OK Boomer: Five Hikers Who Refuse to Act Their Age – The Trek
The majority of thru-hikers on America’s National Scenic Trails are fresh out of college, falling right around low- to-mid 20’s. There’s a reason for that: taking several months away from real-world responsibilities never seems easier than it does at that age, after educational requirements are complete but before diving into the real world. However, the second-largest demographic of long-distance hikers jumps ahead ~35 years to the retirement zone: the next age where it’s feasible for most people to get out into the woods for a journey of several thousand miles. We chatted with five of the most dedicated hikers and backcountry explorers we could find, all of whom fit neatly into the Boomer category, but refuse to act like it. Here’s how they got their start, what helped them stay active during the busiest times in their career, and how they get outdoors these days.
-Maggie Slepian, Trek Managing Editor
Ruth “Chocoholic” Morley, AT LASHer
Photo courtesy of Ruth Morley.
Where and when was your first hiking trip?
During the ten years that our family (husband, me, and our two children) lived in Kobe, Japan, I enjoyed hiking in the steep but low coastal mountains nearby. We also climbed Fuji and trekked in Thailand and Nepal. We stayed in hostels and huts in Thailand, and camped in the Himalayas. However, it wasn’t true backpacking, since we only carried our day packs and the Sherpa transported the tents, food, etc. My first long-distance (solo) hiking trip, during our years living in France, was the 1,500-mile GR5 in Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and France. I began this adventure at the age of 54, and finished at 58. During the three summers of this section hike, I slept in a bed every night, in hostels, hotels, or private homes. This trip completely captivated me, from the rolling farmland of Belgium to the magnificent Alps.
How did you balance work, family, and hiking over the years?
Running marathons was my main sport until the past five years, when my back decreed, “Enough!” Oddly enough, I can backpack, if the hip belt supports the majority of the weight of the pack. When I did hike during my working years (now retired), it was on the occasional weekend. Running took precedence, usually after work or always on the weekends.
How would you assess your physical condition?
I began backpacking at the age of 64 in the spring of 2017, when I had a one-week shakedown hike on the AT from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania. I did 16 miles that first day, which I certainly would not try now, just two years later. I have found that the body starts to change during the early to mid-60s; at least it has for me. I completed 500 miles of the AT in 2017, SOBO from Harpers Ferry to Pearisburg, Virginia. I had intended to go all the way to Springer Mountain in Georgia, but my feet rebelled against trail runners, and I went home with tendinitis and plantar fasciitis. I completed the South in 2018, now in very supportive Lowa Renegade hiking boots. This year, I completed nearly all of the North, NOBO from Harpers Ferry, but had to quit after just a few days in rugged, rugged Maine. I could feel that something was wrong with one hip and shoulder, and I knew it would be much worse if I continued. It’s good that I did. Once home, a pelvic stress fracture was diagnosed. I have just now come off crutches after nine weeks of limited movement. During this time I have also been doing twice-weekly physical therapy for the rotator cuff. I have been seeing a counselor to help get me through this injured, post-trail depression. After all of these frustrations, will I finish those last 220 miles of the trail? I initially said, “NEVER AGAIN!” but now that last portion of the AT is calling my name. I expect to be there in August 2020. My husband, who normally only hikes the first few days of each section with me, has agreed to finish up this adventure with me by hiking most of the 100-Mile Wilderness. Normally I hike alone, and enjoy the camaraderie of other hikers at shelters and hostels, but it will be wonderful to finish up this adventure together.
My pace during these three years has never been lightning speed (12 miles per day average), and I do see it continuing to slow down a bit each year. The body that regularly hiked 16+ miles in the Alps has changed greatly. I still have great stamina and am able to hike with few breaks (I credit all the previous marathons), but it is now slow and steady that gets the job done. Zero days every fifth day are an absolute necessity. I stretch every day, either on the floor of shelters, on my tent footprint on the ground, or on my bed or the floor in a hostel. I am also more cautious and careful on the steep ups and downs, since I have osteopenia (the precursor to osteoporosis), and have previously suffered from another hip stress fracture, as well as several in the long metatarsal bones of the feet. I just hate being injured and being out of the game for months of recovery. The older I get, the longer it takes to heal, and I feel time slipping away from me.
