A made to the end, B did not, why?

[Kookork]

You have dreamed for such a long time to thru-hike Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail. You planned it deliberately. You have watched all the YouTube videos about AT and PCT and many other long distance trails. You think you are ready.

Even more, you think you can make all the way to the end and why Not?
You are young, strong, tough and ambitious. You have something that you know is going to help you to finish this Epic journey of your lifetime.

You may not know what that thing is, maybe your willpower, maybe your resilience or even something far beyond it, your spirit. Whatever that thing is, you know it is going to push you to the end. Right?

Wait a second, about three quarter or more of the AT thru hikers and many PCT thru hikers do not make to the end while most of the unsuccessful hikers truly believed they have that thing to finish the journey. Why?

So what are the reasons behind this high failure rate? Let’s talk about the most common reasons which may lead to failure and not finishing long distance trails:


A- Lack of Experience
B- Wrong Plan
C- Wrong Preparation
D- Wrong Company
E- Wrong Season
F- Wrong Equipments
G- Wrong Trail
H- Wrong Pace
I- Force Majors
J- Losing the driving force
K- Injuries
L- Emotional and Mental Breakdowns and drainages
M- Willpower deficiency
N- Accidents
Now let talk about each one of these major reasons of failure in details:

Lack of Experience:

I believe lack of experience or at least let me say lack of Major experience before applying for Long distance trails is the most common reason for failure.
Come on my fellow hikers, thru-hiking of any 2000 plus miles trail is the biggest feather of our cap. You need to acquire smaller feathers first.
Have you looked at the Ceremonial Cap of First Nation warriors? It has a collection of small to large feathers and each feather represent one particular hunting or achievement. You do not find many warriors with just one gigantic feather on their cap. Same thing apply to AT and PCT and other long distance trails.
You better put some smaller feathers on yours before applying for the biggest ones.
If you have not thru-hiked a shorter trail before the biggest one, then you are prone to failure.

It is not a rule, but lack of experience is going to haunt you one way or another. You need to experience the real life of a thru-hiker and real experiences do not come through watching YouTube videos or chatting in forums or reading the books of predecessors. It comes just through real hiking.

It is inspiring to watch the videos of successful Long distance hikers but it is not as easy and pleasant as it seems on screen. It is something totally different to do it.
Let the stories inspire you but please remember the fact that you do not hear so much about the failing stories and just the successful ones makes to the Media.

Wrong Plan:

Imagine a southbound Appalachian Trail end to end hiker who failed. He could have been the success story if he had applied for the Northbound AT. I call it Wrong Plan.

Wrong Preparation:

Thru-hiking of a Major trail needs both physical and mental preparation.
It is not wise to start your journey right from behind your desk. There are many hikers who start this journey while they have been in an urban lifestyle for a long period of time and they left their daily sedentary lifestyle right before starting the journey.
Prepare your body and mind first. Daily or regular jugging, running, hiking, biking and other aerobic activities are an essential part of preparation. Mental preparation comes slowly alongside the physical preparation and not as a solitude entity.

Wrong Company:

This one has some almost funny subcategories. There are some hikers who fail just because they chose the wrong company while there are hikers who failed because they chose to hike with a company and not solo. Then we have another group who failed because they attempted the thru-hike solo and not with a company.

I know you might say I am advertising solo hiking. That is not the case.
The reality is that in extreme hiking most of the hikers perform their best while hiking solo. The reason behind it is the fact that when hiking solo you hike by the side of just your abilities and disabilities and not anybody else so you pace yourself at the best level.
Solo hiking might not be the safest way to hike but is the fastest for some top extreme hikers. They are just involved in their problems and not worried or involved with other hiker’s problems and issues.

Other than extreme hikers, in most cases a good company or if you are lucky a tailored made company makes your journey much safer, easier and more pleasant and more memorable but by the same token the wrong company with a wrong attitude or knowledge or experience could push you to many unpleasant and difficult situations .Failure is closer when a group cannot make a good team.

Test your company in smaller scales first. The beginning of a major trail might not be the best place to begin a friendship.

Wrong Season:

You have calculated everything right but the season to start the trail or sometimes family situations or financial problems has postponed your journey. This wrong judgment to start the trail or this delay would change the whole scenario in all the stretches of the trail and not just the start of it.
Just a few days off to start and you may encounter some bad weather which can push you to the limit. Wrong season may put you in wrong place at the wrong time.
Find the best season to start according to your abilities. Ask about it from successful hikers and unsuccessful ones to find your best season which mostly is the best season of the trail also.

Wrong Equipment:

This one is very common and almost underestimated reason to fail. Hiking Appalachian Trail with a 30 pounds backpack is nothing like hiking it with a 50 pounder. In reality even couple of pounds can make the difference between a finisher and a failure. Heavy backpack in long run equals more chance of injury, blister and pain.

You need to find the balance between comfort and weight but keep in mind that nobody would carry your backpack but you.
This is where the experience and research can help you. Read the reviews of real hikers about the equipments they used and how they found the delicate balance between their comfort and their needs. Start to acquire your equipment months before the departure and test every one of them individually. Do not start the trail with a brand new shoes or backpack or even hat. Light backpackers move faster and have a better mileage and a much better chance to find a sustainable pace to finish it.

