View Full Version : Day-hiking VS Thru-hiking
There has been some challenges and questions as why we hike the way we hike. And this has spilled over and hijacked other threads. So to keep this discussion in one place, I am opening up this new thread and doing some cut & paste of some posts and welcoming others to jump in with their concerns on the subject.
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Askus3: I still say anyone doing it in less than 8 days (in reference to Hundred Mile Wilderness) is missing those tranquil times soaking in the beauty of all those lakeside views. I don't condemn anyone from hustling thru, just to get to Katahdin or just finishing it off but I think the wilderness is special, enjoy it at a leisurely pace. Take the time to enjoy the blue spurs (ie. Gulf Hagas).
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Mowgli16: I find that comment interesting - considering that you day hike the area. If you feel that it's that beautiful, why do you choose to day hike it instead of really "soaking in the beauty" by remaining there 24 x 8? That's not a criticism. It's a serious question.
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Askus3: I enjoy my creature comforts. Sometimes I get up before the crack of dawn and hit the trail at first sunlight and sometimes I come out at dusk, then why stay on the trail overnight? I personally feel it is dangerous to hike in the dark, so I still see and experience everything that a thru-hiker backpacker does except hanging out in a tent, hammock, shelter waiting for dawn's early light without a shower, a comfy bed, and alot of extra discomfort in carrying a much heavier pack and in a good number of cases being able to stay dry and during the day experience the woods in a much better light. I can backpack and I have stayed at Cloud Pond Shleter. I am sure you have used a motel for a zero day, so we both have used each other's styles and no harm was done. My personal preference is car shuttle and be a fair weather hiker and see what the trail has to offer in its best light, if possible. Let all hike their own hike and as long as they don't harm someone else's experience then all enjoy. Yes you can make a statement about how I am missing the experience of falling asleep to the sounds of a babbling brook and waking up to the sounds of the songbirds and the smell of an open fire. You can also say how my way is not cost efficient, I agree but we all spend money in our own way. I never said I don't camp. Just I camp sometimes at full service CG's with showers and have a nice mattress under my back and can stay in a motel during the predicted thundershowers or when the heat and humidity tops 80/80 at night and the mosquitoes and black flies are making a dinner out of you. In the Hundred Mile Wilderness, i stayed at JoMary Lake CG for thrree nights. The view of Katahdin across the lake and listening to the loons, I am sure was as equal to any experience a backpacker has along the trail at a lakeside campsite in New England. Plus I have more options open to change plans and stay in a motel. We all love the trail I just choose to enjoy it my way and promote my way of enjoying the trail. Happy hiking!
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Mowgli16: Aaron, I appreciate your response to my serious question. It helps me to understand your hiking style. And I agree. Hike the trail any old way you want.
I know a few hikers and peak-baggers who aren't into camping. There are "trails" in Europe where one can go hundreds of miles... with only a day pack. There will be a pub or an inn to stay at every night. I enjoy the camping experience -- within limts. After the third or fourth night in the woods, I'm ready for a shower and a real meal and a night in a real bed, on clean sheets. I'm a weenie, for sure.
Jack Tarlin
01-12-2007, 18:37
The vast majority of folks who use and enjoy the A.T. are day-hikers, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Most folks are out for only a few hours, and never get more than few miles from their car.
Overnighters, especially sectioners, and even more especially, thru-hikers, need to be reminded that they represent a tiny fraction of folks who use the A.T., and that everyone has a right to be out there, even if it's just for an hour or two at a time.
Supernova
01-12-2007, 18:47
I think that I've ended up having more respect for the section hikers than the thru hikers. I can't imagine what it would feel like trying to acquire your trail legs once a year and finishing your hike just as you are starting to hit stride only to come back out the next year. Secioners are my heroes!
Much of the human impact that results from use of the backcountry results from spending the night there. Day-hiking is good for the A.T. as it results in more people being able to experience it. This type of use results in less impact upon the backcountry itself.
Day-hiking versus long-distance backpacking from the standpoint of consuming resources is not the simple black-and-white issue some people seem to want to make of it. There is a place for both and both are good.
