ATF and the Appalachian Trail... I want the truth.

[Passionphish]

I plan on taking my daughter with me on a lot of sections through out my thru-hike. She wants to do the whole thing and I plan on letting her try! After all, I'm only trying!!!! Anyway, I want to know from previous thru-hikers.

How prevelant are drugs and alcohol use ON THE TRAIL. I realize that in town it is my choice who I associate with. But on the trail how bad is it? Will I be nodding off to the smell of pot from two tents down most nights or what?

[john gault]

Pot is every where on the AT.

[Appalachian Tater]

Pretty much, yes. Especially at the beginning if you start with the mass of northbounders. If you are sectioning, you might consider hiking where the mass of hikers is not. It would probably be very hard to avoid these issues completely regardless. However, it is not likely someone would offer your daughter drugs or alcohol if she is underage or cause either one of you any harm.

[Jim Adams]

Yes it is there. Yes it is very easy to avoid.
Most of the hikers out there are courtious as to the feelings of other hikers.
geek

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

We are older and look pretty straight (especially the he-dino). While I have caught a whiff of the familiar smoke and seen some drinking, I have not had any drugs offered to me or had anyone attempt to push alcohol on me (they have offered it). As Jim Adams notes, most hikers are courtious and especially so around children.

[Appalachian Tater]

F.D. where I come from it would be impolite to NOT offer you a drink!

[TOW]

I plan on taking my daughter with me on a lot of sections through out my thru-hike. She wants to do the whole thing and I plan on letting her try! After all, I'm only trying!!!! Anyway, I want to know from previous thru-hikers.

How prevelant are drugs and alcohol use ON THE TRAIL. I realize that in town it is my choice who I associate with. But on the trail how bad is it? Will I be nodding off to the smell of pot from two tents down most nights or what?
you are not leaving the woes of the world behind as you walk on the trail. Depending on what time of the year you hike will determine the amount of people on the trail. But one thing I will say is that most folks out there a hiking do not want anymore trouble than you do with their experience. Whether they have a toke or take a drink, most hikers I have known are very respectful of others rights.

[Midway Sam]

I am relatively new to the trail, I've only done 5 hikes for 161 miles. However, I have never seen drug use on the trail. I know it's there, I've just been able to avoid it by pure dumb luck, I suppose. I do, howver disagreee that it's "everywhere on the trail".

[weary]

F.D. where I come from it would be impolite to NOT offer you a drink!
The "old" trail rule (pre 1970) was that if offered alcohol on the trail, before accepting you should be prepared to offer alcohol back.

That seems not to be the practice these days. I like a small drink in the evening. But offering my flask in a crowded shelter quickly consumes a week's supply. So I've taken to simply sipping my bourbon, offering only friendly and polite chatter to shelter mates.

Weary

[Time To Fly 97]

Hi,

The truth is that there are people who smoke pot on the AT. Importantly to your concern: It is not all over the place and blatent. It is VERY different from what you would might expect at a teenage party or at a neighborhood park because there is a level of watching out for others on the AT that is really special and unique. It is closely analogous to getting together with Mormon friends. Although I love a glass of wine or three, I don't drink in front of my friends because it might make them uncomfortable and I wouldn't want that because I care about them (even though in reality they would probably be fine with it as long their wish to not drink was respected).

I don't think you need to worry about a lack of fresh air on the AT.

Happy hiking!

TTF

[Pennsylvania Rose]

Although I've seen a lot of drinking and pot use while hiking alone, no hikers have ever used anything in front of my kids. I suspect several times we've stayed in shelters with pot smokers, but they've always partook (is that a word?) away from the shelters when my kids were there.

[Mags]

I plan on taking my daughter with me on a lot of sections through out my thru-hike.


As others mentioned, it all depends on when you go, too.

If you go on the "off season", you will see less people and (naturally) less aclcohol and pot use.

I don't think it is a raging party on the trail (even during the height of hiking season), but it is there.

The biggest partying you will see are shelters near roads, usually from high school to early 20s teenagers (esp. on weekends).

I suspect if you use the shelters, you will see some MJ use and some alcohol use.

If Iwere you, I'd definitely use the shelters as it is a big part of the AT experience, but you may also want to make tenting a larger part of your AT experience if you are concerned about the MJ use (which, esp. during the thru-hiker "off-season", is not bad, really).

