1/2 a thru hike?

[Transient Being]

I've been seriously considering a thru-hike this year. I've got the money and the time, but am really beginning to question my desire to hike that far. Don't get me wrong, I love the mountains and backpacking, but the longest I've ever been in one trip is 100 miles, which I really liked. I know this is an entirely subjective question, but how many people are satisfied with 1/2 a thru-hike. I guess what I'm trying to get at is, do alot of people who do 1/2 the trail decide that's good enough? I'm sure I'll decide for myself when I get there, but would like the input from wb community. A related question for former thru-hikers, which half of the trip did you enjoy the most, the first or second? I know, vague unanswerable subjective questions.

[4eyedbuzzard]

A lot of people find 31.7 miles (Neel Gap) is enough. :rolleyes:
I found that about 450 miles was enough (Damascus). :o

Just "Gump it". Walk until you don't want to walk any more.

That said, if I could only hike one-half of the AT it would be the first 1/4 and last 1/4.

[WingedMonkey]

There is no such thing as "1/2 a thru-hike". It's apparent you don't have the heart to complete a successful thru, so why attempt it?
I'd say do the middle half. Save the first quarter for the hoards that have to be there, and wait till they thin out. Save the north quarter for when you have the real goal of reaching Katahdin.
If you have the gear and the money just have a nice hike, and come back and do a thru-hike when you feel it's something you really have a desire for.

[Blue Jay]

That is exactly the way I like to hike the trail.

[JAK]

Don't think of it as half a thru-hike.
Think of it as 100% of a 1000 miler.

Gives you some freedom also, as you can choose to hike whatever 1000 miles you wish. If I was down that way I would love to hike the first part of the AT and the BMT, and more of the AT or whatever to make it 1000 miles. The Benton MacKaye Trail is 300 miles, so you could start at the Northern end of that, hike back to the start of the AT, and then do 700 miles on the AT, or something like that.

[FlyPaper]

I love hiking, but don't think I would do a thru-hike even if I had the money and time. A thru-hike has to balance two challenges (among others), speed and cold. You can take it slower if you're willing to start and/or end in colder weather. You can avoid the cold if you hike at a very extreme speed. I hate cold weather and I don't really want to have to hike so fast that I would avoid the cold.

If I had the opportunity, I'd do half the trail one year, and if I felt like it, the other half later. If you start in March at Springer, you'll meet a lot of thru-hikers and you might be tempted to try to keep up with them, and perhaps feel like a bit of an outsider if you aren't shooting for Maine. You might avoid this problem if you start in May because even those few who think they're thru-hiking starting in May probably aren't going to finish.

[JAK]

Lots of other options for 1000 miles. Like Long Trail and part of AT, and part of IAT. Lots of great canoe routes in Maine and New Brunswick also. The IAT from Maine to Mount Carleton is rather silly in a way, because most of the time you would be hiking right alongside a perfect canoe route. It's not really following a ridgeline again until you get up into the Gaspe, then from there it takes some sort of leap of faith. I think it is better to make up your own routes. Springer to Katahdin makes great sense, because it follows a ridge. Katahdin to Mount Carleton should really be done by canoe. You should be able to find some 1000 mile route that is meaningful to you. It is good to have a significant destination.

[About_Time]

That said, if I could only hike one-half of the AT it would be the first 1/4 and last 1/4.

I would second that approach.

[birdygal]

I would second that approach.

Exactly what I am doing I don't think I have what it takes to do 2200 miles so I am planning on first and last 1/4 The middle states just don't interest me much

[CrumbSnatcher]

i could thruhike virginia and be very happy

[Slo-go'en]

I'd go north to about Roanoak, VA then skip north to Vermont. That allows you to complete the more interesting half of VA and be in good enough shape to do New England, but without being too worn out by the time you get there. You also get to skip the druggery of the middle section, along with the heat and humidity which goes along with it and causes a lot of people to drop out.

