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View Full Version : taking the plunge and putting life on hold to thru hike..



DavidNH
01-04-2005, 23:51
Hi,

From what I read..it seems most at thru hikers are either recent college grads (ie have no job plus a home to come back to) or recent retirees (ie no longer working and don't need to work and have a home to come back to.

Have any of you actually gone so far as to resign from your job and put all your possions into storage in order to thru hike the Appalachian Trail over 5-7 months? I would like feed back from you.

1) do you find it was worth it? would you do the same again?
2) When your hike was completed how hard was it for you to reenter the work force and main stream society? Seems to me there are pluses and minuses here.. one is out of the loop so to speak for an extended time yet on plus side..there is the adventure and the social aspect that once just can't find in the "normal" world.

I raise this with you because I am considering an AT thru hike starting from Springer in March of 2005. To do so, I would have to resign from my job, (don't care for the job but it pays the rent!) obtain health insurance (that I get now from my job) and put my stuff into storage or pay rent on a vacant apartment. I have the funds for the thru hike and have no family commitments to prevent me from doing it..that is not a major concern. I am in my early 40's. In my bones..I feel I want to do this experience, but I feel a bit uneasy about the after hike situation.. when I would not be employed and face health insurance and other bills. Yet I say to my self..If I dont do this in 2006, when will the stars align just so? I could wait till I am retired (if I ever can retire) but will I have the health then that I do now? No one can know. And of course..I could end up being among the 85-90 percent that don't make it all the way.

It is an easy decision for the retired folk and recent grads. I want to hear from a few who quit their jobs, put their lives on hold and went out and did it. How was the experience and Did it make your life better over the long run?

All replies appreciated!

NHhiker (David).

Footslogger
01-05-2005, 00:28
Well ...I didn't have to put everything I owned into storage, but I did resign my job to hike the AT. My wife had done a thru-hike in 2001 so she "understood" what was involved when it came my turn.

My original intention was to take an extended leave of absence, but the company wouldn't go along. So, I respectfully resigned and went for a long walk. I had no idea what would happen work-wise after my hike. All I knew was that the time had come for me to follow my dream. At first I felt as if I had done something very irresponsible. But the closer it came to my departure date from Springer the better I felt.

With the thru-hike now behind me I know it was definitely the right thing to have done. I have no regrets about the job I left or the risks I took (especially at my age) with regard to employment. Job security is all in your head. The "security" isn't in the job ...it's in YOU.

It's over a year now since I'm back home. I am working again but no, I'm not making the kind of money I was making before my hike. Difference is that I lived my dream and now I'm doing a job that I actually enjoy getting out of bed to do every day.

Not sure if that's the kind of feedback you were looking for ...but that's my experience.

'Slogger
AT 2003

xbeatnickx
01-05-2005, 00:32
I have a slightly different life situation, 26y.o. - University(again) etc, but several years ago I did sell everything and move to Central America for several months. I was pretty nervous about the whole experience but found that a pretty high percentage of the other travelers I met there were doing the same thing. They simply sold all and went with their guts. I have kept in contact with a lot of them - they simply get any job that comes along when they get back until then can get a job they are more suited to. I ended up quitting all together and am going back to school. I dont have health insurance. Others I have meet are doing the same thing. I wouldnt have changed anything. Although my experience is different I hope it helps.
-xbeatnickx

Blue Jay
01-05-2005, 08:44
1A) Yes, times a thousand
1B) Yes, already have and will again
2) Very hard, in fact I never really have. Sure I work, but I always know where the hole in the fence is located.
There is nothing and I mean nothing like the taste of freedom. Ever seen the look on a dogs face when it slips the chain. If a dog can do it so can you.

Bloodroot
01-05-2005, 10:13
My things are already in storage and I am resigning from my job to do so.

Last sentence very well put Blue Jay.

Butch Cassidy
01-05-2005, 10:39
Requested a leave of absense but the company laughed and said no. Put in a 4 month notice. bad idea. Keeping house, just shutting down a lot of stuff. Life is about change, shortage of Helo Pilots nationwide means getting back in workforce no problem. Live the adventure, No one puts wish I had spent more time at work on the tombstone? Dave (Paladin :cool: )

chris
01-05-2005, 10:50
I would absolutely hike again. I have gone on other long distance hikes since. The AT section in 02 was the best thing I had ever done. The PCT thru in 03 was even better. I don't look at it anymore as putting life on hold. Rather, when I come back from the summer and am done trekking, that is when life gets put on hold.

Re-entry after the PCT was a little unpleasant, but part of that was because I had about 5 days in which to go from finishing to working. And those 5 days were mostly soaked up in traveling back to Indiana and going to a wedding. The wedding was very difficult at times and I still get comments from people about how strangely I was behaving. Re-entry after 04 wasn't so difficult, but I had more than a month before work started and could take my time working back into the flow of things.

