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  • How I’m Saving $10,000 for the Appalachian Trail And How You Can Too

    If you’ve been following my journey as I plan to hike the Appalachian Trail in two years, you’ll know that saving for the trip is a big part of the process. My goal is to set aside $10,000 over 104 weeks.

    Most $10,000 savings plans are designed to be completed in just one year, which can be a heavy hit to your finances. Stretching the goal over two years makes the weekly amounts more manageable and easier to stick with long-term.

    To help others on a similar path, I’ve created two free resources you can download:

    • A PDF tracker for those who prefer paper
    • An Excel spreadsheet for those who like to track and customize digitally

    Here’s how they work:

    The PDF
    Print it out and follow the columns from top to bottom—or jump around and fill in a square each week. Once all 104 squares are complete, you’ll have $10,000 saved.

    Savings PlannerDownload

    The Excel File
    My personal favorite. You can enter the exact amount you save each week, whether it’s a regular deposit or a little extra from unexpected income. The spreadsheet updates automatically, showing you how much you’ve saved and what’s still ahead.

    10000-Savings-PlanDownload

    I’m already nearly $3,000 into my savings goal and staying on track.

    Whether you’re planning a long-distance hike or just want a slower, more flexible way to save, I hope these tools help you along the way.

    Cheryl

    May 3, 2025
    2027, Appalachian Trail, Bucket List
    appalachian trail, bucket list, budget, future, planning, preparation, Saving, tips

  • Planning to Hike the Appalachian Trail 2027

    It is my hope to make my dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2027 a reality. Up until now, I have always hiked with my husband, but in 2027 I want to hike the Appalachian Trail as a solo hiker. As long as I can arrange the time off of work, I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2027.

    In April 2025, my husband will be hiking the Arizona Trail as a solo hiker. We section hiked the Arizona Trail last year and enjoyed it. He wanted to do a hike that he could pull off this year with time off and something warm. I’m sure he’ll explain more about his reasons in a future blog post. He hasn’t expressed as much interest in doing the Appalachian Trail as I have.

    I Want to Join Others On the Appalachian Trail in 2027

    There are multiple vlogs each year from people who have hiked the trail. I thoroughly enjoy watching everyone’s story and journey as they have pushed their limits to reach Katahdin. Vlogging has become something that I enjoy doing on the trail, so when my turn comes to hike, I will be vlogging. It is such a great way to document your hike and revisit it later. It is also a great way to show other people, like me, what the trail offers. Every time I watch people on the trail, I get more and more excited about it.

    How Am I Saving For The Appalachian Trail?

    Why am I thinking about it so early? My planned start is still 2 years away. Well, it is going to be expensive to hike the Appalachian Trail. I am currently working through a budget as if I am going to spend 5.5 months on the trail. My rough estimate for savings in 2 years is $10,000. Some people would say that is about right. Some would say that’s too much. That is $10,000 CDN and I will need to consider what the exchange rate will be when I decide to go. I would like to save more than $10,000 so I have plenty of flexibility with bad weather days or even healing up from who knows what.

    I found a plan to save $10,000 in 52 weeks and have started putting money away following this plan with a slight modification. When it wants me to save $150 in one week, I am stretching that amount over two weeks: $75 in week 1 and $75 in week 2. This allows me to extend the plan over 104 weeks and will have $10,000 by the end of February. If I end up with bonus money, I will throw it on there as well.

    In a future post, I may share what my budget looks like. It is still a work in progress, but it might be helpful for someone.

    Another Way to Fund My Appalachian Trail Hike

    A few years ago, I also started writing. I have a pen name and write sweet romance novels & short stories. Think Hallmark movies. Right now, I have two available on Amazon and any sales generated from these will go my Appalachian Trail fund. I am also in the middle of writing another romance involving backpacking near a small town. I’m hoping to release a couple of novels that will not only fund my trip, but can help to bring in more while I am on trail. Every little bit will help.

    If you enjoy books and you want to help my Appalachian Trail fund, you can find my books here:

    Mountain Getaway by Heather Pine
    Get it on Amazon.

    Summer at Mirror Lake by Heather Pine
    Get it on Amazon.

    While I’m Waiting to Hike the Appalachian Trail

    I am going to be watching the 2025 and 2026 hikers and continue to capture data on the distances they hiked early on versus later mileage. I’ll definitely be checking what tenting sites look like around the shelters and make note of where I will want to stay. Already, I have downloaded the FarOut App with the Appalachian Trail route. (Yay for Black Friday sales!) I am a geek so I have been creating a spreadsheet with all of information I have gathered so far and, of course, my budget.

