PDA

View Full Version : Marriage, Trail Relationships, and the AT



Wendigo
11-26-2012, 11:57
Once again, I turn to my reliable WhiteBlaze community for opinion and expertise for a series of blog posts I'm working on. This one is about...marriage and trail relationships!

Thoughts, opinions, and personal experiences are welcome; here's some questions I have --

Is the A.T. a place to go to "test" a marriage which already exists? Why or why not?
Is the A.T. a place to go looking for a life partner? Why? Why not?
What's your experience with relationships which expand past the Trail and become marriage?
How has your relationship been strengthened by hiking the A.T.? How has it suffered?
Explain how the A.T. is an "emotional cauldron" for relationships.
Has the memory of a relationship that soured while hiking the Trail kept you from returning to hike it again? Why or why not?
Did you expect, or look for, a romance on the A.T.? Why? Why not?
How did that relationship add to or detract from your goal of hiking the Trail?
Any other thoughts, wisdom, ideas you would like to add?

Thank each of you, my WhiteBlaze fellow hikers, in advance, for your input!

May all your hikes be rewarding and all your footpaths smooth!
Wendigo the Windwalker
AT 1985 & 1988

GoldenBear
11-26-2012, 14:11
Thankfully, I have forgotten all my experiences with finding a life partner, so the only question for which I have any expertise is

> Is the A.T. a place to go to "test" a marriage which already exists? Why or why not?

Not sure what you mean by "test."

If you mean, "Is the A.T. a good place to find out how well you can resist temptation?", I can only say there is NO good place for such a "test."
Going into a situation with resisting temptation as a major goal will never have a good result -- even if you succeed in doing so, it won't help the marriage to mention it.

If you mean, "Will there be temptations on the trail?"; I can only say that, after a day on the trail, looking for love is about the furthest thing from my mind.


I will say that what I've been saying for years: hiking the A.T. can be a great tool to enhance a marriage:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?58217-wish-my-girlfriend-was-into-hiking!!!&p=961344&highlight=#post961344

Note that my post was made almost three years ago, and everything I said then I'll be more emphatic than ever about today.

Wendigo
11-26-2012, 17:31
Thanks for pointing out a place where my questioning was weak. By "testing" I mean seeing whether the physical and emotional challenges a married couple may encounter on the trail can be overcome in such a way as to strengthen their marriage rather than dissolve it. I really appreciate your input! Thank you!

Hill Ape
11-26-2012, 19:52
i wouldn't "test" a marriage with anything, much less a thru hike... paces vary, physical abilities vary. my ex wife liked to hike, but hated to backpack, the few times she did go with me i ended up carrying the bulk of the weight (as any good husband will)

my regular hiking buddy is 6'6" tall, his fiance is 5'1"... there is no way they can naturally hike at the same pace, one of them is always going to be outside their comfort zone. we took her out for her first backpacking trip, she did great. she dehydrated food, cooked little loaves of banana bread with protein powder, totally got into handing them out as trail magic. she took to the social aspects of the trail more than i ever have. but we stopped far more than i usually do. i never complained (gotta protect my best man status) but looking forward to future hikes, i see myself hiking ahead of them. no wife, or husband, wants to be left behind.

i gave a ride this spring to three thru hikers, from unicoi into helen. a couple, and his best friend. she was into it, the best friend was into it, but the boyfriend was WAY out of his depth. it was obvious to me he didn't really want to be there. he was a cool guy, i bought them all a beer, but afterwards joked with my friends she should drop him and hike on with his best friend. does that reflect on their relationship at all? no, i don't think so. i wonder what happened to them, the realist in me thinks he probably dropped... did she drop with him? who knows. if you're on a thru hike with your wife or husband, and they need to drop, for whatever reason.... will you hike on, or be a good spouse? its not even a close call, you're gonna drop.

i wont be starting my thru hike attempt with a partner. i'll just be one of the masses. i'm sure i'll fall in with others that share my pace, i'm sure that over the course of the entire trail my pace will change, as will the company around me. i wouldn't want to put that burden on a relationship.

Wise Old Owl
11-26-2012, 20:30
Well we are off to a good start - I married my wife some 28 years ago - she has nothing in common and does not have 21 points of F'in compatibility... hence she enjoys hiking around the mall and she competes me.

