View Full Version : Failed Thru-hike attempts. What happened?
I would like to here some experiences from people who started a thru hike but left the trail. How long did you hike? why did you leave the trail? Any words for would be thru hikers?
I ask this because I myself am a failed thru hiker for 2006. 419 miles from amacalola falls to Laurel Fork, TN. Hiked too far, Too fast, isolation, boredom, and a complete overwealming, uncontrollable impulse to quit. Which I did.
I'm planning to return and try a 2nd time using lessons learned.
Do as you please but if I were you I'd just start where you left off (or perhaps even go southbound). Atleast this way, if after another 400 miles you feel like quitting again you've seen that much more trail and can finish at another time. If you make it all the way north, you could come back and hike the 1st 400 miles over again if completely the enitire trail in one season is your goal.
Hiked too far, Too fast, isolation, boredom, and a complete overwealming, uncontrollable impulse to quit. Which I did.
I'm planning to return and try a 2nd time using lessons learned.
What lessons did you learn? I think that would be helpful to know. If you were bored on the trail, and felt isolated, how do you plan to address those issues on another attempt?
Thanks in advance.
SGT Rock
12-20-2006, 13:54
Good point. It is sometimes easy to identify a problem, coming up with workable solutions and implementing them are not always easy. Simply knowing a problem can happen is not going to stop it if it happens again.
As to the thread, I am interested in hearing this. The only time I ever felt like bailing on a hike was when I got lonely. I pushed through it by physically challenging myself - it didn't change that I was lonely, but it did take my mind off of the problem.
On my PCT attempt, I had to pull off around the 1200 mile point because of injury to my left foot and ankle. I'll get back out ther some day.
My AT thruhike I also got injured, but was able to hike through it and go the entire distance.
Words of advice? You have to want to be out there. Don't just do it because you didn't make it the first time. Do it because you want to be hiking. The end shouldn't be the goal, the journey should be the goal.
Also, take things along with you to do other than hiking if you're getting bored... for me it was books. I'd read every night, sometimes even cut my hiking day a little short to read. It was a good way to keep the brain occupied. Also, music can help from time to time, but I found if I listened to it too much it irritated me. Ended up mainly just listening to it in camp some nights from time to time.
Listen to your body. If it tells you to stop, or slow down, or speed up, do it. Don't hike just to keep up with people, or because you have nothing else to do. Do what your body is telling you to do.
Anyway, congrats on your 400+ miles!
Thanks Sly for the advice. I seem to have this idea that doing a full thru hike in one season is heroic and I want to have bragging rights. I think this is the wrong attitude and is probably contributed to my burnout on the trail this year.
Trail Journals has a section called Journals from Hikers Who Got Off the Trail. There has been some interesting stories as to why they got off. It includes all the trails
http://www.trailjournals.com/journals_type.cfm?status=4
Got bored. Bad attitude. Wasn't having fun. The heat & humidity were getting to me. Hard to stay clean.. a week without showers sucks when you're hiking in the heat all day. OK, I'm a weenie, I admit it. I did about 650 miles, quit near Blacksburg. Never did find a hiking partner I could stay with for more than a few days. Did the 100-mile Wilderness later that season so I could meet up with the folks I'd started with down south. That was fun!
I'm much happier hiking sections. Since '90 I've filled in the gaps between Monson and Lehigh Gap. It's been 16 years... 30 years if you count all those years of aimless red-eyed stomping thru the Whites.
These days I think of the AT as the "framework" for my hiking... but not the end-all. But seriously psyched to do the final 600 mile section in '07. :)
SGT Rock
12-20-2006, 14:18
Hey, thru-hiking isn't going to be for everyone either. I suppose some people would be more happy if they figure that out and just do long sections when they can. Sometimes you gotta try to find out.
Hammock Hanger
12-20-2006, 14:31
First time after hiking 650 miles with a sewing needle in my foot I was in so much pain, kept hiking but at 900+ had to leave the trail for good. -- Second time after 1000+ miles I was rushed to hospital with West Nile Fever amd Lyme. Third time (different trail) at @ 700+ I was missing home and the group dynamics were getting me down.
If you were lonely perhaps next time you should start later.
Got bored. Bad attitude. Wasn't having fun. The heat & humidity were getting to me. Hard to stay clean.. a week without showers sucks when you're hiking in the heat all day. OK, I'm a weenie, I admit it. I did about 650 miles, quit near Blacksburg. Never did find a hiking partner I could stay with for more than a few days. Did the 100-mile Wilderness later that season so I could meet up with the folks I'd started with down south. That was fun!
I'm much happier hiking sections. Since '90 I've filled in the gaps between Monson and Lehigh Gap. It's been 16 years... 30 years if you count all those years of aimless red-eyed stomping thru the Whites.
These days I think of the AT as the "framework" for my hiking... but not the end-all. But seriously psyched to do the final 600 mile section in '07. :)
I don't think anyone is a weenie for realizing that they aren't having fun and then doing something about it. I call that good judgement personally. :)
SalParadise
12-20-2006, 14:35
In 04 I had to quit for injury after 700 miles. Got a stress fracture in my foot and bursitis in my knee. The weight of my pack (45-50 lbs.) mostly contributed to it, and the weight also made me dread every grueling ascent.
Still wanting to thru-hike, in 05 I got new gear and cut my weight down to 23 lbs. fully loaded. Knowing all that extra gear and clothing I didn't need to take also helped. That light pack was a big factor in my successful thru that year.
I did re-hike the 700 miles from the previous year. I wanted my hike to be a traditional thru-hike, end-to-end, and I'm very glad I did those miles over again. I'm glad I did Springer to Katahdin. I remembered exactly where I had to get off the Trail in 04 (702.1 in fact), that it was my first goal early on to pass that point, and I was able to put Katahdin out of my mind for a while.
Blissful
12-20-2006, 15:07
I''ll second that- the entries on Trail Journals for those who left is very interesting.
I guess I already know this is not going to be fun. I'm not doing it for fun. So that is out of my system. It's going to be really tough. There are going to be great days and lousy days.
I'm going on it to find out more about myself, others, to see the trail blessings that come about when you least expect it, to see the grand mountains, rivers, foliage, towns, to just walk THE AT. Also I'm doing it for my son so he gets this opportunity. And since this is something that has been in me FOREVER it seems, I think of it as my destiny.
I''ll second that- the entries on Trail Journals for those who left is very interesting.
I guess I already know this is not going to be fun. I'm not doing it for fun. So that is out of my system. It's going to be really tough. There are going to be great days and lousy days.
