Reasons

[TerinceSH]

Hi, I'm a student who is writing a paper on the Appalachian Trail, and long-distant hiking. I figured I'd give this a shot. I was wondering if anyone could offer any main reasons as to why people quit hiking the AT, what keeps them from continuing onward?

[Programbo]

Hi, I'm a student who is writing a paper on the Appalachian Trail, and long-distant hiking. I figured I'd give this a shot. I was wondering if anyone could offer any main reasons as to why people quit hiking the AT, what keeps them from continuing onward?

Shall we assume you mean why they quit hiking a "thru-hike"?......Or just quit hiking in general?

[SGTdirtman]

my reason for hiking the AT is simple... I cant drive on the trail

[Footslogger]

Hi, I'm a student who is writing a paper on the Appalachian Trail, and long-distant hiking. I figured I'd give this a shot. I was wondering if anyone could offer any main reasons as to why people quit hiking the AT, what keeps them from continuing onward?
=================================
I believe that most often it's because the actual experience is different (in a not so good way) than their expectations. Second to that would be an unanticipated injury or illness.

'Slogger

[MrSparex]

From my extensive reading of posts...I find that money situations, family responsibilities, injury and Physical inadequacy (wimp outs) seem to be popular reasons for ending the quest.
I hiked the approach trail Saturday to Springer Mountain. I had no intentions of more than a day or two hike but WOW! I got pics of the 2 plaques and my 8 year old son enjoyed it. I couldn't get back to camp before dark so we went to the "Hike Inn" (everbody say: "awwwwww").
That was different to say the least.

[stickman]

Granny Gatewood said most people can't do what she did because they are panty wastes. Then again, I havent made or attempted a through (yet), so I'm gonna be a little humble about how I say that!

Stickman

[hammock engineer]

Here is a link to the trail journals page of people that got off the trail.

http://www.trailjournals.com/journals_type.cfm?status=4

Not really good reading for someone looking forward to their hike, but may help you.

It might be interesting to add to your paper whether these people started off saying they are going to attempt a thru, versus do a thru hike. It may just be me, but I do not like using the whole attempt word.

[Heater]

Hi, I'm a student who is writing a paper on the Appalachian Trail, and long-distant hiking. I figured I'd give this a shot. I was wondering if anyone could offer any main reasons as to why people quit hiking the AT, what keeps them from continuing onward?

I was just reading this on Spirit Eagles site.

Reality.

http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/THP%20reality.html

[Lone Wolf]

Hi, I'm a student who is writing a paper on the Appalachian Trail, and long-distant hiking. I figured I'd give this a shot. I was wondering if anyone could offer any main reasons as to why people quit hiking the AT, what keeps them from continuing onward?
Fantasy and reality are two different things.

[Lone Wolf]

Granny Gatewood said most people can't do what she did because they are panty wastes. Then again, I havent made or attempted a through (yet), so I'm gonna be a little humble about how I say that!

Stickman
Earl would beg to differ.

[Programbo]

Granny Gatewood said most people can't do what she did because they are panty wastes. Then again, I havent made or attempted a through (yet), so I'm gonna be a little humble about how I say that!
Stickman

I think there are a lot of people who probably could accomplish a thru with no problem but don`t or can`t due to a wide range of reasons...I hiked about half the trail in one shot in 1977 and was of the mental makeup and physical ability that a thru would have been no problem..So why didn`t I?...No money..It`s amazing I got half the trail done considering I had $500 to buy most of my equipment and food for the trip :p
But in my 11 years of selling backpacking equipment I helped outfit a lot of people for thru hikes and would say the main reasons most came wandering back in the store shortly after they left was either the reality of the trip didn`t match up to their fantasies or they were not in the shape that was required..Heck I had people come in who planned to do a thru hike who had no more than 2-3 weekend trips to their credit..Survey says.."X" ....I think the ones who had the best success were those who had a LOT of hiking experience and a few long distance treks under their belt and those who just loved the AT and that lifestyle..I`m not sure if that means something different now than it did back in the 70`s

[Programbo]

PS:..There`s a guy around the DC area who goes by the name "Stickman" on the CB radio..That wouldn`t be you by any chance would it?

