Teenage Girls on the trail [Archive]

darth-megan

04-05-2007, 22:38

First of all, I'd like to say hello to everyone :D I'm fourteen, and am planning a hike... Not sure which year yet, though. I'm planning on graduating high school early for the sole purpose of doing the AT before I go to college. I'm not sure when I'll be graduating, though, which is why I'm not planning an exact year yet.

Anyway, I have a question about the need for partners. I've told my mom about this, and she's all for it, but she's told me I need a partner, and in a way, I agree with her. If I fall down a hill on an isolated part of the trail and break my leg, and I don't have a partner, then obviously I'm out of luck and in a whole lot of pain until someone finds me.

But my question is, what's the likelihood of that actually happening if I'm doing the trail alone? Are there really parts of the trail during prime thru-hiking season that are completely deserted?

And besides that, how safe would a 17/18 year old girl be on the trail alone? This is mostly for my mother's peace of mind (although it'd be nice for mine, too), because I've read through some of the posts here, and how safe the trail seems to be for women, but I'd still like to be able to prove it to my mom (and myself, partly) :P

Thanks for anyone who can help me!

Pennsylvania Rose

04-05-2007, 23:02

I didn't thru, but hiked from Springer - Erwin when I was 18, with no official partner. I never had a problem finding someone to hike with if I wanted to. My hiking partners included a woman in her 40's who had just finished working an Iditerod supply station, a 70-something man who filmed the first tv documentary, a girl in her early 20's who had started out hiking with her mom, wingfoot, and a variety of guys from 20-35, none of whom ever tried to do me any harm. I was never alone unless I chose to be, especially in Georgia where there were 25 people at Hawk Mtn. Shelter one night.

My daughter is also 14 and wants to thru asap. I'd be comfortable with her doing so after she graduates hs. Of course, as a mom, I'd feel even more comfortable if her older brother was with her.

To make sure that she has the skills that will help keep her safe, warm, dry, and well fed on the trail, I've added more and more responsibilities that are hers alone when we take trips together. Basically, at this point my three teenagers and I are self-sufficient hikers that spend the day together and share a tent at night. We each plan and pack our own meals, and carry our own food and emergency supplies. By the end of this summer we will each have our own homemade alcohol stoves and hammocks (if my daughter can survive a thunderstorm without holding my hand :))

I wish you good luck and safe hiking. If I can ever get my daughter's nose out of a book, I'll have her pm you.

Pokey2006

04-06-2007, 03:20

I've seen 18-year-old guys out there thru-hiking alone, so I don't see why you can't do it safely, too.

But I can understand why your mom would worry. I'm 34, and my mother was still worried when I hiked last year!

If you gain some backpacking experience over the next few years, first taking trips with others, then maybe doing a weekend here or there on your own, perhaps you can prove to your mother that you know what you're doing.

Sounds like she's already pretty supportive, so you should be able to work it out when the time comes.

We need more girls like you out there! So go for it!

warraghiyagey

04-06-2007, 06:22

Excellent responses and advice from Penn Rose and Pokey. There is an energy to the trail that will put you around good people. Being alone won't be an issue. Enjoy your planning and enjoy your hike.
Peace.

PJ 2005

04-06-2007, 08:21

On the trail itself, no worries. If you broke your leg, someone would find you within a day. But don't hitch alone! That's the part I would be most worried about.

darth-megan

04-06-2007, 22:51

Thanks to everyone who replied :D I'm gonna see if I might be able to arrange a camping trip with my family this summer.

Also, thanks for the support, everyone. I'm not even gonna be doing the trail for awhile, and I'm already planning my re-supply stops and stuff. Hah.

warraghiyagey

04-07-2007, 02:40

A weekend on the trail (or a week if you can) might is a good opportunity for your folks to meet other hikers and realize you'll be around good people.:)

Frolicking Dinosaurs

04-07-2007, 06:22

There are several former thru hikers in the Charlotte area. Seek out a hiking club in the area and see if you and your mom can find someone your mom feels comfortable letting you do some backpacking with. Your mom could even go along if she enjoys this sort of thing.

