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joefryfry
08-20-2018, 12:37
What percentage of people long distance hiking do you think are out there for the simple fact that they love hiking? The remainder would be out there for any other reason. I love hiking, but I have similar personal issues that lead many to the trail. I started section hiking the AT due to my love of hiking, but now its also due to some personal tragedies that have led me to long for it when I'm not there.

Christoph
08-20-2018, 17:18
I just enjoy being out there, clearing the head, and hey... it's a good workout (physically and mentally for me). Just got back last weekend from another 50+ mile section hike. I attempted a thru in '15 and started all over to complete a thru in '17. Still going out there, not sure what draws me to this particular trail, but I've racked up 3182.2 miles on the AT so far!

RockDoc
08-20-2018, 17:38
Same here. I racked up thousands of miles on the AT because I kept doing my favorite sections multiple times, rather than finishing the trail... I finally buckled down and finished it 40 years and a few months after beginning (although my first 1000 mile hike in 1974 was not intended as a thru). So I've seen the trail change since the early 1970's. The sad thing is people who do the trail quickly and never set foot on it again (perhaps the majority of thru hikers?). That does not say "I love hiking" to me... If you love it you can't keep away from it.

tflaris
08-20-2018, 17:42
I’m people’d out.

Long distance hiking is a reprieve from people.

Plus I love trying to eat 4000 calories a day.

YMMV


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

lonehiker
08-20-2018, 17:43
Same here. I racked up thousands of miles on the AT because I kept doing my favorite sections multiple times, rather than finishing the trail... I finally buckled down and finished it 40 years and a few months after beginning (although my first 1000 mile hike in 1974 was not intended as a thru). So I've seen the trail change since the early 1970's. The sad thing is people who do the trail quickly and never set foot on it again (perhaps the majority of thru hikers?). That does not say "I love hiking" to me... If you love it you can't keep away from it.

The AT isn't all that. The thread is about love of hiking not love of the AT.

egilbe
08-20-2018, 19:27
I think most people who start out hiking the AT do out of some romantic fantasy. I know most of the nobos who I've talked to by the time they hit Maine are sick to death of it and are finishing it out of sheer stubbornness. Sam I Am, class of '16, when I talked to him last, hadn't hiked since he completed the AT, but he sure loves talking about it. The sobos I've met in Maine we're still in love with hiking the AT and were on a magical, personal adventure. Since 75 to 80% of the people drop out and never finish the hike, the majority of them will never hike again, because it's effing hard! Of the total hikers starting the AT, only 10% probably love and continue to hike after finishing it. I've met a few rare souls who were planning their next hike after finishing at Katahdin. Mist want to let their mysterious rashes heal.

ldsailor
08-21-2018, 11:29
I did a LASH this summer (about 600 miles), so I met a lot of NOBO thru-hikers. Almost to a person, their attitude was, "I just want this to be over." My LASH was from Pennsylvania to within 15 miles of Maine, so you can imagine the thru-hikers I met that far north were worn out - especially those I met in the White Mountains. If I had to guess at most thru-hikers' motivation, I would say they are out there for the challenge, which when met, loses its appeal. At least that's the impression with which I am left. Meeting a challenge doesn't necessarily translate into a fondness for hiking that carries past the thru-hike.

I doubt anyone who had been hiking for 1,500+ miles would say they didn't like hiking, but it sure sounded like it and they're faces said it. I'm glad I'm a LASHer.

Just my opinion.

nsherry61
08-21-2018, 11:40
What percentage of people long distance hiking do you think are out there for the simple fact that they love hiking? . . .
I'd venture a guess that most people's reasons are more complex with multiple reasons coming together to push them into long distance hiking.

The AT flavor of this thread also brings up another thought . . . how many people hike the AT due to their love of hiking vs. people hiking other long distance trails. My guess is that the AT has a disproportionate percentage of people that are hiking it for reasons other than purely the love of hiking, especially since there are so many other great long distance hikes with greater grandeur and fewer distractions from hiking.

In my experience, in conversations with people, I would suggest that the more well known the long distance trail is, the more likely it is that any given person hiking that trail is hiking for some other primary reason other than the love of hiking. Conversely, I have met very few people hiking long distances on trails outside of the PCT and AT that have a primary reason for being out there other than a peaceful escape, their the love of the outdoors, love of adventure, or love the the person they are hiking with. Now, do the reasons I listed in that last sentence translate into "the love of hiking?" Maybe. Most people don't hike just to put one foot in front of the other on the trail, but rather love being outside moving through the wilderness, which I equate to the above list of reasons and thus the love of hiking. . . with the possible exception of hiking for the love of your hiking partner.