Photo courtesy of Ruth Morley.
OK boomer. Any advice for how to keep hiking into your later years?
Folks like to say that age is only a number. I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. Time eventually catches up with your body. It’s normal, and we’re lucky to have lived for this many decades. You can still be active, but you will eventually have to make adjustments and allowances for natural changes in an aging body. Be sure you respect your body and how it continues to serve you, despite its changes. I thought I was doing that this year, with an easy pace and modest daily mileage. However, skipping several zero days and the severity of the New Hampshire and Maine mountains did me in. Before your trip, get in as much hilly hiking as possible, gradually building up your mileage and the weight of your pack. Also, work on your core and upper body strength (wish I had done that for the rotator cuff muscles). Frequent Pilates equipment workouts with a skilled instructor have been pivotal for me. Be diligent about keeping the pack weight as light as possible. You’ll thank yourself as you haul it up mountain after mountain. Take frequent zero days, perhaps occasionally two in a row if your body tells you it’s necessary. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else on the trail. There will always be younger and faster hikers, but also older and slower. It’s not a race. Be proud of yourself and don’t make jokes about age or your own perceived inadequacies. You’re out there doing it, while the grand majority of our peers are sitting at home, watching TV. It’s time to take the time to slow down, savor nature, and celebrate still being able to actively use our bodies in such grand adventures.
Ruth, 67, has just Maine left to complete the Appalachian Trail. She has cycled across the US, climbed Fuji and Kilimanjaro, hiked in Patagonia, done 52 marathons and ultramarathons, and six triathlons. Follow her blog here.
Neil Slepian, NH 48 4Kers, NH Winter 48 4Kers
Neil Slepian with daughter Maggie, Trek Managing Editor. Photo courtesy of Maggie Slepian.
When and where was your first hiking trip?
My first real hiking trip was between my senior year in high school and my freshman year in college. I was traveling cross country solo, and I went out to Badlands National Park. I went there with the intention of hiking, and I wanted to visit as many national parks as I could, and hike as much as possible. I had an old Boy Scout backpack—a canvas rucksack with a couple of straps, and a water bottle. I went to Badlands National Park and I picked a trail and started hiking out. This would have been 1972, and it started a life of hiking.
How did you balance work, family, and hiking over the years?
When the kids were little, I didn’t really have much of a balance, and hiking took a backseat. I didn’t backpack or camp at all; it was more day hikes during that time. I would do as many day trips as I could on weekends, trying not to impact the family. I didn’t start getting serious about hiking again until my kids were older, and I started taking the family with me. I eventually got two out of the four to go when they got older. I really got back into it when a business trip took me flying through San Francisco, which put me in close proximity to Yosemite. I flew in from China, got off the flight, and didn’t get on the next one back. Instead, I rented a car and made arrangements to stay for a few extra days. I went to Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Glacier Point. Rediscovering hiking was like rediscovering part of myself. I thought, “I’ll never let 14 more years go by without visiting this place.” And I didn’t.
Are you retired? Is this giving you more time to hike?
Absolutely. Being retired (four years) gave me all the time I wanted to. I had started doing the New Hampshire 48 with my youngest son, then got more into it once I retired. Hiking in the middle of the week opened up. I joined a Wednesday hiking group and signed up for Appalachian Mountain Club hikes, and met a whole network of other retired hikers. I started getting serious about counting down the NH 48. Often those hiking groups were going to peaks I needed, so I’d join and meet more people. My first winter I did four 4,000-foot peaks—a whole new world opened up. I realized I could be up here in -10 degree weather and I can still be enjoying myself and seeing the mountains in such a way that most people never see them. They’re covered in snow, basically deserted, we were breaking trail with snowshoes, and figuring out traction and warmth—all the techniques and strategies about being out there in winter. There seemed to be endless opportunities, and three years after I started, I was able to finish the NH 48 in winter. Then I started the Four Seasons 48, which I’m in the middle of now.
Neil, 65, has completed the New Hampshire 48 4,000-footers, the New Hampshire Winter 48 4,000-footers, and is working on his four-season list, as well as 52 With A View
Arthur Hamilton, AT LASHer
Photo courtesy of Arthur Hamilton.
