Have thru hikers become standoffish?

[Different Socks]

Met several CDT thru hikers the last few weeks at East Glacier. A couple of them were going thru their resupply boxes, others were relaxing. I introduced myself, gave them my trail name, said where I'd hiked, the thru hikes I'd done and their response? Pretty much nothing. for the entire 20-30 min we shared the space of the common area, any answers they gave were short one or 2 word sentences.
Now I understand they were concentrating on going thru their food and gear, but they still seemed rather standoffish, as if since I wasn't on the trail and thru hiking like them, with them or met them on the trail, I didn't matter to them.
Same thing happened last week when I met another hiker attempting a Triple Crown. She reacted as if I was a bother to talk to.

What happened to thru hikers being friendly people, eager to talk about their trials and accomplishments off or on the trail?

[Another Kevin]

What happened? Probably nothing. The answer to any question about people seems to be "some are and some ain't."

[kayak karl]

you proved three people are stand-offish or 3 people don't want to talk to YOU.

[Sly]

Probably dues to a disparity in ages. Even though conventional wisdom says otherwise, many younger people think the know it all and can't be bothered.

[BirdBrain]

I have seen a large sample size because I go SoBo. The majority I see are friendly, but in a hurry. Most give the cordial "have a good hike". Some tarry. Normally the ones that tarry also talk funny. Odd thing is they say I talk funny.

Oh! And one more thing. The older they are, the more apt they are to talk to me. I think because my hair is white, we have more in common and as such have more to talk about.

[rickb]

We have lost our novelty.

It used to be everyone felt an immediate bond -- like that of two strangers who just learned they attended the same high school in a small Iowa town.

Not so much now.

I no longer feel compelled to share with thru hikers that I did the tail over 30 years ago. No one really cares.

[Different Socks]

We have lost our novelty.

It used to be everyone felt an immediate bond -- like that of two strangers who just learned they attended the same high school in a small Iowa town.

Not so much now.

I no longer feel compelled to share with thru hikers that I did the tail over 30 years ago. No one really cares.

I am getting that feeling also.

[Lone Wolf]

We have lost our novelty.

It used to be everyone felt an immediate bond -- like that of two strangers who just learned they attended the same high school in a small Iowa town.

Not so much now.

I no longer feel compelled to share with thru hikers that I did the tail over 30 years ago. No one really cares.

i hardly ever talk to thru-hikers here in damascus. i like sectioners a lot better. besides most thru-hikers have their nose in their devices

[changed]

I met a lot of NoBo's that were severely embittered towards the trail.

By the time I quit, I was the same way, though, and I only walked 639 miles.

[Spirit Walker]

Why were the hikers bitter?

As to the OP, when we hiked the PCT, we ran into a SOBO section hiker in northern California. He said that of all the hikers he met, we were the first who actually talked to him. Everyone else was in too much of a hurry. We remembered the days on the CDT when meeting any other hiker was a big deal, so we were happy to visit for a while.

[CELTIC BUCK]

When you're a late teen to early 20 something you know everything. Those that survive those years; yes I did say survive , events occur to allow us realize that how lucky and stupid we were. Talk and listen everybody has wisdom or at least a good tale to share

[Cobble]

East Glacier on the CDT? Well if they were finishing up the CDT that might be the reason.
-CDT has a lot more lonely stretches from what I hear. Maybe they were just used to silence.
-The NoBos in Maine on the AT that I saw last year were so zeroed in on Katahdin that they didn't want to talk to anyone...processing the end of the journey...or just so tired.

So clearly I don't know the specifics but you know it could have been a hundred different things or just their personality. But Thru Hikers seem less social overall since I began my sections in '04 to me. (I wondered if it was as I worked my way North though)

[BrianLe]

Posted today about "last few weeks" in East Glacier --- these were SOBOs, and not much more than a week into their hike at that point.

I guess "who knows" is the right answer. I wouldn't generalize from one encounter.

