View Full Version : What do you think about...
Lion King
12-26-2008, 22:04
...hiking the AT and getting the whole thing paid for?
I have a freind who is pretty young (compared to most here) and I knew them when they were kids and his Mom has offered to pay all my expenses and to also give me a bonus after we are done.
Now, I have explained to them the difference between the AT and the PCT and for as the body the PCT is much more forgiving, yet the danger can be far worse...its a toss up, but personally I would rather do the PCT again because of the niceness of trail.
But I do miss the At, havent hiked on it for about 3 years.
So...ummmm
thoughts about having someone under your wing while doing this>?
I have to admit, the whole 'its paid for' thing has me interested.
Lone Wolf
12-26-2008, 22:06
bad idea. the $$ is making not think straight. don't do it
max patch
12-26-2008, 22:29
Sounds like a great deal for you but a lousy deal for the kids.
Can you imagine hiking with a babysitter along the whole way?
Feral Bill
12-26-2008, 23:02
Sounds like a great deal for you but a lousy deal for the kids.
Can you imagine hiking with a babysitter along the whole way?
Can you imagine being a babysitter along the whole way?
Lion King
12-26-2008, 23:03
Sounds like a great deal for you but a lousy deal for the kids.
Can you imagine hiking with a babysitter along the whole way?
He isnt a baby! :D Dudes like 20. He is like my little brother.
Lion King
12-26-2008, 23:04
bad idea. the $$ is making not think straight. don't do it
Its funny how when you are broke how money can make you think.
:D
Lion King
12-26-2008, 23:05
Can you imagine being a babysitter along the whole way?
NOT HAPPENIN!
Ill guide and show him the blue blazes but he will have his own guide books and we will be doing our own pace if we do this. Camping or breaks we can meet up, but Im a solo hiker by trade.
Like I said he's sorta like a little brother
Does his mom know what your thinking because she may be thinking something totally different. Like oh Lion King will carry my sons pack. If not than go for it its all about the c.r.e.a.m. Cash,Rules,Everything,Around,Me.
Lion King
12-26-2008, 23:22
Does his mom know what your thinking because she may be thinking something totally different. Like oh Lion King will carry my sons pack. If not than go for it its all about the c.r.e.a.m. Cash,Rules,Everything,Around,Me.
Im not getting paid per say. All the food, lodging, hostels, etc...will be covered though. All expenses, including to and from the begining and end.
I say do it if you got the time whats to lose? Maybe you spark something in this kid and he will love it and pass it down to his kids or to some of his friends.
garlic08
12-26-2008, 23:47
Sounds like a great gig. I've always wanted to say I was a professional hiker, I'm sure I'm not alone. The problems are 1) whom to invoice, and 2) who would actually pay the invoices.
This could be an incredible experience for both hikers, learn a lot about yourself and someone else. What can I say, my glass is half full.
Know what you mean about the AT vs the PCT. If I had one to do again, I'd pick the AT and go SOBO. But I live out west, I see you're in NH.
Spirit Walker
12-26-2008, 23:48
Do you like the guy? Can you imagine spending 5 months living with him? If so - go for it. If you think he'd drive you batty in a few weeks (or that you'll drive him nuts) then just tell Mom you'll start at the same time as he does so he can get a good start, but after that he's on his own.
Lion King
12-26-2008, 23:52
Do you like the guy? Can you imagine spending 5 months living with him? If so - go for it. If you think he'd drive you batty in a few weeks (or that you'll drive him nuts) then just tell Mom you'll start at the same time as he does so he can get a good start, but after that he's on his own.
Thats the problem. Most people drive me nuts after about a week. And I do them as well I am sure.:banana
He's a good kid. has a lot to learn.
