Anyone find love on a Thru-Hike

[TheYoungOne]

I remember a while back there was a list of reasons why people decided to do a thru hike. Some mention weight loss, beating cancer, but some also mention divorce and breakups.

So has anyone found love on the trail? Did a chance encounter lead to a relationship, or even marriage?

[blackbird04217]

I did see a few couples who met on the trail and begin / maintain a relationship. But I couldn't imagine anyone going to the trail with the goal of finding love...

[sbhikes]

I'm sure that it has. I met people on the PCT who became lovers. I think in at least one of the many long trail videosI've seen there were couples that met and got married.

[Sickmont]

The trail made me fall in love with nature(again).....does that count?

[Happy Feet]

Within the first year of our marriage Hatman and I realized that we both wanted to hike the trail. It sounded so exciting, daring, and romantic! Well, come Spring we hit the trail. I can see how some couples would end up in divorce!! However, it was a great experience and a great learning experience. We survived and now could live on the trail every year. We worked out our system and know each other well enough to be successful. We know many other hiking 'couples' who are also. In addition to begin hiking partners we're life partners. There's no one I'd rather hike with.

[Iceaxe]

Hatman and Happyfeet! How you doin? The last time i saw your smiling faces was in Whitewater creek on the PCT in 2009.
You two, as well as many other trail couples like; I-Spy and Booty, Frank and Double Barrel, Frogs and Snorkel, The Noodleheads, Bernie and stacey, Bethany and Steve.. all of you are so inspiring to me.
Someday I hope to share my life with a significant other on the trail too. You trail couples just always seem to be in the "Happy" zone to us solo hikers.

[Newb]

her name was hamburger. She lived in Franklin. Our relationship was animal, at best.

[KillerKowalski]

From the A.T. Journerys Novemeber/Decemeber 2010.

[KillerKowalski]

Not sure why the link is not working.

Try this. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/atf/...eptOct2010.pdf

[TFOS]

I found love on a hike once, but the dog already had an owner, so I had to leave him behind. :-(

[Mags]

I did not meet my significant other on a thru-hike, but I did meet her on a moonlight hike I organized 1.5 yrs ago.

She met the family this past Christmas and I am meeting her family in Germany this coming year. (Bought German for Dummies last week!)

I kinda think we like each other.

[Chaco Taco]

Wakapak and I met thru this site and myspace, met just before I set out on my thru (08) and she met me in Damascus and we continued North. We were married this past April.

[Lone Wolf]

So has anyone found love on the trail? Did a chance encounter lead to a relationship, or even marriage?

i've had 3 "serious" relationships on the trail. one lasted 3 years, another 1.5 years and the present lady in my life and i have been together close to 11 years

[southpaw95]

You can find anything you want on the AT.

[Sickmont]

I'm hoping i can at least find a way to just like myself on the trail

[Spokes]

Anyone find love on a Thru-Hike

Yep. Every shelter I ever made it to.....

[SweetBee]

I didn't find love on a thru, as I have yet to actually do a thru, but the Trail has been rather important in my relationship. Hiking has always been something I loved but didn't get to do nearly as often as I wanted to until I met my fiance. We have done some section hiking on the trail and lots of hiking elsewhere mainly in PA but also up in Maine. We have been planning for a thru for quite a while now. In fact, he actually asked me to marry him on the portion of the trail between Quarry Gap Shelter and Caledonia as we were heading back after an overnight to test out my new sleeping bag! We are planning our wedding for Spring 2013 because neither one of us is willing to change our plans for a 2012 thru-hike.

[Spirit Walker]

In the group in which I hiked in 1992, three couples formed: Jim and I have been together for almost 19 years now, another young couple married and had a couple of kids; I think they're still together, and a third couple tried to work things out after the trail, but they had careers and families on opposite coasts, and couldn't make it work.

In some ways the trail is like a soap opera - Lust in the Dust - couples form and split, married people have affairs, casual hookups happen, hikers meet non-hikers and fall in love (one guy met his girl at an overlook in the Shenandoahs). At the same time, it obviously isn't something you can count on. Some relationships last only a few weeks, others a lifetime. The trail experience is so intense, you can feel like you've known someone forever that you've only known for a few days. People can let down their walls in ways that are difficult in the off-trail world. Alternately, more than one married couple has learned that the person they are married to is really a complete stranger and not one they want to live with any more. When you spend 24 hours a day together, seven days a week - you get to know each other very very well.

[ATBuddy]

[Trailweaver]

Sweet. My theory is that if you can thru hike the AT together, you can sure do anything else.