Things you didnt expect..

[cindellasaurus]

Sometimes you plan to do something and you've researched, trained and are sure you know what to expect, when out of nowhere you find yourself in an awkward or uncomfortable situation that you had never even imagined. Have any of you found yourself in situations like this along the trail, and is there any warning or advice that you have for someone who's never hiked the AT?

[Pacific Tortuga]

Be friendly, but keep your guard up. That's all I'm sayin' about that.

[modiyooch]

I never expected to be stuck in a 3 foot mudhole on the top of a mountain. It shook me up. I was hiking alone.
I never expected to be abandoned 17 miles deep without a tent while backpacking with a friend.
both of these happened on the same day.

[Just a Hiker]

One good thing about the trail itself is that it doesn't change that much from year to year, so it's fairly predictable. The only thing that constantly changes are the people who are actually on the trail, so that's were you'll find yourself in uncharted waters at times. Therefore, just be flexible and be willing to deal with all kinds of different people who are out there trying to enjoy the AT. Good luck on your hike.


Just Jim

[Spirit Walker]

On the AT, I hurt a lot more than I expected. Even though I started the trail in good shape, walking all day every day took a toll on my body. Between blisters and tendonitis, the first two months were frequently very painful. When they healed, I began doing bigger miles and so my feet hurt all the time. Then the steep ups and downs began to do a number on my knees. Watch a thruhiker walk down the stairs or listen to the way we talk about Vitamin I - it's not unusual to spend a lot of the trail with a lot of pain. You do get used to it, but it was still a surprise.

On a lighter note - I discovered that when I could eat anything I wanted without worry about gaining weight, more and more I found that what I really wanted was healthy food. I only once did a Little Debbie blitz. After that my first town food was usually juice, milk, fruit and salad.

[Blissful]

Keep an eye on your surroundings - if you feel uncomfortable move on. Be flexible with your plans. Take it one day at a time.

[stumpknocker]

My biggest surprise was on the morning of March 3rd, 2002 when I woke up at Springer Mountain to about 8 degrees for the start of my thru hike and my platypus and drink hose was frozen solid.

I didn't drink much that day, so when I got to Gooch Mountain Shelter, I went down to the spring and drank about two liters of cold water. I started shivering so much that I crawled into my sleeping bag and it took over an hour to warm up.

I learned some good lessons that day!!

[Blue Jay]

Unexpected things happen all the time on the AT, it's one of the best things about it.

[cindellasaurus]

I never expected to be stuck in a 3 foot mudhole on the top of a mountain. It shook me up. I was hiking alone.
I never expected to be abandoned 17 miles deep without a tent while backpacking with a friend.
both of these happened on the same day.

Oh boy! Sounds like THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!

[Tinker]

Sometimes you plan to do something and you've researched, trained and are sure you know what to expect, when out of nowhere you find yourself in an awkward or uncomfortable situation that you had never even imagined. Have any of you found yourself in situations like this along the trail, and is there any warning or advice that you have for someone who's never hiked the AT?

Cranky dogs and people on the trail.
Nice people in run down towns off the trail.
Nothing is what or where you expect it.
As someone said, "Variety is the spice of life"
And so it is.
Btw, great trail/forum name!
Care to share on that?
Oh, advice - if you're looking for it:
Be careful of who you befriend.
When you find a true friend keep him/her close.
Know when it's time to move on.

[veteran]

Faceplant with a heavy pack on the back of your head.

[Dogwood]

Sometimes you plan to do something and you've researched, trained and are sure you know what to expect, when out of nowhere you find yourself in an awkward or uncomfortable situation that you had never even imagined. Have any of you found yourself in situations like this along the trail, and is there any warning or advice that you have for someone who's never hiked the AT?

YES, everytime I hit a trail!