Johnny Swank
01-12-2007, 19:18
Just for giggles, here's some math to ponder.
There are an estimated 3 million users on the AT each year per the ATC.
Roughly 2,500 people that attempt a thru-hike each year.
Roughly 350 thru-hikers complete the trail each year.
Potential thru-hikers represent .08333333% of the total hikers.
Thru-hikers represent .0116666 % of total hikers.
Kerosene
01-12-2007, 19:20
I think that I've ended up having more respect for the section hikers than the thru hikers. I can't imagine what it would feel like trying to acquire your trail legs once a year and finishing your hike just as you are starting to hit stride only to come back out the next year. Sectioners are my heroes!I must have reached superhero status, given that I'll have hiked at least 30 distinct sections in the 40 elapsed years it will take me to finish the AT! :o
I must have reached superhero status, given that I'll have hiked at least 30 distinct sections in the 40 elapsed years it will take me to finish the AT! :o
But can you walk on water? I have some old photos of people walking on the surface of the Kennebec River;).
These photos appear in Chronicles of Good Will Home 1889-1989 (p. 212-214) and depict icing operations at Hinckley in the 1930s and 1940s. They show draft horses on the river, students and employees using pick-poles to work ice cakes onto horse-drawn sleds and up ramps onto trucks. Also shown are a groover and an ice saw. This activity took place each winter until the late 1940s when the school obtained electric refrigerators.
I must have reached superhero status, given that I'll have hiked at least 30 distinct sections in the 40 elapsed years it will take me to finish the AT! :o
Pretty much the same here; I've counted 19 major sections so far. Then there's this amorphous chunk called "the Whites" that involves at least 150 (rough guess) weekend & long-weekend hikes over a 30-year span. A few of those trails seem to have disappeared. (Eg., Osseo Trail from the Kancamagus Hwy. to Mt. Flume and Mt. Liberty.)
In truth, it's been 20+ years since I've hiked over Moosilauke or Mt. Washington. I really ought to re-visit. Perhaps "thru-hike" the Whites one of these years. Heh. I do miss those carefree, "Hey, let's go camping" days of my yout'.
Programbo
01-12-2007, 20:04
I think one can limit themselves to day hikes and have a deep love of the AT and nature in general where-as someone else may "thru-hike" but just see it as a personal physical challange or to be part of the 2,200 mile pack mentality meeting up each night or every few days to party or hang out and not really care that much for the AT as the magical traditional place it is or care for nature deeply to any serious degree...I guess it all comes down to the how`s and why`s someone is there to begin with.....I know back in my youth most if not all thru-hikers regularly would do day hikes places or just a quickie over night loop to get that AT fix..I just love being there even if it`s just for a few hours..I get such a feeling of peace and happiness come over me just being on the AT
Gray Blazer
01-12-2007, 20:15
I've been guilty of checking the weather before going out on the AT. Hiking in the rain is special and it makes for particularly memorable trips. But if you check that weather report and see that a cold front has passed or is passing thru then you know you have at least 5 days to a week without rain, not to mention great views. One thing I would really dislike about a thru-hike would be if there was a record amount of rainfall and I got permanant jungle rot on my feet and elsewhere.:eek:
Just for giggles, here's some math to ponder.
There are an estimated 3 million users on the AT each year per the ATC.
Roughly 2,500 people that attempt a thru-hike each year.
Roughly 350 thru-hikers complete the trail each year.
Potential thru-hikers represent .08333333% of the total hikers.
Thru-hikers represent .0116666 % of total hikers.
This should be part of the WhiteBlaze masthead or background. Helps to keep things in perspective.
There has been some challenges and questions as why we hike the way we hike. And this has spilled over and hijacked other threads. So to keep this discussion in one place, I am opening up this new thread and doing some cut & paste of some posts and welcoming others to jump in with their concerns on the subject.Concerns? What do you care if someone has concerns about the way you hike? If you are trying to allay people's concerns that you carry a day pack, or carry a cell phone, or sleep in motels, you ain't gonna do it. For every guy who enjoys using a GPS there are a dozen who will tell him that he doesn't need one. For every guy that says cell phones don't belong in the woods, there are two guys with cell phones in their packs. One guy says the only real thruhike involves fording the Kennebec. Another guy says no one should ever ford the Kennebec. You aren't going to please both of them no matter what you do. So why try?
There are a lot of strong-minded and vocal people who think the only right way to hike is with a pack, or without a cell phone/dog/GPS/whatever, or to not hike too fast, or use a hammock, or not have a support van or carry too much stuff yadda yadda yadda. You aren't going to please them all no matter what you do.
If someone doesn't like the way you hike, you have two choices: You can ignore them and hike the way you want, or you can change the way you hike in order to satisfy them.
Or a third choice, I guess. You can dredge up the old debates and get people arguing it all over again.
Let this thread die a natural death.
Let this thread die a natural death.
I thought the thread was quite civil. Did I miss something? :-?
Gray Blazer
01-12-2007, 21:36
I thought the thread was quite civil. Did I miss something? :-?
A civil thread? I'm outa here!:D
skyhiker2
01-12-2007, 21:42
It is impossible for me to shake off all the stress of my day to day life and problems by day hiking. I need to wake up in the morning engulfed in the forest. It takes a few days for my senses to awaken and for my mind to begin to remember what life truely is about. I guess it's equivlent to medication some people need stronger meds than others. I myself happen to need the strongest dose of "Hiking, Camping, Backpacking" I can get my hands on to cure my disease........
copythat
01-12-2007, 21:50
... There are a lot of strong-minded and vocal people who think the only right way to hike is with ... a hammock ...
did he say hammock? :eek:
NEO! :rolleyes:
white rabbit
01-12-2007, 22:08
[quote=terrapin_too;302620] "..There will be a pub...to stay at every night..."
That is my kind of hiking!! You could really carb up that way!:D
Wolf - 23000
01-13-2007, 16:39
Just for giggles, here's some math to ponder.
There are an estimated 3 million users on the AT each year per the ATC.
Roughly 2,500 people that attempt a thru-hike each year.
Roughly 350 thru-hikers complete the trail each year.
Potential thru-hikers represent .08333333% of the total hikers.
Thru-hikers represent .0116666 % of total hikers.
The AT figures are base on the number of people that sign in the Registers. A thru-hiker is going to sign three or four registers a day. Going on the fact that 350 thru-hikers finish a year would bring the average to .035. This of course is not implying the rest are day hikers. Section hikers out for 100 or more also account for a large portion of the number of users. The figures I don’t have.
Wolf
I believe the important point here is that the number of thru-hikers as a proportion of total trail users is small, whatever the number may be or however it's estimated.
I must have reached superhero status, given that I'll have hiked at least 30 distinct sections in the 40 elapsed years it will take me to finish the AT! :o
The fiancee and I are shooting for 57 sections in about 25 years. :datz
The fiancee and I are shooting for 57 sections in about 25 years. :datz
Don't forget to post a trip report after each section.
It's a lot easier reading through a day,weekend or section trip report than a AT thru hiker journal.
And with the vast majority of hikers falling under these categories(non-thru)
we should be seeing a lot more of these stories here than we are.
How about contributing some of your short hiking stories?:)
I believe the important point here is that the number of thru-hikers as a proportion of total trail users is small, whatever the number may be or however it's estimated.
As Dave Field, past chairman of ATC, reportedly once said: "Thru-hikers are a critical minority."
As Dave Field, past chairman of ATC, reportedly once said: "Thru-hikers are a critical minority."
Dave Field is a wise man who has contributed much.;)
Don't forget to post a trip report after each section.
It's a lot easier reading through a day,weekend or section trip report than a AT thru hiker journal.
And with the vast majority of hikers falling under these categories(non-thru)
we should be seeing a lot more of these stories here than we are.
How about contributing some of your short hiking stories?:)I agree with you, woodsy. I think section hikers can keep the descriptions fresh, because it's easier to avoid the "got up this morning, ate oatmeal again, I walked X miles and ate dinner and went to bed" rut.
