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View Full Version : The one Reason you would get off the trail for a few days? Just one Answer please!



seasparrow
02-18-2012, 02:46
Mom's home cooking as I pass by within miles from trail.

TOMP
02-18-2012, 03:11
Funerals or if a family member got sick and thats about it.

Kookork
02-18-2012, 05:03
Injury. both repetitive(abuse) or accidental injury.

moytoy
02-18-2012, 05:53
A Sirens song!

Schemer
02-18-2012, 06:05
Zombie Apocalypse, but only because i have been waiting for a long time for it to happen.

Six-Six
02-18-2012, 09:16
injury
you only asked for one work, but 20 characters are required. I needed a bigger word.

swjohnsey
02-18-2012, 09:18
Trail Days.

Storm
02-18-2012, 09:23
Every few days to get food.

takethisbread
02-18-2012, 09:24
RAIN. 3 days of it.

Lyle
02-18-2012, 09:56
Besides some of the others already given (but certainly not all :)):

Need a vacation from my vacation. Most of hiking is pure mental, taking a few days to vary your activity is a good thing. For example: On my first long hike, I spent a couple days caving, couple days canoeing, visited home at Christmas, White water rafting for a couple of days. Also went off-trail to explore some particularly interesting local celebrations/attractions such as Mesa Verde in Colorado, Ft. Larned during their Centennial Celebration in Kansas. Taking these "vacations" was very good mentally, and kept the hike more interesting.

Doc
02-18-2012, 10:22
You find yourself pregnant.

WingedMonkey
02-18-2012, 10:27
RAIN. 3 days of it.

Was that meant as a joke? I couldn't tell without the smiley face.

SawnieRobertson
02-18-2012, 11:18
Injury, family matters, restocking. Beware of all draws to the off-trail world.--Kinnickinic

smoothsailin
02-18-2012, 11:23
I agree.. Zombie Apocalypse.

Megapixel
02-18-2012, 11:28
wife.

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

takethisbread
02-18-2012, 11:33
Was that meant as a joke? I couldn't tell without the smiley face.

No. Absolutely not. If it's gonna downpour for a few days, I have no qualms about sitting it out. I carry very little raingear.

roguedeadguy
02-18-2012, 11:35
If I'm gonna leave the trail for a word, my word is "poontang"

msupple
02-18-2012, 11:39
If I'm gonna leave the trail for a word, my word is "poontang"

A truly worthy diversion!

CrumbSnatcher
02-18-2012, 11:41
Funerals or if a family member got sick and thats about it.this is probably the only reason i would be off trail, i always laughed when people took time off for weddings,and it happens alot! don't ask me to be there or plan the wedding for off season(oct-feb) :-)

WingedMonkey
02-18-2012, 11:56
If this is supposed to apply to thru hikers, as it is posted in the Class of 2012, I see a lot of poor excuses for leaving the trail for a few days. It's easy to get off, it's not so easy to get back on.

Wise Old Owl
02-18-2012, 13:12
Three days of rain or spend time with the wife....decisions... I will take the rain Bob - what did I win?

Megapixel
02-18-2012, 13:20
Three days of rain or spend time with the wife....decisions... I will take the rain Bob - what did I win?

Wise Old Owl, congratulations! You won 72 hours of being drenched to the bone in the great outdoors, cold winds and peeling, muddy feet, with an overwhelming wonder of how the sun could hide it's face for so long.

Behind door #2 was martial bliss at the Holiday Inn Express, complete with continental breakfast.

takethisbread
02-18-2012, 13:22
If this is supposed to apply to thru hikers, as it is posted in the Class of 2012, I see a lot of poor excuses for leaving the trail for a few days. It's easy to get off, it's not so easy to get back on.
If you go spend time at home or spend time partying it's hard returning to trail. It's not hard if you are hanging in a hostel, it's hard not to get back out on the trail. Discipline will keep you out of snow, or hard rain that will ultimately sap your desire to continue.

TOMP
02-18-2012, 14:00
this is probably the only reason i would be off trail, i always laughed when people took time off for weddings,and it happens alot! don't ask me to be there or plan the wedding for off season(oct-feb) :-)

I would do weddings too, but no one I know is getting married now so I doubt they are gonna get engaged and plan a whole wedding in under 5 months. But depends who it is, I mean I am not missing my sisters wedding.

bamboo bob
02-18-2012, 14:03
Long distance hiking has lots of challenges but the act of getting up every day and hiking is the hardest mental challenge. I take very few zero days because I know if I stop to visit people or take too long a break, I may not go back. I'm a lazy guy and getting back on the trail is difficult after the first ten weeks or so.
In 2002 I took four zero days for the whole AT. Before that one year I took a week off and simply could not go back. So now anything short family crisis I won't go off trail. Lucky for me I like hiking in bad weather. Although I hate camping in it. In fact I never much like camping at all.

CrumbSnatcher
02-18-2012, 15:25
I would do weddings too, but no one I know is getting married now so I doubt they are gonna get engaged and plan a whole wedding in under 5 months. But depends who it is, I mean I am not missing my sisters wedding.what if it was her third wedding & not her first :-)

Spokes
02-18-2012, 15:45
Sushi with a nice cup of matcha.