One wrong choice of equipment like wrong footwear may gradually wear you off. Plan to replace your worn footwear with a new one of the same brand and size which you broke it beforehand and posted it to some post offices along the trail. I think wrong footwear is the most common reason of failure in the category of wrong equipments since it can lead to blisters and foot and ankle injuries.

Choose every single item of yours wisely and believe me every extra ounce counts when hiking 2000 plus miles.

Do not wait until injury or age force you to obtain lighter equipments. Prevention of injuries and wearing down is the way to success in Major trails.

Wrong Trail:

Not everyone has been made to thru-hike a major trail. Not everyone is the man of extremes. Not every trail is suitable for you. Some thru-hiking need a level of mental and physical preparations which not every soul can reach to it. You probably will face all four seasons and many totally different terrains. You need to be four season all terrain man to finish it.
The difference between a three season tent and a four season one will be obvious in extremes. By the same token the difference between a three season hiker and an all season one would be shown on major trails.
Major trails do not just question your willpower. They interrogate it. Any crack would be exposed exponentially and can lead to a breakdown. If you are sure you are not the one then please do not risk your beloved life in major trails.

You just might be in wrong trail enduring while you can enjoy a pleasant hike in another trail which suites your level of preparation.
This can be the direct result of a novice hiker who is inspired by watching some videos of thru-hikers and tells to himself: Hhhhm, I am going to give it a shot.

Wrong Pace:

Have you seen some fast hikers who pass you while on trail and you are envious of their pace and wish you were that fast?
Couple of weeks later you may find out that speedy guy did not make to the end and you want to know why. Hiking a major trail is all about finding your fastest SUSTAINABLE pace and not surpassing it. If the pace you are hiking is wearing you off or is not sustainable then you are going too fast.

At the same time pacing yourself slower than your fastest sustainable pace may wear you off by consuming you due to staying for too long on the trail. It is all about finding the delicate balance between hiking fast enough while not consuming your body. Here is where group hiking may work against you when the group pace is too fast or too slow for you.

Find your pace and stick to it. Every soul has his or her limitations. Do not surpass yours. If it is not sustainable then it might be the wrong pace.

Force Majors:

You cannot predict force majors of Mother Nature. Wildfires, volcanic eruptions, major thunderstorms, extreme hot or cold weathers and many other major incidents can force you to pull the plug. It is not your fault. It is just Force Major.
I think family and financial issues while on trail could be considered a subcategory of Force Major also.

Losing the driving force:

You might have thought that thru-hiking is all beauty or all pleasant and you used to believe that you will enjoy every second of the life on trail and now the reality hits you.
It is not what you thought. It is not what you want to do. Even you may start to think it was totally wrong adventure for you. It is not your type of adventure but it took you a while to realize it and more importantly accept it.

Every individual has an individual driving force. Even hikers who think there is no driving force behind their adventure have a hidden one not realizing it yet. It is why they are there. They are there to find it.
It is not the same entity as willpower but driving force can feed or drain your willpower. If you are not enjoying your enduring then you might have lost your driving force.

Injuries:

It is different from accidents .Here I am talking about the accumulative stresses and injuries like blisters, shin splint and injuries that build up along the trail and not accidents like fall or ankle sprain.

Injuries are one of the most common reasons to pull the plug. Not all of them are your fault but lack of experience, wrong equipment, wrong pace and some other contributors can be in your power to prevent them to happen.
If I want to point out the most common reason behind accumulative injuries I must point out at wrong pace and wrong equipments as two major contributors to injuries while on trail.
I look at blisters like the lives they give you in the beginning of a computer game when every blister destroys one of your lives but the problem is that while on the trail you do not know how many lives you can destroy before the Game is over.

No blister comes out of nowhere and attacks your feet. They have their warning signs and ignoring them is a major reason to exacerbate the situation out of control. These types of injuries are mostly manageable but some can force the hikers to quit. Physical preparation before starting the trail could help you to keep the journey as injury free as possible.

Emotional and Mental Breakdowns and drainages:

Thru –hiking of Major trails is an emotional journey for most of us. You might find yourself bursting into tears and crying out loud without knowing why. There will be flare ups of emotions and nothing is wrong with that. If crying depressurizes you let it be. But keep your emotions on leash at all times and do not let emotions take the control.
You are like a pressure cooker with a safety valve. Keep the flame of emotion to the level that safety valve can cope with it. Too much emotion is like too much flame under your pressure cooker. It may explode.

How you react to problems will make the difference and not just how many problems you may face.

Mental breakdowns may happen when you are facing too many problems at the same time and your mind cannot cope with all of them. You did not have enough sleep last night and blisters are annoying and snow has started coming down and you feel terribly cold and now you are lost.

Mental breakdown prevention needs practice but individuals have different breaking points. Practice pushes your breaking point further and further.


Willpower deficiency:

Some people are tough naturally, some are not and some think they are. In those extreme situations you may find which group you belong to.

Willpower is your secret weapon. When nothing is right but your willpower you may finish the trail but if everything is right but your willpower, you may find yourself turning back and quit.

Willpower is sometimes the only weapon of yours especially in extreme situations. There is no magic here to enhance the willpower in a short period of time. You are the only person who knows how determined you are. Others can take a guess but you are there to prove it.

You cannot purchase willpower nor can you post it in advance to post offices along the way. It is there from the start with you. You are there to test it. Some finish victorious some come up short. It is just the way it is.

