View Full Version : Advice from failed attempts?
WanderlustWolf
10-17-2014, 12:52
I have been reading about how only about 17%-20% of Thru-Hikers actually make it! :eek: Has anyone on here had an attempt at a Thru-hike not go so well? Would you be willing to share what you learned from it experience? What did you learn that you wish you knew before you made your first attempt? Are there any articles about this topic anyone can recommend? I am getting my life in order to make a first attempt in 2015 and any honesty would be much appreciated!
walking to far, to fast, with to much weight.
test all your gear, at home. then on over night camp outs and hikes. Get in shape. Then test all your gear again in the dark, in the rain, in winds.
and no, I've not been out more than a week at a time either............ but I am slowly taking the advice and applying it.
people should do some backpacking (weekends, vacations etc) BEFORE attempting a 5-6 month thru hike so they at least no what they are getting into, and know their geer.. what they do and don't need and how it works.
people should do some backpacking (weekends, vacations etc) BEFORE attempting a 5-6 month thru hike so they at least no what they are getting into, and know their geer.. what they do and don't need and how it works.
Yes!!!
You can discuss gear all day, but until you use it, you will not know what works. Plus it is fun to go out and backpack!
I know people have done the trail with NO backpacking experience. But if I was committing to 5 months+ of my life to a journey, quitting a job and making other plans, I know I'd want to do everything I could to not be in the approx 75% who do NOT complete the journey.
We rarely hear from the 75% who do not compete the journey. Good thread.
Don't use the word "fail" to describe my incomplete thru-hikes that much anymore. Mainly because I still treasure the experiences and I'm glad I was out there as much as I was. My first attempt was by far my best and I think I had the best chance of completing the whole Trail in one go that year... but tragedy stopped me in my tracks in PA. Looking back I can't say there was really anything that could have prepared me for it. Sometimes **** just happens. The second attempt was three years after the first and I just made bad decisions regarding who I started to hike with and why.
Your starting fitness level isn't a big deal because the Trail will beat you down and spit you out stronger than ever - IF you don't quit before then. The best advice I think I could give anyone preparing for their first attempt would be to do a 2 week long section hike. This would be a great test run to see if you have the mental fortitude to push on day after day. Would also give people a better idea of what gear they need versus what they want, and what they would be willing to haul up the trail. Two weeks is quite a long time away from work in itself but I strongly encourage you to try it if you can. A lot of people drop off the trail before that much time has passed and many of them had been dreaming of it for far longer. Dreaming didn't help them when they realized it wasn't as glamorous as they had thought it would be... It can be a costly reality check.
What helps: Better quality gear? Yes. Better physical health? Yes. Extra money? Yes. Better nutrition? Yes. Support of family and friends? Yes.
Yet the determining factor will come down to mental fortitude. Excluding injury, illness, death, and financial issues that could end your hike.
What will you do if it rains for 16 days straight and despite your valiant efforts just about everything you have is wet? If you wake up one morning and your feet no longer fit into the shoe/boot size that you've had for all of your adult life? If you get chased down a mountain by a deer... or worse yet... an aggressive emu? If your foot becomes cut open at the heel when a stick rips through your footwear? If you experience a month long episode of Giardia and have reached epic levels of "sick in the woods"? If on one of your most miserable evenings you're stuck on a privy covered in only rusty nails, its cold, raining, you're swearing profusely as the last of your precious TP has run out, and the only thing left to comfort you is the not so hushed laughter coming from the nearby shelter at your expense?
There will be hunger, pain, discomfort, and boredom. Yet despite it all... when you look back to your time on the Trail - You will be happy. The good times will overshadow the bad.
I wish you the very best for your 2015 hike. Enjoy it.
Old Hiker
10-17-2014, 15:09
1. Too much weight, although I was lugging it fairly well.
2. Walk AROUND mud puddles. http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=378951
3. Post #2 - test, test, test. Testing is MUCH harder than the Trail, in my opinion. You aren't out there long enough to become accustomed to the tiredness, hunger, etc. You know you can always bail and start again next weekend or whatever.
