Thru-hike vs. Section Hike

[Astro]

I have completed 206 miles of the AT and I am struggling over whether I should continue section hiking, or start over with a thru-hike in 2014. My two youngest sons (currently 12 and 14) play baseball so I would miss all of their seasons that year, and there is always the risk of injury (will be 52 then) after making all of the arrangements at work of getting off 5 months (college professor obtaining a sabbatical). On the other hand I could complete the section hike in four more summers taking 4-5 weeks at a time.

While there is a great personal desire to do a thru-hike, on the other hand continuing the section hike appears more practical and better for my family. One way or another I will complete the trail, the question is how much better is it to do it in one trip compared to many. Looking for any thoughts from those who have also faced this dilemma. Such as have you section hiked and always regretted you didn’t thru-hike? Or thru-hiked and thought it might have been better for your family if you broke it up into sections.

[max patch]

section hike appears more practical and better for my family.

You answered your own question.

Since you asked, I'd suggest finishing the trail by sectioning as you described. When your children are out of the house then do your thru if you still have the desire to do so.

[MyName1sMud]

I'm quitting my job and hitting the trail in 2013.

Then again I don't have any kids..... or a wife.

[flemdawg1]

I section and would love to do a thru also. But 1st and foremost, I'm dad to 3 great girls ages 12-5). So until they're grown and gone, I'll keep sectioning and occasionally talking them into going w/ me. They deserve to have their dad around.

[beachbunny]

if you can't stand your kids,finish it. if you like your kids as much as i like being with mine.well,question answered. i've been putting the summertime walk off for years because we have so much fun together at the beach, they are only young once.one summer jr. wasn't being played much so i brought a deck of cards and we played rummy on the bench. we still laugh about that.i would not trade it for anything. but when they grow up,they're gone and you can move into the 4th stage of a man's life. aka,saddling the aging trainwreck of a body with a backpack and going for a walk, which is right where i am and i'm fine with that

[FlyPaper]

I have a wife and kids too. No way would I miss a whole summer of my kid's growing up for a thru-hike. And consider the message that would send a wife... "I'm leaving you at home (without my emotional support) to deal with all the challenge and drama of child discipline while I'm out for 5 months of recreation."

That being said, even if I had no wife or kids, and my life was at a point I could thru-hike, the choice is still not obvious. To thru-hike requires making good time on the trail, and may not leave time to enjoy the scenery. I find that I enjoy the views. And I enjoy getting to camp an hour or two before dark (when I make it in time), to enjoy a more relaxing camping experience. Most thru-hikers I've encountered have had to eat, sleep, get up and go.

Nothing wrong with that choice, but personally, I'd prefer to continue section hiking.

[Cookerhiker]

No. 1, your family is important and I suspect you'd miss them if you were off a thru hike which in turn would lead to doubts & guilt on your part. I may be wrong but think about it. No. 2, section hiking is very rewarding in its own right. Lots of us hike well into our 60s (I finished my section-hiking at the age of 57 but still hike a lot now including last year's thruhike of the 482 mile Colorado Trail), so just keep yourself in shape, enjoy your family and your section hikes.

[hikerboy57]

you thru hike and you're done. you section hike and you always have something to look forward to.when it comes to family, your heart will giode you(and it seems it already has).

[bigcranky]

Given that you already get the time in the summer, do the sections. I work at a university, too, but as staff I work 12 months. Would love to have 4-5 weeks in the summer, and would use it to complete the trail. In my case it'll have to wait until I retire.

[Moose2001]

I've often told others that to complete a thru, the hike has to be the most important thing in your life for a 6 month period. If it isn't, then you'll end up leaving. And that's OK. Nothing wrong with something else be more important. It's just something you have to decide.

[WingedMonkey]

you thru hike and you're done.

I would not agree with that assumption.

[hikerboy57]

I would not agree with that assumption.

i know. just dont want to encourage him.

[Pedaling Fool]

I have completed 206 miles of the AT and I am struggling over whether I should continue section hiking, or start over with a thru-hike in 2014. My two youngest sons (currently 12 and 14) play baseball so I would miss all of their seasons that year, and there is always the risk of injury (will be 52 then) after making all of the arrangements at work of getting off 5 months (college professor obtaining a sabbatical). On the other hand I could complete the section hike in four more summers taking 4-5 weeks at a time.

While there is a great personal desire to do a thru-hike, on the other hand continuing the section hike appears more practical and better for my family. One way or another I will complete the trail, the question is how much better is it to do it in one trip compared to many. Looking for any thoughts from those who have also faced this dilemma. Such as have you section hiked and always regretted you didn’t thru-hike? Or thru-hiked and thought it might have been better for your family if you broke it up into sections.

The one great advantage to doing a long-distance hike is building a foundation for great health -- and 200 miles isn't long enough. However, a thru-hike doesn't need to be accomplished to obtain this foundation. How far do you have to go, well that's hard to answer, but I would say a safe bet would be to Harper's Ferry, about 1,000 miles. But even a shorter hike, say to Damascus would be pretty good.

So I would recommend to at the very least stay on until Damascus. The biggest problems with section hiking is getting back in shape, but if you have a good foundation, it's much easier.

My 2 cents.