CrumbSnatcher
12-27-2008, 00:03
LION KING, all expenses paid doesn't tell me much. show me the money, how much $ we talkin' bout. how many motels/hotels, hostels. we talkin' mcdonalds or steak houses. big miles or short days.what kind of budget? how well will he listen? do you have permission to smack him around? just joking I SAY GO FOR IT maybe i'll see you out there
Lion King
12-27-2008, 00:12
LION KING, all expenses paid doesn't tell me much. show me the money, how much $ we talkin' bout. how many motels/hotels, hostels. we talkin' mcdonalds or steak houses. big miles or short days.what kind of budget? how well will he listen? do you have permission to smack him around? just joking I SAY GO FOR IT maybe i'll see you out there
Hey C,
we are talking over $600 a month for both of us, more if we need it.
Very doable, and thats eating good and staying good when we need it.
CrumbSnatcher
12-27-2008, 00:18
i was just messin' with ya, i think the dude will have a blast.
fishinfred
12-27-2008, 00:37
Hey C,
we are talking over $600 a month for both of us, more if we need it.
Very doable, and thats eating good and staying good when we need it.
Hey LK
Happy Holidays !
DON'T BANK YOUR WHOLE SEASON ON IT! What if he quits by Neels Gap :eek:
Ya NEVER KNOW....
A paid for hike would be nice tho...:-?
See ya out there!
PEACE BRO!
I vote that fishinfred makes the best quesidillas. Thanks for all the trail magic that you do.
Sounds like a great deal for you but a lousy deal for the kids.
Can you imagine hiking with a babysitter along the whole way?
Can you imagine hiking with Lion King as your babysitter the whole way? :-?
Sounds too good to be true, do it. :banana
p.s. PCT
Feral Bill
12-27-2008, 01:19
You have me convinced. have fun.
Lion King,
You just received $25 (or however much you actually receive) from my family for your PCT hiking video for X-mas.
Fantastic video, very well done. I hope I get to hike it some day, but right now I have no money, haha.
Lion King
12-27-2008, 02:12
Lion King,
I hope I get to hike it some day, but right now I have no money, haha.
Welcome to my world.
and Thank you!
oh, about anywhere between $4 and $7, but nothing right now as I owe everybody in the frikkin world.
AZJ_Jerky
12-27-2008, 04:16
Wait...This guy is 20 years old? What does he need help for? From your original post I figured he must be 13 or younger!
Wait...This guy is 20 years old? What does he need help for? From your original post I figured he must be 13 or younger!
would imagine its the mother being a typical mother and trying to force someone into watching out for her baby while she cant do it herself, the proof is in the fact shes willing to pay all HIS expenses to go too
How about agreeing to a set fee to get him started if he and Mom think that's necessary? Agree to stick with him for the first month, after that, no commitment. I don't think anyone would need more than a month of intense hand-holding/tutoring before they are fully competent to hike on their own, especially someone who is 20. Nothing says you couldn't continue to hike together if mutually agreeable, but neither would be committed.
For me the whole trip paid would be too close to a job. I've done it, and it was GREAT as a job, but it wasn't the same as your own hike.
4eyedbuzzard
12-27-2008, 08:31
Something I'm sure you know already, so just a reminder--there's no such thing as a free lunch. Sounds like a great deal...but what might be the possible "catches"?
Lone Wolf
12-27-2008, 08:37
bad idea. the $$ is making you not think straight. don't do it
like i said. bad idea. get a job and earn your own cash. there ain't gonna be no freedom in babysittin' a 20 year old momma's boy
StarLyte
12-27-2008, 08:52
Lone Wolf is a realist and I love that. :)
LK you won't know a thing until you do it.
If it were myself, I'd do it - I mean, why not?
You will have to figure out what to do if he bails out. You might want that agreement stated ahead of time.
Have a good time - and just do it. :sun
What does the kid think of the arrangement? If I were you, I'd base my answer on your inner voice's whispers after a serious talk with the kid. (Clumsy sentence...I hope you can figure out what I'm trying to say.) If he's keen to hike the AT, and thinks it would be great to do it with you (you're his hero!), then it could be a great gig. If this hiking thing is his mother's idea and/or he resents the interference, you might as well make other plans.