Accidents:

There are natural accidents like falling rocks. They are not in your power to prevent them like when in a storm a branch of tree falls and injures you.

Then we have accidents that are in some extent in your power to prevent like animal attacks or snake bites. Then there are bodily injuries like ankle torsions or falls or heat exhaustion or stroke that are partially in your power to keep them away from happening.
It is the combination of experience and right pace and right equipment and right plan that can keep you away from some injuries.

Accidents happen. How you cope with them defines the outcome. They happen more frequently when you are too relax or too tense. Keeping the balance in every aspect of hike is the gist of success.

In reality, in many cases the reason behind a failure is combination of many different elements and not just one particular reason. The daily struggles and injuries and difficulties wear the hiker down and one last straw is easy to come in major trails and boom, game over.

It is ultimately the beauty of major trails which you cannot be sure you are the one who make to the end. Not everybody who starts makes to the other end. Better the reasons be the ones that you do not regret them in the future or the ones that were easily preventable. You want to be the A who made to the end and not B who did not.

Good Luck

Kookork

[10-K]

What do you think about adding the category "Underfinanced, poor budgeting and/or undisciplined spending"

[garlic08]

I believe the normal term in English contract language is "force majeure", not force major. It's another term we've borrowed from the French. Nice essay.

[4eyedbuzzard]

I think most who quit get their fill and just get tired of hiking.

[Lone Wolf]

walkin' long distance day after day just gets plain old and boring. ain't no reason to get all deep and philosophical about it

[10-K]

I think most who quit get their fill and just get tired of hiking.

I absolutely agree. People start the AT inspired. The problem is that inspiration makes a poor fuel for perseverance - it burns much too quickly.

[4eyedbuzzard]

walkin' long distance day after day just gets plain old and boring. ain't no reason to get all deep and philosophical about it


I absolutely agree. People start the AT inspired. The problem is that inspiration makes a poor fuel for perseverance - it burns much too quickly.
....yep....

[Kookork]

What do you think about adding the category "Underfinanced, poor budgeting and/or undisciplined spending"

Thank you.It is a good category to add.Running out of money happens especially when economy is not that great.

[Kookork]

I believe the normal term in English contract language is "force majeure", not force major. It's another term we've borrowed from the French. Nice essay.

thank you for the correction of term.

[Slo-go'en]

What do you think about adding the category "Underfinanced, poor budgeting and/or undisciplined spending"

That one should be high on the list.

[weary]

An interesting essay. But I believe most thru hiker wanna bes rely too much on will power. Four, five, six months are long times to rely only on will power to achieve a goal. Many, perhaps most, find the chore boring and meaningless after awhile. The trail helps by providing innumerable plausible reasons to quit. Sore knees, blisters, problems at home, illness. One couple I met once 150 miles from the end announced they were leaving the trail at Monson. "We know we can finish. So why do it,". they said. "It would just be an act of ego." Some make it despite the boredom and mishaps.

The happy finishers -- and most likely finishers -- I suspect, are those who undertake the trail not as a test of will power, or for a sense of accomplishment, but because they genuinely enjoy being in the woods and mountains, and are interested in the trail and curious about its plants, flowers, trees and wildlife. For these the trail is not an exercise in over coming boredom, but a constant adventure and exploration of the natural world.

[10-K]

One couple I met once 150 miles from the end announced they were leaving the trail at Monson. "We know we can finish. So why do it,". they said. "It would just be an act of ego."


I know exactly what that feels like. The morning I woke up in the shelter at the Birches I told myself there really wasn't a need to climb Kathadin - I knew I could do it and it was just 10 miles - and besides I had completed the rest of the trail anyway....

Then I thought, "I'll be back in less than 7 hours, just go do it..."

[Slo-go'en]

walkin' long distance day after day just gets plain old and boring. ain't no reason to get all deep and philosophical about it

Yep, that's a big part of the problem in the long run and is an aspect of the loss of will power/driving force/assorted mental breakdowns.

Many of the issues Kookork lists happen early in the hike, others later. Lack of experiance/out of shape/injuries (blisters or sprains)/too early a start (wrong season) send a lot of people home in the first weeks. Too much gear or too heavy a pack I think is less of a problem these days then it might have been in the past, but some still do make that mistake.

Once one makes it past the first couple of weeks, it's just a matter of having enough money and will power to stick with it to the end. Unless something out of your control like "an act of God" sideswipes you out of the blue.

[Nean]

It could be what inspires you.
Most dreamers dream of the destination and the feeling of reaching that goal when you do.

But they don't enjoy the journey...
so many these days are so hell bent on miles and destination, well, even I can see how that wouldn't be much fun.

If you enjoy, or at least really appreciate every day you spend along the trail, you will make it. That's if you don't run out of money or get hurt.

Gear, trail doesn't matter...
year might.

[Malto]

Pretty well thought essay. I would add the under-financed part into the poor planning bucket. I know on the PCT people start way too early and end up spending many days in town to avoid early weather and because they have the time. This quickly eats up the money.

Much of what you talk about is preparing for the trip: physical, mental etc. I am constantly amazed how little effort people put into a "trip of a lifetime." I applaud folks for having lofty goal but when you declare that you are going to thru hike many months out yet there is little effort to test the gear, body, diet etc in the months leading up to the adventure. I think this trend will continue as people read the tales of past thru hikers and decide to go from computer to trail with little experience.

