I've had people tell me with a straight face that they were never bored on their thru hikes.Originally Posted by Blissful
Really? You haven't lived until you order yourself some of that with a side of lightning!
Originally Posted by Kirby
I hear the south is easy in contrast to Maine and NH, any truth to that rumor?
Kirby
"truth....." (quoted from Lone Wolf)
Looks like the firt part of my trip with be "A Walk In The Woods", as it is so told.
To Springer,
Kirby
Oh man, don't get your hopes up too much. Compared to southern Maine, the south IS easy, but compared to just about any other trail I've hiked, the southern AT is still fairly tough. I thru-hiked having just gotten out of several years in the Marine Corps and found Georgia through Tennessee tougher than I expected. Nothing I've hiked in Norway, Scotland, Japan, or the western U. S. approached the straight-up and straight-down and repeat of a Georgia walk along the AT.
But, yes, compared to southern Maine and (somewhat) the Whites, the southern AT is easier.
If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!
6 month LOA. April thru September. I want to make it so bad. Been to Wyoming backpacking in the Big Horns for 14 days (in my youth), been to the Porcupine Mts in Upper MI 10 days @ a crack many times. Not a lot of experience in tough terraine. But I see myself getting to ME. I've prepared my family and myself for 10 years. There comes a time that you just need to go and do it. If Grandma Gatewood can do it, so can I. I don't give up easily.
Zeke
My 08 thru hike is fast approaching and my resolve to finnish is high. My wife and I are selling our home and quitting our careers to thru hike....therefore my resolve is high. It has to be, if even I have to crawl NOBO to Maine in a cast I would do it. Its been a lifelong dream for me an a new dream for my wife. To give up practically everything we have built up to this point in our lives, our home, our corporate managerial positions, and our large amount of stuff we have accumulated over the years is very hard. The important thing is to be happy with your life and feel satisfied with your life. Materialism is not a cure for happiness!
I really don't get worked or hyped up about anything. In that regard, I'm determined as normal about doing the trail. The only way I'll get off is if I get hurt or something better comes along. Walking through life with tunnel vision can cause one to miss many spectacular opportunities.
Are you determined? YES!
Sandalwood
Thanks for asking these questions. I had not explicitly considered them previously, and developing the answers did me good.
How determined are You to thru hike the AT this coming year..to go the distance?
Very.
What will you be telling yourself when part of your mind insists on telling You to quit and go home?
I fretted about this question for a bit, until I thought about how I had handled challenges in the past. Whenever my mind starts playing tricks, I postpone making the decision and divide my challenge into smaller and smaller pieces until I find something manageable.
So if I found myself considering leaving the trail (sad thought), I would postpone the decision until a later point: a week, a day, a mile away. Once there, I would pick another, later decision point and mentally inch-worm my way down the trail until I overcame the negative thought. I have used this trick for lots of mental hurdles (biking, hiking, academics, etc.).
How will you make your hike fun?
This one is easy – hiking IS fun! But to keep ourselves interested, we are studying up on the plants, animals, geology, history, etc. of the trail to keep us engaged and interested as we hike.
How many months have you set aside for this hike?
We are hoping to finish in four months but have the flexibility to extend the time if needed.
Hike with a barefoot beauty that you enjoy barking with and the days will pass in happiness. A Shepard dog .
While it is certainly possible to finish in four months, the sort of constant pressure to hike BIG BIG miles every day can wear on you, especially when nearly all the friends you make fall behind. If you enjoy running marathons, you may really enjoy such a hike though.
If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!
a thru-hike is pretty much a marathon. take 6 months
Andrea and Hank, You are welcome.
I read your journal just now and have little doubt that You two will go the distance and have a great time together finding plants and birds and all the rest. Wishing You the Best, Sandalwood
I too am looking forward to reading about Andrea and Hank's hike. With their knowledge of the outdoors and the time they're investing learning about the A.T. and its surroundings, I can't imagine them having anything other than a wonderful experience.
Last edited by emerald; 11-30-2007 at 21:14.
Ah, thanks guys! You are so encouraging!
Well I had the very unfortunate experience of an unsuccessful thru-hike and quit after about 750 miles some years ago, that was the only time I had failed at anything in my entire life to this day. It didn't go down well.