Life's too short to deliberately spend 5 or 6 months of it not having fun. I hope this attitude works for you... but I know it wouldn't work for me.
Another mistake some folks make is feeling the need to "prove" something -- to themselves, their friends, or whoever. I dunno, but that's not gonna cut it for me. Nobody knows what it's like on the trail... until they've done it or tried it for themselves. Why suffer for 5 or 6 months... to prove to yourself that you can withstand suffering?? Seems silly to me.
This is ultimately a very narcissistic endeavor. Don't pretend you're doing it for anyone else. You're doing it for yourself.
These experiences are excellent. Thanks for all the input. What lessons did I learn? I over planned. Read too many books. Read too many web sites. I wish I had instead spent more time out on the trail getting comfortable with my gear and knowing my limits. I started the one week later than I planned due to politics at the office. I felt I was always trying to go a few extra miles each day to make up for the lost week. The biggest problem I had was something I'm not sure I can do anything about. The hike went well for me up until Irwin TN. However; at Irwin I had caught up with "the crowd" that started in March and things went downhill fast. Mud and crowded shelters as far as the eye could see. I'm claustrophobic in large groups so I opted to start sleeping in my tent. This isolated me from people. Now I'm doing section hikes on and off the AT because I love the freedom of a pack and miles ahead. If and when I try a thru-hike again I don't know. If I do try again I'll plan it in such a way as to avoid the crowded shelters. Maybe start sooner and plan lower mileage each day. Try to find 1 or 2 people to start with. When I did attempt my thru-hike I took someones advice and got lots of people involved. I had one relative keep an online journal for me (I since deleted the journal). Another relative to mail supplies. Had my girlfriend drive down with me to the trailhead at Amacalola, told all my friends, bought too much gear. All of this was way too much and just not my style. Next time I'll keep the trip under wraps and take it the same way I take all my vacations/time away. Last minute and without any fanfare. I havn't talked about my trail experience with anyone until now. At least no one who has any idea of what its like. Thanks.
bigcranky
12-20-2006, 15:36
Yeah, I have to agree with TT on this one. Sure, some days are worse than others on the trail, but every day I am hiking is fun -- a bad day on the trail is still way better than a good day at work for me. Not sure I could plan a long hike thinking (knowing?) it's not going to be fun.
Just wake up in the morning, stretch out, grab some coffee, and say to yourself, "Today is a good day to HIKE!"
bigcranky
12-20-2006, 15:39
esmithz--
We were writing at the same time there. Your post gives a lot more information. You might consider one of the ways I like to approach a day, and that is to stop at a shelter for dinner and company, then hike on for a few miles to camp alone. That way you get some interaction with other hikers, and a nice place to cook dinner, but you avoid sleeping with the crowds. Just a thought.
Good luck with the planning.
Cuppa Joe
12-20-2006, 16:21
As for me .. I started in '04. made it about 1100 miles to the 501 Shelter and had to bail because of a real bad stress fracture. Pushed to hard, too early, and to fast. Finally hit me there.
I restarted from the beginning in '05 and made it. Took it a lot slower. Had a lot more fun and wouldn't trade my restart over for a minute. Oh, I could have started from where I left off but it was a personal thing for me. I wanted it to be from end to end.
I can honestly say there was only one time in '05 when I was hating the trail and just wanted to be done. Not quit, mind you, just be done. That was around Stratton Pond in VT. I was calculating how many miles I could do to finish as fast as I could. That all changed when I arrived in Manchester Center. Funny how one email can change your thinking :)
Basically I loved every minute out there.. even in the mid summer heat and humidity. It is a mindset. You have GOT to want to be out there or you won't make it.
esmithz -- I sure can relate to some of what you say. It's hard sometimes to find a balance between "too much company" and "not enough." I love a good night at camp with friendly, simpatico folks. OTOH, I have seen some big crowd situations around shelters that I could certainly do without. I want folks to talk to and share the joys & sorrows with -- but at the same time, I don't ever want to be competing with others for miles. This last section was a bit lonesome -- there was only one night in the woods (out of 10) where I had company. Shelters to myself almost every night. That's almost too much solitude. But it was an excellent adventure, nonetheless.
As for me .. I started in '04. made it about 1100 miles to the 501 Shelter and had to bail because of a real bad stress fracture. Pushed to hard, too early, and to fast. Finally hit me there.
Out of curiosity, how many miles/what pace did you do that was too hard and too fast at the beginning? What did you slow down to the second time?
Almost There
12-20-2006, 17:08
LeaRn from past thru's. The biggest lesson learned is to have fun and truly do what you want to do, from your pace, where to camp, to..do I take that blue blaze. It's your hike and are you doing it for yourself or the recognition of others. Most of us will believe you if you say you've thru'd and if you blue blaze a little there are some of us that would even applaud you! Biggest lesson I have learned as a section hiker is to do your own thing in your own way! Good luck on your next try!
As to crowded shelters I play a game at times and try to identify great stealth camping sites. This way I never have to camp where it's crowded if I don't want to.
wacocelt
12-20-2006, 17:13
Failed AT Thru attempts in 2000, 03' and 05. Failed PCT attempt 2006.
My initial impulse to Thru hike was more of an attempt to escape from surroundings and behaviors which I percieved as unpleasant than any acsetic impulse. I had grown weary and was trying to escape what I thought were my problems, but I unknowingly picked them up, put them on my back and let them hound me for hundreds of miles, trying to forget and distract myself from, what I eventually realized was myself.
The time I've spent on long trails has given me a world of useful information about myself and the world as I percieve it, through some of the most incredible and blissful as well as morose, embarassing and depressing experiences in my life.
The most important lesson which i've discovered and hope to be able to put into constant use is... All the things I'm experiencing while hiking are there to help me learn about myself. The challenges of boredom, loneliness and social discomfort if looked at objectively, so that I can understand why I'm experiencing those feelings and how to better express myself while feeling them.
I don't know if any of that helps, or even if it makes sense. Hope I didn't ramble on too long. Be well folks!
mountain squid
12-20-2006, 17:30
(Sorry. This is a little lengthy. If you can’t make it “thru”, read the red parts and the last 2 sentences.)
Started my “thru“ hike in Apr 04 with every intention of finishing on Katahdin. As the summer wore on, I got tired of the same routine, day after day. (Including the same food, snorers in the shelter, rainy days, and everything else that annoys...I mean, isn‘t it nice to have a cold soda when you want one?!?) By the time I got to NJ, I remember going up some “hills” and thinking I didn’t have it in me anymore. Then thinking about the “mountains” still to come. So, in July, as I made it to the Church Hostel in Vernon, NJ, I just decided that this was it. After all, the trail would still be here next year (imagine that - it was and still is). And, I wasn’t going to continue just so I could claim the title of “Thru” hiker. If it wasn’t enjoyable anymore, I was not going to force myself...
