Hiking Horror Story: My ONE Day on the AT

[Mizirlou]

Curious, how long have you known Jerkwad? And what was the other "hiker" you were with doing in all this? I get the impression he's just some passive-kind of guy that just went along.

Where are they now?

Cindellasaurus, from your profile I see you’ve picked a college in a challenging metropolis. Onward & upward! Leave Jerkwad in your dust. His trajectory in life isn’t looking as good as yours. Eventually he’ll buck up against someone bigger & badder. HYOH on the Trail and in life, good luck and ditto the above questions

[chiefduffy]

....and I think that someday.. with better companions, I'll definitely attempt it again. Until then, I look forward to many shorter hikes, and trips into the woods....!

^^^ This, and all the things you learned, make it a successful hike. Happy trails!

[Gray Blazer]

^^^ This, and all the things you learned, make it a successful hike. Happy trails!

Chief may not have realized it, but, he hiked with a Mormon hiker last Saturday.

[Driver8]

That's quite a one-day story, Cin! Hope the views from the summit were nice! How well did you know "Jerkwad" before your hike? Had he shown behavior like this before? I hope he wasn't a boyfriend, if I may say so! Maybe this acting out was his way of sabotaging a dream that really was yours, only, and not his, in fact?

I was horrified from early on in your story and found myself wishing you'd've ditched the guy when he was insulting and abusive towards the female ranger, the one who told you you'd need to wait until the next day.

As to hiking with/without a partner, I say you've plenty of time in college to find good hiking friends and, who knows, maybe a good AT thru-hiking partner. If the dream still burns within you to thru the AT, then don't let one bad apple spoil it for you. And nice as it is to have a good hiking partner, something tells me you'll always keep in mind how disastrous it is to have a bad one!

[earlyriser26]

Hiking alone is easier. However, I don't know how you would have done attempting the wilderness if it took you 13 hours to climb the big K with a day pack.

[the goat]

I feel pretty lame that I spent 8 months planning and buying gear and getting all excited and ready to go, and all desire to hike was lost in one day.

don't feel too bad, that's what the majority of people do.

Despite the popular perception that it's better and safer to have a hiking partner, I strongly disagree. You are much better off planning a solo journey. You will probably meet up with people you enjoy hiking with, and who will enrich your trip (and vice versa), but don't depend on any one particular person to make the trip happen for you.

i couldn't agree more, excellent advice.

[yaduck9]

One thing we need to learn in life and the sooner we learn it the better off we are is to pick and choose our friends and who we intend to spend our valuable and limited time with and associate with very wisely. In this instance I will assume the individual who was acting so irrational and disrespectful did not give previous signs of acting this way to you before you commited yourself on this hike or most likely you would have had immediate second thoughts. You sound like an easy going respectful type person who was accompanying a literal jerk. Unfortunately things like this happen everyday. At least your other hiking partner wasn't as asinine and didn't abandon you on the climb down or who knows, it could have turned out much worse. One thing I have read here on Whiteblaze over and over are people who are experienced giving sound advice and one thing I always see and read are prospective thru-hikers asking for partners and those experienced members telling them to simply go themselves and meet people as they go, that it will work out better in the long run. I believe this to be true. That unless you really know a potential partner, that to go with someone who is basically unfamiliar to yourself (personality, hiking style, thru-hiking goals and choices, etc...) then that is a mistake. People who you do not really know can have undesirable qualities that once discovered change your entire view of them. This individual appears to be easily that type of person. I think you realize and will realize when you look back in retrospect how even your safety was actually jeopardized, and not just by the dangers of the mountain, but by his disrespect of other people whom he did not even know. The sad part when something like this occurs is that your joy of experiencing what could have been the wonderful climb of an awe inspiring mountain was and will be forever tainted with the bad memories of how this person behaved. On a brighter note I am sure you will have learned something about yourself from this experience, and in your future adventures you will surely be more selective of the company you choose to keep. Good Luck

Have to agree with what he said.
I might add that until you are confident enough to go it alone, you will always be at the "mercy" of the "jerkwad's" of the world.
Just my two cents.

[sbhikes]

It's unfortunate that you were so affected by this idiot to have decided to quit. I think I would have faked quitting to get rid of the guy and then gone back to hike by myself (or with the other person you were with.)

The guy sounds like a sociopath and a budding serial killer. I hope he get put in jail quickly before he hurts anyone.

[StorminMormon]

Cool story, thanks for sharing. And Mormon hikers aren't that bad. Trust me.

[Feral Bill]

Ohh I knew I shouldn't post in the morning,,,,, Hmm did you see the Hairy Ankles... Thats Bear Feet! She didn't shave,


As for the orginal post, it appears our female hiker has once again discovered boys mentally will be boys, until they mature to be men.

If they ever do mature.

[Driver8]

It's unfortunate that you were so affected by this idiot to have decided to quit. I think I would have faked quitting to get rid of the guy and then gone back to hike by myself (or with the other person you were with.)

The guy sounds like a sociopath and a budding serial killer. I hope he get put in jail quickly before he hurts anyone.

Agree entirely.

As to earlyriser's comment about the K taking 13 hours, I believe that was largely b/c the other two hikers slowed you down, right? I say give it another go if the fire still burns within you. ...

[earlyriser26]

Agree entirely.

As to earlyriser's comment about the K taking 13 hours, I believe that was largely b/c the other two hikers slowed you down, right? I say give it another go if the fire still burns within you. ...

Maybe I was reading too much into the day, and the big K is a tough first day on the trail, but unless I missread your note, the jerk that carried a mostly filled pack made it down first. Was the "jerk" the only factor? Don't worry, you can try it again. I always like to think in terms of I will hike until I want to stop. If it is a thru, so be it. No special prizes are given for a thru.

[jesse]

What does a Mormon hiker look like?

1 man
6 women
58 children

[jesse]

You could have just gotten ahead of them and kept walking.

[berninbush]

The guy sounds like a sociopath and a budding serial killer. I hope he get put in jail quickly before he hurts anyone.

That's what I was thinking. Torturing small animals (including insects) is one of the early warning signs of a sociopath. They progress to larger animals and humans. It sounds like he already has a complete disregard for social norms, extreme narcissm, and an inability to experience empathy. The recipe for disaster, for sure. It's good you are not spending any more time with him.

[StorminMormon]

1 man
6 women
58 children

Hilarious.

[Spokes]

What does a Mormon hiker look like?

I read it wrong- Thought she was referring to Jerkwad "The Moron Hiker"

[GracefulRoll]

It's official. I'm starting out solo.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Yeah, boys will be boys...but that's a little extreme. Personally, I think the only real way to fix that problem is to drop them off in the middle of the wilderness and let them try and find their way out and if it kills him, so be it.

If that doesn't work, then there's just no fixin' him; we don't have the technology, yet...

12 weeks at Paris Island might straighten his ass out.

[Pedaling Fool]

12 weeks at Paris Island might straighten his ass out.

I don't know about that in today's world.