View Full Version : How hard was it to return to society after a thru-hike?
Limbohiker
11-24-2005, 13:15
How hard was it to go back to a job and be surronded by people who may have had no interest for what you did, or an appriciation after a thru hike?
Jack Tarlin
11-24-2005, 15:18
Most folks have no "appreciation" or real interest in your thru-hike....and why should they?
The key is to go back and find work you enjoy, and to spend time with people you like.
Don't be surprised if you discover you have little in common with many of your old friends and acquaintances.....and most of your new ones will be hikers or other outdoorspeople, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
MoBeach42
11-24-2005, 16:25
For me it was really a combination of "i wish the world were more simple and primitive" and "it took months..." I've been back in 'society' for almost 4 and a half months now, and i'm not comfortable with it. But I knew that I was uncomfortable with the world before I got on the trail. I had a feeling already that the way we organize society isn't exactly the one that produces the most human happiness. And I kind of knew that there were lots and lots of people in the world who spent their life in the rat race, doing meaningless work, and barely getting by and not being satisfied.
I was fortunate to have a group of friends who DO understand the AT and the mentality that one has when on the trail. And who have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place - more simple and happy. So I returned knowing that it was my job to try and make the world more like the trail - hard work that's fullfilling. There are, of course, a LOT more thoughs here... but I don't want to waste too much of your time.
Go hike the trial. Don't listen to people who try and tell you what to do, or how to behave. Also don't fall into friendships or relations that you maintain the whole time on the trail because it's comforting - break out. Be yourself. Be at peace with yourself and the world around you.
-Jay
warren doyle
11-24-2005, 18:28
Not hard at all.
There is a time to be 'on-trail' and be alive and a time to be 'off-trail' and be alive. Both worlds can flow beautifully together like when my wife and I waltz. I celebrate being able to experience both worlds.
i hate society,i would spend my whole life in the woods if i could:cool: neo
justusryans
11-25-2005, 09:05
i hate society,i would spend my whole life in the woods if i could:cool: neo
I resemble that remark!:D
well I usually only go out for 3to 4 months and end up anywhere :-? I just like traveling but like to come back to society and its rewards like good fashion cooking,nice showers blaugh blaugh blaugh,but my need for the mts is like drugs:bse just need them.ky
How hard was it to go back to a job and be surronded by people who may have had no interest for what you did, or an appriciation after a thru hike?
LimboHiker:
Limbo LOWER now....hehehehehehe...
i'm just a LOWLY SECTION-HIKER...but after my 3 weeks & 3 days of hiking this past Spring (April-May 2005) it was good to be back home....but had some adjustments to make!
i really enjoy the peace & Serenity of Nature.
Most folks have no "appreciation" or real interest in your thru-hike....and why should they?
It is not something peculiar to long-distance hiking. This summer I joined the volunteer crew of a square-rigged tall ship and found it was SO like the trail community. Again, a sort of family detached from the outside world but with ships instead of trails, and no one on the outside really comprehends the experience; going aloft to furl sail or standing watch on a spray-lashed deck in heavy seas is something hard to really capture without being there. I bet after a round the world voyage reentry would be just as odd as after the AT.
The funny part is our crew had FOUR thruhikers!
fishinfred
11-25-2005, 11:31
Ever since I first experienced the Trail I was HOOKED! When I'm not hiking I'm making AT Hiker stuff. SO ...I guess (FOR ME) the Trail has become a HUGE part of my life! The experiences of the last 3 yrs have changed my life so much! There's Magic in those Mts. and it will find ANYONE who seeks it!
Its funny how a trek in the woods can open your eyes to a simpler ,less stressful kind of life and whats really cool is nobody gets it until they've tried it themselves! I look around at others (non hikers) and think to myself how lucky I am to have been touched by the Magic of the MT.s. I think I'd rather be poor and homeless than to get caught up in the ole RatRace again! Looking forward to spring and a new adventure !
What Bugged me most after getting home was "Friends and family" who couldnt even take the time to sit and see some of the cool photos that I took along the way....but thats ok ...They Have'nt a Clue!!
Happy Trails ALL and may the Magic of those Mt.s find you along your way!
FF
http://Fishinfreds.com
I, for one, adjust to change slowly. When I move or start a new job it always seems foreign at first and home much later. I would imagine leaving the trail after a long hike would be no different. After my annual section hike, I do feel a little depressed, but quickly rebound when I begin planning for the next section and start hanging here on WB. :cool:
rambunny
11-25-2005, 13:14
Amen to eveyone's response, Jack can probebly relate to mine,after so much time out there i think there are things that almost make you an alien here.
