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cthomasy
02-06-2015, 09:23
Hi everyone, I am doing an independent study for my high school while I hike the trail and one of the things I have to do before I hike is interview former thru-hikers. So I have compiled a list of 11 questions I would like to ask you.

1. What is your name/trail name:
2. How old you were when you hiked the trail:
3. What year it was when you hiked:
4. What State are you from:
5. How long did it take you:
6. When did you start and finish:
7. How much did it cost:
8. What surprised you the most:
9. The biggest challenges you faced:
10. What's one piece of advice you would give to someone attempting to hike it for the first time:
11. What impact did hiking the trail have on your life:

JessetheViking
02-06-2015, 09:53
1. What is your name/trail name:The Viking
2. How old you were when you hiked the trail: 33
3. What year it was when you hiked:2014
4. What State are you from: Ohio
5. How long did it take you:6 months
6. When did you start and finish: mar 17th to sep 12th
7. How much did it cost:$6000
8. What surprised you the most: being able to push my mind and body to higher levels of abuse
9. The biggest challenges you faced:Pain
10. What's one piece of advice you would give to someone attempting to hike it for the first time: Never give up on your dream, dont quit. "Once a quitter, always a quitter"
11. What impact did hiking the trail have on your life: Realizing how superficial non-trail life is and trying to be okay with it.


Good luck on your report!

Starchild
02-06-2015, 11:23
[QUOTE=cthomasy;1943732]Hi everyone, I am doing an independent study for my high school while I hike the trail and one of the things I have to do before I hike is interview former thru-hikers. So I have compiled a list of 11 questions I would like to ask you.

1. What is your name/trail name: Starchild (initially taken as Star Child)
2. How old you were when you hiked the trail: sent via PM, just don't like giving my age out in the net.
3. What year it was when you hiked:2013
4. What State are you from:NY
5. How long did it take you: I say 5 and a half months
6. When did you start and finish: March 18th - Sept 1
7. How much did it cost: Estimated $6000-$8000
8. What surprised you the most: 1: Times of deep knowing and understanding this is exactly where I was suppose to be in life at that moment 2: overwhelming support from friends and acquaintances (care packages, stays, gifts) and also that the emails I sent them from the trail really meant a lot to them 3: Trail family, acceptance of another thru hiker is often immediate close family 4: While some thru hikers got up very early to ensure shelter space, and I did get caught up in that on occasion, I never way denied shelter space even if full and I got there late, they made room or someone decided to camp opening a spot which I was able to claim as that's when I arrived 5: (related to #4) Learning that the trail does provide and does care about me, even when I messed up (i.e. bringing less food then needed, not accounting for the hiker hunger that just started about 3 weeks in, the next day I was given all the food I cared to carry in the middle of the woods as some people were leaving camp to go home and had far too much)
9. The biggest challenges you faced: Physically: Southern Maine,
- Emotionally : old g/f issues (we were talking about getting back together and cleared up many of the reasons that we split, but after we met nothing happened) There was a deep sadness I had that lasted from CT into VT.
- Mentally: when to start, and how to get to Springer (this was solved by a new friend coming into my life who offered to drive me down during her spring break)
10. What's one piece of advice you would give to someone attempting to hike it for the first time: Follow your heart, and be open and accepting to change to find your path. The AT is not for everyone but there is someone for everyone and if you are meant to do it you will, but if not, while you may be able to do it it will be much harder, but that is because the AT is trying to show you a better direction for your life which is easier and just as much as a accomplishment. When you are doing what you are suppose to be doors will open to allow it.
11. What impact did hiking the trail have on your life:
1:Willingness to set off on my own path, know if it is correct it will happen, if I got it incorrect I will be nudged into the correct direction. Willingness to work away from my home. And knowing there is a place in my life where work and play are the same thing, so I can get paid for playing and provide value in others lives.
2: Knowing the destination is nice, but that does not mean I need to know every step, but trust in the path, the next step is the only one I need concern myself with as the path is proven and will get me there.

Colorized for your reading pleasure

Spirit Walker
02-06-2015, 12:38
Hi everyone, I am doing an independent study for my high school while I hike the trail and one of the things I have to do before I hike is interview former thru-hikers. So I have compiled a list of 11 questions I would like to ask you.