TJ aka Teej
01-14-2007, 11:58
As Dave Field, past chairman of ATC, reportedly once said: "Thru-hikers are a critical minority."
"Thru-hikers are a critical minority, however, and, when you talk about the use of the Trail, and the value of the Trail, you have to deal with the full spectrum of Trail experience. There has to be something relevant to everyone at every point along that spectrum." Dave Field, interview, p 11
July August 2001 ATN
And with the vast majority of hikers falling under these categories(non-thru)
we should be seeing a lot more of these stories here than we are.
I've got photos and journals from most of my sections. Not really sure if they're all that interesting to others. Here's a link to photos (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/thumbnails.php?album=6) of my last AT section and the journal (PDF (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/section_hike_2006.pdf)). I often add a "postmortem" at the end -- what went right, what went wrong, gear that worked well, gear that I won't take again, etc.
Here's some photos (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/thumbnails.php?album=9) of the MA Mid-State trail (overnight hike, last weekend) and the journal for that hike (PDF (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/MA_MidState_0107.pdf)).
I enjoy writing these journals. I could post plenty more...
"Thru-hikers are a critical minority, however, and, when you talk about the use of the Trail, and the value of the Trail, you have to deal with the full spectrum of Trail experience. There has to be something relevant to everyone at every point along that spectrum." Dave Field, interview, p 11
July August 2001 ATN
Thank you for adding the rest of Dave's quote which is even better than the excerpt.
Similarly, I think it's in the best interest of WhiteBlaze.net that there be something here for everyone who loves the A.T. and the full range of what the A.T. encompasses is here embraced.
I've got photos and journals from most of my sections. Not really sure if they're all that interesting to others. Here's a link to photos (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/thumbnails.php?album=6) of my last AT section and the journal (PDF (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/section_hike_2006.pdf)). I often add a "postmortem" at the end -- what went right, what went wrong, gear that worked well, gear that I won't take again, etc.
Here's some photos (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/thumbnails.php?album=9) of the MA Mid-State trail (overnight hike, last weekend) and the journal for that hike (PDF (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/MA_MidState_0107.pdf)).
I enjoy writing these journals. I could post plenty more...
There is a member trip report forum in the Articles section but not quite sure how it works it may have to be submitted for approval?
Apple pie huh?, where did you say you'll be hiking next?lol
Great pics
I average about 3 trips a year to the AT since I got serious about section hiking in 2000 and have gone as far as 100+ miles and as little as 20. Most trips are solo, which I have enjoyed tremendously, but to get more annual trail opportunities I have introduced my family to the trail and have had some great point-to-point day hikes as well. One year, as a family, we did our own “Georgia challenge”, and with careful planning day hiked the state while staying in a cottage for the week. A few weekend overnighters with one of my sons, and day hikes for a couple of days with my wife had made for a diverse style that has allowed me to experience the trail year round. My AT goals are to get out at least a couple of time a year and enjoy the next hike more than the last and to continue to experience different hiking styles. Flexibility, the willingness to try something a little different when it comes to the AT, has enriched my hiking experience over the years. Maybe a thru hike some day…?:)
I am replying to Frosty (post #13), but applies to all posts on this thread. Maybe concern is the wrong word but the reason I started this thread is I am tired of this thread hijacking other threads. When I read a thread, I hate when it goes off on a ttangent for no apparent reason other than someone trying to outstate someone else on the virtues of hiking their hike their way. Take a couple of recent threads: Somebody asked where to park around Harrison Pierce Pond Camp. Warren Doyle & Appalachian Tater hijacked the thread and went at it posting dayhiking the Hundred Mile Wilderness. Next case which got me going and starting this thread (not to change anyone's mind but to make a point that lets put the disagreements in a separate thread and not hijack someone else's : Did anybody ever hike...? Mowgli16 questioned my style of hiking on a thread about speed hiking and record times following the AT thru that section of trail. I am a purist I guess when it comes to a thread and its intent. Keep to the topic discussed and intended by the originator. if you have a beef or a suggestion irrelevant to the topic at hand - start a new thread, thus this one. Oh yeh: and if possible - keep it civil.
