Thru Hike When I Retire

[Sarcasm the elf]

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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.

I’ll absolutely second that. His ideas of minimalism and optimization also blend perfectly with backpacking. I belong to both the “Mustachians on Facebook” FB group as well as several Appalachian Trail FB groups, fairly often the posts in the groups are so similar that they I have trouble telling them apart.

[Coffee]

One of the advantages of being retired is your time is your own.

Only in terms of not needing to work at a job for income. There are other demands on time a well for many people.

[Heliotrope]

I was going to work a few more years, but retired at 56 specifically to hike the AT (yikes, 5 years ago now!). Excellent decision. Yeah, money is tighter now, but we get by. Small house, older vehicles, thrifty habits, except for gear, of course.

Younger folks have more time than money, generally, while us older folks have more money than time! Generally. One has to ask one's self: At what age is your crossover point for what's more important, money or time?

Decades ago I saw a plot of expected age of death vs. at what age you retire, working as an engineer. It was probably made up, but it affected me. IIRC, the graph showed that if one retires at 55, one lives on average to 80. But if one retires at 65, one lives on average to..... 66 ! This graph was for a male in a technical job for a corporation, you know, those institutions that suck the life right out of you.....

Key point here: “ ...thrifty habits, except for gear of course.”


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[Dogwood]

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.

^^^^^ +100

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

Oh brother. The AT isn't levitating above every other possible hike as "the hike of all hikes." The AT has downsides, plenty of them. If you like to hike, are preparing for an AT thru yrs away, don't yet have the time or finances or engaged in committments that preclude a AT distance type hike Spirit Walker gave great advice.

[TexasBob]

Only in terms of not needing to work at a job for income. There are other demands on time a well for many people.

That's true. Just because you are retired that doesn't mean you don't have obligations to take care of.

[Dogwood]

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.

That's true. Just because you are retired that doesn't mean you don't have obligations to take care of.

And just because you're not retired doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the time or money to thru hike. Choosing to thru hike doesn't need to be couched in terms of either the thru hike or proritizing money or being responsible to obligations. There are countless examples of those that do it all.

[Dogwood]

And , why, for the love of God, does it always have to be a thru hike to experience completing the AT? Thru hiking is massively over rated especially thru hiking the AT. LOL It's only walking.

If one is considering waiting 14 yrs to experience an AT completion why can't one consider doing the same if it fits better to section hiking the AT?

This level of thru hiking absolutism is insane as well as the anal izing of retirement needed to experience completing the AT, experiencing the AT.

[Coffee]

And just because you're not retired doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the time or money to thru hike. Choosing to thru hike doesn't need to be couched in terms of either the thru hike or proritizing money or being responsible to obligations. There are countless examples of those that do it all.

For me it is more about feeling needed at home and guilty if gone for a very long period of time. I've been away for up to six weeks (PCT in 2015) and until I can feel good about disappearing for longer, even a very fast thru hike of a long trail (3-4 months) isn't in the cards which sucks. Heck, I've not been able to get out on short trips lately either. "Retirement" meaning no need to work for wages, is overrated as a proxy for freedom to do anything; it isn't, not for most people with obligations although everyone is obviously different.

[jefals]

For me it is more about feeling needed at home and guilty if gone for a very long period of time. I've been away for up to six weeks (PCT in 2015) and until I can feel good about disappearing for longer, even a very fast thru hike of a long trail (3-4 months) isn't in the cards which sucks. Heck, I've not been able to get out on short trips lately either. "Retirement" meaning no need to work for wages, is overrated as a proxy for freedom to do anything; it isn't, not for most people with obligations although everyone is obviously different.

Yes, me too. Can't stand being away from the grandkids for more than a couple weeks. Not saying I could complete a thru-hike if not for that, but that's the biggest thing keeping me from giving it serious thought.

[BuckeyeBill]

I could retire now if I chose to, but I enjoy what I am doing and the group of people I have working with me are simply the best. I still grab two to three weeks a couple/three times a year to hike. I still have plans to do an AT thru, that will complete my Triple Crown and then I may try for the American Discovery Trail. After that, who knows?

