Psychological turning point?

[hikerjohnd]

Is there a psychological turning point on the trail? A point when you just know you are going to make it? I have read that most (everybody?) experience a time when they want to quit, but is there a point when you just know you will make it? Like, if you make it to Damascus, you will (barring unforeseen circumstances) make it. Thanks!<o></o>

[A-Train]

When I hit Damascus I felt like a thru-hiker. Not sure when I knew I was gonna make it, though I tended to believe I would the whole way. Guess thats easy to say now. All I ever wanted to do was get to the next town

[PROFILE]

I never had the slump most hikers talk about. I always new I was going to make it. However, the first time I mentally new it was a done deal was walking into the 100 mile wilderness. Even then I got a little spooked. A guy a day in front of us had to be rescude from the "wilderness". He slipped on a wet rock broke several bones and had to be put in the hospital. Hike ended for him.

I never thought about it. I hike was from one resupply to the next. I rarley thought of the big "K" unless it was talked about in the shelter at night. That is until you could start seeing it in the distance. But that drove me to finish

[rocket04]

I never wanted to quit, only got afraid I might be forced to early on because of a problem with my achilles tendon caused by my boots. As far as believing I'd make it, I think I still believed in spite of the injury, I stayed positive, and after getting over it I definitely never had a doubt.

[Mountain Dew]

After getting past the whites I knew that I would make it unless an injury took me out.

[Youngblood]

Injuries can always end a hike. The Whites and southern Maine have some very difficult terrain that are problematic where injuries are concerned, especially in inclimate weather so they might mess with your head a little because nobo's have gone a long ways by the time they get there and they don't want a fall to end there hike.

But honestly, first timers don't really appreciate or maybe even know what they are getting into. And there are so many variables that can affect how you feel about your hike. I think at some point early you feel like a thru-hiker and become confident that you can handle the trip. But, things change for any number of reasons and these things can change your attitude about the hike, for better or for worse. It is something that each person has to go through for themself. Remember, things happening on and off the trail might affect how you feel about being out there.

The best advise is to hike your own hike so that you enjoy it and get what you want out of it, literally, not just as a phrase (HYOH) and don't let someone's elses definitions and such make you feel like you are a lazy, lying cheat if you don't hike their hike. Apparently from reading some of the posters on this site, you might run into that... I didn't but if I did I would have just ignored them or asked to see a copy of the official rule book they are quoting (they can't because it doesn't exist).

[MOWGLI]

Is there a psychological turning point on the trail? A point when you just know you are going to make it? I have read that most (everybody?) experience a time when they want to quit, but is there a point when you just know you will make it? Like, if you make it to Damascus, you will (barring unforeseen circumstances) make it. Thanks!<o></o>

I was told if I could make it to Damascus, I could complete the trail. I still had an episode in Gorham and in "The Notch" that made me question if I could finish. Western Maine darn near killed me. Once I got to Stratten, ME, I knew it was in the bag.

[Spirit Walker]

Mine was late in the trail. I have a phobia about falling, so my first attempts at rock climbing were really hard for me. I was fairly sure that I would not be able to do the rock scrambles in the Whites because I kept being told, "You think these rocks are bad, just wait until the Whites." I almost got off the trail in Pa. as a result. (The Knife Edge got to me, big time.) But I decided that I would just keep going as far as I could and if my fears stopped me somewhere up the trail, I could always turn around and go back (HA!), but in the meantime I would enjoy the hike until I reached the rocks. Then in Massachusetts I met a group of people from Boston who spent weekends hiking in the Whites - for them, the rocks were no big deal. And I had a friend who was sixty who had hiked the Whites hut to hut with a group of non-hiking friends, and I thought, "Maybe I can do it after all." Obviously, I did manage to get through the rocks and scrambles. There were a couple of places that were really hard for me, but I just kept going one foot at a time and I got through them. Even so, it wasn't until I crossed the Kennebec that it struck me that "I am going to make it all the way after all."

[TankHiker]

I don't think it was until I got to Abol Bridge that I stopped saying if I get to Katahdin, and started saying when I get to Katahdin.

