Table of Contents
Introduction: The Definition of Adventure vi
"Quit Your Job" Adventures
1 Ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route 1
2 Raft the Colorado River Through the Grand Canyon, Arizona 3
The Hardest Thing is Convincing Yourself It's Okay 4
3 Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail 7
4 Thru-Hike the Pacific Crest Trail 9
Expanding Your "Adventure Spectrum" 10
5 Climb Denali, Alaska 13
6 Bicycle the TransAmerica Trail, USA 15
Five Ways to Save Money on Road Trips 16
7 Thru-Hike-the John Muir Trail, California 19
8 Backpack the Colorado Trail, Colorado 21
The More You Know, The Less You Need 22
9 Trek the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal 25
Two-Weeklong Adventures
10 Trek the Tour du Mont Blanc 29
Don't Make a to-do List on Your Vacation 30
11 Climb Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 33
12 Book Passage on Freighter Ship, United States to Europe 35
Nine Travel Tips to Lower Your Stress Levels 36
13 Ski the Haute Route, France/Switzerland 39
14 Climb Mount Vinson, Antarctica 41
Showering Every Day is a Waste of Time 42
15 Trek Torres del Paine, Patagonia 45
Weeklong Adventures
16 Ride Amtrak from Coast to Coast 49
12 All-Purpose Adventure Gear Items 50
17 Climb Mount Rainier, Washington 55
18 Traverse the Presidential Range, New Hampshire (in Winter) 57
The Benefits of Going in the Off-Season 58
19 Climb El Capitan, Yosemite, California 61
20 Mountain Bike the White Rim Trail, Utah 63
The Terrifying and Wonderful Concept of Going Without Data for a Week 64
21 Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru 67
22 Drive the Pacific Coast, USA 69
Eight Things to Always Have in Your Backpack 70
23 Hike the Routeburn Track, New Zealand 73
24 Kayak Tour the San Juan Islands, Washington 75
Skip Going Out for Dinner Once a Week for a year and do a Grand Canyon Trip 76
Weekend-Long Adventures
25 Climb Mount Hood, Oregon 81
26 Climb Mount Whitney, California 83
Don't Let Your Suitcase Become A Ball and Chain 84
27 Run a Trail Ultramarathon 87
28 Climb the Brigata Tridentina Via Ferrata, Italy 89
Rent A Car You Can Sleep in and Save 90
29 Spend a Night at a 10th Mountain Division Hut, Colorado 93
30 Trek to Havasupai, Arizona 95
The 3-Day Rule 96
31 Overnight at a White Mountain Hut, New Hampshire 99
Full-Day Adventures
32 Hike a Colorado 14er 103
Sleeping in a Tent is Not That Comfortable (But If You Can Handle It for a Couple Nights, It Will Change Your Life) 104
33 Ski Tuckerman Ravine, New" Hampshire (in Spring.) 107
34 Ride the Whole Enchilada, Moab, Utah 109
The Second Most Famous Hike Somewhere Can Be Great (And Without Crowds) 110
35 Hike the Zion Narrows, Utah 113
36 Hike Mount Si, Washington 115
What to Rent and What to Buy 116
37 Hike from Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon, Arizona 119
38 Learn to Ice Climb, New Hampshire 121
The Joys of Camping on a Weeknight 122
39 Take the Denali National Park Bus Tour, Alaska 125
40 Climb Katahdin, Maine 127
You Don't Have to Leave the Country to Have an Adventure (I.E., There are Mountains on Both Coasts, Lakes Everywhere, Etc.) 128
41 Ride the Monarch Crest Trail, Colorado 131
42 Climb Mount Fuji, Japan 133
Why You Should Have Both the AAA Card and the AAC Card 134
Half-Day Adventures
43 Hike Angels Landing, Utah 139
44 Tandem BASE Jump from the Perrine Bridge, Idaho 141
Great Places are Crowded But Only in a Few Spots 142
45 Hike to Ski Highland Bowl, Aspen Highlands Ski Resort, Colorado 145
46 Raft the Middle Ocoee River, Tennessee 147
Commit to Plans Early and Often 148
47 Climb the Third Flatiron, Colorado 151
48 Hike the Tall Trees Trait, Redwood National Park, California 153
The Dawn Patrol 154
49 Ride the Jungfraubahn, Switzerland 157
50 Climb the Krogerata, Telluride, Colorado 159
This Book is Just a Start 160
Sample Itinerary 1 Weekend Trip: Hike a Colorado 14er (Mount Bierstadt, 14,060 feet) 162
Sample Itinerary 2 Two-Weeklong Trip: Ski the Haute Route 163
Sample Itinerary 3 Weeklong Trip: Mountain Bike the White Rim Trail, Utah 164
About the Author 165
