None Completed Thru

[GeneralLee10]

Knowing this should be an easy question for you WB'ers. How many of you lurking this site have tried to but not completed a Thru Hike?:-? If so how many times did it take to to figure out your not fit for the job?:-?:sun

[YoungMoose]

I bet this is going to be a little touchy for some

[Feral Bill]

I bet this is going to be a little touchy for some
You think?

[Spokes]

Incoming!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GeneralLee10]

Waiting............. No bombs yet:D

[RollingStone]

Mt first and only attempt was in 1986. I was very young, times, equipment and the trail was very different. Of course we didn't make it but it had nothing to do with being "fit".

[GeneralLee10]

Mt first and only attempt was in 1986. I was very young, times, equipment and the trail was very different. Of course we didn't make it but it had nothing to do with being "fit".

See now this is a person that is being honest and is probably not ashamed of a none completed Thru.:sun

[Mags]

I have completed every thru I've attempted.

However, I did DNF on about mile 70 of my Leadville 100 attempt in 2005. Started blacking out. Did the event on a lark and it caught up with me.

I'm in better shape now...maybe I should attempt it again. :sun

[beakerman]

i haven't done a trhu yet...nor have I attempted to do one. I'm a section kind of guy. I just can't get the 6 months off to do a thru. Does that count?--yeilding to the pressures of the world to say I just can't...

[GeneralLee10]

Mags, You are The Man!.

[Sly]

Mags, You are The Man!.

Well yeah, except he didn't really answer your question. :p

[sheepdog]

So far I have failed to attempt a thru 108 times.
I am 54 so there are 54 nobo's and 54 sobo's
that I have not started.



guess I'll keep section hiking

[Hooch]

Waiting............. No bombs yet:D
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-violent012.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

[GeneralLee10]

Well yeah, except he didn't really answer your question. :p

Yes, this is true.

[GeneralLee10]

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-violent012.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

Nice, lol...

[sbhikes]

I attempted a thru, sort of, last year. My plan was actually only to hike the state of California. Along the way, I started thinking maybe I could go further than that. But I didn't even make it to complete the whole state of California. I had foot problems.

I returned this summer, again with no intention of thru-hiking. I wanted to hike from Santa Barbara to the PCT, then get off the PCT in Lone Pine and then complete all the trail I missed last year all the way to Canada. I accomplished this goal.

Now, to answer your question. I don't think I'm fit for thru-hiking. I got really sick of hiking every single day and being away from home after about 1000 or 1200 miles or so both times. It got to be like a job and all I could think of was food or going home.

But you betcha I still dream of getting back out there for at least another 3 month chunk. Rather than complete a single thru-hike, I think I would like to eventually be able to hike 3 or 4 months, or just one or 2 months whenever I want. That would be awesome.

I really don't care about thru-hikes so much as just being part of the trail. It doesn't impress me if you completed your thru-hike and I don't see it as a failure if you didn't. I applaud people getting out there and enjoying themselves in nature and being part of the trail community. That's what really matters.

[Blissful]

Nothing wrong with not completing. You are a section hiker then and I have WAY more respect for sectioners (doing some of it myself and seeing what one endures having to go through blister issues every time).

[Spokes]

I have completed every thru I've attempted.

However, I did DNF on about mile 70 of my Leadville 100 attempt in 2005. Started blacking out. Did the event on a lark and it caught up with me.

I'm in better shape now...maybe I should attempt it again. :sun

Was it all that Weizenbock Mags?

[Mags]

Mags, You are The Man!.

Not really (but thanks!). Fiddlehead here on WB has actually done it. :sun


Well yeah, except he didn't really answer your question. :p

Only outdoor endeavor I attempted that I did not finish. And it is on the CT/CDT in parts. Close enough. :)


Was it all that Weizenbock Mags?

Fat Tire. I live in CO after all. :)

[Anumber1]

I tried in 2009 but had to give up due to Morton's neuroma and having no more friggin' money.

Going home was the biggest challenge I faced on the trail. I have not yet decided whether I will try again any time soon due to finances and my obligation to the Navy.

If only I could get deployed again, then I would have the time off and the money to give it another go.

