It was a day hike up California's 14,494-foot Mount Whitney—the highest point in the lower 48 states—that placed Marcia Powers under the spell of backpacking in wild places.

Introducing her to the joys of the backcountry on that day in late 1997 was Marcia's husband, Ken Powers, himself an avid devotee of backpacking.

Scanning the horizon from the top of the magnificent Sierra Nevada highpoint, all Marcia saw was an endless sea of remote mountains stretching west into the isolated upper regions of 404,051-acre Sequoia National Park.

"There was nothing out there," Ken said. "She took up backpacking right there."

Since then, Ken, 61, and Marcia, who is in her late 50s, have quickly made up for lost time.

Not content to enjoy their retirements in leisure, the Powerses have instead chosen to see the country by a more strenuous means.

"We're retired people traveling across the U.S. by foot," Ken said during an interview Monday. "Other people do it in Winnebagos. We do it by foot."

Beginning in April 2000, when the Powerses set out on a roughly six-month hiking journey along the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, the couple has compiled an impressive list of lengthy backpacking accomplishments.

"That was the first really long one," Ken said of the Pacific Crest Trail.

The rugged path, arguably the grandest of all of the United States' four major long trails, zigzags its way from Mexico to Canada through the states of California, Oregon and Washington. Along the way, the trail passes through a diversity of ecological zones including desert, deep old-growth forest and high alpine mountains.

Following up on their Pacific Crest Trail journey, the Powerses hiked the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail in 2002 and the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail in 2003.

The couple's most recent long-trail experience is perhaps in many ways their most impressive, at least in terms of the overall mileage they covered.

Beginning at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 27, 2005, the Powerses spent a continuous seven-and-a-half months crossing the entire width of the United States on the 4,900-mile, transcontinental American Discovery Trail. The couple reached the western terminus of the American Discovery Trail at Point Reyes National Seashore northwest of San Francisco on Oct. 15.

Starting so early in the year was necessary so they could safely cross through the high passes of the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains before autumn snows began to fall, Ken said.

"We got through both of them without snow," he said.

The couple's favorite portion of the American Discovery Trail was in the wide-open spaces of the West, especially in the arid states of Utah and Nevada, Ken said.

For the Powerses, both of whom have spent portions of their childhoods living in Idaho, long-trail hiking has turned into the perfect way to spend their retirements.

"It's just a simple life," Ken said.

To that end, the Powerses adhere to the "lightpackers'" mantra and only carry what they truly need. Not counting food and water, the weight of Ken and Marcia's packs with all of their gear included only amounts to 16 and 12 pounds, respectively.

The simplicity of the trail apparently extends even to everyday housekeeping activities, he said.

"Marcia says even vacuuming is easy out there," Ken said. "You just pick up the tent and shake it."

Long-trail backpackers Ken and Marcia Powers will discuss how to prepare for the American Discovery Trail (ADT) next week in Hailey. During the presentation, the Powerses will also present a slideshow journey of their 4,900-mile ADT experience. The public is invited to the event, which will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Community Campus in Hailey.