[Lion King]

Reasons why and their cures

Money---Stop staying in hotels and spoiling yourself the whole way. If you want to sit in AC and sleep in a comfy bed every night and you want to eat steak and ale for every meal then you can do that at home.

If you know you are budgeted, make it more of an outdoor experiance and eat a good meal occasionally in town---camp a mile away from your town, go in, do laundry eat, resuppply and get the hell out, and if the situation is completely horrid and you cant stand the idea of going home from the trail because you are flatass borke...get a small town job for a week. Its easier then it seems.
Just make sure you are there to work, and not to be a leech on locals. I've done it in two towns (1998 and 2001) and the locals still treat me really good when I come through and trust me, good or bad, they will remember you...so dont screw it up for other hikers.

Injury---Walk through it. Most injuries hurt and suck and they may need a rest break or some elevation, but most of them arent a reason to go home.
Some injuries are Gods way of saying slow the hell down and smell the roses. Stop every three miles or so, take off your shoes and socks, kick it back a notch.
If you break something, thats a differnt story obviously. If its your arm, you can keep going. Remember what it means to have to get by on the simple things, even with a ankle swollen like a grapefruit.

You miss people--Boohoo. Seriously, this one is lame, as on the AT there are a MILLION people, and 93% of them rock! You will get over missing people after a few days...call them from town if you need to, and listen to how much they wish they were where you are. Thatll fix that.
and believe me, you can get sex in some of the trail towns if thats the issue...seriously.

Illness--Puke and keep going, nothing like some good hardcore physical exertion to clean the bopdy of all ills.

Now, I honestly feel that a lot of the reason people go home, even if the above four or different ones are used is that People cannot deal with who they are inside.

When you hike long distance you will think on everything about your life, every person you screwed over, every person who did you wrong, every heartbreak, every death--be it physical, spiritual or mental--everything that rolls through your mind day in and day out without you being aware of it.
Some folks hate that, so they break down and go home.

Deal with it, it will be the best thing you can do for yourself.

Of course, this all may be totaly wrong, but its my opinion.:sun

[Skidsteer]

Now, I honestly feel that a lot of the reason people go home, even if the above four or different ones are used is that People cannot deal with who they are inside.

When you hike long distance you will think on everything about your life, every person you screwed over, every person who did you wrong, every heartbreak, every death--be it physical, spiritual or mental--everything that rolls through your mind day in and day out without you being aware of it.
Some folks hate that, so they break down and go home.

Deal with it, it will be the best thing you can do for yourself..:sun

Right on. I was effed up before I started backpacking.

Well, :o I'm still effed up. But now I know why. :D

[RITBlake]

IMO, false expectations has got to be the #1 reason people 'get off the trail.' They may claim that its an injury or a money issue, but it all boils down to false expectations. Every year, thousands of people arrive at Springer, certain that they are about to walk to Maine. Many have no back packing experience and they share a romantic disillusion about the world of long distance hiking. The great majority of them fail. I never understood how you could commit to a 6 month backpacking trip when you have never even spent a night in the woods, or gone on a weekend trip. They have misconceived notions that the AT is going to be a leisurely, sunny-day walk across grassy hills and through beautiful meadows. You learn quickly that is anything but that. Sure the AT can be beautiful but long distance hiking is work, hard work. It's sad to say but most people are soft, and aren't prepared mentally or physically to handle the extremities the trail presents. Like hiking in the rain for a week straight? Like hiking with 1/2" deep blisters on your heels? Like being thirsty, hungry, bug bitten, chafed? No? maybe thru hiking isn't for you. For most people it isn't.


The solution?


