Fitness Enthusiast Quits Job for Epic Trail Goals
@KevinJohnMartin detailed quitting his job to pursue epic fitness goals: a 47-mile Appalachian Trail section next week, followed by full thru-hikes of the Benton MacKaye Trail and John Muir Trail. The career change post received 8 likes from supporters of adventure-focused lifestyle pivots.
The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) is a lesser-known sibling to the Appalachian Trail, sharing the same southern terminus on Springer Mountain in Georgia. The BMT spans approximately 300 miles through Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and was named for Benton MacKaye, the man who first envisioned the Appalachian Trail. A thru-hike of the BMT is considered strenuous and typically takes hikers between three to four weeks to complete. Unlike the more crowded Appalachian Trail, the BMT offers more solitude as it winds through remote wilderness areas. A significant portion of the trail, 93 miles, runs through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, making it the longest trail within the park. The trail is marked by white diamond blazes and involves numerous stream and river crossings. Following the BMT, the John Muir Trail (JMT) presents a different challenge in California's Sierra Nevada. The 211-mile trail passes through Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. It is often considered one of the most iconic and scenic thru-hikes in the United States. The JMT is a high-altitude trail, with large sections remaining above 10,000 feet and crossing six mountain passes over 11,000 feet. The trail culminates at the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. Most thru-hikers take between two to three weeks to complete the journey, carefully planning resupply stops in advance.