If you decide to go ahead, you should probably make some pretty formal agreements, in writing, about all sorts of contingencies. It could be very painful for your good friends to end up as enemies.
joshua5878
12-27-2008, 09:58
Obviously Mom doesn't think son is mature/experienced enough to try it on his own. She also believes that with Lion as his mentor (which sounds like the situation) his success-safety rate goes way up and he learns some life changing lessons along the way. Sounds like you would be passing up on a great opportunity if you ask me if you said no. The money is trivial, just covering expenses and the bonus at the end will probably be enough to just tide you over to whatever lies next. Di it Lion! Hopefully we will see you out there, my brother and I are leaving sometime in early March. Joshua
like i said. bad idea. get a job and earn your own cash. there ain't gonna be no freedom in babysittin' a 20 year old momma's boy
I agree LW but i just had to laugh at you quoting yourself
Pedaling Fool
12-27-2008, 10:32
He isnt a baby! :D Dudes like 20. He is like my little brother.
23 years in the Navy, I've dealt with a lot of 20-somethings many are babies. They seem like adults when times are good, but as soon as the it starts getting a little tough... He may be an exception, the trail will reveal.
Rockhound
12-27-2008, 10:42
Genius is getting paid for something you love to do anyway
Lone Wolf
12-27-2008, 10:44
it ain't gonna work. no way
Genius is getting paid for something you love to do anyway
Stupidity is turning something you love into a business and in the process losing the love for it oops there i go again
Lone Wolf
12-27-2008, 10:47
Stupidity is turning something you love into a business and in the process losing the love for it oops there i go again
truth
Anyone looking for an old lady to babysit a girl on the trail??? Oh yeah, I'd have to be able to keep up with her... Sounds like a great deal for you Lion King.
Anyone looking for an old lady to babysit a girl on the trail??? Oh yeah, I'd have to be able to keep up with her... Sounds like a great deal for you Lion King.
not ness. keep UP with her just tell her to stay in view of the hat, its visible for miles
Sounds like good fodder for a video. Oh wait....:)
Live the Journey
12-27-2008, 11:47
If this kid is like your little brother (assuming that's "in a good way") I think it could be do-able...you have a rare opportunity to share something you really love and that's always valuable. I'm sure that the experience could be really great for both of you...
That said, you said so yourself that you are a solo hiker....I can only imagine how frusterated you could be if your paces don't match or you have major personality clashes that you wouldn't really know about until you hit trail. It seems to be the consensus that thru hiking with a partner can be risky even in very tried and true relationships.
Also, looking back on myself when I was 20, I don't think I would have wanted to hike with myself back then, and I'm only 25 now!
Pro's and con's that only you can weigh...but keep in mind that if you start trail and one of you isn't having fun, chances are that both of you aren't having fun...IMO the folks that aren't getting anything from the trail shouldn't be there. You can always get off...this mother isn't setting you up with a 6 month contract...just a proposition!
Lion King
12-27-2008, 11:55
Sounds like good fodder for a video. Oh wait....:)
I aint carrying a camera no matter which trail I do.
Okay, to respond to almost all of those posts:
Ibe known this kid since he was 3, and he does treat me like a father figure/hero.
We are not sharing gear by any means. Infact I made a list of what he neds and I say we go out and do a week to 10 days NOW, then at the end of Feb we can go out on the AT if he likes ie enough.
That will save a lot of heartache for both of us.
Ive explained that it WILL be hard, Ive told him he Will cry and get really mad a few days, I told him I will camp with him but that he will be on his own till night time (Or breaks when I will wait, as I wouldnt mind at all doing this trip on a few miles a day to start instead of 12-20 each and every day).
I know the possibility of not getting along after a few months since I saw it wiht outher people.
If we can do the week or ten days I think we will both know.
And Lone, Ive known you for a long time, you always impress me with your optimisim! :D But yeah, I dig what you aer saying and I understand.
Ive already turned my hiking into a business, so thats a part of it that wont change.