Tipi Walter
08-21-2018, 11:50
I’m people’d out.

Long distance hiking is a reprieve from people.

Plus I love trying to eat 4000 calories a day.

YMMV


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is excellent and spot on, at least for me. I'm completely people'd out too---their monkey chatter, their howling vehicles, their cities and asphalt and sprawl---the Whole Wad. And so I go into what's left of Nature to find something on the planet not ruined by Humans. It's getting harder and harder to do---for example overhead jet traffic noise pollution is abundant---but I'm still getting out into "the back of beyond."---until these wild places are eventually ruined by human development. Hallelujah.


The AT isn't all that. The thread is about love of hiking not love of the AT.

My sentiments exactly. The AT isn't the only game in town. The Love of Hiking occurs on thousands of miles of trails not associated with the AT. AT "thruhikers" could use the AT for loop opportunities and spend 4 months going north from Springer and taking the BMT into the Cohuttas and pull all of the Cohutta trails and some of the Georgia Pinhoti and then swing south to the AT and go north and pull all the trails in the Standing Indian wilderness---and resupply once a month for a full blown expedition style backpacking trip.

No one says you have to use your 4 month-block of time to pull a linear thruhike with food resupplies every 4 days.

nsherry61
08-21-2018, 12:07
This is excellent and spot on, at least for me. . .

Which begs the question Tipi, do you hike for the love of hiking or do you do it for other reasons?

Deadeye
08-21-2018, 12:11
I'd bet that a lot of the people that say they have some deep personal reason for hiking are just feeling like that's the expected response, and that they really do just love hiking.

I hike because I love hiking. I've never found it to be a cure for any of my ills.

Tipi Walter
08-21-2018, 12:18
Which begs the question Tipi, do you hike for the love of hiking or do you do it for other reasons?

I love the beauty of Nature and I love the freedom to travel thru Nature's beauty with everything on my back, i.e. Backpacking.

joefryfry
08-21-2018, 12:29
I hike the same 2 mile local loop every weekend when preparing for my AT section hikes. Its the same boring trail every single time, but I get excited to be on it every time I go. The reason I make trips to the AT every year is that I want to see it all. I've been interested in the trail since I was a kid. But even on the boring tough parts I am still enjoying the hike. I don't know, I just like following a trail.

Tipi Walter
08-21-2018, 13:21
I hike the same 2 mile local loop every weekend when preparing for my AT section hikes. Its the same boring trail every single time, but I get excited to be on it every time I go. The reason I make trips to the AT every year is that I want to see it all. I've been interested in the trail since I was a kid. But even on the boring tough parts I am still enjoying the hike. I don't know, I just like following a trail.

This is exactly my scenario. I've done the same trails hundreds of times but as long as I have a pack on my back I'm always excited to go. When you sleep with Miss Nature nothing gets old---and she's always there on the morning after.

BuckeyeBill
08-21-2018, 15:51
I enjoy the hike to anywhere that doesn't smell, hear or looks like urban spread. Once you are that far out, you can look around and see nature at its finest. No privy, no shelter, just me with a couple trees to hang my hammock from and I'm happy.

Lnj
08-21-2018, 16:00
I love the beauty of Nature and I love the freedom to travel thru Nature's beauty with everything on my back, i.e. Backpacking.

Me too. I am not a LASHER, but I have thru-hiked a tiny trail and spent many a weekend outside. I simply love to just walk in the woods. I like to hear the birds sing and watch the squirrels play and stare at beautiful creepy spiders and odd wild flowers and crazy shaped trees. It just feels...natural. Now at the end of my tiny thru hike, when things got hard for me and kind of scary a time or two, I switched out of "nature is wonderful" mode to "survival" mode and it was just about getting the job done. So I get that too for those nearing the end and just so so tired. I guess you know if you REALLY love it, if once you are rested and restored, you are itching to get right back to it again. If not, it wasn't the love of the hike that motivated you. I cried when I saw our truck at the end of our little weekend thru, out of relief that it was over. 2 hours later, after a meal and a shower, I was ready to go back and do it again.

