Thru hikers attitude towards section hikers...

[elytis]

Hey guys,

In the last couple of days of reading posts I have noticed a trend in some of the posts here. It seems that alot of thru-hikers think very little of section hikers. Why is this? I myself am a section hiker for the simple reason that I cannot afford to undertake a thru hike. Why does it matter if I hike only one section at a time vs. the whole thing at once, aren't we all out there to enjoy the beauty of the wilderness?

[Old Hiker]

Three, two.........

[Ender]

Honestly, and I'm a past thru-hiker, I feel the exact opposite of what you describe. I think no worse of section hikers than I do thru hikers. I personally think that being a section hiker is a lot more difficult than being a thru-hiker, mainly because you have to get back in shape every time you go back out. So I have a lot of respect for section hikers because of that alone.

Really though, it's just two different ways of hiking a trail, neither one is better or worse than the other, just different.

[Ender]

And, now that I have more responsibilities than I did when I was able to take my thru, I suppose I'm a potential section hiker now as well. I just don't have the time available to me to do a thru any more.

[10-K]

Dogs on leashes and should I carry a gun and smoke weed.

[WingedMonkey]

Section hikers are lonely.

[Chaco Taco]

I will say this, there are some Thru's that def do think they are better and entitled to more than sectioners. I saw it a little bit this year but its more of a thing with the younger crowd. I see it more so on this website than anything, but not so much on trail.

[hikerboy57]

i dont know how many sections ive thru hiked already.most "real" thru hikers and I have gotten along just fine.we show each other our guns, machetes and bear canisters, and nod to each other in unspoken agreement..

[snowsusie]

I'm a section hiker for the simple reason that I'm afraid that if I hike thru, I won't ever want to go home.

[Old Hiker]

i dont know how many sections ive thru hiked already.most "real" thru hikers and I have gotten along just fine.we show each other our guns, machetes and bear canisters, and nod to each other in unspoken agreement..

And do you agree with how long cheese will last on the trail?

[Chaco Taco]

i dont know how many sections ive thru hiked already.most "real" thru hikers and I have gotten along just fine.we show each other our guns, machetes and bear canisters, and nod to each other in unspoken agreement..

You dont use Leki poles do you?

[Chaco Taco]

Dogs on leashes and should I carry a gun and smoke weed.

or smoking weed in a shelter

[hikerboy57]

You dont use Leki poles do you?

havent used them yet, although Im considering them for my section next year. My 55 yr old knees are starting to feel the years. so the answer is no and yes.
and I still have no idea how long cheese lasts on the trail.

[johnnyblisters]

Beating a dead horse here but,

I came to the realization on my journey this year that most thru-hikers feel entitled mainly due to the vast amounts of trail magic thrown at them so early in the game. We were blindsided by cheeseburgers and pie, giving us the impression we were special. You get treated like royalty, you start acting like it... In reality we were just homeless

[max patch]

It seems that alot of thru-hikers think very little of section hikers.

I don't know about "a lot" but there is some of that out there and I don't why. On my thru when I was in the SNP some thrus at a shelter told some section hikers that had just arrived that the shelters were "reserved for thrus" I overheard this, told the sectioneers that shelters were first come first served and they could certainly stay there if they wanted to. I have heard other people tell similar stories.

[hikerboy57]

i was wondering when the entitlement thing would rear its ugly head.It gives section hikers a very poor view of thru hikers.

[Fat Man Walking]

It's the reason why I started doing my sections two weeks (well ok, two and half weeks) at a time. Just got tired of getting my legs somewhat in shape about the time I would get off.

Someone inferred that section hikers are lonely. I would agree with that statement. I started doing sections in 2000. Last year and this year are the only two years that I have run into bubbles of thru hikers. Last year (2010) I hit older thru's (Or thru's my age) and got along very well with them. In fact, I still correspond with a couple of them. This year, the weeks I took off, I was ahead of my schedule from 2010 and ran into the younger, faster hikers. My experience with them was just as good. Although, I doubt that I will hear from them as I did the older guys. My early years were mostly solo and mostly very solitary. Certainly nothing like the feel good journals and party atmosphere impression that you read. That part, was much tougher mentally than anything. No one to help you fight off the blues.

Lastly, cheese always lasted long enough to be totally consumed for me. Not appealing to look at, but certainly edible. Kind of like the M&M in the middle of the trail. Also, I hike with Leki's.

[Jeff]

I will say this, there are some Thru's that def do think they are better and entitled to more than sectioners. I saw it a little bit this year but its more of a thing with the younger crowd. I see it more so on this website than anything, but not so much on trail.

Completely agree with this quote.

It was rare to see or hear of hard feeling between section hikers and thru hikers at our hostel.

[yappy]

It The way I c it we r all day and section hikers once we go home I told my husband how we sttew on this kind of thing he thinks we r nuts ! He had never heard of the term thru hikr b4 he met me haha....enjoy the trail how ever u can we r all lucky thy r out there

[Tipi Walter]

I will say this, there are some Thru's that def do think they are better and entitled to more than sectioners. I saw it a little bit this year but its more of a thing with the younger crowd. I see it more so on this website than anything, but not so much on trail.

I've been blessed these last several years by being able to go out into wilderness areas far off the beaten trail, and far from the AT boulevard. But I did recently spend 19 days on the AT in Virginia and gotta say I agree with the above sentiment. It's an old tired chestnut, beating a dead horse, but there's something about the AT which takes greenhorns and makes them self-appointed experts in the span of a few short months. It's comical to see them "holding court" at a shelter---as if they are the favored court jesters and we are all their audience. The best way to tell you're in the presence of the Elect? They ask absolutely no questions. They could be sitting next to Dorothy Laker or Colin Fletcher and would not ask a single question.