I think Lone Wolf has an excellent point that $$$ can cloud your judgement, but there is also the chance that the two of you are a good fit. If he is really like a younger brother, then it should all work out even if it doesn't if you know what I mean. If its something you feel needs to be done anyway, if it feels like the right thing to do, then the $$$ don't matter except to make it possible. The only thing then remaining that you might ask yourself is whether or not you feel his parents money would be well spent, in terms of what THEIR intentions are. Are they doing it for him to have fun, or to get fit, or to develop in some way, or some all of the above...
I think you should talk it over with them, in terms of what their expectations are.
what you do is up to you bro, i just think everyone here despite their opinion states it in their hope that you will have a good time, and is from the perspective of trying to look out for you by trying to let you learn from their experience
Pedaling Fool
12-27-2008, 12:05
I aint carrying a camera no matter which trail I do.
Okay, to respond to almost all of those posts:
Ibe known this kid since he was 3, and he does treat me like a father figure/hero.
We are not sharing gear by any means. Infact I made a list of what he neds and I say we go out and do a week to 10 days NOW, then at the end of Feb we can go out on the AT if he likes ie enough.
That will save a lot of heartache for both of us.
Ive explained that it WILL be hard, Ive told him he Will cry and get really mad a few days, I told him I will camp with him but that he will be on his own till night time (Or breaks when I will wait, as I wouldnt mind at all doing this trip on a few miles a day to start instead of 12-20 each and every day).
I know the possibility of not getting along after a few months since I saw it wiht outher people.
If we can do the week or ten days I think we will both know.
And Lone, Ive known you for a long time, you always impress me with your optimisim! :D But yeah, I dig what you aer saying and I understand.
Ive already turned my hiking into a business, so thats a part of it that wont change.
Well the boss has spoken, it's official, the kid's going on a hike. Keep us informed, should be interesting.
not ness. keep UP with her just tell her to stay in view of the hat, its visible for miles
Did you see my profile photo on Katahdin? I'm not wearing my hat, my own jacket, or my own shoes! Mine were lost somewhere on Greyhound. But I hiked anyway July 1st as planned thanks to Navigator who loaned me her jacket and shoes...
Now back to the topic at hand, Have a great hike Lion King.
Many Walks
12-28-2008, 01:29
My two cents. If the kid is up for it, you may want to be sure Mom also understands how tough it can be. You might want to make it crystal clear to her that you'll try your best to teach him the things he needs to know in order to succeed, but you'll assume no liability should something happen to him while he's out. Since you'd be receiving money for basically watching over him, the liability might be legally yours. Kids that age go into war zones all the time and do their job while trying to stay alive, so he should be able to hike the trail on his own. It sounds like Mom has the issues and would probably go after you if something happens to her son. Just a thought, I would hate to see a bad result come from something good you're trying to do for him. Good luck.
buckwheat
12-28-2008, 02:19
Hey C,
we are talking over $600 a month for both of us, more if we need it.
Very doable, and thats eating good and staying good when we need it.
So, that's $1500 for the entire trail for you?
I'd triple that fee to be a guide, having to hike someone else's hike.
Lone Wolf
12-28-2008, 08:53
Ive explained that it WILL be hard, Ive told him he Will cry
why on earth would he cry? :-?
superman
12-28-2008, 09:37
why on earth would he cry? :-?
If he makes the kid hike the way Lion King did the first time I met him the kid might cry or just run home. Dolly, a section hiker and I were stealth camping when Lion King came in at dusk. He'd hiked over 25 miles. He had a blue walmart tarp which he tried to tie onto some small trees. It rained and either the tarp came loose or he untied it but he was laying on the ground with the tarp just laying on top of him. In the morning I checked to see if he was breathing...seemed like he wasn't so I hiked on.:)
Jim Adams
12-28-2008, 13:26
LK,
I used to LOVE white water paddling....then I became a raft guide and canoeing instructor. Now I like white water if you see what I'm say'in....now days it just feels like I'm herding cattle.