TOMP
02-18-2012, 16:21
what if it was her third wedding & not her first :-)

Of course its my sister, but I doubt she could get married 3 times in the next few months :)

Don H
02-18-2012, 16:30
injury
you only asked for one work, but 20 characters are required. I needed a bigger word.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome, how's that for a bigger word ;)
or Hurricane Irene

birdygal
02-20-2012, 14:07
Injuries that require more than one day of rest

moondoggie
02-21-2012, 03:30
Iliotibial Band Syndrome, how's that for a bigger word ;)
or Hurricane Irene

I have a brother-in-law that has this...every other Saturday night, along with four other old farts. He plays bass.
-Moondoggie 2011

Bearpaw
02-21-2012, 18:09
Because I felt like it.

Don't mess up a great vacation being too type A. I nearly did 13 years ago, then I saved myself by listening to... ummm... myself.

Chia Pet
02-21-2012, 18:20
It's the journey so if the jouney requires a detour so be it.... Oh wait, I think it's know as hike your own hike

bgood360
02-21-2012, 18:31
Need a vacation from my vacation. Most of hiking is pure mental, taking a few days to vary your activity is a good thing. For example: On my first long hike, I spent a couple days caving, couple days canoeing, visited home at Christmas, White water rafting for a couple of days. Also went off-trail to explore some particularly interesting local celebrations/attractions such as Mesa Verde in Colorado, Ft. Larned during their Centennial Celebration in Kansas. Taking these "vacations" was very good mentally, and kept the hike more interesting.

I agree. Knowing me as I do, I've planned a couple of things to see and do along the way. As they say, Hike Your Own Hike, and mine isn't necessarily about plodding along day after day. This is a chance to see some things I don't usually have an opportunity to.

With that said, I don't plan on anything that takes me significantly off the trail. There's tons of historical, natural, and other sights to see that are a blue blaze away. As long as I hit pass each white blaze and manage a few interesting sights along the way, I'll be pleased with my hike.

nitewalker
02-21-2012, 18:38
not sure. i guess it would depend on where i am and what is hapening at the time. preplaned days off would be wedding, funeral some other event maybe. unplaned would be injury, sickness, female rendevous, 2 or 3 day excursion into one of the more appealing towns along the way...

Lone Wolf
02-21-2012, 18:43
i always took 3 days off in gatlinburg to watch the Masters tournament. i never took less than 4 days off in hot springs. never took less than a week off in damascus

xcess
02-21-2012, 20:21
a family emergency , injury,heck I cant lie if the rite woman ask I take a couple zeros in town

Wise Old Owl
02-21-2012, 20:25
Wise Old Owl, congratulations! You won 72 hours of being drenched to the bone in the great outdoors, cold winds and peeling, muddy feet, with an overwhelming wonder of how the sun could hide it's face for so long.

Behind door #2 was martial bliss at the Holiday Inn Express, complete with continental breakfast.

Thank's Chris I made the right decision.... woods near Buffalo NY where the sun never shines.... Woo-peee!

Hipcheck
03-03-2012, 09:39
Bonnaroo 2012.

Aspen Glow
03-03-2012, 18:22
Bonnaroo 2012.

you inspired me to create an account. i'll be taking four days to hit up Roo as well

rocketsocks
03-03-2012, 22:53
If I was taking six months off from my regular goings-on to do the the trail,I would make an honest attempt but would not stay on because I didn't want to blemish a trail marker count.If I went off to do something sobeit.And if asked years later "did you do the whole thing?"would say "well I moved forward,ended up in Maine,and had a whole lotta fun on the way."Yeah but did you pass each blaze?""No,sure didn't."So what!:)

K-Man
03-05-2012, 15:45
Phish.Tour

lush242000
03-05-2012, 18:32
Mom's home cooking as I pass by within miles from trail.

To spend some boom chicka boom time with the wife.

craisin
04-04-2012, 10:31
The dark knight rises!

Mike2012
04-10-2012, 13:35
Sprained ankle and yes I am hiking again. In GSMNP! :sun

birdygal
04-10-2012, 14:34
I am currently off with walking pneumonia

MedicineWoman2012
04-23-2012, 11:45
Friends Funeral

bonarusa
05-14-2012, 18:16
We are Rooin too!!

Samson
05-14-2012, 18:19
Cheese. Must have cheese.

WIAPilot
05-14-2012, 18:43
Visit hometown!

Jim Adams
05-14-2012, 19:52
High Point Motocross National....hitched to the race and then back to the A.T. in both 1990 and 2002.

geek

fiddlehead
05-14-2012, 21:51
Interesting thread as it brings back memories of a trip I did in Nepal a few years ago with 3 other thru-hikers.
After I climbed a 20,000' peak (Dhampus), I said I was retiring and wouldn't do any more uphills. I was semi serious. (and it was all downhill from there)

I said there were only 3 things that would get me back on a trail: Money, Love or War.

The next morning, there were about 20 soldiers blocking the trail and telling us that we couldn't continue because there was a battle in the next town (where the bus was to take us back to Pokara), and 265 people had been killed. So, we had to go a different way which started with a 6.000 foot climb.

My friends laughed at me all the way.
But, I didn't break my promise (till 2 years later when I missed hiking and started my trail here in Phuket)

So, my answer to the OP's question is: money, love, or war.