Trying to crank out too many miles too early. Give your body time to acclimate.
Your starting fitness level isn't a big deal because the Trail will beat you down and spit you out stronger than ever - IF you don't quit before then. .
(Emphasis mine)
Exactly. So why not have a base level of fitness to start? Again, when 75% of people do not finish their AT thru-hike, what's wrong with some conditioning before starting?
The hikes are mental challenges, but the mental challenges are easier if you aren't struggling excessively up every hill and dale to start. :)
Agree on the long hike before hand. I did a three-week hike on the Long Trail the year before starting my AT hike and it really helped. My gear was dialed in a bit more and my daily routine as well. And I found out I really enjoy backpacking. In many ways, my thru-hike of the LT was my most helpful backpacking trip ever on many levels.
#1 do not start hiking too many miles/day, allow yourself time to acclimate to the trail. Injuries come on quickly when you start out doing big days too soon. #2 train, train, train before your hike. Train on hills. Train using a full weight backpack. Build an aerobic base, as a long distance runner would do. #3 reduce your pack weight as much as possible. #4 Mental: take the hike one day at a time, don't think weeks or months ahead, take it one day at a time, live in the moment, enjoy every moment, take breaks during the day, it's a marathon, not a sprint #5 Find a group or buddy you enjoy being around, you don't have to hike all day with them, but it's more enjoyable if you find someone or a group you can pal around with at the end of the day, and in towns. #6 Don't sweat the bad days, there will be bad days, and you can't let them make you quit. After the nasty weather and rain, the good weather will eventually return.
4eyedbuzzard
10-17-2014, 16:55
I think a lot of people truly believe they will enjoy a thru-hike, but learn by trying it that they really don't want to hike for 5 to 6 solid months day in, day out, and deal with all the not so enjoyable aspects of thru-hiking. I think many of us fall in love with a romantic notion of thru-hiking, but find that we don't like the reality of it. While times, equipment, and the trail experience were much different when I stopped in Damascus back in the late 1970's, I just found that I wasn't enjoying it any more. I much prefer just going out for two days to a week max. I would admit that I get bored with many activities easily, including hiking. It's just not for me, and probably just not for many others. But the only way you'll ever know is to give it a try.
I bet you can learn as much or more about completing thru-hikes the first time from those that do that also take notice of what takes many(most?)off their intended thru-hikes. With the many possible scenarios I've observed that take thru-hikers off their intended thru-hikes the Number #1 thing by far is loosing the mental game. This is going to rub most the wrong way but it's not the gear, money, weather, physical conditioning, so called boring trail, or even injury that takes most first time thru-hiker wanna bees off their thru-hikes. It's not managing and routinely adapting to the new mentality it takes to thru-hike.
I failed to finish one thru-hike in more than twenty 300 mile plus thru-hikes. This occurred recently this late spring on the 740 mile Grand Enchantment Trail where I only went 360 miles. I could claim it was about the heat, starting too late, lack of humidity, copious water hauls, not being ultimately physically prepared, gear break downs, tight trail budget, bah blah blah. Plain and simple my head never stayed focused on appreciating the thru-hike. I trudged begrudgingly mile after mile at times. I fell into a mental funk letting myself get mentally negative that began by letting myself be mentally complacent by allowing and entertaining negative thoughts. I absolutely HATED that I wasn't fully realizing the awesomeness that a long distance remote desert hike in blooming spring is! I absolutely HATED that I didn't finish. More importantly, what really irritated me was that I took the thru-hike for granted. That's a sure way to back yourself into trouble both on at thru-hike and in LIFE - lack of gratitude and humility! I took a few days off. I got my head back together appreciating the wonder that a thru-hike involves. I regained my appreciation while adding some humility for this blessing of being ale to backpack long distances. I immediately went on a different 300 mile hike elsewhere and then a 140 mile thru-hike joyfully completing both. Since than, I've added another 300+ mile thru-hike and I'm currently on yet another. Most importantly is not those stats though. It's my attitude of gratitude is back!
One through thru hiker once said.....
"If you are properly trained then it is much more of a mental game. If you are not trained then physical pain will become mental pain."
Second Hand
10-17-2014, 18:51
Awesome post Dogtra!
I agree, your attempts were not a failure! Maybe someday you'll get back to PA and finish a section hike.
MuddyWaters
10-17-2014, 19:18
Leave yourself enough time and money to do it YOUR way. Squeezing in a window shorter than you really need, or rushing due to limited money, will both end up getting you hurt, burnt out, or financially depleted.
likeahike
10-17-2014, 20:31
I agree with 4eyedbuzzard, thru-hiking the AT is not for everyone. When I hiked in '05, I had the time, the money, the gear and the fitness to do it. What I did not have was the inclination. I actually hiked longer than expected and ended up at Harper's Ferry. At that point I was deathly bored and having no fun at all. So I went home. Since then I've never once considered a hike of more than a week. Love my hiking, but in moderation.
CrumbSnatcher
10-17-2014, 20:54
a crappy day on the trail is better than a good day at work :-)
WanderlustWolf
10-17-2014, 23:09
I hope I did not offend anyone with calling these “Failed“ attempts. I started doing ultramarthons on trails last year and I learned that as long as I know I honestly gave my best effort (training, nutrition during before and after the race, got enough rest but not more than I should, proper clothing, etc) that not finishing a race could be so much more rewarding than finishing something I KNEW I could do. Not finishing is not a failure in my book, I just thought it might be easier for others to look up if I used lingo that so many others tend to when first starting to get REAL about the idea of a Thru-Hike.
You have all been awesome! This is so great! Thanks for all the info!
2015 Lady Thru-Hiker
10-17-2014, 23:14
a crappy day on the trail is better than a good day at work :-)
Once again wish we had a like button on here :)
I quit my attempted thru after 60 days or so, a day shy of McAfee knob. It had stopped being fun. I finished the trail 17 years later at the very same road crossing. It took a long long time to acquire and maintain a positive attitude on the trail. For me it wasn't about fitness or money or injury or family crisis. It was and remains all about attitude.
TJ aka Teej
10-18-2014, 00:54
There are no "failed attempts," there are only successful section hikes.
I hope I did not offend anyone with calling these “Failed“ attempts.
I was not offended. :)
JohnnySnook
10-18-2014, 03:22
Sorry the posts last night. - Posting while drunk is never smart.
likeahike
10-18-2014, 04:04
I highly doubt it was the money for Dogwood. I mean he owns a house in Toms River and another in Kapaa, HI? Quiting the trail wasn't that hard for you in my mind. Too much money! Not enough heart!
Just the airfare flying back and forth from NJ to HI could support 10 + thru attempts? Now if your flying 1st class maybe triple that amount.
Sorry to de-rail. Just tracking down a fish poacher. What makes it even worse is the fish he poachered was left to spoil in his trunk. Very sad!I think we should rename you, JohnnyStalker.
BTW, in all your decades of fishing, are you telling us you never once "poached a fish" or let one spoil?
First I would like to say that the 75/80% non compleation rate, published, is not accurate. Most everyone who sets foot on the AT at Springer consideres themselves a thru-hiker. Half of them have no intention of hiking for 5-7 months. They have to return to school, have a job waiting or just don't have the time. Another group leave without sufficent funds to support themselves for the duration of a thru.
I would estimate that the hikers who have the time, have the money and the determination would be about 50% of those who who compleat a thru-hike.
In my estimation a thru-hike should be approached like starting a new job in a new field. You have to approach it with caution. Be eagar to learn and stay with it until you complete the task. The task is to get up every morning. Tackle any hardships and procede with a positive attatude. I have said, "thru hiking is the hardest job I ever had."
I decided to thru-hike after I retired at 65 years old. With the above mentioned attitude, a lot of luck and 201 days I finished my thru-hike.
So many who attempt, find it easier to quit than endure the hardships.
lonehiker
10-18-2014, 11:12
a crappy day on the trail is better than a good day at work :-)
Find a better job.
Find a better job.
I have a "good" job that pays reasonably well. I have a good manager and good co-workers. The work is challenging and I have a skill set that allows me to pretty much have a job whenever I need one.
I'd still rather be out hiking. :)
It is my vocation that pays the bills. It is my avocation that provides me the passion.
http://www.pmags.com/vocation-vs-avocation
well said! only thing I would add for my situation is that my hiking trips usually result in increased business for my physical therapist when I get home. So it's my avocation that helps pay his bills
I have a "good" job that pays reasonably well. I have a good manager and good co-workers. The work is challenging and I have a skill set that allows me to pretty much have a job whenever I need one.
I'd still rather be out hiking. :)
It is my vocation that pays the bills. It is my avocation that provides me the passion.
http://www.pmags.com/vocation-vs-avocation
CrumbSnatcher
10-18-2014, 15:03
Find a better job.
nice response! its just what they say out on the trail, to help hikers that are having a tough go at it. some hikers think they should get off the trail, and others just tell them its the same old thing going on at home, it'll be the same when you get home. i love hiking and i love working for myself
For me it was loneliness, trying to keep up with others and hiking more mpd than I should have, not listening to the pain that turned out to be bursitis and which turned into a chronic condition. I have hiked approx. 900 miles of the trail in 1997 and still dream of returning if only to hike a section or two. If I ever manage this, I will limit myself to 10-15 mpd (or less), but don't know if I have the stamina or will to do it.
Don't be afraid to fail! There is nothing wrong with failure despite what some people say. It isn't a bad word. You learn far more from your failures then you do your successes. Trying to gloss over a failure to say you didn't fail likely means you will miss some of the lessons you could have learned from it. Personal rant about our failure adverse culture of today.
I failed on my AT attempt in 2012. Yes, it was a complete failure as I didn't complete what I set out to do and wanted to do. So I will go back and rectify that when I get some time having learned what not to do next time. I failed for a couple of reasons:
1) Didn't have enough money. I tried to do it on the cheap compared to my PCT thru-hike. Biggest issue I had. Due to a slower than planned pace I was spending money too fast and getting sick for a week in Maine didn't help. I didn't have enough for contengencies if something went wrong. And yes it did.
2) Late start for a southbound attempt meant I was running into bad weather that I knew would only get worse as winter set in which was a drag on moral. It would have been easier to ignore bad weather if I knew I was hiking into Summer where it would be warmer rather then winter.
3) Changing my long term plans at the last minute from a NOBO hike to a SOBO hike and then a late SOBO hike due to certain circumstances that delayed my start by several months. I should have just called it off until another year. As none of my previous planning was of any use for what my hike became which lead to some unrealistic ideas and schedule since I didn't take the time to fully understand what the impact of those changes were before I started.
4) Started trail in the worse shape I'd been in in several years. Yes, you can hike yourself into shape, but having to go much slower then I planned put me behind an unrealistic schedule I had which was a morale killer due to how late in winter I was likely to finish due to my late start. It didn't help that I started with the toughest part of the trail and I really underestimated how tough the AT physically is in Maine and NH.
The biggest thing I did right was I had a lightweight pack (10.5 pound baseweight) which helped compensate for my poor starting physical condition.
One other common "mistake" that I saw many of the younger hikers make - do not congregate and travel with a group. Many who did oftentimes got caught hiking more mpd than they should have simply in a desire to keep up (and hit the towns) with their buddies. Didn't see a lot of that past the first 500-750 miles but it was common in the beginning.
One other common "mistake" that I saw many of the younger hikers make - do not congregate and travel with a group. Many who did oftentimes got caught hiking more mpd than they should have simply in a desire to keep up (and hit the towns) with their buddies. Didn't see a lot of that past the first 500-750 miles but it was common in the beginning.
This is an example of not hiking your own hike. Nothing wrong in seeking friends and companionship on the trail. Perfectly natural in fact. I really enjoy having company at camp or socializing with other hikers at town stops. But I'm much better off hiking alone, setting my own pace, making my own calls about when and where to stop. When these become group decisions, someone's likely to lose out. If you're faster or slower than the group's "norm" it can be bad for the psyche and possibly bad for the body, eg., injuring yourself while trying to keep up with faster hikers.
So... back to the focus of the thread: a big chunk of HYOH is: don't be comparing yourself with other hikers you meet. In particular, don't get discouraged by other hikers blowing past you, be they thru-hikers, section hikers or weekenders. Push yourself as much or as little as you like, but beware of letting "the group" lead you from the path you wish to follow. To thine own self be true.
Don't get into a hurry, Most folks when their planning a thru-hike they get impatient with it and when they make it to Springer MT for NOBO's, Katahdan For SOBO's, they have a mindset of I got to go, I got to go, which is a mistake you try to do too many miles and basically walk yourself right off the trail I suggest you slow down and be PATIENT with your self and your gear and enjoy it, if you don't enjoy it GO HOME.
I should add that you need to be Mentally prepared, you need to be prepared to be separated from you loved ones for extended periods, the physical part that will come with time, the mental side of it will rip your heart out and stomp on it. so be preparred
This is an example of not hiking your own hike. Nothing wrong in seeking friends and companionship on the trail. Perfectly natural in fact. I really enjoy having company at camp or socializing with other hikers at town stops. But I'm much better off hiking alone, setting my own pace, making my own calls about when and where to stop. When these become group decisions, someone's likely to lose out. If you're faster or slower than the group's "norm" it can be bad for the psyche and possibly bad for the body, eg., injuring yourself while trying to keep up with faster hikers.
So... back to the focus of the thread: a big chunk of HYOH is: don't be comparing yourself with other hikers you meet. In particular, don't get discouraged by other hikers blowing past you, be they thru-hikers, section hikers or weekenders. Push yourself as much or as little as you like, but beware of letting "the group" lead you from the path you wish to follow. To thine own self be true.
Nice post Rafe. If we can hike comfortably within ourselves without the need to impress others or even ourselves through the propping up of our egos it's my contention as well that the vast majority of hikers would be better off. The culture of competition and having the all too common mindset "if anything is worth doing it's worth doing fast" has sidelined many a new hiker, as well as some more experienced ones.
JohnnySnook
10-21-2014, 04:27
Nice post Rafe. If we can hike comfortably within ourselves without the need to impress others or even ourselves through the propping up of our egos it's my contention as well that the vast majority of hikers would be better off. The culture of competition and having the all too common mindset "if anything is worth doing it's worth doing fast" has sidelined many a new hiker, as well as some more experienced ones.
Great posts by both Dogwood and rafe.
From most of the journals I've read they hike to there own pace. Just cause you made fiends in the first 20 days you may not every see them again. Running into one of two of them down the trail may be great. From What I can tell reading TH'ers journal's go at the pace that fits you.
You will join many friends for weeks on end. Many you'll never see again.
You'll run into many old friends before the end. They will all be special.
Lone Wolf
10-21-2014, 05:31
Has anyone on here had an attempt at a Thru-hike not go so well? Would you be willing to share what you learned from it experience?
I quit twice in gorham, n.h. i learned i was sick of walkin' by then and didn't want to blow through maine just to get to a stupid sign
JohnnySnook
10-21-2014, 05:42
I have a "good" job that pays reasonably well. I have a good manager and good co-workers. The work is challenging and I have a skill set that allows me to pretty much have a job whenever I need one.
