Norovirus! Creeps! Theft! Getting turned off on the whole idea of a 2014 Thru

[Crusinsusan]

I'm just totally creeped out by the thought of even walking by a shelter, what with all the deposits left around them, and that is on top of (no pun intended) the other things one would be concerned about (creeps, thieves, etc).

I have to say, bears are waaaaayyyy down on my list now. (And education has put mice waaayyy up on the list, though still behind ol' Noro).

I'm actually thinking of NOT "practicing" on the trail this year for my "supposed" thru next year.

Am I alone? Anyone else thinking "ICK"?

I've heard it's the worst outbreak ever, but it's hard to pish-paw about it.

[hikerboy57]

whats the worst that can happen? the very worst? you get sick for a day?
chances are you'll be just fine

[ChinMusic]

Norovirus is bad but most recover rather quickly. We don't stop going to work/school during flu season and the flu is much worse. I've caught the flu before while doing everything I could to avoid it. I caught the norovirus while on the trail this year and I was doing everything I could to avoid it. I have no regrets about hiking this year wrt the virus. It's not the Black Death. It's just a temporary, albeit uncomfortable, setback.

I agree that mice are more of an issue than bears. This year dark green Cadillacs were a bigger danger. To me the critter I fear the most is the lowly deer tick, and I am entering ground zero.

[Lone Wolf]

shelters and privies need to be torn down

[hikerboy57]

Norovirus is bad but most recover rather quickly. We don't stop going to work/school during flu season and the flu is much worse. I've caught the flu before while doing everything I could to avoid it. I caught the norovirus while on the trail this year and I was doing everything I could to avoid it. I have no regrets about hiking this year wrt the virus. It's not the Black Death. It's just a temporary, albeit uncomfortable, setback.

I agree that mice are more of an issue than bears. This year dark green Cadillacs were a bigger danger. To me the critter I fear the most is the lowly deer tick, and I am entering ground zero.

you're right CM,ticks are out in full force this year, a byproduct of superstorm sandy.much more apt to put an end to ones hike than norovirus, bears or mice.

[bfayer]

Norovirus! Creeps! Theft!


You just described life in general. The AT is no different than any other place on planet earth with people.

Just like in the rest of the world, don't leave expensive stuff unattended, wash your hands after going to the bathroom and before eating (just like Grandma told you to), and get up early and out hike the creeps (generally speaking, creeps almost always sleep late).

Think about it, if everything you knew about life came from the internet you wouldn't want to step outside because you would worry about being mowed down with a machine gun, hit by a tornado, or audited by the IRS.

Real life is much better in 3D So is the trail. Don't worry, go hike!

[Crusinsusan]

TICKS! Gee, I forgot to list them. Guess I was too busy nursing the horsefly bites from a bike trail I was on yesterday.

Ticks. Thanks. (Though the Doc gave me something for them should they become a concern...and I've got my permethrin.

But guys, come on...it's gross! All sorts of stuff (with the virus in it) coming out of people. Stuff I'm walking by...probably can't even see it anymore, but it's there.

It's just not appealing. Makes for a s**ty trail.

I swear, I'm looking up ratios of bleach to water and wondering how much extra weight I'll be willing to carry....then I find myself saying, "why?", since for me, hiking was all about the beauty, serenity, etc.

I dunno. I just dunno anymore. I'm not even forcing myself to think of all the dang money I spent on gear (lovely to be a noob in this day and age though).

Psychologically, I'm totally turned off.

[Don H]

I'd be more concerned about ticks and Lyme disease. There you go, something else to worry about!

[Crusinsusan]

Think about it, if everything you knew about life came from the internet you wouldn't want to step outside because you would worry about being mowed down with a machine gun, hit by a tornado, or audited by the IRS.

Real life is much better in 3D So is the trail. Don't worry, go hike!

Oh that's very good. Very good indeed. So true.

But some of the 3D stuff as I described above, I don't want to encounter! lol

Still. Good point. The net could turn anyone off.

[Crusinsusan]

lol @ Don.

[Malto]

All three of your concern can be solved by not staying in shelters. Problem solved, have a great hike .