[Lady Grey]

I'm planning on starting in Georgia in 2013 and heading north, hopefully as far as the Mass border. I live in VT and have hiked the AT here, will hike Mass in 2012, and plan to hike NH and ME eventually. I was just approved to take a leave from my job in the spring of 2013 and hiking in the south appeals to me since it's different than anything I've done before. I want to finish it all, but don't feel compelled to do it all as a true thru hike!

[Blue Jay]

It's called a flash, fing long a$$ section hike (coined by Subby 2010).

[Blue Jay]

I'd go north to about Roanoak, VA then skip north to Vermont. That allows you to complete the more interesting half of VA and be in good enough shape to do New England, but without being too worn out by the time you get there. You also get to skip the druggery of the middle section, along with the heat and humidity which goes along with it and causes a lot of people to drop out.

Notice where this guy comes from. To me NH is druggery, but I still enjoy it.

[Hooch]

Hike your own hike and don't let anyone tell you how to do it. Get out and start wherever you wish and hike for as long as you wish. You may get out there and decide that you want to hike longer than you originaly anticipated. Strap up, hike on and, no matter what, enjoy!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Notice where this guy comes from. To me NH is druggery, but I still enjoy it.
Yeah, it sucks. Just more green tunnel. Nothin' much to see. Best bet is to skip it.

14803

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14802

[Blue Jay]

Never said it sucks, did say I enjoyed it, in fact Franconia is one of my favorite places. However you hike one big pile of empty rocks you don't need too many more.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Just a little sarcasm. I will admit there is some druggery sometimes in watching your feet constantly going uphill with every step. ;) I like SNP too, which is kind of the opposite in many ways.

[Hannie]

Shoot for the entire trail if you have the time and money. If you come to a point to where you want to stop then stop. But as said before there is no such thing as half of a thru hike.

[rjjones]

I agree with Hannie,and who ever said "Gump it"{i like that}.I just felt like walking!

[RWheeler]

A lot of people find 31.7 miles (Neel Gap) is enough. :rolleyes:
I found that about 450 miles was enough (Damascus). :o

Just "Gump it". Walk until you don't want to walk any more.

That said, if I could only hike one-half of the AT it would be the first 1/4 and last 1/4.


Shoot for the entire trail if you have the time and money. If you come to a point to where you want to stop then stop. But as said before there is no such thing as half of a thru hike.


I agree with Hannie,and who ever said "Gump it"{i like that}.I just felt like walking!

I'd go with this.

If you don't think you may not be in it for a full 2,100 miles, what makes you think you won't be? It could very well be either way. Don't short yourself before you even walk 1 mile, or you may be upset that you wouldn't be able to finish due to time or whatever at that point.

Start, aiming to do a full thru, but if you want to stop wherever, then stop! There's nothing wrong with that. Worst case scenario, you hiked X miles of the AT!

[Blissful]

Section hiking can be just as if not more rewarding. Do what you want.

[Blue Jay]

There is no such thing as "1/2 a thru-hike". It's apparent you don't have the heart to complete a successful thru, so why attempt it?

Is this like a weird calculus thing?

[Odd Man Out]

I have thought about a number of 1000 mile hikes, mainly due to the time constraint of working on an academic year schedule (three months are easier to come by than six). But one idea I was attracted to (for some reason I can't explain) is to take the train to Harpers Ferry, go to the AT Headquarter, and flip a coin. Heads=North, Tails=South, and walk until you run out of time, money, desire, or trail.

[RWheeler]

I have thought about a number of 1000 mile hikes, mainly due to the time constraint of working on an academic year schedule (three months are easier to come by than six). But one idea I was attracted to (for some reason I can't explain) is to take the train to Harpers Ferry, go to the AT Headquarter, and flip a coin. Heads=North, Tails=South, and walk until you run out of time, money, desire, or trail.

