It would be easy if all we wanted to do is travel to Yellowstone. Planning for a trip like that is a figurative piece of cake. Most of us have dealt with that kind of planning before, a vacation of a week or two, what the meals will cost, what the hotel rooms will cost, save up a few thousand dollars, jump in your RV for an RV trip, and hope there are no major engine problems along the way.
However, Bev, my wife and best friend, is planning to hike 2,600 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, one year from the time of this writing, and that is a whole different type of financial planning.
Do the math with me for a moment. If she averages 20 miles per day, it will take her 130 days to complete the journey, or a little over four months. If she averages 25 miles per day, the hike will take her about 104 days, or about three months.
It is estimated that most hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail will spend between $5,000 and $10,000 on the hike; that estimate includes the cost of the gear plus the food and living expenses along the trail.
For our situation, that estimate will be higher, because not only will we have to purchase gear for her, but also her living expenses plus mine, because I will be following along with her in the RV, resupplying her when possible, along the Trail. My guestimate is $15,000 for the entire adventure.
First fact: we are not rich
Second fact: this will happen, one way or another!
Taking the easy way out, the Road often traveled
It would be so easy to do what we have done many times in the past, simply throw up our hands, declare to ourselves that we don’t have the money, and there is no way this can happen. We have, at the time of this writing, about five-thousand dollars in savings, and that is earmarked for a used vehicle to tow the travel trailer. The reality is that we simply do not have the money to undertake this grand plan, and there is no way we can save $15,000 during the next twelve months.
How many times during my lifetime have I said “no” to other plans, other adventures, because they just weren’t feasible or practical or affordable? Too many to count because, well, money has never been something I have had copious amounts of. And the same is true for my wife. We both spent a good portion of our adult years raising kids, working full-time just to have the necessities of life, with nothing left over at the end of endless months for extras or frivolities.
But, if not now, when? Bev is sixty-one. I am seventy-three. How many more years are we guaranteed? Quite frankly, if we are waiting for the perfect time, when the stars perfectly align for us, that moment will not be arriving in this lifetime. A financial nest egg will not miraculously drop from the skies for us. A rich relative does not exist.
The only way for this adventure to happen is for us to scream “SCREW IT” to the heavens and, as Nike advises us, just do it! The Road Often Traveled holds no appeal for us any longer.
Options I am considering
Bev feels strongly that her thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail should take on extra meaning other than her search for self-discovery. She wants it to have a higher purpose, and so she is going to walk it to raise awareness of Mental Health Awareness. It is a cause she feels strongly about, a cause which has touched our family on several fronts, and so we will probably start a GoFundMe page to raise funds for that cause.
In addition, we will be creating videos about traveling, about hiking, and about finding the joy and wonder of it all, something we feel has value. Creating quality media costs money, and takes time, so we will most likely seek Patreon supporters to help us with that financial expense.
Renting our home will alleviate a huge expense we currently have, and provide us with an infusion of monthly cash. And, hopefully, there will be income generated from our social media endeavors.
Bottom line: this is going to happen, and we will find a way to make it happen.
Thanks for joining us! It should be one heck of a journey as we seek out the wonders of life and improve our quality of life.
Good morning Zulma, and thank you! I’ve just reached the age where I don’t care about limitations any longer. I will find a way, and I’m married to a woman who thinks the same way.
Good Morning, Bill.
It’s truly inspiring how you refuse to let limitations dictate how you will live your life. Bravo to you. Best of luck to you and Bev in this endeavour.
Thank you, Liz! We are totally committed to this, so it will happen one way or another.
I admire your positivity and determination. Having read this article I am mindful of the phrase ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’. I wish you success in raising the necessary funds.
Thank you my friend. For sure, the backpacking trip will happen. Hopefully people will get behind it and support it. It’s one of those grand adventures which should inspire us all.
This WILL happen! I like the GoFundMe idea and your cause is noble. People will join in with your endeavor. Have faith. This will happen.