The wall

[snicklefitz]

This a a question for any that have attempted and/or completed the thru.
When did you hit the wall(how far), physically, emotionally?

How did you overcome it? Or did you succumb to it?

[hubcap]

the "Virginia Blues" seem to be aptly named for many a thru hiker. After being on the trail for awhile, in combination of the prospect of so long a stretch in one State seems to be a "wall" to many.

Focusing on each day with it's joys and trials instead of the length of the journey is a great way to surpass the "blues" mindset. Go from resupply to resupply, and "see what you can see" along the way.

[snicklefitz]

nice ultrajoey, well put

snick

[Harrison Bergeron]

A lot of people run out of steam and quit early. Blood Mountain is a killer and I saw several people call for a ride at Neels. By the time I got to Hiawassee I was ready to throw in the towel myself. When every step hurts and your stomach won't quit growling and your dirty hair is driving you mad and your pack feels like a gorilla on your back, it's easy to ask yourself why the hell you're wasting a vacation from work to do this to yourself. I saw a woman actually beg a teenager to carry her pack for her at one point (and he did!).

Lucky for me, I found lots of new friends on the trail, and when I raised the idea of getting off at Hiawassee, they convinced me to sleep in a bed and eat a decent meal before I made up my mind.

I did them one better -- I called my daughter in Atlanta. Not for a ride, just to say hi and drop the hint that it would be fun to see the grandkids. They showed up the next morning and we spent the day playing in the indoor pool at the FABULOUS Hiawassee Holiday Inn (found my entire resupply for free in the hiker box!). Then we had the best BBQ of my life at a little hole-in-the-wall at the edge of town named "Hawg Heaven".

The guys were right. After that great day in Hiawassee, I was raring to go again. I got my 2nd wind and the rest of the month's hike was easy afterwards. Even the rock scramble at Albert and the 3400' climb out of the NOC through the Rhododendrons were just fun walks in the woods.

So that's my advice for when you hit the wall -- remember that it will quit hurting once you get your trail legs, and then your biggest challenge will become boredom. I think that's what gets the thruhikers in Virginia.

[Auto Draft]

My blisters in the first two weeks in GA/NC had me thinking I might have to get off the trail, at least temporarily. I learned how to tie my shoes better and never had to leave, but it was painful.

I hit my true wall during the four days in Connecticut. I was used to the flatter stuff and had to relearn how to take smaller steps up and down the steep parts. I was dealing with dehydration and trying to catch up to my friends, who thought I was ahead of them so they were going fast. First I had to recognize that I wasn't stopping enough for water. Even with the mosquitoes, I took a break on a fallen tree right by a stream and finally started drinking as much water as I should have been. Next I had to consciously enjoy the trail, even if it meant not seeing those friends again. I put in a long day and gained some miles on them, but still didn't catch them. I had one of the best nights on the trail though - camped in a pine clearing hidden by some trees. It was the only night on the whole trail I camped completely by myself and it's still one of my favorite nights. Lo and behold, early the next day, I crossed into MA and caught up to my friends and all was well again.

[snicklefitz]

peachy, that story is awesome! thanks so much. I know I'm going all the way, I'm just too stubborn to quit. But I love hearing stuff like that, it can give me something to draw upon when needed. thanks again!

[Auto Draft]

Thanks! I just had my name changed from Peachy to my trail name Auto Draft. I forgot to say I also broke my phone the first day in CT, so that added a little stress too. I never expected CT would be the hardest part for me, but there will always be "the hardest part" somewhere along the way. Stubbornness got me through it.

[RockDoc]

Most hit the wall way before Maine. Many of the thrus I met in Maine would only talk about how many more days they had and what they were gonna eat next. Not the best company...

[BonBon]

I hit my wall in Virginia, in the Shenandoah Mountains. I just got bored I think. It was lonely -lots of people were off aqua blazing and visiting DC. Then again about halfway through the Whites. That section kicked my butt. The old advice- just put one foot in front of the other-worked for me. Sounds simple and it is, really. Your attitude can change hourly or daily- depending on your nutrition. After you push through all that stuff though- you get to the sweet stuff. When I got to Maine I wanted the hike to never end.

[garlic08]

I never had a bad day on the AT. There was some "type 2 fun" for sure, but challenges were one of the reasons I was out there. Sure beats work.

[Lyle]

I have not thru-hiked, but have done a different 3300 mile continuous backpacking trip across the country. I did not hit a "wall" either as most would describe it. I did, however, come to a point early on in that trip that made me question, very seriously, if it was something I wanted to continue doing.

At that time, I decided that I needed to give the hike more time, and not make a hasty or emotional decision. My reasoning was that I had planned the hike for several months, looked forward to it for a similar amount of time. I owed it to myself to not allow quick judgement or an emotional setback to allow me to quickly abandon the hike. I decided that I would give myself at least two weeks to decide. I figured things would surely change in that amount of time if they are going to, and that I would, as a result, be in a different mind set.