Good planning plays a big role in this.. If you show up to Springer w/ a 50 or 60 lb pack carrying a gallon of denatured alcohol, you obviously haven't done your homework. Sorry but you don't need that Rambo knife and that mag light might be a bit unnecessary. Sure some of these people make it, but if you really and truly serious about your goal of walking to Maine, wouldn't you want to give yourself every chance possible. If you are going to spend a 150 bucks on a pack. get the pack that weighs 2 lbs instead of 6. Things like this will not only cut down on the wear and tear on your body, but will help make for a much more enjoyable hike. And when it comes to getting off the trail for money issues, Lion king is dead on. If you didn't budget enough money, stay out of the towns, and definitely stay out of the bars. It was your responsibility to save up enough money to cover your entire thru hike and you need to plan accordingly. Before my thru hike I saved every penny I could, stayed in on the weekends, and cut food costs by eating PB&J sandwiches every day. By the time June rolled around I had more then enough money to complete my hike. It was one less thing I had to worry about. Running out of money is a poor excuse for leaving the trail. We hiked w/ 3 sobos this year that did the trail on less then 1,000 each. How did they do it? They avoided hotels and hostels, did work for stays, and cut costs where they could. They had a great time and completed their thru hike. Point being, they knew how much they could spend and they stuck to it. They easily could have partied at the Doyle or at Dots and spent the last of their savings but they didn't. So if you hit the trail with 500 bucks or 5000, be prepared to follow some kind of spending plan. If you think you have saved up enough, save more. Doctor visits and gear replacement can become expensive during a thru hike and chances are you will have to do at least one of those.


However, much more important then getting the right gear or saving your money is getting some backpacking experience. My best advice is go on a shakedown hike. Preferably somewhere north of Harpers Ferry. By that point the dreamers are long gone and you will get a chance to talk to hikers w/ a realistic chance of making it. By that point they will have a pretty solid experience base to share with you. Look at their gear and ask questions. Most thru hikers will be happy to share their knowledge with you. Another benefit to doing a shakedown hike is to help refine your own personal hiking goals. Maybe after a week on the AT you will realize that you aren't ready for a thru hike, or maybe that you want to stick to overnights or weekends. Or maybe you'll see how cool and exciting a thru hike can be and it will want to make you do it even more. Either way a shakedown hike is a great way to learn about backpacking and to help redefine your goals. I guess the point I'm trying to make in all this is that a thru-hike is a long, long journey. It requires a pretty serious degree of determination, both physical and mental. If you feel you have that, you should do every thing possible in the pre hike time period to make your thru hike a success. Travel light and always carry your sense of humor.

mega 05

[Peaks]

Why do people drop out of thru-hiking?

It's mainly mental. Early on, as RIT posted, it's false expectations. People see pictures of sunny days and beatiful sunsets and exect every day to be like that, rather than rain and snow, especially early on. People don't expect to get cold and miserable.

Many people get bored with getting up and hiking day after day. They didn't realize that hiking day after day can be as much a job as the job they left behind.

Later, when people get behind in calories they loose interest in hiking because they don't have the energy to hike mile after mile. I could go on and on about this one.

Others miss family and friends, money, and injury.

[Viking (US)]

Can a newbie lurker play? This is just based on my personal observations:

For mental reasons: to go along with the false expectations, not only is it that people don't expect to be miserable, sometimes they start to fixate on the idea that they have paid a lot of money and gone to a great deal of trouble just to BE miserable. The rewards of the trail are not quick or easy, it's easy to sit and type that (and read it and nod your head) but it's really true. A flexible attitude is vital; if you can't live without your favorite TV show or if you'll go to pieces when your long and carefully planned itinerary is broken you should rethink things.

And like Peaks said, it's a job. A hard, frequently boring job that doesn't even pay anything. I worked with mobile homes for several years, and crawling around in the dirt hauling cinder blocks around for 10 hours a day was great prep for long distance hiking. Along about Virginia (for a NOBO) it really sinks in that you get up in the morning, you hike all day, and you go to bed and you get up tomorrow and do it all over again (and again, and again, and again, et cetera ad infinitum). The "green tunnel effect" and the Virginia Blues are very real phenomenon, not everybody gets them but if you're already feeling bad, or having second thoughts, they can really weigh you down. After the first week or so very few people are thinking, "Oh boy, here come some more trees!! And some ROCKS!!!"