And we love each other on an awesome level. We celebrate our differences and what we have in common, she does things I cannot do or have no patience for, like banking. She sees me as the protector, the truth is I am a survivalist, I offer support, I provide solutions that have not been thought of. We work together as a team! I work hard to rock her world when I can. The vocabulary is CHERISH each other! We still hug and hold hands and empathize when we can. I did not answer the question, but after reading what you wrote, good luck, I wish I had a better answer.

Carl Calson
11-26-2012, 21:26
my wife and i hiked from GA to VT this year as newlyweds. although we'd been together for 4 years when we started, we had never been in a situation where we were with each other 24/7 for 3 months straight. it was a good test to see if we could stand each other for that long and the amazing experiences we shared together, whether good or bad, brought us closer in the end. i suspect that it depends on the couple and their situation, though. it could go either way, and we were lucky it turned out well.

Smooth & Wasabi
11-26-2012, 22:00
My wife and I did a 1200 mile section hike together just before getting married. While I do not like the idea of "testing" a marriage I would say that transitioning to the responsibilities of parenting and dealing with the roller coaster of life is much more trying on a relationship than long distance hiking, which is after all a vacation.

Feral Bill
11-26-2012, 23:38
Well we are off to a good start - I married my wife some 28 years ago - she has nothing in common and does not have 21 points of F'in compatibility... hence she enjoys hiking around the mall and she competes me.

And we love each other on an awesome level. We celebrate our differences and what we have in common, she does things I cannot do or have no patience for, like banking. She sees me as the protector, the truth is I am a survivalist, I offer support, I provide solutions that have not been thought of. We work together as a team! I work hard to rock her world when I can. The vocabulary is CHERISH each other! We still hug and hold hands and empathize when we can. I did not answer the question, but after reading what you wrote, good luck, I wish I had a better answer. WOO: There is no better answer,

prain4u
11-27-2012, 09:12
I have no personal experience with relationships and the AT. However, I have plenty of experience with relationships and relationship counseling. I have thirty years of experience as a Pastor (including 13 years as a military chaplain) and 22+ years as a counselor in the secular world. (Clearly, some of those time periods overlap. I am old--but not THAT OLD).

I have dealt a great deal with Soldiers and military deployments. I have come to believe that there is a great deal of commonality between military deployments and people who leave their families to go on long distance hikes. It has been my experience that the relationships which were "strong" prior to the deployment (or hike)---usually remained strong and/or became stronger during the deployment/hike. Those relationships which were "struggling" prior to the deployment (or hike) continued to struggle and probably became worse during the period of absence and/or in the first year following the return from the deployment/hike. It really isn't the deployment/hike which causes the problems (or which causes the strengthening) in the relationship. The deployment/hike merely amplifies the problems (or strengths) which were already present in the relationship.

Here's another issue....When one partner is a (potential) distance hiker--and one is not---the process by which they "work through" whether (or not) the one partner goes on a thru hike is probably just reflective of the way in which they work through other major relationship issues--such as how many kids will we have, where will we live, how we will deal with finances etc. If the decision to go (or not go) on a thru hike causes problems in the relationship--there is a good possibility that SOME OTHER ISSUE would eventually cause a problem in a relationship too. The issue isn't really "Should he/she go on a thru hike?". The real issue is how do we work through those rough times when one partner wants something TOTALLY different than what the other partner wants? The ultimate "answer" to the thru hike question really isn't important. The process by which the couple ARRIVES at that answer is the real key to whether (or not) the relationship will endure.

Regarding cheating on the relationship....People who will cheat while out on the trail--or who will cheat while the other partner is away hiking the trail--would probably eventually cheat in other circumstances too. It is NOT the trail or the absence from the partner that causes the cheating. The trail doesn't cause the problems--it merely brings them to light.

For "unattached" people, meeting someone on the trail CAN lead to a long-term relationship or marriage. However, I wouldn't recommend entering into a marriage or other "permanent" relationship with that person during the hike or even during the first 18 months following the hike. (I would GENERALLY give the same "warning" about meeting someone in college or meeting someone if you are in the military for just a few years too). Such settings are not "real". They are temporary and very "specialized" settings which have very little in common with "normal" day-to-day life. Just because you can get along with someone on the trail (or at college or while in the military)--does not mean that you will be compatible in a more "typical" setting. People often behave differently when they have jobs to go to, bills to pay, other responsibilities, and when friends and/or family members present. If you meet someone on the trail, you probably need to take 18 months or so to get to know them OFF THE TRAIL--before you will have a clue as to whether you are REALLY compatible. (Face it, you rarely have mother-in-law issues on the trail and you generally don't have problems with work or the boss. Living in a house with "stuff" is far different than living in a tent and moving all of your possessions each day).