"What happened to thru hikers being friendly people, eager to talk about their trials and accomplishments off or on the trail"

I think those are two different things --- friendly, vs. eager to talk about trials and accomplishments. FWIW.

"Same thing happened last week when I met another hiker attempting a Triple Crown. She reacted as if I was a bother to talk to."

I think context is important. Not just yours, but --- what you can't know about --- hers.

I've definitely encountered thru-hikers when I've been section hiking that seemed to have the attitude you describe. I'd like to think this is LESS prevalent on the CDT, but ... who knows.

[TroutknuT]

Drove into Mountain Harbour Hostel to start a section hike. Full hostel of thru hikers going through there gear and everyone was closed mouth and stand offish. At first I felt snubbed... Was it me still dressed in real world cotton... Was I an outsider crashing a tight knit group? Being full of piss and vinegar and jacked for my hike I began to feel less than,but as each hiker came out of a warm shower each and everyone of them became more social. It turns out each hiker had just pushed through 3 days of wind, cold and heavy rain. I still find it hard to not judge others till I have walked in ther shoes.

[JumpMaster Blaster]

i hardly ever talk to thru-hikers here in damascus. i like sectioners a lot better. besides most thru-hikers have their nose in their devices

Plus, how many thrus have you met in the last few years keep coming back to visit the little charming towns along the trail?

There's a reason I visit Damascus a few times every year.

[rocketsocks]

To cool fer school...scheez.

[Starchild]

...Was I an outsider crashing a tight knit group? Being full of piss and vinegar and jacked for my hike I began to feel less than,but as each hiker came out of a warm shower each and everyone of them became more social. It turns out each hiker had just pushed through 3 days of wind, cold and heavy rain. I still find it hard to not judge others till I have walked in ther shoes.

This.. I take as what happened. While thru hiking the group goes through similar experiences, a tough section in weather can cause a situation where many just do not want to talk. The thru's will understand because they will all be in the same situation, so I would not take it as they were standoffish just that they were in that place of their hike where they were mentally exhausted and it was not the time to talk.

[Moosling]

I agree with Troutknut

I think you have 2 types of people that thru hike (Based on the Hikers I have met)

Type #1: Has Spent years of planning and made financial arrangements and worked to get the privilege of taking a large amount of time away from the world to do a thru hike.

Type #2: Some fresh out of School rich kids who's mommy and daddy pay their bills and can just go and start whenever they want with nothing to worry about.
Disclaimer: I'm not saying all people who may have been in a better financial situation than others and were able to do a thru hike all act this way but many seem to.

I've played Sports all of my life, I never had a lot of money but I loved to play, I was never the best player I just had fun and pushed myself. There are always kids in sports who work their butts off to get to the pros, and then there are the kids born with a silver spoon in their mouth who got to go to the best baseball, basketball, hockey etc. camps.

Their attitudes are just different. but they are still athletes.

We take a lot for granted in this world and its harder for some people to adopt a more humble attitude than others. Give them time age will work it out.

I'm open to comments on this, this is just my personal opinion from being a section hiker and running into Thru Hikers on the AT, 99% of them have been great and were happy to share advice and shelters with me which I am forever greatful.

[Namtrag]

I didn't meet more than 10 this spring, but I found the ones I met to be friendly without fail.

[BirdBrain]

I didn't meet more than 10 this spring, but I found the ones I met to be friendly without fail.

We find in people what we are looking for. Sometimes it is not there no matter how hard we look. Those looking to be offended will likely be offended by what I just said. Those that look for other things will understand. If I can get them to stop. I am one question. How far are you coming from? If they are section hiking, the conversation is normally good. If they are a thru, they often are in a hurry. If they answer from.Springer. I give them a genuine "wow". That is usually enough to get a smile in return. Again, they are in a hurry. Often I get a have a good hike as they move on. Sometimes they stop. Once in a while, I get nothing.