Long Distance Trekker Set To Go "All-In" For 2011

Long distance hiker Samuel H. Gardner is preparing for an epic adventure in 2011 when he plans to set out on his "All-In Trek", which will see him taking on four BIG trails in the U.S. and covering more than 12,500 miles in the process.

The plan is for Gardner to begin his journey by hiking the length of the North Country Trail from New York to North Dakota, in winter no less. That is a 4600 mile hike in and of itself. From there, he'll move directly on to the 2650-mile long Pacific Crest Trail before hopping over to the Continental Divide Trail, which will add another 3100 miles to the trek. Finally, he'll finish things up with a little 2178-mile long stroll down Appalachian Trail just for good measure. Samuel will go on the journey solo, and will hike the trails back-to-back in continuous fashion, with the hopes of completing the entire project in just one calendar year.

CheapTents.com has an excellent interview with Gardner on their blog today in which he talks about his inspirations for making this trek, the experiences that have given him the confidence to attempt the journey, and much more. Gardner says that he is going on the All-In Trek because he feels it is the next step for long distance backpackers and that he simply wants to experience the adventure of it. Clearly he also enjoys testing himself as well, as he once spent six months living in a snow cave just to see if he could.

At the moment, Gardner is in the final stages of planning and preparation, and has been training hard for what is sure to be a long year on the trail. January is still a few months off, but there is a lot to do before he gets underway.

And for those keeping score at home, Sam is going to have to average more than 34 miles per day to complete the trek in a single year. That's a very ambitious pace to say the least.