Tipi Walter
08-22-2018, 09:44
Me too. I am not a LASHER, but I have thru-hiked a tiny trail and spent many a weekend outside. I simply love to just walk in the woods. I like to hear the birds sing and watch the squirrels play and stare at beautiful creepy spiders and odd wild flowers and crazy shaped trees. It just feels...natural. Now at the end of my tiny thru hike, when things got hard for me and kind of scary a time or two, I switched out of "nature is wonderful" mode to "survival" mode and it was just about getting the job done. So I get that too for those nearing the end and just so so tired. I guess you know if you REALLY love it, if once you are rested and restored, you are itching to get right back to it again. If not, it wasn't the love of the hike that motivated you. I cried when I saw our truck at the end of our little weekend thru, out of relief that it was over. 2 hours later, after a meal and a shower, I was ready to go back and do it again.

There's sort of a rule of backpacking for me---No matter how bad the day has been---by morning I'll be ready to start up again.

And the "survival" mode is also part of backpacking; I call it "getting the lizard gaze"---whereby your eyes get pinpoint focused like a lizard and you enter a "drone zone" state whereby you focus on the trail before you as you move in robot fashion and stay almost impervious to jabs and cuts and any kind of pain. It's a great state to be in but it's a hard state to get to. The beady eyed lizard state.

MuddyWaters
08-22-2018, 10:00
I like hiking
I like the places it takes me
The things I see
People i meet

Sometimes its hard
Sometimes it sucks
Its hot, its cold, its raining, its hailing, its lonely, its steep, its hard

Sometimes it dont:)
43555
Other day i was almost trampled by herd of elk
That was awesome, ...after the fact. How else would I get accidentally within 50' of herd of elk? One big boy and his harem?

Just like marriage, or nearly anything else. Its the final product that makes it worthwhile. The summation . Its not easy or fun all the time. Sometimes it takes work and perseverence.

Odd Man Out
08-22-2018, 10:19
I love the beauty of Nature and I love the freedom to travel thru Nature's beauty with everything on my back, i.e. Backpacking.

(pushing the LIKE button we wish we had). Backpacking gets you to places you can't get to by any other means, and in doing so it gets you away from most everyone else. This of course doesn't answer the the original question, as you don't need to be a thru hiker to accomplish this.

Another aspect of backpacking that I appreciate is that it is a craft, and crafts people (whether they be woodworkers, dancers, musician, quilt makers, gardeners, etc...) derive pleasure from the creative execution of their skill, and in the process, produce a product of tangible value. In the case of backpacking, that is the ability to get yourself from point A to point B completely self sufficiently. A long distance hike (LASH or thru) is an extreme expression of this. Personally, I still get a twinge of anxiety when I start out on a hike as I get out of the comfort zone created by cars, roads, houses, phones, Internet, etc... Successfully overcoming that anxiety and becoming comfortable on my own is part of the thrill for me.

Tipi Walter
08-22-2018, 10:29
(pushing the LIKE button we wish we had). Backpacking gets you to places you can't get to by any other means, and in doing so it gets you away from most everyone else. This of course doesn't answer the the original question, as you don't need to be a thru hiker to accomplish this.

Another aspect of backpacking that I appreciate is that it is a craft, and crafts people (whether they be woodworkers, dancers, musician, quilt makers, gardeners, etc...) derive pleasure from the creative execution of their skill, and in the process, produce a product of tangible value. In the case of backpacking, that is the ability to get yourself from point A to point B completely self sufficiently. A long distance hike (LASH or thru) is an extreme expression of this. Personally, I still get a twinge of anxiety when I start out on a hike as I get out of the comfort zone created by cars, roads, houses, phones, Internet, etc... Successfully overcoming that anxiety and becoming comfortable on my own is part of the thrill for me.

Good post. I see time out in the woods as the real world, and this other life with cars and roads and houses and phones and the Interwad as a temporary blip in World History---a human-created anomaly whereby we try to domesticate the planet with sprawl and development---but our efforts amount to just a passing micro-second in geological time. Wild Nature rules us all.

Hikingjim
08-22-2018, 10:53
On the AT I have done a lot of SOBO hiking past hundreds of thru hikers on all parts of the trail, and I think it's a real mix.
Many drop out fast because hiking wasn't quite the experience they thought it would be.
Many gamify the trail, and focus more on aspects other than enjoying nature. eg: trudging along and trying to be as social as possible, messing around with your go pro, etc. Obviously those can be done in conjunction with enjoying the trail as well
And some seem to just be loving being out there.

