2nd Attempt

[Atraain]

I was a thru hiker last year. I started at springer arrived at standing bear farm hostel and decided I was thru hiking. So this year I will be making my 2nd attempt. I had never hiked or back packed before starting so if nothing else I'm a little more experienced this time.

[squeezebox]

Relax and enjoy your hike. Preferably without expectations. Nothing wrong with section hiking.

[Old Hiker]

You're lucky to start the NEXT year. I had to wait 4 years from 2012 to make MY second attempt.

Of course, 4 years is good for tweaking gear, planning and saving.

See you out there !

[rafe]

Go for it, remember at all times it's supposed to be fun. If it's not fun, you're doing it wrong.

[Christoph]

I tried last year as well. Sure wish I could go for again this year but life happens, so I'll have to wait a bit. One day... one day...
Good luck, you'll make it!

[rafe]

The trail will always be there. Doing it all in one go is not for everyone. That doesn't mean you can't see it all of it -- over time. LASHers rock.

[Lone Wolf]

I was a thru hiker last year. I started at springer arrived at standing bear farm hostel and decided I was thru hiking. So this year I will be making my 2nd attempt. I had never hiked or back packed before starting so if nothing else I'm a little more experienced this time.

i attempted 14 times. only completed 5

[rafe]

You weren't even attempting when I met you, Wolf. Just walking.

[bemental]

I was a thru hiker last year. I started at springer arrived at standing bear farm hostel and decided I was thru hiking. So this year I will be making my 2nd attempt. I had never hiked or back packed before starting so if nothing else I'm a little more experienced this time.

Pretty much the same story for me last year, and this year.

Made it to the damn at Fontana before I had to bail.

Only hiking experience I have was in the Boy Scouts and from the Marines.

Hope to see you out there!

[CarlZ993]

Good luck in your second attempt. I was fortunate on my thru-hike attempt. I hooked up w/ some people that helped me get through the trying times. With their help & my wife's support from home, I was able to complete it. Listed below in the signature was my hiking schedule. I was 58 when I started and a few days away from 59 when I finished. You can use that - along with your itinerary from last year - as a template for this year's hike. Just stay injury-free, don't have any family emergencies back home, & don't stop hiking unless something is in a cast.

[SkraM]

Best of luck on your 2nd attempt. Hope to see you out there.

[Carbo]

This year is also my 2nd attempt. The physical part wasn't the problem, it gets to be more of a mental challenge after a few weeks. Not sure how to prepare for that, but now knowing what to expect sure helps.

[Malto]

This year is also my 2nd attempt. The physical part wasn't the problem, it gets to be more of a mental challenge after a few weeks. Not sure how to prepare for that, but now knowing what to expect sure helps.

you go out and hike, in the rain, in the cold, in the wind, in the snow, in the darkness, in the lonelyness etc. if you can do a thru hike and honestly say that none of the days were the five toughest hiking days of you career then you were mentally prepared. On the other hand if you hike infrequently, bail if it rain or snows then likely to be mentally challenged.

[MuddyWaters]

I often wonder...how many people that want to thru hike and give it a go, actually enjoy hiking.

If they dont ever hike other places, and have little hiking experience, then possibly they are just enamored with the idea of a thru hike.
Which as many find out, is a bit different from the reality of one.

Groups of people, partying, festivals, etc are all fun distractions that keep people that arent really into hiking...on the trail...for a while.

[Grampie]

It also took me 2 attempts to finish the whole trail. With knowledge you will bring with you and some good luck you will have a better chance to complete your hike. May you have "happy trails".

[squeezebox]

I still don't like the word attempt. If you tried the whole trail and did not finish. It assumes failure. You hiked, made a certain distance, and decided to stop. I hope you had a good time. Having a bad time is the only failure.

[Atraain]

Had a great time. The only issue was sleep. I think I solved that by swapping the foam pad for the thermal rest neo air. Oh, and Tylenol pm

[Atraain]

Muddywaters, the hiking I enjoyed. The camping, not so much. Groups of people partying, while entertaining, not my thing. The allure for me is experiencing things outside my norm

[rafe]

I still don't like the word attempt. If you tried the whole trail and did not finish. It assumes failure. You hiked, made a certain distance, and decided to stop. I hope you had a good time. Having a bad time is the only failure.

I dunno. It's a legit word. It means there was, at least, an un-met goal. What's subjective and maybe inappropriate is calling that a failure. A lot of things in life don't go as planned, we don't go around calling all these events failures.

[MuddyWaters]

Muddywaters, the hiking I enjoyed. The camping, not so much. Groups of people partying, while entertaining, not my thing. The allure for me is experiencing things outside my norm

Wasnt necessarilly referring to you
When someone isnt having fun anymore, for whatever reason, the right thing to do is stop.
Its a vacation after all, not a death march.