And injuries can be serious. You can have the will of a kamikaze pilot, but if you keep hiking on that cracked tibia or that torn ligament Bad Things will happen and you will not be happy. And if you're not having a good time over all, or don't have a hope that there's a good time waiting somewhere down the trail, why are you doing this?

[Krewzer]

Quit...Personally I'm not so sure it's the best word to base part of your paper on. But it is used a lot, and your question comes up often. I think you would be surprised to find it comes up more often on the trail than off. And, is asked more out of concern for the well being, both mental and physical, of other hikers; "...did so and so get off?" or "...did he or she have to get off?"

"Quit" is not a good word in AT hiker circles unless Mr SnoreHead is in the shelter or somebody's dog (or somebody) is sniffing your mac-n-cheese.

But more to the point why do some hikers give up their thru-hike or as you put it, "Why do they quit?" It's a fair question and when put that way it has, I think, a simple answer. You quit because you want to, plain and simple. But God bless 'em, they gave it a shot and it wasn't for them. I hope they're still tramping around the mountains somewhere today. I hope they haven't "quit" hiking.

But!!! Many have to leave before they reach the Katahdin or Springer, but didn't quit. They leave because of injury or circumstance beyond their control. There are many reasons; ankles, knees, feet, physical ability, money, health, family, time, etc. Anybody remember when "Little steps" broke an ankle in 2000, or when "Yahoo" lost his Father in '99, or everyone begging St Pete Sue to go home before she did permanent damage to her swollen feet in 2000.

I understand what and why you're asking, but to be fair to many unfortunate thru-hikers, they haven't quit, they're just delayed.

It's sort of like my buddy Grits said after hearing about Little Steps, "You just never know. One loose rock or one hungry bear, and your trip's over." Often is about luck, not about quitting.

(Little Steps went back and finished in 2001, Yahoo finished in 2000, St Pete Sue is somewhere in Pennslyvannia tonight, and will be headed North in the morning.)

[mrc237]

Great posts on this topic. Having lots of $$$$$$$$$$$ helps. I've seen many a "Greenhorn" get along nicely if they have lots of it and the tenacity to continue.-------EZ

[stickman]

I'm not the radio guy. Sorry for the delay in responding but I've been out of town for a couple of days.

Stickman

[KirkMcquest]

Why do some 'quit'? Two words GENETIC WEAKNESS.

[TOW]

Hi, I'm a student who is writing a paper on the Appalachian Trail, and long-distant hiking. I figured I'd give this a shot. I was wondering if anyone could offer any main reasons as to why people quit hiking the AT, what keeps them from continuing onward?truthfully i believe that in our society that the reason why those who bail out early in their thru and don't return, ever, have had it too easy in their lives and just can't stomach the fact that the trail is not an easy thing to do..........

[Tin Man]

I recall reading a trail journal, where the writer was older and retired. He spoke of his morning routine and then being back in the office by 8:30 am, meaning the trail. As others have said, it is a job, a very hard job. And if you aren't prepared physically and mentally (with more emphasis on mentally), you won't make it far. I am a lowlife section hiker and I sometimes feel the urge to quit or not come back again the following year, but I love it hard work and all. I would love to do a thru and maybe a will have the opportunity some day and find out for myself just how hard it is.

[Heater]

I recall reading a trail journal, where the writer was older and retired. He spoke of his morning routine and then being back in the office by 8:30 am, meaning the trail. As others have said, it is a job, a very hard job. And if you aren't prepared physically and mentally (with more emphasis on mentally), you won't make it far. I am a lowlife section hiker and I sometimes feel the urge to quit or not come back again the following year, but I love it hard work and all. I would love to do a thru and maybe a will have the opportunity some day and find out for myself just how hard it is.

Probably "BigDaddyD."

www.trailjournals.com/BigDaddyD2005 (http://www.trailjournals.com/BigDaddyD2005)

He also dedicated each day's hike to somebody but only his last one on Kathadin to himself.

Interesting journal. :D

[heyman62]

Money would be my main reason in general. My daughter has been in poor health for a couple years now. Many of us have a loved one that is in trouble health-wise probably. Those 2 things aside I would LOVE to go at a thru-hike!!!!!!!!!