Safety Meetings

[GTStricky]

I just watched a rather long youtube video that documented a thru hike. The middle aged host was often filmed red eyed and discussing his recent safety meeting. His interviews of fellw hikers often included a question as to why they were hiking the trail. Most often the answer was "to find myself" or "to take a break from the real world". It seemed to be a bit of the hippie seen again.

Back in the late 90's I spent more time on the trail and the TH's always seemed less like the party crowd his video depicted.

So for those on the trail recenetly is the general feel of the experience one of relaxation and partying? (I know it is hard to steriotype)

Do people that are hiking the trail for certain reasons (health, recent family death, lost job, life goal) get discouraged by the party crowd?

I am not passing judgement on anyone. I am trying to ascertain if at every shelter and lunch stop there will be smokers and what my personal comfort is with that.

[yonderway]

I totally enjoyed Seven's film.

If you want to hike unsafe, no one is going to judge you. That video is edited to portray one of many possible experiences. There is a party element, if you don't want to be involved then don't be, it's not hard.

If you ask a bunch of stoners, you'll get a bunch of stoner answers.

Take it for it is, both the trail and the movie.

[Ktaadn]

I'm a section hiker and all of my hikes have been in the mid-Atlantic states, so I can only speak to the thru hikers that I have met in the region. I would not describe the people that I have met as relaxed or partiers. I would say that they are mostly humble, respectful, and also focused on finishing by the time they get here. Most of them spoke about mileage, water, food, meeting up with other hikers...typical stuff that you would expect. I have seen some smokers, but the people that were most open about it were in the minority. Maybe most of the hard-core partiers have dropped out by the time they get here?

[Sarcasm the elf]

Your other thread notes that you plan to section hike. Most of the shenanigans you mention happen when the main bubble of thru hikers are in a particular area. You can easily avoid it by hiking outside of the peak season. Often times when i hike in April or October, i will have a shelter site all to myself.

[Dogwood]

It's all relative.

[RangerZ]

I just watched a rather long youtube video that documented a thru hike. The middle aged host was often filmed red eyed and discussing his recent safety meeting. His interviews of fellw hikers often included a question as to why they were hiking the trail. Most often the answer was "to find myself" or "to take a break from the real world". It seemed to be a bit of the hippie seen again.

Back in the late 90's I spent more time on the trail and the TH's always seemed less like the party crowd his video depicted.

So for those on the trail recenetly is the general feel of the experience one of relaxation and partying? (I know it is hard to steriotype)

Do people that are hiking the trail for certain reasons (health, recent family death, lost job, life goal) get discouraged by the party crowd?

I am not passing judgement on anyone. I am trying to ascertain if at every shelter and lunch stop there will be smokers and what my personal comfort is with that.

Took me a while to understand his "safety meetings".

Like others have said, it shouldn't be hard to avoid.

[rickb]

Thank goodness for urbandictionary.com

[fastfoxengineering]

I also watched a lot of his material.. didn't catch onto the "safety meeting" thing until after a while. Kinda chuckled once I caught on to what he was doing.

Yeah, a lot of people smoke pot on the trail. A lot of people also use harder drugs, drink, and smoke tobacco. Doesn't mean everyone is a stoner. There are a lot of responsible, kind, generous, and respectful marijuana users out there. I gave it up a while ago, but I don't look down on anyone for smoking weed.

You'll get to places where people are acting irresponsibly. Drinking, smoking, causing a ruckus. If it's not your scene, move on.

You'll get to places where a group of people are relaxing after a long day, having a good laugh by the campfire, enjoying each others company, not hurting a fly, and it's a comfy welcoming atmosphere. Aside from the smell, you prob wouldn't even know some of them were using marijuana.

Also, all though some do make it to Maine, 9/10 people that party hard for a long duration of their thru hike, either run out of money or time. MOST people do not have 7 months and $10,000 to get to Katahdin with a deathly hangover and an epic story.

On a further note, sevens goal WAS to party this thru hike. He said it a few times that he wanted to go to all the cool party spots off the trail and hit the hiker feeds/festivals. He was mostly around the party scene and therefore interview mostly "party" hikers.

[msumax1985]

I've only hiked the first 531 miles from Springer in March/April/May and not seen much like his video. Maybe 5% might be like that. Most everyone I've seen is focused on Maine. At that time of year it is too cold to be sitting around the woods just for the party. Much of his video seems to be from warmer weather.

[GTStricky]

Thanks everyone. I really appriciate the responses.

[Alligator]

Closed per TOS #4.