Hope this helps. I'm sure you and your daughter will have a blast. I think it is great you are getting her out into the woods and spending time together!

[Montana]

Pot is on the trail and is being used by people from all walks of life. Most people are extremely conscientious of its use around other people and you will never learn of their habit. Unfortunately, this does not hold for everyone, so feel free to tell an offending pot smoker to take it to a more private locale, they will most likely comply.

In all reality, you will most likely find pot less of a problem than alcohol. Since alcohol is legal, people are more prone to using it in the presence of others with little regard for their actions. Either substance changes it's user's perception of the world, the difference is that pot almost universally has a calming effect while alcohol affects each person differently. You will never hear of a habitual pot smoker hitting his wife in a blue hazed filled stupor, but the same cannot be said of an alcoholic after a night of binging.

As others have stated, if you are truly worried about exposing your daughter to the truth of this world, carry a tent and avoid the shelters entirely. However, I don't think this is an issue that you need to worry excessively about. AT hikers are some of the best people I have met, and any reports of bad behavior are an anomaly.

Montana

[Appalachian Tater]

Edited: Off topic

[Slimer]

Booze and dope are common on the trail.
Then again, it's common everywhere these days.

[Kerosene]

To a large extent, I think that you can find whatever you want out there. I haven't really wanted to, so on my section hikes over the past 8 years (many during the thru-hiker rush) I've rarely encountered obvious drug or alcohol use, and for the times I've encountered them they've been easy to avoid. I say, bring your daughter and keep track of her the same way you keep track of her around home.

[shelterbuilder]

To a large extent, I think that you can find whatever you want out there. I haven't really wanted to, so on my section hikes over the past 8 years (many during the thru-hiker rush) I've rarely encountered obvious drug or alcohol use, and for the times I've encountered them they've been easy to avoid. I say, bring your daughter and keep track of her the same way you keep track of her around home.

I just want to echo Kerosene's advice - bring your daughter along and just keep your eyes (er, I mean, your nose) open. Don't let a few folks deprive your daughter of what could be one of the most enjoyable experiences of her life - and yours!:D

[hopefulhiker]

I was am/was a non user in 05. I found other hikers to be discreet about their usage. I was offered a couple of times but simply declined. I don't think it will be a problem.. I just did a section hike with a friend and his son and ran into a group of users and they discreetly walked away to indulge..

[modiyooch]

This thread saddens me. It was the trail, a long time ago, that made me throw my drugs away. I have hiked alot over the years, and wasn't even aware that this was an issue. Then again, I carry a tent. ...or slackpack if in PA

[DavidNH]

Passionphish,

I thru hiked the trail last year (2006) and took 6 months to do it. I saw/noticed people smoking pot only on a couple occasions but even that is too much too me. I find it offensive.

Alcochol is pervasive on the trail (or at least was in 2006 and probably still is today). It is an out and out obesession for many many thru hikers especially the younger set. There is no way one can hike the trail and NOT see some heavy drinking at some point. I would swear many speed hiked just to get to a bar faster. There were also some "trail magic nights" once in SNP and once in Mass I think at October Mtn, where drinking as much beer as possible was the object.

The AT is still a great place. But one should not sugar coat what the social atmostphere has become. I am just layin out there!

DavidNH (snickers)

[beeman]

I hiked for 340 miles from MD/PA border to central VA last summer in June. In 28 days I saw one group of 4 weekend campers with a bottle of bourbon to drink overnight at one shelter. I saw a group of 4 kids smoking pot on the trail near another shelter. Two long distance hikers had two bottles of flavored wine in a spring cooling to celebrate the halfway point with two other hikers. That was it.

[DeeHiker]

I would be more concerned for my daughter at school and in her normal environment that on the AT. Alcohol and crack cocaine/cocaine is in high schools across America. We have it here in a small town.

[BlackCloud]

I see this differently then the way you've posed it. Every person in America will be offered drugs and booze at some point in their lives. I think it would be a parent's dream to actually be there when it happens. This is your opportunity to actually prepare for, control, and evaluate this unavoidable life situation.

That being said, the AT community seems very low key when it comes to imbibing in illicit substances. Alcohol is all over, but in limited quantities given the realities of transportation. Pot is the only drug i've ever seen out there.

Tell people you work for a law enforcement agency and see how fast it dissapears. And I've never seen someone continue potentially annoying or offensive behavior once asked to stop....

