I’ve been reading a lot long distance hiking in the United States over the past few weeks. The Appalachian Trail runs 2160 miles through 14 states in the east. The Pacific Crest Trail stretches 2650 miles in the west. Running down the country’s spine, the Continental Divide Trail spans nearly 3000 miles. The American Discovery Trail goes coast to coast covering more than 5000 miles.

One would think you would have to be an incredible athlete to be able to complete such a journey. You would have to be young, strong and in perfect health to finish the distance – wouldn’t you?

Emma “Grandma” Gatewood was a mother to 11 children and grandmother to more than double that when she hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) at the youthful age of 67. She was 69 when she did it again and had 76 years under her belt when she finished it a third time.

In November of 1991, Bill Irwin and his guide dog Orient finished the final few steps of the AT – making Bill the first blind person to complete this trek. Lee Barry became the oldest AT thru-hiker (someone who completes the distance in one trip rather than breaking it into sections and completing it over a number of seasons) in 2004. He was 81.

The “Bucket List” is really nothing new, Larry Hillberg hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2002, walking solo from Mexico to Canada and celebrating his 60th birthday along the way. Why? To check off yet another item on his life list of things to do.

Francis Tapon never even camped as a kid, yet when he took up backpacking in his 30’s, he was hooked. So much so that he hiked the Appalachian Trail that first year, followed it up with the Pacific Crest Trail several years later, and then became the first hiker to “yo-yo” (hike one direction, then turn around and hike back) the Continental Divide Trail.

Joyce and Peter Cottrell were the first hikers to backpack the entire, official route of the American Discovery Trail when they reached the Pacific in August of 2003. The pair took up hiking in their 40’s. Joyce was recovering from surgery after lung disease and needed to give up smoking. She turned to walking and never looked back.

Each one of these stories raises the question – if they did it, why can’t I? Hmmm…