I’ve thought about this so many times since, but never as a failure.
So, I got off. Retrieved my truck. Actually drove North to Katahdin. Climbed it and briefly (very briefly) entertained the thought of flipping. I did not. Drove out West instead. Somehow ended up in JC, TN and started planning for ‘05 with absolutely no intent of starting all over again from the beginning.
In Jun 05, again with the intent of finishing on Katahdin, picked up where I left off. Even though I was ahead of most NOBO‘s, I tented alot more than in '04. This eliminated one of my biggest pet peeves - snoring in the shelter (not me, others). Trail life is so much more enjoyable when you have a good nights sleep (ear plugs do nothing for me). Well, I made it up and over Moosilauke in NH. It was a lousy weather day. That wasn’t too big a deal for me, though (you expect bad weather in the Whites). But the lack of blazes before you get on the mountain, was a big deal for me...it was very frustrating (and, it seemed to be a recurring theme since NY). I can’t stand spending time trying to decide where the trail is. There are times when there is no actual foot path. You have to see the next blaze to know which way to go...Well, I didn’t like being upset over such a trivial thing, that again I decided that I’d hiked enough for the year.
I’ve thought about this so many times since, but never as a failure.
OK, now I am in the Whites. Not the best place to start off (can anyone say steep, rocky, bad weather?!?). But, there I was at the end of Jun 06. In the Whites. Determined to finish on Katahdin, but again ahead of most NOBO’s. The ones I saw quickly passed me by (and many of them, not enjoying themselves at all). Finally, I made it to ME. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue, though (for no apparent reason). Decided to take it town to town. I knew for me, that once I was on the trail, I’d keep going (and knowing that there are only 4-5 town stops in ME made it easy for me).
Now, in my new status as a “section” hiker, I knew I’d most likely finish by myself. Not as exciting. But, somehow, in Caratunk, I met up with 3 other “section” hikers and for the most part we all kept the same daily pace through the 100 mile Wilderness. So, once some “logistical” problems got figured out and, with the addition of one other “section” hiker, we all summitted on the 1st of August 06. It was great!!!!
I’ve thought about this so many times since, but never as a failure.
The only times I kind of regret not finishing in '04 is when I see a summit photo here on WB of people I knew or read a Trailjournal of someone I knew. But then, if I had finished in '04, I never would have met the great people that I did summit with this year (Toe Jam and Hairy Strawberry and Stinger and Swamp Dawg - Thanks for being there!!!)
So it took me 3 seasons and overall I enjoyed them. Met alot of great people (and many of them over and over again on the trail). There are good days, bad days, cold days, wet days, but mostly it is a mental thing. Haven’t figured out what I’ll do next year, but I’ll be out there somewhere...
For me, I know I made the right decisions. Sure, I can’t claim that I did it all in one year, but realistically, who really cares?!?!
Anyway, I’m out of breath now, See you on the trail,
mt squid
My wife, bless her soul, is a psychologist, and a damned good one. She talks about people being process-oriented or goal-oriented.
For example, she's been interested in dance all her life, but has no interest in performing. For her, it's the process -- the doing of it -- that gives her pleasure. She's doing it simply for herself. She's not out to be the next Martha Gramm. She knows her limits and isn't bothered by them.
My mistake in 1990 (well, one of many mistakes, maybe) was approaching the hike not as a "process" but as a "goal." It's not a clear-cut either/or situation -- I think both "process" and "goal" matter in a thru hike -- but if the process isn't fun, it's a hell of a lot harder to reach the goal. So these days I'm focusing more on having fun on my hikes. If I'm not having fun, I stop myself ASAP and correct that situation. There's just no point ever getting mad at the Trail. There's no such thing as a PUD, 'cuz the whole trail is just one, long, 2175 mile PUD. The only point is to enjoy yourself while you're there.
Big Daddy D
12-20-2006, 18:34
A thru hike is just a goal. Someone wiser than I once said, "We're all section hikers, until we reach Katahdin!" (or opposite terminus)
During my "section hike" in 2005, I found solace in practicing "scream theraphy" as I sloughed through grinding days of PUDs--that really kept me going!!
I had planned to hike the PCT this year, but broke my hip in February, so that goal is postponed until later. I may never be able to hike an entire trail in one thru hike again, but I plan to section the daylights out of the PCT beginning this April.
Bottomline: Be grateful that you all made time to get out there and do it, regardless of the amount done!!
We are all in an extremely small group of people to hike any large portion of the AT, as there were many folks who I met on my thru that attested this every day--with envy!!
Great hiking,
Big Daddy D
the_iceman
12-20-2006, 19:07
Why does having the ability to realize you are not having fun and the guts to say enough is enough a failure? I say bravo for having the balls to stop when you did.
If it hurts don’t do it.
I am getting ready to go in March. I am struggling with the same issues. I have section hiked for up to 14 days. What happens after 30 days or 100 days? How bad will I miss my family? How bad will that big toe joint or my left knee hurt. How much will I begin to hate the rain or the long climbs? Maybe the good will far out weigh the bad and I will just love it all.
People ask me; “Are you going to do the whole thing?” I say; “Probably, or I may just do as much as I need to in order to satisfy my desire.”
If you hike 200 miles you can apply for a patch but the last time I checked there is no ribbon to break on Katahdin and no one handing out medals. You already accomplished something the average American could never do.
(Sorry. This is a little lengthy. If you can’t make it “thru”, read the red parts and the last 2 sentences.) ....
I read it all, squid. Very well said. :)
warraghiyagey
12-20-2006, 19:25
I would like to here some experiences from people who started a thru hike but left the trail. How long did you hike? why did you leave the trail? Any words for would be thru hikers?
I ask this because I myself am a failed thru hiker for 2006. 419 miles from amacalola falls to Laurel Fork, TN. Hiked too far, Too fast, isolation, boredom, and a complete overwealming, uncontrollable impulse to quit. Which I did.
I'm planning to return and try a 2nd time using lessons learned.
The only failed thru-hike is the one not started. I wanted to hike the At for many years and dreamed of hiking through to Springer SOBO. What I found on the trail made the end to end a formality. It is not the termini that define the hike, the trail, but that which lies between.
As I hiked 600 miles I probably didn't learn more than you. But I was fully sated in the experience - in my time on the trail. That is what draws me back - not the destination.