Is the trail a good place to go "looking for romance"? Frankly, most folks who go "looking for romance" ANYWHERE--rarely find lasting romance. More often than not, "lasting romance" tends to sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Are there exceptions to all of these things that I have stated? Will other WhiteBlaze posters be able to contradict everything that I have written with their own personal experiences? OF COURSE! I am merely presenting some GENERALITIES--not ABSOLUTES. (Someone can meet a person in a bar, move in with them that same night and have a wonderful 50 year romance, However, that is the EXCEPTION not the GENERAL pattern of things!. The same is true with what I am saying here. There are generalities and exceptions to every scenario.)

garlic08
11-27-2012, 09:19
My wife and I completed one thru hike together, the PCT. I know exactly what you mean by "testing" a marriage. We'd been married over 20 years when we made that hike, and we felt our marriage was tested. Five months together, 24-7, in often filthy, sometimes stressful, animal-like conditions, is a test for any relationship. Especially for two people who are essentially alike. Our marriage bent, but did not break. I can't say it's stronger, but we know more about each other now and we have more respect for each other. We travel better together and we own way less stuff than we used to. Ten years later, we're still married and it's still a fine partnership.

We feel anyone who hasn't hiked a long trail really can't understand us very well. Our closest mutual friends are trail friends. That's probably the greatest benefit we've gained from hiking.

To the other questions, long trails are an excellent place to develop long-lasting friendships. Not sure about romance, but friendship is the part of a relationship that really lasts in my opinion. I've never considered romance to be a part of long distance hiking. I tend to concentrate more on the physical aspects of a long hike than the emotional ones. I don't ignore emotions, but I don't dwell on them. (My wife's the same.)

HikerMom58
11-27-2012, 09:24
I'm enjoying this thread. Unfortunately, I don't have anything to add to this thread but I enjoying reading what others are sharing. Good stuff!!! :)

WanderWoman
11-27-2012, 11:29
"Sometime it last in love and sometime it hurts instead"

GoldenBear
11-27-2012, 13:25
All I can say is that, in marriage, the motto "HYOH" is ESPECIALLY important. People MUST ensure that they do not try to force their spouses to take up their own hiking style. This can include not hiking at all! If a couple can live by this creed, their marriage will most likely be enhanced. If not, they can only expect trouble.

My wife ("trail" name of Shuttle) and I have done backpacking together a total of one night -- and, the more I look back at it, the more thankful I am that she didn't hire a divorce attorney when it was over. Plain and simple, she endured a level of pain, both physical and emotional, that nobody should have to go through. And somehow she STILL wanted to stay married to me.

My "bug" for backpacking grows stronger every year; Shuttle never caught it and never will. Fortunately, we both recognized this fact many years ago and have found the PERFECT (at least for us) solution to this difference. Compromises like this are the essence of what makes a marriage enduring and an experience to cherish.

ChuckBrown
11-27-2012, 13:58
before my thru hike, when i was still a young 35, i imagined that I would meet the hiker girl of my dreams, some 5000 miles and 12 years later It has not happened. In all these miles hiked, all over the country, I have met folks who did meet there partner on the trail, most of those have not worked out, when removed from the trail environment. One couple , I know is still together, but that woman hiked three thru hikes before she met the right man.

the following are examples of people who met on the trail....

While sectioning GSNP, after my thru hike, A snow storm came up, so i went down a side trail, on that trail I met a guy who had thruhiked the year earlier. He offered me a ride to Gburg, he was very open about this story...when he started his hike he was engaged to a woman( I am from MA, you can marry any type of human you want.) on the trail he met another woman, they hooked up and were a couple for the majority of his hike, she knew he was engaged and did not care, she had the man she wanted. By the time the hike ended, they both began to feel guilty, man went home to his fiancé , woman went home, but continued to call man. Fiance, gets a hold of his cell phone, calls back the number and discovers other woman. They talk a couple of times, both woman decide man is a jerk and leave him.

Then there was the woman who met and married her partner in damascus, 450 miles into the hike and maybe six to eight weeks. Before they get out of VA, it turns out, he is a raging alcoholic and is arrested at hostel for assaulting(beating up) another hiker. Dude actually kicked out the window on police car, I m guessing he went to jail for while.