[Dogwood]

For me it is more about feeling needed at home and guilty if gone for a very long period of time. I've been away for up to six weeks (PCT in 2015) and until I can feel good about disappearing for longer, even a very fast thru hike of a long trail (3-4 months) isn't in the cards which sucks. Heck, I've not been able to get out on short trips lately either...

I get that. But c'mon in 10+ yrs -14 yrs as given- you can't find a wk here and there to bang away at experiencing the AT or contributing to completing the AT?

[Dogwood]

Who the heck here is Nostradamus? We have no exact idea what can possibly lie ahead over such length time periods as 10 yrs. Go do some hiking. Fit it into your non retired schedule. Maybe, do some hiking with family. Stop using money, home obligations, and non retirement as excuses.

[Dogwood]

I'm going to pay for that comment.

[T.S.Kobzol]

I have always assumed that everyone here already hikes.

Who the heck here is Nostradamus? We have no exact idea what can possibly lie ahead over such length time periods as 10 yrs. Go do some hiking. Fit it into your non retired schedule. Maybe, do some hiking with family. Stop using money, home obligations, and non retirement as excuses.

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[Singto]

Just found out that a 57 year old friend of mine has terminal cancer with a 1 year to live prognosis. Him and his wife (has breast cancer) have lots of money but have always been work, work, work. My wife and I, far from being rich, have traveled the world by doing very frugal trips and I'm preparing to hike the AT this year. Message: life is short and many people on this board won't have a retirement. Do it (whatever it is) as soon as it's possible...tomorrow never comes and we're all day to day.

[Carl7]

It's in our backyards. Get out and walk every day. Any trail time is good time, very good time! I too will have to wait for a thru, but in the meantime, I walk and love it.

[Coffee]

Just found out that a 57 year old friend of mine has terminal cancer with a 1 year to live prognosis. Him and his wife (has breast cancer) have lots of money but have always been work, work, work. My wife and I, far from being rich, have traveled the world by doing very frugal trips and I'm preparing to hike the AT this year. Message: life is short and many people on this board won't have a retirement. Do it (whatever it is) as soon as it's possible...tomorrow never comes and we're all day to day.

Of course, you are right. I didn't do it myself (stupid) but I'd tell any young person with an interest in doing so to thru hike after high school or college when there are no obligations to descendants or ancestors to be concerned with. You might be broke but you're never as free as when you are 18 to early 20s.

[perrymk]

Who the heck here is Nostradamus? We have no exact idea what can possibly lie ahead over such length time periods as 10 yrs. Go do some hiking. Fit it into your non retired schedule. Maybe, do some hiking with family. Stop using money, home obligations, and non retirement as excuses.

I'm going to pay for that comment.

Here you go (smile).


You're right of course, that no one really knows what the future holds except perhaps death and taxes. Plans can be changed, but without a plan many people end up no where. Some get lucky and things work out great but most are probably a bit more average. None of this is an excuse for us average folks to not enjoy the present. The right balance of planning for the future and enjoying the present is for everyone to decide for themselves.

The OP wanted to discuss planning, perhaps as a motivation, perhaps to pass the time, maybe to learn something. Probably the same reasons I've read so many AT memoirs. In the meantime I've completed section hiking the Florida Trail and have a reasonable shot at a modest but comfortable retirement in my mid 50s.

[soilman]

I retired at 55. Plan early and live below your means.

[TexasBob]

.................. Stop using money, home obligations, and non retirement as excuses.

Easy to say but ignores realities of life. For 30 years I had a job where I got at most 2 weeks off a year, sometimes less. It would have been extremely selfish of me to use that time to go off by myself and hike the AT. Backpacking is something I enjoy but my wife and daughter would view as a kin to cruel and unusual punishment so a family trip was not in the cards. So for all those years I thought "Someday I am going to hike the AT". Well a few years ago I essentially was semi retired and I had much more time off so my wife said "You have the time now so go do it". Now I am fully retired and I can arrange to gone for long periods if I want whenever I want. So in short what you may see as excuses during those earlier 30 years are really not excuses at least for me but honoring my responsibilities as a husband and a father which I viewed as much more important than the AT.