[mweinstone]

i wasnt even tryin those other times.:D

[Jim Adams]

failed my PCT attempt....hated the desert, lost appetite and energy in the mountains, got bored with the schedule, ran out of money at Yosemite and went home. Only time that I've quit but it didn't bother me at all....still want to see Oregon and Washington but have no interest at all in Cali....will still do the AT every chance I get.

geek

[leaftye]

I walked to the library today. While walking there, I started thinking it was so nice that I might as well start the PCT right then. I didn't. I guess I failed a thru attempt today.

[RollingStone]

See now this is a person that is being honest and is probably not ashamed of a none completed Thru.:sun

Not ashamed in the least and no reason to be. I also failed at an LT thru attempt last year after 100 miles due to a ridiculous chest cold. I think I left bits and pieces of my lungs at the hotel in Killington.

[kayak karl]

i have 2 failed attemps THIS year. :sun

it was great and had the time of my LIFE.

wouldn't of missed it for the world:)

[stumpknocker]

Twice. The first in 2007 on the AT when I realized I had done enough that year and I had other things on my mind. The second in 2009 on the CDT when Plantar Fasciitis got too bad to make walking enjoyable.

Those two times have turned into section hikes for me and now I'm looking forward to completing them. :)

[modiyooch]

I attempted my thru in 1980. I quit school and work, sold my car and stored by stuff. I was 20. There was no WB and no internet. I studied Backpacker magazine and found one book on the subject. My main reason for not completing is that I started in Nov. I also firmly believe that the physical challenge is a whole lot easier to master then the mental.
Later, I moved to NC to contine my trek, but "life" happened and I have been section hiking ever since. 30 years later, I plan to finish the trail this summer. I have 140 miles left.
As I said, I section hike now. Yes, it's harder physically because I have to get my trail legs back over and over again BUT with all due respect to thru hikers, I don't have the mental fitness to deal with each time.

[modiyooch]

Nothing wrong with not completing. You are a section hiker then and I have WAY more respect for sectioners (doing some of it myself and seeing what one endures having to go through blister issues every time).as stated in my previous post, we don't have to deal with the mental aspect of a thru. we are on an adrenaline high every time we hike.

[warraghiyagey]

How many of you lurking this site have tried to but not completed a Thru Hike?
If they respond they won't be lurking anymore. . . .:-?

[vamelungeon]

I've never done or attempted a thru hike of the AT, and won't until I retire from my job. I don't have the time or finances now but when I retire I will have solved both of those obstacles. Why would anyone be embarrassed about having not done a thru hike???

[Nean]

I've been tryin to finish the AT since 02 but keep getting distracted.:eek: Only 325m left.:banana
Heck, I've already started another one before I'm done with this one.:-?

[TEXMAN]

I attempted a thru last year and didn't complete because:
1. Had other scheduled events that I thought I could work around and they made me stop and start several times ..each time I came back to the trail I started the old "it's raining , I'm wet, why am I doing this thinking.

2.Realized that everyone in GA is a thru hiker but very few get to Maine so the nomenclature of being a "THRU" is not as important as your own personal reasons for hiking which makes the rewards of doing the whole trail in one hiking season becomes secondary.

3.I spent alot of time thinking about what I was going to do after the hike and that made me want to finish and get on with the rest of my life./(which turned about to be less of an imperative once I had the time)

4. TOO WET in 2009!!!

Now that I have traded my "Thru Hiker" designation in for the new "I'm an AT hiker" I am planning to hike the 995 miles I didn't do last year and get my 2000 mile designation , and also to hike from Springer to Damascus starting mid Feb because I can't wait to get back on the trail (I need to lose the 15 lbs. I gained back since last summer).
If I do those two things then I will be only 600 miles short of a THRU so I might just go back and get them done.

SO as of right now I am a 2010 thru hiker....because we are all thru hikers until we are through:-?.
O.M. River

[Pony]

I got off the trail in Damascus in 2008. I'll be resuming my hike NOBO out of Damascus in mid April.

[ShelterLeopard]

Knowing this should be an easy question for you WB'ers. How many of you lurking this site have tried to but not completed a Thru Hike?:-? If so how many times did it take to to figure out your not fit for the job?:-?:sun

I'll get back to you in September.