Finally, I met many thru hikers that were the front of the pack on the PCT this year. I wanted to meet as many as possible to find out the common qualities to allowed them to go through the Sierra early when everyone said it couldn't be done. The majority of folks did have an intense drive to finish the trail. Many acknowledged that conditions would be tough but said that they wouldn't turn back until they saw it for themselves. This contrasts with the many who heard the stories and were scared off.

In Steheken I met a former thru hiker that got off the trail in NoCal due to his feet hurting. I almost laughed at that since my feet hurt so much after the Sierra that I needed multiple doses of Vitamin I to allow me to walk. Yet I did and ended up finishing. This is the will that separates out the finishers and those that don't.

[hikerboy57]

i d tend to agree that if you dont get hurt, it can just get boring, and even sometimes like work. once its no longer fun, why stay?i dont agree they chose the wrong partner, as many thurs ive met started either solo or with someone else, only to pick up or lose a partner further down the trail.it seems like you dont know whether you're compatible or not until your a few weeks into your hike.

[10-K]

It could be what inspires you.
Most dreamers dream of the destination and the feeling of reaching that goal when you do.

But they don't enjoy the journey...
so many these days are so hell bent on miles and destination, well, even I can see how that wouldn't be much fun.

If you enjoy, or at least really appreciate every day you spend along the trail, you will make it. That's if you don't run out of money or get hurt.

Gear, trail doesn't matter...
year might.

Man, where have you been? :)

You just missed an awesome thread where a guy asked if he should quit his career and leave his wife and kids to go hike the trail....

[ChinMusic]

I know exactly what that feels like. The morning I woke up in the shelter at the Birches I told myself there really wasn't a need to climb Kathadin - I knew I could do it and it was just 10 miles - and besides I had completed the rest of the trail anyway....

Then I thought, "I'll be back in less than 7 hours, just go do it..."
This feeling seems so foreign to me. I don't recall those thoughts in any other part of life. I doubt the first time would be the trail.

[Nean]

Man, where have you been? :)

You just missed an awesome thread where a guy asked if he should quit his career and leave his wife and kids to go hike the trail....

On the trail... mostly.
I have missed your sarcasm though....
here is some more of mine.

For a lot of folks the trail is an event, something they can hang their hat on for the rest of their lives, but it isn't their reality.
Others feel a connection, not to the goal, rather the TIME and PLACE. I feel a person who spent 6 months on the trail and didn't finish would get more from the experience than someone who completed the trail in 3 or so months.

[Nean]

I would like to add that experience isn't a factor. Common sense is. Can you adapt? Do you listen too your body, your heart, that little voice inside your head?
Or does a spreadsheet make all your decisions?

Some folks belong on the trail and some folks don't but you will never know until you try.

[Jim Adams]

A lack of fun...ends up not being what they imagined....bored...too much work...too much weather....tired of the food, etc. I think that possibly less experience will keep it "new" if they don't know what to expect. Most people attempting a thru don't have alot of experience and it seems to me that experience doesn't much figure into success rate.

geek

[Jim Adams]

I would like to add that experience isn't a factor. Common sense is. Can you adapt? Do you listen too your body, your heart, that little voice inside your head?
Or does a spreadsheet make all your decisions?

Some folks belong on the trail and some folks don't but you will never know until you try.

...says it all!

geek

[10-K]

This feeling seems so foreign to me. I don't recall those thoughts in any other part of life. I doubt the first time would be the trail.

Well, I'm a big believer in "You can think whatever you want. What matters is what you do." I generally finish most anything i start.

However, if you knew the thoughts that went through my head.........

[Spirit Walker]

Actually, I disagree with a lot of the essay. Experience isn't necessary for the AT. In fact a huge percentage of AT thruhikers have never donned a pack before starting the trail. Many of them finish. Gear isn't that important. There are a lot of successful AT thruhikers who had 70 lb. packs and boots that gave them blisters the whole way. Conditioning is helpful, but a lot of people do the trail with no prior training. The years of all rain or no rain have just about the same success rate as years that are easier. Don't like the people you're hiking with - no problem, just wait a day or two and you'll find others. While I wouldn't want to do a January or February start - a lot of hikers do, and many manage to finish the trail.

I do agree that having a strong desire to finish is essential. I've seen people start a long hike who said, "I don't really care whether or not I finish." Generally they don't. Stubbornness will get you a long way. For some people, it is enough to get them through, regardless of injury, losing partners, emotional wear and tear, etc. I know people who have finished a thruhike with broken bones or after a series of disasters, large and small. I agree with Weary and his observation that it helps if you really enjoy being out in the woods. If you don't find some reward to balance the costs of long distance hiking, chances are you won't finish. Yet I know thruhikers who don't really enjoy hiking, who still manage to finish. For them there are other rewards, whether it be the sense of community or the pride they feel at completing the task.

We started the CDT with a younger, very fit hiker with a very light pack. We were older (Jim was 60), somewhat out of shape and carrying a fairly heavy load. Our friend said one day, "If it were just a matter of ability, I'd finish the trail and you wouldn't. But you have the fire in the belly, the real desire to do this, and I don't. So chances are you'll finish the trail and I'll go home." And that's what happened.

[Tabasco]

O Wild Boar Attack

[Nean]

Finishing the trail was something I really couldn't comprehend when I started.
I was interested in, how far could I go?

