Thru Hike When I Retire

[Elaikases]

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.

Exactly. I could not agree more.

[One Half]

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.

If I got that diagnosis today I would be hitting the trail! For now, I'm happy to know we will be hiking in 4 years.

[franky]

Are you an 1811 by any chance.. that 57 thing sounds familiar!

[Kittyslayer]

Shooting for class of 2024 to retire and thru hike.

[RockDoc]

I would advise anyone to do it sooner, not later. It's difficult enough now, and there are no guarantees that it will be possible later, especially as you enter your senior years.
I'm in my 60's, but I think I topped out physically in my early-mid 50's. Things are still possible, but much harder now.

[Coffee]

I would advise anyone to do it sooner, not later. It's difficult enough now, and there are no guarantees that it will be possible later, especially as you enter your senior years.
I'm in my 60's, but I think I topped out physically in my early-mid 50's. Things are still possible, but much harder now.

I have seen family members go from healthy and active to permanently disabled overnight. No one knows how long we have on this earth, and of that time how much will be healthy years. There has to be a balance between doing things earlier in life and dealing with responsibilities and providing for old age financially. I've provided for my old age better than I have taken advantage of opportunities to fulfill my bucket list which is a mistake I've been remedying in recent years, or trying to remedy.

[Dogwood]

It's interesting how we perceive our individual actions and activities as selfish or not. I can think of many things we do daily and throughout the coarse of life that can very definitely be defined as selfish yet we don't perceive them as being selfish... Materialism, unbridled consumption, incessant shopping, engaging in unprotected sex,...for instance.

[TheMidlifeHiker]

I’ve decided to not wait until I retire. I’m lucky enough to have my wife’s support so I’m quitting work for 6 months, hiking, and finding a new gig when I get back. I don’t know what my health etc will be like in 20 years so I’m not going to risk it. Carpe diem and all that.

[Spirit Walker]

When my husband and I were trying to decide whether to go thruhike the CDT 7 years after our AT hike, we were concerned about how we were going to manage long term finances and saving for retirement. His field was very specialized and getting a new job wasn't always easy. However, when his younger brother had a triple bypass after his second heart attack, it was a lot easier to decide to take the risk and just go while we still had the health and money to go hike. Nothing is guaranteed, especially when it comes to health. In our case, it worked out well. We hiked the CDT and PCT, went back to work and saved enough to retire comfortably a few years later. Having frugal habits helped, a lot.

[Dogwood]

I live frugally literally in a glorified banana shack like shed so I can hike, travel, and adventure placing a priority on experiences rather than material wants. I went vegetarian eating everything on the farm to save money on food and medical. Main mode of travel is bicycling, second walking, with driving in my own vehicle, down the list. When in HI needing to travel further with less time I have access to a scooter that goes 55 mph. The PU stags in the driveway more often than not. Where I waste a lot of time lately is on the net blogging on sites like this when I could be will be doing other things living life rather than letting it pass me by doing BS like this.

[Coffee]

I live frugally literally in a glorified banana shack like shed so I can hike, travel, and adventure placing a priority on experiences rather than material wants. I went vegetarian eating everything on the farm to save money on food and medical. Main mode of travel is bicycling, second walking, with driving in my own vehicle, down the list. When in HI needing to travel further with less time I have access to a scooter that goes 55 mph. The PU stags in the driveway more often than not. Where I waste a lot of time lately is on the net blogging on sites like this when I could be will be doing other things living life rather than letting it pass me by doing BS like this.

Sounds a lot like my lifestyle - low rent apartment, no automobile, bike and walk everywhere, public transit when it is too far to walk, and few material possessions. At the end of the day, experiences count more than having "stuff" and I enjoy have a small footprint on the world. I recently quit facebook and twitter (huge time savings). I live so far below my means that I get grief for it at times by people who know me. Everyone else thinks I'm poor (or surely I'd have a car). I get a kick out of defying conventional wisdom and lifestyles.

[Dogwood]

Well, we do have some 2000 Kona COFFEE plants on the farm.

I think I've passed your house walking down the street. You're in the snazzy Maytag refrigerator box.

[chknfngrs]

Wow, this thread has gone in a direction I didn’t quite intend. But awesome nonethess to read what you people think! Life is a beautiful thing ain’t it? Thanks for writing in.... for the record not an 1811 and love hiking any trail I can get out on

[OCDave]

Pick up an actual newspaper once a week and scan the obituaries, note the ages of the desceased. This practice helps one consider their priorities. For example: an AT thru-hike planned 20 years in the future conveys that it is an interest but FAR down the list of priorities.

[double d]

I knew a guy who was a family friend of mine (a non-hiker) who couldn't wait until he retired at age 62 and guess what? He was diagnosed with cancer at age 63 and fought it very hard, but he died at age 65. That was about 15 years ago-and now as I approach age 50 myself, I think about him and his philosophy on retirement. As for me, I like the work I do a great deal (I teach history and sociology), but I also remember that "time waits for no one."

[double d]

Pick up an actual newspaper once a week and scan the obituaries, note the ages of the desceased. This practice helps one consider their priorities. For example: an AT thru-hike planned 20 years in the future conveys that it is an interest but FAR down the list of priorities.

Yup-no doubt, that is great advice!!!

[MuddyWaters]

Pick up an actual newspaper once a week and scan the obituaries, note the ages of the desceased. This practice helps one consider their priorities. For example: an AT thru-hike planned 20 years in the future conveys that it is an interest but FAR down the list of priorities.

+
30% die before retirement.
Keep that in mind.

I could relate my own parents life after 63, but it would have you crying . You couldnt imagine a worse outcome for 2 good people looking forward to retirement.

[chknfngrs]

Make no mistake, I do not intend to sit idle while waiting to thru hike end to end in 2032. The beauty I see in life is enjoying the ride! So much to see and do, loving where I am and who I’m with. Each of us have a story and I’ve had to cut through the madness of social media to realize I am exactly where I need to be right now.

[Coffee]

This thread is getting morbid but the points being made are so important. I have seen people go from late middle aged to very elderly in short periods of time. Not all degradation in health is linear. Actually this thread has inspired me to try to hit most of my bucket list over the next five and a half years before I turn 50. Then I can view good years after that as a bonus.

[chknfngrs]

There ya go ^