Also, you may want to add a poll to this, so some of the prouder hikers here can maintain thei anonymity :D

[medicjimr]

I am still a newbie have only 50 miles under my feet after the army But I wouldn't call them failures but accepting your limitations My first hike was to be 70 miles made it 5 too much pack weight 75 lbs and was a difficult trail to start backpacking with I smoked and I am a little over weight But I keep doing it because I enjoy it and will go further as my body gets used to it.

[Jester2000]

I've never done or attempted a thru hike of the AT, and won't until I retire from my job. I don't have the time or finances now but when I retire I will have solved both of those obstacles. Why would anyone be embarrassed about having not done a thru hike???

Well, to be fair, the question wasn't about not having done one, the question was about trying and not accomplishing it.

And I suppose whether or not one is embarrassed about that has much to do with why one is out there in the first place, and why the hike ended.

On the PCT we joked about "quitting with honor." As in, "man, I wish I would break my leg so I could quit with honor." So maybe there's some embarrassment to be associated with, say, having to get off the trail in Harpers Ferry because you blew all of your money drinking in town in the South. And maybe, if people want to be honest with themselves, there can be at least some embarrassment when you get back home two weeks after your friends throw a going away party and you tell everyone you'll see them in 6 months. Because people at home might not understand.

So I can see that, definitely. It's part of the reason why, when people I met on the AT asked me if I was a thru-hiker, I replied, "I'm trying to be."

I don't, however, thing there's anything inherently embarrassing about not completing a thru-hike, or at least there shouldn't be when you're amongst other hikers (who appreciate how difficult it can be, and how much good luck can be involved in completing).

[CrumbSnatcher]

my understanding over the years,you don't become a thruhiker at the end of the hike you start as a thruhiker or a section hiker to become a 2,000 miler!
if your not a thruhiker til the end,that means everyones a section hiker til the end, then you become a thruhiker? that makes no sense to me

[CrumbSnatcher]

you don't quit, you just go on to something else
the trail will be there when you want it!

[grizzlyadam]

In October 2000 I set out to hike the AT. In January 2001 I came down with what was later diagnosed as viral pneumonia while on the trail. I spent two days in my sleeping bag in the middle of the woods, drifting in and out of consciousness, thinking I was going to die. I finally found the strength to hike out and called it quits.
In the spring of 2002 I returned to the trail with the intention of finishing what I'd started. After 750 miles I woke up one day and decided I was tired of hiking in the heat and humidity and was no longer enjoying my hike. So, I walked to the next road crossing, stuck out my thumb, and made my way home.
In October 2003 I went to Maine to finally connect the pieces. After 500 miles I decided I didn't feel like hiking anymore and left the trail once again.
In 2005 I hiked all but the last 30 miles of the JMT. I left to attend a friend's wedding in Texas while the three guys I was hiking with climbed Mount Whitney and finished the trail.
Also in 2005 I hiked and biked the North Carolina Mountains to Sea Trail. While on my bicycle I rode past two sections that'd been designated as hiking trail. So, even though I completed the trail I wasn't officially recognized as having done so because I didn't walk those 50ish miles.
And, in 2007 I lasted a week on the Colorado Trail before the blisters and relentless thunderstorms drove me away.


That is a lot of "tried to but not completed". Does it mean I'm not fit for the job?

Not at all. It just means that being a thru-hiker means nothing to me. I go for the experience and the memories of the adventure. Not to be able to say I walked a trail.

I enjoyed ME, NH, and VT so much on that trip in 2003 that I've gone back and hiked them 2 more times.

I've hiked countless stretches of the MST countless numbers of times.

Last summer I went and rehiked 130 miles of the JMT.

I did hike the entire 30 miles of the Art Loeb Trail in 2005. :)

[BigCat]

I attempted a thru in 2007 and quit after 700 miles. Thus, I failed my attempt.

[Jester2000]

my understanding over the years,you don't become a thruhiker at the end of the hike you start as a thruhiker or a section hiker to become a 2,000 miler!
if your not a thruhiker til the end,that means everyones a section hiker til the end, then you become a thruhiker? that makes no sense to me

It's an interesting question, albeit mainly one of semantics. I didn't really consider myself a thru-hiker until I finished, but that's me. It can be argued that ATC recognizes the term the way you do, otherwise they wouldn't say this on their site:

"The drop-out rate among thru-hikers is high."

Personally, I'd say "the drop out rate among those attempting a thru-hike is high."