[Sarcasm the elf]

I'd be more concerned about ticks and Lyme disease. There you go, something else to worry about!

That's one of the only things that you really SHOULD worry about.

[bfayer]

That's one of the only things that you really SHOULD worry about.

I get more ticks doing yard work than hiking. Should you be concerned? A little. Worry? No.

[Mountain Mike]

Put up a gear for sale list quick to catch last minute SOBOs or consider hiking PCT or CDT. Are you really worried about getting sick for a day out of many months of enjoyment?

[Chair-man]

I'm actually thinking of NOT "practicing" on the trail this year for my "supposed" thru next year.

Am I alone? Anyone else thinking "ICK"?

What would be worse than anything is to just stay at home and never experience the trail.
You'll go. You're now just a little more prepared.

[HikerMom58]

Knowledge is power. It gives you awareness and options. It gives you the power to control the things you can control. So many things are out of our control in life. That's when you have to trust that things will be Okay and just do the best you can to stay safe and healthy.

Don't let fear of what could happen control your life and the enjoyment of it.

I have a great story for ya. My mother-in-law rarely enjoys the outside. She's just not an outdoorsy person. She does like to work in her backyard doing gardening in the evenings. She covers up as to not get sunburned at all & puts on bug repellent etc.. She always washes her hands so she won't get poison ivy, wears long sleeves and gloves.. you get the picture.

Well, a few years ago she went out in her yard and got bit by a deer tick carrying Lyme disease. Yes, my mother-in-law in Lynchburg VA just working in her backyard got Lyme disease.

I think to myself as I'm hiking on the AT or hiking in the woods enjoying myself, I'm not going to worry about everything that could possibly happen. The odds that she would get Lyme and I haven't yet are so astounding to me. I'm going to enjoy life to the fullest, be smart and take what comes my way.

I hope this helps you Crusinsusan. I understand how you feel.

[Crusinsusan]

Actually, I am thinking of going west instead.

And it's not a day, or three, of sickness (although the thought of being alone in the woods puking [and otherwise] my guts out does suck, but not enough to stop me) that troubles me most.....it's the thought of all those cat holes (or worse, no cat holes).

And I know enough to know that a pro vs. con list wouldn't work for such an endeavor. So for me, it's coming down to whether I can over come the psychology. Prior to the outbreak, I did think about all the (pardon) crap on the trail, and psychologically moved past it. But now it's more at the fore....and more of it.

I mean really, ALL those hikers, and ALL that crap.

And I can do (or I can convince myself I can do - which is enough for me) things about bears (spray), ticks (permethrin), creeps, etc. But there is nothing at all to be done about others crap. So, maybe I'm not cut out for this, if I can't psych myself out of it.

So, does anyone have any words of wisdom regarding this delicate issue? It seems, at first blush, to be a stupid thing, eh? Don't hike because of crap.

But it's a thing for me. And, I bet many people. How do we (or how did you) overcome the yucky part of hiking? Tell me.

[Crusinsusan]

What would be worse than anything is to just stay at home and never experience the trail.
You'll go. You're now just a little more prepared.

Not so sure, really.....might head west; avoid the wet too.

[Crusinsusan]

HD, ya, I hear ya. But the responses helped me shake down my thoughts (thanks all for that) to the base essential (lol).

There's just a lot of ....well, you know...out there.

Hmm....guess there would be on all popular trails.

Gonna be a long night I guess.

I do appreciate the comments. They've been helpful.

[Rock Lobster]

Susan -

1) In over 2000 miles, I have hardly EVER seen another hiker's cathole. It's not all over the place. It just isn't. You will see far, far more moose turds than human...and they don't dig holes.

2) If it's a major hangup for you, go SOBO. There are far fewer people going south, so there is hardly ever a need for a cathole near the trail - the privies are open. By the time you get to Georgia where there were thousands, it will be long washed away.

3) In your first two weeks on the trail, you will almost certainly learn to accept the trail for what it is - and the world in general. How many people said they would never hitchhike, or sleep under the stars, or be able to deal with mice, that now can? The trail is a good place to conquer your fears, and that's a large part of what makes a long hike such a rewarding experience.