What would be your ultimate long distance adventure?

[ryan850]

After hiking the AT in 2011, I got the hiking bug. I hiked another 1,000 miles of various trails in 2012 including the JMT, WT, and LT. This year is all about saving money for 2014. I've been planning on hiking the PCT, but now I'm thinking of taking a couple years off for one amazing backpacking adventure (or perhaps hopping around to multiple long trails). I've considered mixing in cycling trips and kayaking trips as well. I need to narrow down my choices and start planning. So, I was just curious, what would you do?

[Lone Wolf]

win the lottery, buy a big tour bus and play a different golf course every day for a year

[colorado_rob]

I've really been wanting to try this "across southern Utah" route, truly my favorite are of the entire USA; trouble is that there is no trail, per se, just a route that has been done before:

http://www.acrossutah.com/map/

[bobgessner57]

Foothills Trail to Chatooga River Trail to Bartram Trail , cross AT near Wayah Bald, continue on Bartram to AT at Cheoah Bald, AT N to Yellow Mountain Trail over to Benton McKaye down to Springer or N into the Smokies.

Do this as an April/May wildflower hike. Once the Bartram crosses the AT by Wayah the possibilities to go N or S on the AT and connecting to the BMT by cross trails such as the Yellow Mountain or Duncan Ridge allow all sorts of various ways to follow a whim and not retrace steps as well as get into a lot of the wilderness area trail systems off of the BMT or the lesser known parts of the Smokies.

[Rasty]

Te Araroa, Tasmania, Brooks Range Alaska and PCT

[ryan850]

Te Araroa, Tasmania, Brooks Range Alaska and PCT

Te Araroa is high on my list. So I don't have to worry about extended visas, I've considered hiking it for 3 months then traveling over to Australia for a month, get a new 3-month visa, then finishing the trail.

[stranger]

Te Araroa is high on my list. So I don't have to worry about extended visas, I've considered hiking it for 3 months then traveling over to Australia for a month, get a new 3-month visa, then finishing the trail.

Te Araroa is not the most exciting hiking in New Zealand, but it's long...if you shoot over here just head over to Perth and thru-hike the Bibbulmun Track (600 miles) then go back over.

Bring your wallet...everything in New Zealand will cost you triple to the US, and your money will only increase by 15-20%...to hike Te Araroa and do a trip in Australia, including airfares, your probably looking at $7000-10,000 grand USD

[Wise Old Owl]

To be honest - one of the best gigs is to be paid to hike and IF you are young enough and have the best cameras and eyes is the cover art for magazines... those pics fetch $1000 - $2000 per cover acceptance. I have done cover art for Monitoring Times and have several covers under my belt. Imagine what you could do for ...

https://www.google.com/search?client...K5Tc4AOjqoHIDA

Best Press covers 2010 ... Warning Graphic content
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...aphs-2010.html

[ryan850]

To be honest - one of the best gigs is to be paid to hike and IF you are young enough and have the best cameras and eyes is the cover art for magazines... those pics fetch $1000 - $2000 per cover acceptance. I have done cover art for Monitoring Times and have several covers under my belt. Imagine what you could do for ...

https://www.google.com/search?client...K5Tc4AOjqoHIDA

I like the way you think Wise Old Owl. I have considered taking my SLR for this trip, even though it adds a few pounds. I'm still an amateur, but I've taken a few decent shots: http://ryangrayson.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_13.html. Any suggestions for submitting to magazines?

[Damn Yankee]

I like the way you think Wise Old Owl. I have considered taking my SLR for this trip, even though it adds a few pounds. I'm still an amateur, but I've taken a few decent shots: http://ryangrayson.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_13.html. Any suggestions for submitting to magazines?

I know this place "The Sunset and Half Dome" I was there just a few weeks ago. Great pictures

[Deadeye]

To be honest - one of the best gigs is to be paid to hike...

I have to disagree with WOW here... I've done the hike for money gig. It turned my favorite activity into work. I didn't hike for years after that.

[Wise Old Owl]

Most of it is building personal relationships with editors and they don't know talent - but like the style and need art content... they are decisionmakers.. so I let a few free ones go thru and then say if you want to sell more I have an established business and can provide content that will sell.. focused on your needs... oh they like that.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ad...reat_wall.html

my videos get $200 at Channel ten news and my photographs get about $100 when I come upon things... but as soon as I get them I show them and ask for the money after building the relationship...


Yea that bee at devils tower sold it... You have an eye... now go read about building a business!

thnx for the new background! - great close encounter.

[ryan850]

Yea that bee at devils tower sold it... You have an eye... now go read about building a business!

thnx for the new background! - great close encounter.

Thanks for the great advice! And that makes me happy to think of my picture as your background. I think I'm sold on the idea of taking an SLR. I've only taken it on trips that are less than a week or so, but if I can use it to help pay for the trip itself, it's worth the extra couple pounds.

[Different Socks]

The ultimate? Or several of them?

JMT
OHT
Finish PCT
Finish CDT
Bruce Trail
IAT
Trans Canada Trail
Chilkoot Trail
Great Western Trail
Too many to list trails in all of Europe!!!

[Odd Man Out]

http://thegreathimalayatrail.org/

The Great Himalaya Trail

[double d]

I actually would think of doing something along the lines of hiking most the long distance trails that others have already mentioned. Why not? Life is short and if you have the time and money-it would be worth it-beats playing golf each day, unless its at Bushwood Golf Course.

[Kerosene]

Don't forget about the Cohos Trail! You might also consider the Ozark Trail, and maybe some of the European long-distance trails.

Have you considered taking a week to work with on a trail maintenance team?

[Cookerhiker]

New Zealand is probably tops but don't think I'll ever be able to afford it.

I'd really like to hike in Norway along the fjords.

[Dogwood]

What would be your ultimate long distance adventure?

Dying, only to find out you don't really cease to exist.

[da fungo]

Another ideal long distance route would be to hike to Santiaqo de Copmpostela - from Northern Europe, say from Denmark, Sweden, or Norway. In Crusader times, there were actual pilgrimage routes from there.