How People Take Time Off To Thru-hike Long Distance Trails
video description
Transitional or seasonal jobs are just metaphors for minimum wage burger flipper with zero benefits and not putting anything away for retirement.
Leave of absences exist, but the problem with that is: all the people who are not taking the leave are surpassing you in salary, training, and promotional opportunities, so when you come back, you wind up working for the guy they hired after you left.
In some of Dixie's examples, the person had a job to go back to, but had retarded their careers by that amount of time. In non-hourly, salary-with-benefits type jobs, that could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars at the end of your career by missing a few percent raise at the beginning, multiplied by 30 years in the work force. Hefty decision with life altering consequences.
I will be thru hiking in 2 years, after I retire, as sort of a mid life crisis me-time kind of thing after 26 years in law enforcement. Luckily, time and money will not be an issue the second time around. I can take as many zeros as I want and stay in as many hotels as I want. Buy the best equipment as often as I want. Sheer luxury. Despite my sheer hatred of cell phones, I might take one with me.
Date: 2020-08-18
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Comments and reviews: 9
Kevin
When I retire. 2022, unless I decide to retire first. And my ambition is the Long Path, including the never-built Adirondack section. That would be the I'm a good enough bushwhacker to pull it off, I think. I'm a NYC boy, and I just think it'd be cool to hike from Manhattan to the High Peaks. And I could stop home midway, since I'm an Upstater now.
It's a small thru-hike: 358 miles for the official section, 75 more for the Northern Excursion, and then about 150 to the High Peaks and Lake Placid. It'll be an adventure - the longest hike I've done so far is the (138-mile) Northville-Placid. In the 'Daks, I'll be working from someone else's 80-year-old field notes, and carrying 1930s topos as well as modern.
In the meantime, I'm champing at the bit to get on trail, any trail! (And I can't - I'm recovering from surgery) But I've got a specific date and a specific plan and that's a lot better than 'maybe someday. '
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When I retire. 2022, unless I decide to retire first. And my ambition is the Long Path, including the never-built Adirondack section. That would be the I'm a good enough bushwhacker to pull it off, I think. I'm a NYC boy, and I just think it'd be cool to hike from Manhattan to the High Peaks. And I could stop home midway, since I'm an Upstater now.
It's a small thru-hike: 358 miles for the official section, 75 more for the Northern Excursion, and then about 150 to the High Peaks and Lake Placid. It'll be an adventure - the longest hike I've done so far is the (138-mile) Northville-Placid. In the 'Daks, I'll be working from someone else's 80-year-old field notes, and carrying 1930s topos as well as modern.
In the meantime, I'm champing at the bit to get on trail, any trail! (And I can't - I'm recovering from surgery) But I've got a specific date and a specific plan and that's a lot better than 'maybe someday. '
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Diane
To do my two 3 month hikes of the PCT I quit my job. I had a lot of money saved up and I had a supportive person at home to keep paying the rent and to pay my own bills for me. I got a part-time job in between the two summers that I worked on the trail. Three months was about all I could stand before I wanted to go home. These days I save up my vacation time from work and do 2-week adventures. Frankly, I love the 2-week trips. I never get to the point where I want to quit. I always go home wanting for more. I really enjoy the months of planning in advance and then the time going through my pictures and thinking about my adventure after. I make up my own trips, I don't just slave over some established big thru-hiking trail. For instance, I just returned from a trip that I invented where I connected some trails together to get to the PCT. The trails I connected together blew away the PCT as far as beauty.
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To do my two 3 month hikes of the PCT I quit my job. I had a lot of money saved up and I had a supportive person at home to keep paying the rent and to pay my own bills for me. I got a part-time job in between the two summers that I worked on the trail. Three months was about all I could stand before I wanted to go home. These days I save up my vacation time from work and do 2-week adventures. Frankly, I love the 2-week trips. I never get to the point where I want to quit. I always go home wanting for more. I really enjoy the months of planning in advance and then the time going through my pictures and thinking about my adventure after. I make up my own trips, I don't just slave over some established big thru-hiking trail. For instance, I just returned from a trip that I invented where I connected some trails together to get to the PCT. The trails I connected together blew away the PCT as far as beauty.
