Advice from failed attempts?

[Dogtra]

I hope I did not offend anyone with calling these “Failed“ attempts.

I was not offended.

[JohnnySnook]

Sorry the posts last night. - Posting while drunk is never smart.

[likeahike]

I highly doubt it was the money for Dogwood. I mean he owns a house in Toms River and another in Kapaa, HI? Quiting the trail wasn't that hard for you in my mind. Too much money! Not enough heart!

Just the airfare flying back and forth from NJ to HI could support 10 + thru attempts? Now if your flying 1st class maybe triple that amount.

Sorry to de-rail. Just tracking down a fish poacher. What makes it even worse is the fish he poachered was left to spoil in his trunk. Very sad!

I think we should rename you, JohnnyStalker.

BTW, in all your decades of fishing, are you telling us you never once "poached a fish" or let one spoil?

[Grampie]

First I would like to say that the 75/80% non compleation rate, published, is not accurate. Most everyone who sets foot on the AT at Springer consideres themselves a thru-hiker. Half of them have no intention of hiking for 5-7 months. They have to return to school, have a job waiting or just don't have the time. Another group leave without sufficent funds to support themselves for the duration of a thru.
I would estimate that the hikers who have the time, have the money and the determination would be about 50% of those who who compleat a thru-hike.
In my estimation a thru-hike should be approached like starting a new job in a new field. You have to approach it with caution. Be eagar to learn and stay with it until you complete the task. The task is to get up every morning. Tackle any hardships and procede with a positive attatude. I have said, "thru hiking is the hardest job I ever had."
I decided to thru-hike after I retired at 65 years old. With the above mentioned attitude, a lot of luck and 201 days I finished my thru-hike.
So many who attempt, find it easier to quit than endure the hardships.

[lonehiker]

a crappy day on the trail is better than a good day at work :-)

Find a better job.

[Mags]

Find a better job.

I have a "good" job that pays reasonably well. I have a good manager and good co-workers. The work is challenging and I have a skill set that allows me to pretty much have a job whenever I need one.

I'd still rather be out hiking.

It is my vocation that pays the bills. It is my avocation that provides me the passion.

http://www.pmags.com/vocation-vs-avocation

[Praha4]

well said! only thing I would add for my situation is that my hiking trips usually result in increased business for my physical therapist when I get home. So it's my avocation that helps pay his bills

I have a "good" job that pays reasonably well. I have a good manager and good co-workers. The work is challenging and I have a skill set that allows me to pretty much have a job whenever I need one.

I'd still rather be out hiking.

It is my vocation that pays the bills. It is my avocation that provides me the passion.

http://www.pmags.com/vocation-vs-avocation

[CrumbSnatcher]

Find a better job.

nice response! its just what they say out on the trail, to help hikers that are having a tough go at it. some hikers think they should get off the trail, and others just tell them its the same old thing going on at home, it'll be the same when you get home. i love hiking and i love working for myself

[gypsy97]

For me it was loneliness, trying to keep up with others and hiking more mpd than I should have, not listening to the pain that turned out to be bursitis and which turned into a chronic condition. I have hiked approx. 900 miles of the trail in 1997 and still dream of returning if only to hike a section or two. If I ever manage this, I will limit myself to 10-15 mpd (or less), but don't know if I have the stamina or will to do it.

[Miner]

Don't be afraid to fail! There is nothing wrong with failure despite what some people say. It isn't a bad word. You learn far more from your failures then you do your successes. Trying to gloss over a failure to say you didn't fail likely means you will miss some of the lessons you could have learned from it. Personal rant about our failure adverse culture of today.

I failed on my AT attempt in 2012. Yes, it was a complete failure as I didn't complete what I set out to do and wanted to do. So I will go back and rectify that when I get some time having learned what not to do next time. I failed for a couple of reasons:
1) Didn't have enough money. I tried to do it on the cheap compared to my PCT thru-hike. Biggest issue I had. Due to a slower than planned pace I was spending money too fast and getting sick for a week in Maine didn't help. I didn't have enough for contengencies if something went wrong. And yes it did.
2) Late start for a southbound attempt meant I was running into bad weather that I knew would only get worse as winter set in which was a drag on moral. It would have been easier to ignore bad weather if I knew I was hiking into Summer where it would be warmer rather then winter.
3) Changing my long term plans at the last minute from a NOBO hike to a SOBO hike and then a late SOBO hike due to certain circumstances that delayed my start by several months. I should have just called it off until another year. As none of my previous planning was of any use for what my hike became which lead to some unrealistic ideas and schedule since I didn't take the time to fully understand what the impact of those changes were before I started.
4) Started trail in the worse shape I'd been in in several years. Yes, you can hike yourself into shape, but having to go much slower then I planned put me behind an unrealistic schedule I had which was a morale killer due to how late in winter I was likely to finish due to my late start. It didn't help that I started with the toughest part of the trail and I really underestimated how tough the AT physically is in Maine and NH.

The biggest thing I did right was I had a lightweight pack (10.5 pound baseweight) which helped compensate for my poor starting physical condition.

[4shot]

One other common "mistake" that I saw many of the younger hikers make - do not congregate and travel with a group. Many who did oftentimes got caught hiking more mpd than they should have simply in a desire to keep up (and hit the towns) with their buddies. Didn't see a lot of that past the first 500-750 miles but it was common in the beginning.