My will had been tested in many ways long before and I knew that was strong- but I didn't start with a desire.
Desire started when I fell in love with life on the trail.

[ChinMusic]

Well, I'm a big believer in "You can think whatever you want. What matters is what you do." I generally finish most anything i start.

However, if you knew the thoughts that went through my head.........

I won't know how I feel til I get to that point. I just know I have a dot-the-i(s)-cross-the-t(s) type of personality. I can't think of too many things that I have started that I didn't finish, due to not trying. Being 90% done with something and just walking away is something I frankly don't think I am capable of. Leaving that 10% unfinished, when I was capable of doing it, would be almost torture.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

i agree with LW some people just get bored with it. its easy to think about wanting to be somewhere else like Dots eating a cheeseburger and sucking down a suds

[ChinMusic]

i agree with LW some people just get bored with it. its easy to think about wanting to be somewhere else like Dots eating a cheeseburger and sucking down a suds

I find the trail makes those cheeseburgers taste so much better.

[blackbird04217]

I didn't read more than the list of reasons, but would have with a kinder font.

[Nean]

i agree with LW some people just get bored with it. its easy to think about wanting to be somewhere else like Dots eating a cheeseburger and sucking down a suds

then again, I found Dots walking the trail, and finding the next "Dots" down the trail was reason enough to go see.

[MissMagnolia]

A lack of fun...ends up not being what they imagined....bored...too much work...too much weather....tired of the food, etc. I think that possibly less experience will keep it "new" if they don't know what to expect. Most people attempting a thru don't have alot of experience and it seems to me that experience doesn't much figure into success rate.

geek

Your mention of getting tired of the food makes me think of something I read somewhere (is that vague enough for you?). Someone theorized that poor nutrition could be a reason that people give up. They don't eat right and therefore don't have the fuel/energy/stamina/health they need to continue. That makes sense to me.

[Bearpaw]

walkin' long distance day after day just gets plain old and boring.

If there were a category that would knock out at least 1/3 of AT "thru-hikers", it would be Unrealistic Expectations. People quit because the trail simply isn't what they imagined it would be. They find out the reality sometimes sucks.

[4eyedbuzzard]

If there were a category that would knock out at least 1/3 of AT "thru-hikers", it would be Unrealistic Expectations. People quit because the trail simply isn't what they imagined it would be. They find out the reality sometimes sucks.Full circle to the romantic notion of thru-hiking vs. the reality of thru-hiking. I think a lot of people that quit (maybe the majority who quit) just figure out hiking more than maybe a few weeks at a time just isn't fun for them. I really think many just come to a point where not only isn't it fun anymore - they actually don't like what they're doing at the time. Better for many (most?) of us to take a few shorter hikes a year and keep it fresh and fun.

[Sly]

walkin' long distance day after day just gets plain old and boring. ain't no reason to get all deep and philosophical about it

Yeah, seen one majestic view, or one wild animal in the woods seen them all. :rolleyes:

[BrianLe]

I agree with weary and others that suggest that a person should enjoy --- at least some of the time --- the hobo-like lifestyle of the thru-hiker, the freedom, the sense of adventure. Clearly if it's almost never any fun and almost always a PITA, people with any common sense will stop abusing themselves (note, however, that I don't accuse all 'successful' thru-hikers of having common sense).

At the same time, I do think that some experience can increase the odds of success. My suggestion is that a person do a fairly long "shakedown" trip in preparation for a thru-hike, where one possible outcome of this would be to discover that a thru-hike isn't the right goal after all. I'm thinking of a backcountry trip of at least, say, 50 miles, and going solo. Take a lot of notes along the way, and towards the end have a frank conversation with yourself about how you might like (or not like) extending this out for months with brief breaks along the way.

I think it's going to be very difficult to get any sort of reliable read on why people really leave the trail. I know that if I had quit I would have had a sense of embarrassment that might well have inclined me to search for a more pride-saving reason to give than "I just didn't like it so I stopped". So any sort of statistics or analysis is going to be a bit suspect given the difficulty of obtaining reliable data (!).
And OTOH, things can certainly arise to throw a person off trail no matter how prepared, tough, and experienced they are. Seems to me that the best thing is to do some upfront prep to get yourself prepared for a thru-hike --- if possible --- and don't worry about statistics. I hiked a while on the PCT with a girl who had literally never even camped out overnight before she started, but she was happily hiking mostly solo in northern California at the time I met her.

[4eyedbuzzard]

...I think it's going to be very difficult to get any sort of reliable read on why people really leave the trail. I know that if I had quit I would have had a sense of embarrassment that might well have inclined me to search for a more pride-saving reason to give than "I just didn't like it so I stopped". So any sort of statistics or analysis is going to be a bit suspect given the difficulty of obtaining reliable data (!)...I can't think of anything more ridiculous than continuing a thru-hike or mountain climb or any other "adventure vacation" because of worrying about one's pride or what others may think. That same attitude/thought process would get you killed in the Himalayas. A thru-hike just isn't that important in the scope of things. "Hey everybody, I came home early from my adventure / vacation. Nothing to lose face over.

[ChinMusic]

I think it's going to be very difficult to get any sort of reliable read on why people really leave the trail. I know that if I had quit I would have had a sense of embarrassment that might well have inclined me to search for a more pride-saving reason to give than "I just didn't like it so I stopped". So any sort of statistics or analysis is going to be a bit suspect given the difficulty of obtaining reliable data (!).


