Why?
It is because our kids are getting older and will be gone. It is because the homeschooling lifestyle affords the opportunity. It is because of the joy it brings Monica. The harder the miles the happier she is. It is because God made a beautiful world, and we want our kids to take it in. We want them to take it in slowly. We want them to be immersed in it. We want to share simple and clear hardship and triumph with them. We want to see them lose heart and regain it when they have none to give. We want them to see us lose heart and regain it when we have nothing left to give. We are excited for them to have the joy of connecting their success in this endeavor to service in the world.
What have we done?
In June of 2018 we set out Southbound to walk the Pacific Crest Trail from the Canadian Border through to the Mexican border. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses mountain ranges from the Northern Cascade Mountains in Washington state down to and through the volcanic spine of Oregon and Northern California. It climbs up through the Seirra Nevada mountain range and then across the high desert of Southern California. You can find excerpts of that experience in our journal here on the site, watch hours of YouTube videos, or just wait for the book. Seriously, I am trying to write one, but it’s harder than walking the trail.
What are we doing?
Our plan is to walk the remaining two trails of the Hiker’s Triple Crown. 5,500 miles incorporating the Continental Divide Trail and the Appalachian Trail. We set out at the end of June 2020 on the Continental Divide Trail. The hike may have to be more adaptable than usual given the current state of things, but we are ready for the challenge. If we complete the Continental Divide Trail we will begin the Appalachian Trail in February or March of 2021. If we pull it off we will become the largest family to have done so to date.
Do you want to Partner with us?
Each of the kids have chosen to dedicate their hike to a particular ministry or cause. We would be honored if you would consider partnering with us in support of one or all of these good causes.
The Triple crown
The Triple Crown of Hiking informally refers to the three major U.S. long-distance hiking trails:
Pacific Crest Trail – 2,654 miles (4,270 km), between Mexico and Canada following the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range and traversing Washington, Oregon, and California.
Appalachian Trail – 2,184 miles (3,515 km), between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine and traversing North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.[2]
Continental Divide Trail – 3,100 miles (5,000 km), between Mexico and Canada following the Continental Divide along the Rocky Mountains and traversing Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.[3]
The total length of the three trails is about 7,900 miles (12,700 km); vertical gain is more than 1,000,000 feet (190 mi; 300 km). A total of 22 states are visited if the three trails are completed. The American Long Distance Hiking Association – West (ALDHA–West) is the only organization that recognizes this hiking feat. At the ALDHA–West gathering, held each fall, the Triple Crown honorees are recognized and awarded plaques noting their achievement. As of November 2018, 396 hikers have been designated Triple Crowners by ALDHA-West since 1994.
Which way do we go?
There are a number of considerations that lead us toward a mostly SOBO (Southbound) hike for our CDT attempt. Our school schedule is primary. Plus, we had such a great experience on the PCT, so why not? NOBO (Northbound) is far and away the more popular direction, but a southbound route will allow for a late June start. It is not without it complications. I have said “mostly” because we are starting at interstate 90 and going North to the border to start. That is because Blackfeet Nation, just to the east of Glacier National Park, remains closed out of concern for Covid-19. By starting south we hope to allow time for it all to open up. Either way, we intend to practice a no-contact approach for our passage through the reservation.
When do we go?
Southbound Hikes typically start between the middle of June and the middle of July. We chose a starting date of June 24th. While we may be fast walkers for a family, the pace that is necessary to make it through the mountains to Cuba, New Mexico by the 12th of November would likely be out of our reach if we waited too much longer. We will have left the driveway from Lakeland, Florida by the 19th of June in a vehicle loaded with 29 days of food and a trail support crew of one (Thanks Dad!).
