).
The upside is that you can often make a comparable year's pay in 6 months or less and you don't have to work when you don't want to. You could work for 6 months and hike for six months one year if you can find a gig that matches up somewhat with a reasonable hiking schedule. The downside is that you travel to and live where the job is in anything from a motel to apt to trailer/RV, are away from family and friends, there is no job security or benefits, and there is a major burnout factor. Also, you have to do it frequently enough to be seen as a real pro. Working 6 months every 3 years will likely put your resume at the bottom of the pile as employers want guys whose skills are current and want to work.
Just another path to consider.
CrumbSnatcher
01-22-2012, 13:31
i lay bricks, then i hike
or i hike, then i lay bricks:-?
What is important in life. A nice car? A big house? money?
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): What is best in life?
Conan (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0000216/): The open steppe, fleet horse, falcons at your wrist, and the wind in your hair.
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): Wrong! Conan! What is best in life?
Conan (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0000216/): To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): That is good! That is good.
.
.
Panzer
4eyedbuzzard
01-22-2012, 13:58
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): What is best in life?
Conan (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0000216/): The open steppe, fleet horse, falcons at your wrist, and the wind in your hair.
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): Wrong! Conan! What is best in life?
Conan (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0000216/): To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): That is good! That is good.
PanzerCatchy....
Alpha Wolf
01-22-2012, 20:14
Some people make their work, their life. Its all they do, its all they ever aspire to. This is a product of brainwashing by our educational and political system. You are supposed to be a good little worker bee.
...And some people make their work their life because they enjoy what they do and appreciate the contributions they make to their community.
...And some people make their work their life because they enjoy what they do and appreciate the contributions they make to their community.
both statements here ring true - the art is finding balance - working for money alone doesn't get it but working because you love what you do (and you get some money) might.
both statements here ring true - the art is finding balance - working for money alone doesn't get it but working because you love what you do (and you get some money) might.
And if some one else is totally motivated by money who am I to judge. HYOH, LYOL.
And if some one else is totally motivated by money who am I to judge. HYOH, LYOL.
I like your style TOMP - that was totally my style one time - I've thru-hiked, lived for a year on the road in the back of a Ford Ranger truck with a camper top and later a van with shag carpet stapled to the ceiling - I've been a bum and a hitch-hiker and I've also hung out at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in the hot tub where waiters bring you vintage Krug Champagne and big warm towels - I prefer the dirtbag lifestyle (although that hot tub didn't suck) but - I HAVE been able to sustain the "money is not that important" posture over the LONG HAUL by making and having some money and doing productive work that I'm proud of. I know a lot of people who have said what you say, then see them 10 years later driving an SUV out of the gated-community, fat, overweight, trail-life a distant memory -- you, living like you like to live but also having a base, making some money and having some money (not necessarily daddy money bags style) helps you live the purposeful life you want to. If you end up having more than you need, mentor a kid or help someone less fortunate. HYOH, LYOL for sure. Good luck on the trail this year -be safe - I hope to see you out there.
MuddyWaters
01-22-2012, 22:01
Hey I agree there must be balance too.
What I basically believe is that if there is something you really want to do, you need to find a way to go do it.
Life is short, much much shorter than you realize at 20 yo.
The only things that are really important are the others we positively affect, and what we leave behind. All the rest is unimportant.
Hey I agree there must be balance too.
What I basically believe is that if there is something you really want to do, you need to find a way to go do it.
Life is short, much much shorter than you realize at 20 yo.
The only things that are really important are the others we positively affect, and what we leave behind. All the rest is unimportant.
that's the truth there brother - I was 20 just the other day and woke up and I was 45 - I'm not kidding - bat of an eye -scary - I can still outrun most 20 year olds though
I like your style TOMP....I hope to see you out there.
Likewise. Its also nice to hear that you are able to have and support a family without a traditional lifestyle. Although I think this will be possible for me, I dont actually know anyone, friends or family, that have achieved this (or wanted to). They are traditional people and couldnt be happier, but sometimes thier "helpful suggestions" toward me are less then that. And sometimes I almost believe that they are right and I need to conform in order to get somethings in life.
Dirtybagging is just different standards for cleaniness. I have and will continue to dumpster dive and I dont think anything of it. To me, I am just using a resource that other choose not to. I compost human waste and fertilize with it. I take showers in the rain when possible. I eat dandelions whenever I feel the urge. Just a few examples but I know a lot of people that are appauled at anyone of these ideas.
There is nothing wrong with spending money, I spent about 1 grand to hike the WCT in vancouver island between airfare, gear, food, hostel, and permits. One of my uncles used to be a VP at a major retail chain and he retired at age 50 because he thought the stress was going to kill him in 5 years. He told me that money = options. I find its very true, people just lose sight of that (he turned 65 this year). Will I ever be fat, maybe but not today.
Yeah life is short, some 20 year olds know it and some 80 year olds dont. I always maintained the idea that I was born old. But in reality I just think too much.
See you on the trail.
double d
01-23-2012, 00:15
Or get a really good job, like one with a lifetime appointment - William O. Douglas thru-hiked at age 60 while a sitting Supreme Court Justice.