I am extremely happy to say that within just 3 or 4 days, my attitude had completely changed and all doubts vanished. The issue that had triggered the doubt had resolved itself. I have, to this day, been extremely happy that I decided not to abandon that hike, it became the best year of my life, and I wouldn't trade the experience, or the life-long friends I made for anything.

I have revised my rule for quitting, based on the fact that it has never taken anywhere near two weeks for things to turn around. My new rule is to definitely NOT make a hike changing decision at any time that I am cold/miserable/hurting. ALWAYS wait for a nice day when you are warm/dry/fed to make a major decision like that. If necessary, temporarily head to town and get a motel to re-evaluate (it's never taken that step for me).

I have used this basic rule in all of my hiking/backpacking trips for the past 36 years and I have only on rare occasions cut a trip shorter than originally planned, but these have been well thought out and reasoned changes to my trip, based on circumstances that were not likely to change - such as last summer's JMT fires. I just decided, after about 5 days that I did not want to contend with the billowing smoke for another couple of weeks. As they say, the trail isn't going anywhere, so I will be back another time when the fires aren't so close to where I want to hike.

Main point: NEVER make a major, hike altering decision when you are miserable! Only make those decisions on nice days, when you are feeling great.

[colorado_rob]

Like many others, I hit The Wall in mid VA; my original plan was the AT in two halves (never planned on a complete thru), making it to Harpers the first year. I only made it 703 miles. Zero physical problems, I was just bored out of my gourd starting at about mile 550-600, quit at 703 at Catawba (but made it to Harpers that fall, at least). I think the leaves being full out brought me down; hiking in the spring was fantastic with the airy openness, as soon as the "green tunnel" was around me, it got a lot tougher for me (I'm used to hiking in the wide-open west).

I have near-infinite respect for those that can do the AT in one shot. Amazing!

[WingedMonkey]

I'm one of those that never hit a "wall".

There were times when I wondered if I would make it due to injuries or time restraints, but I never wanted to stop or go home.

If it wasn't snowing when I started back down Katahdin I might have found a way to keep going.
:sun


Even on short trips now days, I never come up with a reason to quit.

Five days over Thanksgiving turned int seven days, seven days over Xmas turned into ten days.

[snicklefitz]

these are great, great stories. a lot of wisdom here. I'm grateful

[Pedaling Fool]

Hikers don't hit the wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDNtNjwb5Us

[DavidNH]

what do you mean by hitting a wall??? I never experienced this.

[firesign]

This a a question for any that have attempted and/or completed the thru.
When did you hit the wall(how far), physically, emotionally?

How did you overcome it? Or did you succumb to it?

Heading SoBo my wall was coming out of SMNP. I had depleted most of my body fat and like most others, was trying to maintain my energy levels. I think that my body was starting to go into starvation mode and I remember that my concern was my body eating its muscle. The thru hike for me was mostly upstairs and by this time, I knew that I was over the most physically demanding stages.

I started a vegetarian and within a few hundred miles converted to carnivorous, which still makes me smile. The AT is still the most phyically and mentally demanding endevour...until my next challenge.

[4shot]

a great question. For me, it was somewhere in Mass. For whatever reason. I remember calling my wife and telling her that I was done (I had some issues with a crown on my tooth that had come off and I was in pretty much in pain for a few days) She was/is wiser than me...her words were "sure, come on home but know that you will spend the rest of your days thinking about the part that you didn't do". I knew she was right and sort of hobbled into Dalton where I was fortunate enough to see a dentist and get the tooth fixed. After that I never thought about quitting again. Sometimes it is just best to finish what you start to get closure. i still hike the AT quite frequently, although now I am happy and content to just set my goal in terms of days rather than miles. I will go out for a week or two or three and just walk only as far as I care to each time. it's alot of fun...but so was thruhiking. each has its own rewards.

[snicklefitz]

The great thing I'm seeing with all these wonderful stories you all are sharing is the drive to finish. The will to keep going, and the commonality that you all are sharing in the endeavor itself. there is a Zen story of a pupil who set out to climb a mountain to see the sage who resided in a cave at its peak. I'm the early stages of his climb he was see striken at the beauty of the mountain, the flora, the fauna. later on his climb he had to navigate around a bear and her cubs, learning the lessons of wit and logic. further up near the end of the treeline he came across a tiger, staring it down the tiger backed away, the pupil learned the lesson of courage. wind, rain, and the barren harsh mountain threw everything it had at the pupil as he got above the treeline. when the pupil reached the summit, he saw what he had realized long beforehand. The knowledge was gained from the journey, not the destination.

thank you all so much
snick

[rocketsocks]

I'd dig a tunnel and go under, and get the ATC to pay for it.

[Lone Wolf]

The great thing I'm seeing with all these wonderful stories you all are sharing is the drive to finish. The will to keep going, and the commonality that you all are sharing in the endeavor itself.

sometimes enuf is enuf. to push on just to finish becomes all about the destination