[rafe]

One other common "mistake" that I saw many of the younger hikers make - do not congregate and travel with a group. Many who did oftentimes got caught hiking more mpd than they should have simply in a desire to keep up (and hit the towns) with their buddies. Didn't see a lot of that past the first 500-750 miles but it was common in the beginning.

This is an example of not hiking your own hike. Nothing wrong in seeking friends and companionship on the trail. Perfectly natural in fact. I really enjoy having company at camp or socializing with other hikers at town stops. But I'm much better off hiking alone, setting my own pace, making my own calls about when and where to stop. When these become group decisions, someone's likely to lose out. If you're faster or slower than the group's "norm" it can be bad for the psyche and possibly bad for the body, eg., injuring yourself while trying to keep up with faster hikers.

So... back to the focus of the thread: a big chunk of HYOH is: don't be comparing yourself with other hikers you meet. In particular, don't get discouraged by other hikers blowing past you, be they thru-hikers, section hikers or weekenders. Push yourself as much or as little as you like, but beware of letting "the group" lead you from the path you wish to follow. To thine own self be true.

[RED-DOG]

Don't get into a hurry, Most folks when their planning a thru-hike they get impatient with it and when they make it to Springer MT for NOBO's, Katahdan For SOBO's, they have a mindset of I got to go, I got to go, which is a mistake you try to do too many miles and basically walk yourself right off the trail I suggest you slow down and be PATIENT with your self and your gear and enjoy it, if you don't enjoy it GO HOME.

[RED-DOG]

I should add that you need to be Mentally prepared, you need to be prepared to be separated from you loved ones for extended periods, the physical part that will come with time, the mental side of it will rip your heart out and stomp on it. so be preparred

[Dogwood]

This is an example of not hiking your own hike. Nothing wrong in seeking friends and companionship on the trail. Perfectly natural in fact. I really enjoy having company at camp or socializing with other hikers at town stops. But I'm much better off hiking alone, setting my own pace, making my own calls about when and where to stop. When these become group decisions, someone's likely to lose out. If you're faster or slower than the group's "norm" it can be bad for the psyche and possibly bad for the body, eg., injuring yourself while trying to keep up with faster hikers.

So... back to the focus of the thread: a big chunk of HYOH is: don't be comparing yourself with other hikers you meet. In particular, don't get discouraged by other hikers blowing past you, be they thru-hikers, section hikers or weekenders. Push yourself as much or as little as you like, but beware of letting "the group" lead you from the path you wish to follow. To thine own self be true.

Nice post Rafe. If we can hike comfortably within ourselves without the need to impress others or even ourselves through the propping up of our egos it's my contention as well that the vast majority of hikers would be better off. The culture of competition and having the all too common mindset "if anything is worth doing it's worth doing fast" has sidelined many a new hiker, as well as some more experienced ones.

[JohnnySnook]

Nice post Rafe. If we can hike comfortably within ourselves without the need to impress others or even ourselves through the propping up of our egos it's my contention as well that the vast majority of hikers would be better off. The culture of competition and having the all too common mindset "if anything is worth doing it's worth doing fast" has sidelined many a new hiker, as well as some more experienced ones.

Great posts by both Dogwood and rafe.

From most of the journals I've read they hike to there own pace. Just cause you made fiends in the first 20 days you may not every see them again. Running into one of two of them down the trail may be great. From What I can tell reading TH'ers journal's go at the pace that fits you.

You will join many friends for weeks on end. Many you'll never see again.

You'll run into many old friends before the end. They will all be special.

[Lone Wolf]

Has anyone on here had an attempt at a Thru-hike not go so well? Would you be willing to share what you learned from it experience?

I quit twice in gorham, n.h. i learned i was sick of walkin' by then and didn't want to blow through maine just to get to a stupid sign

[JohnnySnook]

I have a "good" job that pays reasonably well. I have a good manager and good co-workers. The work is challenging and I have a skill set that allows me to pretty much have a job whenever I need one.

I'd still rather be out hiking.

It is my vocation that pays the bills. It is my avocation that provides me the passion.

http://www.pmags.com/vocation-vs-avocation

MAGS - You broke my heart! I thought you were a woman to be married! My heart is broken!

[Mags]

MAGS - You broke my heart! I thought you were a woman to be married! My heart is broken!

Alas, Mags is not short for Maggie..but is an old family nickname and short for Magnanti.

I am a short guy who is bald and a little hairy. Sorry.

I'm also happily married to a lovely woman from Germany who is, luckily, not bald and a little hairy.

[rafe]

Alas, Mags is not short for Maggie..but is an old family nickname and short for Magnanti.

I am a short guy who is bald and a little hairy. Sorry.

I'm also happily married to a lovely woman from Germany who is, luckily, not bald and a little hairy.

Just how short are you, Mags? I'm convinced that being short is not necessarily a good attribute for long-distance hiking, but your example would put the lie to that notion. I think I topped out at 5'5" or so... have lost a bit since then.

One advantage of being short is a lower center of gravity. Short powerful legs might mean lower chance of injury, but also a shorter stride.