Its off topic of me to do this, but did he complete his hike?
4eyedbuzzard
01-23-2012, 01:06
Its off topic of me to do this, but did he complete his hike?I believe he did, in 1958 if I remember correctly. He was also very "activist" as a juror in areas relating to parks, preservation, and such.
stranger
01-23-2012, 01:39
i am 21 right now and love hiking and am planning a thru hike of my own after college. i have a specific question for everyone who has a full time job and does thru hikes. in certain threads i have read about people who have hiked the AT and PCT or CDT. i dont know the exact average time length of each trail but i know the AT is around 6 months so i am assuming the other trails take around the same time if not longer. my question is how do you people with full time jobs set aside 6 months or more to hike? i have thought about hiking the PCT and CDT but i dont understand where everyone gets the time and still holds a job
I solved this problem fairly easily by leaving the United States. The US has some of the lowest standards of working conditions in the western world, with some of the longest hours and least amount of vacation time. In the past 4 years, I've worked just 30 months, or an average of 7.5 months per year, I have no debt and am closing in on $20K in the bank....I have no college degree either. Choosing NOT to buy a house and NOT to have kids has certainly helped this way of life. I found a way of life in New Zealand that I could never give up, now I'm in Australia which has even better conditions for working people. It's not for everyone, but unless you have some strong desire to live in America...you don't have to. Don't make the mistake of trying to fit your life into your constricted surroundings. A far better approach is figure out the type of life you want to have, find the best place to live that life...and go to that place. That place is probably not New Jersey, it might be Portland, it might be Paris or Melbourne.
rocketsocks
01-23-2012, 02:41
If you want to get in a trade union you'll have the best part time job ever,high pay,good benefits,and if you budget like your only working 7 to 9 months a year,you can make it work.They may be looking for young people,there just aren't enough young serious minded people coming in the trades and older members retire every day.But you have to want to work.:)
I think, in general, you will find very few thru hikers who have a spouse and minor children. (This is especially true of people who complete MULTIPLE long distance thru hikes).
Thru hikes tend to be something done by younger people (who have no children) and retirees (whose children are grown). A notable exception might be divorced persons----when the other parent has physical custody of the children or shares custody.
On WhiteBlaze, when the topic comes up regarding whether someone should quit their job in order to do a thru hike--the ones who say "Quit the job and go for it"-more often than not--are under age 35 and have no children (or they have seasonal jobs, trust funds, or are self-employed).
I think, in general, you will find very few thru hikers who have a spouse and minor children. (This is especially true of people who complete MULTIPLE long distance thru hikes).
Thru hikes tend to be something done by younger people (who have no children) and retirees (whose children are grown). A notable exception might be divorced persons----when the other parent has physical custody of the children or shares custody.
On WhiteBlaze, when the topic comes up regarding whether someone should quit their job in order to do a thru hike--the ones who say "Quit the job and go for it"-more often than not--are under age 35 and have no children (or they have seasonal jobs, trust funds, or are self-employed).
I have a absolutely wonderful wife and one child - she is 6 (going on 16) - they love me and know how much backpacking trips mean to me. Every summer they make sure I have a solid month to do all of the hiking that I can and I get plenty of weekends - I do the same for my wife - she is a trapeze artist and aerialist and often travels and spends several weekday evenings working out. When we are together, we always have plenty to talk about from an adventure standpoint - my daughter gets to do it all - she camps, she rock climbs, she swings, etc. Having only one kid gives us the opportunity to give her a lot of time and gives us pretty good freedom. We have a nice balance but to do another thru-like (probably a 4-month one for me), I'll need a few years - they will probably also provide a "chase vehicle" for me, which will be fun.
CrumbSnatcher
01-23-2012, 20:21
----------------------------------------------------
stranger
01-23-2012, 21:34
I think, in general, you will find very few thru hikers who have a spouse and minor children. (This is especially true of people who complete MULTIPLE long distance thru hikes).
Thru hikes tend to be something done by younger people (who have no children) and retirees (whose children are grown). A notable exception might be divorced persons----when the other parent has physical custody of the children or shares custody.
On WhiteBlaze, when the topic comes up regarding whether someone should quit their job in order to do a thru hike--the ones who say "Quit the job and go for it"-more often than not--are under age 35 and have no children (or they have seasonal jobs, trust funds, or are self-employed).
Yeah...I think that's a fairly simplistic approach to a complex issue. I think this view is more of an assumption than fact, but yes...many people who have multiple hikes tend to be 'loners' for lack of a better term, but not always. I'm in a long term relationship (6 years) and I go hiking all the time, granted not for 5 months, but for 6-8 weeks. It causes some grief, but it's workable. Also I've never met a thru-hiker with a trust fund, I have a few thru-hikers who saved hard for 2 years and had 10-12 grand the bank however.
I took 11 months off from early 2010 through early 2012...I was 35, in a long standing relationship, and had plenty of money from savings. Sure it's not common, but I think it's better to focus on what can be done rather than dismiss certain people (parents, people in relationships, those with careers, home owners) . But your point stands that having responsibilities like significant others, children, mortgage, etc...will reduce your chances of multiple thru-hikes.
