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zakruti.com » Travels » Homemade Wanderlust
Why People Quit A Thru-Hike

Why People Quit A Thru-Hike

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Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1
Why People Quit A Thru-Hike steve: I have recently discovered your youTube videos and I enjoy them a lot. I am retread AT 2000. I find that your advice in this video is spot on. Before I hiked the AT, I went to The Gathering and was able to talk with Warren Doyle, who at that time had hiked the trail eleven times. I asked him the same question. why do people quit? Warren said that there are 3 main reasons and you touched on 2 of them. He said that the first reason people leave the trail is they run out of money. They think that they can do the trail for 500, 600 and are unaware of the different types of expenses that they can have. Expenses such upgrading gear or replacing broken gear; not understanding just how much you can eat in a 6 month time period; or how quickly you can be sucked into the cost of a motel room after fantasizing about a shower and a steak dinner for days or weeks. He said that the second reason people leave the trail is because they push themselves physically too early in the hike and wind up with blown out knees by the time they hit Southern Virginia. But he said that the biggest reason that people leave the trail is because they can't stand being alone with themselves. One of the books I read before I hiked was Walking the Appalachian Trail by Larry Luxenburg. In his book, published in 1994, he quotes a study by a psychologist and thru-hiker, Dr. O. W. Lacy who profiled over 500 thru-hikers. He found that introverts are twice as common among 2000 milers as among the general population. In the population at large, two-thirds to three-quarters are extroverts. Among hikers, two-thirds are introverts. I found from my personal experience that the vast majority of thru-hikers were in some state of transition in their lives; newly married, newly divorced, newly widowed, newly retired, newly graduated from high school or college or just in-between jobs. Most were either over 50 or under 30. The 30 to 50 year olds were too busy making a living and paying bills. Warren also told me that, on average, out of every 5 days, you will have 1 day that is too hot, 1 day that is too cold, 1 day that is too dry, 1 day that is too wet and 1 day that will be just right. I didn't really intend to make this so long but after 20 years I still have a passion for my experiences on the AT. It taught me a lot about myself. I will leave you with one final thought which I saw written in a shelter journal somewhere in New Hampshire and was inspired by the lyrics of John Cougar Mellencamp. Oh yeah the hike goes on, long after the thrill of hiking is gone.
Date: 2020-08-18

Comments and reviews: 9


15-20% of your body weight for a pack weight is the general rule of thumb for your weekend backpacker. Certainly LESS IS BESTt. Listening to your body whether it be
pain, sweat, breathing pattern. just slow down if you need to. You can't tell the stories of your journey if you pass them by SO fast JUST to make the miles. I know the miles are important but as you said, there is more to enjoy. Take the time to enjoy the wonder and splendor when you see it. Bottom line, I think, make the miles when you can BUT stop and enjoy the moment when it inspires YOU. That is what makes the suck of the trip worthwhile( in my humble opinion)
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Well Dixie I'm 60 will be 61 on May 14th Have never really done much real hiking have hitch hike a lot in my younger years lol not sure if I could do that last 100 miles not even sure if I could do any of it I on a lot of different med's but I been watching your videos I can tell your are a smart lady and easy on a old mans eyes please do your dreams while your still young also I know how hard it is to lose a fur baby lost mine last Oct 11th to bone cancer I had her from the time she left her momma 14 years 11 months hope to see much more of your videos ATB. bobinmissouri
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I see the problem here. That is the problem with most of you people out there. You never hike with your best friends, who will never leave you alone on the trail. Who will wait for you and always will hike with you and will not leave you alone, just because they want to go ahead, or for any other reasons. Who would care in their backpack parts of the gear that you may need to complete your hike, and help you every single step on the way. Or maybe you just don't have such friends? Are you people so much selfish? I am just wondering.
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People were intimately connected to nature in the great long ago. Because they had to be---not because they wanted to be. As soon as they could they moved to cities and developed technologies that freed them from nature and all the misery of it. Whenever one gets a wild hair notion to go primitive and hike the AT, or such nonsense, he/she should go camping instead. After a day or so of bugs, sunburn, and mind-numbing boredom bets are they'll be willing to kill to get back to their soft bed and gadget-filled world: )
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I just want to experience the 'hiker trash' lifestyle. I'm a disabled veteran(not physically) so I'm just going to have to compartmentalize the hike by just hiking resupply point to resupply point. Just sorta forget how far it is and how long I will be hiking. When I am successful it will be evidence that anyone can do this.
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people quit in the Whites? I'm surprised by this. I had great weather the entire time through the whites, even had a clear day on mt Washington. I guess if the weather were bad it could be a defeating section. But with a warm meal and a dry place to sleep each night not sure how it can really be that bad.
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I would want to do the trail because I need to get a better relationship with food/fitness, to lose some of that fat I am hanging onto, to have time to not feel pressure from current societal standards, to be able to reflect on my life's accomplishments and failures, and to see some amazing landscape.
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I love your videos. I can't wait to see your adventures on the PCT. One day my hope is to hike that trail. I am in the process of a weight loss journey right now that hopefully will allow my dream to be a reality. Your videos give lots of good information and you're really fun to watch: )
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Can you please do a video about people who want to do the AT but aren't from the US! I often read that thru-hikers get help from friends and family sending packs ahead with treats and so on. Also I have NO idea on genereal things about the US regarding transport, so on: /
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