Thru hike planning issues

[Venchka]

Hi everyone! Im trying to plan a thru hike for 2015 but Im having a few issues. Im finding it difficult to plan for taking a semester off, the GRE, and getting enough job experience for grad school. Does anyone out there have advise or past experience with planning a thru hike while in college?

I am still trying to figure out how anyone manages to earn a living and complete 1, or more, thru hikes of the various long trails.
If you figure it out, let me know.
Whoa Grasshopper. You are 18. The GRE is a long way off. Worry about undergrad before you get your knickers in a twist over grad school.
Good luck! Just do it! You will have the rest of your life to worry about boring stuff like school and work.

Wayne

[Sierra2015]

I am still trying to figure out how anyone manages to earn a living and complete 1, or more, thru hikes of the various long trails.
If you figure it out, let me know.
Whoa Grasshopper. You are 18. The GRE is a long way off. Worry about undergrad before you get your knickers in a twist over grad school.
Good luck! Just do it! You will have the rest of your life to worry about boring stuff like school and work.

Wayne

He(she?) only has two years left before grad school.

[Cody89]

I took a few years off after high school to do some traveling, and now I'm back in college. I'd like to do a thru hike someday as well. But, in my opinion, if you're already in school, stay there and finish. It takes a lot of time and effort, and you don't need to pay for classes more then once due to bad grades, while worrying about planning a long hike. Even more so if you want to get into grad school. I live in NY now and just use the Adirondacks for day trips, long weekends, ect. Keeps you doing what you love but still focus on school. The AT will still be there whenever you're ready.

[Wolve]

I know this thread is kinda dead, but I thought I would let you guys know what I ended up deciding. I am taking the GRE this fall, taking next spring semester off, and continuing with my job until I leave for the trail in March. I ended up sacrificing my graduation date: it will be one semester later than planned. I can't wait to see some of you on the trail next year! Thanks for the help!

[ctebeau]

I know this thread is kinda dead, but I thought I would let you guys know what I ended up deciding. I am taking the GRE this fall, taking next spring semester off, and continuing with my job until I leave for the trail in March. I ended up sacrificing my graduation date: it will be one semester later than planned. I can't wait to see some of you on the trail next year! Thanks for the help!

Thats funny I'm actually planning the same kinda thing. Im currently a sophomore at MSU (i take it your a wolverine being from ann arbor...) and i'm planning on taking next spring semester off to thru hike. The way i see it is sure i'll end up pushing my graduation date a bit, but I just feel like the experiences and challenges of the trail will only help better my motivation with school (and help me grow up a bit). The time just feels right now, and I'm just done waiting. After talking with an advisor, she informed me that if It's a sacrifice i must make that now is the time to do it. Hit the trail while you're not too deep into upper level major specific courses, and when an internship is not quite as important. You're making the right move. Best of luck to ya! hope to see you on the trail! (and sparty on!)

[Conductor]

Let's make it three Michiganders in a row, this one from the other side of the state.

In 2006, a snafu at work took out the boss that OK'd a 6 month leave of absence and left me with a choice... let go of the dream and stay a cubicle rat, or hike the hike I had planned for a year. I gave my two weeks notice the first of March that year. Long story short... landed a job one week to the day after getting home. I was 51 at the time.

Life, finds a way. You just have to decide what's important.

[rafe]

In 2006, a snafu at work took out the boss that OK'd a 6 month leave of absence and left me with a choice... let go of the dream and stay a cubicle rat, or hike the hike I had planned for a year. I gave my two weeks notice the first of March that year. Long story short... landed a job one week to the day after getting home. I was 51 at the time.

That's good luck. I took a leave of absence to do my attempted thru in 1990... I'd never struggled too hard to find work before then, but it was a recession and I was in a rust-belt town. Took about three months to find my next gig.

With a little luck I'll be retired soon. Not sure I can afford it but the cubicle has taken its toll. Gotta get away before it kills me.

[Sue_Bird]

I know this thread is kinda dead, but I thought I would let you guys know what I ended up deciding. I am taking the GRE this fall, taking next spring semester off, and continuing with my job until I leave for the trail in March. I ended up sacrificing my graduation date: it will be one semester later than planned. I can't wait to see some of you on the trail next year! Thanks for the help!

Great to hear. You're going to have the time of your life. Thru-hiking changes your perspective and your priorities SO much! I hiked the AT and the PCT before and after grad school, respectively. I showed up at Yale 96 hours after finishing at Katahdin.

To the person who said grad school is more important than thru-hiking, the depends VERY heavily on your perspective. There is nothing more depressing than rushing into an extremely expensive graduate degree that you later find you don't really care about. Thru-hiking gives you the time and space to think about what you really want and care about in your life. Great that you're giving yourself this gift. You will never, ever regret it.