That sounds like an awesome plan, but you'd probably need some very different gear ready depending on when you do that.

I'd call it COBO - Coinbound.

[Lady Grey]

Odd Man Out - that's part of the reason I'm aiming for 1000+ miles... my school just granted me a leave from Feb. 15 (a year from now) through the end of the school year. 6 mos. was too hard to come by and still be employed at a public school!

[Papa D]

If you have the time and money, do the whole thing -- 1000 miles is a long way - you want to be a long distance hiker (but not that long?) suck it up and do it all. I do 50-300 mile hikes because that is all I have time for -- I can't WAIT until my next thru-hike - it'll get done in about 4 1/2 months in proper white blaze style to be sure.

[4eyedbuzzard]

If you have the time and money, do the whole thing -- 1000 miles is a long way - you want to be a long distance hiker (but not that long?) suck it up and do it all. I do 50-300 mile hikes because that is all I have time for -- I can't WAIT until my next thru-hike - it'll get done in about 4 1/2 months in proper white blaze style to be sure.300 miles isn't a long distance? I get tired driving that far;):D

[RyanK817]

My wife and I set out last summer for a SOBO thru-hike, and by the time we got near the NY-NJ border her foot was hurting so bad she didn't want to keep going, so we came home. At first I felt bummed about it because we didn't make it all the way to Springer, but then I realized that 800 miles was a heck of a long way, way more than most people would ever dream of hiking. Most importantly, my wife and I had an amazing adventure for 2 1/2 months, and we still have another 1300 miles left to either section hike or finish up as a whole. I agree with RWheeler: set out to go 2180 miles, and once you decide along the way that you're happy with how far you've gone, then it's time to come home. And remember, the Trail will ALWAYS be there.

[BrianLe]

I think there's a lot of wisdom in doing long chunks on a long trail, and of course you just won't know how much or little you like the long distance hiking lifestyle until you've lived it for a while. Having the flexibility to keep going as long as you care to is great, i.e., just keep going as long as you're enjoying yourself, but OTOH there's something empowering in setting a specific goal and going for that too --- each to their own. I do think now, however, that most folks that do a thru-hike do so because they really, really want to be able to say --- and/or to "know" --- that they did a 2000+ mile trip all in one go, in one year. I don't think it's a terribly rational thing to do apart from the subset that just love trail life so much that they really are more comfortable on trail than at "home".


"It's called a flash, fing long a$$ section hike (coined by Subby 2010)"

Subby said that? Not hard to believe! Slightly more recently I've been hearing people refer to "chunk hiking" as something in between a section and a complete thru. Or as I'm thinking about doing it at times in future "I'll start the trip chunky and be back to thin at trip end" :-) What a brilliant weight loss program, though somewhat of a very slow motion yo-yo diet as thru-hikers sometimes pack on the pounds so easily when they're off trail.

[fiddlehead]

" Walk until you don't want to walk any more."

Correct answer^

Who knows, you might even want to do a "yo yo"

[fiddlehead]

" Walk until you don't want to walk any more."

Correct answer^

Who knows, you might even want to do a "yo yo"

[4shot]

There is no such thing as "1/2 a thru-hike".


This is completely innaccurate. 100% of every thru-hiker has completed 1/2 of a thru-hike at some point. It's inevitable...you can't get to 100% without passing thru 50%. In fact, for people who NOBO or SOBO and don't flip, they even have a sign at the very spot at which you complete 50% (or 1/2 of the trail if your prefer fractions to decimals) of your thru-hike! (Sorry, couldn't resist...I am a math teacher with a bad sense of humour).;)

To the op, as all others said...just start walking somewhere and don't stop unless you want to. If you want to thru hike then you'll ignore this statement and keep walking even when you don't want to. Best wishes.

[Transient Being]

thanks for the suggestions, insights, and humorous observations. I like the "gump it" that's funny right there. Yeah, even though I've done the southern trail more than once, I think I'm gonna start at Springer, just in case I decide to finish the trail, I'll always have that option. Appreciate all the comments.

