While I was out hiking the Appalachian Trail, friends and family often asked me, “What do you plan to do when you finish?”
My mother-in-law even wondered whether I planned to hike Mt. Everest, since my adventures keep getting bigger and bigger each year (Answer: Absolutely not! I have no desire to spend $75k+ to freeze my butt off!)
Despite this mounting curiosity, whenever anyone asked about my next adventure, I usually demurred. I tried to explain that I was just focused on getting through the AT intact. I wasn’t ready to think any further than my immediate goal.
Figuring out a few things
While trekking through the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine though, I finally gave myself permission to let my mind wander a bit. Instead of being hyper-focused on just getting to Katahdin, I pondered many of these same questions about my future. What should I do next??
And now that I’ve been off the Appalachian Trail for about a month, these questions about my future plans are posed even more frequently. People want to know:
- Am I going to hike another long trail in 2020?
- If not, what other adventures are next on my bucket list?
- Will I be traveling in the U.S. or somewhere abroad?
- Will it be another solo trip?
After much thought, I’ve finally settled on I want to do in 2020. However, before I reveal my next big adventure, I’d like to share some key realizations that played into my decision.
#1 – Thru-hiking is far different for nomads
The vast majority of long distance hikers live stationary lives. Stepping away from their version of “normal” for a 4-6 month thru-hike is an exciting change of pace.
While on the trail, they get to travel to new places, meet interesting people, and experience something different each day. And then, when they are done with the thru-hike and return home, virtually all the things in their former life are still exactly as they left them.
But, when you are nomadic like me, stepping away from “normal” for several months feels a much different.
I travel to new places, meet interesting people, and experience new things as part of my day-to-day life. No two weeks ever look the same for me. So, at the end of a thru-hike, I don’t return to the comfort of everything being the exactly the same as I left it.
Moreover, thru-hiking season coincides with the same season when a lot of our best nomadic travel adventures happen. There are so many places on our bucket list that simply aren’t accessible year-round.
If we want to visit Glacier National Park, then we have a very narrow window to get there during the summer. The same is true if we want to a kayak in the Great Lakes, or explore Banff, or drive to Alaska.
Taking six months away to thru-hike a 2,000+ mile trail requires giving up a lot from my normal life. If I take on another long hike, our family may have to delay some of these nomadic adventures for an entire year. Or, Keith and Finn will just enjoy visiting those exciting places in my absence, and I have to be ok with missing out on those adventures.
Few stationary thru-hikers feel the same sense of significant compromise when they pause their ordinary lifestyle for a thru-hike.
#2 – I’m getting older
When you’re in your 20s, you feel invincible. You can take whatever the world throws at you… and then some. Your body recovers quickly and you always seemed ready to go racing off to the next adventure.
As I’m transitioning to middle age though, I’m discovering that my mind often wants to do more than my body can withstand. This is an incredibly frustrating realization for someone who’s always led an extremely active lifestyle.
I still want to be able to hike big miles (or go faster) just like I did a decade or two ago. But after a few hard days, my knees and back are crying, “mercy!” and I have to dial it back to a more reasonable pace.
#3 – I crave something off the beaten path
People often assume that just because you thru-hiked one of the three major long distance trails in the US, you must want to hike the others too. Why is that? Perhaps it’s a natural consequence of all the YouTube vlogs chronicling thru-hikers attempting their Triple Crown.
But, these aren’t the only trails out there folks! As stunning as the PCT and CDT might be, my curiosity isn’t piqued solely by our National Scenic Trails. Whenever I’m devouring trail journals online, I’m intrigued by more obscure locations, like Jordan or Slovenia.
Moreover, trails that span 100-300 miles inspire me just as much as those that extend 1,000 to 3,000 miles. I’d much rather take on shorter adventures like the Tahoe Rim Trail, Lowest-to-Highest Route, or the GR20 in Corsica, than commit to another 5-6 months hiking one of the other Triple Crown Trails.
So what’s next??
Keeping all these factors in mind, and my desire to share my next big hike with my best friend Sean (who is relocating to Europe in November 2019), I’ve decided my next hiking adventure will be…
The Lycian Way
The Lycian Way (or Likya Yolu) is a 540-kilometer footpath on Turkey’s southwestern coast. The route is located between the Mediterranean cities of Fethiye and Antalya, and it follows ancient Roman roads, old footpaths, and mule trails as they traverse between the rugged mountains and rocky coastline.
Sean and I are planning on tackling this the Lycian Way in April 2020 when the weather is still relatively cool (by Turkish standards) and just before the European hiking season of May to October.
This trail allows me to balance my craving for a moderately long hiking adventure with my international wanderlust. And I’ll still have time to enjoy my family’s nomadic travels in the western US and Canada this upcoming summer.
Stay tuned for more blog posts as I plan this upcoming adventure.
