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Funny, You Don’t Look Like a Thru-Hiker
What comes to mind when you hear the term “thru-hiker?” Most people might picture a twenty-something-year-old man with a scraggly beard, probably sitting by his tent eating ramen. Indeed, if you peruse the thru-hiker statistics from The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) website, you’ll discover that about two thirds of all thru-hikers are men. The mean age hovers around 30.
That’s not me.
Don’t ‘OK, Boomer’ Me
Born in 1956, I’m at the tail end of that population explosion dubbed “the baby boomers.” I’m also a CIS-gender, heterosexual woman who has no more fucks to give. Try mansplaining around me and you’ll be facing an icy stare at best and a dope slap at worst.
At 65, it feels like I get injured more easily and take longer to recover than I did in my 20s or 30s. Knowing this, I’m a little more cautious on the trail and never regret taking it easy until I’m fully recovered. Custom orthotics are a vital to my foot comfort and I’ll spend precious ounces on a heavier sleeping pad to ensure a restful night.
You Can Call Me “Rev”
Over the span of my working life I’ve changed careers several times, working in corporate settings and as an entrepreneur. Enrolling in seminary to become a Unitarian Universalist minister at the age of 44 was my biggest and scariest career move. After seminary I worked as a hospice chaplain before finding my dream job as a minister for religious education, retiring at the end of 2020.
Retiring during COVID times meant postponing many of my retirement plans, including volunteering and traveling. When I’m not hiking, I’m practicing piano as an adult beginner, performing at the Dayton Black Box Improv Theater, playing Pokemon Go, and working with my dog, Bodhi.
Meet My Hiking Buddies
While most thru-hikers hike solo, I’m also unusual in that I’m hiking with a team! Originally from Massachusetts, my husband Chris backpacked in the White Mountains as a teenager and is enjoying re-discovering this passion as a self-described geezer. Chris is retiring at the end of January after a long career at AFRL researching materials “for things that you don’t want to break… like aircraft engines.” When he’s not hiking he loves cooking, woodworking and gardening. As a serious foodie, Chris keeps his dehydrator going almost full-time, drying dinners and snacks for our thru-hike.
Our canine companion is a 3-year-old goldendoodle named Bodhi. In addition to being the goodest boy ever and an enthusiastic hiking buddy, Bodhi is a therapy-dog-in-training. After he passes his final tests next month he’ll be eligible to visit and bring smiles to people in hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities. If you meet him on the trail, he wants you to know that he likes to have his butt scratched.
On the Home Front
This hike would not be possible without the encouragement and support of our two young adult sons, Nick and Alex. They’ll be providing cat and home care as well as mailing supply boxes and being our head cheerleaders.
This spring and summer, if you see two geezers on the trail along with a cream-colored pup wagging his tail off, stop and say ‘hey.’ Happy trails!
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Comments 24
Heh. If I see you two geezers on the trail I will say, “My what a fine-looking young couple.”
Steve / pearwood
A 1950 model. MDiv Calvin Theological Seminary 1985. Ended up with a career in information technology, because God works in a mysterious way. :-{D
Hi Pearwood, you know what they say… “the call to seminary is not the same as the call to ministry.” At least that’s what they said at ESR in discernment class. I’m intrigued when I read about church groups doing trail magic. Sounds like ministry to me! Will we see you on the trail in 2022?
Great good article. So good, this fellow geezer, old coot, 9 year older just had to subscribe.
BTW the Boomer generation 1946 to 1964. So you were pretty much in the middle of the Boomer Generation. 🙂
Regardless great article. Well written.
The sociology of “generations” is fascinating, isn’t it? While both of my kids are tagged as millennials, the younger is definitely Gen Z. You are right, of course, about the 1946-64 span that typically encompasses us Boomers. Though it’s interesting to note that is not universally accepted. And the peak of the pig-in-the-python was 1949!
Thanks for subscribing! What topics might be interesting to you and our other geezer cohort?
OH my. I would love to know the typical stuff. What is your kit? Hours hiked per day? Kinda the stuff in the book I just finished by two geezer hikers, both great writers: Dennis and Jane Blanchard. A Short Walk on a Long Trail: A couple’s Sauntering on the Vermont Long Trail. Of course the AT is on parts of the VLT and Dennis had done the AT a few years back. As he said, they both have “a few orbits left in our journey around the sun.” (Married 45 years) and they have more trails to do.
Looking forward to all your adventures and postings.
I hadn’t heard about the book by the Blanchards. I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for the tip!
Awesome post! Loved all of it honestly! I just turned 60 and am not sure if this spring is my time or not due to still working. If I make the plunge I hope to see you on the trails to say hello!