It was devastating to me...but I learned alot from the experience. Part of the reason was my age, only 18, and not planning for the tough times - which inevitable arrived, and some other unforseen circumstances that I wasn't able to cope with at the time.
What I realised is that "when" you hike is probably the most important decision you can make, meaning of course is that you need to hike when the AT is the most important thing in your life. After 750 miles on that hike, the AT was no longer #1 for me...so I focused on what was. I didn't do another serious hike until 6 years later!
I always knew I would return and thru-hike again, it was just a matter of time. Now I know the time is right, I feel it running through my veins, and I am very happy I waited until now to return to the AT. I have no doubt in my mind that I will be successful next year, absolutely no doubt that I have the experience, the desire, the money, the time, everything is in my favor and I know it...this is a pleasing thought, however...
What killed me in 1995 was overconfidence - that will not happen next year. I have been humbled and I will not take a single day for granted this time around. It's been a long hard road back and it's good to be here. And no matter how far I walk it will be a successful journey.
Lennox Lewis once said losing is what made him great, and without losses you cannot truly excel at anything. I agree.
In the spirit of HYOH, my hike is all about finishing. The point of the whole thing for me is setting myself a big goal and accomplishing it. By nature, I do not have many of the traits needed on a thru: determination, persistience, patience, optimism. Developing those traits, accomplishing the goal, and proving something to myself ... that's whole point for me. I obviously will try to enjoy it, but I plan to keep going even if/when I'm miserable, which I do expect to be at times.
I've gotten a seven-month leave from my job, but if it takes longer, so be it. I may be this year's Minnesota Smith.
My biggest fear is some sort of catastrophic injury that knocks me out for the year -- leg broken, serious illness, that sort of thing -- and gives me an "excuse" for not finishing.
Should add -- I'll carry an MP3 player to help with boredom, and my best mental trick to avoid quitting will probably be visualizing it: imagining the conversations with people, imagining posting an explanation on my trail journal, imagining going back to my job, imagining how I'd feel after a week. If I feel crappy imagining it, I'll feel crappy doing it. That's my process for all big decisions.
Are You determined?
"If thru-hiking isn't the most important thing in your life at the time
you are doing it, then stop doing it and go do what is." --Wingfoot
I'd like to mention two points.
First is that early on people went home because: Better hikers than me went home because they were home sick. The reality of hiking was not the same as pictured on the brochure. They over thought their hike...that is they did the math and at the rate they were going they concluded that they couldn't make it. If they subconsciously want to go home, their body will write them an injury permission slip.
Second thing is that it's a loooong hike. I've heard thru hikers criticized because they will openly talk about wishing they were finished by the time they get to New Hampshire and Maine. Some have trouble staying focused decide they need to mow their lawn at home. Money issues and those slippery roots/rocks can happen. When you fall backwards, it's hard to keep yourself from not putting your arms back to block your fall. If you just fall backward onto your pack there is no injury.
Most folks who thru hiked had to over come or hike through something that took other people off the trail. Bernie fell in Maine. His pelvic bone was an ugly black and yellow and it wiggled. He finished. Determination...yeah it takes some to see Katahdin.
Yes you will be bored at times. Yes you will be miserable at times. It doesn't have to be a huge or catastrophic injury to knock you off the trail...in the wrong mindset it could be a blister! It could just be the wrong time in your life!
Maine and New Hampshire may have the toughest terrain, but not when you are out of conditioning. Georgia is probably the toughest state physically and Virginia mentally.
There are several reasons that people quit...I'm sure that they all start out determined to make it. Having determination is great but it won't make you finish.
Your best chance to finish is to not look at the finish. Whether you do 20 mile days or have decided to sit out a 3 day rain...HAVE FUN!!!!
Sure you will have sad days and tough days and PITA days but the alternative is going home and back to work.
Walking all day in the rain is miserable but I am fairly positive that it is better than a day at work...even if you like your job!
Go slow at the start and don't injure yourself. Do what YOU want to do EVERY day and HYOH....usually if you follow this ideal, you may be tired and beat but I'll bet you see the finish TOO quickly!
This is a beautiful trail...you can not conquer it...enjoy it and the everyday freedom that it provides!
geek
A Class of 2007 thread
Some readers may wish to see also Advice from the experienced to the younger one.
Looks like some are VERY determined and some are sorta.
I wonder if the completion rate will ever exceed 25% for those who start out telling others that they are thru hiking the trail.
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