For many other LD trails, it seems to be a much higher % of people who love to hike.

The only way I would be able to thru the AT at this point is if it was an alternate timing/route. eg: sobo start Sept 1, hiking long days, which I enjoy. All the clutter on that trail doesn't work for me, since I do actually like hiking.

I suspect this site, and particularly people that would respond to this thread, has a majority of people that actually like to hike..

Recalc
08-22-2018, 11:15
I hike because I "just like being out there". There is no special reason. When the hike is over, I'm left with a calm that lasts until next years journey.

A secondary benefit is the planning. It's fun to making subtle changes such as gear tweaking, shelter mods (e.g. tarp), or coming up with strategies to make the walk more interesting. For example, last year Snickers, pop tarts & junk calories were eliminated to see if energy levels increased (it did). Next year the plan is to make more miles by not photographing half the trail. Something can always be improved. That is one of the things I like.

Tipi Walter
08-22-2018, 11:19
I hike because I "just like being out there". There is no special reason. When the hike is over, I'm left with a calm that lasts until next years journey.

A secondary benefit is the planning. It's fun to making subtle changes such as gear tweaking, shelter mods (e.g. tarp), or coming up with strategies to make the walk more interesting. For example, last year Snickers, pop tarts & junk calories were eliminated to see if energy levels increased (it did). Next year the plan is to make more miles by not photographing half the trail. Something can always be improved. That is one of the things I like.

I've done probably a dozen trips when I'd look at my junk food like chocolate and cookies and in disgust I'd throw it all away in the woods (usually bury it) because it made me feel physically bad. But man before each trip that stuff looked good. Junk at home or junk on the trail---it's all still junk.

joefryfry
08-22-2018, 12:05
For many other LD trails, it seems to be a much higher % of people who love to hike.

Although I didn't initially say my question was about the AT, I would guess that would be the case on it. More "non-hikers" doing through hikes. Wonder how many who aren't all that into hiking do it, then are life long thru hikers. Wonder how many hiking lovers just never do it again after a through hike.

Dogwood
08-22-2018, 12:48
What percentage of people long distance hiking do you think are out there for the simple fact that they love hiking? The remainder would be out there for any other reason. I love hiking, but I have similar personal issues that lead many to the trail. I started section hiking the AT due to my love of hiking, but now its also due to some personal tragedies that have led me to long for it when I'm not there.

A very high percentage.

The AT is NOT the center of every LD hiker's world.

Lnj
08-22-2018, 13:04
My brother-in-law thru hiked the AT a year or 2 ago. for him, it had nothing to do with the love of hiking, as far as I know anyway. For him it seemed to be more about a leave of absence from his current life to get his head straight and a personal challenge to do something that most people can't/don't. More like a personal mission than anything else. To my knowledge, he hasn't set foot on a trail since, though he does do a lot of cycling. I am sure he wasn't the only one with that mindset. There is probably a large percentage of thru-hikers out there for the same reason. Maybe just trying to prove to themselves they can. I get that too. It's not me, but I understand that mentality. For outdoorsmen/women like Tipi for example, doing a long trail outdoors for an extended period of time doesn't prove anything. Its just another Tuesday. but for many who are urbanites and have become warm and fuzzy at the least, and outright addicted at the most, to all the conveniences and luxuries of our modern society, the notion of spending over 24 hours without a shower and sleeping outdoors and carrying all you have to live on your back is an amazing and challenging feat.

One great side effect of this venture, if successful, is the teaching of oneself to become comfortable and peaceful in ones own skin/company. This is a lesson that would be invaluable to the entire human race at large. What a wonderful feeling to learn that if need be, you can do life predominately all by yourself, that you can be strong, wise, resourceful and imaginative and can survive and maybe even find a pleasant place of peace and contentment without the car, the internet, the house, the trappings of this life. Its personal GOLD as far as lessons learned goes. Doesn't mean that once you've done it, you care to ever do it again. Kind of like College. Invaluable experience, but not something most people want to spend their whole life doing.

Namaste
08-22-2018, 13:14
Like many I'm peopled out! Working in customer service all I hear day in and day out are whining and complaints. I'll take the solitude of the outdoors hiking the AT or any other trail available to me wherever I am. Backpacking improves the quality of my life. I'll take as much time as I can and if I encounter miserable weather out there my mantra is always "it still beats a day at work". Retirement can't come soon enough lol.

wolfywolfy
08-22-2018, 13:39
This is exactly my scenario. I've done the same trails hundreds of times but as long as I have a pack on my back I'm always excited to go. When you sleep with Miss Nature nothing gets old---and she's always there on the morning after.

