How have you been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic?

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04-01-2020, 11:39
bennettemma

How have you been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Hi everyone!

This spring I was supposed to travel to Greece to complete a project through my college. This trip was unfortunately cancelled and our focus has now shifted to the virus. With this new topic, I was hoping to take a focus on Appalachian Trail thru hikers and the impacts the virus has had on your journeys. The majority of this project includes surveys and interviews. I'm looking for some people to interview about this topic and to just hear your experiences in general. Please message me if you are interested in talking!
04-01-2020, 22:23
colorado_rob

Well, as said, not being able to stick with a thru hike is annoying, but BFD, no worries really, but it does kind-of help to whine a bit about it.... :-( My heart does go out to those that quit their jobs, sold lots of stuff, etc, to hit a long trail this year.

We're still hiking big miles almost every day, but locally only, staying in shape. We have lots of local trails in a nearby wilderness that are empty, always so this time of year, didn't see a single soul today on a 14-miler.

What HURTS deep down personally is not being able to see (and hug and kiss, etc) our 4 kids and 5 grandkids. Way more saddened about this than having to leave the PCT.
04-03-2020, 09:47
Alligator

If you reread the question the question is directed to thruhikers and the thread is in the 2020 forum. If the question does not apply to you, don't answer the question. Thanks.
04-03-2020, 09:48
Puddlefish

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alligator

If you reread the question the question is directed to thruhikers and the thread is in the 2020 forum. If the question does not apply to you, don't answer the question. Thanks.

Oops, missed that. Thanks and sorry.
04-03-2020, 09:52
Alligator

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puddlefish

Oops, missed that. Thanks and sorry.

It's all right, just trying to help the younger folks with their online schooling.
04-04-2020, 10:04
One Half

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alligator

It's all right, just trying to help the younger folks with their online schooling.

I so wish this forum had the ability to like or even laugh at posts without having to reply! :D
04-18-2020, 21:04
drbone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alligator

It's all right, just trying to help the younger folks with their online schooling.

That might be one, but I'm sure there are more interpretations
04-18-2020, 22:08
SkeeterPee

Since your interest is thru hikers, I was well into my hike on the AT. I had started February 10th, had hiked to Erwin, TN 344 miles when they asked us to leave the trail. I was walking 15-18 miles per day at that point. I had lost 27 lbs at the time, got my blood pressure back to better than normal and had stopped BP meds. My blood sugar numbers were the best in a couple years. Stopping seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but upon further research of this disease, I believe the ATC made the wrong call and they have created a lot of hatred of hikers. I will be restarting as soon as Governors open their states. PM m If you still need people to participate.
04-18-2020, 22:26
Bwana59

We had planned to start NoBo on the AT on March 27th. Packs were ready, plans made and we were ready to roll out. Covid put a damper on those plans.
Current plan is to start SoBo June 1 from Katahdin if the trail re-opens. Haven't unpacked the pack, so just waiting for a window to jump. If that falls through, we are looking at either starting SoBo from HF on the AT and do a flip next spring/summer NoBo, or heading for Isle Royal and through hiking the island.
Where there is a trail, there is a way.

Bwana
04-18-2020, 23:24
4eyedbuzzard

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwana59

We had planned to start NoBo on the AT on March 27th. Packs were ready, plans made and we were ready to roll out. Covid put a damper on those plans.
Current plan is to start SoBo June 1 from Katahdin if the trail re-opens. Haven't unpacked the pack, so just waiting for a window to jump. If that falls through, we are looking at either starting SoBo from HF on the AT and do a flip next spring/summer NoBo, or heading for Isle Royal and through hiking the island.
Where there is a trail, there is a way.

Bwana

Last report from Baxter St Park authority is that they won't open until at least July 1. Below treeline day hiking only until then. All Katahdin trails closed.
https://www.pressherald.com/2020/04/...g-and-traffic/
I'm thinking you're going to have to plan to be very flexible around the state opening dates and be prepared to travel and skip around doing sections as they become available, then hope to flip to ME and go SOBO mid to late summer for the northern sections, and then flip back to remaining sections in fall. If that even becomes possible. Hiking where you can any given date range.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
04-19-2020, 20:31
Bwana59

Good information 4eyedbuzzard, much appreciated! We are staying flexible and will do SOMETHING this year. We also have a plan to hike the overseas trail in the Florida Keys this winter.