Peace :) :) :)
As an aspiring long distance hiker, this is one of the best threads I have seen. Thanks to all that have shared their stories.
As a bona-fide "failed" thru hiker, it's an interesting thread for me also. I cried a river of tears the day I left the trail. I can't remember what I did last weekend, but I can recall the events of that hike as if it were yesterday. :)
Lone Wolf
12-20-2006, 22:19
Nobody thinks of divorce when they plan to get married yet 60% end in divorce. You got a better chance of completing a thru hike. Less costly too.
Jan LiteShoe
12-20-2006, 22:37
As a bona-fide "failed" thru hiker, it's an interesting thread for me also. I cried a river of tears the day I left the trail. I can't remember what I did last weekend, but I can recall the events of that hike as if it were yesterday. :)
That's because it's not about comfort or staying clean, is it?
;)
Somehow, events of a thru-hike seem to slow time down.
A LOT of life gets crammed into each day.
Don't ask me how THAT happens.
Lone Wolf
12-20-2006, 22:42
I got off the AT 2 years in a row in Gorham, NH. 300 miles from Katahdin. No biggie. It's just hiking. I was tired of hiking. Like Gump when he was tired of running.:)
That's because it's not about comfort or staying clean, is it? ;)
No, but if you section hike you can set the discomfort level to a more manageable level. ;) And the section hikes are only a tiny notch below the thru hike in terms of their karmic (recreational) value. After 3-4 days and 50, 60 miles, it feels just like old times.
I got off the AT 2 years in a row in Gorham, NH. 300 miles from Katahdin. No biggie. It's just hiking. I was tired of hiking. Like Gump when he was tired of running.:)
Did you expect to finish, when you started? Was Katahdin ever a goal? Just askin... I think the answer must be "no."
Nobody thinks of divorce when they plan to get married yet 60% end in divorce. You got a better chance of completing a thru hike. Less costly too.
Heh. I met my wife just a few months after that hike... and we recently celebrated our 15th anniversary. :p
warraghiyagey
12-21-2006, 01:22
. . . If you hike 200 miles you can apply for a patch but the last time I checked there is no ribbon to break on Katahdin and no one handing out medals. You already accomplished something the average American could never do.
This thought really strikes the chord hard. 'Nice work' as True Grit would say.
Peace:) :)
.
brancher
12-21-2006, 06:56
Hey, thru-hiking isn't going to be for everyone either. I suppose some people would be more happy if they figure that out and just do long sections when they can. Sometimes you gotta try to find out.
Well said! Some of us (me included) are very happy just to get out for a week or so - when we can steal away from the careers and families for a few days. Although I'd love to do a thru attempt, it ain't in the cards for 5 more years. Until then, I'll try to make it to Harpers in sections. Gives me some great stories and experiences, and feeds the need.
Lone Wolf
12-21-2006, 12:45
Did you expect to finish, when you started? Was Katahdin ever a goal? Just askin... I think the answer must be "no."
Katahdin was the goal on my first attempt in 86. That changed when I got to Hot Springs. I was damned near burnt out. Was doing big miles. Rushing. Took a couple of days off and changed my mindset. Took on my first trail name, "The Yankee Slackpacker". Slacking back then meant going slow and not too far. But carrying a full pack. The goal from Hot Springs on was to enjoy the woods I was walking thru. I hiked till I was done with hiking for the year. Ever since then there is never a goal. Just hike and wherever I get is where I get.:)
Katahdin was the goal on my first attempt in 86. That changed when I got to Hot Springs. I was damned near burnt out. Was doing big miles. Rushing. Took a couple of days off and changed my mindset. Took on my first trail name, "The Yankee Slackpacker". Slacking back then meant going slow and not too far. But carrying a full pack. The goal from Hot Springs on was to enjoy the woods I was walking thru. I hiked till I was done with hiking for the year. Ever since then there is never a goal. Just hike and wherever I get is where I get.:)
So you were smart enough to adjust your goals along the way. Good on ya.:). I'll always regret not having done that in '90. But I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.
Lone Wolf
12-21-2006, 12:52
I'm better at short term goals like running 50 mile ultras in less than 12 hours.
DawnTreader
12-21-2006, 13:23
Great thread.
I had the desire stretch a section hike into a thru, but decided against it, mainly because, as Warrageyaghi stated earlier, it would have been for formalitys sake only. I will begin an intentioned thru eventually but as others have stated, and as I've said in the past, If there comes a point when I don't want to hike anymore, thats it. when I'm done I'm done. No remorse, regret or ill feeling, just pleasure in knowing where I started, where I ended and everything I learned on the journey.
I've met too many a Northbounder whose fun had ended maybe a thousand miles earlier, and their toil was drawn out, just so they could say they finished the trail. Sure you did the 100 miles in 4 days. Did you enjoy it, or were you in a race to finish so you could go home? I say go home and come back some other time when you WANT to hike again..
I wonder how many folks get to the end with the help of the honor/pride/I-made-a-commitment thing. That was a tough one for me. But then I figured, I'd made that commitment with insufficient information. :) Well, that's my alibi and I'm sticking to it. ;) Folx in the "real world" really can't know what it's like.
icemanat95
12-21-2006, 13:49
A "failed" thru-hike is not a failure. Stop thinking like that right now. It's a vacation, not a marriage or a legal obligation. If it stops being what you want to do more than anything else in the world, then that's OK and you can go home without feeling like a failure.
It's just a hike, it won't change the world. Your family will not be destroyed because you choose not to hike the whole thing in one year.
If you want to try again, great, but don't do it because you think you have to, do it because you want to more than anything else, and find a way to maintain that desire even through lonely periods and rainy periods and times when you are hurt and tired. Don't squish your schedule too much with rigid timelines. If you need to take a couple days in town to get clean and feel human again, do it. Recover your mental headspace and get back on the trail. If you get to feel like quitting, stop, take a day off without any obligation to hike miles and think about it a while, hike one more stretch and see how it goes. Analyze what is making you unhappy and find ways of addressing those things. Feet hurt? Change your footwear. Don't sleep comfortably at night? Change your sleeping pad. Living conditions too austere? Consider adding a luxury item or two to make things more comfortable.
warraghiyagey
12-21-2006, 16:11
. . . I had the desire stretch a section hike into a thru, but decided against it, mainly because, as Warrageyaghi stated earlier, it would have been for formalitys sake only. I will begin an intentioned thru eventually but as others have stated, and as I've said in the past, If there comes a point when I don't want to hike anymore, thats it.
While I have credited my time on the trail with teaching me that it's not about the thru but about being on the trail, the reality is I set out on a thru and along the way this forrest muse suggested that if he were thru-hiking and decided he was done, then he would just leave the trail no matter how far he'd made it.