Where and when was your first hiking trip?
I decided to hike the AT (in 2018) at the age of 68, having never backpacked in my life. After several months of research I had the gear I thought I would need so I went to Big Bend to do a shakedown hike on the Outer Mountain Loop trail. It was a great learning experience in that I did so many things wrong.
How did you balance work, family, and hiking over the years?
I work part time at IKEA to supplement my Social Security. I got a sabbatical from IKEA and permission from my wife. I withdrew money from my 401(k) to fund the gear and trip.
How would you assess your physical condition? Still cranking out those miles, but maybe at a slower pace?
I had to leave the trail after a knee injury, only completing 700 miles, so my first goal is to finish the AT as a LASH. I think it is better for my wife if I am only gone two months at a time. I had a career in construction and have always worked out with running, walking, and weights, so I was in good physical shape. Also I did several 10-milers with full pack on a local trail. It pissed me off that I couldn’t do the 25s the kids were doing because mentally I thought I could but I ended up averaging around 17 miles a day.
Any hiking goals? Long-distance trails to do? Mountains to summit?
The list of hikes I want to do in no particular order are the John Muir Trail, the Arizona Trail, the Colorado Trail, the Wonderland Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. If I can maintain my physical condition I would like to break the age barrier for thru-hiking the AT in my 80s.
OK boomer. Any advice for how to keep hiking into your later years?
After coming home with my knee injury I went to a really good physical therapist for treatment. I can’t tell you what a difference it has made in my condition. That would be the best advice I would give a mature hiker. Go to a PT or take yoga. I think flexibility and balance are huge for an older hiker.
I also think for older hikers with dietary needs one needs to go to a dietitian. I did. You need to know the percentage of carbs, fat, and protein, along with best way to get the right mix. Nutrition is important for all hikers.
Backpacking, golf, and meditation keep me young and motivated to be present in the now. I had more fun than a 12-year-old kid at a water park on the AT!
My trail name on the AT was BearChaser, but that is another story.
Read Arthur’s blog here.
Victor “Hipcat” Perrotti, AT Thru-Hiker, 2018
Photo courtesy of Victor Perrotti.
Where and when was your first hiking trip?
Basic training, US Army, 1979, Fort Gordon, Georgia.
How did you balance work, family, and hiking over the years?
Took my family on day hikes. I did some backpacking with my wife, but once we had children, we would car camp, then day hike.
How would you assess your physical condition? Still cranking out those miles, but maybe at a slower pace?
Great physical condition despite having a bilateral hip replacement in 2015.
Are you retired? Is this giving you more time to hike?
I retired from my first career in 2017, hiked the AT in 2018, and started my second career in 2019.
Any hiking goals? Long-distance trails to do? Mountains to summit?
Would love to hike the John Muir Trail or Long Trail but not sure if I will get the time.
OK boomer. Any advice for how to keep hiking into your later years?
Train in advance to avoid major muscle group soreness. Trekking poles and modern lightweight equipment are essential. Don’t skimp on hot meals. Take your time and keep at it. Take care of your feet. Use arch supports. Stop to talk with people. Enjoy your time in the woods. Listen without earplugs in. Take small and steady steps. Don’t think that you have to do mega-miles in a given day to complete your hike. Be at peace.
Read Victor’s AT blog here.
Hugh Owen, Trek Editor, Writer
Photo courtesy of Hugh Owen.
Where and when was your first hiking trip?
Two college friends and I drove to the White Mountains, day hiked, and then passed out in our sleeping bags in the middle of a trail. I remember some hikers stepping over us in the morning and muttering that we shouldn’t be sleeping in the trail.
A few months later, in 1975, I set off on a transformative journey, hiking SOBO from Katahdin after Labor Day, and making it through Maine (skipped New Hampshire) and half of Vermont. I got into the rhythm of the trail: waking at dawn, hiking, meeting other hikers at camp, and going to sleep before doing it all over again the next day. I met Steve, a fellow SOBO, and we hiked together until Vermont. We hooked up off and on in Maine with three other SOBOs, and had some riotous off-trail adventures with them. I saw about a dozen NOBOs and maybe a half-dozen section hikers, and traded stories with them in camp at night. I was forever after caught in the hiking aura and solidly locked in the Leave No Trace ethic. That first trip sleeping in the middle of the trail was a long-gone me.