[OutdoorsMan]

I am a senior in college now but will be graduating this coming December. i am in the planning stages of my thru hike for 2015, but the best advice I can give you for a college student is going to piggyback on what Slo-go'en said. I am taking the LSAT this fall and applying for law school...while I hope to be done before law school would start in August, I am taking my acceptances(if that happens...) and deferring my enrollment one year. Most grad programs will have a similar way to do this, where if you are accepted, you can pay a fee that will hold your spot for one academic year.

That's my plan of action, at least. Hope it helps a bit.

A couple of thoughts (opinions);

1.) It seems to me that too much emphasis and maybe anxiety is placed on "planning a thru-hike". In my view the preparation should be some shakedown hikes so that you know your gear and perhaps most importantly discard things you don't need. If you do that, just get on the trail and hike.
I don't really see a lot of value in pre-planned maildrops. I don't see how they save money and food is plentiful in the many towns along the trail. My son is about 250 miles into his hike right now. He left Amicola Falls 3/21 and Springer 3/22 and I see his spending (online banking) and he has spent very little money so far. Yes, planning your future after the trail is important but planning the logistics of hiking detracts from the enjoyment of the hike IMO. Having deadlines to be at certain places on specific days for maildrops would seem to be a burden to me. I have mail-dropped him one package so far but it was stuff that he certainly could have made do without or obtained in a town he was going through.

2. Like you, he has to be in college in the middle of August and before that I want him to "reprogram" himself from sleeping in a tent and living in the woods. He also needs to get 3 wisdom teeth removed before going to college. This means that he should get off of the trail about the middle - end of July. There is no way that he will make it to Kathadin by then. You can make it to Kathadin if you leave earlier than he did but be aware you will have to endure some nasty weather if you do so. He has had plenty of cold, snow, sleet and wind with his start date. An earlier start date would have meant more of that and many posts on WB have said that the earlier you start, the more likely you are to quit.

I do have a concern about my son - I am fearful that he will call me and say "Dad, instead of going to college this year, I'd like to go to Kathadin". That will be hard to respond to. I want him to get on with the college experience (he graduated HS in the spring of 2013 and has worked and saved for his hike since). He is 18 years old (19 June 30th). I also realize what an accomplishment a thru-hike is and don't want to deny him that experience. the ultimate decision will be his, not mine but he will want to know my thoughts.

I think that doing a thru before or after obtaining a college degree is ideal. He reports hiking with many recent college grads and I commend them for doing this now because as many of us know once you start taking on the responsibilities of adult-hood, doing a thru is nearly impossible until you retire but even then you might have distractions that would effect you - kids in college, grand-kids, real estate, finances, business interests, spouses, etc.

[Caddywhompus]

I'd finish my schooling first. Collect the gear and items you need during that time. Save the money and then go after you've gotten the education to secure a chance at a decent future. The trail doesn't change that much in two years. Just use the time on the trail to think about and plan your future. Trust me your time on the trail will give you ample time to contemplate ever aspect of the human existence.

[SunnyWalker]

1. Purchase your equipment if needed.
2. Obtain appropriate maps for the trail you wish to hike.
3. Study maps in off time
4. Do no other planning. Re-supply as you go.
5. Have fun.
This is the easiest way to "plan" a thru hike while you are still in school.

[gunner76]

I know OutdoorsMan and have met his son. Good kid. He and I discussed his son having to come off the trail to start school and he is worried that his son may decide to stay on trail. Told OutdoorsMan that there are worse things that could happen and I wish I had stayed on trail in the early 70's when I was in similar situation.

[wookinpanub]

I took my last final on a Thursday and was on the the AT southbound that next Tuesday (5 days later). I had to sneak up Katahdin because it was prior to May 15. I finished August 19 (on a Sunday) and was in class on Wednesday (3 days later). I only had 1 class left to graduate, and it wasn't offered until the fall.
It's a doable hike during the summer semester, but it boils down to "How bad do you want it?" and "What type of experience do you want to have? "

[sjd0397]

I planned my hike while in college. I graduated in 2011 and hiked in 2012. I took the GRE in November 2011. I used saturday afternoons and snow days to plan. I also used planning as a break from school work. Oh and I used my work study job to plan at... that one I allotted one day a week for. After I graduated the only thing I had to do was make sure post offices were open and dehydrate some food.

[Wolve]

Let's make it three Michiganders in a row, this one from the other side of the state.

Apparently, Michigan is well represented here!

[Wolve]

A couple of thoughts (opinions);

I think that doing a thru before or after obtaining a college degree is ideal. He reports hiking with many recent college grads and I commend them for doing this now because as many of us know once you start taking on the responsibilities of adult-hood, doing a thru is nearly impossible until you retire but even then you might have distractions that would effect you - kids in college, grand-kids, real estate, finances, business interests, spouses, etc.

This is why I am doing it now. Most people I have talked to have either great memories of adventure taken before they get tied down, or regrets of postponing one until it was too late.