I agree. It sounds so much better to state, "My knee gave out", when the real reason was, "I didn't like it anymore". The first answer is simple and ends the line of questioning.

[Slo-go'en]

I've done the "Springer to Damascus" run a number times during the prime time, and my observation is that those who have had at least some prior backpacking/camping experiance are much more likely to be around a few weeks up the trail then those who don't. I belive those who have had at least some experiance know more of what to expect and don't have as much of the unrealistic, romantic views on what it will be like.

[MuddyWaters]

Other than possible physical, family, or financial limitations,........

I have to believe that everyone else quits because they just dont want to continue anymore. There are many reasons for that, but they are all mental, i.e. its a choice they make.

My brother is a trail runner, goes out and runs 50 miles some days, etc. He likes to point out that the body can ALWAYS keep going, its ONLY THE MIND that quits on you. No matter what hurts, or how bad, its the mind that quits. You can always take the next step, IF you still want to. Some persons are better at blocking out the minds protests than others.

[Lone Wolf]

Yeah, seen one majestic view, or one wild animal in the woods seen them all. :rolleyes:whatever.... rolleyes

[nitewalker]

Man, where have you been? :)

You just missed an awesome thread where a guy asked if he should quit his career and leave his wife and kids to go hike the trail....

hey 10-k, your correct about that thread being a decent one. i apologize if i came off the wrong way by using you as a pin cushion. sometimes i may not convey the point well enuff and it leaves too much room to interpet it the wrong way..thats why i did not answer back after my post, im sorry...i didnt want to stir the pot anymore.

as for leaving the trail, i do belive it is money and boredom that are the top two reasons to quit. with injury as a close third reason to quit. i also belive that people go in totally over their heads. thinking its a stroll thru the woods only to realize its not what they thought. sorta like some of the guys who say they are going to break the AT record only to find out that they do not stand a chance after reality sets in..

[fiddlehead]

All this talk about quitting something you want to do.
I can't imagine the thought.
What would you do instead?

[10-K]

hey 10-k, your correct about that thread being a decent one. i apologize if i came off the wrong way by using you as a pin cushion. sometimes i may not convey the point well enuff and it leaves too much room to interpet it the wrong way..thats why i did not answer back after my post, im sorry...i didnt want to stir the pot anymore.

.

Totally not a problem. :)

[4eyedbuzzard]

All this talk about quitting something you want to do.
I can't imagine the thought.
What would you do instead?
Play golf, go to the beach, go fishing, go hunting, take a regular "civilized vacation", go on a cruise, car camping - lots of other things to do - even besides working. I guess for some hiking is their only pass-time, but lots of hikers have interests outside just hiking.

[RossSFCA]

My frustration is that I had planned ahead for over a year to hike the John Muir Trail in 2011 as a training hike for the Appalachian Trail in 2012. I live in California and was working in the non-profit sector, so I was putting away as much as I could in savings. I had budgeted my AT hike based on the fact that I would be working up until a week before leaving for Springer.

Unfortunately, I lost my job four months prior to leaving for the Trail... during the holidays, to boot, which is always a harder time to find a new gig... especially in the non-profit sector. And who is going to want to hire a temp (instead of a perm hire) who is leaving for the AT in March?

So now, my budget is VERY tight. I am still committed to going on the AT, but my budget is not going to have a lot of room for hotel stays (I don't mind sleeping in my tent and I do not mind hostels, either), lots of restaurant meals in town (I don't mind eating mac & cheese on the trail), or drinking booze (I think I can put down the tequila for six months).

Thanks for the advice... it is always helpful. Now, to stop reading AND GO FOR A HIKE! :)


Ross/DirtyGirl

[hikerboy57]

i think in some cases more experience means you might be less likely to finish.I first set foot on the AT in 1976 on the Liberty Springs trail up over lincoln and lafayette through the clouds and I said to myself one day Im going to do it. since then Iv sectioned a good chunk of the northern half, but Ive also backpacked a lot of other areas in the NE, taken rock climbing vacations, and most importantly, raised a family while I was able to do these things. as a father, your goals become secondary as your kids goals and your goals for them become your primary goals. Ive had a great time on my sections, met unbeleivably freindly helpful people, some of whom became life long friends. a complete thru is still on the bucket list, but life has a habit of interfering. this spring I had intentions of taking 3 months to do the southern half, but my older daughter is now pregnant with my first grandchild, due in may, and Im finally beginning to reconcile with my younger daughter, who i had been estranged from for 3 years.so now im just taking a month , and ill do springer to damascus. ill still be out for a week longer than i ever have. the dream remains elusive, but nothing is more important than being there for my girls.

[Datto]

These are ten things that allowed me to start and finish my AT thru-hike:

Experienced inclement weather hiking prior to my AT thru-hike -- During the year before starting my AT thru-hike I'd made it a point to hike regularly during inclement weather (rain and snow) as well as hiking during the blast furnace heat of southern Indiana (I still can't believe I was actually crazy enough to have hike the Knobstone Trail during July). Those pre-thru-hike experiences made Georgia seem not so daunting and the oppressive heat of Virginia not seem as bad and the incessent rain manageable.