[Midway Sam]

I see this differently then the way you've posed it. Every person in America will be offered drugs and booze at some point in their lives. I think it would be a parent's dream to actually be there when it happens. This is your opportunity to actually prepare for, control, and evaluate this unavoidable life situation.

Excellent advice.

[gsingjane]

Being off-season hikers, we see comparatively little drug or alcohol use, but the last time we were out, a couple did indulge in some smoking after they thought the kids were asleep (they weren't). As my husband pointed out, though, that was preferable to what ELSE they could have been doing when they thought the kids were asleep...

I'm pretty protective of my kids (the ones I hike with now are ages 15, 12 and 8), but honestly I don't mind it when people are discreet with their substance use. I'd be freaked out if somebody was stumbling around obviously stoned or drunk, and we'd probably move on in that instance, but as the others have said, most hikers are much more private and considerate than that.

Unless you have a special reason to want to avoid all possible mention or sight of alcohol or drugs (e.g. someone in the family is in recovery or you think your daughter may be at risk), I wouldn't worry about this on the AT at all.

Jane in CT

[Route Step]

I have to agree with the above. MJ will be more discreet all along the trail and beer will be around the camp fire, generally on the North side of trail towns.

[Icehiker12]

Defiantelly.. very true,, daughter should be fine

[sir White Wolf]

Cut yer hair short and put on that ATF ball cap *Ta da* NP! :)

With the way I look I was asked a few times, but once I stated I didnt use I was left alone.
Folks are folks on and off the trail.

[Passionphish]

I appreciate everyone's responses. I hope that my daughter and I do get to do this together. I'm sorry that alcohol is so prevelant. I agree with a lot of people that pot is better than alcohol but my daughter deserves a childhood without either to make her own decisions about both. Please keep leaving your opinions. I do want as honest a view of the trail as possible.

[jettjames]

i just finished my thru attempt and i can say that pot was pretty much everywhere. if there was a group at the shelter, there was, most of the time, pot. but almost everytime, the smokers would ask if it would bother anyone. There were minors there sometimes and i never saw anyone smoke in front of them or around them. while it is prevelant, all the smokers i knew or hiked with were overly sensitive to others so as not to offend anyone. I've seen people say ' i'd rather you wouldn't smoke here' and then no one smoked or walked to the privy to smoke. I personally get more offended with tobacco smoke than pot smoke. At least 2d hand pot smoke would help the pain in my knees :) I saw booze and carried some burbon from time to time, but i never saw anyone getting loaded on the trail. now town is another story. and again, never around minors. most everyone I met was super respectful.

pt

[minnesotasmith]

Among thruhikers, by mid-Virginia, >90% of the pot and the majority of the booze use on the Trail is done with. I figure that thruhikers who have the poor budgeting skills (or just make completing their thruhike a lower priority) to choose to use their New England food money up on recreational chemicals are off the Trail by Pearisburg as a rule.

[7Sisters]

In my section hiking of the trail, I saw a lot of it when I did week plus trips in thru hiker season. That is not saying it was all thru hikers though. Part of the challenge of avoiding pot will be who you hang out with on a regular basis and if you hike by yourself during the day. I found it easier to avoid pot when I spent more time hiking by myself during the day. On rare occasion I would some across an overview with someone smoking pot and never someone drinking alcohol.

A lot of the in camp experiences of pot smoking occur once someone either gets to know you or when you go to sleep. Being completely honest, I have asked people to not smoke pot near me because I am sectioning and don't want the smell on my gear. They have always respected that.

If you don't like pot smoking, you will probably need to at some point speak up. If you plan on spending time in towns, you will definitely not be able to avoid alcohol (especially places like Hot Springs, Damascus, the Doyle - the list goes on).

Hope this helps.

[Mongoose2]

Passionphish

I understand your concern. I started section hiking three years ago with my son, and have also done a few miles with my eight year old daughter. I have never found pot or drink to be a problem. Now, I have occasionally smelled pot being discreetly used around shelters, and we occasionally have seen someone break out a bottle of booze. However, I have never seen open or flagrant pot use or even worse a bunch of drunk hikers around a shelter. Of course, in town is a bit differant. In my experiance most hikers are discreet and respectful, especially where kids are concerned. Actually I've been quite impressed!

Mongoose
A.T. 20-year plan