ASTON — Glenn Hunkett could not comprise his pleasure as he described the canine sledding journey that awaited him when he arrived in Alaska’s Denali Nationwide Park this week.
The journey marks the Delaware County resident’s thirty first park go to since March 1, when he begins to comprehend his retirement dream of not solely visiting all 63 nationwide parks within the U.S., however experiencing each in a singular and distinctive means.
Hankett has fascinating tales to inform from his nationwide park odyssey, lovely photographs, and a wealth of details about nature, geography, historical past, and extra. However he is solely midway there, with 32 extra to go earlier than he reaches 63.
After finishing his Denali tour, Hankett will head to Alaska’s Kenai Fjord Nationwide Park, then south to Wyoming to go to Grand Teton Nationwide Park and snowmobile by means of Yellowstone Nationwide Park, bringing his complete to 34.
It can improve this quantity in two weeks. After coming residence for a brief break, we’ll head to Hawaii to see Hawaii Volcanoes Nationwide Park and Pu’uhonua o Honanau Nationwide Park. Whereas he typically visits parks alone or with a good friend, his spouse, Susan, accompanies him on holidays to Hawaii.
Whereas most individuals would possibly get uninterested in studying about Hankett’s adventures, the journey is all about planning his subsequent journey. He hopes all 63 park excursions might be accomplished by October. Inside a 12 months and a half, there might be 63 parks.
Just a little story
Nationwide parks formally started in 1872 when Congress established Yellowstone as the primary. At present, the US has acknowledged 63 areas unfold over 32 states and two territories as nationwide parks. They signify the “cream of the crop” of protected lands in america.
Whereas most guests expertise nationwide parks by means of climbing trails, ranger-guided excursions, driving scenic roads, taking photographs or watching wildlife, Hankett mentioned he desires to expertise and expertise the parks in a wide range of methods. From airboat journeys in Everglades Nationwide Park in Florida to backpacking in Mount Rainier Nationwide Park in Washington.
The record of experiences they’ve accrued to date is to attain the objective:
• Went geocaching at Petrified Forest Nationwide Park in Arizona.
• Helicopter tour of Badlands Nationwide Park in South Dakota.
• Traveled 6 miles to the distant excessive nation Le Conte Lodge within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park in Tennessee for an in a single day keep to win the lottery.
• Take a catwalk at New River Gorge Nationwide Park in West Virginia.
• You hiked by means of the ferns in California’s Redwood Nationwide Park.
• Take a scenic prepare trip by means of Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park in Ohio.
• He stood just a few toes away from a large bison in Theodore Roosevelt Nationwide Park in North Dakota.
• Skilled the complete toilet remedy at Scorching Springs Nationwide Park in Arkansas.
“My two-day canoe journey with a good friend within the swamps of Congaree Nationwide Park in South Carolina turned out to be extra adventurous and even a little bit scary than we had deliberate,” Hunkett mentioned as he shared his reminiscences. “My good friend and I bought misplaced and a rescue group needed to come and discover us.”
Hankett, a protracted seasoned traveller, already knew the entire nation, having been to each state.
Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, he lived in Maryland earlier than transferring to California, again to Colorado, then Washington, east to North Carolina, after which to Pennsylvania in 2017 as a software program engineer at Boeing’s Ridley plant. Engineer.
Within the 12 months In 2021, Hankett was fired when the corporate went underneath.
After his father handed away final summer time, Hankett determined to take early retirement and pursue his dream, to take pleasure in good well being and exercise whereas he was nonetheless younger.
“After I was eager about visiting all of the nationwide parks, I heard the Paul Simon music, ’50 Methods to Go away Your Lover.'” Hankett shared. “I assumed I ought to give attention to 60 methods to see the nationwide parks.”
Hanket took it a step additional. He printed just a few shirts to go together with the theme, emblazoned with photographs he took, and even penned some Alyankovic-style lyrics to enhance Simon’s tune:
Slip on the pack, Jack / From New Span, Stan
Get away from that grizzly, Liz / take note of me
Take the crimson bus, Gus / Do not make any massive noise
Simply kayak the bay, Caye/and set your soul free.
“Though there are literally 63 parks, 60 parks appeared simpler to recollect and course of to match Simon’s lyrics,” Hankett defined in a latest interview.
On the best way from the journey
The nationwide park lover has all the time been drawn to outside adventures, nature and health.
“I used to be all the time bodily energetic,” he mentioned. “I stroll, bike, kayak and go to the fitness center.”
He mentioned the hiker typically stays in Airbnbs or cheap motels relatively than tents or cabins in parks, so he has a house for his gear and would not should lug the whole lot round within the guesthouse. Parks.
More often than not, all he takes with him to the parks is his telephone, digicam, GoPro for video, and a strolling stick.