    2027 might be seem far into the future, but there is so much planning involved that I am happy to have time to save and gather as much information as I can (even if some information will change between now and then.

    Cheryl

    January 1, 2025
    2027, Appalachian Trail
    2027, appalachian trail, bucket list, budget, Multi-Day Trails, planning

  • Top 5 Bucket List Thru Hikes, 2024

    Top 5 Bucket List Thru Hikes, 2024

    With our upcoming trip on the Arizona Trail on our minds, we thought we would do a new Bucket List post – this time with both our perspectives. We will go through the list one place at a time, volunteering ours then commenting on the other.

    Oliver’s #5: I would have put the Te Araoa on here until we watched the Hiking America videos of their thru. There were some beautiful days, but a lot more road walking than I thought, and also quite a bit of swampy stuff. I’m still traumatized by our Gros Morne Traverse thru-hike I guess! Now, I’d probably say the Colorado Trail. There’s a posting in Colorado Springs I may be eligible for in 5 years or so… (Swamps can be fun. – Cheryl)

    Cheryl’s #5: The Florida Trail. While the road walks aren’t appealing to me, I like to celebrate when I complete hard things. The Florida Trail could involve a lot walking through swampy water (Hey, gators!), but it also has a lot of warm weather and plants that I would enjoy experiencing along the way. (Swampy… – Oliver)
    Oliver’s #4: I’d probably put the Appalachian Trail here on the list. I am not as excited about it as some other trails, but there are parts of it I would love to see. Honestly, the busyness of the trail is probably the biggest turnoff for me, but I’d still give it a go if Cheryl wanted to do it. It wouldn’t be a hard sell. (See #2. – Cheryl)

    Cheryl’s #4: Ozark Highlands Trail. Who wouldn’t want to spend time in the Ozark mountains? I have visited Arkansas and thought the area is beautiful. I wouldn’t mind spending some time hiking through it. (Or the Ouachita Trail? I wouldn’t object to either! – Oliver)
    Oliver’s #3: The Arizona Trail. I’m really excited about our section hike in March. But despite the fact that I am very happy with the section we are doing, I REALLY want to see the Grand Canyon too! This isn’t the year for it though. (We will have to go back to do the Grand Canyon. – Cheryl)

    Cheryl’s #3: The Wonderland Trail. It is a shorter thru-hike at 93 miles (150k) and one that needs to be done at a time of the year when there is not a lot of snow, but it checks the boxes for a manageable time commitment and beautiful mountain views. If we were to do this trail, we would need to win the “permit lottery” to camp in the backcountry. (For a short trail this would be lovely – Oliver)
    Oliver’s #2: the Great Divide Trail. I’ve already hiked almost 2 sections of it, and I just love it. But I want to finish it, thru-hike it. It is without a doubt the best trail of its kind in Canada – 600 miles of Canadian Rockies, cutting right through the world famous Jasper and Banff, and those aren’t even the best parts! (So many trails. So little time. – Cheryl)

    Cheryl’s #2: Appalachian Trail. Oliver has talked many times about the tree tunnels and lack of views on this trail, but the idea of really getting connected with the trail community and building a “tramily” really appeals to me. When discussing thru-hiking, this feels like a must do. (It’s my #4, so I’m in! – Oliver)
    Oliver’s #1: The Pacific Crest Trail. Ever since encountering the movie, “Wild” it’s been on my mind, taking up space. I want to do it before I die, 100%. The clock is ticking though, and I know my body hasn’t been broken yet like many friends’ have, but it is wearing. I was talking to my boss’s boss last year and she said if I want to do it, do it – take unpaid leave if necessary, don’t wait until it’s too late. So I am hoping this may happen in the next few years as our kids graduate and move out.

    Cheryl’s #1: We agree! Pacific Crest Trail would be my #1. It is an opportunity to connect with other hikers while getting to experience the vast mountain views. There are also enough towns along the way for resupplies and showers. The time needed to complete this hike would be a challenge though, so it must wait.
    Oliver’s Honourable Mention: Since two of the Triple Crowns is on the list, I might as well add “why not the Continental Divide Trail?” It’s not NOT on the list… I think if we did the AT and the PCT, there would be a big draw to finish the Triple Crown… but it’s the longest of the three, it’s got the most road walking, and if we do the AZT and Colorado Trails, we will have already seen much of what it has to offer. So it would just be “to get the Triple Crown”.

