Is my Dream Trip ,A#1 Bucket list item ,even possible?

[gregor]

So got to thinking of things i'd really love to do one day and two of the items were hike the AT and bike across the country. So that got me thinking even more. Would this even be possible?:

1. Leave from my home in NJ
2. Hike the AT (either to ME or GA, doesn't matter)
3. Get on my bike and ride to the terminus of the PCT
4. Hike the PCT
5. Get back on my bike and ride back to the east coast to finish up the section of the AT I didn't hike in #2

There seem to be many variations on this, i could start in GA or ME instead of at home in NJ, hike the entire AT, ride to PCT, hike PCT and then ride home. I basically thought it would be awesome to spend a year+ traveling the perimeter of the US under my own power. Just trying to plan it out seems like it might not be possible to do continuously (forget about if my body would be able to handle it) from a weather standpoint, it looks like i'd be stuck doing a significant portion of one of the long trails in the dead of winter which might not be all that much fun. Any ideas?

[TheYoungOne]

The problem I think you have is weather and timing. When checking out trail journals I ran into a few cross country bicycling journals as well. It seems to be just a 2 to 3 month trip to bicycle across the USA, and its usually done in the warmer weather months. Were you are going to get hung up is how are you going to avoid the winter. Maybe hike southbound ME to GA on the AT, and bike across the southern states during the winter, then hike the PCT northbound.

[max patch]

With all due respect, I think you should finish the trail at least once before you plan such an ambitious endeavor.

[TheYoungOne]

Yep, the more I'm looking at it, you could definately do the "U" of the USA, going Southbound on the AT, and ending up in the Atlanta GA area in the late Fall, then bike down to the Florida Panhandle and take the Southern Tier Bicycle route to the San Diego CA Area, then Hiking up the PCT in early spring and, if you have the timing right, do the Northern tier bicycle tier to complete the loop. The problem is if you don't time it just right or if you run into a setback or delay, you will be trying to cross the northern half of the USA on bike not in the late summer, but in the fall, and if winter starts early you would be screwed. I can be done, but like Max Patch said I would start with just completing the AT first and going from there.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Map_of_Appalachian_Trail.png/250px-Map_of_Appalachian_Trail.png



http://www.adventurecycling.org/store/images/categories/st_lg.gif

http://www.cityconcierge.com/mammoth-lakes/community/Maps/pacific-crest-trail.gif

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-he6rmIUdUzg/Tnods-p206I/AAAAAAAAAK0/RWt6zy7JObw/s1600/NT_Lakes_combo.gif

[Spirit Walker]

I would hike the PCT first, from late April through early August, then bike across to Maine, and hike south on the AT, then bike back to San Diego.

Biggest weather concern to work around is the fact that the Sierras and Washington and Maine are snow free only mid-June to early October. The Whites might be iffy and the Smokies.

[Malto]

Agree with spirit walker. The only way you could likely pull off heading sobo on the AT from nj would be to do an early fast trip finishing up at Springer in April. You would likely want to start the PCT in early May if possible. The clock you will be racing against is finishing the PCT in Early September giving you a month the ride to Katadin and head south.

Your timing would be something like this.

Roughly 1300 miles of AT in about 3 months in the winter
ride cross country on southern route in a month.
hike the PCT in four months
ride across the northern US in a month
hope like heck you can get through the whites on your way south from Katadin.

No part of this is impossible. I suspect the combination would be especially challenging for a first time long trail hiker.

[Odd Man Out]

Go for it. If you define "success" as completing the AT, PCT, and cross country bike in one year, your chance "success" is low. How sad would it be to have a great adventure only to be disappointed because you thought it was a "failure". It would be even worse to stay home because you have been told "success" is not possible.

Why not start an AT hike and see where you end up in 4 months. Then get on your bike and ride for 4 months months and see where you end up. Then hike the PCT for four months and see where you end up. If you define "success" as having a full year of hiking and biking adventure, your chances of "success" are near 100% (baring injury, etc...).

[gregor]

Right now this is in the dream stage guys. I'm 32 and realistically this would be something i'd be able to do when i retire around 55. Kids out of college, house paid off and stuff like that. Plenty of time between now and then to plan and prep for this. Also no need for me to do it in a year. Just wanted it to be an all at once, long term adventure. I think it'd be a great trip to leave from home one day, and come back 12, 14, 16 months later having gone around the perimeter of the US.
Thanks for the tips everyone. appreciate it.

[Deadeye]

With all due respect, I think you should finish the trail at least once before you plan such an ambitious endeavor.

Nah, dream big!

[Dogwood]

Whew! If I only had one dollar for each person that comes up with ideas like this and never even makes an attempt at it I would buy every White Blazer a new piece of gear of their choice! What makes matters worse is that I keep biting into the ideas of these people. Why? Because I know, of course, this proposal is possible! Similiar treks have even been accomplished before! AND, I secretly admire and want to see such people actually accomplish these "dreams".

First, you're red flagged because you are from Naw Jarsee. Second, you are from Bergen County, nawdden Naw Jarsee. You are double red flagged! You are bounced from the bahh! Were you drinking, ALCHOL, or smoking the "demon weed" when this burning bright light bulb of an idea suddenly came to you in a vision? Only kidding, but not entirely.

Part of how hard or easy this would be depends on if you set additional parameters on your trek such as feeling the need to accomplish it in a basically continuous fashion, doing it all in a calendar yr, which you said doesn't need to apply, dirt bagging it along the way, hiking on one leg, riding a tri-cycle dressed as a clown, etc. I mention this because folks, maybe not very different than yourself, with these grand ideas have a habit of coming on Whiteblaze and throwing "SMALL DETAILS" like that into the mix! What you are proposing, which, as I said before, is possible, is equivalent for a non-astronaut, when an astronaut prepares and trains for decades to travel to the moon, suddenly says, "even though I've never trained as an astronaut not only do I want to travel to the moon but, by the way, I also want to travel to Mars, AND BACK, on the same trip". Sometimes, I have this thought to myself that I'm secretly being played like I was on an episode of "Candid Camera" or "You've Been Punked" or I have to look at the calendar to make sure it's not April 1.

Since you are entertaining this idea to possibly be accomplished 20 or so yrs from now FIRST COMPLETE one long-distance thru-hike of the AT or PCT OR COMPLETE one coast to coast bicycle tour and THEN I'd be happy to buy you a beer, maybe a slice of pizza, and we will talk further!

Gregor, there was a woman, forget her name, a real adventurer, HIGHLY MOTIVATED, who a few yrs ago, completed a bike, hike/walk/jog, and kayak trip around the circumference of the U.S. in basically a continuous fashion. Sometimes, she would tote the kayak behind the bike. She may have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I read an article about her and her trip. Amazing story of stamina. Google it up. See if you can contact her IF you REALLY want to accomplish "YOUR DREAM".