What's your reason?

[BearII]

Originally Posted by SurferNerd
I have several reasons behind mine:
1. Self Accomplishment
2. Strengthen walk with God
3. To enjoy nature and God's creation
4. To live without worries, bills, trials, problems, and drama

One, two and four you can throw out the window. Start with three and see if the rest follow.

It seems to me that in the spirit of HYOH that only SurferNerd can determine what to throw out / keep and the proper priorities. Only #3 may work for you, while for many they might say #2 is most important and should come first and all else will follow.

Personally, I'm just glad to start "meeting" all my fellow 2009ers - looking forward to meeting many of you on the trail!!

[Rockhound]

This is going to sound really pompus but will hopefully show the state of mind I'm in and why I want to hike. I am leaving from Springer in March and walking away from a $400,000.00 per year plus job. I am 42 and have worked my way up the corporate ladder and have never been so miserable. Not like depressed, but not happy. I hate the job and it has taken its toll on my family as well. So yeah, I guess I'm running, but I need to leave and come back. And when I come back I want to be a different person. Want to change careers etc.... I have been in the same line of work for 20 years and need a creative spark? Need to energy myself, get in shape and stop some bad habits. Why the trail?? Group up in the woods, all of my "1st times" were in the woods. I love the woods! I feel I have a small window to do this and don't want to put it off any longer. Thats it, I guess. Peace. Ted

take 1 years salary and you'll be able to thru-hike the AT in style every year for the rest of your life. Its amazing how many rich, miserable people there are in the world. Why do they work so hard, so long, doing something they hate? good luck on your hike. I think you just might find happiness there. I was in the same boat 5 years ago (although i was making considerably less). I realized the old cliche of "money wont buy happiness" is spot on. I have not had "a real job" in all that time and I couldnt be happier. Ive been able to manifest whatever I need and have never gone hungry while enjoying complete freedom and seeing nature in all its splendor and meeting some great people. Beats the hell out of working for the man

[Dogwood]

It doesn't surprise me to hear so many hikers combining a love for being outdoors in nature with some higher power. If U believe the story in Genesis, and I do, someone, who I call God, didn't place us in a cubicle, car, square house, on a bus, or in or on something manmade of glass, steel, concrete or asphalt. God placed us in a garden. I believe it is in everyone's heart to go back to that place where we live in harmony with ourselves, others, our environment, and yes, even God. Somehow, hiking is the call of our spirits to return to that place where we function best.

Hiking in nature, as on the AT, let's us remove much of that 'static' that clouds us from seeing who we really are. It gives us the time to resolve issues and come full circle. Hiking in nature hints at the promise that we will somehow be different, more complete, better. Hiking will overwelmingly demonstrate that there is still good in this world. The best way I can describe completing a long hike is to imagine something so pure, innocent, healthy, thought provoking, inspirational, cleansing, and overcoming that you can't but help to be changed forever. It will make you aware of something or someone greater than yourself.

[Storminorman18]

Honestly, for me its a pretty simple answer. Because I want to! Ever since I first read bill bryson's a walk in a woods, I've thought about hiking the AT. True during most of the time I was in college, I kinda forgot about it due to school and activities, but now I've sectioned hiked a bit, and now as I am graduating college, I feel this maybe my only time to do it. The rest of my life is going to be tied down to jobs, and other things. I feel while I have the freedom to do a thru hike I should. I know hiking will never truly die with me and I plan to teach kids of my own how to camp, hike, and backpack. However, I want the freedom to set my own sails and see where the wind takes me.

[oldbear]

It's a very good question and I know that all of us will ask more than a few times during the course of our journeys "*** am I doing here?"
There many reasons that I will be doing this hike come Spring '09
such as
I've been thinking about doing this hike since the first day that I met the AT in the summer of '71 while hiking in the DWG
The years went by and i got into hiking and then got into winter hiking and then got tired of winter hiking and headed for the high deserts all along thinking that someday I had to thru hike the AT
Twenty one years summers ago I had it planned in detail for the following Spring and then I had a catastrophic orthopaedic injury and couldn't walk normally for a couple of years
I got married and stopped hiking for a couple of years
Eentually I found a great orthopaedic surgeon who repaired the injury
I can walk again
A couple of years ago the marriage ended and here I am with this old guy need to get back in touch with the places of my youth that inspired me and made my soul sing
As far as the physical rigors of the Trail go I am under no illusions about how physically and mentally difficult some days are going to be But I know about the power of mountain magic to set things right
I know that this will be a life changing event for me
I know that it's foolish to think that I know how it will change me...but it will
I also know one more thing:I will only do the AT once as a thru hike so I'm gonna make sure that i take the time to enjoy it immensely
So as I push my body into hiking shape I think about summiting Katahdin and then heading across Knife Edge and down Pomala as the way that i want to end this hike

