So what exactly is 'Trek Dirty to Me?'

AJ here. What is ‘Trek Dirty to Me?’ It’s a project that I have been wanting to do for over a decade. In short, it is the complete thru-hiking of the Triple Crown of American hikes - the three major American Scenic Trails: The Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT).

The longer version is that this means that I will be hiking three, roughly 6-month hikes covering 22 states and 7,900 miles (12,700 kilometers). I will be thru-hiking (hiking from start to finish) and mostly camping during the hikes, though there will be some truly awesome opportunities to go off-trail and check out some fantastic spots for eating (and cooking) and drinking. It’s also important to note that, though the number varies up to 500ish, the current number of folks who have officially been recognized for completing the Triple Crown stands at 396 (as of the end of the 2018 season).

Partly because my knees aren’t getting any younger (I plan to hike this over the course of three years from 2020-2023 when I will be celebrating my 40th, 41st, and 42nd birthdays on the trail) and because I would like to eventually dive into my first restauranteur adventure sooner rather than later, this seemed like my ideal next project.

Now the fun part, not only will I take you along for the ride, but I plan to interview as many folks as I can along the way (particularly past, present and future thru-hikers, restaurant and bar owners, food and beverage producers and writers) and feature them on my “Trek Dirty to Me” podcast. Get it? I thought it was clever.

If you have suggestions on who I should talk to (even if that means you), where I should go, what I should eat and drink, and with whom I should cook, please email tdtm@booksbourbonbacon.com with the subject line “TDTM Podcast.”

Finally, if you just want to meet and maybe hike a few days (or months) along the way, let’s do it! Many have already reached out and asked to do exactly that!

See you on the trail!

AJ

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