Hi everyone. I’m Rebecca, a 56-year-old online teacher, deli worker, and a newbie to the thru-hiking world. I’m a dual US and Canadian citizen, born and currently living in Michigan. However, I have also called British Columbia, Canada home for 25 years of my life. After graduating from Simon Fraser University in BC, I was fortunate to work as an archaeological field technician in academic and cultural resource management areas. I thrived on the ever-changing lifestyle of a field archaeologist. Hiking through remote natural landscapes that few others have experienced. Mine was not a desk job! However, a failed marriage drastically changed my career trajectory. I became a single mom overnight, and I struggled financially. We lived paycheck to paycheck and learned to do without. It wasn’t until after my children graduated and moved out that I could pursue any areas of personal interest. I love nature and photography and am an avid bicyclist, kayaker, and urban hiker, although I had never heard of thru-hiking until very recently. Despite this, I have committed to a calendar year triple crown (CYTC) attempt in 2023, beginning with the Pacific Crest Trail.
What I Am Getting Myself Into
There are 11 designated national scenic trails in the US. A triple crown consists of thru-hiking the three biggest: the Pacific Crest (PCT), the Continental Divide (CDT), and the Appalachian (AT), nearly 8,000 miles in total. A CYTC involves completing all three of these trails in a single calendar year. A monumental task for sure, and only a very small number of people have ever done it. As an urban hiker, I typically hike anywhere between 12 to 15 miles per day. However, to complete a CYTC, I will need to more than double my daily averages and maintain them for months. Physically, it will be a brutal undertaking, with blisters, exhaustion, repetitive use injuries, dehydration, altitude sickness, and heart attack being real concerns. Some things I can prepare for, others I can’t. For instance, I currently live in Michigan, where the highest point in the state is less than 1800 feet above sea level. However, I will be facing altitudes on the Pacific Crest of more than 13,000 feet. In addition, I am currently overweight and contracted Covid in December. My energy levels are still not back to normal. However, I am committed to giving it my best shot and tackling it one step at a time.
Why I Don’t Actually Have a Full Year To Do a CYTC
Most people hear the phrase “a single calendar year” and think that means I have a full 365 days to finish it. In theory, yes. But weather patterns and conditions limit where I can hike and when. Many past thru-hikers handle this by doing what is known as a flip-flop, skipping sections until conditions are favorable or until section closures are lifted. While flip-flopping makes sense, it isn’t an option for me. I have the funds I need to complete my hike, but I do not have extensive cash reserves, so trail closures have the potential to derail my CYTC in an instant. I am still weeks out from stepping foot on the trail and am already dealing with eight closures on the PCT alone. To have any hope of completing it by December, I have broken it down by trails and have roughly three months each to conquer the PCT and the AT and four months for the CDT. So, while it is possible to complete it all by December 31st, I have to admit the probability of succeeding is less certain. But if I’m going to dream, then I will dream big!
How I First Learned About Thru-Hiking
You may wonder how I went from not knowing what a thru-hike was to attempting a CYTC. Obviously, it wasn’t a lifelong dream of mine, so what was it? Planetary alignment? Temporary insanity? That last one is open for debate, but for me, it all started with a chance encounter with a professional thru-hiker in a bar back in November. He came in to dry off, warm up, and feed his hiker hunger. While doing so, he regaled us with his tales of hiking. He talked about his love of hiking, its challenges, and the hiking community. He shared pictures of majestic vistas and cringe-worthy photos of blisters and frostbite. Some didn’t get it, but for me, it was as if he spoke some magical spell, and suddenly I was awakened and remembering a long-lost version of myself. I caught the bug, and my decision was made in that instant. Since then, I have devoted all my energy and time to research and preparations. I’m starting with the Pacific Crest Trail because each step will be a sort of homecoming for me and will do my soul some good.
What Is the Attraction of a CYTC
Why would anyone attempt to do something so difficult and riddled with uncertainty? For me, the answer is quite simple. It’s freedom. Freedom to live my life on my terms. At 56, despite my best efforts, my life consists of work and paying bills. Every year that passes leaves me with a little less money, less time, and less energy. To make this trek possible, I must leave my jobs, apartment, and pets and sell off everything I own. It’s the same whether I hike one trail or three. I may fail, but I will never get another chance to dream or attempt something this extraordinary.
With each step, I will be of living a life of my choosing, and in doing so, I hope to encourage others to stop putting off life and have the courage to step outside their comfort zone and truly live. Whether I complete my CYTC attempt or not, I will enjoy every moment of my journey.
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Comments 14
Goals are great… Flip-flopping is a pain in the arse and terribly expensive. Equipment damage and losses pile up, especially with the complete lack of airline culpability for hassle. Plus, there is an enjoyment issue. You may want to take a zero at Crater Lake or hike the John Muir, for instance, and there are all those trails by Manning Park that Americans (only) can’t make. And that’s only the PCT. The AT is grueling, wet, buggy, and highly social. 25-30 miles a day is not reasonable for people our age. The CDT requires many days to adjust to the altitude; although a couple of weeks hanging out with the young athletes in Colorado Springs will pre-empt altitude sickness.
