Thru Hike When I Retire

[colorado_rob]

65 -> 66! I’d better hurry up and get on the trail. 9 April on the approach trail.

You're good, because every year hiking adds 5 years of longevity! Or more.

[BuckeyeBill]

As I've told people for years
I'd rather be retired and live in a trailer, then go to work everyday
It's all a matter of perspective
I want and need very little. I'm somewhat of a minimalist.
A minimalist with a bunch of stuff, that he realizes is suffocating him.

My wife on the other hand doesn't does not want to live a minimalist lifestyle.

If i didnt' have a wife or kids in grad school I'd retired today
Life's too short to work it away. And walking trails ain't that expensive.

By the time my youngest is out of med school, I hope to be able to work contract part of the year only. Looks like six or seven more years. If I can do that for a number of years I'll be content to work till I'm 65. I expect I'll be forced to retire at 55 that seems to be the trend.

MW I made the mistake of saying something within ear shot of my wife and two step children. It was the same year that the Dodge Viper came out. I told the kids if it weren't for them, I would get one of these. It flew over the kids' head, but the wifey gave me the hex eye and told me that remarked just cost me taking the whole family and a few (4) friends out to dinner at a restaurant of her choosing. Yikes!!!!!

[BuckeyeBill]

Oh and I had to pay for everyone.

[MuddyWaters]

MW I made the mistake of saying something within ear shot of my wife and two step children. It was the same year that the Dodge Viper came out. I told the kids if it weren't for them, I would get one of these. It flew over the kids' head, but the wifey gave me the hex eye and told me that remarked just cost me taking the whole family and a few (4) friends out to dinner at a restaurant of her choosing. Yikes!!!!!

Well, my wife knows my feelings.
I'm tired of working
Shes tired of working also
She works till 9 p.m. almost every night or later sometimes
And I've spent only 9 days in US so far this yr.
I'll be lucky if I spend 4 months at home this year
It could easily be less than 2.

Makes planning my little walks hard.
Well I can plan all I want , the plans just get trashed

[devoidapop]

What about requesting sabbatical time? I have been with my company about 10 years, I dedicate a lot if time to my work and sacrifice holidays every year. I would not be shy about asking for the time to rejuvenate myself. Of course my kids are still little and I don't want to miss 4 to 6 months of their lives or be the subject of a thread about the ethics of thru hiking with toddlers, so it's not happening until they are older anyway. Hopefully over a summer vacation when they're teens.

[devoidapop]

What about requesting sabbatical time? I have been with my company about 10 years, I dedicate a lot of time to my work and sacrifice holidays every year. I would not be shy about asking for the time to rejuvenate myself. Of course my kids are still little and I don't want to miss 4 to 6 months of their lives or be the subject of a thread about the ethics of thru hiking with toddlers, so it's not happening until they are older anyway. Hopefully over a summer vacation when they're teens.

[Nanatuk]

One has to ask one's self: At what age is your crossover point for what's more important, money or time?

Or more succinctly How do you get the money and the time to run out at the same time?

[Coffee]

I've been fortunate enough to not be in traditional employment for the past nine years and I'm now only 44. Yet somehow I haven't thru hiked an entire long trail (although I've done 800+ mile long sections). And I badly want to triple crown and more - so I feel like I'm squandering my time when I read this thread and need to just get out there more while I'm relatively young.

BTW, www.mrmoneymustache.com is THE site to read to at least remove money as the reason not to get out there. Some level of financial freedom is necessary, but not necessarily, a sufficient condition to be able to thru hike the long trails.

[map man]

I should be end to end thru hiking the AT in 2032. I’ll be newly retired and 57 years old. Anyone else planning to thru in 2032?

Between now and then I have 14 years to hike the short trails, the close trails, and lock down a system that won’t let me down. I just did the math and while a lot can happen between now and then, I’m stoked!

I can’t afford the long stuff right now but easy to enjoy much shorter hikes with my kids until I can seems like a good alternative.

I started down a similar path in my mid-forties. Took up backpacking at age 46 in 2006, have gained a lot of experience with at least one hike of a week or two each year since, and have fantasized off and on about trying a thru-hike when I retire. And now I am retiring next year.

I have learned that I have some things going for me making me a good candidate for a thru-hike (good fitness and a lot of backpacking experience) and some things that make me less than a good candidate (homesickness in the second week of any hike being an important one). I plan to start a hike at Katahdin next June but I still haven't decided whether it will be a thru-hike attempt or a challenging section hike covering Maine and New Hampshire.

[Nanatuk]

What about requesting sabbatical time?