My feeling is that unless you absolutely want things like a house, wife and kids...wait, just think, and wait, don't act. You have your entire life to buy a house and fall in love, but once you make some big decisions...there are consequences to those decisions. You want to have kids? You have to raise them and provide for them. You want a house...you won't own it for 30 years most likely. But you can always do these things later in life, hiking, adventuring, travelling...realistically, on a practical level, is probably best done before the body creaks too much.
Blissful
01-23-2012, 21:40
i agree, im hoping to do 20 miles a day after the first 2 weeks.
Doubt that...
Maybe after 4
i am 21 right now and love hiking and am planning a thru hike of my own after college. i have a specific question for everyone who has a full time job and does thru hikes. in certain threads i have read about people who have hiked the AT and PCT or CDT. i dont know the exact average time length of each trail but i know the AT is around 6 months so i am assuming the other trails take around the same time if not longer. my question is how do you people with full time jobs set aside 6 months or more to hike? i have thought about hiking the PCT and CDT but i dont understand where everyone gets the time and still holds a job
I asked for six, I got two. So GA^VA!!
stranger
01-24-2012, 00:28
Doubt that...
Maybe after 4
I was doing 20's my first week in 2008, I was 33 at the time and still smoking cigarettes, granted I had plenty of existing experience but I wasn't 21.
By having ownership in the company and calling in, then they all make me come on in.
sailorman50
01-25-2012, 00:44
i have heard that being a college professor or high school teacher would be a really good job. summers off for high school teacher and some college professor jobs are allowed long sabbaticals every couple of years. not to mention the money in a good college professorship.
flemdawg1
01-25-2012, 18:06
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): What is best in life?
Conan (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0000216/): The open steppe, fleet horse, falcons at your wrist, and the wind in your hair.
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): Wrong! Conan! What is best in life?
Conan (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0000216/): To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
Mongol General (http://www.whiteblaze.net/name/nm0593052/): That is good! That is good.
.
.
Panzer
Catchy....
Yes, yes it is.
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flemdawg1
01-25-2012, 18:07
Evidently the embedding code doesn't work here. Try this one:
http://video.adultswim.com/robot-chicken/what-is-best-in-life.html
Slo-go'en
01-26-2012, 00:46
i have heard that being a college professor or high school teacher would be a really good job. summers off for high school teacher and some college professor jobs are allowed long sabbaticals every couple of years. not to mention the money in a good college professorship.
A friend of mine became a high school teacher for that reason. He also got a job in Vermont, so he was never far from the LT and could get away for the weekend and school holidays without traveling. Smart.
I am blessed to have retired from the military four years ago after 33 yrs of service. My pension pays the bills. I am a contractor and that financed my trip for this year. I'll guit in March and worry about a job when I get back. The other blessing is having an understanding wife to let go away for another 6 months.
Tumbleweed
Let me be someone to suggest that if you have a Bachelor's degree in something, you can design your career to accommodate long-distance hiking.
That's what I did -- I focused my career on what is in great demand within my career choice and have chosen to pursue career opportunities that are enjoyable to me. Then, when I'm ready, I take an adventure periodically -- I've thru-hiked the AT, hiked the entire PCT, traveled to New Zealand for months at a time, lived on the beach in The Cook Islands, lived on the beach in Kauai, seen the sights in Paris and I've hiked the West Highland Way in Scotland.
By doing meticulous career planning and staying focused, I'm comfortable financially and live the rewards of a great life.
Datto
Wait till ya have kids. Then either one has to get them into hiking or retire before a thru. Long Trail was still doable for years. Kids are worse then dogs as far as preventing and end to end.
GeoRunner
11-13-2013, 15:06
Only you will be able to make the final decision.
I'm a recent college graduate, and I know what you're talking about. I was struggling to find a job, but at the same time was not looking wholeheartedly simply because I had my sites set on thru-hiking the AT. I approximated how much money it was going to cost, and quickly found out that I just do not have the funds for it. So, I found a career job to start saving up money. Will I stay with this job forever? Who knows... Do I continually wish I would have been able to hike the trail? Hell yeah.
So with that, my advice is that if you have the funds and you're willing to make a heavy commitment, go for it. Even if you don't get to finish, you'll regret not trying. Who knows when the next opportunity will come?
PS: After I save up enough money, if I don't get to take an extended leave of absense with my job, I'll probably just quit, hike the trail, and find a better job. Easier said than done, but that's years down the road now...
fiddlehead
11-13-2013, 15:09
Having your own business is key.
You work when you want. and hike in between.
Worked for me for 15 years.
Still have the business but, have a kid now.
Money isn't real important when you're single and living out of a tent.
michaelosborne
11-13-2013, 20:50
I'm quitting mine when my start date comes up and for future hikes just doing small jobs to fund me while I have the hiking bug. I have my whole life to get a career but not enough time to see everything I wanna see on this beautiful earth to constitute me working my life away for 50 years.