Ditto, you said it so well. I just love walking all day in nature.

full conditions
08-22-2018, 13:53
Before I set off on my first thru hike, I took every opportunity to go out for weekend hikes and longer both because I wanted and needed the experience but mostly because I loved being out in the woods. Still do. Its why I live in the Smokies. I've been amazed at the number of beginning thru hikers I've met in Georgia every year who have precisely zero backpacking experience yet are fairly certain that they'll love a five month sojourn on the AT.

Malto
08-22-2018, 20:01
I love walking, I love being out in nature. Backpacking allows me to do both.

Just Bill
08-23-2018, 12:55
The AT is pretty unique.
It attracts more than backpackers... including those simply looking for an alternative to town life for a time.

It's one of the few trails that provides social, cultural, community, history, and whatever else you want to toss into the 'other' bucket.

I think I get the sentiment of the OP...
Backpackers do love hiking and nature. A decent gauge if you'd like; would be to find how many other trails where all the bonus features of the AT are not found have been hiked.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a backpacker who didn't enjoy the AT... though you might find backpackers who dislike it for all the other reasons non-backers may visit.

I don't think it'd be too hard to take an 'adventurer' walking the AT and find that they didn't like hiking much when that's all a trail has to offer.
You might find them on the Camino, or hostel hoping Europe, or eco touring some place.

Course... odds are good your average long distance hiker wouldn't wander off the beaten path where compass work rather than apps are required either.
Your average hunter or bushcrafter is often shocked to find out how little outdoors skills are needed for such great distances covered.

Nothing wrong with travel for travel's sake.
Nor hiking for hiking's sake.
Or sitting on a stump watching the world go by for it's own sake.

The AT just happens to be one of the few places where the three pursuits overlap pretty well.

Just Bill
08-23-2018, 13:05
On the flipside....
Not that I have the time lately. But I find short backpacking trips very difficult these days and not very enjoyable.

More of an addictive personality problem really...
That quick fix some enjoy on a short 24 hour adventure leaves me with worse withdrawal than if I had not gone at all.
I enjoy long trails because at the end of short hikes I wish the trail kept going... that I could keep going... that I should keep going.

I can enjoy a short day hike, especially with the family.
I can slap on a pack and walk a few miles in to a group hammock hang where we can sit a fire and sip a few drinks.
I can do quite a few things outdoors enjoyably enough.


But slapping on a pack for a mere weekend is hard.
Like a drunk being served a sip and having the drink taken away before that sweet fix to feed the addict inside is achieved.

In that respect... you could perhaps call me a long distance hiker who doesn't like hiking.

Tipi Walter
08-23-2018, 13:21
Not that I have the time lately. But I find short backpacking trips very difficult these days and not very enjoyable.

More of an addictive personality problem really...
That quick fix some enjoy on a short 24 hour adventure leaves me with worse withdrawal than if I had not gone at all.
I enjoy long trails because at the end of short hikes I wish the trail kept going... that I could keep going... that I should keep going.


But slapping on a pack for a mere weekend is hard.
Like a drunk being served a sip and having the drink taken away before that sweet fix to feed the addict inside is achieved.

In that respect... you could perhaps call me a long distance hiker who doesn't like hiking.

This is exactly how I feel about Dayhiking. Why should I bother to get in a car at the start of a day and go hiking and then have to leave the woods and return to the car that evening? I compare it to breaking a fast at a cafeteria but I can't eat any of the food, i.e. I can't stay in the woods and spend the night. Why torture myself? Why go to all that effort to reach a backcountry trailhead if I can't stay for 3 weeks?????????

Mother Natures Son
08-23-2018, 19:11
I've heard that those who really love hiking come back for more in some way. The trail crews are all most always Thur-Hikers. (Right??)

D2maine
08-23-2018, 19:23
This is exactly how I feel about Dayhiking. Why should I bother to get in a car at the start of a day and go hiking and then have to leave the woods and return to the car that evening? I compare it to breaking a fast at a cafeteria but I can't eat any of the food, i.e. I can't stay in the woods and spend the night. Why torture myself? Why go to all that effort to reach a backcountry trailhead if I can't stay for 3 weeks?????????

some of us are not so fortunate to get 3 weeks off from life's responsibilities - so day hikes and weekend sections is all we get.

rmitchell
08-23-2018, 21:04
I've heard that those who really love hiking come back for more in some way. The trail crews are all most always Thur-Hikers. (Right??)

