Suzy Q,
Tell him that Greenlight would give his left uhm... anatomy to be in his/her position: On the AT, beginning of May, fully equipped and spending money in the bank, and there are thousands of others like me. If the biggest faux pas is that (s)he's psyched out or lonely, dammit, that isn't a good enough reason to quit. Be sure to update us after your encounter.
I agree. There are many out there that start the trail well prepared but quit, some after a day or two. On the trail they have dreamed about there was no rain, heat, cold, loneliness, dirt, etc. The idea of hiking is a lot more attractive to some than the actual practice. I ran into a fellow years ago on White Cap Mt in ME who was nearing the completion of his hike. I asked him how is hike had been. He said he hated every day but kept going because he is not a quitter.
More walking, less talking.
Just wondering if "well prepared" means that he bought a bunch of new gear??
How about dozens of long hikes with packs on steep mountains, to be well prepared?
Seen that myself, more than once, and my reaction is kind of a weird mixture of admiration and "shaking my head." A hiker like that appears early on in Bryson's book, described by the cab driver on their way to Amicalola Falls State Park.
Is it rational to spend months of unpleasantness, pursuing a goal that you set for yourself without really knowing the cost? And you can't really know till you try.
Currently on the trail myself, two months into my thru - if they need someone to talk to about things send me a message and I'll be happy to see what's what.
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Encourage a zero-day (a day off.) If they still want to quit than they really want to quit. If they do quit, they should celebrate.
If he wants to quit he wants to quit. The OP, who apparently isn't a long distance hiker, doesn't deserve some of the rude comments posted. They were looking for some constructive advice about how to keep their family member motivated.
Lonehiker (MRT '22)
Trail Miles: 5,265.4
AT Map 1: ✔ | 13-21'
Sheltowee Trace: ✔ | 20-23'
Pinhoti Trail: ✔ | 23-24'
Foothills Trail: ✔ | 24'
BMT: 168.3
CDT: 210.9
GSMNP900: 134.7
AT Map 2: 279.4
While he waits ask him to think long and hard on the following questions:
If he quits now, will he regret it?
Will this dream gnaw at him over time, as life happens and other opportunities to hike do not arise?
If you go pick him up, will it be used against you as the reason why he did not finish? That question is in now way meant to be harsh - It is an honest question. How will he feel when the frustration wears off? He did leave instructions for you to NOT pick him up... He might be done with this hike, but I would be hesitant to go get him. Many people who are truly "done" would have found their way home after 3 days of waiting. His waiting in town makes it sound like he might not yet really know what he wants to do.
Perhaps offer him the opportunity to jump ahead (rather than quit) to meet up with others who are hiking his pace? If that is truly the reason for wanting to bag the hike, then that is a solution to the issue. The few days off might be what he needs to regroup.
Anyone planning to thru hike ought to be capable of getting themselves back home, without assistance. (Barring contingencies like injury, stolen wallet or IDs, etc.) So my thought is, don't pick him up. He asked not to be picked up. And if you go against his wishes now you'll never hear the end of it. Time for a bit of tough love -- at least let him find his own way home, if he really wants to be done with the trail.
Most attempts are just that.
Hikes are vacations.
If he is not having fun on his vacation then it IS time to come home.
Suggest he walk to the next big resupply stop (i.e. from Fontana to Hot Springs or from Hot Springs to Damascus) and see if he still wants to quit. I found that each section of the trail was a bit different, with new views, new people, different weather, etc. Experiencing the diversity made it easier to say, "I want to see what the next section is like."
He isn't particularly fast if he's doing less than 15 mpd. In any case, there will be a bunch of college kids on the trail soon since many schools get out in May. There will also be a lot more section hikers. He won't be alone.
Trail reality is always different from expectations. Few of us practice week long solo trips in the rain before a long hike. We should.
So the hiker says, "whatever I say, under no circumstances should you come pick me up" and then two weeks later says "come pick me up right now."
Hmm, that sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before?
Oh, yeah...
"Well prepared" means planning, studying, saving for a year to go on this hike.
His favorite place to be is in the forest... any time off from work he had, he would take a pack full of weights and head to the mountains!
He also did a prehike of 40 miles close to home, as a test hike a month before he left.
New gear, yes! And well worn boots!
He was prepared physically, financially, and we thought mentally...
Will probably boost him up the trail to the bubble?
Maybe quitting will cause regret, and regret will create a burning desire. But if the desire can't be found, the desire can't be found. Maybe this is just not the time. I hope this person can find the self-direction and inner drive to do what they really want to do, whether it's to stay or to quit, rather than listening to the people around them, or doing what they think they're supposed to do.
I don't see the point of continuing something that takes a lot of time and money just to avoid calling yourself a "quitter". You can use those resources to find something you really do like to do, maybe with more inherent social interaction. For example, I really like scuba diving, and there is no way to be lonely doing that. (You can still be cold and wet, though. It's just more temporary.)
On the other hand, there's always time to change your mind and quit later.
Last edited by CamelMan; 05-04-2016 at 12:56.