I think the 2,000 miler status is ATC's way of saying that they don't recognize any particular way of completing the trail as more important than any other way.

I guess to understand the way I think of it, it's useful to think of the following scenario:

I hiker gets on the trail in GA, intending to thru-hike. Let's say they are a "thru-hiker." Then they get off the trail at Trail Days, and never set foot on the trail again. Have they stopped being a thru-hiker at that point? I suppose that's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is to say that they were never a thru-hiker, they were someone attempting a thru-hike. But one thing is clear to me -- if they never set foot on the trail, it would be more than a little disingenuous for them to continue to call themselves a "thru-hiker."

Ultimately, it's a pretty unimportant title, more impressive to people that aren't hikers. But I DO prefer to think of everyone as a section hiker until they complete the trail, in the same way that I don't think of someone as a lawyer until they pass the bar, regardless of how much law school they've attended.

But that's not a judgement about someone on my part, it's just a description of where they are on the timeline.

[Yahtzee]

1999: GA to WV Ran out of money and motivation.
2001 GA to ME Stars were in alignment Summited Big K on Oct 16th
2003 GA to CT Stopped being fun, many ignorant hikers that year, lost my hiking partners of over 1000 miles. Quit while leaving the Silver Hill Campsite in CT. Just knew I was done.

For me, quitting sucked each time. Hated it both times. But I wasn't going to keep banging my head against the wall just to prove a point. There is still alot of, "if I only waited" or "I should have just taken a week off". But everything has pros and cons. Deciding to abandon a thru-hike is no different.

[CrumbSnatcher]

The Term ''Thru-hiker'' is used in different ways and it can be confusing. We use it both in the sense of someone attempting a thruhike, as well as someone who has completed a thruhike. The caretaker at springer mountain counts ''thru-hikers'' as they take thier very first steps. We take pictures of and count northbounders, southbounders, and flip-flop ''thru-hikers'' as they come through Harpers Ferry.
While you are in the process of attempting a thru-hike,you are a thruhiker. if you attempt a thruhike but only make it a few miles, after you get off the trail for good you're not really a thru-hiker anymore, especially once 12 months passes (although you had been a thru-hiker for a short time). If someone hikes most of the trail but not all of it, they could claim being a thru-hiker, but not a 2,000-miler afterwards, There are not really clear definitions for thru-hiking.
Another Point: if someone attempts a thru-hike, but doesn't complete it in 12 months, and continues working towards becoming a 2,000 miler, after 12 months they become a section-hiker. i had permission from LAURIEP,to qoute & post this.

[Mrs Baggins]

Still makes me cry. We started out Mar 15 2007, after 4 years of planning and dreaming. Read every book, watched every DVD and VHS we could find. Hiked sections in Maryland and Pennsylvania. We were convinced we knew what we were getting into. 2nd night out I thought was going to die of the cold at Gooch Gap and got taken back to the Hiker Hostel. 4th day out my arches started to collapse and the pain was horrendous. When I was up to 12 Advil a day, and no pain relief, we realized it was over and got off at Dick's Creek Gap. I've since had the foot problem taken care and can hike without pain. But after long discussions we've come to understand that we are section hikers, a few days at a time, maybe a few weeks at a time when my husband has retired, and that's fine with us. As much as we had dreamed and hoped and looked forward to it, I remember at about the 4th day my husband, trudging up Kelly's Knob, turned and said "This is not fun anymore. I don't want to do this anymore." It was pure humiliation to have to tell friends and family that we were done but we got through it. But I still feel the pain of quitting every time I think about it.

[CrumbSnatcher]

It's an interesting question, albeit mainly one of semantics. I didn't really consider myself a thru-hiker until I finished, but that's me. It can be argued that ATC recognizes the term the way you do, otherwise they wouldn't say this on their site:

"The drop-out rate among thru-hikers is high."

Personally, I'd say "the drop out rate among those attempting a thru-hike is high."

I think the 2,000 miler status is ATC's way of saying that they don't recognize any particular way of completing the trail as more important than any other way.

I guess to understand the way I think of it, it's useful to think of the following scenario:

I hiker gets on the trail in GA, intending to thru-hike. Let's say they are a "thru-hiker." Then they get off the trail at Trail Days, and never set foot on the trail again. Have they stopped being a thru-hiker at that point? I suppose that's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is to say that they were never a thru-hiker, they were someone attempting a thru-hike. But one thing is clear to me -- if they never set foot on the trail, it would be more than a little disingenuous for them to continue to call themselves a "thru-hiker."

Ultimately, it's a pretty unimportant title, more impressive to people that aren't hikers. But I DO prefer to think of everyone as a section hiker until they complete the trail, in the same way that I don't think of someone as a lawyer until they pass the bar, regardless of how much law school they've attended.

But that's not a judgement about someone on my part, it's just a description of where they are on the timeline.
thanks jester, always a pleasure reading your post!

[Jester2000]

. . . I remember at about the 4th day my husband, trudging up Kelly's Knob, turned and said "This is not fun anymore. I don't want to do this anymore."

Well, to be fair, Kelly's Knob makes a lot of people feel that way.

[weary]

I've written some of this before, but since you asked, I'll answer.

Though I had been a member of MATC and a trail maintainer, and had written often about the AT for the newspaper where I worked, I never seriously considered doing a thru hike. I had done numerous weekend walks and a few a bit longer, and greatly enjoyed backpacking. But walking 2,000 miles plus in one continuous hike had never been a goal.

But I walked all of Maine with a 9-year-old grandson the summer I retired, which stirred some vague thoughts about the possibility of a thru hike. If I could do 250 miles, it suddenly seemed plausible that I might do 2,150 miles.

Two years later I began to think seriously about the prospect. By this time in 1993 I was watching the food sales and stocking up for mail drops. My target date for a start had been April 1. But my wife was having job problems. I held off for two weeks, landing at Amicalola State Park around the 13th and on the summit of Springer April 15.

I wasn't a "purist" from the beginning. I took every blue blaze to scenic overlooks that I came to. As a maintainer, I knew that someone had built the side trail to one of his special places. It would be impolite not to take a look. I also wandered to and fro in the Smokies, exploring the peaks and valleys, taking side trips to Cherokee, and Gatlinburg, and visiting historic places.

About 400 miles into my walk I suddenly noticed that some hikers thought the white blazes that I had been passing and bypassing for several weeks, willy-nilly, were somehow sacred. That's when I guessed that my walk would not be a "thru Hike" but just a walk in the woods and mountains.

That decision was reenforced when I suddenly developed an excruciating pain in one of my big toes. The emergency room diagnosed it as a staff infection. I've later decided it was more likely gout. Anyway, I was off the trail for most of a week at Rainbow Springs.

I continued wandering north, however. Keeping pace with a delightful woman hiker for a few weeks, slowed things a bit. As did a very long weekend at Rusty's. And at Harpers Ferry I spent another few zero days waiting for the grandson, now 11, to complete his visit with his other grandfather.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York passed quickly, but a nerve pain slowed things again and I decided to skip southern New England and concentrate on New Hampshire and Maine, in hopes of beating snow on Katahdin. I did. Summiting on Oct. 16. I've wandered south a few times since, picking up Connecticut and Massachusetts with the grandson, by then 13. And even finally doing a "pure" walk through the Smokies.

I guess I've done at least as much of the trail as most 2,000 milers. But another certificate no longer seems important. I already have an embarrassing large wall of such things. They will pose a dilemma for my kids some day. The kids will be reluctant to take them to the dump, but neither will their spouses want them on their walls.

As Henry Thoreau once observed after watching a load of boxes and old furniture being transported from one attic to another, "when we die we hit the dust."

Weary

[Brother Baldy]

I haven't attempted a thru-hike yet, but from reading the journals of shall we say "mature" hikers of 50+ years, it seems that some sort of physical ailment (knees, heart, Lymes disease, giardia, feet, etc.) is the most common cause of leaving the trail early. Younger hikers may run out of money, have to return to school, or just lose interest. I've hiked parts of the AT in the 7 southernmost states and have enjoyed it every time, rain or shine. I see the allure of doing the whole thing at once, but since I'm approaching 62, don't know if I will attempt it or not. Still gonna enjoy the parts of the trail I am hiking.

[Mrs Baggins]

Well, to be fair, Kelly's Knob makes a lot of people feel that way.

Actually, that was probably more like the 6th day. It all runs together after more than 2 years. In any case, my absolute worst day (besides the foot pain) was staring straight up the hill out of Tesnatee Gap and bursting into tears. My pack was far too heavy and too big, I was sick of it all, and now I was staring straight up a wall that I was supposed to climb. I did it of course, but my knees were literally in my face the whole way up and I vowed revenge on the people that laid out that part of the trail.

[jesse]

...we are section hikers, a few days at a time, maybe a few weeks at a time...

Thats what I am, and am happy about it. I don't want to thru hike. I enjoy camping in wilderness areas away from civilization for a weekend then going home. When I'm at home I day hike everyday. Makes me feel good.

Thru hiking the way most people on here talk about seems like a hassle to me, with shuttles, and resupply, getting on and off the trail, arranging for slackpacking, etc. No thanks.

[Jester2000]

. . . I vowed revenge on the people that laid out that part of the trail.

. . . which is why none of those people have ever been seen or heard from again.

[Wrangler88]

I hiked about 150 miles starting in Maine this summer. I quit because of the rain, flooded trails, and the fact that I was stupid. It was probably one of the worst decisions that I've ever made. I thought the soggy conditions for nearly two weeks straight was enough to warrant me going home. When in all actuallity I should have sucked it up and kept walking. Big mistake on my part.

Hopefully, at some point, I'll get to get back out there and finish a thruhike.

[weary]

I haven't attempted a thru-hike yet, but from reading the journals of shall we say "mature" hikers of 50+ years, it seems that some sort of physical ailment (knees, heart, Lymes disease, giardia, feet, etc.) is the most common cause of leaving the trail early. Younger hikers may run out of money, have to return to school, or just lose interest. I've hiked parts of the AT in the 7 southernmost states and have enjoyed it every time, rain or shine. I see the allure of doing the whole thing at once, but since I'm approaching 62, don't know if I will attempt it or not. Still gonna enjoy the parts of the trail I am hiking.
Well, 62 is absolutely not too old to seriously consider a thru hike. I celebrated my birthday, 64, two weeks into my long walk. I was not then, nor ever was, before or after my walk, a particularly good prospect. I had graduated high school, many decades earlier, at near the bottom of my class in athletic ability.

I had done a dozen "weekend warrior" hikes annually for two decades, mostly to provide a bit of respite and humor, from my otherwise boring and sedentary stories.

But I hiked 2,000 miles despite a few pains, had a great time, and have never once regretted it. In fact, it remains the adventure of a lifetime.

Weary

[stranger]

I've made two thru-hike attempts on the AT, once in 1995 and another in 2008, both trips saw me leave the trail just shy of the 1/3 mark or so, however saying that... I knew early on in 2008 I was not thru-hiking, I just wanted to hike until I didn't want to hike anymore. In 2001 I completed a 500 mile section hike as well, and I've found this to be my threshold, I tend to get a tad bored after about 500-600 miles.

I've made two Long Trail thrus in the 90's, but as for another AT thru attempt, probably not going to happen. However, I would like to hike 1000 continuous miles, and that's my goal for 2010, so the challenge for me will be staying focused in Virginia. Also, I wonder if my threshold is a question of time or miles, I suspect it might be time, so if I move well perhaps I can reach 1000 miles before I get bored (5-7 week mark)

[hikingshoes]

Dont look down on your self,lot of people dont even start a hike and just think about it.Ive been thinking about it for over 8-9yrs and Im starting with a friend in April.Due to a back injury on active duty i just hope i make it and enjoy the hike and the views.HS
I hiked about 150 miles starting in Maine this summer. I quit because of the rain, flooded trails, and the fact that I was stupid. It was probably one of the worst decisions that I've ever made. I thought the soggy conditions for nearly two weeks straight was enough to warrant me going home. When in all actuallity I should have sucked it up and kept walking. Big mistake on my part.

Hopefully, at some point, I'll get to get back out there and finish a thruhike.

[Bronk]

I made it to Waynesboro, VA...and it took me 4 months...I spent about $1600...I took almost all of my zero days on the trail...looking back through my journal, I realized I wasn't going the whole way by the time I reached Erwin, TN...I didn't like doing 20 mile days and I knew I'd run out of time if I continued at the same pace I was going...so I just decided to hike until it wasn't fun anymore...I had the money and the time that I could have stayed out there til the end of the year if I had wanted to...but I knew when I was ready to go back to the real world...