By the way I am glad to see all you dayhikers out there on this website. And just to remind you, I have a member sub-forum out there called askus3 which covers my section hiking (as a series of day hikes) of the AT southbound thru Maine. This year I will add on US 2, Gorham to US 302, Crawford Notch, NH. From the reports there are links to very well labeled photo albums also. I believe there is alot of useful info imbedded in my trip reports. I can tell that most folks that are looking around Whiteblaze don't go there, unfortunately. The trip reports which have counters have minimal hits :( .
"To walk. To see. To see what you seen"
--Benton MacKaye
Just get out there and enjoy yourself. Pretty simple?
Do it fast. Do it slow. Thru-hike. Day hike. Trail run it. Be out for a weekend.
Being outdoors is a wonderful gift.
I've day hiked, done weekend backpacks. Been out for 4 mos and I've been out for 3 weeks. Done trail marathons and ultras. In the winter I cross country ski and snow shoe.
What does all the above mean? I just enjoy being outside. No matter how I choose to enjoy it.
And I think how everyone chooses to enjoy the outdoors is great, too. (As long as it does not impact upon me or others)
Gray Blazer
01-14-2007, 19:05
I am replying to Frosty (post #13), but applies to all posts on this thread. Maybe concern is the wrong word but the reason I started this thread is I am tired of this thread hijacking other threads. When I read a thread, I hate when it goes off on a ttangent for no apparent reason other than someone trying to outstate someone else on the virtues of hiking their hike their way. Take a couple of recent threads: Somebody asked where to park around Harrison Pierce Pond Camp. Warren Doyle & Appalachian Tater hijacked the thread and went at it posting dayhiking the Hundred Mile Wilderness. Next case which got me going and starting this thread (not to change anyone's mind but to make a point that lets put the disagreements in a separate thread and not hijack someone else's : Did anybody ever hike...? Mowgli16 questioned my style of hiking on a thread about speed hiking and record times following the AT thru that section of trail. I am a purist I guess when it comes to a thread and its intent. Keep to the topic discussed and intended by the originator. if you have a beef or a suggestion irrelevant to the topic at hand - start a new thread, thus this one. Oh yeh: and if possible - keep it civil.
By the way I am glad to see all you dayhikers out there on this website. And just to remind you, I have a member sub-forum out there called askus3 which covers my section hiking (as a series of day hikes) of the AT southbound thru Maine. This year I will add on US 2, Gorham to US 302, Crawford Notch, NH. From the reports there are links to very well labeled photo albums also. I believe there is alot of useful info imbedded in my trip reports. I can tell that most folks that are looking around Whiteblaze don't go there, unfortunately. The trip reports which have counters have minimal hits :( .
How do you get there (Sub-forum)?
Day hiking is what you do when you can't thru-hike. What the majority of us are stuck with, be it time restraints, (very few can take off 6 months to thru-hike), be it money restraints (mortgage payments), or other commitments (like a family or significant other). It is the rare few who have enough time, enough money and can get away from societies commitments to enjoy or attempt a thru-hike. So it was with this view that while I was lucky enough to beable to thru-hike, I chose not to day hike (what some might call slack pack). I could be 'city based' and day hike almost anytime I wanted but to be 'trail based' and thru-hike was a rare oportunity indeed. I didn't want to waste my thru-hike on day hiking. I can't say I didn't go to town and enjoy the luxuries of civilization (laundry, shower and resupply) about once a week but I sure tried to keep it to a minimum. The trail or woods was my 'home' for 6 months with everything I needed to stay there on my back and with me at all times.
When you day hike this feeling of 'home' is gone and you are just visiting for the day, without the freedom to stop and spend the night any where your heart desires. Day hiking for me is always rushing to get out of the woods before the night sets in. Thru-hiking you stay for the night, virtually every night. Oh what a feeling of sheer freedom.....
I may never beable to do it again, but you can bet if I can get the time and loose the commitments and have the money, I will stop dreaming and stop day hiking and become 'trail based' and thru-hike again.
-MYST-
the adventure continues...