-TANK

[The Solemates]

Is there a psychological turning point on the trail? A point when you just know you are going to make it? I have read that most (everybody?) experience a time when they want to quit, but is there a point when you just know you will make it? Like, if you make it to Damascus, you will (barring unforeseen circumstances) make it. Thanks!<o></o>

We knew we were going to make it when we were driving in our car to the beginning of the trail at Springer Mountain, GA. Before then I knew we always COULD make it, but we had to actually carry out getting our lives in order so we were able to start the trail. ie, taking 6 months off, etc.

[max patch]

When I quit my well paying job -- I couldn't get a leave of absense -- I knew there was no way that I would fail to reach Kadahdin.

[Footslogger]

I was so psyched about my hike that, short of an injury, I had a good feeling I would make it from the outset. That said ...those feelings continued to grow. By Damascus, like A-Train, I felt like a thru-hiker ...and by Harpers Ferry I told myself I would make it if I had to crawl. Ironically, I damn near had to crawl too. Found out after the fact, that I had hiked the entire trail with pretty bad kidney stones, which explained why I felt sick and nauseus from time to time. But hey ...if it was easy, everybody would do it, RIGHY ??

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Mags]

The year I thru-hiked, 1998, was an El Nino year. For the month of March we had maybe four days of sunshine. Most of the days were snowy, cold, wet.

I was feeling psychologically low. What was I doing out here? Was cold and wet. My boots were frozen every morning. The views were non-existent.

Climbing up Max Patch was in sour mood. One of the most beautiful places on the trail and could not see a thing. It was white out conditions.

Then, on the summit, something magical happened. The clouds lifted just long enough for me to saw a panoramic view of the balds covered in snow. Beautiful.

From that point on, I knew I would finish the AT. In one day had the AT in whole: Despite what hardships you may face, the results of hiking the AT will be magical and rewarding.

[superman]

Most of the people I know who thru hiked did so in spite of some injury or issue that other people would have left the trail for. It's a long trail and things happen along the way. I never had any big problems. The worst thing that happened to me was that I had a horrible case of chafing the first day. I made some changes and didn't have a problem after that. I never doubted for a moment that I would complete the AT.

[rickb]

Figured you needed a southbounder to chime in...

For this one, it was when it became obvious that those who suggested crossing the Smokies in late fall/early winter was akin to Robert Scott's trip back from the South Pole, really didn't know so much after all. Which was probably on Clingman's dome with no more than a couple inches of Snow on the ground.

That said, I did find myself thinking of breaking a leg way too much that las week or so. I wonder if that's common

Rick B

[Youngblood]

Figured you needed a southbounder to chime in...

...
That said, I did find myself thinking of breaking a leg way too much that las week or so. I wonder if that's common

Rick B

It was with me... didn't want to get that far and not be able to finish. I, like you, suspect it is natural to worry more about such things when you get close to finishing. At that point you figure that is about all that can stop you and some of us have to find something to worry about.

Youngblood

[Singletrack]

I am like many of the others. I never doubted, or even thought about not completing my thru hike. I hiked solo, and spent about 80% of the nights alone, not seeing anyone for days at a time. Now, I am wondering if I will ever finish my section hike, especially after I broke my ankle this past summer. Injuries can happen to anyone.

[Footslogger]

That said, I did find myself thinking of breaking a leg way too much that las week or so. I wonder if that's common
Rick B

========================================
We had a ton of snow here in Wyoming the weekend before my trip back to Atlanta to start my thru. At first I didn't want to go near the ski slopes, convinced I'd injure myself and put the kibosh on my hike. But at the last minute the wife and I decided to drive up in the mountains anyway, especially since it was going to be the last sking for me until the following season. Long story short ...we made a half dozen or so runs and then called it a day. Each run I kept hearing the voices inside my head ...DON'T FALL DUMMY !!

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Nightwalker]

Is there a psychological turning point on the trail? A point when you just know you are going to make it? I have read that most (everybody?) experience a time when they want to quit, but is there a point when you just know you will make it? Like, if you make it to Damascus, you will (barring unforeseen circumstances) make it. Thanks!<o></o>

Welsh Nomad had to come back out of the 100 mile last year due to an injury. It wasn't psychological, but you aren't done until you're done!

[Mouse]

Maine and Katahdin seemed just too intimidating to me for me to ever feel complacent. For me the point did not come until I passed the Gate on Mt Katahdin and entered the Tablelands. Only then was I SURE that I would make it.