Being a mom (and grandma and great-grandma) I can understand your mom's feelings about a partner. However, the reality of the trail is that the community takes care of its members.

Stories about hikers who got hurt and couldn't carry their pack and other hikers who divided their gear between them and got them to civilization abound. A hiker recently had his food stolen - a very rare occurance - and other hikers shared their food until he could get to a store.

I suggest you and your mom read some trail journals -
Troll, Anchor and Oblivious (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3002) (a mom & dad with a 10 yo boy)
One-Leg (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=2216) (a fellow who hiked after losing a leg)
Model T (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3958) (a four-time thru-hiker who hiked last year at age 70)

These journals will give your mom some peace about the sort of company you will be keeping on the trail and both of you a sense of just how much the hiking community behaves like a family and how us old greezers watch after the youngsters and the youngsters watch after us. :D

Programbo

04-07-2007, 09:48

Hello and welcome to WB....While I am not a teenage girl I did go on my first solo AT hike when I was 16...BUT I had already had a number of years of hiking/camping with others under my belt before that...I posted a reply to someone else the other day who was thinking of thru-hiking and was wondering how to put their families minds at rest and I think what I wrote there may apply here so I`ll repeat it with some modifications: Since you have so much time I have an idea...How about if you start out with some shorter day hikes (I`m sure there are hiking clubs in your area who may hold them) and when they see you return safely from them then you can maybe do a few overnight/weekend trips with others and then alone and show them you are capable of doing that safely and surviving on your own out in the wild..Then maybe a longer trip...5 days or so..By then they will see you are: A) Capable of going out on your own (Or with others) and surviving..B) Really serious and sincere about your desire to hike and that it isn`t a faze or fad...I think if you try something like this cold people have a lot more concerns..If you are active over a period of time they will come to accept that hiking is something you like to do and are adept at it..Good Luck

gsingjane

04-07-2007, 13:23

Programbo has very good advice for you. Are you currently a Girl Scout, or a Venturer, or part of another youth group that regularly camps and hikes, and where you can get some good outdoor education? Could you join such a group? If you were my daughter (and I do have three kids right in your age range) my priority would be making sure you knew what you were doing out there. Yes, it's true that often people learn as they go, and I'm sure even experienced backpackers learn a lot the first time they're out for a month straight, but as a mom I would feel very leery about having you jump into something like a thru-hike without a lot of prep time and experience first. It's also really important to try to get a read on whether you're going to like it! Many people think they'll like backpacking but when they get into the grind of it they aren't so enthusiastic. I've had this happen with other people's kids I've taken backpacking... the gear and the planning and the anticipation were wonderful; the actual doing, not so much.

Another question that would jump into my mind about one of my kid's doing a thru would be if that child did not already love being outside and voluntarily hike and camp extensively. IOW -- I have a homebody 17 year old whose idea of the wilderness is Barney's Semi-Annual sale -- if he suddenly expressed the desire to go on a thru I would be VERY suspicious. OTOH, my 15 and 12 year old kids go hiking and camping with me and by themselves and with Scouts, so for them I would be much more receptive to the idea of a thru-hike. It isn't that they skin bears before breakfast and never heard of Beyonce, but they're definitely up for an outdoors adventure pretty much all the time. I am assuming that you are already an outdoorsy type and your folks know it, but if you aren't, be ready for some serious and realistic questions in that regard.

The good news is, there are lots of practical things you can do right now to allay your parents' concerns, as well as gain crucial experience and confidence for yourself. And you will feel so much the better for it once you do begin your thru-hike adventure. Have fun!

Jane in CT

spoons

11-04-2007, 17:40

earthbound

11-04-2007, 18:06

More power to you! My first AT trip I met someone who was 17 and she seemed to be doing just fine. Both of my trips to the AT have been filled with positive people. I've only done 150 miles so far, but as a 08 thru hiker and as a young woman, I do share safety concerns. I'm not worried about the trail itself. The people on it are 99.9% awesome, in my experience. Of course there are a few people to stay away from, but I'm sure you will recognize those people at that time and exersize good judgment. I'm not going to hitchhike alone unless I absolutely have to- but I think that is just smart in general for young women. Plan away for your hikes! :banana and :welcome

weary

11-04-2007, 18:15

AMC Chapters go as far south as Washington, D.C. North Carolina has an active hiking club -- probably several. All have leader led day hikes most weekends, and occasional backpacking trips.

The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club is among the most active maintaining clubs and I believe also have regular hikes lead by leaders.

Start with a list of trail maintenance clubs from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I expect you will have numerous chances to hike with a club nearby and with luck you may even come across someone who seeks a partner.

A Google search will give you plenty of names and addresses and web sites of hiking clubs. Start with ATC and then seek various state hiking clubs. Almost all welcome new members -- especially young hikers. The perennial and universal complaint is "we need more young members."

Weary

briarpatch

11-04-2007, 18:32

. . . . .

The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club is among the most active maintaining clubs and I believe also have regular hikes lead by leaders.
. . . . .

Weary

The GATC has leader led hikes every week of the year, usually a dayhike on both Saturday and Sunday, and 1 or 2 backpacking trips each month. Our 2007 activities list can be found at http://georgia-atclub.org/activities2007.html .

Briarpatch
GATC VOlunteer

Frolicking Dinosaurs

11-04-2007, 19:30

Hey Megan
I'm also fourteen and planning on doing the same thing, graduating early and hiking before going off to college. I went backpacking with my aunt and sister this past summer, and THEY are not doing that again with me:(. They didn't like it. So now I have no one to hike with, so i don't know what I am going to do, But hopefully I'll be doing some backpacking this summer.
--JoseySpoons, take a look at The Florida Trail Association website (http://www.floridatrail.org/web/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=30), find the chapter nearest to your home[/URL] and see if your mom will let you go on some of their hikes.

Darth-Megan, while looking for info for Spoons I stumbled across a site you may want to look over: [url]http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_1520.asp (http://www.floridatrail.org/web/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=30)

saimyoji

11-04-2007, 19:33

As others have said, the trail is usually a safe and accommodating place for people of all walks of life.

That said, the internet is not. Just be careful how much you discuss online, and what you post about your plans.

Good luck :cool:

Marta

11-04-2007, 20:13

Hi, darth-megan, and welcome to Whiteblaze!

Here are a couple of Trail Journals of girls who hiked right after high school.

The Alleycat:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=166331

Pinky, of Pinky and The Brain:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=5317

Pinky started off with a high school friend, The Brain. They separated fairly far south, and continued their separate hikes. I think Pinky finished about a week later than The Brain did. They deferred college entrance for a year, spending most of that time working. They did take a few weeks for a test hike in the fall of '06, which is when I met them and hiked with them. Then they started pretty early in '07 so that they'd be done in time to enter college in the fall.

BTW, a group of women have started a hiking club in Charlotte. They are all a lot older than you are, and don't do a lot of backpacking (other than me, of course). The Carolinas Mtn. Club organizes lots of walks. (I suspect you'd have transportation problems for those hikes.) The Sierra Club does organized trips, as do the Carolina Bergs. I don't belong to any of those organizations at this point, so I can't tell you much about them from personal experience. I know even less about Venture Clubs in the region, but it seems as if there must be some. REI Pineville does $$$ trips along the AT in the Smokies just about every month. You might be able to do something like that to try it out without giving your parents too much unease. My personal favorite organized outdoor experience for teenagers is Outward Bound, which is what I did when I was in high school. I learned a lot, and developed confidence in my ability to figure things out and deal with the unexpected on my own. And I found out I was a lot stronger, physically and mentally, than the cultural stereotype says girls are supposed to be.

Spirit Walker

11-04-2007, 20:23

The issue of being alone and injured isn't likely to happen to you if you are hiking during the normal hiking season. There are a lot of people out there. It's very unusual to go 24 hours on the trail without running into someone.

