To finish or not to finish?

[Gambit McCrae]

Oh I'm gunna finish lol I'm talking about 2016 goal completions here. I have 160 miles of VA left. And have Pen Mar to Salisbury to complete as well (In time, I don't expect to hike all of that this year obviously).

I have 9 days of vacation left until Jun 1st.

I am taking 2 days off to complete up to Jennings creek starting next weekend. Which leaves me with 106 miles of VA, and 7 days of vaca left. I'm not afraid to burn it all up in Oct as I am not one to take time off in the winter, and spring has some 3 day weekends already. I want to hike for a week in October, but don't want to invest a week so close to home in VA, when that can be walked on 3-4 day weekends.

So I'm stuck between

A) using the last 2 days of vaca to do my second to last section of VA, leaving me with 55 miles of VA incomplete, while taking a week to hike PA Penmar Nobo. (This would use my last 7 days of vaca used in October)

B)Using that week to drive up to finish VA from BV to Rockfish, then from there driving up to Penmar and walk for the week till I run out of time. This would use 5 days vaca, complete VA and still hike some in PA. Saving 2 days of vaca for another time

C)Probably the most awesome choice and my favorite however not economical or time wise would be to take all 7 days, finish VA, as well as CT in the same week, finish BV to Rockfish> drive to Salisbury and hike south to NY. This would be a leave Friday after work, start VA sat morning and drive/ hike till following Monday, use Tuesday to drive back to TN and back to work on Wednesday.

D) Skip trying to hike for a week this year, and keep using my vaca in 2 day increments to knock out VA this year (that was my 16' goal was finish VA), this would leave me with 3 days to use elsewhere before June 17'

Hope everyone understands the madness in this explanation and input/ opinions are wanted

[JC13]

Do the one that leaves you least likely to burn out. If I recall correctly, you were struggling with enjoying your journey earlier this year.

[Gambit McCrae]

Kind of got "light at the end of the tunnel" syndrome now, once I finish Virginia I can either start on "map2" so to say as I would like to hike to Damascus again. or the AT will have to become a 14 day trip once a year kinda thing until its finished.

[JC13]

I think I would do B, C sounds like fun but it may end up being one of those trips where you need a vacation to re coop from your vacation. Just my $0.02.

[Berserker]

Well you're going at this a lot more aggressively than I have, so my advice may or may not be useful. Since you live in TN (according to your info) and you can probably access a good bit of the trail in SE over a long weekend, I would recommend going as far North as you can for any long sections you do. That isn't how I planned my sectioning out early on, but as it evolved over the years that's where things went and they have worked out almost perfectly. It turned out that 200 - 250 miles a year is what I have been able to do, and for the last 5 years or so (minus 2013 when I burned all my vacation to do the JMT, which was totally worth it) I've done NJ through most of NH on my 1 - 2 week hikes whilst knocking out everything else down in the SE on long weekends.

Yeah, for me everything was leading to wrapping things up in 2018 until I hit the meat of the Whites this year and got my arse handed to me. I had to cut off about 50 miles of that trip, and it looks like I'm going to have to dial things back mileage-wise for the first part of ME, which is going to add one more long section up North. So now it's looking like 2019 is the earliest I'll be able to finish up assuming I can keep getting out there as planned (i.e. no major injuries, no huge life changes, etc.).

[Secondmouse]

what's the most important thing, to you - to enjoy hiking/being in the woods, or completing a goal?..

if the thing you look forward to most is the completion then that should tell you something...

[Gambit McCrae]

what's the most important thing, to you - to enjoy hiking/being in the woods, or completing a goal?..

if the thing you look forward to most is the completion then that should tell you something...

Everyone hikes their own hike and packs their own fears...Maybe the completion is where my enjoyment comes from. The logistics, organizing, crunching miles and days.. and then once you hit the trail it all goes out the window :) haha That's what is enjoyable to me. "Nature is just the setting"

It looks like I will be leaving 55.6 miles of VA unplanned for the foreseeable future. I hate to think I will but I know I will sneak off up there, 350 miles 1 way, twice to knock out the last 56 miles on 2 day weekends before the end of the year. Hate to do it but its worth it to me to finish VA this year. Otherwise I will be eating into my 17' plan to take 12 days (all my vaca to finish up PA and NJ).

Starting March 10th I will be starting a second map of the AT to stay in shape thru out the year for my 16 day trip. I may start map 2 and find I rather hike other trails...But I don't think so :) Map2 will be much less aggressive then the first go around was, and I think I only really have a desire to finish my second map up to Fox Creek, VA. I will do all the sections in order from ASP visitor center and will kick off on one of the busiest thru start dates of early march. Should be easier this time around right?? I already have all my shuttle contacts, I know which road crossings are not so great for trip logistics, I know which hostels are or are not for me, and I know the value of seeing a trip to the end and not going home early. There isn't a single trip that I pushed to the end that I look back and regret, very few trips cut short do I recall "no other choice". Only 1 in fact.

[Berserker]

what's the most important thing, to you - to enjoy hiking/being in the woods, or completing a goal?..

if the thing you look forward to most is the completion then that should tell you something...
Ha ha ha...I love it. You know in the years of sectioning the AT and being on WB my opinion on this particular comment (because it has been made numerous times in numerous threads) has changed many times and I have come to the conclusion that the mantra of the AT is truly is HYOH. I've seen everything from traditional thru hikers to people day hiking the whole thing to people ultra running it and so on. It's not about the destination it's about the journey right? Well, maybe the journey for some people is ticking off mileage, and the satisfaction that comes from successfully completing the AT.

At any rate, my personal experience has been that I started off gung ho to hike the whole thing and everything revolved around knocking down mileage and planning hikes. Then a few years in I hit a "valley" in my enjoyment of the AT that culminated in a trip where I asked myself "just what in the he!! am I doing out here". After that trip I had an epiphany of sorts and the journey did become the destination. Now I enjoy all my section hikes and there's the added bonus that once I finish I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I completed the whole thing.

So anyway, I say HYOH...whatever that means to you. Thru hike it...section hike it...day hike it...hike it only a night...hike it purely to finish and say you did it...do what makes you happy.

[Secondmouse]

Everyone hikes their own hike and packs their own fears...Maybe the completion is where my enjoyment comes from. The logistics, organizing, crunching miles and days.. and then once you hit the trail it all goes out the window :) haha That's what is enjoyable to me. "Nature is just the setting"

It looks like I will be leaving 55.6 miles of VA unplanned for the foreseeable future. I hate to think I will but I know I will sneak off up there, 350 miles 1 way, twice to knock out the last 56 miles on 2 day weekends before the end of the year. Hate to do it but its worth it to me to finish VA this year. Otherwise I will be eating into my 17' plan to take 12 days (all my vaca to finish up PA and NJ).

Starting March 10th I will be starting a second map of the AT to stay in shape thru out the year for my 16 day trip. I may start map 2 and find I rather hike other trails...But I don't think so :) Map2 will be much less aggressive then the first go around was, and I think I only really have a desire to finish my second map up to Fox Creek, VA. I will do all the sections in order from ASP visitor center and will kick off on one of the busiest thru start dates of early march. Should be easier this time around right?? I already have all my shuttle contacts, I know which road crossings are not so great for trip logistics, I know which hostels are or are not for me, and I know the value of seeing a trip to the end and not going home early. There isn't a single trip that I pushed to the end that I look back and regret, very few trips cut short do I recall "no other choice". Only 1 in fact.

I know. and I wouldn't have said anything except for your earlier mentioning you might be getting a little burnt out, or however you phrased it.

in my own experience, after bicycling this way - riding further and longer, grabbing "events" like time trials, centuries, etc., - one day I stopped and realized I had forgot what it was I enjoyed about bicycling in the first place. I enjoyed going places and seeing things in the particular way that you only can from the seat of a bicycle, but in my rush to "accomplish things" on a bike, a lot of that slipped away.

I wasn't trying to lecture you. it's not important what you do for fun, only that it is fun...

[Secondmouse]

Ha ha ha...I love it. You know in the years of sectioning the AT and being on WB my opinion on this particular comment (because it has been made numerous times in numerous threads) has changed many times and I have come to the conclusion that the mantra of the AT is truly is HYOH. I've seen everything from traditional thru hikers to people day hiking the whole thing to people ultra running it and so on. It's not about the destination it's about the journey right? Well, maybe the journey for some people is ticking off mileage, and the satisfaction that comes from successfully completing the AT.