P.S. I don't know what kind of physical shape you were in prior to your hike, or what kind of activity level you maintained, but if you were not as active as you should be, then I highly recommend you put all your will power into maintaining what you've accomplished on your hike thus far, even if you get off today. Too many hikers lose all they gained after their thru-hike only to start over from scratch after they decide to get back on the "wagon". Just go to any gathering and see all the pot bellies, that's proof.

[Airman]

I am in the same situation, but really don't care to thruhike. I do section hikes. Just got off the trail Tuesday before the rain hit. Advantages of section hiking is you get to choose the weather so that you can enjoy it more and see the landmarks. Disadvantage is when you get close to trl legs, you get off. I plan to do more sections in Sep/Oct and next Spring I'm going to pick up where I left off and go to Damascus. My next hike will start at Wallace Gap in NC. I'm married and my kids are grown, so I don't have that problem, but still my wife likes me being at home ocasionally between campground hosting also.

[Sugarfoot]

Over the last 18 years, I've hiked all of the trail once, 80% twice, and about half three times. It's never been enough. I'm planning to thru-hike in 2013 and I feel like a trail virgin all over again. The two experiences are not mutually exclusive. There is a myth of the Southern virgin, that with each new Moon, virginity is magically restored. Ask me in 18 months and I'll tell you if it's true.

[Red Hat]

In 2010 I had the option of completing sections or doing the thru. I chose the thru, but by four or five months I was wishing I had chosen completing the sections. Six months hiking is a very long time. I almost grew tired of the trail that I love. As it turned out, I did a 2090 mile section and got off past Monson in Maine because I had already done it southbound. Silly, maybe, but I was ready to be done.

go for the sections.... oh, and by the way, it is still an addiction, and you will continue to come back...

[dmperkins74]

Disadvantage is when you get close to trl legs, you get off.

My sections are so short (www.gdbdp.com/at) that I never get close to trail legs. Every mile is earned for sure, but I wouldn't do it any other way. I take 2 to 3 day trips off to the trail, hike for a bit, then back home, rarely missing great family time. Also, I get to pick the direction I want to hike, and can bail when weather sucks. Damn... now I'm really itching to get out there!!!

[1azarus]

I am really heartened by the advice you are getting. My take on it is that you can section hike several times a year so that you are always planning for and anticipating the next adventure... and it is a real adventure to hike in the winter! I also find that hiking year round keeps my interest in staying in shape high -- I exercise regularly so that I can start a section hike walking right along with thru hikers. If I didn't section hike often I think I'd fall into being the slug I'd been for most of my middle aged life! The section hike approach also gives you the opportunity to test gear and refine your pack list, which can be part of the fun... I think it is wonderful to be addicted to section hiking. Say, five or six trips a year is perfection.

[hikerboy57]

one of the benefits of section hiking for me has been the ability to change plans/routes/length of trip with no disappointment that i didnt complete my original agenda. im impulsive and not goal oriented to begin with, and i enjoy taking the occasional other fork in the road, just to see where it goes. i can quit when i want, i can hike year round, and i always have the next trip to lok forward to.although i still want to complete a thru, ive lost that "burning desire" i know is necessary to make that commitment.
and im cool with it.

[Montana AT05]

I have completed 206 miles of the AT and I am struggling over whether I should continue section hiking, or start over with a thru-hike in 2014. My two youngest sons (currently 12 and 14) play baseball so I would miss all of their seasons that year, and there is always the risk of injury (will be 52 then) after making all of the arrangements at work of getting off 5 months (college professor obtaining a sabbatical). On the other hand I could complete the section hike in four more summers taking 4-5 weeks at a time.

While there is a great personal desire to do a thru-hike, on the other hand continuing the section hike appears more practical and better for my family. One way or another I will complete the trail, the question is how much better is it to do it in one trip compared to many. Looking for any thoughts from those who have also faced this dilemma. Such as have you section hiked and always regretted you didn’t thru-hike? Or thru-hiked and thought it might have been better for your family if you broke it up into sections.

Single guy with no kids or debt here, did a thruhike at 35 (and 4 more very long trips since) and I am now 42. Keep those things in mind as I offer my view on this.

My advice: Do a full thru-hike.

Why?

1. It's not uncommon these days for a family member to be away for months at a time (military deployment or work). Not saying it's a good thing, it just is.
2. I believe a thru-hike makes a person a better person.
3. In today's world of constant communication (cell phones, email, texts, face-time, smart phones, twitter, facebook) you will not be out of touch with your family.
4. Your family can meet you somewhere on the trail, for a vacation.
5. I think it would be incredible for two young kids see one of their parents accomplish such a goal, and to see how the other parent supported that goal despite any difficulties it creates. The lessons learned here are good (risk, security, reward, effort, hard decisions, goals, experiencing life)
6. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

If you can finance a thru-hike and not seriously endanger your family commitments, then I advise a full thru hike.

But if you commit to a thru-hike, see it thru, all the way, only a serious issue should pull you off--I've been pulled off for small reasons and regret it, and I've completed others and never regretted them). The months away will seem like moments later on but what you learn about yourself and others will remain and will enrich your experiences and views ever after (and will quite possibly ruin you too, as you'll be constantly thinking of ways to do it again).

Which ever path you choose, enjoy it to the fullest, life is pretty good if you're debating between sections or a full thru, so sit back and enjoy that reality now as well.