Introduction.
In Episode 1 of The Adventure Conscious Podcast, we talked to Carl Stanfield, otherwise known as “The Professor”. Carl spent 352 out of the 365 days of 2022 hiking on the US trails, becoming one of the few to complete the Calendar Year Triple Crown.
The Calendar Year Triple Crown (+)
The Calendar Year Triple Crown (CYTC) is the impressive challenge which requires three major hiking trails in the US to be completed in a single calender year. The three trails are;
- The Pacific Crest Trail – A 2,650-mile route running along the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain range from the Canadian border to the edge of Mexico.
- The Continental Divide Trail – A 3,100-mile route which also connects the Canadian and Mexican borders but follows the Rocky Mountains
- The Appalachian National Trail – A 2,200-mile trail in Eastern US which traditionally runs from Georgia to Maine.
However, for Carl, this was not enough. Carl extended the Appalachian trial so that, along with it CYTC siblings, the trail would also take him from border to border. This adaptation of the CYTC s known as Calendar Year Triple Crown+.
Carl had set out not only to complete the Calendar Year Triple Crown+ but to also hike the most miles ever walked in a year! However, towards the end of October Carl had run the numbers and realised that this goal was becoming increasingly challenging. Carl made the hard, but wise decision to change his plans and enjoy the rest of the trail.
In total Carl covered a staggering 8,451.7 Miles and spent nearly all of 2022 out on the trails.
Carl Stanfield
One thing that was immediately clear from speaking to Carl was his hugely positive energy. Carl had an amazing experience with respect to social media and the community of hikers that he spent time with. In the podcast, we discuss this community of hikers and touch on trail angels, trail magic and the famous trail names. Carl himself was dubbed “The Professor” by his fellow hikers owing to his planning, preparation and keen recording of relevant hiking statistics!
It was truly inspiring to speak to Carl and hear about this fantastic adventure. Spending a whole year hiking seems to have been an amazing experience for Carl, reaffirming to him the lack of need for excessive material possessions. The one thing Carl was not able to go without, however, was trail shoes, burning through 18 pairs of the course of the year!
Make sure you check out the full episode to find out more and also give Carl a follow on Instagram @ProfCarl.
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