Thru-hikers: What Kept You on the Trail?

[Walkaboutkay]

HEY THRU-HIKERS! WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCEED IN THE GOAL OF HIKING THE WHOLE A.T.? WHAT KEPT YOU ON THE TRAIL?

Along with your thoughts, I’d appreciate knowing if you are male or female and how old you were when you did your thru-hike.
Walkabout GA-ME 1991-2004 (OK, it took me a while...)

[Jim Adams]

Male--37 yrs old--beer and the thought of having to return to work.

Male--49 yrs old--beer and the thought of having to return to work.

geek

[Cedar Tree]

My girlfriend at the time, soon to be x, said my Pug had a better chance of finishing than I did. And my Stepfather said I'd be home in 2 weeks. Spite keep me going lots of days.
CT

[moxie]

I am not one that ever quits a project I have started, There were several times I would have loved to quit but it was never a serious option with me. The late "Just Plain Dave" had the same spirt I had but he injured his knee so bad near Catawba, Va. he just couldn't hike. His damage was perminent and he was never able to return to his job. I guess a serious injury or death of a loved one could have forced me off the trail but nothing else I can think of. Male and 62 when I hiked in 2000,

[Footslogger]

I'm a pretty stubborn and focussed person. But, what kept me on the trail is the same thing that has kept me on task throughout my life ...a deep seated comittment to a goal. When I hit my lowest lows and questioned my will/ability to go on I often used a mental image of my wife, standing in front of me and encouraging me to take that next step.

I think it's important to have some internal personal means of support when you untertake something difficult.

'Slogger

[Appalachian Tater]

41 year old male; I'm a stubborn jackass.

[hopefulhiker]

It was something I had promised myself I would do when I was a kid.. It took 37 years... but I did it in 05

[rafe]

... ummm... gravity?

[khaynie]

My wife and I agree that it was a combination of stubborness, pride, the ability to know that tomorrow is a new day, and being able to keep a postive attitude kept us going. I was 26 and she was 25 when we SOBO'd. Oh, and it was a lifelong dream, too. Yeah, that really helped.

[Marta]

Stubborness. Pride.

Curiosity about what would happen next.

Peace. Beauty. Joy.

Female, 52, had been planning to do it since I was 12.

[TurkeyBacon]

I had a kid from NYC who was obviously on his first backpacking trip ask me that in NY state. I told him that if you wake up everymorning and enjoy what you do then you will keep doing it. I enjoyed even the bad days. But I never had the thought of quitting except for once... Fortunately it was in the 100 mile wilderness and the fastest way out was to finnish.
male 24
TB

[Boat Drinks]

Male--37 yrs old--beer and the thought of having to return to work.

Male--49 yrs old--beer and the thought of having to return to work.

geek

Ah, I've found my Master!

[Lone Wolf]

HEY THRU-HIKERS! WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCEED IN THE GOAL OF HIKING THE WHOLE A.T.? WHAT KEPT YOU ON THE TRAIL?

Along with your thoughts, I’d appreciate knowing if you are male or female and how old you were when you did your thru-hike.
Walkabout GA-ME 1991-2004 (OK, it took me a while...)

money kept me on, lack of it drove me off.

[DavidNH]

I am male 44 years old (43 at time of my hike). Quit a job in order to do the hike.

When things got discouraging, I just reminded my self, stick it out a few more days and it will get better (generally it did). Bgs will deminish, scenery gets better, rain ends). Also, being a north bounder I had wonderful scenery of NH and Maine to look forward to.

I think looking back. In the south and north there was a lot of excitement and new ness. In south, scenery is good, weather descent (compared to up north) and everything is some what new. By the northern portions..Massto Me) scenery is getting real nice, and the end is in sight.

The real mental challenge for me was in between. More or less from Harpers Ferry through CT. Scerery here was bland. Temperatures very hot, conditions buggy in places. Rocky PA. And 4 straight days of a torrential rains in PA. For me getting through PA was the turning point.


Finally, when all else fails.. get off for a couple days to a motel or hostel. You can shower, washa and dry all clothes and eat hardy in the restaurants. To me that did wonders!

DavidNH (snickers)

[RockyBob]

Knowing that I would have to start looking for a job as soon as I got off the trail kept me going.

thru hiked 1980. 23yrs old

[minnesotasmith]

I didn't want to have a catch in my voice when talking about the AT the rest of my life.

I hate to quit anything I start, even things I arguably should not have started.

I had things to accomplish with doing a thruhike that I would still have needed to do, had I quit.

I would have had to start all over another year, with picking up where I left off not being a complete experience.

I didn't want to give a few pr*cks here on WB who said I had no chance of finishing the satisfaction of seeing me bail.

I wanted to have my finishing my thruhike as a shared triumph with certain friends (mainly on WB) and a couple of family members (mother, and cousin who came out to hike a few days in NH with me, mainly).

[wilderness bob]

What does it take to succeed? To each is own however, to try to sum it up in a few words can be difficult. For me, flexibility, adaptation and the realization that with each step the dream was becoming a reality.

[Sly]

money kept me on, lack of it drove me off.

What Wolfie said!

[mrc237]

I agree, lotsa ca$h helps!!! Without it I'd never had made it. BTW nice post MS you showed them pri*ks!!:::::M-55

[Papa Razzi]

I kept going because it was exactly what I wanted to be doing at the time.