When the Dude said this I couldn't have been more perplexed. Now it makes perfect sense.
Peace
By the way - that desire to stretch a section to a thru didn't have anything to do with a crazy bunch of Mobsters pestering you through the state of Maine did it?
Sleepy the Arab
12-21-2006, 18:41
The only hike of mine that I consider a failure was 2004. Just a series of mishaps, starting with a three week delay of 'Springer Day' thanks to surgery to correct a hernia. It went downhill from there, bottoming out in Pearisburg where I spent a week trying to recover from a nasty shin splint...which came back two days after hiking out. Worst of all, my mind just wasn't in the right place. I just wasn't thinking about thru-hiking.
I got to Waynesboro by July 4th which for my pace is late. Partway into the Shenandoahs I got the idea of switching my heavy yet tried and true gear for lightweight stuff. I somehow got a ride home to NH, did the switch, got back on the trail and then realized that this entire hike was an ordeal and kind of sucked. I put the thru-hike out of it's misery at Matthew's Arm campground, got a ride to Front Royal, rented a car and drove home. Three weeks after that, I'm in Vermont intending to hike from Sherburne Pass to Katahdin. I went home two days later.
Funny thing is though, I set out in '04 intending to hike the entire way and pooped out in Northern Virginia. In '06 I set out to hike to Northern Virginia and ended up hiking the entire thing. Weird, huh?
This thread has some of the best content I have seen in a while. Sharing stories about goals not yet met and goals redefined can give insight into what backpacking/long distance hiking is about. Though many posts deserve praise in this thread, I thought Wacocelt's was very candid and inspiring. Thanks to everyone who has shared their personal experiences.
Failed AT Thru attempts in 2000, 03' and 05. Failed PCT attempt 2006.
My initial impulse to Thru hike was more of an attempt to escape from surroundings and behaviors which I percieved as unpleasant than any acsetic impulse. I had grown weary and was trying to escape what I thought were my problems, but I unknowingly picked them up, put them on my back and let them hound me for hundreds of miles, trying to forget and distract myself from, what I eventually realized was myself.
The time I've spent on long trails has given me a world of useful information about myself and the world as I percieve it, through some of the most incredible and blissful as well as morose, embarassing and depressing experiences in my life.
The most important lesson which i've discovered and hope to be able to put into constant use is... All the things I'm experiencing while hiking are there to help me learn about myself. The challenges of boredom, loneliness and social discomfort if looked at objectively, so that I can understand why I'm experiencing those feelings and how to better express myself while feeling them.
I don't know if any of that helps, or even if it makes sense. Hope I didn't ramble on too long. Be well folks!
Blissful
12-21-2006, 21:36
Life's too short to deliberately spend 5 or 6 months of it not having fun. I hope this attitude works for you... but I know it wouldn't work for me.
This is more a twist of semantics than anything. Let me say again, I am not thru hiking just for the fun of it. It isn't one of my reasons for going. That doesn't mean I will deprive myself of having fun along the way. (!) Of course there is going to be fun times. I've already had great times with other hikers on the sections I've done. But if you read the journals, there are others who go on the perception of going for the fun of it, and when the fun stops they stop (even one of the hikers in the dvd TREK mentions this as well. Thankfully when it stopped being fun for him, he kept going anyway. Guess he learned something from that, I'm sure). Let's get real, there's going to be a point it ain't no fun. Then you'd better look to other reasons why you're out there. And that's why I gave some of my own.
mweinstone
12-21-2006, 22:27
i quit more than twice, this year at 620 miles and 67 days at perisburg va. i allways quit for the same reason. the trail tells me whats wrong and i go home and fix it. me and the trail understand each other. it knows i love being there and i am allways so so comfortable .it knows i would stay forever. but it shows me a thing i can fix in life and so i obay.onece the trail told me to go home and raise my 2 year old son and that he was too young to leave home . once it told me i was running away and must change first in certian ways before i could face the blazes. and this year it said," matt, get the fuch out of here and stop spending money and go home and pay your taxes before you get in trouble. and so as per our agreement,..me and the trail,.. i came home and went to the irs.such is the life of trail lovers.
What a great thread! I really want to do the whole thing and sometimes worry that I won't want to stop. I like the thought of being able to be out there...having the choice to keep going instead of that long drive home on Sunday night after a weekend of hiking and having to go to work Monday morning. Like Blissful said, I'm sure there will be times when it won't really feel like "fun", but still better to be out there than not. Some of my fondest hikes have been the ones that have the most challenges .. emotional or physical.
The thought of doing this started creeping into my being about 10 years ago and it is finally at a point where I have to give it a try. I love the Dylan quote!!
But I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.Thanks for some of the suggestions about taking some time to make changes along the way to make it a better hike.
Let's get real, there's going to be a point it ain't no fun. Then you'd better look to other reasons why you're out there. And that's why I gave some of my own.
You said you were doing it, at least in part, "for your son." I wasn't sure what that meant. Still not sure, actually, even if it's none of my business. Without knowing the specifics, I'm wary of rationales of that sort.
Anyway... I can only speak for myself. Life is short, and my goal is to enjoy it. Fun = enjoyment. Enjoyment = fun. No semantics. It's really that simple. When it stops being fun, I find something else to do.
Brrrb Oregon
12-22-2006, 03:18
I don't think anyone is a weenie for realizing that they aren't having fun and then doing something about it. I call that good judgement personally. :)
Absolutely. No one is going to die if you don't finish your thruhike....but maybe something inside you dies if you try to force yourself to love something that you just don't.
rusty075
12-22-2006, 03:37
Personally, I differentiate between an "incomplete" thru-hike, and a "failed" one.
This year, I had an "incomplete" thru-hike. In the course of a single season I managed to break my ankle not once, but twice. The same ankle. Did it the first time coming out of the Smokies. I hobbled my way to Hot Springs, and from there, Asheville, and then home. I sulked around the house for 6 weeks and then came back to the trail at Trail Days. Hooked back up with my hiking buddies there, and skipped ahead to VA to ease back in to hiking on the easier terrain. That lasted another couple of hundred miles until the ankle let go again. That I took as a sign from a higher power that '06 was not the year for me. So back home I went.
Was I sad went I went home? Oddly, no. I had discovered that I could hike the trail. With the exception of one misplaced step in GSMNP, and my exacerbating the injury through sheer stubornness by walking 30 miles on it afterwards, I know at my core that I could have continued hiking the trail for as many miles as the trail has to offer. Thus, I consider my hike incomplete. It will be completed in '08, if I don't trip over my own two feet again.