I'd still rather be out hiking. :)
It is my vocation that pays the bills. It is my avocation that provides me the passion.
http://www.pmags.com/vocation-vs-avocation
MAGS - You broke my heart! I thought you were a woman to be married! My heart is broken! :(
MAGS - You broke my heart! I thought you were a woman to be married! My heart is broken! :(
Alas, Mags is not short for Maggie..but is an old family nickname and short for Magnanti.
I am a short guy who is bald and a little hairy. Sorry. :)
I'm also happily married to a lovely woman from Germany who is, luckily, not bald and a little hairy. ;)
Alas, Mags is not short for Maggie..but is an old family nickname and short for Magnanti.
I am a short guy who is bald and a little hairy. Sorry. :)
I'm also happily married to a lovely woman from Germany who is, luckily, not bald and a little hairy. ;)
Just how short are you, Mags? I'm convinced that being short is not necessarily a good attribute for long-distance hiking, but your example would put the lie to that notion. I think I topped out at 5'5" or so... have lost a bit since then.
One advantage of being short is a lower center of gravity. Short powerful legs might mean lower chance of injury, but also a shorter stride.
Seatbelt
10-21-2014, 12:49
Just how short are you, Mags? I'm convinced that being short is not necessarily a good attribute for long-distance hiking, but your example would put the lie to that notion. I think I topped out at 5'5" or so... have lost a bit since then.
One advantage of being short is a lower center of gravity. Short powerful legs might mean lower chance of injury, but also a shorter stride.
I can think of a few advantages to being shorter; It takes less energy to hike because of less weight(as a rule), less food to consume to provide lesser amount of energy required.
I could be wrong, just my opinion........
I can think of a few advantages to being shorter; It takes less energy to hike because of less weight(as a rule), less food to consume to provide lesser amount of energy required.
I could be wrong, just my opinion........
Most everything scales. It may take "less energy to hike" but with smaller size and mass there is less energy to give, and more effort to carry a similar weight. Short stride doesn't help for making miles, but it may help for avoiding injury. It is a fact that height (size) generally tracks career and financial success but that's a whole 'nother matter. ;)
Just how short are you, Mags? I'm convinced that being short is not necessarily a good attribute for long-distance hiking, but your example would put the lie to that notion. I think I topped out at 5'5" or so... have lost a bit since then.
Exactly 5'6". Think Gimili more than Frodo, though. So, pretty strong for my height and blessed with good endurance. :)
Another Kevin
10-21-2014, 15:17
I aborted a thru-hike of the 132-mile Northville-Placid Trail within the last few days, so let me offer a few comments on this one.
The hike was very much at the boundary of the season. It snowed on the last day of my trip, and many local businesses were shuttered for the winter by the time I got off trail. So it was "high risk" in that anything that put me off schedule would likely end the hike. And it was worse weather than snow for a lot of the trip - cold rain and sleet, perfect hypothermia weather.
The hike was actually higher risk than I should have taken on. I was going solo, and wound up falling - in the late afternoon of the first day - into freezing-cold whitewater maybe 150 yards upstream of a waterfall with nobody to help me out. I got myself out, got a fire going fast, and was able to warm up and continue. But it was way too near a thing. Going solo on the A-T in high summer is one thing. But there were twice on this trip that I went 48 hours without seeing anyone at all.
On the morning of the fourth day, I woke up at 0300 or so coughing my head off and knew that I would need to take a day or two off to feel better. I managed to stumble about eight miles to a town, and accounted myself that I wasn't 20 miles from the nearest road (as I had been on the start of the previous day).
Even after I got off trail (after 37-38 miles in 4 days), I felt the need to "get back on the horse", so after I went back home and recuperated some, I leapfrogged forward and did the last 28 miles of the trail, so that I've got over half of it done. But I don't have the vacation time to finish it up, and the weather is getting very dodgy.
So, I'll call the 3- and 4-day sections "long weekends," call the 65 miles or so that I did a couple of successful short sections, and be relieved that I get to stay a "clueless weekender." :)
It was fun. I'll be back to do the rest.