Bwana
04-20-2020, 12:33
BlackCloud

Quote:

Originally Posted by bennettemma

Hi everyone!

This spring I was supposed to travel to Greece to complete a project through my college. This trip was unfortunately cancelled and our focus has now shifted to the virus. With this new topic, I was hoping to take a focus on Appalachian Trail thru hikers and the impacts the virus has had on your journeys. The majority of this project includes surveys and interviews. I'm looking for some people to interview about this topic and to just hear your experiences in general. Please message me if you are interested in talking!

What was the original project in Greece?
04-20-2020, 16:20
WesleyCBruce

I cancelled my thru hike and bought a camper trailer instead to live off the grid. I think I'll NOBO in 5 years or once my partner feels ok given me a summer away and the kid is old enough to not require so much care. But it's all good.
04-21-2020, 22:09
ChrisH900

I was laid off in October and figured that this was a sign: thru-hike the AT now rather than wait for full retirement in 5-7 years. I proceeded to buy all new equipment; my old stuff was way too heavy. I completely repainted and fixed up my house, and it is currently for sale. I sold/gave away/donated/junked almost all of my things. Everything that I own fits in a 20' enclosed trailer. I was going to stay with my gf for a week or two and then we were to fly down to Georgia on March 24th, stay at the Amicalola Falls Lodge one night, get a good meal, and have her drop me off at the ranger station the next morning. I aborted the initial plan after watching some YouTubers (Wild, Darwin, Taylor, Braids, etc.) come off...oh, and also the urgent cries of the ATC. My pack is ready to go other than my down sleeping bag that is hung up.

Instead, I'm still at my gf's house, "the guest that came for a week and stayed a month (or more)" (LOL), and watching my savings dwindle. I am hoping that PA opens up in May. My plan is to Flip-flop from Harpers Ferry to ME/HF to GA starting June 1st. If things don't open up, I will need to start job hunting, find a place to live, and postpone this dream for another 6-7 years. Who would have thought that something like this would have happened?
04-22-2020, 13:47
bennettemma

We were originally supposed to interview stakeholders regarding a degraded lake (Lake Koronia). It would have been extremely difficult to try and complete remotely from home!
04-23-2020, 13:56
trailmercury

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traveler

Thru hiking may require wiggling around closures, and possibly land owners to find a route through closed trail sections will be difficult, especially if hotels/hostels are scarce, full, or closed. Looking at the closures, there will be huge sections of AT that will need to engage road walking to get around. I would imagine hitch hiking will be difficult as well.

Sounds like logistics similar to when Schaeffer and Gatewood hiked. Or what the CDT was for a long time.

Not impossible by any stretch.

I would not go however if it were me.
04-23-2020, 15:15
Alligator

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alligator

If you reread the question the question is directed to thruhikers and the thread is in the 2020 forum. If the question does not apply to you, don't answer the question. Thanks.

Second reminder, same as the first.
05-01-2020, 15:24
The Josh

Planned on starting April 27th at Amicalola, now hoping to start a LASH or possible flip flop around Harpers Ferry June 1st unless things get worse between now and then. Added some latex gloves, a few ounces of hand sanitizer and face masks to my pack.
05-01-2020, 16:47
Nanashi

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwana59

We had planned to start NoBo on the AT on March 27th. Packs were ready, plans made and we were ready to roll out. Covid put a damper on those plans.
Current plan is to start SoBo June 1 from Katahdin if the trail re-opens. Haven't unpacked the pack, so just waiting for a window to jump. If that falls through, we are looking at either starting SoBo from HF on the AT and do a flip next spring/summer NoBo, or heading for Isle Royal and through hiking the island.
Where there is a trail, there is a way.

Bwana

Do you think everything will be open? I'm thinking of doing that too. May skip Katahdin though. Ive already done the 100 mile wilderness NB.
05-01-2020, 17:39
The Josh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanashi

Do you think everything will be open? I'm thinking of doing that too. May skip Katahdin though. Ive already done the 100 mile wilderness NB.

I don't know if everything will be open, but I am willing to skip sections that need skipped and make sacrifices where I need to make them to get out there, and I can go out and fill them when it's safe. For me, that section is the closest section to relatives (at least for the first few hundred miles) who would be willing to come and take me off trail if things take a nose dive again and I am forced off trail. And my date isn't set in stone, things are happening pretty fast so if things get worse before then I can move it more, that's my earliest start date because I want at least a few weeks to make sure this "reopening" isn't going to make things worse.