How did you balance work, family, and hiking over the years?
My wife, Marge, and I took our son and daughter car camping when they were young. Marge wasn’t into backpacking, so I took my son and a friend of his on a three-day, two-night trip when they were seven. When my son was eight and my daughter was five I took them on a similar-length trip. We’re still backpacking together today. Work got in the way of a lot of things, but I made sure to schedule backpacking trips with my kids, with friends, or by myself. I made that time sacrosanct, and fought like hell to make those trips happen. The worst time I had trying to keep a trip going was in 2003. The Red Sox were playing the Yankees, with the victor heading to the World Series. My son and I—diehard Red Sox fans—had tickets for the first game of the World Series if the Sox made it, scheduled for the same weekend as my long-planned backpacking trip with friends. I agonized over what to do: ballgame or hiking trip. Well, the Yankees solved that problem by beating the Red Sox. Hopes dashed, but hiking trip on. In 2004 I scheduled my friends’ trip for early September, and Sox fans know what happened that October.
How would you assess your physical condition? Still cranking out those miles, but maybe at a slower pace?
I have definitely slowed down, and it takes a lot of time in the gym to still be able to do miles on the trail. I can occasionally crank out 15 or so miles on moderate terrain, but mostly it’s 10 to 12 miles a day. Younger hikers pass me constantly. But I’m OK with that. Slow and steady is my mantra. I began hiking with poles in my 40s and they’ve prevented many falls. I pack reading glasses now to read trail maps and my phone. (Yep, I carry a paper map and compass. Old school.) My first aid kit includes cholesterol medicine. Bowing to the demands of an aging body, I’ve upgraded my equipment with lighter gear over the years to the point where my base weight is 13 pounds. Not ultralight, but hey, an old guy needs his comforts. I hike alone now as my hiking buddies dropped out in our 50s. I mainly see backpackers a third my age on trail, but often enough run into Boomer hikers—men and women—like me. We bump fists and congratulate each other for staying connected to the trail. We share stories of our adventures, and talk about our aches and pains. But mainly, we glory in the wonderful life we’re still living.
Are you retired? Is this giving you more time to hike? Pre-retirement, how did you find the time?
I have been retired for two years, and I’m in heaven. I do one- to two-week trips in the spring and fall. I’ve completed the Long Trail in Vermont and the Appalachian Trail in New England. Before I retired it was one four- to five-day trip in the fall. Balancing work and hiking was difficult, especially as I moved up the management chain. And once I got a work cell phone, forget it. I was forever connected to work. I don’t miss those days. Now, I do trail work on the Shenipsit Trail in Connecticut, near my home. I’ve volunteered to be a trail maintainer on the AT/LT in Southern Vermont. After all these years of hiking it’s time to give back.
Any hiking goals? Long-distance trails to do? Mountains to summit?
I’m more interested in shorter trails than trying to complete a long-distance trail. I have my sights on the Cohos Trail in northern New Hampshire, the Northville-Placid Trail in New York, and possibly the Superior Trail in Minnesota. If I can get a soon-to-be-retired friend off his butt maybe we’ll do some AT section hikes.
OK boomer. Any advice for how to keep hiking into your later years?
I’d like to say clean living is key to a healthy older life, but I blew that one in my teens and 20s. Stay active. Exercise is key for short backpacking trips or day hikes, which I do a lot. At this age it’s harder to get into shape once you’ve softened up. And forget hiking into shape on a short trek. A big part of staying healthy and physically fit is good luck, good genes, or whatever. I have friends with bum knees, bad backs, and myriad ailments that you’d call just plain bad luck. They didn’t ask for that pain or illness, or do anything to cause it, but there it is. So I consider myself very fortunate at 66 to still be trekking through the mountains. And hopefully for many years to come.
Read Hugh’s stories here.
Feature photo courtesy Neil Slepian.