View Full Version : thru hike to section downgrade
squeezebox
12-23-2013, 12:48
My son came in for Xmas break a couple of days ago. He was planing an internship somewhere ? and probably not coming home for the summer. Now he realizes it would be much cheaper to do his internship here in St. Louis, and live at home. So my son will be in town this summer and I want to spend time with him, so that puts a nix on the thru hike. So a section hike could happen. I must say I' m more than a little relieved that considering my extra wt. out of shape, lack of experience hiking, The extra year of prep time makes me feel a lot more comfortable. More about where to section in the next post.
ChinMusic
12-23-2013, 12:58
I must say I' m more than a little relieved that considering my extra wt. out of shape, lack of experience hiking, The extra year of prep time makes me feel a lot more comfortable. More about where to section in the next post.
I hate to say this but physical preparation and experience is no different for an extended section hike and a thru.
ChinMusic
12-23-2013, 12:59
I should have added that the physical and experience needed is not that high for either one. Those aspects will made your days easier but are not a prerequisite.
HikerMom58
12-23-2013, 15:48
You will still have the planning to do as you would for a thru, just minimized, but it's not that bad.
Being out there for an extended section hike will be nice so you can get a feel for backpacking, without the pressure of feeling like you are quitting, if you don't like it as much as you thought you would. :cool:
Now, comes the fun part... where are you going to section hike?
Next post... :D
MuddyWaters
12-23-2013, 15:56
Do a 3 day hike, and youll pretty much have it down.
Same thing, just repeating day after day,
with a few resupplies thrown in.
I don't see switching plans from a thru to section hiking a downgrade and no one else should either. Section hiking has advantages that a thru does not. You can pick your section based on weather, conditioning, work, school, ect.
Have fun with your son. Spending time with him is much more important than thru hiking.
I don't see switching plans from a thru to section hiking a downgrade and no one else should either. Section hiking has advantages that a thru does not. You can pick your section based on weather, conditioning, work, school, ect.
Have fun with your son. Spending time with him is much more important than thru hiking.
...just what i was going to say... maybe should be called an upgrade.
...just what i was going to say... maybe should be called an upgrade.
I used to travel a lot with work. I would always book a room with two beds so I could spread out my work on the other bed. Every once in a while the hotel would "upgrade me" to a room with a king size bed. I would have to go back down and tell them that a king size bed was not an upgrade in anyway shape or form and to give me the room with two beds
We all have different needs and schedules. Hiking the AT does not place anyone in a caste system where their position in life is determined by their start and stop point.
Family is always more important than hiking, but it sounds like the OP already knows that :)
Leanthree
12-23-2013, 18:58
The most fun summer of college was when I had an internship a half mile from my dad's office and we would commute into work every day. Enjoy the time hiking and enjoy the time with your son.
Slo-go'en
12-23-2013, 22:56
I find 6 to 8 weeks to be ideal. It's long enough to feel like you've done something, but short enough that it is affordable with out skimping too much. Plus, after 2 months most of the fun and novelty has worn off anyway. Then it's time to go home and save up to do it all over again next year :)
squeezebox
12-24-2013, 01:15
So you're saying if I make it through a 1 month section, all I have to do to do a through, is do the same thing 5 more times.
squeezebox
12-24-2013, 01:32
I'm real proud of my son, he's looking at an internship at the best new restaurant in St. Louis. Haute cuisine, Farm to table. Every thing served as local as possible, as fresh as possible. I hope he'll be interested in helping in the garden. and with the chickens for eggs.
squeezebox
12-24-2013, 02:13
the section I'm thinking of would start at Springer, could shuttle to Neel's gap but the 3 day shake down would be good to decide what to send home. 340 miles would be through the Smokies to Erwin TN. Hot spring would be about 270 miles. Mid Apr. to mid May, or Sept.
Opinions ?
the section I'm thinking of would start at Springer, could shuttle to Neel's gap but the 3 day shake down would be good to decide what to send home. 340 miles would be through the Smokies to Erwin TN. Hot spring would be about 270 miles. Mid Apr. to mid May, or Sept.
Opinions ?
Go for it. You would get to start out the latter part of the bubble, which would be really neat. If you stay to Erwin or Hot Springs you will learn a lot about yourself and also why others get off the trail.
4eyedbuzzard
12-24-2013, 02:43
I don't see switching plans from a thru to section hiking a downgrade and no one else should either. Section hiking has advantages that a thru does not. You can pick your section based on weather, conditioning, work, school, ect.
Have fun with your son. Spending time with him is much more important than thru hiking.
...just what i was going to say... maybe should be called an upgrade.
I'm real proud of my son, he's looking at an internship at the best new restaurant in St. Louis. Haute cuisine, Farm to table. Every thing served as local as possible, as fresh as possible. I hope he'll be interested in helping in the garden. and with the chickens for eggs.
A nice Christmas present even though it changes your plans. Only one of my four children caught the hiking bug (she did the southern half of the LT last year and will do the northern half this year), but I really love getting out and hiking with her when I can. I need to get a week off this summer! Maybe your son can get a bit of time off and you can go hiking or camping or ??? together.
squeezebox
12-24-2013, 16:28
My son did not catch the bug, for cycling, hiking, folk music/dance, or carpentry.
and when he was younger my, ex-wife would stand in the way, sometimes physically, when I tried to make him come along. My opinion " you will come along at least a few times to see what this is about. Turn off the TV."
So you're saying if I make it through a 1 month section, all I have to do to do a through, is do the same thing 5 more times. that about sums it up. having done both types, section hikes are more enjoyable for the most part. The only thing you won't be able to reproduce is that weird, crazy feeling you get when you realize that you have hiked for a month, are about 20% done and the honeymoon is winding down and you are trying to imagine what 4 more months is going to feel like.
i section-hike, 50% done since 2010. i am in my mid-to-end 50's, i never had that window-of-opportunity earlier in life. but i am really loving the section-hike gig. . .i strive to stay in shape year-round, dehydrate lots of great meals year-round, use my minimal gear in a minimal way so as to save a bit on the wear & tear, get to upgrade some gear when really cool gear comes around, pick & choose when & where i want to hike. . .but i think the best thing, so far, is that i've done sections NOBO as well as SOBO. this means i've met hikers from both ends of the spectrum. . .2010 i did my first section from springer and this past july 2013 i did all of maine SOBO from katahdin. it's given me such an all-around, richer experience of the AT.
what an incredible Trail!
.com
I don't see switching plans from a thru to section hiking a downgrade and no one else should either. Section hiking has advantages that a thru does not. You can pick your section based on weather, conditioning, work, school, ect.
Have fun with your son. Spending time with him is much more important than thru hiking.
...just what i was going to say... maybe should be called an upgrade.
+2 Ditto. 90 % of the time I'm a thru-hiker completing the entire hike I set out to which is typically an entire named trail/route. Just a different kind of hike, not a downgrade.
Starchild
12-24-2013, 19:00
Please if he wishes to and you can help, encourage him to do the thru.
Just my take on it.
squeezebox
12-25-2013, 13:08
There and Back Again
If I did a section from Springer to Hot Springs or Erwin , Getting to Springer is a pretty straight forward process. Neither Hot Srings or Erwin have bus service, But Asheville NC does and it's less than an hour away. So getting a shuttle to Asheville should be possible. Then the bus home to St. Louis.