Just about everything on this side that bothers me begins with Dis- Distraction, disorder,disrespect,ect.
When i hike out west i feel like i'm going out on my lover.At least 30 or 40 percent of my thoughts are about trail memories,places,people,future hiking the AT, doing more for the trail community, dreaming of a hostle i'm believing for some day. Reading AT books, watching trail videos, and i have the good fortune to have many section hiker and thru hiker friends. This forum is a life savor too thanks to the people who facilitate it and those who participate.
I do feel this is a subject that is of interest to future long distance hikers. The more we demystify it the less likely will be a wooooo Albert Mt. Scarey time for newbies. I know on my 1st thru hike i started worrying about it in Georgia. I felt so blessed to be where i felt i belonged i couldn't imagine not being there.
Blue Jay
11-25-2005, 17:12
Never did return to society. I live in a house in the woods and sometimes go to town. The violence/money world holds no interest for me.
smokymtnsteve
11-25-2005, 18:38
Never did return to society. I live in a house in the woods and sometimes go to town. The violence/money world holds no interest for me.
yeah baby....
Never did return to society. I live in a house in the woods and sometimes go to town. The violence/money world holds no interest for me.
right on man. haven't been to town in a couple of weeks myself.
driving is somewhat of a challenge after only walkin' or ridin' for months.
that same sickness goes the opposite way as well. i can remember walking across the road in Franklin NC and forgetting to look for traffic after hiking for only a few weeks.
there is no turning back. I felt pretty lost coming home in 2003 after getting so close and bailing out. a lot of personal energy and resources to get so far and to have to quit. and yet this year after a restart and a good finish I'm not so sure where home is any more. coming back to south florida and having to deal with all these folk unprepared for no power, water, gasoline, or food after wilma was anti-climatic...distressing...comical. the hikes have made big changes to my value system. I think they are permanent changes.
It wasn't hard for me either. The trail is just a step in the grand walk of life.
After the PCT, I had a hard time sleeping indoors at first. That was about it as far as difficulties go. Reentry was more about rediscovering all the little things I forgot to appreciate on a daily basis.
JojoSmiley
12-04-2005, 11:17
I had no problem coming back to live in a world of running toilets and such. Now tho, I live full time in a motorhome so the trail life is not much different from it. I do miss hiking miles everyday tho....PCT in 07 here I come!
It wasn't hard for me either. The trail is just a step in the grand walk of life.
LOL... You've got to be kidding! How many trails (multiple times) have you hiked? Face it, perhaps not the AT, but hiking is (was?) your life!
PS. Not to stick my head up your butt, but when I 1st started planning the AT Yappy mentioned you and the Triple Crown and I knew then that's what I wanted. I'd like to do it again and again too.
Footslogger
12-14-2005, 11:32
Funny thing struck me recently. I returned home from my thru in October 2003 and after a few months went back to work. I considered those 3 months my "re-entry period". Now though, after more than 2 years off the trail I'd have to admit that I've never totally returned to society ...at least the society I left behind.
Guess it's different for everyone but for me the trail left some indellible marks that time alone doesn't seem capable of erasing. I still daydream a lot (maybe not as much as a year ago) about the trail and specific people and places. That alone prevents me from letting go totally and becoming a part of the society to which I returned.
Something tells me that I'm going to be on the trail, at least in my mind, for many years to come and I may never totally return to what is thought by some to be a "normal life". Society today (off-trail) in large part just doesn't hold the appeal that it once may have for me. Too much of everything and so little time to stop the world and get off now and then.
'Slogger
max patch
12-14-2005, 13:04
The only "problem" I had upon return was falling asleep every night at 9:00. Took about a month for my body clock to get regulated.
Many people talk about depression upon returning. Similarly, I am a runner and many people who complete marathons also report suffering depression when their race is over. Similar circumstances -- completion of a goal that required several months to do so -- I guess. The only thing I ever felt after a marathon was that I was glad it was over.
The Solemates
12-14-2005, 13:09
Funny thing struck me recently. I returned home from my thru in October 2003 and after a few months went back to work. I considered those 3 months my "re-entry period". Now though, after more than 2 years off the trail I'd have to admit that I've never totally returned to society ...at least the society I left behind.