A bigger issue is that you may have a hard time finding solitude. Young women tend to find a large number of young men who are very happy to act as escort -- too many in fact. It can be difficult to tell someone that you would prefer to be alone or to hike your own hike and not become partners or that you want to do it yourself without assistance, especially when the guys who are hovering are nice guys, but just a little too interested in a rare, unaccompanied, young woman. You'll probably be safe enough - but it can get really annoying. I've seen women jump ahead to get away from a too persistent suitor. I've also seen some get off the trail for the same reason. Most long distance hikers are good people - but there are a few that you have to watch out for. But that's true everywhere - Learn to trust your instincts. If you meet someone who "feels wrong" listen to your inner voice and get out. Chances are you'll find a partner on the trail, but even if you don't, you'll probably find people who will keep an eye out for you. When I hiked, I met a 17 year old hiking on the trail. The other hikers more or less adopted him and made sure that he stayed safe until he was secure enough in his abilities to do it himself.

Blissful

11-04-2007, 21:00

A bigger issue is that you may have a hard time finding solitude. Young women tend to find a large number of young men who are very happy to act as escort -- too many in fact. It can be difficult to tell someone that you would prefer to be alone or to hike your own hike and not become partners or that you want to do it yourself without assistance, especially when the guys who are hovering are nice guys, but just a little too interested in a rare, unaccompanied, young woman. You'll probably be safe enough - but it can get really annoying. I've seen women jump ahead to get away from a too persistent suitor. I've also seen some get off the trail for the same reason. Most long distance hikers are good people - but there are a few that you have to watch out for. But that's true everywhere - Learn to trust your instincts. If you meet someone who "feels wrong" listen to your inner voice and get out. Chances are you'll find a partner on the trail, but even if you don't, you'll probably find people who will keep an eye out for you. When I hiked, I met a 17 year old hiking on the trail. The other hikers more or less adopted him and made sure that he stayed safe until he was secure enough in his abilities to do it himself.

This is really good advice and so true. There are men galore on the trail, but unfortunately, few women. The young women I did see this past season had their fellow men with them, kind of funny actually.
Anyway, I would definitely take a tent for those times when you do need privacy.

But I was always relying on the hiker network to tell my where my 16 yr old was, and it proved invaluable. Hikers looking out for other hikers is the great thing about the trail.

weary

11-04-2007, 22:40

....I found out I was a lot stronger, physically and mentally, than the cultural stereotype says girls are supposed to be.
Our town land trust has contracted with the Maine Trail Program and the Maine Conservation Corps to fund and contruct 800 feet of bog bridging on two miles of an ATV-damaged trail. They arrive Tuesday and will be here through the 16th.

The leader of the crew came by a week ago to inspect the site. SHE saw no problems, based on her experience with the program for the past three years.

We shall see. I had difficulty lifting one of the 270 heavy planks involved in the project. I'm looking forward to seeing how a female-lead crew might do. Both the crew and the land trust welcomes volunteers. So any Mainers interested are welcome to help. Send me a personal message.

Housing is in an "Inlaw" (now deceased) apartment above my garage, I'm inviting the crew and volunteers to a lobster dinner on Tuesday the 13th.

Weary

Rain Man

11-05-2007, 09:55

My daughter thru'd in 04, starting a couple of days after turning 20, so technically she was not a teenager. But she was and is a petite girl and often mistaken for much younger than she is.

She had a tough (physically) and wonderful (people and wilderness) experience and would go right back if she could. In the beginning, she hiked with more than one middle age women, who acted sort of as mother figures for her. Later, she hiked with other young women. Sometimes, she hiked with all-female groups and other times with majority-female groups; sometimes not. She met some wonderful male hikers, too, and finished her hike with them and remains friends to this day with some.

Anyway, she had plenty of good companionship and if she ever did want some "alone time," she had to make it happen.

I didn't consider her to be facing more dangers on the AT than she would have faced spending the year at her college. If you'd like to speak with her, send me a PM.

Rain:sunMan

.

Blissful

11-05-2007, 10:31

My daughter thru'd in 04, starting a couple of days after turning 20, so technically she was not a teenager. But she was and is a petite girl and often mistaken for much younger than she is.