Many of the trail crews that I've worked with have had one or more former thru hikers as members or leaders .

Hosh
08-23-2018, 22:26
some of us are not so fortunate to get 3 weeks off from life's responsibilities - so day hikes and weekend sections is all we get.

When one has no responsibilities nor ambitions, one can drive 10 miles from your house, hike in 2 miles, squat in place for 3 weeks, eat all your Skippy and walk 5 miles to the trailhead and then ridicule thru hikers who haven’t walked the same trails for 30 years, over and over and over and over, again and again and again, instead they choose to optimize their pack weights, resupply intervals and daily mileage.

Tipi Walter
08-24-2018, 00:04
Many of the trail crews that I've worked with have had one or more former thru hikers as members or leaders .

And occasionally trailworkers backpack in with their tools and spend several nights in an area doing trailwork. Sgt Rock used to do this, along with Ken Jones and some of the BMT boys.

43565
Sgt Rock and friends backpacking in for a trailworking weekend.

43566
Sgt Rock in action.

43567
Trail worker extraordinaire Ken Jones preparing to camp on a work trip.

TexasBob
08-24-2018, 11:18
This is exactly how I feel about Dayhiking. Why should I bother to get in a car at the start of a day and go hiking and then have to leave the woods and return to the car that evening? I compare it to breaking a fast at a cafeteria but I can't eat any of the food, i.e. I can't stay in the woods and spend the night. Why torture myself? Why go to all that effort to reach a backcountry trailhead if I can't stay for 3 weeks?????????

I enjoy walking through the woods because it is like a slow motion scenic tour. You have time to get a good look at everything around you and soak it in. There is always something interesting to see in the woods. I call that hiking. It is fun whether the walking lasts one day or many. Backpacking is hiking plus camping. It sounds like you can't enjoy one without the other. It makes me curious to know which is your favorite Tipi, the walking, the camping or both?

Tipi Walter
08-24-2018, 12:22
I enjoy walking through the woods because it is like a slow motion scenic tour. You have time to get a good look at everything around you and soak it in. There is always something interesting to see in the woods. I call that hiking. It is fun whether the walking lasts one day or many. Backpacking is hiking plus camping. It sounds like you can't enjoy one without the other. It makes me curious to know which is your favorite Tipi, the walking, the camping or both?

I see backpacking as purely the technique necessary to live in the woods and spend every night at a new spot---unless bad weather dictates I stay put for a zero tent day in camp---i.e. long cold rainstorms, blizzards, severe cold storms etc.

I dislike pulling zero days as I like to keep trip momentum going by moving and I get excited about hiking the next day and following an intricate trail system to points wherever.

Both Hiking and Camping are equally important to me. If hiking weren't a big component of my trips I would Basecamp---that technique whereby a backpacker hauls in all his stuff several miles from a trailhead and squats for a week or two or three without packing up and moving. I am not a basecamper because #1 it's boring and #2 I like to set up an intricate trip and trail schedule before the trip with several goals---like---reach Wildcat Creek! Pull the Nutbuster Trail! Tackle the Snowbird Backcountry! Every trip has a goal, or quest.

Hauling out 21 days of food and books and stove fuel and the "accoutrements of idiocy"---my hiking and camping comforts---means I often do short mile days because my pack is around 85+ lbs. But I definitely like to pack up and hike every day and move from camp to camp and stick to my pre-arranged Quest.

Praha4
09-13-2018, 16:49
Excellent thread! The "peopled out" topic is one of my top 5 reasons for backpacking. Turn off the TV, turn off the internet, turn off the cellphone if you want peace. Time on the trail forces you to leave all that toxic stew at home. We live in 2018 in an extremely polarized world where far too many friendships and family relationships can be left in tatters when the subject of politics comes up. Hikers who choose not to leave social media at home when they go to the AT are missing out on something. Getting away to the AT for my occasional section hikes these days is a great way to recharge the soul.

fiddlehead
09-13-2018, 20:37
Chalk me up as one who likes to hike.
Reason 1/ Getting into nature is the place I'd rather be.
2/ Keeps me in shape and even when I'm not hiking, I'm jogging in nature, or climbing some hills somewhere to stay in shape for (usually) an upcoming hiking trip.
3/ Helps me to see the world.