Guess it's different for everyone but for me the trail left some indellible marks that time alone doesn't seem capable of erasing. I still daydream a lot (maybe not as much as a year ago) about the trail and specific people and places. That alone prevents me from letting go totally and becoming a part of the society to which I returned.
Something tells me that I'm going to be on the trail, at least in my mind, for many years to come and I may never totally return to what is thought by some to be a "normal life". Society today (off-trail) in large part just doesn't hold the appeal that it once may have for me. Too much of everything and so little time to stop the world and get off now and then.
'Slogger
couldnt have said it better myself. preach on man..
Something I wrote back 2003 on another hiking list. Seems appropriate.
I think it is safe to say my AT trail adjustment had some unique factors. :)
Re-adjusting after the AT was just brutual. Most of the people who have been on this list for a while know the story of what I found out the day after I finished
the AT, but to re-cap for those who are new here (1999 on!):
August 1st, 1998. Finished the AT. Easily one of the happiest days of my life. My best friend, who I have known since Catholic school days, hiked the last week
of the trail with me. My youngest brother and other friends met us at Katahdin Stream campground at 7am.
Still remember the day clearly. The ponds were misting for the day was cool, but warming quickly. The two miles from Daicey to Katahdin were strange. Almost
dream like. Five mos of hiking about to come to an end. But I arrived in the parking lot, and there was Steve (brother), Leo, Jim and Steve (friend). They hadn't
seen me in 5 mos, never saw me with a beard, and couldn't believe how I looked (or smelled!).
Climbed to the Tableland with them. But, as soon as I saw the Katahdin sign, I sped up. All but Steve and Tim fell behind. Reach the sign, hollered, took my
picture (with a full watermelon I carried to the summit). The others arrived and pulle out a feast. Leo packed in a bottle of Dom (!). My first and only time
drinking a $100 bottle of champagne. They also sprayed me down with sprakling wine. They said I smelled better stinking of cheap booze! We also had cold-cuts,
bagles, cheese, fresh fruit. As Squanto said "Your friends packed an Italian deli to the summit!". Indeed.
Also puffed on some convenience store stogies my brother packed in. Reminded me of why I don't smoke... Happy..happy..happy..very happy day.
August 2nd, 1998. Shaved, showered, clean clothes. Somewhere on I-95 getting back to RI. The rental car got very quiet. My brother, who had just graduated
from high school, said "Paul. There's somethng I have to tell you". That is usually not a good way to start a conversation... "While you were away, our parents seperated. The
family house has been sold"... Me "What about the dog?" (Family pet of 15 yrs) Steve "She's been put to sleep". (She had arthrtitis extrememly bad before I
left..had lost most of her sight while I was away)
Ouch.
As you can imagine the double whammy of a) getting used to civilization after 5 mos of exploring the woods b) getting used to the idea that the previous 24
yrs of my life just does not exist anymore made for me an interesting time. Pulling up to the family home seeing a SOLD sign on the front lawn, finding all my
belongings in cardboard boxes and having two weeks to find a place to live (when I did not expect to) was a bit overwhelming.
Needless to say, 1999 was a difficult year for me. Felt lost. No one in my family could relate really. I was supposed to have gotten it out of my system. At
24, I was supposed to start thinking of serious things. And Rhode Island is not exaclty a mecca for people who value the outdoors as something to be cherished. :-D
Coming from a conservative, blue-collar, Catholic background was not supposed to do things like dreaming of taking big adventures. One was supposed to be more
than enough. Time to get a good job, meet a nice girl, start a family. (Come to think of it..they still say that. :D) My friends, with the exception of one friend, wondered when I was going to "snap out of it" as well.
Long story short...needed a change and moved to Colorado one year to the day I ended the AT. Wanted to get away and start fresh, if you will. Tim kicked me
in the ass to get a move on. Basically said "You aren't happy. Do something about it!" Good friends are like that...