Best Maildrop Support Person -- I believe I had the best maildrop support person in the history of AT thru-hiking and that made a substantial difference in being able to complete my AT thru-hike. The food I ate was so much better and so much more healthy. Also, my maildrop support person listened to my on the telehone and sometimes in-person when I talked about my experiences on the AT to that point in time. Also, she sure got an earful of my rants when I was upset about something that had occurred on the Trail and mostly listened and laughed while I was laughing about it too.

Seperated AT into Smaller Chunks -- If you've ever read A Walk In The Woods you'll remember the exclamation of "We've Done Nothing!" came after seeing that four foot long map of the AT and realizing the author had hiked only 1.5 inches of the map length. It is so daunting to have put forth that much effort and only can measure such small progress. For me it was better to think of the AT in more manageable chunks. Springer to Damascus, Damascus to Harper's Ferry, Harper's Ferry to Hanover, NH and Hanover to Katahdin. For a northbounder, take the Springer to Damascus portion and seperate that into smaller chunks -- Springer to Neel's Gap, Neel's Gap to NOC, NOC to Clingman's Dome, Clingman's Dome to Hot Springs, Hot Springs to Damascus. At the Maine state line I was amazed at how fast the time had elapsed.

Well-funded -- I had plenty of money at my disposal during my AT thru-hike and that reduced a significant barrier to completion that others had faced on their thru-hikes.

Eliminated problems back home beforehand -- I only had two instances of problems back home that I had to deal with on my AT thru-hike. One was handled at Fontanta Dame and one in southern Virginia. Originally I was going to thru-hike the AT in 1999 but due to challenges I'd faced at that time, I'd chosen to postpone my AT thru-hike until Year 2000. Looking back, that was a very wise thing to have done and dealing with those issues ahead of time made for a much smoother AT thru-hike.

Ignored the Naysayers -- I'd already been advised by past AT thru-hikers that it would be likely that I'd experience considerable resistance from others when I told them I was going to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. That sure did prove to be true. It's absolutely amazing to me the number of people who will try to disuade a person from taking on a substantial challenge. Possibly because their life is in so much confusion and shambles they just don't want anyone else going off and succeeding at enjoying life. Eventually I realized it was going to be easier for me if I just didn't tell anyone outside the hiking community about my plans until the last 30 days before leaving for the AT. For me, that worked out great. Here's what I'm doing, here's when I'm leaving, here's when I'll be back, here's how you can send me something along the way if you wish to do so.

Other Hikers -- I just happened to have some of the best people I've ever met in my life on the AT while I was thru-hiking. Just a remarkable group of people from all walks of life. That certainly made life interesting for me during my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. There just wasn't all that much boredom on the AT when I was thru-hiking. Every day something interesting happened. For instance, in souther Virginia I came up to a shelter to take a break around 11:00am and a long black snake had squeezed between the rafters and the roof sheathing to sneak up on a bat and had eaten it. With the newly acquired body bulge the snake couldn't back out through the same gap in the rafters and was completely stuck. Blister Sister decided to go ahead and see what could be done to free up the snake -- reached up and grabbed the snake, eventually wiggled the thing loose and then gently set it on an overhead ledge. Every time Blister Sister walked by the front of the shelter that snake would cantilever it's body out in mid-air and follow Blister Sister around to keep an eye on her I guess. I'm glad I had my camera out and took photos of the experience. How many times have you seen something like that happen in a cubicle? For me, it was like that every day. Some new memorable experience happened on a regular basis. Every morning when I woke up on the AT I knew something would come about that would make the day interesting and I looked forward to the day.

Side Trips and Scenic Spots -- I took two side trips during my AT thru-hike -- one sidetrip to Washington DC from southern Virginia and one sidetrip to Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania. For the most part, if there was something to see along the AT I went and took it in. Cemetaries, monuments (the Audie Murphy monument for instance), noteable restaurants (the hotsy totsy one just north of Dalgren Campground for instance that has all the famous people on the wall), scenic spots (The Cliffs near the Georgia/NC line for instance and God's Thumb). Those just added to the experience for me and diversified the daily experience of hiking.

Accept What Is, Not What Should Be -- I'd decided ahead of the start of my ATthru-hike that I was just going to sail my boat as needed and let the winds carry it wherever it needed to go on the AT, always with a tac in a northerly direction. Possibly that was one of the wisest decisions I'd made when it came to thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail (and afterward).

Daily Required Napping -- I took a nap every day around 11:00am or so. In the heat of Virginia I napped in the shade of a shelter as best as I could between noon and 4:00pm. During other times I'd just throw up my mylar blanket and nap rnext to the Trail. That certainly rejeuvenated me and certainly helped my body heal from the ravages of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. That approach may have been one of the major reasons I was so healthy in the northern states on my AT thru-hike.

Datto

[Nean]

Yeah, seen one majestic view, or one wild animal in the woods seen them all. :rolleyes:

The thing I like to remember when I read LW is that very few have a life like his. He's walked the walk so he can talk, but if all of us had it so good, well, the trail probably wouldn't have the same appeal for me either. BTW, I hope to visit with both of you- soon.

[Don H]

In my opinion generally the reasons people quit vary throughout the trip. Early on lots of people seemed to quit because of injury. They carried too much weight, weren't on shape and tried to go too fast. Then around VA people started running out of money after too much partying in towns. Later boredom and the drudgery of doing the same thing day after day took its toll. Then towards the end injuries again as the trail got rougher.