1. What is your name/trail name: Spirit Walker
2. How old you were when you hiked the trail:31 the first time, 35 the second
3. What year it was when you hiked: 1988 and 1992
4. What State are you from:I was living in Arizona the first time
5. How long did it take you:5 1/2 months -
6. When did you start and finish:April 1 - Sept. 11, and April 1 to Sept. 23
7. How much did it cost:Around $2000
8. What surprised you the most: That I was much stronger than I thought I was
9. The biggest challenges you faced: I discovered I have a phobia about falling, which made some of the rock climbs a real terror
10. What's one piece of advice you would give to someone attempting to hike it for the first time: Don't stress out before you go, because most problems can be sorted out once you're out there. The trail does provide. Thruhiking is much simpler than you can imagine.
11. What impact did hiking the trail have on your life: I became a perennial hiker - two AT hikes, two CDT hikes, PCT and GDT. I love the life and the lifestyle. It pretty much ruined me for ordinary civilization.

I hope that helps.

Spirit Walker
02-06-2015, 12:38
Hi everyone, I am doing an independent study for my high school while I hike the trail and one of the things I have to do before I hike is interview former thru-hikers. So I have compiled a list of 11 questions I would like to ask you.

1. What is your name/trail name: Spirit Walker
2. How old you were when you hiked the trail:31 the first time, 35 the second
3. What year it was when you hiked: 1988 and 1992
4. What State are you from:I was living in Arizona the first time
5. How long did it take you:5 1/2 months -
6. When did you start and finish:April 1 - Sept. 11, and April 1 to Sept. 23
7. How much did it cost:Around $2000
8. What surprised you the most: That I was much stronger than I thought I was
9. The biggest challenges you faced: I discovered I have a phobia about falling, which made some of the rock climbs a real terror
10. What's one piece of advice you would give to someone attempting to hike it for the first time: Don't stress out before you go, because most problems can be sorted out once you're out there. The trail does provide. Thruhiking is much simpler than you can imagine.
11. What impact did hiking the trail have on your life: I became a perennial hiker - two AT hikes, two CDT hikes, PCT and GDT. I love the life and the lifestyle. It pretty much ruined me for ordinary civilization.

I hope that helps.

sureaboutthis
02-06-2015, 13:28
1. What is your name/trail name: Multi
2. How old you were when you hiked the trail: 29-30
3. What year it was when you hiked: 2014
4. What State are you from: Texas
5. How long did it take you: Just under 6 months.
6. When did you start and finish: June 1st to November 24th.
7. How much did it cost: Around $4,000.
8. What surprised you the most: How many older hikers there were who were in amazing shape. I got left in the dust by people over twice my age.
9. The biggest challenges you faced: Low blood glucose. Sometimes I'd have a hypo episode in a bad place and almost pass out.
10. What's one piece of advice you would give to someone attempting to hike it for the first time: Keep an open mind. It'll be more fun if you're willing to leave your comfort zone, interact with other hikers more, leave the trail to see something interesting, et cetera.
11. What impact did hiking the trail have on your life: Hiking made me happier and gave me more energy. I focus on things much better than I did before, and I'm working on projects I always said I wanted to but never got around to.

CarlZ993
02-06-2015, 14:28
Hi everyone, I am doing an independent study for my high school while I hike the trail and one of the things I have to do before I hike is interview former thru-hikers. So I have compiled a list of 11 questions I would like to ask you.

1. What is your name/trail name: Zman
2. How old you were when you hiked the trail: 58
3. What year it was when you hiked: 2013
4. What State are you from: TX
5. How long did it take you: 152 days
6. When did you start and finish: 3/21 - 8/19
7. How much did it cost: ~$6,600
8. What surprised you the most: All the great people I met along the way. Hikers as well as other Trail Angels & others who assisted me on my hike.
9. The biggest challenges you faced: Very vertical trails, especially in NH & ME; also, 2013 was a very wet year; it got old hiking in all that rain.
10. What's one piece of advice you would give to someone attempting to hike it for the first time: Carry a light pack, start your daily hike early (gives you more options on hiking distances or extracurricular activities), and carry ear plugs.
11. What impact did hiking the trail have on your life: It was a great accomplishment for me. Very difficult. Being a retired cop, my view of mankind was sometimes jaundiced. It rejuvenated my outlook on the goodness in people. It made me want to strive to be a better person toward other people.

Good luck in your research & paper.

cthomasy
02-08-2015, 09:13
Thank you everyone so much for filling out my questions! It surprised me on how thorough you were.