[Papa D]

300 miles isn't a long distance? I get tired driving that far;):D

yes, 300 miles is a long way and I rarely get to go quite that far but it would be just under a three-week section hike for me - as a thru hiker with a couple of few months under your belt, 300 miles seems like a normal distance. What I do most is 100 mile weeks - 6 days @ about 17 mpd plus a half day of sitting around and a half day of travel. I'd much rather hike that far than drive that far - we agree on that!

[Tinker]

Hiking halfway and going home only means that, unlike some who may continue on, you have "hiked your own hike". You will probably meet many new friends and experience things other never will.

Do it and enjoy it. (And, if you aren't enjoying it, find something else - no shame).

[RWheeler]

Oh, and another point - plenty of people go out for day hikes, weekend trips, and week-long hikes. All of those are still beautiful acts. A three month hike would be no different. Just because the trail you choose to do it on gives you the option of hiking for six months doesn't mean you need to hike that.

If I'm driving on the highway, I don't go to the end of the highway. I go to the exit I need. Well, except that one highway that conveniently ends close to my destination... but... let's ignore that for the sake of making a point.

[Tinker]

I've been seriously considering a thru-hike this year. I've got the money and the time, but am really beginning to question my desire to hike that far. Don't get me wrong, I love the mountains and backpacking, but the longest I've ever been in one trip is 100 miles, which I really liked. I know this is an entirely subjective question, but how many people are satisfied with 1/2 a thru-hike. I guess what I'm trying to get at is, do alot of people who do 1/2 the trail decide that's good enough? I'm sure I'll decide for myself when I get there, but would like the input from wb community. A related question for former thru-hikers, which half of the trip did you enjoy the most, the first or second? I know, vague unanswerable subjective questions.

This being cyber world, and living in an age where "reality" isn't - Couldn't you just hike the second half first, declare yourself a thruhiker, and get on with your life? :-? Literally! (or not). :D

[4shot]

This being cyber world, and living in an age where "reality" isn't - Couldn't you just hike the second half first, declare yourself a thruhiker, and get on with your life? :-? Literally! (or not). :D

If we are suggesting to the OP that he can and should fabricate his own reality, let's suggest that he be something way cooler than a mere thru-hiker? You can't swing a dead cat on the internets without hitting an alleged thruhiker. Why not he pronounce himself the reincarnation of either Lewis or Clark? Of course then he'd have people on wb griping about his gear,gear weight, and improper selection of the 'right" blazes on his walk to the Pacific. So maybe Intergalactic Grand Wizard of the Knights of the 7th Dimension? That'd would be cool too and a safer bet here.;)

[Tinker]

If we are suggesting to the OP that he can and should fabricate his own reality, let's suggest that he be something way cooler than a mere thru-hiker? You can't swing a dead cat on the internets without hitting an alleged thruhiker. Why not he pronounce himself the reincarnation of either Lewis or Clark? Of course then he'd have people on wb griping about his gear,gear weight, and improper selection of the 'right" blazes on his walk to the Pacific. So maybe Intergalactic Grand Wizard of the Knights of the 7th Dimension? That'd would be cool too and a safer bet here.;)

Love it! :D

[DaSchwartz]

Don't worry about it being half a hike... Just have fun... If you make it a 1,000 miles, who knows you might want to go all the way, or you might go 100 miles, and still have adventures that 99 percent of people will never have. Just remember, the only failure is failing to do something. Just wing it and see how it goes.

[msupple]

My wife and I have been debating the same thing. We've done some 100+ milers on the AT and were considering a GA-ME this Spring. After much deliberation based on meeting and watching many thru hikers, we decided on another strategy. We asked ourselves what we really enjoyed when hiking longer distances. We both agreed that we enjoyed the camping and being out there as much as the hiking. We also enjoyed meeting and hanging out with other hikers. We even loved meeting some of the locals and spending time in many of the trail towns.

