Hi! I am Chuck, also known as Orange Man. Welcome to The Retired Hiker, a blog about my life in retirement focusing on hiking, long-distance backpacking, and the adventures of Dana (a.k.a. Pitcrew) and Chuck in our Travel Trailer.
I retired after my wife died in 2021 and jumped into hiking and long-distance backpacking as a way deal with what I call “Life Part II”. I have thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and have a multi-year plan for the Pacific Crest Trail, the Colorado Trail, and numerous other long-distance trails.
As a reward to myself for completing the Appalachian Trail, we purchased a Travel Trailer in late 2024. I base out of the trailer on short multi-day hiking trips. Dana and I take the trailer on long weekends and week-long regional trips. Our plan is to tour the country in the trailer once Dana retires in a few more years.
Until a that time, I plan to do as many long-distance hikes as I can manage while not completely abandoning Dana for the trail! Hence our blog’s tagline “Side Trials of Retirement Bliss”.
Recent Trail Journals
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Today’s Miles: 18.2 Trip Miles: 403.6 “Here comes the rain again Falling on my head like a memory Falling on my head like a new emotion I want to walk in the open wind I want to talk like lovers do Want to dive into your ocean Is it raining with you?” – Eurythmics Patchy fog before 7 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Southwest wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. I have left myself…
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Today’s Miles: 15.7 Trip Miles: 385.4 “When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky, You can bet that he’s doing it for some doll. When you spot a John waiting out in the rain, Chances are he’s insane, as only a John can be for a Jane. When you meet a gent paying all kinds of rent For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal, Call it sad, call it funny, but it’s better than even money, That’s the guy’s only doing it for some doll. “ – Guys and Dolls Up at 7:10. Got my…
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Today’s Miles: 17.2 Trip Miles: 369.7 It’s not a dress, it’s a kilt. Patchy fog and a slight chance of rain showers before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. Up at 8:00. Packed, ate, used the bath house, and hit the trail at 9:15. Cloudy at present, but I’m hoping it clears up today. I have a hard first 5-mile climb out of Erwin. I would like to…
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Today’s Miles: 0 Trip Miles: 352.5 Up at 8:00. Rained and thunderstormed massively last night. Spent the morning doing chores: laundry, duct-taped handle on CNOC, cleaned my pack, sorted resupply box, replaced my worn-out gloves with new ones Dana sent me. I spent the afternoon working on blog updates and planning out my next few resupplies. I heard from Mike. He got to Damascus. He aqua-blazed Lake Watauga. Cool. Shuttled into town and bought a knee brace and got dinner at Taco Bell. Bought a new heavy knee brace at Walgreens. Made a sleeve to go under the brace out…
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Today’s Miles: 11.1 Trip Miles: 352.5 “God damn, well I declare, have you seen the like?Their walls are built of cannon ballsTheir motto is “don’t” tread on me” Come hear Uncle John’s Band, playing to the tideCome with me or go aloneHe’s come to take his children home” – The Grateful Dead A slight chance of rain showers after 5 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 81, with temperatures falling to around 78 in the afternoon. South wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. Up at 7:15.…