Now if I had gotten out there and decided that the trail was too tough, that the rain was too wet, that the sun was too warm, or that the dirt was too, well, dirty, and went running back to my barcalounger and my budweiser...then that would be what I would call a "failed" thru-hike.
I"ve decided that even among people who call themselves "thru-hikers" most of us don't actually set out to hike the entire trail. We may say that we do, but what we really mean is that we want see if we can hike the entire trail. Sometimes, once you've proved to yourself that you could hike the entire trail, hiking the rest of it really has no extra meaning. I think a lot of the people who posted above me in this thread came to a similiar conclusion at some point in their hike. By hiking part of the trail and then deciding that they don't need to hike the rest you seem to come away from the experience with a much different perspective than those poor souls who call a cab from Neel's Gap and go away feeling defeated by the entire experience, and by the trail itself. We all define "failure" separately.
... Now if I had gotten out there and decided that the trail was too tough, that the rain was too wet, that the sun was too warm, or that the dirt was too, well, dirty, and went running back to my barcalounger and my budweiser...then that would be what I would call a "failed" thru-hike.
Hmmm. You just described my hike to a tee. ;) My "problem" was that I could not blame a physical injury. Not at all. No blisters, no twisted ankles, colds, spider bites, or lightning strikes... none of the above. I most certainly had intended to hike the whole trail, and probably could have made it were it not for a seriously bad attitude that just got worse as the days wore on. By this definition, mine was most definitely a failed hike. There's no two ways about it. No getting around it.
I"ve decided that even among people who call themselves "thru-hikers" most of us don't actually set out to hike the entire trail. We may say that we do, but what we really mean is that we want see if we can hike the entire trail. Sometimes, once you've proved to yourself that you could hike the entire trail, hiking the rest of it really has no extra meaning.I think that comes close to describing my situation. There's a place in Bryson's book (damn, I can't find it the quote...) where he says something like, "We'd already walked our million steps. Was it really necessary to walk the other four million to prove we'd gotten the hang of the thing?"
Anyway... there's an upside. I realized (in fact never once doubted) that I would always love hiking, even if thru-hiking wasn't quite the thing for me. And that was quite liberating. I've never really left the trail, not for very long, anyway. These days, while I'm on it, I make it a point to enjoy every minute. And mostly I do. :sun
Lone Wolf
12-22-2006, 08:36
Millions of people love to run but few like to run marathons.
Millions of people love to run but few like to run marathons.
Wolf, you know you were part of it. And I mean that in a good way. ;)
maxNcathy
12-22-2006, 09:23
Cathy and I did our very first backpacking April/06 42 miles on AT north of Damascus.We tented where Tom from Mount Rogers Outfitters suggested as we hiked south back to Damascus.
On the fourth day the weather turned wet and we felt cold and grumpy when we met a lone hiker from CO named ELK on the Trail.He had a smile a mile wide as we chatted in the cold rain.He hiked and spoke very slowly and seemed to have some disabilities.When he mentioned that he had thru hiked before we both were amazed and realized that ATTITUDE must be the key to enjoying the hike and going the distance.
Personally, I think the only way I could hike the whole distance is to have my wife and dog and maybe our sons along with me. In the past I have never enjoyed being away from home more than 3 weeks.
Yet, going back to high school days, if hiking were to mean that I could avoid school then now doubt then I could have stayed on the Trail 4 years straight! LOL
Sandalwood
Programbo
12-31-2006, 11:07
I ask this because I myself am a failed thru hiker for 2006. 419 miles from amacalola falls to Laurel Fork, TN. Hiked too far, Too fast, isolation, boredom, and a complete overwealming, uncontrollable impulse to quit. Which I did.
I`m interested in this and the success rate of modern thru hikers in general...I think back in say the 1970`s almost everyone who started a thru hike had years of backpacking experience behind them including a number of long distance hikes and they truly loved the trail and that life (The whole commune with nature,escape the rat race ,etc of that day)..And in general I think with a few exceptions most finished aside from injury or other outside forces...But (Or so it seems to me) a lot of thru-hikers in 2006 have little or in some cases no real backpacking experience and seem to be out there for a wide variety of reasons...This post interests me because of the terms "Too fast" and "boredom" which to me perfectly capture the mindset of younger adults I see in the world today...I wonder what the percentage of successful thru hikers is today?
But to answer the original question: I attempted a thru in 1977 and got as far as Duncannon,PA..There is no doubt that physically and mentally I would have made the entire hike..Why did I quit?..Money..I probably never should have started to begin with but HAD to go..In late March of 1977 I suddenly came into an unexpected $500..I took one day to decide to hike the trail and went out and bought a new Tioga,boots,sleeping bag,etc as well as all the guidebooks for the trail (Which without the internet back them were mandatory) I arrived at Springer with $200+ in my pocket to buy food and other needed goods for the entire trip..Well obviously that wasn`t enough even eating rice,noodles,cereal and kool-aid as much as I could (Plus needed film,fuel,etc)..The last couple of weeks I was really scrapping by and tried calling home for financial assistance so I could continue but we were a desperately poor family and I had few friends being the mountain loving bearded oddball living in the big city so I went til I knew it was pointless and stopped at a town with bus service out (I at least got someone to send me bus fare) :)
jmaclennan
12-31-2006, 18:49
a friend who has hiked large sections of the trail, but never the ENTIRE thing (skipped sections, aqua-blazed, etc.) said, "i'm a thru-hiker, cause i'm never through hiking.":-?
another old-timer told me, "the AT is a metaphor for all trails." in other words: the AT is simply a vehicle for accomplishing what could be accomplished elsewhere or by doing something else. i think this quote applies a lot to what Mweinstone was saying.
another old-timer told me, "the AT is a metaphor for all trails." in other words: the AT is simply a vehicle for accomplishing what could be accomplished elsewhere or by doing something else. i think this quote applies a lot to what Mweinstone was saying.
That's close to where I'm at these days... the AT has been the "framework" for my hiking... and some day (maybe soon) I'll finish it -- but there's plenty of hiking above/beyond and before/after the AT.
Thanks Programbo (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=5617) you make an excellent observation. I think more experience would have helped me although I believe experience is not necessary. I'm sure many people get out on the trail for the first time and just can't handle the 24/7 dirt and grime of trail life. Those people usually leave real fast. I met others who were loaded down way too heavy and left before the 1st 100 miles due to knee and ankle problems. There are a couple of other posts of mine that explain in more detail why I left. Much of it has to do with timing. 2006 was a bad year for me. Too many things pulling on me back home. Work, projects, relationships and more. I also was having severe foot pain and blisters from an ill fitting pack. I, like other people attempted a thru because it was a challenge. Like a competition. An achievement. I think many people young and old approach the trail with this same attitude. Some make it. Others don't. But I do agree with you. Some people I met seemed to love the trail life. Distance backing was almost a hobbie for them. Others seemed to not love it so much. Maybe I fit into the latter group. Just a desk jockey dreaming of adventure (laugh) . I'll try again another year.