Hankett isn’t any stranger to extraordinary adventures. Within the 12 months
Hankett has organized with freeway departments and adopt-a-highway teams to choose up luggage of trash collected alongside their route. The couple donated a coupon booklet to Hefty so they may maintain the trash luggage they use in every state on the highway. The Hanketts traveled from Acadia Nationwide Park in Maine to St. Charles, Missouri, after which from St. Charles to Astoria, Oregon.
In response to Hankett, tales in regards to the newlyweds’ particular journey have been written in additional than 100 newspapers and picked up 4 occasions by the Related Press. They themselves made a video to doc their honeymoon in a singular surroundings.
After personally selecting up greater than 4 tons of trash and carrying three pairs of climbing boots, the couple accomplished their inexperienced journey and wrote a e-book in regards to the expertise, titled “Roadside Underwear.”
“We known as our e-book as a result of we discovered underwear on each freeway in each county besides Kansas,” says Hunkett, laughing on the reminiscence. “We have been speaking to a farmer in Kansas and he instructed him that that is the one state the place we do not get discarded underwear, and he regarded very critical when he instructed us, ‘We do not throw away our outdated underwear. We use them as dusters.’ “
Following his cross-country honeymoon, Hankett had a possibility to seem on the sport present “To Be Truthful.” Three of the 4 contestants guessed accurately that Hankett had walked throughout America carrying 4 tons of trash.
“Later, I requested the contestants how they knew it was me, they usually mentioned I regarded like somebody who was uninterested in strolling,” Hankett mentioned with fun.
Hankett mentioned he plans and organizes the nationwide park journeys. He normally flies into the gateway metropolis close to the park and rents a automobile to drive from there.
“For instance, final October and November, I flew to Midland, Texas and traveled to Huge Bend Nationwide Park and Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park in Texas after which to Carlsbad Caverns Nationwide Park in New Mexico, as a result of it was proper on the Texas border. Then I returned from Midland after visiting the three parks.
40 or 50 years in the past, when nationwide parks grew to become his curiosity, Hankett started gathering park brochures, posters and different nationwide park memorabilia, and continues to this present day. He additionally has a nationwide park passport e-book that he tries to stamp on each go to.
When not touring, Hankett and his spouse, Susan, share their Aston residence with their three cats and are foster dad and mom to the cats.
A excessive adventurer with a love of nationwide parks, he stays in form to proceed his seek for the 63-year-old whereas in Delaware County, climbing the Chester Creek Path close to his residence on Pennell Highway and visiting Ridley Creek State Park just a few occasions every week.
A wealth of expertise
Hankett’s excessive journey alternatives and thrilling life experiences did not start with a go to to 63 parks.
Since his cross-country anti-litter journey within the ’90s, he is helped construct homes abroad, construct castles in France, climb vertical tunnels and climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Within the 12 months In 2000, he cycled hundreds of miles from coast to coast in America, and organized to talk at colleges and libraries alongside the best way to encourage youngsters and adults to observe their goals and discover the greatness of America. Land, and to maintain it clear and dirt-free.
When requested what his different retirement plans may be as soon as he reaches the ultimate park and crosses No. 63, Hunkett mentioned he would positively prefer to make a return journey to among the parks.
“I might love to return to the parks I visited,” the park skilled mentioned. To be sincere, some parks have a much bigger ‘wow’ issue than others.
The 66-year-old’s different retirement targets are extra low-key, although no much less thrilling. He hopes to work on some software program engineering tasks and write some extra Killing Occasion tales ( CLUE , guess the sport). He has already written half a dozen which have been used at events.
As well as, Hankett mentioned he’s all the time out there to go to native golf equipment, colleges, church buildings, libraries and different locations to speak about his travels and share his experiences or journey ideas. He invitations events to observe him on his weblog. https://nationalparks7.wixsite.com/60ways/. To date, the weblog consists of 108 entries, which he hopes at some point, when all is alleged and completed, to make use of as the idea for a brand new e-book.
After enthusiastically describing the wolves and caribou he hopes to see on his journey to Alaska’s Denali Nationwide Park this week, he begins speaking excitedly a few whitewater rafting tour he is lined as much as embark on in Utah’s Cataract Canyon Nationwide Park. In April. Then his voice grew to become extra critical.
“I do know no one is aware of how a lot time he has left,” Hankett mentioned. “Over the previous few months, I’ve heard tales of associates who have been wanting ahead to retirement, however well being issues derailed these plans. In the present day is the very best time to chase your goals, as a result of we by no means know what tomorrow will convey.”
For extra details about Hanket and the 63 nationwide parks journey journey go to http://www.60ways.web Or e mail nationalparks@usa.com