What wasn't so appealing was the constant pressure we observed on thru hikers to put in a certain amount of mileage every day regardless of the weather or their desire to linger. It was more about the deadline than about fully enjoying what the trail and trail life had to offer.

We decided it was more important to take our time. We'll hike big miles if we want. We'll also sit out the rain with a good book if we want or check out a great view. If we want to linger for a few days in a cool trail town, we're going to do it. In sum, we want to experience all the trail has to offer.

It's for those reasons we've decided to hike from Springer to Harpers Ferry this year and then finish to Maine next year. Having said that we are leaving about April 1st so if we change our minds we could probably still make it in one continuous hike. I guess we'll just have to settle for becoming a 2000 miler and fore-go the esteemed title of thru hiker. We can live with that.

[Lone Wolf]

My wife and I have been debating the same thing. We've done some 100+ milers on the AT and were considering a GA-ME this Spring. After much deliberation based on meeting and watching many thru hikers, we decided on another strategy. We asked ourselves what we really enjoyed when hiking longer distances. We both agreed that we enjoyed the camping and being out there as much as the hiking. We also enjoyed meeting and hanging out with other hikers. We even loved meeting some of the locals and spending time in many of the trail towns.

What wasn't so appealing was the constant pressure we observed on thru hikers to put in a certain amount of mileage every day regardless of the weather or their desire to linger. It was more about the deadline than about fully enjoying what the trail and trail life had to offer.

We decided it was more important to take our time. We'll hike big miles if we want. We'll also sit out the rain with a good book if we want or check out a great view. If we want to linger for a few days in a cool trail town, we're going to do it. In sum, we want to experience all the trail has to offer.

It's for those reasons we've decided to hike from Springer to Harpers Ferry this year and then finish to Maine next year. Having said that we are leaving about April 1st so if we change our minds we could probably still make it in one continuous hike. I guess we'll just have to settle for becoming a 2000 miler and fore-go the esteemed title of thru hiker. We can live with that.you're very wise. folks should listen to you. thru-hikin ain't all it's cracked up to be

[msupple]

Thanks Lone Wolf...you are one of the locals/hikers we hope to me and Damascus is one of the towns where we hope to linger, :)

[Odd Man Out]

That sounds like an awesome plan, but you'd probably need some very different gear ready depending on when you do that. I'd call it COBO - Coinbound.

In my case, I would start May 1, so I don't think my gear needs would be all that different depending on the coin toss. Might be different for the OP.

[Blue Jay]

My wife and I have been debating the same thing. We've done some 100+ milers on the AT and were considering a GA-ME this Spring. After much deliberation based on meeting and watching many thru hikers, we decided on another strategy. We asked ourselves what we really enjoyed when hiking longer distances. We both agreed that we enjoyed the camping and being out there as much as the hiking. We also enjoyed meeting and hanging out with other hikers. We even loved meeting some of the locals and spending time in many of the trail towns.

What wasn't so appealing was the constant pressure we observed on thru hikers to put in a certain amount of mileage every day regardless of the weather or their desire to linger. It was more about the deadline than about fully enjoying what the trail and trail life had to offer.

We decided it was more important to take our time. We'll hike big miles if we want. We'll also sit out the rain with a good book if we want or check out a great view. If we want to linger for a few days in a cool trail town, we're going to do it. In sum, we want to experience all the trail has to offer.

It's for those reasons we've decided to hike from Springer to Harpers Ferry this year and then finish to Maine next year. Having said that we are leaving about April 1st so if we change our minds we could probably still make it in one continuous hike. I guess we'll just have to settle for becoming a 2000 miler and fore-go the esteemed title of thru hiker. We can live with that.

Great post, the only problem I can forsee is that you'll have sooooo much fun you'll be as addicted as I am.