I believe there are two types of people who finish, 1. Those that love the trail life and would rather be nowhere else and 2. Those that absolutely refuse to quit. I started off as a 1 but ended up as a 2.

[Miner]

Short of an injury that makes it impossible to walk, the reason people quit is purely mental which is a function of how much are you enjoying yourself. Sure the other factors add to that. Being in pain, cold, wet, carrying too much weight, etc can drag on your mind and make you more want to quit because you hate whats going on. So yes, gear, experience and other factors can play a factor, but they aren't the deciding one.

Ultimately, most people can physcially hike a long trail, they just don't want to bad enough to push through some of the other stuff that happens along the way. Now there are things that make it easier for some people to push through, but it isn't the same with everyone. For some, having some close trail friends along makes them want to continue, some enjoy the physical aspects of hiking, others like being outside in nature and these feelings help keep their motivation up. Because most of all, they are enjoying themselves most of the time and thus can find it within themselves to push on much easier when things are rough. Only someone who hates what they are doing would stop early. Which is a shame, since some of them might have made it had they pushed on through that bad time just a bit more and found themselves having the time of their lives.

[Blissful]

It's a mental game one must play succesfully to win the prize. Pretty much sums it up.

[rocketsocks]

One want's to be off trail,more than on trail period!

[fiddlehead]

Yep. Life is priorities.

IF yours is golf, then play golf.
If it's any of the above, go do it.

But, if you came to hike.
Then hike.

Quitting just is too negative for me.


I'm with Nean and hike cause I enjoy being there. Every day.

If I wouldn't, I'd take up golf I guess.

Actually, I play golf, but again, I see so many playing that game that don't seem to enjoy it all. They take it very negatively. I learned to enjoy golf by not taking it so seriously. I remember a Thai caddie asking me why I was there if I was going to get upset after a bad shot once. It changed my outlook to the game. Perhaps hiking is the same. If you're gonna get upset over it, change your mindset or take a break and reevaluate your priorities.

as for fishing and hunting? only to eat. Not for sport for me. Never turned me on.
and the beach? Well, I live 400 yards from one. I go there to jog and for they eye candy and for a swim. But the burning up in the sun for whatever reason always seemed strange to me.

Like I said: Priorities.

[fiddlehead]

Play golf, go to the beach, go fishing, go hunting, take a regular "civilized vacation", go on a cruise, car camping - lots of other things to do - even besides working. I guess for some hiking is their only pass-time, but lots of hikers have interests outside just hiking.

Sorry, this quote was supposed to be in my (above) post.

[nitewalker]

Yep. Life is priorities.

IF yours is golf, then play golf.
If it's any of the above, go do it.

But, if you came to hike.
Then hike.

Quitting just is too negative for me.


I'm with Nean and hike cause I enjoy being there. Every day.

If I wouldn't, I'd take up golf I guess.

Actually, I play golf, but again, I see so many playing that game that don't seem to enjoy it all. They take it very negatively. I learned to enjoy golf by not taking it so seriously. I remember a Thai caddie asking me why I was there if I was going to get upset after a bad shot once. It changed my outlook to the game. Perhaps hiking is the same. If you're gonna get upset over it, change your mindset or take a break and reevaluate your priorities.

as for fishing and hunting? only to eat. Not for sport for me. Never turned me on.
and the beach? Well, I live 400 yards from one. I go there to jog and for they eye candy and for a swim. But the burning up in the sun for whatever reason always seemed strange to me.

Like I said: Priorities.

if i were to take golf too seriously i would have droped dead already. i am much better at backpacking than golfing. trust me..i can golf with the worst of em but i can hike with the best of em....hiking acomplishes way more than golf......im in the group of people that start something and always finish, quiting is not an option period....too many prople these days become quiters, its too easy to quit these days. heck we even glorify those that try and quit things..as allen iverson would say " its only practice".....

[Malto]

heck we even glorify those that try and quit things.

This is especially true with thru-hiking. Think about the attention thru-hikers get PRIOR to the trip..... How crazy they are, how many miles they are going to hike etc. Yet they haven't accomplished a single thing at that point and most of them won't finish. Then there are the delusional record setters........

[Jim Adams]

then again, I found Dots walking the trail, and finding the next "Dots" down the trail was reason enough to go see.

....and the next and the next and the next was one reason for me. I like walking pub to pub.

geek

[Lone Wolf]

take away the hostels every 3 to 5 days, all the roads, shuttle services, hordes of other hikers etc., etc. and hardly anyone would walk the whole trail in one shot

[10-K]

take away the hostels every 3 to 5 days, all the roads, shuttle services, hordes of other hikers etc., etc. and hardly anyone would walk the whole trail in one shot

I think that's probably the most accurate statement on this thread.

The BMT is like that and is less than 300 miles. I hiked it in prime thru hiker season and passed one other backpacker from Springer all the way to GSMNP. Of course once in GSMNP there were backpackers everywhere but they weren't thru hiking the BMT.

[bamboo bob]

I absolutely agree. People start the AT inspired. The problem is that inspiration makes a poor fuel for perseverance - it burns much too quickly. They used to say that half the starters quit at 31 miles. I don't know what the current statistics are but you definitely see a lot of people bail in the early going because they decide that Long Distance Hiking is just not for them.

[weary]

I find the trail makes those cheeseburgers taste so much better.
There's nothing like a cold beer after a few warm days on a trail -- or even after a few warm hours.