TheYoungOne
11-27-2012, 17:29
When I first started posting on WB, I was curious about the same subject and started this thread about finding love on a AT thru hike.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?70342-Anyone-find-love-on-a-Thru-Hike&highlight=

The reason why I asked was there was this cute young woman who was posting videos of her prep and her thru hike on Youtube. In the beginning she was with a large group of hikers, but has the hike progressed most of the group peeled off and she was basically hiking with one guy who was around her age. Pretty much one video entry you just know they finally did "it" even though nothing was officially said. The last video was of them getting a ride home from Katahdin and you get this weird "now what are we going to do" vibe. I have to admit I am real curious about where things stand in that relationship today. I'm suprised some TV network hasn'ty tried to film a reality show on the AT. I really hope they don't, but youtubeAT thru hike video trail journals are real interesting to watch.

I'm not going to post the Youtube link because I don't want to embarass the parties involved if they are members of WB.

Hill Ape
11-27-2012, 17:33
post the link, name names!!

Karma13
11-27-2012, 19:03
Seriously! Or at least give clues. :D

Hill Ape
11-27-2012, 20:13
well, he joined in sept of of '10, so it would have been someone planning a '11, and posting vids of prepping for it, and who actually made it, and has a vid of getting a ride at the end... yep, think i got her... stalking 101, i can teach college level courses :cool:

fredmugs
11-28-2012, 08:01
8 hours a day hiking on my first AT section hike made me realize I needed a divorce. Thanks AT!

HikerMom58
11-28-2012, 09:12
well, he joined in sept of of '10, so it would have been someone planning a '11, and posting vids of prepping for it, and who actually made it, and has a vid of getting a ride at the end... yep, think i got her... stalking 101, i can teach college level courses :cool:

............:cool:...........you got what it takes, Hill Ape.... LOL!

TheYoungOne
11-28-2012, 11:23
well, he joined in sept of of '10, so it would have been someone planning a '11, and posting vids of prepping for it, and who actually made it, and has a vid of getting a ride at the end... yep, think i got her... stalking 101, i can teach college level courses :cool:

Yep you found it. If you are not a detective, you missed your calling..lol

Actually the video I mentioned about "it" was removed and is not on the current play list. Ironically it was a discussion about sleeping pads, she had a Neo-air and he had a Z-lite. They were sharing a tent and there was some giggling. Something tells me if I, a complete stranger, figured it out with one view, mom & dad and other friends and family probably noticed it too.

Cute couple and you see them pop up together on other AT 2011 videos.

Hill Ape
11-28-2012, 14:31
my profession touches on this topic, and i always try to take the opportunity to impress on people the importance of protecting and maintaining their privacy.

sobering lesson in on-line privacy for everyone

i have her name, current and previous mailing address, names of relatives, and her listed home phone number

all jokes aside, information data compilers are frightening. something as simple as having a listed phone number, which is taken for granted by most people, exposes you to degree that would shock most people. every detail you allow out there either actively or passively, stays out there, forever. those details build, becoming a surprisingly complete profile. there are people (not me of course) who would misuse that information.

chief
11-28-2012, 15:06
"Sometime it last in love and sometime it hurts instead"Sometimes I burp and sometimes I fart instead.

bannerstone
11-28-2012, 16:10
Certainly not the same as long distance hiking but when my wife and I made the transition from road biking to a tandem road bike we discovered all sorts of things about our marriage and how we worked as a team. My wife had been a long distance cyclist for 35 years before we met and she introduced me to the sport. A couple years in, we bought the tandem, I naturally became the captain and she the stoker, it was a huge extention of faith on her part to give up control and it tested our communication, sensitivity, patience, forgiveness and much more. We found it to be the great metaphor for marriage because truthfully most couples don't well on a tandem. It takes novice riders a couple hundred miles to get confident riding together and amazingly about 5 times longer for experienced riders. Tandems listed on ebay are often referred to as divorce makers. :) Fortunately it became our best time together and our single bikes gathered dust while we racked 3-5K miles a year on our tandem.

A popular saying among married couples who tandem goes something like this; "wherever your relationship is headed, the tandem will get you there quicker." I suspect the same is true for thru hiking! :)


David

quilteresq
11-28-2012, 18:35
Certainly not the same as long distance hiking but when my wife and I made the transition from road biking to a tandem road bike we discovered all sorts of things about our marriage and how we worked as a team. My wife had been a long distance cyclist for 35 years before we met and she introduced me to the sport. A couple years in, we bought the tandem, I naturally became the captain and she the stoker, it was a huge extention of faith on her part to give up control and it tested our communication, sensitivity, patience, forgiveness and much more. We found it to be the great metaphor for marriage because truthfully most couples don't well on a tandem. It takes novice riders a couple hundred miles to get confident riding together and amazingly about 5 times longer for experienced riders. Tandems listed on ebay are often referred to as divorce makers. :) Fortunately it became our best time together and our single bikes gathered dust while we racked 3-5K miles a year on our tandem.

A popular saying among married couples who tandem goes something like this; "wherever your relationship is headed, the tandem will get you there quicker." I suspect the same is true for thru hiking! :)


David

Good for you. My husband and I decided early on our marriage would be better if we never got a tandem. Biked 1300 miles with him and my daughter in 2003. It was better after the first week. It was marriage testing during that first week.

Cookerhiker
11-28-2012, 18:42
Certainly not the same as long distance hiking but when my wife and I made the transition from road biking to a tandem road bike we discovered all sorts of things about our marriage and how we worked as a team. My wife had been a long distance cyclist for 35 years before we met and she introduced me to the sport. A couple years in, we bought the tandem, I naturally became the captain and she the stoker, it was a huge extention of faith on her part to give up control and it tested our communication, sensitivity, patience, forgiveness and much more. We found it to be the great metaphor for marriage because truthfully most couples don't well on a tandem. It takes novice riders a couple hundred miles to get confident riding together and amazingly about 5 times longer for experienced riders. Tandems listed on ebay are often referred to as divorce makers. :) Fortunately it became our best time together and our single bikes gathered dust while we racked 3-5K miles a year on our tandem.

A popular saying among married couples who tandem goes something like this; "wherever your relationship is headed, the tandem will get you there quicker." I suspect the same is true for thru hiking! :)


David

I've heard the same thing about kayaks - double kayaks are divorce machines.:D

quilteresq
11-28-2012, 20:53
We bought two kayaks, too!

Train Wreck
11-28-2012, 23:03
Certainly not the same as long distance hiking but when my wife and I made the transition from road biking to a tandem road bike we discovered all sorts of things about our marriage and how we worked as a team. My wife had been a long distance cyclist for 35 years before we met and she introduced me to the sport. A couple years in, we bought the tandem, I naturally became the captain and she the stoker, it was a huge extention of faith on her part to give up control and it tested our communication, sensitivity, patience, forgiveness and much more. We found it to be the great metaphor for marriage because truthfully most couples don't well on a tandem. It takes novice riders a couple hundred miles to get confident riding together and amazingly about 5 times longer for experienced riders. Tandems listed on ebay are often referred to as divorce makers. :) Fortunately it became our best time together and our single bikes gathered dust while we racked 3-5K miles a year on our tandem.

A popular saying among married couples who tandem goes something like this; "wherever your relationship is headed, the tandem will get you there quicker." I suspect the same is true for thru hiking! :)


David

Ditto for tandem whitewater canoeing. My husband and I learned to paddle well together and have done some pretty challenging rivers over the years, but it definitely isn't for everyone.

Thirsty DPD
11-28-2012, 23:11
In a 16' canoe, there's a reason your 10-11 feet apart, and have only 4' paddles.

melaniebk
11-28-2012, 23:33
In a 16' canoe, there's a reason your 10-11 feet apart, and have only 4' paddles.

Hahahaha! I'm really enjoying this thread.

Train Wreck
11-28-2012, 23:42
In a 16' canoe, there's a reason your 10-11 feet apart, and have only 4' paddles.

I actually knew a couple who had the back of the bow partner's life jacket marked "Left" and "Right". The stern partner was visually dyslexic or something, and he always yelled out the opposite direction he meant to say.

Train Wreck
11-28-2012, 23:43
In a 16' canoe, there's a reason your 10-11 feet apart, and have only 4' paddles.

And wear helmets! :D

NotYet
11-29-2012, 00:01
My boyfriend of 4 years and I decided to thru-hike southbound in 2000. He'd done two previous thru-hikes, and we both had a lot of hiking experience. We figured that a thru-hike had the potential to "make or break us" as a couple because there are many stressors involved and we'd be around each other 24/7 for several months! That's not why we chose to hike, but we were aware of the fact that the hike could ruin our relationship and/or our relationship could ruin the hike! Not wanting either of those outcomes, before we headed for the trail we discussed how we'd treat each other and what we'd do if the either wanted or needed to leave the trail, and we also agreed to try to communicate openly and honestly with each other throughout the trip.

On the trail, we found that we could share long silences very comfortably and that we were still good at being ourselves while being together. To be successful on the trail and to remain successful as a couple we needed to be flexible, listen carefully, be ready and willing to adapt to changing expectations and circumstances. We ended up getting engaged on the trail (at Buzzard Rock in SW Virginia). We've now been married for eleven years and the lessons learned on the trail continue to strengthen our relationship as we explore new trails and take on new challenges together.

NotYet
11-29-2012, 00:26
TYPO correction from above post: ...and what we'd do if either wanted or needed to leave the trail....

Red Hat
11-29-2012, 08:05
I have been on and off the trail for the past 10 years. I've seen marriages strengthened by the trail, and I've seen marriages fall apart on the trail (or afterwards). I've seen couples hike together and get married afterwards. I've seen couples hike together, get married, and get divorced withing a few years. My late husband was wonderful about supporting my hike, but not all spouses are so supportive. Since he passed away three years ago, I have met someone who shares my love for the trail, and we continue to hike together. But, at my age, I certainly wasn't looking for romance on the trail.

Thirsty DPD
11-29-2012, 09:32
And wear helmets! :D

Canoes, being divorce boat, and kevlar being a popular material, I'm surprized we haven't seen kevlar PFD's.

wren again
11-29-2012, 09:55
After three years of section hikes without my husband, he joined me last summer. He wasn't sure he would be able to physically manage this, but he worked hard to get stronger and prepare. Our longest day last summer was 16 miles and I was very proud of him. He enjoyed the experience very much, especially meeting other hikers, and is planning to go again summer 2013. After 30 years of marriage, this gives us something new that we can talk about, plan for, and experience.

prain4u
11-29-2012, 10:12
Such insights don't just pertain to romantic relationships....

Following my high school graduation, I went on a two week canoe trip with my best friend of 7 years. We were in the same car on the 8 hour trip to the canoeing area and during the 8 hour ride back home. Every day we were in the same canoe all day. Every waking hour (while in camp) we were always "confined" together on the same small islands. We both slept in the same (small) 2-person tent each night. By the end of the two-week trip--we pretty much wanted to "kill" each other. We needed some "space" from each other for a while after our return home from the trip.

We are still friends nearly 33 years later--but we will frequently laugh about the lessons we learned on that trip regarding the disadvantages of having too much togetherness. Even back then (as stupid 18 year olds) we both concluded that there was a very good reason why one (or both) spouses typically goes away to a place of employment for 8-12 hours each day (and why houses have multiple rooms). Being within 2 to 50 feet of each other 24/7 for days on end can potentially drive people nuts!

At least on a hiking trip you can get usually choose to create a little more space away from each other (as compared to canoeing in the same canoe and camping on small islands). Furthermore, using one-person tents and hammocks can help a great deal too.

"So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I'm praying for the end of time
(It's all that I can do--do-do)
Praying for the end of time, so I can end my time with you!!!
---Meat Loaf ("Paradise By the Dashboard Lights")

tnvarmint
11-29-2012, 21:23
I have to agree with prain4u. Coming from a Navy background, any thing that stresses a marriage or relationship will only make a strong one stronger and a weak one weaker. Be it a hike together or a partner leaving the other for a thru hike.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Datto
11-29-2012, 22:50
A northbound AT thru-hiker and his girlfriend were hiking the Appalachian Trail north of Duncannon, Pennsylvania when the thru-hiker realized he had started to hike at a thru-hiker pace and had gotten way far ahead of his girlfriend.

The thru-hiker stopped to wait for his girlfriend to catch up when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, God said, "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

The thru-hiker stepped to the side of the Trail to think about his wish and finally said to God, "Pave the Appalachian Trail all the way to Katahdin so I don't have to hike through all these terrible rocks on the Trail."

God replied, "Your request is self-centered; think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. Think of the steady supports required just to reach the bottom of the Kennebec River in Maine just to build the necessary bridge -- and that's just one of them -- and the concrete and steel it would take for the treadway to be stable! Think of all the controversy such an undertaking would create. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire to make your trek so easy when others before you have had to overcome difficult challenges to complete their hikes. Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help mankind instead."

The hiker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, 'God, I wish that I, and all men, could understand women; I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment at the shelters, why she cries even when it's sunny, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, why she snaps and complains when I try to help, and how I can make a woman truly happy."

A long silence ensued and then God replied, "You want that concrete or asphalt for the treadway?"


Datto