How to Thru-hike Over 60 Years Old

Is growing older keeping you from fulfilling your thru-hiking dream? Do you feel like you’re too middle-aged to hit the trail?
Meet Nancy Huber (70), Susan Alcorn (81), David Fanning (71), Scott Williams (70), and Karl Riters (80), hikers that didn’t start seriously rocking the long trails until middle age and older - and they’re still going strong.
5 Thru-hikers Age 60+ share advice for staying motivated and in shape
This panel is a follow-up to our popular How to Thru-hike Over 60 article by Dean Krakel: www.treelinereview.com/events...
Thru-hikers over 60 share their tips, gear, training, and recovery.
Panel moderated by Dean Krakel. Followed by Q&A from the audience.

Пікірлер: 33

  • @zfilmaker7525
    @zfilmaker75255 ай бұрын

    I celebrated my 60 year birthday on PCT thru hike 2023. That was not only my first thru hike, but also my first backpacking, first time slept on ground in a tent was in Campo, CA, the south terminius of PCT.

  • @derbywinner6316
    @derbywinner631610 ай бұрын

    We need more videos of hiking people over 60 . Thank you for sharing this

  • @maur2far
    @maur2far10 ай бұрын

    Yes please do a What In My Pack gear video with this group

  • @ijblessjourney
    @ijblessjourney7 ай бұрын

    I love this feedback. I am 61 and scheduled to hike the AT this year. The recommendations are very helpful.

  • @MikeRiggsAdventures
    @MikeRiggsAdventures5 ай бұрын

    Wow, thanks for sharing! I am 62 and will be trying to hike the entire PCT this year. I needed your reinforcement on hiking slower taking your time and focusing on dropping pack weight. Part of my training is taking shorter steps, and letting the young fast hikers pass me. In the past, I wanted to want to compete with everyone and that was something that I needed to stop doing. Last year I did 1170 miles on the PCT hopefully I will be lucky enough to do the entire PCT this year. I also pulled my permit at the surgeon's office when he wanted to schedule me for a full knee replacement. I told him I was like a car with a short 2 weeks prior I would have wanted to have surgery ASAP however after exercising and riding my bike I was getting stronger every day with less pain and I thought I had 2,650 miles left on the knee. You all are an inspiration showing that you can still get out in your 60s to 80s +. You all are awesome!

  • @seanbowen9891
    @seanbowen98915 ай бұрын

    Inspiration ❤

  • @debbiehenry3626
    @debbiehenry36264 ай бұрын

    So nice to listen to this. I’ve been thinking I was to weak to hike because when I hike with my kids I struggle to keep up with them. I need to start slower and build up. I’m always telling my son, this looks like a good place to take a nap. We hike sections of the AT. Totally love being out there. I have likened it to giving birth. I forget, every time I get out there, how hard it for the first couple of days ~ get home and miss the trail and tell my self it wasn’t so bad, I can do it again! 🥾

  • @fitnessfreak498
    @fitnessfreak4982 ай бұрын

    love this much needed . im 67

  • @McBlamin
    @McBlaminАй бұрын

    This video is great. I recently retired at age 60 to pursue my passion for hiking and exploring that has been dormant for too many years. I appreciate all the information and look forward to more.

  • @ecr_man
    @ecr_man2 ай бұрын

    Impressive and inspirational, thanks!

  • @janinelizarraga5494
    @janinelizarraga54946 ай бұрын

    The advice given by the entire panel is truly helpful. In my 60s and relatively new to long-distance hiking, I can see how possible it is if I hike light at my own comfortable pace and allow my body to rest and recover when needed. I'd sure love a look inside those packs, too!

  • @GeezerAdventures
    @GeezerAdventures3 ай бұрын

    This is amazing. So glad I found you all!!

  • @robertschillo1952
    @robertschillo1952 Жыл бұрын

    Very interesting video. All of the hikers in the video have the God given health to do these hikes and are either single or have the support of a spouse to spend large amounts of time away from home. My background includes running, biking and hiking. I started running in my early 30’s which included 25 marathons and half as many half marathons. I did a self contained bike ride across the US from Seattle Wash to Bar Harbor Maine. I hiked the AT in 2005 at age 62 in 4 months. At age 80 my hiking days are over. I have gone back to running. I still run half marathons. Running offers me the opportunity to exercise at a high level with minimal time invested. My wife is of poor health and cannot be left alone for ,long periods of time. The people in this video have been truly blessed.

  • @Oxford322

    @Oxford322

    Жыл бұрын

    You have inspired me- I loved the way you said “ gave up hiking - started running …” at 80?!! Jeez! Respect ! I’m 61 and starting to feel my age . I want to see if I can do a thru hike . Good luck

  • @brumleytown1882

    @brumleytown1882

    4 ай бұрын

    Interesting how our active outlets get whittled away by age, but it also turns us back to the favorites of our youth, perhaps at different scale. For example, yes to sea kayaking, no to the Gauley.

  • @tomurbs4912
    @tomurbs49122 ай бұрын

    I’m glad this video appeared on my homepage. As a ‘sixty something’ preparing to hike a long trail in 2 years, this includes great information that I’ll put to good use on the AT or PCT. Thank you

  • @jn2114
    @jn2114Ай бұрын

    I needed to hear this. Attempting 223 mile thru hike in October 2024.

  • @wiscgaloot
    @wiscgaloot11 ай бұрын

    Inspiring! I so want to thru-hike the PCT but just in the last few months I seem to have developed arthritis in the ball of my big toe. I'm 61, I'm too young to stop hiking and running!

  • @user-uy2hi2oo1n
    @user-uy2hi2oo1nАй бұрын

    Listening to these people has been the most beneficial thing I've done in preparation for a long trip this Fall. There is a lot of wisdom passed on here. I"m 68 going on 69 and have longed to hike since retiring. Liz, thank you for organizing. Hope I see more of these from you and Tree Line Review in the future.

  • @DriveWalk1
    @DriveWalk1 Жыл бұрын

    Spiritual experience 👍 Walking meditation 👍

  • @johnslagboom1836
    @johnslagboom18368 ай бұрын

    I am 62 years old and the longest thru hike I have ever done was 138 miles on the Mojave Road in eight days. Been watching a lot of PCT Y-Tube videos and am considering doing the first part that covers the Desert from Campo to Kenndy Meadows; the start of the High Sierras. Since I am not retired yet. I figure this can be down in three two-week hikes.

  • @johnslagboom1836

    @johnslagboom1836

    8 ай бұрын

    This video definitely is inspiring!

  • @chrisj8764
    @chrisj87644 ай бұрын

    I found this very helpful; thank you

  • @deborahgilstrap5872
    @deborahgilstrap587210 ай бұрын

    Amazing!

  • @womanwithdogs
    @womanwithdogs6 ай бұрын

    Thank you all!

  • @rdavidmurphy1
    @rdavidmurphy1 Жыл бұрын

    Nancyuses abbreviations for trails and shortened names which I have no idea where or what they are.

  • @theskyehiker

    @theskyehiker

    2 ай бұрын

    True. But you could write them down and google each one for more information.

  • @Thecolonel795
    @Thecolonel79510 ай бұрын

    Me just registering for this demographic. 68. The Colonel

  • @gabriele1975
    @gabriele19752 ай бұрын

    Sorry I can’t watch this.

  • @Tiffany462
    @Tiffany4627 күн бұрын

    10 minutes into this video and I find it totally useless. Not a bit of how to advice Just a bunch of people giving biographies... Total waste of viewing time.

  • @ironpig701
    @ironpig70110 ай бұрын

    Im sorry but when I pull up a video and you need to put up your pronouns and then go on with the liberal buzz words of "we build for inclusivity" Im sorry but its bad enough to have this in every day life but now gotta hear it in back packing. Look if you wanna hike then do so nobody is stopping you . Hows that for being inclusive.

  • @chrisj8764

    @chrisj8764

    4 ай бұрын

    Look we're old and it's always hard to adjust to new ways and it jars with me too, but as my trans son explained, this helps him feel included - so I am adjusting to that; like, is this such a big issue really?

  • @ironpig701

    @ironpig701

    4 ай бұрын

    @@chrisj8764 sorry but if you need pronouns to feel included you need mental health and if I saw your son id call him sir as thats what we call males. He can play pretend all day but Im not playing his game