    Cheryl’s Honourable Mention: Te Araoa. It would be amazing to travel to New Zealand and thru hike, but the amount of money it would take to fly all the way there would be costly. Also, if we were to go to New Zealand, we are going to want to do more than just explore a trail, so there would be a lot of time and money involved in seeing as much as we can of what New Zealand has to offer. Also, I don’t want to do that much road walking. To me, a hike should be in the trees and not on paved roads.

    admin

    January 10, 2024
    2024, Bucket List, Outdoors, Trails
    appalachian trail, arizona trail, bucket list, colorado trail, continental divide trail, dreams, florida trail, great divide trail, ouachita trail, ozark highlands trail, pacific crest trail, te araoa, thru-hikes, wishes, wonderland trail

  • Trail Bucket List 2022-25

    Trail Bucket List 2022-25

    My job has required a move to the East Coast, so my personal hiking ambitions have shifted. Unfortunately, Rocky Mountain hiking may have to wait for a few years now, and sectioning the rest of the Great Divide Trail, along with the #1 item on my Trail Bucket List, the Pacific Crest Trail (which I always knew would most likely have to wait until I retire, unless some special circumstances arise).

    But being in a remote area of Canada (perhaps the most remote south of the Arctic Circle) has some advantages. There are hikes around that few think about or even realize exist. And we will take lots of pictures and provide a trail report for your benefit! (Most of the following pictures are borrowed from TheClym)

    So, without further ado, my bucket list for the next 3 years:

    Jersey Trail near L’Anse-au-Clair, Labrador (one piece of the Pioneer Footpath). This is on the south shore of Labrador on the Strait of Belle Isle.
    1. Labrador Pioneer Footpath. The scattered fishing and whaling communities of the Labrador coast had no roads at all for hundreds of years. What they had was a footpath that linked them together for when the seas were too rough to navigate. That footpath is now maintained by the local communities for recreation. Currently about 60kms long (with development currently building a 35km extension from Pinware to Red Bay), we actually plan to do this hike 2 weeks from now as a 6-7 day yo-yo. Information is sparse because few hike it as a thru-hike – mostly dayhikers between towns. We will let you know how it goes!
    Gros Morne from the top
    1. Gros Morne. Featured in just about any video or photo collage of Newfoundland’s most scenic spots, Gros Morne features a long-range traverse that takes you into subarctic ecosystems at the higher elevations, and takes about 4 days to complete. But because it’s a little further away from us, it will wait until next year.
    Scenic view along the shoreline at Father Troy East Coast Trail along the Killick coast near Flatrock NL
    1. East Coast Trail. Similar to the Pioneer Footpath, this is a series of intercommunity trails along the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula, near St. John’s – the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. It currently stretches over 336km, so we will have to work our schedules to do that one – maybe in two parts.
    Looking mainly at the bit from Katahdin to Gaspé
    1. Appalachian Trail – Canadian side. Did you know the Appalachian Trail continues past Katahdin? It does! It winds its way into the province of New Brunswick, and reaches a terminus at the Atlantic Ocean in the Gaspé region of Quebec. Even further, the “International Appalachian Trail” continues, guided by geology, out all the way to Europe. I don’t know about going that far myself, but the Canadian side seems doable, if not maybe doing a special trip down to Maine for a section of the main trail.
    A shot of Vermont’s Long trail borrowed from TheTrek
    1. To make it a five point list, I will also include Vermont’s Long Trail, clocking in at 439km, though I think that may get pushed off further. We may take another job in the East when this one completes, and if so Vermont will be more accessible after 2025 for us. But it looks sweet and a decent length to complete without taking huge amounts of leave.
    One of the more challenging pieces of the Fundy Footpath

    Honourable Mention: the Fundy Footpath. There is a trail that winds around the edge of the Bay of Fundy, notorious for the highest tides in the world. It goes up and down ladders and cliffs for 49 km, much like the West Coast Trail out on Vancouver Island. Another trail that will be more accessible once we leave Labrador in 3 years.

    If you’re tracking other middle distance thru hikes not too far away from us in the East, let us know!

    admin

    August 17, 2022
    Bucket List, Outdoors, Trails
    appalachian trail, bucket list, east coast, east coast trail, fundy footpath, gros morne, hiking, long trail, pioneer footpath

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