Please totally ignore me. I know nothing. Just saying.
You make some valid points. I acknowledge that I am a newbie when it comes to thru-hiking. Saying I am attempting a CYTC is just hype until I prove myself. The PCT will be my proving ground, as much for me as for others. I am not arrogant enough to think I will set any new records, but I am too stubborn to let other people’s opinions dissuade me. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. I hope you will continue to follow my journey. Cheers ?
I’m looking forward to following your journey, wherever it may lead you this year!
Thank you Morgan! I appreciae yhe support.
May your journey be blessed, I’m looking forward to following you..
Thank you so much. I appreciate the good wishes.
For my age some hard hiking are challenging but I still enjoy. Some day we’ll share great hiking,
I think it is the challenges that enhance our enjoyment of it. And adventures are meant to be shared, so I look forward to it. Happy hiking!
Big *ss Hairy Audacious goals are great (also known as BAHAGs), they can also be a bridge too far setting yourself up for failure, poor decision-making and injury, or worse, because they are unrealistic.
Given your lack of Thru-hiking experience combined with being in your mid-50s – have you considered “just” doing the PCT this year, and if it goes really well making a CYTC attempt next year?
It just seems that you would have a better chance of being successful by focusing on a more realistic (but hard and significant goal) and the logistics and cost are significantly cheaper doing 1 trail instead of 3. By finishing the PCT, you’d get the experience and skills needed to help complete a CYTC. I don’t have the stats in front of me right now, but very few if any successful CYTC’ers are 1st-time thru-hikers. So many factors go into completing a CYTC – weather (looks like it might be a heavy snow year in the Sieras), fire closures, money, health, family, and so on. If you have to sell everything you have for this attempt – are you really ready? Do you have the resources needed in case a curveball, or three comes your way? And they will come.
Best of luck.
Thom, Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. I want to respond to some of your concerns. Let’s start with the big one, my lack of thru-hiking experience. It’s true before November 2022, I had never heard of the term “thru-hike,” and I had never stepped foot on any of our National Scenic Trails. That said, you would be wrong to assume I lack hiking or backwoods experience. I have been scrambling through woods and wilderness since I was small, whether that was for mushroom hunting or survey hiking throughout British Columbia’s temperate rainforests or its northeast in the dead of winter. These are actual wilderness areas with no trail to follow or nearby towns, so it goes without saying that I am proficient with a map and compass. I have hiked alpine and wetlands, as well as semi-desert areas. I have worked in areas and had encounters with mountain lions, moose, wolves, black bears, and grizzlies. And unlike many “experienced” thru-hikers, I know not to cook, eat, or store food in my tent in bear country.
Now I would like to address the concepts of “being realistic” and “setting myself up for failure.” While I don’t have the stats in front of me either, I am fairly confident that I will be one of the oldest people to attempt a CYTC. Does that mean it can’t be done or shouldn’t be attempted? Not at all. In this regard, failure to me comes from not making an attempt. Yes, my overall goal is to complete the big three in 2023, but whether I complete one trail or three, it will be done one step at a time. As a woman and a mother, I am not a risk taker but rather a risk manager. I anticipate what could go wrong and have multiple backup plans for those “just in case” situations. I imagine everyone who has ever attempted a thru-hike or has set a difficult task for themselves has had someone question whether it was reasonable. So should we only attempt things where a successful outcome is certain? I think not. One thing I have learned in my advanced age (lol) is that life is uncertain, so we have to live for today. No time is perfect, but next year I will be another year older and have less money to try something like this.
I know there will be many obstacles ahead, and I know just how difficult my journey will be, but that doesn’t frighten me; it only motivates me to try harder and prepare myself more. Again, there is no failure in trying. Thank you for your concern. I hope you will continue to follow my journey.
You go girl! Dream big and your world opens to so many possibilities and serves as inspiration for the rest of us. I’ll be rooting for you every step of the way. You’ve got this!!
Wow, thank you! I appreciate your enthusiasm and encouragement. Going to give it everything I’ve got! Cheers.?
I like what you said (wrote) freedom to live life on my own terms. I also like that you’re realistic about it! It’s definitely going to be hard . I remember years ago reading this book and in it there was this dialogue between two people and one guy said” it’s the hardest thing in the world to do what we want and it takes the greatest kind of courage. I mean, what we really want.”most people probably never do what they really want. Matter of fact a lot of people don’t even know what they really want. That takes a lot of self-reflection and courage. And quiet solitude away from the hustle and bustle that this life has brought us. That’s the greatest freedom. So go for it! Whether it’s through hiking or whatever you find yourself doing. The action is never as important as the intent behind it.
I applaud your desires, your guts to give it a try. Whether you make all 3 in a year, year and half or 3 years, it’s an accomplishment to be proud of. Without goals, without trying, we are just here. Go for it and any amount you complete is an accomplishment. I wish I had your guts. Look forward to following along. Best wishes and happy hiking. My only concern is that you will focus so hard on completing all 3 in a year and let go of the enjoyment and beauty God has provided for us. Take time to enjoy your hike.