In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Kristy and Annette—two inspiring women who completely transformed their lives after retirement. In 2015, they sold everything they owned, bought an RV, and set out to live life on their own terms. What began as a “retirement gift” hike on the Colorado Trail quickly evolved into a bold new chapter of full-time adventure.
Since then, Kristy and Annette have completed the Triple Crown of Hiking—the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail—and spend each year splitting their time between life on the road and life on foot.
Together, they share their journey of choosing freedom, rejecting fear, and expanding the limits of what life after 50 can look like. This episode is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to chase your dreams, explore the unknown, and live life unapologetically.
If you’ve ever felt the urge to change direction, embrace the outdoors, or reclaim your time and energy for what truly lights you up—this conversation is for you.
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Show notes
- Annette - working as a teacher and school Librarian
- Deciding to retire in 2015
- Doing a lot of backpacking trips before retirement
- Giving themselves the trip to do the Colorado Trail as a retirement present
- Getting hooked on long hikes
- Travelling and hiking full time since them
- Growing up in California and being outdoorsy, but not getting into travelling and hiking until moving to Colorado as a senior in high school
- Loving the South West of America
- Hiking the Appalachian Trail and having a blast!
- Meeting Kristy, born in Washington, USA before moving to Colorado at 8 years old
- Growing up adventuring and spending time in the mountains and woods
- Going to college on a basketball scholarship
- Always being active
- Really enjoying the backpacking and spending long periods of time in nature as she’s gotten older
- Working as a mental health therapist and working with children who had early trauma
- Making a change in 2015 and deciding to end that chapter
- Thinking that life is a gift and it goes by really fast and wanting to live it up while they can
- Wanting to do all of the hard things
- Wanting to write a new chapter and try new things
- Selling everything they owned and buying an RV
- Deciding to walk more long distance trails
- Wanting to hike the triple crown
- How Kristy and Annette met at a sweat lodge (sauna) in 2003
- Meeting for a coffee and saying ‘wanting to walk the earth’
- Starting to go on weekend trips
- Wanting to stay out in nature for longer
- Seeing a financial planner
- Starting to think differently
- Figuring out how to live the cheapest way and to do the things they love
- Starting adventuring 10 years ago full time at 51 and 57
- Having a 5 year plan
- Completing the plan in 4 years
- Not caring about stuff and not being materialistic
- Loving this lifestyle
- Hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2019
- How demanding it was (aged 62)
- Starting slow and building and seeing how their bodies held up for the long haul
- Having to change plans due to covid
- Starting the continental divide trail
- The amazing people met along the way
- The simplicity of life on the trail
- Sharing their dreams with family and friends
- Other people’s fears
- The dream verses the reality of this life
- Wanting to create her life how she wants it
- Planning for the year ahead
- Wanting to expand the confines of their life until they die
- Claiming space in the world and making it exactly how you want it
- Handling disagreements
- How plans evolve overtime
- Having low expectations and why it can be a key for happiness
- Planning a trip to South America
- Booking the hiking part of the trip and keeping the rest free
- Working within a framework
- Annettee doing the researching
- Creating the grand plans!
- Training and doing a marathon while selling the house!
- Getting into pack rafts
- Leaving the RV while hiking
- Making this life work
- The triple hike and the differences between the big three hikes
- Water carries, desert, hiking at elevation, sun levels, resupply
- Why the Appalachian Trail is a good beginner trail for newbies
- Watch the videos on YouTube
- Wanting to inspire people to get outside especially older people
- Words of advice for women listening
- Starting small and find what you love
- Building success into it
- Figure out what works for you
- Setting yourself up for big success
- Why life is a huge gift
- Don’t let it (life) go to waste
- Be in your power
Social Media
Instagram @wanderwomen_kristy_annette
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RVsters/
Youtube: @wanderwomenkristyannette5021