She had a tough (physically) and wonderful (people and wilderness) experience and would go right back if she could. In the beginning, she hiked with more than one middle age women, who acted sort of as mother figures for her. Later, she hiked with other young women. Sometimes, she hiked with all-female groups and other times with majority-female groups; sometimes not.
.

Wow, she must have had the female thru hiking season that year. I bemoaned the fact I saw very few women out there, except early on from NOC through the Smokies. I saw sectioners later on in the summer, but not many at all. They would be scattered. One here or there. For several weeks, esp later on, I saw none at all. The only group of women I saw thru hiking together except in the Smokies were SOBOs. Guess they weren't doing my pace or something.

Uncle Silly

11-05-2007, 11:54

Wow, she must have had the female thru hiking season that year. I bemoaned the fact I saw very few women out there, except early on from NOC through the Smokies. I saw sectioners later on in the summer, but not many at all. They would be scattered. One here or there. For several weeks, esp later on, I saw none at all. The only group of women I saw thru hiking together except in the Smokies were SOBOs. Guess they weren't doing my pace or something.

I think they clump together sometimes. I saw a trio of women SOBO this year, and hiked the 100-Mile Wilderness with a group of 4 women & 2 men (I was one of the men). We filled out to a group of 11 (5 women, 6 men) on our summit day.

3 of the women I was with in the Wilderness had started together: Eulah, Walnut & Low-Gear.

Blissful

11-05-2007, 12:56

3 of the women I was with in the Wilderness had started together: Eulah, Walnut & Low-Gear.

Oh, I know them - those are the ones I saw from NOC through the SMokies and then again in Erwin. Glad to see they made it, great!

Tinker

11-05-2007, 13:10

I read your post, but not the replies.

Hiking solo is something I choose to do, knowing the risks. Now that I have a cell phone, I feel that the risk (of death - due to prolonged exposure after an accident) is less than before. A cell phone, however, cannot protect you from a predator, whether man or beast. As in town or city, possibly the greatest threat to a woman of any age is assault by a male or, even more tragically,maleS. I would suggest that you start with a partner. After you make some friends on the Trail (if planning a thruhike), you should have some security in their company. There is safety in numbers, but peace in solitude, so we all must make a choice, day by day, and be willing to accept the outcome. I wish you much happy hiking.

T.

buckowens

11-05-2007, 20:47

Darth Megan,

I hiked Georgia with my 9 year old "Roo" this past summer. As everyone here knows, I am proud as heck of her, as she was an inspiration to everyone we met, and me included. Her ability to hike despite the rain, soreness and being tired was inspirational. As I told her, there is nothing you can't do, and don't let anyone tell you different.

Having said all of that, I would be a nervous wreck with her going by herself. That's part of the "Dad" and "Mom" job description :D Big cities and Europe is always safer in twos, and I would say the same for the trail. However, as the fine ladies and girls of WB have told you, it is safe and doable. Roo and I are taking a friend and his 16 year old daughter this summer for about a week, so you may try to find a relative or other trustworthy family member to try it as well. Just a thought.

Good luck and :welcome

Bootstrap

11-06-2007, 10:34

As in town or city, possibly the greatest threat to a woman of any age is assault by a male or, even more tragically,maleS. I would suggest that you start with a partner.

I'm all for being safe, and I think this is good advice. But I'm curious - I've always heard there's not much crime once you get 3 miles away from a road, and I haven't heard much about women being assaulted on the trail, though I've heard a lot about unpleasant pink-blazing.

Have there been many assaults on the AT?

Jonathan

Lone Wolf

11-06-2007, 10:45

Have there been many assaults on the AT?

Jonathan

yup.quite a few over the years

Bootstrap

11-06-2007, 10:54

yup.quite a few over the years

Rats. I would have preferred a different answer. Sigh ...

Thanks for the info.

Jonathan

Lone Wolf

11-06-2007, 10:58

Rats. I would have preferred a different answer. Sigh ...

Thanks for the info.

Jonathan

everybody worries about bear attacks, giardia, snake bites, etc. which never happen but human attacks which do happen, nobody worries about

dixicritter

11-06-2007, 11:08

I don't know that I'd say nobody worries about it LW.

