The Woods vs. Towns

[Don's Brother]

I would like to pose a question for former, future, and aspiring thru-hikers. If you had unlimited money, how often would you go into towns, get a motel room or stay at a hostel, and eat most of your meals in restaurants? I took 164 days to thru-hike in 2013 and only spent 19 nights in the woods. My money wasn't unlimited, but I did spend a lot more than the average hiker. My first book, Don's Brother: A Hike of Hope on the Appalachian Trail was published in 2014. I am currently working on a second book about my method of hiking, which should be out this spring. I would greatly appreciate some sincere feedback on my question, pro or con. So if you could spend most nights in beds and eat most meals at restaurants on your thru-hike, how often would you? Thank you for your comments. I'd like to use some of them in my book. If you would like to respond in an email, I can be reached at [email protected]

[Starchild]

It's not how many nights I would want to spend in a bed as opposed to in a sleeping bag, it's what are the stops I want to experience, which hostels, which restaurants, which towns, what places, etc. There are many famous AT landmark places that one can stay at, including some hiking shelters and some campgrounds (loved the camp out in Waynesboro VA park - very fun time, great crowd), and I wanted to stay at many of these locations.

[dudeijuststarted]

Going through Shenandoah, I met an airline pilot named Warthog on what he proudly called an "executive" thru hike, staying in every hotel he possibly could. I said "I wish I could do that," and he responded "why can't you? You're 36 years old."

From that point I stayed in a hostel or hotel whenever possible, but mostly just because I could. I can't say I prefer a hotel over an empty shelter or a flat campsite with a nice water source (heck, some hotels were dirtier than the shelter option!) I can say I don't regret spending my hard-earned money the way I wanted to spend it, and never will.

HYOH

[rocketsocks]

I want nothing to do with any of that, maybe a good restaurant every once and a while.

[mattjv89]

I didn't stay in towns much, usually preferred a nearo to zero day. My first zero days were for Trail Days and not again till VT. Town is sometimes a very jarring experience and although it's a necessity of a thru hike I certainly enjoyed my time in the woods much more overall. Also I'm at my happiest hiking when I don't have any need to make big miles, and steadily moving forward is how I accomplish that. In other words I'd much rather do 10 miles into town and 10 the next day than take a zero and do 20.

It's a hard thing to really predict without being in the situation, but I imagine my time in town would not change much at all with unlimited money. I would just live it up more while I was there, nice restaurant meals and private hostel rooms or hotels instead of tenting at the hostel and cheap food, etc.

[rafe]

Not a thru-hiker, just a long-term, long-distance section hiker here. The problem is that town stops slow you down. Unless you're a seriously fast hiker, too many town stops may put your hike in jeopardy simply from running out of time. Most often, if I skipped a town stop, it wasn't that I couldn't afford the expense, it was that I couldn't afford the lost time.

[admirald7s]

Not a thru-hiker, just a long-term, long-distance section hiker here. The problem is that town stops slow you down. Unless you're a seriously fast hiker, too many town stops may put your hike in jeopardy simply from running out of time. Most often, if I skipped a town stop, it wasn't that I couldn't afford the expense, it was that I couldn't afford the lost time.

Same here. For my thru in 2017, money won't be a concern. Time, however, is a limiting factor.

In this infinite money scenario, can I hire a sherpa to carry my gear?


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[Lone Wolf]

i never have a time frame. i would always take 2 nights in a town at least sometimes 4-5 at a place like Elmer's in hot springs. i always seemed to get to gatlinburg just in time for the masters tournament to watch all 4 rounds in a motel

[peakbagger]

During my extended 10 year sections hike, I tried multiple variations. One year me and friend did five weeks with two cars, we would spot a car hike 4 or 5 days and then end at motel or hostel for the night. We made sure to get out early the last day hiking (start real early skip lunch), then get to the car, book a motel, resupply wash clothes eat town food and then be on the trail next morning. It worked out well. Our daily mileage wasn't supper but we made up by hiking 5 weeks straight (no zeros). After few years we got into key swaps and slackpacked.

My dream is to find someone to do the PCT with one car and doing mostly key swap hikes. If we can slackpack great if we cant one of us goes north and the other goes south for few days and then swap the car. On the slackpacking days we car camp if possible and hit town every 4 or 5 days in the evening. We wouldn't lose anytime this way and our typical pack weight would be low. Obviously there are some long stretches with no road crossing option but I expect 80% would be pretty workable.

[rafe]

i never have a time frame. i would always take 2 nights in a town at least sometimes 4-5 at a place like Elmer's in hot springs. i always seemed to get to gatlinburg just in time for the masters tournament to watch all 4 rounds in a motel

Must be nice. The problem with most of us is, we typically have plenty of dough and not much time, or plenty of time and not much dough.

[Han Sobo]

This year I plan on making stops in some towns for purchasing a few items of food, at some point or two and doing a load of laundry. Hitting a local library if I am not too a shambles, to upload some photos and send receive some communications.

