65-Year-Old Thru Hiker Finishes Triple Crown of Hiking

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A Maine man named Carey Kish has completed the Triple Crown of Hiking, a feat only 693 other people have officially achieved. Kish finished the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) on Monday, September 23, marking the third of three intense thru-hikes required for the Triple Crown. Kish is 65 years old, and he says he’s been dreaming of the thru-hiking life since he was eight years old.

Kish told local news outlet the Mount Desert Islander that he first saw part of the Appalachian Trail (AT) at age eight while he was on vacation with his family.

“I just could not get [it] out of my head,” said Kish. “That there was this trail that spanned the eastern United States from one end to the other . . . I became consumed by the trail. I read everything about it. And slowly but surely, I started to plan. I got serious about it when I was about 11.”

A handful of decades later, Kish joins an elite club of thru hikers who have tackled all three of the nation’s major long-distance hiking trails: the AT, the CDT, and Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Together, the hikes total a distance of more than 7,400 miles.

The American Long-Distance Hiking Association-West awards the Triple Crown of Hiking to thru hikers who complete the treks and apply for the award. We assume Kish will apply when the 2025 award period opens up.

“I’m some kinda tired. And happy. And just a little wistful,” wrote Kish in a recent Instagram post marking the end of his CDT trek. “After 7 1/2 months away, though, I’m ready to come home to Maine.”

See Carey Kish’s celebratory post after finishing the CDT and unofficially earning the Triple Crown of Hiking here: