Have you every hiked the wrong way????

[camich]

Several years ago when we were dayhiking parts of the trail for the first time, we decided to hike from Newfound Gap up to Clingman’s dome. We had hiked Springer to Hightower Gap a few days before so I guess I thought that made me an expert (ha ha):o . We parked one car at Clingman’s dome and then parked the other one at Newfound Gap. After the kids checked out the memorial, we anxiously began hiking up the mountain. I noticed the signs weren’t really matching my book (Exploring the Appalachian Trial, Hikes in the Southern Appalachians) but somehow I rationalized it all to be okay. Well, we got up to Charlie’s Bunion which we really enjoyed...couldn’t imagine why the book didn’t mention it...(of course it does if your looking in the right place). We continued on (and on and on)...with only our daypacks. When we were somewhere between Porter’s Gap and Laurel Top we ran into a gentleman who ask us where we were headed. I guess he thought it was strange for us to be there at 3pm, kids in tow, with only daypacks. We told him we were going to Clingman’s dome. He said “Well, you’re going the wrong way”...I argued, “No we’re NOT”. Shortly after these words left my mouth, I saw the chainsaw he was carrying on his back. I thought hhhuuummmm....:-? he may know what he’s talking about. He went on about his business and we turned around. The next few (backtracking) miles were not fun. The kids were really not happy. We saw the gentleman again before we got back to Newfound Gap. My husband asked him his name and thanked him profusely for setting us straight. It turned out to be a really beautiful hike and we made it back to the car(s) before dark. Imagine my continued humbling and humiliation when my husband showed me page 161 in the very book we were carrying...there he is...the trail maintainer that I argued with about going the wrong way!!!! Lesson learned...and now the kids (and husband) double check the book before we start hiking.

[Ender]

I'm going to love this thread, I can tell already. :)

I've never hiked the wrong way, per se, but one time the trail took a 90* turn to the left but I kept going straight on a side trail in the 100 mile wilderness. One mile later I hit a logging road with no more trail... realized my mistake, turned around and backtracked.

A good friend of mine hiked the wrong way. And when I did the PCT (not all... hurt my foot and dropped) there was one hiker who was notorious for hiking the wrong way, or getting lost altogether. I ran into him at least a half dozen times going south and not north.

[Footslogger]

NO ...but I woke up at Cable Gap Shelter in 2003 and watched a guy pack up and head south (he was a northbounder). A bit later I saw him coming back in my direction and hike by. I guess it was a self correcting problem in his case.

'Slogger

[AbeHikes]

I've never hiked the wrong way, per se, but one time the trail took a 90* turn to the left but I kept going straight on a side trail in the 100 mile wilderness. One mile later I hit a logging road with no more trail... realized my mistake, turned around and backtracked.

I think I did that near Justus Creek. If you're heading south, does it follow a FS for a bit but turn up the hillside? If so, I made it about a hundred feet before I realized things didn't "feel" right.

Never in the opposite direction, though...

[papa john]

In 2000, I hiked with Weather*** (named changed to protect the innocent) and I was always having to look out for him as he would inevitable go the wrong direction. He did this at Slaughter Gap, almost made it all the way back to the cutoff trail to the shelter before realizing that he wasn't climbing Blood like he should have.

He did it again at Blue Mtn Shelter. Left the shelter the next morning headed towards Springer rather than Katahdin.

One other time, but I can't remember where.

[Kerosene]

Nope, I've never re-traced my steps, but I have a very good sense of direction. I have missed a turn several times, but always realized it within a quarter mile.

[Jack Tarlin]

I once hiked out of Mt. Collins Shelter real early in the morning, and I was in such a hurry to get to Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg that I went the wrong way, and it wasn't til I saw the Clingman's Dome tower in the mist that I'd realized what I bone-headed thing I'd just done.

Instead of an easy 4.5 mile day to the Gatlinburg road, I ended up doing the better part of twelve miles, in the rain, and got in around dinner time.

The first beer in Gatlinburg was a real good one.

I think a lot of hikers have done something like this, tho not many like to admit it. And in most cases, they probably get their heads out of their asses before they've gone thre and a half miles!

Moral of the story: Keep focused!!

[TwoForty]

The only thing I have to say about this is that the trail looks a lot different going the other way! It took 3 miles to a road crossing to notice I had been there before.

Of course the trail was flat. I can't imagine climbing back up Clingmans dome.

[halibut15]

Bill Bryson's a Candy Ass, but anyone recall "Chicken John" from A Walk in the Woods who supposedly got lost around Blood Mountain and ended up in Tallulah Falls? Knowing the area between those two places, this sounds like a made-up crock of crap to me. There's almost no way to get from Blood to Tallulah Falls without crossing a road, seeing a car, something. I could be wrong, though...:-?

[Skidsteer]

Bill Bryson's a Candy Ass, but anyone recall "Chicken John" from A Walk in the Woods who supposedly got lost around Blood Mountain and ended up in Tallulah Falls? Knowing the area between those two places, this sounds like a made-up crock of crap to me. There's almost no way to get from Blood to Tallulah Falls without crossing a road, seeing a car, something. I could be wrong, though...:-?

No, I think you got it about right. But that dude, according to the book, was pretty much a space cadet and apparently didn't/couldn't pay attention to his surroundings.

[Lone Wolf]

Have I ever hiked the wrong way? Every time I take a blue-blaze some butt munch accuses me of going the "wrong way". God I love entropy!:banana

[Tha Wookie]

I did it on the AT right after Kincora. I came out of the lake shelter and went south. In about 15 minutes I ran into my hiking partner coming towards me. I was shocked -was he cheating? He must have thought I was miles ahead, I thought, since I had skipped Kincora and he was lured in by a burger. I was convinced he was trying to catch up, and apparently he was coming in from alternate trail after hitching from ... the... um... oh no... his shocked look turned into laughter. I had skipped Kincora, a huge burger, and meeting Aswah to end up going the wrong way for nothing but an extra 2 mile workout on my firey shinsplints.

You know the worst thing about going the wrong way? You don't have to cover the distance twice, but three times!

Let's not even get into the other trails I've hiked. In comparison, the AT is like driving down an interstate: A map helps if you're not paying attention, but otherwise to go the wrong way, you have to really space it!

[weary]

NO ...but I woke up at Cable Gap Shelter in 2003 and watched a guy pack up and head south (he was a northbounder). A bit later I saw him coming back in my direction and hike by. I guess it was a self correcting problem in his case.'Slogger
It happened to me twice in 2003. I forgot which way I had turned onto a side trail to the shelter and the next morning turned back south. Both times I quickly ran into northbounders and from conversations I realized what I had done.

I never actually admitted my mistakes, but one couple looked like they wanted to say something as I hustled past them.

[sliderule]

Several years ago I was volunteering in the Great Smokies. Around 3 pm I was at the Silers Bald shelter when a gentleman arrived wearing street clothes and carrying only a camera. He asked "Is this still the Allegheny Trail?" I replied that it was the Appalachian Trail. About that time his wife appeared and he told her that there was no need to ask me anything else, as I did not even know the correct name of the trail. (The fact that I was wearing a Park Service uniform did not seem suggest that I might know what I was talking about!!!)
I asked him where he was headed. He arrogantly replied "We are on the loop" and proceded to continue southbound. His wife said "Let him go." When he was out of sight she asked how to get back to her car at the Clingmans Dome parking lot. Apparently, they had intended to make a loop out of hiking up the paved trail to the observation tower then taking the AT for a few hundred yards to the Forney Ridge Trail, then back to the parking lot. A total distance of maybe 1.5 miles. They missed the Forney Ridge Trail and continued on another five miles. And the husband would have kept going if the wife had not insisted that they turn back.

[wacocelt]

I have both accidentally and intentionally hiked the 'wrong' way on the AT. Once going South over Mt Greylock in a thick fog I got to the register nailed to the tre. I stood for a few minutes seeing how far ahead the people I was trying to catch up with were, when I started again I went right back to the bottom of that damn mountain. I just took the road back to the top.

[Chef2000]

I believe it was Bearsden hostel, the one thats downa side trail in PA, the little house run by the PATC. I spent the night, headed up the side trail to the AT. I stopped at the AT to enjoy a early morning saftey break. Fifteen min later I am hiking away, within a couple tenths of a mile I spot one of the woman who workrd at the other hostel, the one with beautful old building. Shes walking toward me, Istopped and said hello. She quickly informed that I was hikng the wrong direction.

In Vermont I ran into Socrates and ?. Two chicks from NJ who hiked in 2000. I was heading north, I had not seen them in 100s of mile. I did not know that they flipped at some point. They had me convinced for about a minute that I was hiking the wrong way!

[The Hog]

At Upper Goose Pond, Mass, I came to a sign that said, AMC cabin 1 mile. But the orientation of the sign was parallel to the trail and gave no indication of which way to hike one mile. At that pt, I was no longer carrying map and guidebook, and became convinced that I had passed the side trail to the AMC cabin. So I turned south. In about a half mile, I came upon my hiking partners, who looked at me funny and said, "Hog, why are you hiking south?!"

My friends got me turned around, and it was no small amusement to them. I was in a cranky mood, and made up my mind that I was going to give the perpetrator of this sign, the caretaker at Upper Goose Pond AMC Cabin, a verbal thrashing. So I stomped around the pond, and entered the cabin and asked for the caretaker. 'She's on the porch.'

"She?" I was expecting a he.

I made my way to the porch, opened the screen door and there she was, a very pretty caretaker, too. In the instant our eyes met, a voice, not my own, said, "IF YOU YELL AT HER, YOU'RE GOING TO MESS UP YOUR FUTURE." Now, I'm not into woowoo. I don't believe in it. But, nevertheless, there it was, this voice that was more like a telepathic message with no sound.

To make a long story short, I didn't yell at the caretaker. In fact, we were married three years later on the summit of Mt. Mansfield in Vermont!

[gargamel]

To make a long story short, I didn't yell at the caretaker. In fact, we were married three years later on the summit of Mt. Mansfield in Vermont!

Very nice story. Thank's for sharing. :)

[Marta]

Yep. But all's well that ends well.

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=96661

[kyhipo]

I have hiked the wrong way so many times my last trip on the pct I just gave up and started to enjoy getting lost:banana .Matter of fact I started to enjoy bushwacking following streams and rivers untell I got bored and seen so many cool things,I loved it:D ky

[Kerosene]

Now you guys are scaring me. I'll either be super-attentive about which direction I'm walking when I get back out there, or I'll just go with the flow and realize that sooner or later I'll make the wrong turn!

[Gray Blazer]

Have I ever hiked the wrong way? Every time I take a blue-blaze some butt munch accuses me of going the "wrong way". God I love entropy!:banana

Is entropy:banana near Damascus?

[Kerosene]

Entropy is everywhere!

[Papa Razzi]

It was a cold, rainy day in Daleville, and the group I was hiking with was planning to slack twenty miles or so south from Bearwallow gap back to town so that they could have a warm, dry bed at the end of the day. I was reluctant, but they eventually talked me into it. I'd done a fair amount of slacking already and for whatever reason was itching to do some miles with a full pack on. I compromised with myself and decided to make it interesting by trail running the twenty miles. I jotted down the names of the three shelters I expected to pass on a scrap of paper, along with the distances between each. With nothing but a water bottle, some trail mix, my polar pure, and a jacket, I was dropped off with the others at Bearwallow gap. One person - who we had recently ribbed a bit for hiking the wrong way - asked jokingly, "are you sure this is the right way?" We all laughed.

Well, the first shelter was exactly the right distance away. I didn't bother checking the name - the fact it was the right distance was enough confirmation for me. Shortly after passing it, one of my friends caught up to me. He decided to trail run, too, so we ended up ping-ponging with each other for the next few hours. The next shelter was also about the right mileage in. The third shelter, however, appeared about two miles early. I finally pulled out my scrap of paper and compared it to the shelter name I saw. "Cornelius Creek Shelter" certainly did not match the expected "Fullhardt Knob Shelter." None of the other shelter names matched, either. My friend soon caught me again. "Guess what, " I said to him as he caught his breath. "We've just run fifteen miles in the wrong direction."

Since we were in high season, a hiker soon passed by and let us look at his map. We figured out that the best exit point would be about another mile and a half further. We continued running to there and made a cell phone call to the person who dropped us off, thankful that we had reception. We spent the next hour or so shivering in the cold rain while we waited on her to pick us up. She'd been waiting on our call - the others bailed out earlier in the day when they passed a sign that explicitly had north and south marked. I'd seen the sign, but it simply didn't register that I was going the wrong way.

We were lucky - so many things could have gone wrong, especially given that conditions were ripe for hypothermia. But it all worked out in the end, we returned to our warm, dry beds that evening, and we hiked the correct direction the next day. Two days later, I finally escaped that cursed town.

[Cookerhiker]

This year in Maine, I reached the top of Little Boardman Mountain where the trail veers off to the right while a short "side" trail proceeds straight ahead but only for 100 yards. Turned around, came back to the junction, and started back down Little Boardman the way I came. I started to get an inkling but didn't want to admit it to myself. So halfway down, I meet Kaboos hiking up. Says I: "I can't believe I still meeting so many southbounders this late (2nd week in September)" Says he with perplexed expression: "but I'm going north" Me: "I'm sure glad I met you." Being about 30+ years younger, he beat me to the top, waited for me, and kindly allowed how the top was rather confusing and it could have happened to anyone.

The other time was in Harriman Park where I reached Brien Shelter, stopped for a break, and headed back the way I came. I felt less embarassed when I happened to read Ed Garvey's book relating how he also went the wrong way in that part of Harriman. And coincidentally, he was the same age (56) when he made his errant turn as I was.

[Doctari]

Not gone the wrong way per se, but I have had to go back for forgot items: once to Brown fork shelter, forgot my shirt. TWICE on 2 separate trips, to Cosby knob shelter, once for my shirt (yes, the same one) and once for my hat, I made it to Low gap both times, for a round trip out of my way of 2.1 miles EACH time. AAARRRRGG. When I thru, I am totally skiping Cosby knob shelter.

I have turned a few southbounders around, they were supposed to be northbounders :D Both times the comment was "I thought this looked familure, thanks!".

Doctari.

[Programbo]

I think this most commonly happens when someone stays at shelters say on the righthand side of the trail for a long stretch and they get used to coming up the side trail from the shelter then turning right to continue on..Then they finally stop at a shelter on the lefthand side and by mistake when they reach the trail they make that right turn....It also seems to be more common at flat or uneventful points of the trail where there is no outstanding feature to remember where you had been heading..Uphill..Steep downhill,etc...At least this is what I gathered from hearing people I met say they headed the wrong way and thinking about the specifics of the shelter they stopped at..Maybe it should be common practice to have a big <N-S> sign as you come off each blue blazed side trail :p