My days of relaxing I hope to take as a detour from the trail to other 'out door' locations. Or if in a prime location just to relax at a camp and cook a better then average meal.

Going southbound I will eventually take a short break before Mt. Greylock to head home for a week (estimate). With any luck just a couple days.

I hope to limit my town trips as much as possible. Staying at hotels and hostels are not on my agenda. I do realize that this is become what many folk see as being part of the 'experience'.. It's just not what I want for my experience. Ideally getting a nice scenic camp spot along a clean stream in a location where I can cook on a small fire rather then using my cook stove is what I am looking forward to.

I am not looking for a restaurant hopping experience either. I am sure it is a very worthy experience doing the hostel's and checking out the hiker friendly towns. Trying out the new menus and such. I will instead enjoy maybe picking up a half dozen fresh eggs at some point, something a bit nicer then instant oats and coffee. Taking it all in of course while smacking mosquitoes and pinching ticks.

The main part of my 'plan' is however to not set in stone any other part of my 'plans'.

[bigcranky]

I actually like town stops - mostly because I like meeting people and learning about their lives. We are blessed with a rich cultural heritage in this country and I enjoy discovering it. I don't think I'd like to spend every night in town, or even every other night, but after 4-5 days, I'm usually ready for a break, and a zero day or a very short nero can be fun.

[Woodturner]

I hope to hold overnights in town to a bare minimum. Although money is part of the picture, time is as well. I would like to have as few zero days as possible.
The hope is to stay overnight in towns only when the town is at a convenient location daily mileage wise and to get everything that needs done taken care of before going to bed so I can be moving early the next day.
If money and time were no object I would probably stay in town overnight more often than I plan to. However, I would still want to be back on the trail as early as possible the next day. The bed part isn't that big of a deal, but meals with real meat and hot running water is.

[Slo-go'en]

Just the logistics of getting to and from hotels or hostels everyday would be too daunting for me. And if your staying off trail every night there is no need for a full pack, so it becomes a very long slack packing trip. And while not common, it's not unheard of either. But there are issues with doing that, like having to hike from road to road and constantly arranging shuttles and showing up on time.

For me, I like to shower at least once every 5 to 7 days, so that's what drives me to stay in town or hostel. I like to replenish food more frequently, but that doesn't always require an overnight in town.

[Roamin]

For me the trail is the adventure. I am planning to seeing as much on the trail as I can. I am not looking to make high mileage each day. My town stops will be for logistics, maybe the occasional break. I may be the opposite of Don's Brother, 149 nights on the trail and 19 in town; but I would love to run into you when I was in town!

[jbbweeks]

Now that's my beef with giving up my section hiker status - hurry - hurry - that's just not what I want from the trail - I want to experience every unique nuance the trail has to offer - in trail towns - at trail crossings - and most especially on the trail itself - if I have to rush past all of the good stuff to make a deadline it ain't for me - catch me at the local trail bar bending the barkeeps ear about the craziest hiker he ever met!


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[rafe]

Retired or independently-wealthy section hiker status would be the best. But a lot of section hikers are working stiffs on vacation, subject to time pressures just like thru hikers (alas.)

[evyck da fleet]

Money had nothing to do with how often I hit trail towns. There were some places I wanted to experience(once), Gatlinburg & The Doyle, that others would gladly pass by. There were places, hostel at Pine Grove & the restaurant that was only open half the week, that I would have stopped at if I hadn't rather kept hiking. I went into Luray to see the caverns & DC to be a tourist but did not feel the need to stay there. I purposely took six days off in NY to visit friends and stayed in Boston on the way home because I wanted. I took zeros in Hot Springs, NOC, DWG and Hanover because they were conveniently located and Gorham and Waynesboro due to injury or sickness. For the most part I wanted to stay out of towns except like Slo said, five days was about my limit to go without a warm shower.

[Jeff]

We get lots of requests for slacking and staying an extra night in town.

Part of the issue for NOBO's is that by the time a hiker reaches Vermont, the body hurts all over.

[DuneElliot]

The lure of a zero, a hot shower and proper bed is appealing after a week. I've never been much of a fan of hotels, but I can see why they are appealing after months on the trail. If there were little cabins with just a bed and a shower (like the AT shelters) easily accessible off trail then I think going to town would be less appealing. One of my favorite things about hiking in England are all the little pubs you run into.

Hiking, and backpacking, for me is all about all the aspects of a particular trail...if I want some solitude and wildlife I'll pick a more remote trail with little traffic and few resupplies...if I'm interested in a glorified pub crawl (like the Pennine Way or Great Western Route) then I'll pick the trail that mirrors that desire. As far as thru-hiking goes, the PCT offers me more solitude and wilderness experience than the AT while still having some of the same human aspects, but to a lesser degree...that is why the PCT is more appealing than the AT to me.

Every hike is different, and every trail is different...and those are the reasons to hike them all.