Programbo
01-02-2007, 19:23
Thanks Programbo (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=5617) you make an excellent observation. I think more experience would have helped me although I believe experience is not necessary.........But I do agree with you. Some people I met seemed to love the trail life. Distance backing was almost a hobbie for them. Others seemed to not love it so much.
True I don`t know if experience is the only deciding factor today as lots of people are in excellent physical condition who have never set foot on a trail before...My example was more a way to demonstrate that the reason one is out there is often a deciding factor in success or not...And the fact is that thru-hikers of the 60`s-70`s were more likely to be the type who just flat out loved being there and wouldn`t want to be anywhere else in the world (Thus the experience factor since they would have returned to the trail over and over as often as they could)...Even back when I stopped selling backpacking equipment fulltime in 1995 I could see an ever growing percentage of younger people coming in to buy gear for a long distance or thru-hike and it was their first trip out but they wanted to be part of the traveling party or be part of the gang or accomplish some personal physical challenge and compete with others etc...Now everyone is free to do as they wish and the trail is there for all but I think being out there for those types of reasons only lowers your chances of lasting thru 4-5 months of, as you say dirt and grime as well as loneliness and solitude..If ones main thought when they are hiking is.."How long til I get to the next shelter so I can be with people."..I think they are a bigger candidate to bail out at some point
I can clearly recall that wonderful feeling as I stood looking out over a valley from a rocky outcrop or set my pack down at a new shelter for the night and wishing that it would all never end. That I could just stay on the trail and hike and feel that freedom..Feel that magic in the air that is the Appalachian Trail. :)
Programbo, I can only speak for myself. I had plenty of hiking experience -- years and years of it -- before and after my attempted thru, and most of that was in the toughest parts of the AT (ie., the Whites.) But no number of three-day or four-day outings will prepare you, mentally, for a thru. I observed minimal correspondence between hiking experience and finishing. Again, speaking only for myself -- the main thing that seems to correlate is keeping it fun, by whatever means.
If ones main thought when they are hiking is.."How long til I get to the next shelter so I can be with people."..I think they are a bigger candidate to bail out at some point
:)
Programbo, I like what you say here. When I first heard about doing a through hike was mid 1970's. I new someday I would do it but I never expected the advancment in gear and the concept of ultralight. What would you suggest is the best way to approach a thru hike. What advice would you have for someone relatively new to backpacking?
Programbo
01-02-2007, 23:00
Programbo, I can only speak for myself. I had plenty of hiking experience -- years and years of it -- before and after my attempted thru, and most of that was in the toughest parts of the AT (ie., the Whites.) But no number of three-day or four-day outings will prepare you, mentally, for a thru.
I agree but I think you missed my point or I may have mis-spoken when I first tried to express it..It`s not so much that experience makes or made one mentally more prepared for a thru..But the people I knew had returned again and again to the trail because of a certain spirit they felt with it,with nature in general and with the mountains in particular..I guess I refered to these repeated ongoing trips as "experience" when that may not have been the best choice of word...But I think it is this long term ongoing relationship that drove most of the early thru-hikers and that which a lot of modern thru-hikers lack..Or something like that :p
Programbo
01-02-2007, 23:19
What would you suggest is the best way to approach a thru hike. What advice would you have for someone relatively new to backpacking?
I appreciate your kind words and that you might think I had some words of wisdom to impart...But I feel I am somewhat out of time...Most of my memories of the Trail and backpacking in general are frozen in time 30 years in the past...Fortunately (Or maybe unfortunately) I have a remarkable memory especially when attempting to latch onto the emotions of a particular time and place so I can easily recall what I felt and thought even from that time....But although the trail is almost physically identical as it was then (One of my first day hikes when I started hiking again was on a section of the AT in Maryland and although I had not set foot on it in 30 years I could picture every turn and every small hill and it was exactly as it had been all those years ago) the world and society have changed dramatically....I would suggest just going out there and finding a quiet spot and trying to come to terms with WHY you are there and WHY you want to spend 4 months there...Maybe try and reach back to the mid 70`s when you first heard about a thru and try and re-capture what that meant to you at that time..Then go get all the John Denver albums made between 1971-1976 ..I know people may laugh (Heck it made me laugh typing that :p ) but his albums from that period (After he got away from the folk 60`s stuff and before he started trying to get political/romantic) contain some of the most meaningful love of nature/love of mountains music ever written
So, Programbo... what's keeping you from the trail these days? 1975 was a long time ago. :-?
Programbo
01-03-2007, 08:47
So, Programbo... what's keeping you from the trail these days? 1975 was a long time ago. :-?
Long story short..Joined the army..Went overseas..Came back..Ended up in CA awhile..Got married..Worked jobs requiring 6 days a week for 20 years...But luckily one of them was selling backpacking equipment for almost 11 years...Then a couple of years ago had a "massive heart attack" (Was actually "dead" for a few minutes) lost a lot of heart function and as part of my rehabilitation started walking and found I needed goals in my walking so returned to the trail for short day hikes and thus found this message board...So I`ll be back out there more coming up :)
StarLyte
01-03-2007, 09:06
Long story short..Joined the army..Went overseas..Came back..Ended up in CA awhile..Got married..Worked jobs requiring 6 days a week for 20 years...But luckily one of them was selling backpacking equipment for almost 11 years...Then a couple of years ago had a "massive heart attack" (Was actually "dead" for a few minutes) lost a lot of heart function and as part of my rehabilitation started walking and found I needed goals in my walking so returned to the trail for short day hikes and thus found this message board...So I`ll be back out there more coming up :)
Great story Programbo......you're not alone. Thanks for sharing.
Spirit Walker
01-03-2007, 12:20
Actually you would be surprised at how much the trail has changed in the past 30 years. I hiked the AT twice, four years apart, and in that time there had been a lot of relocations, views that used to be good that had gotten overgrown, new shelters, old shelters torn down, etc. In the late 80's they relocated 75% of the trail in Maine - mostly off old logging roads. It made a huge difference. All up and down the trail they have built switchbacks and eased the grade so some of the previously most difficult parts of the trail are no longer much of a challenge. (A few good climbs in the Stecoahs, but nothing like you had in the '70s.) Some of the previous road walks are now rocky trail walks. If you were to hike the trail again, it would be a very different hike than you remember. (Plus 30 years on the body makes for a very different experience. Even five years makes a huge difference in terms of how the knees handle steep grades.)