I just finished my 4th short hiking trip this year, this time in Northern Sumatra.
The others this year were: Tasmania, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
Here's a picture from my most recent hike, just last week: 43653

Unfortunately, since I have a 12 year old son, I feel guilty doing the long hikes anymore.
I'm sure I'll continue after he gets out of high school.
Last summer I did a 52 day hike and it was awesome.
But I sure missed him and I'm sure it wasn't good for his upbringing either.
So, shorter hikes this year but still going to cool places to do my hiking.

Miner
09-13-2018, 20:52
If I didn't like hiking, I wouldn't do it. I love being out in nature, enjoying the scenery, and experiencing a sense of being on an adventure while doing a long trail. It does provide some therapy from the stresses of life, but for me, that's just an added bonus.

garlic08
09-14-2018, 07:39
I suppose for every ten hikers, there are eleven reasons to be on a long trail. But I can't imagine going on a long distance hiking trip without an extreme love of walking. The ideal life for me is to walk (or cycle) a substantial portion of every damn day.

It's genetic. When my aging mother looks at me, she says she's glad someone inherited her love of walking. So am I--she's a role model at age 91.

What's not to love about it? Good posture, good health, fun and inexpensive vacations, wonderful companions, and having an easy way to clear one's mind to solve the problems life throws at you.

Starchild
09-14-2018, 07:55
What percentage of people long distance hiking do you think are out there for the simple fact that they love hiking? The remainder would be out there for any other reason. I love hiking, but I have similar personal issues that lead many to the trail. I started section hiking the AT due to my love of hiking, but now its also due to some personal tragedies that have led me to long for it when I'm not there.

What you describe is a reason of a pilgrimage, vision quest, searching and seeking, even if that is not what is 'known' reason. This seems to be a normal part of humanity and presents itself in like form for many cultures. I have met many long distance/thru AT hikers doing exactly that, and others who are out to hike. There are others out to have a social experience particularly the NoBo bubble, and many with a combo of these. Usually a through hike is a calling, something they feel they must do, though many little hikes leading up to that can happen, but they all pint towards the big one.

BuckeyeBill
09-14-2018, 09:06
I figure that I have probably hiked around 15-16000 miles since I got serious about hiking and I love every step I took and look forward to walking many more before being called home.

jefals
09-14-2018, 11:18
depends on why I'm hiking. Sometimes I'm hiking to get in shape, and that's not enjoyable at all. Sometimes I'm hiking for a challenge. That’s not enjoyable either. Sometimes I'm hiking for the enjoyment of it. Those are more fun.

DuneElliot
09-14-2018, 11:28
I hike because I love where it gets me; I love how it makes me feel to push and challenge myself; I love that it makes me feel good about myself.

I don't hike because I love walking and carrying 30lbs. For me, backpacking is a combination of hiking, pausing to enjoy everything around me every-so-often, short breaks with naps and camping to enjoy time with my dogs and friends.

I don't mind day hikes if they have a purpose...to see something cool either at the end or the scenery on the way, to spend time with a friend or family...but I'm not a huge fan of them in general...I like to move, to change camps etc. Day hikes just don't fulfill me in the way a backpacking trip does...but I do them anyway because they are good for me.

illabelle
09-14-2018, 11:30
...
Unfortunately, since I have a 12 year old son, I feel guilty doing the long hikes anymore.
I'm sure I'll continue after he gets out of high school.
Last summer I did a 52 day hike and it was awesome.
But I sure missed him and I'm sure it wasn't good for his upbringing either.
So, shorter hikes this year but still going to cool places to do my hiking.

Would be nice if you could find a school willing to let you engage in a hybrid outdoorsy home-school + public/private school. You could take him with you.

1234
09-17-2018, 18:29
What percentage of people long distance hiking do you think are out there for the simple fact that they love hiking? The remainder would be out there for any other reason. I love hiking, but I have similar personal issues that lead many to the trail. I started section hiking the AT due to my love of hiking, but now its also due to some personal tragedies that have led me to long for it when I'm not there.

my daughterloves hiking.
she thru hiked in 2013 nobo, next year hiked across4d across Europe wild camping mostly, hiked in 17 national parks one summer, weekends hikes most of the years till now, she is SOBO the AT. She is going slow not a worry in the world. She spends little money like buying 25lb bag of pinto beans to eat for a month. She hikes every opportunity. So she loves hiking.