Moving to Colorado was an adventure in itself. I might as well have moved to Guam. For most of my friends and family, going to Boston (1 hr away), was a
road trip. Being 2000 miles away? Wow... Definitely became the black sheep in a family where all 6 children and all 16 grandchildren still lived within ten miles of each other. (On the other hand, when I do visit, I do get to pick whatever food I want for
family meals. ;-) Oh yes..the family is now up to 4 great-grandchildren. Traditional Catholic family in more than a few ways... )
Think that is common for many people who finish a long trail. Feel a drift. Not sure what to do next. The goal you worked so hard for has been finished. Now
what? Part of that feeling is physiological. Your energy level was abusrdly high. The body becomes addicted to that level. Then, the activity ceases
abruptly. But, the big adjustment is psychological. Getting used to many people again. Getting used to living on a schdule that is not set by you. Going from
your "office view" being the mountains to working in a cubicle again, wondering if you can get the extra day-off for along weekend.
I think I had a unique post-trail story, but sure of this story reflects, in some ways, for other thru-hikers, too.
My PCT re-adjustment story was in someways better, someways worse. I figured doing the AT, would be ready for the post-trail "funk". Wrong.
First, the IT industry took a big nose dive in Colorado. Even more so than the rest of the country. Long story short, the job I had lined up before I left was no longer. The company was liquidated. The job I had to take more or less had retail hours (did the
techie thing in a computer store) and was hard to even escape on weekends for a needed outdoor fix.
As Jim mentioned, I also felt uncomfortable in crowds. At the first meeting I attended for my outdoor group, one friend asked me if I was OK. I am still like that
in crowds, if a bit better than a year ago. I don't think I was really prepared for the physiological changes. I was so pre-occupied with the family issues
post-AT, that I did not notice the physiological issues at all. This time I did.
But, living in Boulder (which *IS* an outdoor mecca), had much more support from other people. People who may not have thru-hiked but have spent weeks or months
biking in Europe. Climbing the Himalayas. Training for ulta-marathons. They could relate on some level. People who actually wanted to hear stories. Who nodded
their heads and understood.
Also became heavily involved in my outdoor group. Took over the e-mail list, organized a bunch of trips. In short, found a new "project" right away. And I took up
running, helping to keep up that physical activity. The combo of running and being involved in something really shortened the post-trail funk.
So, post-trail "funkiess" can be interesting. You feel lost, uncomfortable in "normal life". You miss the lifestyle terribly. SOme people adjust better than
others. Some keep on hiking. :-)
Anyway, that was my long, rambling post about my post-trail experiences. A bit akward at times..but I adjusted. For the most part. ;-)
****
Post script: Here it is two years later after I made that post. Like many habitual offenders, I want to be on the trail again.
The Colorado Trail last year was but a tease! I don't know if I really adjusted if I still want to keep on doing a long hike. Kinda like a healthier (physically) junkie. ;)
I once told my on again/off again girlfriend that after the CDT I'd be ready to settle down; one more big hike is all I need.
She looked at me with a Mona Lisa smile and said "You'll be saying that
when you are 70". Ah..she knows me well!
She also once told me "The outdoors for you is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle".
Her two comments could apply to MANY of us.
So post-trail adjustment? I am afraid for many of us are in PRE-trail
adjustment. We long for the next big adventure.
Is it healthy? Probably not. But it is who many of us are. Trying
to find the same sense of fulfillment in daily life can be difficult at
times. Possible, but difficult... Still trying to balance wanderlust and stability.
Anyway..that's my nickels worth of rambling!
Most folks have no "appreciation" or real interest in your thru-hike....and why should they?
The key is to go back and find work you enjoy, and to spend time with people you like. Don't be surprised if you discover you have little in common with many of your old friends and acquaintances.....and most of your new ones will be hikers or other outdoorspeople, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
i find this to be true even after a 3 week section hike...
i am SO ENTHUSIASTIC about my time on the A.T...hikin'....others...could
care less...& of course, dont understand (because they've never hiked or
desire to...):-?
but hiking is (was?) your life! Thanks Sly, your check is in the mail.;) Well as of yesterday it is back to is. Heidi has moved back to the big city and I've got my walkin papers:jump :banana :jump :sun !!! I'm sitting here trying to decide what to do about this place and where I'll be walkin next spring! I'm back, YEEHAAAaaa
Auntie Mame
12-14-2005, 23:01
Mags, What a fine piece of writing. In this country now, the standard operating procedure: be suspicious of nature, buy into the whole scene on TV, make the mall your idea of a major outing: all that is terribly distracting from what healthy is. Having the outdoors be a lifestyle is wonderful. Wear it with pride. Thanks so much for sharing a detailed report on how it really was to re-enter. We have relatives in So. Mass., I know the scene you are talking about. How they can trust mainsteam life so thoroughly, beats me all to heck. Hike on.