I have a good thing going teaching math. This gives me a little over 3 months off in the summer time. If I was in a normal position, things would be more difficult. In the end, you need to decide what is most important to you. Reaching Katahdin is not important. You could drive there and then walk up. So, what is it about a thruhike, as opposed to a short section hike, that is appealing? What do you want to get out of it? If you do decide to hike, try writting out some questions like these and then answering them honestly. Put the paper away and when you return re-read them to see how your expectations worked out and how they evolved or stayed the same.

When I looked at these questions a couple of years ago, I had my own set of answers. These answers have changed, but the core remains the same. I would not trade the last few summers for anything.

See http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/faculty/cwillett

for some journal entries during various trips.

Spirit Walker
01-05-2005, 10:53
I did my first hike at 31, then again at 35, 42 and 43 and will end up going again at 49. My husband was 54 when he did his first hike, 60 for his second and third, so I pretty much fit your criteria. I work as an admin. asst. (easy to get jobs); he is a spacecraft operations engineer (hard to get jobs).

For me - the first hike I quit my job, put my stuff in Mom's shed, came back six months later, moved and started over in California. I temped for a while, got a permanent job in June. Second hike I put my stuff in storage, came back and worked for a while at a previous job, then decided to join my hiking partner (now husband) in the east, where I started all over. I didn't get a permanent job until May. Third and fourth hikes, we put everything in storage, came back and started over. (We decided to do back to back hikes to save the hassle of starting over, getting jobs, then quitting in a year or two, and having to put everything back in storage again. As long as our lives were on hiatus, we decided to do both hikes at once.) I got a new permanent job in March.

My husband had a house which he rented out for a year. He got a job in February after his hike. His second long hike he was working again in November after getting off the trail at the end of September. For our next hike we'll have to decide whether to rent out our house or sell it. He'll be retiring this time, so we will probably move away from this area after we spend a couple of years wandering.

Was it worth it? Absolutely yes. Would I do it again? Obviously, yes.

Was it hard to get a job? Somewhat. Partly because it is so hard emotionally to put yourself back in shackles after such a long period of freedom. Most thruhikers don't get serious about looking for work until December or January -- longer if they have the financial resources. We both found that our jobs meant a lot less afterwards; they were simply a means to earn enough money to be able to go hike again. Then there's the point of view of the employer - a few people will look down on you for taking the time off - you don't want to work for them anyway. Some will admire you for following your dream. I found it hard after I had been gone for two years (when we did our back to back CDT and PCT hikes) to get an interview. They looked at the gap in my resume and threw it away. But when I went to an agency and explained the gap, I found it not to be a problem at all. My husband just put his hikes on his resume and had no problem. But he was in high demand at the time we finished our hikes.

It is a pain to have to pack up and start over again later, but it is also exciting. You know that your new life will be different from your old one, and for me, that is a good thing. Sometimes the thought of having to come home, find a place to live and a new job was enough to keep me hiking when times got rough. Right now the thought of trying to pack up everything again and figure out what to do about the house and the mortgage etc. are almost enough to make me think twice about going on another hike - but not quite.

One thing - it will take longer than you think to pack up. Start now! We ended up working until 2 or 3 in the morning every day for the last two weeks trying to finish up last time, and still ended up just dumping a lot out at the curb on the last night. Also, don't quit your job and go to the trail the next day, if possible. Give yourself a couple of days to finish up details -- it is much less stressful. We were so tired it affected the first few days of our hike -- basically we were zombies.

yogi clyde
01-05-2005, 13:45
The best advice I got before my attempted thru hike last year was to just go for it, you will not regret it.

So true!

I'm a 43 yr old CPA. I tempted last tax season and started hiking on April 18th. I only completed 750 miles, but plan to go back this year to finish the trial.

Life is short, enjoy the journey!

chris
01-05-2005, 13:48
I only completed 750 miles, but plan to go back this year to finish the trial.



Only? 750 miles is a long, long way. Well done!

A-Train
01-05-2005, 14:33
Only? 750 miles is a long, long way. Well done!


My thinking exactly. You walked more than something like 99% of the US population. Pretty good stuff if you ask me

Hammock Hanger
01-05-2005, 14:47
I only completed 750 miles
Last year I was trying to get one of my friends to do the Colorado Trail with me. I commented that it was "only" 500 miles. Her partner gave a snort and said only you crazy people use the word "only" when discussing hundreds of miles. The normal person considers 10+ miles to be a long walk.