Assuming a hiker has done the comprehensive planning, predicting, training, research, etc etc etc, a thru-hilker should realize that unexpected events and situations WILL still OCCUR. IMO, it's one of the great things about hiking, especially thru-hiking. You can't control, manipulate, or plan everything! That thought has got to be scary and very hard to accept for some people. Embrace the unknowns! Deal with them in the most constructive manner you can! Don't waste undue resources focusing and magnifying the problem. Avoid problems when you can but if unavoidable understand the problem AND then MOVE ON to possible solutions! Don't be so surprised about these events when they occur. Spontaneous events WILL OCCUR. Make no mistake, you WILL be taken out of your comfort zone! What you can do, is decide what your attitude will be when these events occur and bring as much of your resources to bear on the situation as necessary to overcome it!.

[Graywolf]

When I did the section hike last year, was asking people and Pm'ed other hikers on the weather for August at Springer..Every one answered back saying, very hot, and very humid..

I planned accordingly and when i arrived it was 80* and dry..Very lovely temps..When I got to the top of Springer, I said to myself, "This is hot? This is A/C where I come from"..

Graywolf
i

[Doooglas]

On the AT, I hurt a lot more than I expected. Even though I started the trail in good shape, walking all day every day took a toll on my body. Between blisters and tendonitis, the first two months were frequently very painful. When they healed, I began doing bigger miles and so my feet hurt all the time. Then the steep ups and downs began to do a number on my knees. Watch a thruhiker walk down the stairs or listen to the way we talk about Vitamin I - it's not unusual to spend a lot of the trail with a lot of pain. You do get used to it, but it was still a surprise.

On a lighter note - I discovered that when I could eat anything I wanted without worry about gaining weight, more and more I found that what I really wanted was healthy food. I only once did a Little Debbie blitz. After that my first town food was usually juice, milk, fruit and salad.

You need to focus on gear selection. Quit following the status quo.
It's all marketing BS. Yeah. Lies for profit.
I already did 4 miles this morning, to feed critters, with 60 lbs or so.
It's only 715 AM here.

[Red Hat]

I didn't expect to quit after 10 days in Maine...but I could have done half as many miles each day and felt a lot better (moral, don't try to keep up with 20 yr olds).
I didn't expect to do a face plant and need stitches in VA... but I should have watched where I was going instead of "cruising" along (moral, don't go faster than you should). Duh both times I thought I was younger than I am, both times I shoulda slowed down...

[fiddlehead]

"things i didn't expect"?
How much fun i would have.
And I had never heard of a "Foot washing" before so of course finding out what that was was quite unexpected.

[sbhikes]

I expected to be alone walking in solitude in the wilderness. I didn't expect a mobile party on foot.

[Pedaling Fool]

I never expected I would be held up in my tent for 3 days in Maine during end of July/beginning of August time frame due to a snow storm.

In '81 I was about a day's hike north of ME 15 (road to Monson) and had to stop for nearly 3 days because I couldn't see the blazes through the snow/sleet. Since I was at the end of the 100-mile wilderness I used up all my food while held up and resorted to eating a raw onion like it was an apple -- actually not bad, but then again I was starving

[Blue Jay]

Much of the unexpected is on the very good side. I did not expect people to be much more happy and friendly than the nonhiking world. I did not in anyway expect it to be soooo much fun. I certainly did not expect to not mind being cold wet tired and hungry. I did not expect to laugh so hard my stomach hurt when Not only face planting in the mud but sticking the top of my extrnal frame pack into the side of a rotting log, not being able to pull it out right away and having the guy following me fall down laughing and not being physically able to help pull me out. About the only thing you CAN expect is that it will be different than what you expected (kind of like fear).

[fredmugs]

I generally try to listed to what people are saying and taking it for what it's worth. For some reason I refused to believe EVERYONE who said that hiking in Maine takes longer than you think.

I tracked the weather for like two weeks before I left and there had been no rain to speak of. I'm thinking there no way the trail can be as wet and muddy as EVERYONE said it was. It was way worse than I could have imagined. I did 15 miles or so each of the first two days between Caratunk and Monson and I was completely exhausted.

Maine: It's slower than you would expect.