At any rate, my personal experience has been that I started off gung ho to hike the whole thing and everything revolved around knocking down mileage and planning hikes. Then a few years in I hit a "valley" in my enjoyment of the AT that culminated in a trip where I asked myself "just what in the he!! am I doing out here". After that trip I had an epiphany of sorts and the journey did become the destination. Now I enjoy all my section hikes and there's the added bonus that once I finish I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I completed the whole thing.

So anyway, I say HYOH...whatever that means to you. Thru hike it...section hike it...day hike it...hike it only a night...hike it purely to finish and say you did it...do what makes you happy.

yeah. I think for me a turning point came when I realized that my trip planning always involved starting a new section of trail, and didn't include any trails or sections I had already covered, even though I really enjoyed them. there are places I sincerely loved but felt I passed through far too quickly.

I'm planning later this year and next, to go back and see some of them again in a different season, or at a pace more suited to discovering its personality, rather than just passing through.

Gambit, apologies for the sidetrack...

[Gambit McCrae]

yeah. I think for me a turning point came when I realized that my trip planning always involved starting a new section of trail, and didn't include any trails or sections I had already covered, even though I really enjoyed them. there are places I sincerely loved but felt I passed through far too quickly.

I'm planning later this year and next, to go back and see some of them again in a different season, or at a pace more suited to discovering its personality, rather than just passing through.

Gambit, apologies for the sidetrack...

Hey no apologies needed, I'm glad that the thread could provoke some ideas of future trips for folks. I too feel that I ran a little too fast in some stretches...NOT many haha - Springer to Neels, Fontana to Davenport definitely deserves a redo... MaxP to Erwin.. Cross Mountain to Fox Creek..These sections will be taken slower round2.

Trail magic for 17' as well...

I guess for the remainder of this year, I will leave BV to Rockfish Gap to be done in 2 trips, I have some friends up in that area of VA that would be able to do some shorter weekends, and when it really comes down to it, what's another couple hours in the driver seat at this point right?? I'm either going to spend that time driving to new trail, or on the couch/ in a bar stool so its really not that big of a deal.

[Kaptainkriz]

I'm doing bits and pieces a little at a time filling in a gpx file along the way. Gotta love the sneak...maybe you can plan a power weekend and just grind through it with a little added night hiking? That last 56 miles would drive me nuts. :)

It looks like I will be leaving 55.6 miles of VA unplanned for the foreseeable future. I hate to think I will but I know I will sneak off up there, 350 miles 1 way, twice to knock out the last 56 miles on 2 day weekends before the end of the year. Hate to do it but its worth it to me to finish VA this year.

[Malto]

Spend the seven days by hiking a nicer non-AT route. That will reduce your burnout.

[rafe]

Put the sections together any way you want, or whatever makes the most sense, or best utilizes your free time.

Some folks value continuity, always picking up where they left off. If nothing else, it makes the accounting easier.

[Berserker]

Put the sections together any way you want, or whatever makes the most sense, or best utilizes your free time.

Some folks value continuity, always picking up where they left off. If nothing else, it makes the accounting easier.
This is what an Excel spreadsheet is for...if it weren't for my spreadsheet there's no way I'd remember what sections I've done and haven't done since I've skipped all over the place.

[Gambit McCrae]

This is what an Excel spreadsheet is for...if it weren't for my spreadsheet there's no way I'd remember what sections I've done and haven't done since I've skipped all over the place.

http://www.atdist.com/<<? If a waypoint isn't on the list, the admin is more then happy to add the point I have emailed him 2-3 times

[LittleRock]

I agree with what others have said - use the full week to do a section further north. You can easily come back and do shorter trips to finish up VA.

Looks like you've left me in the dust (still back near Roanoke). But I'm planning to skip ahead to VT after finishing VA in another year or two, so maybe I'll catch up with you later. Not like it's a race or anything... in fact, I'm purposefully cutting back on mileage for my next trip so I can spend more time relaxing and enjoying my vacation.