My company used to offer sabbaticals for employees with over 20 years service. I requested one a year ago, but it didn't go very far. They wouldn't consider anything over 30 days. I think I'm going to ask again next year once I'm in a position to walk away for good. (pun intended)

[BuckeyeBill]

Well, my wife knows my feelings.
I'm tired of working
Shes tired of working also
She works till 9 p.m. almost every night or later sometimes
And I've spent only 9 days in US so far this yr.
I'll be lucky if I spend 4 months at home this year
It could easily be less than 2.

Makes planning my little walks hard.
Well I can plan all I want , the plans just get trashed

Sounds like you have a very special lady there. I'm am sure that if you both can hold on under those circumstances you will be at Springer Mountain very soon.

[MtDoraDave]

I've started working on my business partner about taking time off to thru hike.
He says wait until I retire.
I don't know if I'll be able to walk when I retire, so I started saving money and paying off bills. When I'm close to o having 10k saved, if I still wish to thru hike, I'll bring it up again.
In the meantime, I'll just keep doing sections when I can.
.
If I become a 2000 miler before I get a chance to thru, what are the odds I'll still want thru? Who knows. Maybe I'll want to do the PCT at that point?
.
Bottom line is that I keep saving money so that I CAN do something when the opportunity arises.

[Greenlight]

Dale Sanders "White Beard" is the oldest man to thru-hike the AT at age 82. He was in the AT class of 2017 and I met him at The Place during Trail Days. What is the Lithuanian man's name, and does he have proof of his thru-hike? If so, he needs to be recognized for the accomplishment. Until that happens the official record remains in White Beard's hands.

[TSWisla]

I am really jealous. I have 4 children and they are bleeding me dry. I live in IL and IL is bleeding me dry too. I think that I have to be content with section hiking. I turned 40 last year and my body is already giving up on me. 2 knee surgeries, DVT, pylonephritis, umbilical hernia, PVCs amoung other ailments. I am in great shape! My bloodwork is "amazing" according to my cariologist and I am 5'10" 155# I am on no meds. What am I doing wrong?! My dream was to hike the AT and PCT, but it looks like I will be lucky if I complete the AT in 20 or 30 years...

[Spirit Walker]

Since you have time, why not explore other trails besides the AT? There are a lot of places that are more beautiful and a lot less crowded. Go somewhere different every year. A week or two or three to explore Colorado, Montana, Utah, the Ozarks, Alaska, etc. You'll still be aiming toward your main goal, thruhiking when you retire, but you won't have spent your entire life focused on one tiny part of the country.

[Grampie]

Since you have time, why not explore other trails besides the AT? There are a lot of places that are more beautiful and a lot less crowded. Go somewhere different every year. A week or two or three to explore Colorado, Montana, Utah, the Ozarks, Alaska, etc. You'll still be aiming toward your main goal, thruhiking when you retire, but you won't have spent your entire life focused on one tiny part of the country.

There is no hike that compares to a AT thru-hike.

[colorado_rob]

There is no hike that compares to a AT thru-hike.

I can think of a few that blow the AT away, sorry. But I did thoroughly enjoy the AT too. More than I thought I would.

[T.S.Kobzol]

First advice: move to the mountains so you can hike every weekend.

I am really jealous. I have 4 children and they are bleeding me dry. I live in IL and IL is bleeding me dry too. I think that I have to be content with section hiking. I turned 40 last year and my body is already giving up on me. 2 knee surgeries, DVT, pylonephritis, umbilical hernia, PVCs amoung other ailments. I am in great shape! My bloodwork is "amazing" according to my cariologist and I am 5'10" 155# I am on no meds. What am I doing wrong?! My dream was to hike the AT and PCT, but it looks like I will be lucky if I complete the AT in 20 or 30 years...

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[One Half]

dang! people think I'm a planner with a thru hike planned for 2022!

[TexasBob]

I started down a similar path in my mid-forties. Took up backpacking at age 46 in 2006, have gained a lot of experience with one or two week long section hikes each year since, and have fantasized off and on about trying a thru-hike when I retire. And now I am retiring next year.

I have learned that I have some things going for me making me a good candidate for a thru-hike (good fitness and a lot of backpacking experience) and some things that make me less than a good candidate (homesickness in the second week of any hike being an important one). I plan to start a hike at Katahdin next June but I still haven't decided whether it will be a thru-hike attempt or a challenging section hike covering Maine and New Hampshire.

One of the advantages of being retired is your time is your own. If you get through New Hampshire and are having fun, just keep going and if not go home. I am heading to Harper's Ferry in May and going north. My wife said "How far are you going this time?" Unlike my other hikes I told her I don't know I don't have any definite plan other than when and where I am starting. I will decide when I have had enough and come home then. It could be a couple weeks or a couple months or maybe I will go all the way to Maine who knows. I am retired and my schedule open-ended so no reason for me to decide now. My wife is glad for me to hike and very supportive.