Bootstrap

11-06-2007, 11:21

everybody worries about bear attacks, giardia, snake bites, etc. which never happen but human attacks which do happen, nobody worries about

Is this something both males and females should worry about, or has it been mostly directed against females?

I'm male, I've always felt safe in the woods. (I've been pretty darn close to bears, but it wasn't me they were interested in, so far I've never been bitten by a snake or a giardia, though a few ticks and mosquitos have gotten to me.)

Then again, if I'm backpacking, I'm usually out with a partner. And I don't feel particularly safe until I'm 3 miles in. I've always felt that the people you need to be scared of are a lot scarcer once you get 3 miles in from the nearest road ... no proof of any of this.

Jonathan

Cannibal

11-06-2007, 11:25

Doesn't matter where you are; when people are involved there will always be conflict. Use your head and trust your instincts.

weary

11-06-2007, 12:02

I continue to maintain that the trail is safer than most any place else you can be for six months.

Spirit Walker

11-06-2007, 13:47

I agree, the trail is safer than almost anyplace else - but it's still not 100% safe. Bad things happen, even on the AT. The trail passes close to civilization often. Fellow hikers are not all angels. Being aware is essential. Paying attention to bad vibes and acting on it is also essential. Don't rely on the shelters. Have a tent so you can camp off trail if you run into someone who makes you uncomfortable. Two true stories: I ran into a woman who met someone in a shelter who made her uncomfortable. She didn't have a tent, so stayed there anyway. Nothing happened, but she was in no position to protect herself if the situation had gotten worse. I told her she was a fool to not have a tent. Another thruhiker that I heard about years earlier, met a man at a shelter who made her nervous. She left the shelter, but only moved 1/2 mile away and set up next to the trail. He came after her. She listened to her inner voice, but didn't take it seriously enough.

Bootstrap

11-06-2007, 13:55

When I was a bicycle repairman in college, I had a (female) friend who carried a little dog with her on cross-country bicycle trips. She would pitch her tent behind the biggest gravestone she could find in a cemetery, moving in after dark, and also relied on the dog to warn her.

I always figured if someone *did* come to bother her in a cemetery late at night, it would be be someone *really* weird, but she never seemed to run into difficulty in the couple of years I knew her.

Still, I was always nervous for her ...

Jonathan

Marta

11-06-2007, 14:13

Not to be too gloomy, or anything, but I think young boys are just as likely to be preyed upon as young girls. Think of the big scandals involving the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts, etc. Does this mean you should never go to church, or Boy Scouts? No.

IMO, the danger of hiking the AT is NOT AS GREAT as being at home in the city.

As a parent, I felt that both my daughter and my sons needed to learn how to protect themselves. All my kids took Tae Kwon Do for most of their childhood. Are they ready to go on Ultimate Fighting Championship? No. But they do know some simple ways to protect themselves, and if they need to hit, they can hit hard.

There's a lot of distance between paranoia and foolish risk-taking. Once again, IMO, hiking the AT is not even close to foolish risk-taking for a solo hiker, male or female.

amoslondon

12-26-2007, 01:25

Megan don't forget that you are free to decide what you do after high school. People sometimes let others get in the way of what they want and that is never good. If you want to thru hike then go for it. I have had my parents pushing me for two years to apply to this college and apply to that one. I am currently being considered for an appointment to West Point Millitary Academy but that doesn't mean I have to go when the time comes, the same way you decide what you want to do after graduation. I live in Statesville NC and backpack a lot with my friends and family, if you need advice aobut local trails shoot me an email.

DRLski

12-29-2007, 01:57

http://www.findmespot.com/explorespot/spotmessenger.aspx?sid=bn

CaseyB

12-29-2007, 03:24

My first post ever, on the girls' forum...feels like I'm doing something wrong....

-One common theme I have noticed in posts from young people hoping to do the trail is this sense of urgency. Calm down, boys & girls, that trail ain't go'n nowhere!
- At 14, this decision is not up to you.
- At 18, you can decide, legally
- At 21, you will be much more your own person, able to make more competent judgements about your own personal saftey and "life direction"

My thinking is.....what's the rush?