I could do 15 miles a day easy, usually by noon, once I got my trail legs...I just usually never did end up doing 15 miles.

Part of my problem was that I loved being in the woods more than I liked hiking. If I got up in the morning and hiked 2 miles and found a really cool spot, I'd pitch my tent and quit for the day...sometimes I'd stay 2 or 3 days...if I found a book in a shelter I might lay in my tent for 2 days reading it. At one point it took me 4 days to travel 3 miles.

And when the heat came on, I didn't enjoy hiking as much...the heat made me lazy.

All in all, I don't think I have anything to be embarassed about...was my original intention to go all the way? Sure...but I had a great 4 month vacation, and when I finally left the trail it was because I knew it was time for me to get off...I just felt done with what I had set out to do...see, I had left a very stressful job, and was disillusioned with life for other reasons, and I just needed a break and a re-charge. I have no regrets.

I came to whiteblaze because I've started thinking about the trail again...contemplating another attempt in 2011 or 2012...and you know what? I don't think it will much matter to me if I finish this time either.

[modiyooch]

I hiked about 150 miles starting in Maine this summer. I quit because of the rain, flooded trails, and the fact that I was stupid. It was probably one of the worst decisions that I've ever made. I thought the soggy conditions for nearly two weeks straight was enough to warrant me going home. When in all actuallity I should have sucked it up and kept walking. Big mistake on my part.

Hopefully, at some point, I'll get to get back out there and finish a thruhike.I think the conditions in Me were horrible this year. I believe it rained 6-8 weeks straight. ME is my favorite state. I did 85 miles this summer to complete the state, after the rain stopped. On my last mile, I was getting emotional until I encountered the next mud hole. Definately, give it another try.

[ShelterLeopard]

Well, 62 is absolutely not too old to seriously consider a thru hike. I celebrated my birthday, 64, two weeks into my long walk. I was not then, nor ever was, before or after my walk, a particularly good prospect. I had graduated high school, many decades earlier, at near the bottom of my class in athletic ability.

I had done a dozen "weekend warrior" hikes annually for two decades, mostly to provide a bit of respite and humor, from my otherwise boring and sedentary stories.

But I hiked 2,000 miles despite a few pains, had a great time, and have never once regretted it. In fact, it remains the adventure of a lifetime.

Weary

I happen to know that often, when older hikers say "I'm old, I'm slow" it is just a clever screen of deception- I've known plenty of older hikers, and they always walk just behind me until I'm out of breath at the end of the day, then ZOOOM, passing me to get the best spot in the shelter!

[kanga]

attempted a thru in 96. got to atkins. picked up campylobacter somewhere in virginia that was an antibiotic resistant strain. hiked with it for three weeks before the pain got to be more than i could stand. i will attempt again when i reach my goal of becoming a trophy wife and therefore don't have to work to eat anymore.

[weary]

I happen to know that often, when older hikers say "I'm old, I'm slow" it is just a clever screen of deception- I've known plenty of older hikers, and they always walk just behind me until I'm out of breath at the end of the day, then ZOOOM, passing me to get the best spot in the shelter!
I have other deceptions. Now when leading walks up steep hills, I've learned to pause to point out what I claim is an interesting shrub. As soon as I can again breathe comfortably, I make up a long winded story about the history of the trail. When I've totally recovered, I start off at a brisk pace up the final 200 feet, leaving folks amazed at my athletic prowess trailing behind.

[ShelterLeopard]

I do that same thing Weary! (Well, when I'm rough buff and tough after passing Harpers Ferry, I may not have to anymore, but for now...) {wheezing} hey, {gasp} was that one of those incredibly rare _______? Everyone looks around, ShLep ceases to die, whoops, guess it moved on...

[Hikemor]

I attempted one thru-hike but developed tendonitis and skipped a couple of sections. Finished as a section hiker and can't say I regretted that at all.

[Gramps]

One day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. When I got to the Greenbow County line, I decided to keep going, and ended up running across the great state of Alabama. And when I got to the Alabama state line, I just decided to keep going until I got to the ocean. And when I got to the ocean, I just decided to turn around and run til I got to the other ocean. :D

My name's Forrest Gump, but people call me Forrest Gump.