4eyedbuzzard
01-03-2007, 13:58
I would like to here some experiences from people who started a thru hike but left the trail. How long did you hike? why did you leave the trail? Any words for would be thru hikers?
I quit just past Damascus in 1976 when I was 19 years old, 300 ± miles was enough. It just ceased to be fun once the novelty and romanticism wore off. I had always liked hiking, going on one to two week section hikes almost every summer, but found a thru hike just wasn't for me. Cold, wet, hungry for real food, etc for weeks on end just wasn't/isn't my idea of fun. And ultimately, I personally found no purpose in a thru hike other than the hike itself - no epiphany, no finding myself, etc. I walked, I saw, and I saw what I saw... which was: Hiking is part of my life, but I am not consumed by it to the degree that I find it necessary to hike 2000 miles in a row. I love going out for a week at a time, especially with some lightweight fishing tackle, better and more comfortable than normal thru-hike food and equipment (i.e. heavier). A week long outback hike with some half days for catching and cooking up some fresh fish and relaxing at a few pristine locations with good company, that's as good as it gets in my book.
That all said, my eldest daughter has expressed interest in thru-hiking, a flip-flop or other modified itinerary(the "cooler hike" or perhaps a two summer itinerary sounds good) after college graduation in 2010 (or sooner if she feels she needs a break from college). For the past 30 years a thru-hike has been out of the question with career, children, and college tuition, etc. but I am now fortunate to be able to take off whatever time from work that is necessary(I now work on a contract basis). I told her that I would accompany her for as long as I found it enjoyable (yes, I still do harbor a bit of the romanticism associated with a thru-hike). Who knows, with different weather and company, I might just go the distance this time. I'll find out when I get there and start hiking, and when I stop, be it at Fontana Dam or atop Katahdin - I'll be done. :)
Forrest Gump: [running] I had run for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours. [he stops and turns around]
Young Man Running: Quiet, quiet! He's gonna say something!
Forrest Gump: [pause] I'm pretty tired... I think I'll go home now.
4eyedbuzzard
01-03-2007, 14:40
Forgive my "pre-senior moment" in the above post - I looked in my data book as I had forgotten the mileage from Springer to Damascus and entered the mileage from Fontana. Its more like 450 miles. No wonder those seemed like the longest 300 miles of my life. ;-(
Programbo
01-03-2007, 19:53
Actually you would be surprised at how much the trail has changed in the past 30 years. I hiked the AT twice, four years apart, and in that time there had been a lot of relocations......
Yes..Since I resumed taking some short day hikes in the past year I have found 4-5 relocations, 3 shelters are gone, 2 new ones have been built and one has been rebuilt, just here in Maryland! And that`s only what?..40 miles?..But the part that wasn`t moved looked the same :D
I am glad to hear the moved the trail off that insane 20-22 miles of road walking that used to cross the valley in PA..After walking that once I hitch-hiked it everytime there-after
Programbo
01-03-2007, 20:01
All up and down the trail they have built switchbacks and eased the grade so some of the previously most difficult parts of the trail are no longer much of a challenge. (A few good climbs in the Stecoahs, but nothing like you had in the '70s.)
That might actually be a good thing now that I`ll be 50 this year..LOL....Yes I have seen a few threads on here about the toughest parts of the trail and that section doesn`t get much mention..It used to be brutal..Straight up the side of one bald then straight down the other side..Then up again, then down... all day long..:eek: Thanks for the memory :)
Did they ever get around to adding a switchback or two to the (nobo) ascent out of "Sweetwater Gap?"
Sleepy the Arab
01-03-2007, 21:11
Did they ever get around to adding a switchback or two to the (nobo) ascent out of "Sweetwater Gap?"
No, although it looks as though it used to go to the top of that miserable little hill, and now skirts the side 30 (infuriating) yards from the summit.
There will probably come a time in the near future when I will wish to be climbing up it again rather than doing the mundane/tedious thing I am employed to do.
farscape
02-23-2007, 23:37
i posted before regarding my short hike of only three days on nobo on the at. i was overloaded and traveled to fast. I started late is why i thought i needed to go fast and i was loaded with much more than i needed.
this time i am starting in April and only planning a 5 day hike to neels gap. after i reach neels gap i will plan another 5 day hike or i wont. this time i am going to do what most everyone has said to do, go slowwwwww. I plan to have the best start of all time. I think i should also say it again i am going slowwwwwww. i will be walking like my laces are tied together. good luck everyone and go slow.
But if you read the journals, there are others who go on the perception of going for the fun of it, and when the fun stops they stop (even one of the hikers in the dvd TREK mentions this as well. Thankfully when it stopped being fun for him, he kept going anyway. Guess he learned something from that, I'm sure). Let's get real, there's going to be a point it ain't no fun. Then you'd better look to other reasons why you're out there. And that's why I gave some of my own.
Was glad to see you post this. I've been reading along, and was thinking that someone needed to reasssure you that your attitude wasn't going to doom your attempt.
I agree with you, sometimes you will feel miserable. No matter what others may say, I find it hard to believe that all of them actually were having fun during these times (maybe some, in a strange sort of way, did enjoy the misery). What I mentioned to your son however in another thread holds true. Don't make a major decision during this time of misery. Get yourself comfortable first. My experience is that the miserable days weren't nearly as miserable when you were looking back on them.
My bet is that over-all, you two will have a FANTASTIC time!
Lyle
Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.
There's a place in Bryson's book (damn, I can't find it the quote...) where he says something like, "We'd already walked our million steps. Was it really necessary to walk the other four million to prove we'd gotten the hang of the thing?"
Sure, you get the hang of it the 1st million steps, but if you want to see the entire trail, it's going to take another four.
Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.
Good point, I'll give you that one.
Maybe, tho, that is the distinction that one makes when they look back on the "difficult" days. I know there have been times when I would describe my mood as miserable, but it never lasts very long.
Programbo
02-24-2007, 21:29
this time i am starting in April and only planning a 5 day hike to neels gap. after i reach neels gap i will plan another 5 day hike or i wont. this time i am going to do what most everyone has said to do, go slowwwwww.
Well there's slow and then there's slowwwww
Leela: For Heaven's Gate, Professor. This ship can do 99% light speed. Why are we going 35 miles an hour?
Farnsworth: Because we're in a hurry, that's why!