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Jonathan
I'm not sure if you'll see this being that this is an older video I'm commenting on, but I started watching your videos to prepare for a section hike of the AT that I'm going to do in a couple of weeks and possibly the wonderland trail next fall and just hiking information in general. I just want you to know that you're so inspirational! I really want to thru-hike the AT now. I graduate next December, so I'm thinking during that transitional time before I switch careers I'm going to hike it. Honestly, even if I don't hike it, this mindset of not buying anything I do not need in order to save for my bills and on trail costs is life-changing, but I'm confident I'll do it! Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I love your videos and you're awesome!
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I'm not sure if you'll see this being that this is an older video I'm commenting on, but I started watching your videos to prepare for a section hike of the AT that I'm going to do in a couple of weeks and possibly the wonderland trail next fall and just hiking information in general. I just want you to know that you're so inspirational! I really want to thru-hike the AT now. I graduate next December, so I'm thinking during that transitional time before I switch careers I'm going to hike it. Honestly, even if I don't hike it, this mindset of not buying anything I do not need in order to save for my bills and on trail costs is life-changing, but I'm confident I'll do it! Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I love your videos and you're awesome!
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Homemade
Here are time stamps to skip around and see the different ways people make it happen! Let me know if you have any other ideas!
00: 39 Thru-hiking in a Transitional Period in Life
02: 37 Seasonal Work
03: 39 Leave of Absence
04: 46 Examples
06: 41 Teachers
08: 00 Working From The Trail
10: 32 Working Extra To Save Money
11: 32 One Girl Auctioned off Her Eggs
12: 07 Downsizing Possessions/Housing
12: 45 Thru-hiking With Kids
15: 29 Triple Tiara
16: 27 Section Hiking
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Here are time stamps to skip around and see the different ways people make it happen! Let me know if you have any other ideas!
00: 39 Thru-hiking in a Transitional Period in Life
02: 37 Seasonal Work
03: 39 Leave of Absence
04: 46 Examples
06: 41 Teachers
08: 00 Working From The Trail
10: 32 Working Extra To Save Money
11: 32 One Girl Auctioned off Her Eggs
12: 07 Downsizing Possessions/Housing
12: 45 Thru-hiking With Kids
15: 29 Triple Tiara
16: 27 Section Hiking
reply
David
Quitting your job for something like this is tough. Most employers discriminate against hiring people that are currently unemployed and look down on people that quit their jobs to indulge their passions, so it might be hard to secure comparable employment when you're done. I have been unemployed for long stretches and know how crushing it can be. I guess I'll have to wait till I retire, which will be several decades from now. I guess that's life.
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Quitting your job for something like this is tough. Most employers discriminate against hiring people that are currently unemployed and look down on people that quit their jobs to indulge their passions, so it might be hard to secure comparable employment when you're done. I have been unemployed for long stretches and know how crushing it can be. I guess I'll have to wait till I retire, which will be several decades from now. I guess that's life.
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Barry
Dixie, I have a question for you. 1) I live about 30 miles from Columbus. N M. so I know the area. What month did you start?
I said before I am a retired Soldier and I have been on the desert year round, I have a good feeling for that part of the desert.
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Dixie, I have a question for you. 1) I live about 30 miles from Columbus. N M. so I know the area. What month did you start?
I said before I am a retired Soldier and I have been on the desert year round, I have a good feeling for that part of the desert.
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shirley
Absolutely loved this one. Your ending as corny as it maybe made me cry. You are an inspiration. I'm 60 years old and have tried for years to make my dream of doing the triple crown happen. Life just keep throwing me curve balls.
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Absolutely loved this one. Your ending as corny as it maybe made me cry. You are an inspiration. I'm 60 years old and have tried for years to make my dream of doing the triple crown happen. Life just keep throwing me curve balls.
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Naja
Do thru-hikers, section, day etc. hang out together if they meet, or do thru hikers not want to chill with other types of hikers? I've always wondered, I would hate to be a section/day hiker and be snubbed by thru-hikers: (
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Do thru-hikers, section, day etc. hang out together if they meet, or do thru hikers not want to chill with other types of hikers? I've always wondered, I would hate to be a section/day hiker and be snubbed by thru-hikers: (
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travel
Hey homemadewanderlust you shared the story of the person with Crohns, I also have crohn's and was wondering if you could pass on his info so I can ask him a couple questions about the food that worked for him
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Hey homemadewanderlust you shared the story of the person with Crohns, I also have crohn's and was wondering if you could pass on his info so I can ask him a couple questions about the food that worked for him
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