I had a rather cruel and degrading lecture given to me once by a "mom" that was mad that I didn't stop to hold her 23 year old "little girls" hand while she pissed behind a bush.
A. Think long and hard about whether you are willing to have your entire outlook on hiking change.
B. Get them together and ask mom and the kid what kind of beer he likes...that may settle the problem for you and give you an answer.
C. Is mom adopting?
geek
Lion King, The kid would be lucky to get to spend a summer with you, and I am sure that the two of you could work everything out. The key to me would be whether you wanted to hike with him regardless of the $$. If so, the $$ is a huge bonus. JMO.
Lion King
12-28-2008, 14:40
why on earth would he cry? :-?
Because I plan on hitting him with a rock....
The word Cry here is used as an overall word for have a basic break down.
Ive seen lots of people break down on the AT from time to time.
Not you of course, but some people out there who dont like the pain or effort. he is shelterd, so he may have issues, but I told him that is too be expected.
Im trying to make it out that it is harder then it is so when he gets out it wont be as bad as I told him.
Still, if we dont do a week to ten days first, who knows>
Lion King
12-28-2008, 14:44
If he makes the kid hike the way Lion King did the first time I met him the kid might cry or just run home. Dolly, a section hiker and I were stealth camping when Lion King came in at dusk. He'd hiked over 25 miles. He had a blue walmart tarp which he tried to tie onto some small trees. It rained and either the tarp came loose or he untied it but he was laying on the ground with the tarp just laying on top of him. In the morning I checked to see if he was breathing...seemed like he wasn't so I hiked on.:)
HAHA!
I remember that!
Man, I was tired. I couldnt find trees close enough together or a flat spot and it was dark and rainy.
I laid under the edge of that big ass fallen tree and tied my tarp to it and a small tree in front of me.
Very damp night...heeehee thanks for the memories!
Lion King
12-28-2008, 14:46
Lion King, The kid would be lucky to get to spend a summer with you, and I am sure that the two of you could work everything out. The key to me would be whether you wanted to hike with him regardless of the $$. If so, the $$ is a huge bonus. JMO.
Thanks man. He is a good guy and very creative He would have fun out there Im sure, but its just getting past the first week or so.
Im not getting paid per say. All the food, lodging, hostels, etc...will be covered though. All expenses, including to and from the begining and end.
Need a partner??????/:D:D:-?
SawnieRobertson
12-28-2008, 16:20
[QUOTE=Jorel;746426 The key to me would be whether you wanted to hike with him regardless of the $$. If so, the $$ is a huge bonus. JMO.[/QUOTE]
So true. Your own attitude is crucial. If it is just right, then I believe you will be able to make a successful hike come true. You are the leader.. You need to agree about what a successful hike is. You need to agree on behavior towards women on the trail. You need to agree to no put-downs, no name calling. And you need to get a legal document outlining what you can write about him in the potentially uproariously funny book that will follow.
Actually, I don't think we should assume that this young man is a "momma's boy" or too sheltered to do this on his own w/o LK's help. His mom may just love him and LK enough to want to see them have this extraordinary experience together. And, of course, hiking partners do take care of each other if they are a good team. (Think of two horses swatting flies.)
Somehow, I think that this would be a good time for Kirby to weigh in on this question. I suspect that one of the key ingredients he would mention would be the less experienced hiker's attitude, something we all witnessed work for him. Remember?--Kinnickinic
Yep, he's a momma's boy, otherwise he'd nix the idea himself! You want to hike with the kid, go for it. Just don't obligate yourself to momma. No matter what little expenses she covers, she will expect you to powder her little boys' ass daily and if you bail, you'll be on momma's ****list.
I agree with LW, tell momma NO WAY!
88BlueGT
12-28-2008, 23:57
I don't see any reason not to, I certainly would do it. It seems like a good opportunity to do a thru hike and have it paid for.
Now what happens if he stops 1/4 way through the hike and doesnt want to continue? Is your trip over then also or are you going to be able to continue hiking and have your trip paid for?