Guess we are just a bunch of crazies!!!:bse

Yogi Clyde, congrats on what you have done and good luck with your future plans. Sue/HH

Lone Wolf
01-05-2005, 14:49
Just like the ultramarathons I've done. They're only 50 miles.

neo
01-05-2005, 15:50
if i quit my job to do a thru hike,i would be labeled a dead beat dad,go to jail for not paying child support,lose my house,my jeep,if i did not have the responsibility of helping to take care of my 2 boys,i would sale my jeep and house,quit my job and do a thru hike,which i cannot do,so my dream started as a section hike in georgia in may 2001,from may of 2001 to may 2004,i have section hiked from amicola falls to dalton mass,going back sept 2005 and hike from dalton mass to gorham nh.i love my 2 boys so they come first,i am sure there are people here that would argue this.hike your own hike:sun neo

steve hiker
01-05-2005, 21:14
The normal person considers 10+ miles to be a long walk.
Hell, most Americans consider 1 block to be a long walk. And 1 flight of stairs too strenuous to walk up. Or even down ... I've seen more than one slob wait for an elevator to go down one story, when there's open stairs right there.

Divining Rod
01-05-2005, 21:43
I am coming upon a time in my life that is transition, from marine life to civilian. I can't think of a better way than to hike the AT to pass this crossroad in my life. I have nothing going on right now to worry about, no relationship to pamper, no job, no bills. I've wanted to hike the AT for as long as I can remember and I am so hyped it's just right around the corner. This is my time.

neo
01-05-2005, 21:59
I am coming upon a time in my life that is transition, from marine life to civilian. I can't think of a better way than to hike the AT to pass this crossroad in my life. I have nothing going on right now to worry about, no relationship to pamper, no job, no bills. I've wanted to hike the AT for as long as I can remember and I am so hyped it's just right around the corner. This is my time.
go for it dude,wish i had done it when i got out of the us navy,but thats water under the bridge and 23 years ago:sun neo

A-Train
01-06-2005, 01:08
Hell, most Americans consider 1 block to be a long walk. And 1 flight of stairs too strenuous to walk up. Or even down ... I've seen more than one slob wait for an elevator to go down one story, when there's open stairs right there.

I was walking down from the Perkins Tower on Bear Mtn and a woman asked me "is it worth it?" I thought she was refering to thru-hiking the AT and I gladly exclaimed "Oh yeah!". Sadly she was refering to the flight of stairs walk to see the view from an enclosed building.

neo
01-06-2005, 11:16
I was walking down from the Perkins Tower on Bear Mtn and a woman asked me "is it worth it?" I thought she was refering to thru-hiking the AT and I gladly exclaimed "Oh yeah!". Sadly she was refering to the flight of stairs walk to see the view from an enclosed building.
I know what ya mean,i watch people circle the parking lot at krogers a half dozen times just to find a parking spot 50 feet closer:sun neo

Dharma
01-06-2005, 13:24
I left my apartment, put everything in storage, got a leave of absence from my job (which I never went back to), and hiked for 6 months. I've been back
approx. 4 months now, still don't live anywhere permanent, and will probably start working for the first time next week at a job that pays žth what I used to make.

1) do you find it was worth it? would you do the same again?
Yes. Yes.
2) When your hike was completed how hard was it for you to reenter the work force and main stream society?
Reenter... if you can. :rolleyes:
I came from a high-paying corporate job, stressing-out my mind and body for the almighty dollar. It was nice not having to worry about money but I just couldn't see how to survive in society without the cash flow.

The AT was my dream (first of many, it seems now) and I had the means to pack up and go. So I bit the bullet and went. It was not an easy decision to make. My mom would constanty remind me I had a great career (15 years) and this AT journey was a bad move. She was so fearful I wouldn't be "successful" anymore.

Zoom ahead six months... I paid a lot of attention to my thoughts as I hiked. I challenged myself to let go of the (societal) structures I had set up in my mind and to allow another, different experience to happen as I hiked and when I got off the trail. (this is getting long, hopefully I'll answer your question soon)

My idea of success changed considerably. Working 40-hours a week seemed like slave labor; I wanted more of my time to be spent on other things and not hiding in a cubicle. I was totally happy sleeping in odd places and visiting with friends. I lived out of my truck for about a month.

While still on leave I visited my workplace. I immediatly knew reentry into this atmosphere was going to be a struggle. Many of my former coworkers looked at me and said, "Your eyes... you... you look so relaxed." I could see in their eyes they ALL wanted to be me at that moment.

I live at my firehouse "temporarily" and it has helped me to ease into work (not needing to pay rent right away). I still am not sure what I want to do, but I did figure out that part time is where it is at, unless I find/create work that totally wows me.

I don't want to reenter society. It's like living this crazy life, taking a six month break, moving back to the 'real world' and saying to yourself, "y'know, life's not crazy enough, let me do all those things that made life difficult from before." That's the choice you're going to have to make.

Not reentering gives me anxiety because there aren't a lot of people doing it. There is no well-blazed path to follow anymore. You have to make it up as you go. That's what gives me the willies these days.


Seems to me there are pluses and minuses here.. one is out of the loop so to speak for an extended time
That's a plus, you don't realize it yet.

yet on plus side..there is the adventure and the social aspect that once just can't find in the "normal" world.
Woohoo! :clap

How was the experience and Did it make your life better over the long run?
The experience was grand and worth doing again. Yes, my life got better even though I am in uncharted waters right now. Actually when I look at my pre-trail life (and the job I worked at), the motivation was to make everything predictable, no suprises... Post-trail there is much more unknown and a desire to keep it that way. It's more fun.

Footslogger
01-06-2005, 13:43
Thanks Dharma ...I like your post better than mine. Pretty much says the same thing but you expressed a lot of my own feelings better than I did. Glad I got the chance to meet you last year in Damascus.

Enjoy those "uncharted waters". I'm only a year ahead of you on the same course and I've lovin it !!

'Slogger
AT 2003

cupcake
01-08-2005, 20:53
we can all make excuses as to why not to do something, but if this is something that pulls at you --- you know what to do. i've traveled extensively over the years. so, i've learned that re-entry isn't necessarily easy, but it can be done. i've done it once, twice, etc ....., and i can do it again. and it's exciting. isn't that what life is about? my stuff has been in storage now for almost a year --- i put it all into storage last march for my april start. i only got 140 miles before the feet had too many problems. i'm starting again in march this year. i'm working a part-time job that pays pretty good. i'm living with a friend. i do feel the urge to nest, but that will wait. i have plenty of time to join the rat race. think of how lucky you are --- that you can go, and follow this journey. it's a lot of miles, with endless rewards. that's what i think about. it helps me relax about everything else. it amazes me how much my thoughts just flow when i'm out in the woods walking.

Ramble~On
01-09-2005, 06:38
I am coming upon a time in my life that is transition, from marine life to civilian. I can't think of a better way than to hike the AT to pass this crossroad in my life. I have nothing going on right now to worry about, no relationship to pamper, no job, no bills. I've wanted to hike the AT for as long as I can remember and I am so hyped it's just right around the corner. This is my time.
I did exactly that. I got out of the Marine Corps in late January 1996...did some planning and bought some gear in February...headed to Springer in March.
No regrets....best possible transition.
I've been backpacking since I was a kid...Leaving the military I figured was the perfect time to hike the AT.
I was right.
humping an 80 pound pack, flak, helmet and weapon up and down mountains at a "get there" pace for a few years made carrying a civilian pack a couple thousand miles at a "whatever I feel like" pace even sweeter.
During my entire hike I don't recall anyone ever saying "Step It Out"

Now I live about 75 miles from Springer. 2005 is out. In 2006 the only thing on my schedule is a SOBO....so I guess that answers if I'd do it again.

Happy Trails.

PROFILE
01-10-2005, 01:17
You will never regret fololowing your dream. That is not to say you will make the hike or even enjoy the hike or when you return will not have a few setbacks. However you will always no you have no "what-ifs". Most people can not say that.

At the age of 26 my wife and I left our jobs to do our hike. we both took differ employers when we got back. I again left my job last year to open the hostel (every one knows there is big money in hostels :D ) And in April she will leave her job and we are going to the PCT, while friends of our will run the hostel.

Do we have regrets? Only one. THAT WE DID NOT HIKE THE A.T. SOONER.

minnesotasmith
01-10-2005, 04:50
I accepted a well-paying job that has me traveling over 75% of the time, so I hardly needed a dwelling of my own anymore. I put all my stuff in a cheapo storage unit, and stay with my parents, sibling, or either of a couple of friends when I'm not working or doing week-long section hikes on the AT (I can do those every couple of months now.). I do yard work at my parents', handyman stuff and babysit my nieces at my sibling's, and buy groceries and restaurant meals at my friends', so am not a parasite those places. I don't have to pay rent or utilities now, and my life in the field is spartan enough that I don't spend much then on high times. I'll have all my debts paid off in a year, and will start accumulating serious savings after that.

Plus, I should have no problem returning to my job after the AT, doing the same thing every year or two if I want to. Makes my 2 Alaska hikes (and maybe PCT and/or CDT hikes) look VERY doable from a time and money availability standpoint.

Obviously, not everyone can set up their life the way I have. Jobs like mine aren't psychologically bearable by everyone, for one. Second, if I already had kids, or had a major time limit on having them (like a woman approaching 30, or a man in his late 40s would have), that would crimp this plan as well. Still, anyone who figures they could handle being gone for 4 months or so through-hiking should be able to deal with traveling for work purposes a few weeks at a time, so I suspect it's more doable than many people would think.