They say... a person with a pack on their back is never lost. To me, the magic of thru-hiking or even just a long section hike has to do with the freedom and sense of adventure... not knowing (for sure) where I'll end up on a given day, knowing that it won't be in a town, or in a bed, but being fairly confident that I'll be safe and comfortable, regardless.
The magic is looking at my maps, on a break on a ridge somewhere, and thinking.... there's the Water Gap... hmm that's forty miles... three easy days... my next shower. Do I have enough cheese, sausage, ramen, snickers and gold bond? OK, then! We're on. Feets, get movin'.
TJ aka Teej
01-15-2007, 18:04
How do you get there (Sub-forum)?
Whiteblaze > Appalachian Trail Forums > Member Forums and Trip Reports
> Askus3
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=401
Take a couple of recent threads: Somebody asked where to park around Harrison Pierce Pond Camp. Warren Doyle & Appalachian Tater hijacked the thread and went at it posting dayhiking the Hundred Mile Wilderness. Next case which got me going and starting this thread (not to change anyone's mind but to make a point that lets put the disagreements in a separate thread and not hijack someone else's : Did anybody ever hike...? Mowgli16 questioned my style of hiking on a thread about speed hiking and record times following the AT thru that section of trail. I am a purist I guess when it comes to a thread and its intent. Keep to the topic discussed and intended by the originator. if you have a beef or a suggestion irrelevant to the topic at hand - start a new thread, thus this one. Oh yeh: and if possible - keep it civil.
Yes, we should always keep things civil. However, if you want posts to stay strictly on topic, and not veer from their original intent, then post them in the Straight Forward Forum. That's the forum where things are required to stay on topic - or the moderators will delete posts.
It is impossible for me to shake off all the stress of my day to day life and problems by day hiking. I need to wake up in the morning engulfed in the forest. It takes a few days for my senses to awaken and for my mind to begin to remember what life truely is about. I guess it's equivlent to medication some people need stronger meds than others. I myself happen to need the strongest dose of "Hiking, Camping, Backpacking" I can get my hands on to cure my disease........
I feel the same way; longer-distance backpacking just seems much more fulfilling and satisfying to me personally. Maybe it's b/c whenever I dayhike, I know I'm only a few hours away from civilization, and I can't become enveloped in my little bubble of "authentic wilderness experience" :rolleyes: Anyway, so I guess I'm not the only person who a sort of "all of nothing" mentality regarding backpacking. :)
I feel the same way; longer-distance backpacking just seems much more fulfilling and satisfying to me personally. Maybe it's b/c whenever I dayhike, I know I'm only a few hours away from civilization, and I can't become enveloped in my little bubble of "authentic wilderness experience" :rolleyes: Anyway, so I guess I'm not the only person who a sort of "all of nothing" mentality regarding backpacking. :)
oops, meant to say "all OR nothing" :o
I feel the same way; longer-distance backpacking just seems much more fulfilling and satisfying to me personally. Maybe it's b/c whenever I dayhike, I know I'm only a few hours away from civilization, and I can't become enveloped in my little bubble of "authentic wilderness experience" :rolleyes: Anyway, so I guess I'm not the only person who a sort of "all of nothing" mentality regarding backpacking. :)
Agreed. I enjoy a day hike about as much as I enjoy 1 beer. Or how about a game called "just the tip.":eek: Maybe it's cause I'm a slow learner but it takes me 3-4 days to realize I'm in the woods. After the first few days the magic for me starts to happen.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-23-2007, 07:20
I think that I've ended up having more respect for the section hikers than the thru hikers. I can't imagine what it would feel like trying to acquire your trail legs once a year and finishing your hike just as you are starting to hit stride only to come back out the next year. Sectioners are my heroes!:::: stitches big 'S' to chest and tries to find superhero tights that will fit a dino :D ::::
I do both dayhikes and longer hikes - dayhiking is an entirely different experience and meets a different need for me. As several others have mentioned, you have to be in the woods for several days before it sinks into every single cell in your body that you are in the woods. There are no short-cuts to that experience. If you want that, you have to hike (or at least camp in the woods) for several days to get it. YMMV - HYOH