Wow, I’m honored that you read through to the end. Thank you! Please say hello if we cross paths!
Good morning Leslie. I do hope to see you all out in the greenage somewhere. Best of trail luck. Me, Im a 1949er. Lifetime of milage slowed me down a bit. Still battling with 36/72 syndrome, 72 y/o body can’t do all the things my 36 y/o minds comes up with. Retired military and industrial maintenance tech. I do appreciate your forthrightness and willingness to go trekking. I mostly section hike Virginia, the “flat” state so I will keep an eye out for you.
Props to you… I hope I can still hike at 72. Please say hi if our paths cross!
Loved reading this post, have no doubt that you will accomplish your AT thru-hike. I volunteer at the ATC, Tuesdays are my day…hope to catch you on my day!
“.com”
As a 70 year old AT wannabe I truly enjoyed your post. Thanks. I plan on starting the AT 19 March, 2022. Hope to see you there.
Hi Gary, we’re starting on March 7th. I expect we’ll be comparably slow thru-hikers, both because of our geezer-dom and because we’re hiking with a dog. Hope to see you on the trail.
I too am three score and ten years (plus a few more). And also an AT wannabe. Doing what I can under the circumstances.
I hope you post when and where you can. I would love to follow along.
Great stuff Leslie! Hope to see you at Unicoi Gap (mile 52.9). I’m there most weekends in Feb and March with a little TM. Good hiking to you! Rainman
Great article. You’ve got me by a couple of years but I think I’d rather have done the AT now than when I was younger. Better finances. Less of a party. Better able to appreciate the grandeur?
Only suggestion would be to leave the dog at home. None of the dogs I met were fairing too well (pack blisters, paw issues etc…) and several folks abandoned their hike due to dog issues. YMMV. Good luck. It’s a great hike!
Thanks for commenting. We’re paying close attention to conditioning Bodhi for a thru-hike and have plans for a friend to pick him up if he has issues. (Friend spontaneously offered to be Bodhi’s rescue buddy!) Like you, we think age is in definitely in our favor when it comes to the AT in terms of finances and AT party culture. In terms of physical abilities … well, maybe I need a rescue buddy too!
I just turned 62 this December and I fell in love with hiking during the pandemic and I’ve decided to do the AT on 2023 but honestly am kind of scared since I am new at this, any resources that you guys can recommend to prepare for this.
You’ve already got a great start by deciding to begin in 2023. Most books that I’ve read don’t talk much about older hikers – guess we’re not considered part of their expected readership? My favorite planning book is “Backpacker Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-hike” by Liz Thomas.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31858255-backpacker-long-trails
Favorite YouTube channel is Homemade Wanderlust.
https://www.youtube.com/c/HomemadeWanderlust
Read the books, watch the videos and just get out there and hike! You can do this!
Leslie – this is amazing!! What a wonderfully inspiring read!! Wish I could meet you and Chris for a natter! Lives well-lived!! My partner Michelle and I retire from 30 years in Education in January and are riding across Canada on our bikes this May (my dream). Then, it is the AT – her dream! They can come true and I can’t wait to learn from you two!! Stay safe! Have a blast and thanks for showing us it’s never too late!!!
Thanks, Barry. Riding across Canada will be a wonderful adventure to share with your partner! We did some great bike trips before we had kids (Yellowstone was my favorite) though including our pupper is near-on impossible on a bike.
I plan to blog about issues relevant to us more senior folks as we continue to prepare for the AT. Are there things you & Michelle would like to read about?
Thank you for the kind reply Leslie! Yes, the addition of your pup will be an interesting piece to learn from as we hope to do the same on the AT. Also interested in the usual: gear, pack list, food/water management – but also interested in age-related experiences – with the avg age on trail at 30 – how did that go!? Fitness levels to begin and how that faired for your hike? Feelings of safety? Realizations of self … even at our age!
Looking forward to it all!
Thank you Leslie
Barry
If you’re on FaceBook, be sure to check out Thru-Hiker Dogs. https://www.facebook.com/groups/907294749289972
Great advice from people who actually took their dogs on a thru-hike!
(I actually had a nightmare last night about Bodhi getting seriously hurt. Woke me up and I was SO glad that it was a dream.)
There isn’t much out there about long distance hiking as an elder so I do plan to focus on that. In her excellent book “Backpacker Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-Hike” author Liz Thomas devoted a whole 2 pages on older hikers.
Did you know that only about 750 hikers in their 60s have reported completing an AT thru-hike? It will be intriguing to explore why that’s true.
Happy Trails!
Leslie
Great read! I look forward to following your hike!