[Nest]

I'm hiking this year because I don't like the real world anymore after my thru hike this year. Life on the trail is more simple, relaxing, and just plain fun. Nothing matters out there but the truly important things like food, shelter, and weather. I've got a big paddling trip that I will be doing in 2010, and I need to kill a year before I do that. So I either go back to the real world or go back on the trail.

Now, to answer your question as to why I would hike the trail my reason from last year would be the original one.

It all started with this girl I've known for 7 years. We used to date and still have feelings for eachother. Well she farted in front of me for the first time. I knew right then that she was moving too fast for me, so I ran off into the woods. Now I can't get away form them.

[Monkeywrench]

Now I can't get away form them.

From what, girls that fart?

[kidneys]

Boy, you guys are deep, I'm just a old man that wants to go out for a long walk in the woods. Retired last year and have been reading alot about the AT. I live in Gainesville GA about 45min. from Amicola. My biggest concern is getting all that s--t in a pack. I'm looking forward to the stars with no other lights around. Maybe meet some of you good people, also beeer and pizza sounds good.

[Nest]

From what, girls that fart?

That and trails. I leave home on my hike single this year, and come home with three girls practically at my door step. So I'm hiking again next year hoping I can have a harem. Then I'm going on a 4 month paddling trip around Florida in 2010, so maybe I will have a cult after that.

[oldbear]

From what, girls that fart?

Speaking of farts did anybody happen tosee this article?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/...JRTxnIEkys0NUE

[rdsoxfan]

Being one with the outdoors and feeling the positive energy around me when I'm in the woods. Its about the simplicity of life and what it gives in return that so few comprehend. Being able to escape the confines of everyday society. Having a sunrise and sunset as your time clock. Waking to nothing but the sound of a bird or rustiling squirl, maybe even the patter of rain on your tent. And the simple fact that when I'm there in the moment, I feel alive and at peace with myself and certainly closer to a higher being.

Rem Dawg

[superman]

It's just gear, it's just walking and it's just another day in paradise.

[Devon]

I want an adventure.
I want to meet people I wouldn't normally meet.
I want to visit the States.
I want to do something that's physically challenging. Was sick for quite a while, now I'm not, I want to get uber-healthy and learn to trust and rely on my body.
Am another at a crossroads person, where to live, what job, what uni course and I'm hoping to be able to find some answers on the trail.

[bfitz]

Beats workin.

[kdawg]

To Live the dream!
Because the trail is there`and it is calling to me to walk it.

Kdawg

[clamb-1]

My buudies think it's mid-life crisis
They think it might be easier just buying a red convertible driving with the top down.

My reason,
Just to enjoy the ride and keep truckin!..That's all

Calmb-1
TN-Grizz

[Jorel]

Physical challenge.
Sense of community.
Meeting people who share my passion for hiking and backpacking and camping.
Take a break before I begin a new career.
Have a shared adventure with my eldest, and namesake, who did it in 2006.
Hopefully have some laughs.
Maybe see a moose.
Prove to my wife that I REALLY did need all that gear I purchased the past couple of years.

[tucker0104]

I just want to get away for a while. I am only going to be hiking for a month or 1 1/2 months but I just want to have fun and be outdoors.

[tomandcolin]

My friend and I have been looking for an event to raise some money for a UK Cancer charity and when i heard about the AT i got so excited that wee'd a little.

I guess my motivations behind it are not only to dodge work for 5/6 months to really experience something epic. This will be the first of many long distance charity hikes/bike rides that i'm planning around the world.

I've never been to America and would really like to find out exactly why its labeled by so many as "the greatest country in the world" because if it is i would very much like a piece of that action

I guess i also like the idea of disappearing from england for half a year and immersing myself in the simple life with no phone or internet and having simple needs and desires, like burgers.


Oh and my mum said i'd never make it to the end...

[Ben Cowan]

Like everyone else, I can think of a million reasons to why I am going to do this. I'm sure if I tried to name them all, I would leave many reasons out. The nest reason to sum it all up is because I want to.