1234
09-18-2018, 08:00
Talking about hikers that like to hike.
at the shelter just prior to mohusic notch, 7 of 8 thru hikers present said they were skipping the notch. Only 1 said they would not miss it. So, you may have a point many thru hikers do not like to hike. I loved the notch!

FreeGoldRush
09-18-2018, 08:04
Talking about hikers that like to hike.
at the shelter just prior to mohusic notch, 7 of 8 thru hikers present said they were skipping the notch. Only 1 said they would not miss it. So, you may have a point many thru hikers do not like to hike. I loved the notch!
After hearing so many stories like this one you have to wonder what the real number of completed thru hikes is each year. I love to hike. Even when it sucks.

nsherry61
09-18-2018, 08:28
. . . just prior to mohusic notch, 7 of 8 thru hikers present said they were skipping the notch. . .
That's bizarre. Why would anyone go to all the trouble to hike the majority of the AT and then skip one of the most dramatic, iconic, and short stretches of the whole thing?! That's like going to one of the most expensive and famous restaurants in the world to experience their food and then picking the bits of truffle out of the meal you order because you are worried you won't like them.

Shrewd
09-19-2018, 09:04
I thru hiked the AT last year.

I love hiking but a lot of the AT is not fun. The trail is brutal and often feels like it was designed to hurt you. Like others have said by the end I was beat up and excited to finish the thing. I longed to go home and do short trips with my dog and see what it was like “back when we did this for fun.”

That said before I finished I also talked quite a bit with other hikers about trying the PCT next. I suppose I can’t help myself.

But a they hike is kinda extreme. When I tell someone I enjoy hiking what I’m thinking of is a few hours walking in a big park by a rocky stream, watching my dog splash around. Or maybe go on an overnight in Shenandoah.

I certainly don’t think yes, I enjoy pushing my body beyond injuries and the mental challenges that arise from half a year spent walking across a country.

But, damn if I don’t miss crushing beer and pizza in a hotel room with other dirt bags

Bansko
09-28-2018, 10:23
The Notch was way cool. I did it solo around midnight. Looking down at the snow and ice at the bottom of the voids between the boulders was one of my best trail memories.

Dogwood
09-28-2018, 14:55
What percentage of people long distance hiking do you think are out there for the simple fact that they love hiking? The remainder would be out there for any other reason. I love hiking, but I have similar personal issues that lead many to the trail. I started section hiking the AT due to my love of hiking, but now its also due to some personal tragedies that have led me to long for it when I'm not there.

A very high percentage that LD hike love LD hiking. Of course how one defines a love of hiking or why they love it can be quite different.

Another Kevin
09-28-2018, 18:32
What's long-distance hiking?

The longest section that I've done was about 140 miles, and that was interrupted by an injury in the middle. I pretty much enjoyed every mile - although definitely the hike out on the sprained knee - 15 miles from the nearest highway - was something that I liked only in retrospect.

At the end of that hike, I was ready to come home. At the start of the next long weekend, I was ready to get Out There again. I like going, and I like returning.

The idea of a half-year-long Big Hike doesn't appeal very much. I don't think I could walk away from my life for that long. In retirement, though, I'd like to try a shorter one, maybe a couple of months. There's a hike of 600 miles or so that I'd like very much to put together, which would combine a major long trail with roadwalking on country roads, following abandoned logging tracks, all the way down to out-and-out bushwhack, that would make a connected hike from Manhattan to the heart of the Adirondacks. From sleeping in motels and commuting to the trailhead by subway and city bus at the start, to 40-60 mile roadless (and partily trailless) sections at the end. For a New York City kid who moved upstate, this is just a cool idea. (And I expect it to be quite difficult indeed - but those 600 miles will have at least a couple of hundred miles of truly great trail - like New Hampshire and Maine.

I don't think I'm harbouring too many romantic illusions about it. I think that it's likely that a man who's done some hundred-mile hikes has an idea what hiking is like. And for at least a hundred miles, yes, I still go on liking it. How much further would that last? I really don't know. I've never tried.

English Stu
10-09-2018, 10:34
I like the hiking, camping, landscape, people met and the wildlife. I did 700 miles on the AT in 2004 and have added another 300+miles since then.
I still hike -500 miles on the GR5 in Holland and France. All the British National Trails- 3000+miles;19 separate trails certainly not all in one trip. all but a few days stealth camped.