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  1. #81
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    booze and drugs exist on all of the trail, but its very very common in the bubble.

    do what you need to do to protect your quit...

  2. #82
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    Quote Originally Posted by TylerJ76 View Post
    I am just curious if anyone else was/in my boat.

    January 1st of 2017 will be my 2 year sober anniversary.

    I am not planning on my Thru until 2020.

    That being said, everything I have read, seen on YouTube depicts this drug and alcohol scene that just isn't a part of who I am anymore.

    I have a pretty good control on my sobriety, I am just curious if anyone else has been in my shoes?

    Are my concerns legit? Or am I worrying about nothing?
    Hey, we’re likely well beyond the initial post but this is a topic of such consequence that it continues as a thread.
    My experience is that, if you tell someone straight up that you have been there and done that, and that it was not good for you, they will not only respect you but engage you in a conversation about the pitfall. Ok, the 20 year olds are full of Shiite and are apt to babble, but would you seriously follow their guidance to the privy much less in life? HYOH is a lot more important in life than on the trail...
    Please view YouTube channel “Thru-hiking with Scars” for updates on my 2018 Charity AT Thru-hike, supporting the Cancer Research Institute

  3. #83

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    Having been sober for a bunch a years now I’ve come to really find drunks annoying as hell, I’m not talking about tipsy people, they’re funny and fun, I mean the in your face slurring loud drunkards...I just excuse myself, and then take my leave of them!

  4. #84
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    "Are my concerns legit?"
    Completely. Take protecting your sobriety on the trail as seriously as you do off the trail.
    There will be opportunities to relapse on the trail and in towns. And no high mountain, broad river, bad weather or long walk - or anything else including jobs and families - have kept us from using when we decide to.
    Pay attention to the advice given here by those who know and avoid the parties, just like you would off trail.
    And remember not to HALT - get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired. I don't know if you get lonely. On the trail it is guaranteed you will get hungry and tired, which can lead to frustrated, to angry, to resentful, and resentment is what we tend to relapse over most often. If you are working a program then you need to work it on the trail, also. Here are some suggestions.
    Meetings in trail towns. You can get meetings lists with phone numbers for every state the trail goes through from the AA World Services Office in New York. You can also get them online. Just as you are likely to plan resupply points, etc, and carry the relevant trail guide pages, you can do the same with meetings in the towns you stop in. As you probably know, just call the local AA number and someone will come and get you.
    Hike with another recovering person. The best. Remember the joke, "All you need for a meeting is two drunks and one resentment."
    If you do not have a sponsor, get one. If you have not done all twelve steps with a sponsor, do it. The steps are recovery.
    Keep in contact with your sponsor and other recovering people at home while you are on trail. Phone calls, texting, email are all ways to do that.
    There are online meetings.
    If you have created some recovery habits like daily prayer, journaling, reading recovery literature, continue that on the trail as well.
    If I make it I will celebrate my 36th sober anniversary on Thanksgiving day. I worked as an addiction counselor for 12 years. I relapsed when I first started - I was tired, lonely and frustrated and someone innocently offered me a drink and I took "just" one sip. By the end of the week I was doing a bottle a day and the relapsed lasted one really horrible month. Since then I have been spared another relapse.
    In both my work and my own recovery program I have seen many people relapse, and ,many of those seemingly out of no where, despite best intentions and feeling confident. I mean people with decades of sobriety. The suffering of others, and my relapse, helped me understand that calling this a disease that is cunning, baffeling and powerful is not a joke, a silly catch phrase or propaganda. It is deeply serious.
    The big tip is not to wait until you crave or are tempted. The big tip is to finish the 12 steps, formulate what works for you as a program - just like hike your own hike - and then practice your program daily, so when relapse threatens, you are prepared.
    Sobriety is like liberty. The price is constant vigilance.
    "Legit?"
    Hell yeah.
    .



    Sailor

  5. #85
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    Just get it into your head that you just don't drink any more. The rest is details. Albeit important details!!

  6. #86
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    Forgive this post if it's a bit long but I have a story to tell. Back in 2009 I took my first walk on the Appalachian Trail. At the time I was a heavy/daily drinker. (Beer my weapon of choice). I was completely out of shape and roughly 60lbs over weight. I don't remember why I decided to hike the trail but for whatever reason, I did.

    The hike was relatively short. I caught a shuttle out of Damascus up to Elk Garden about 30 miles to the north and hiked back. Initially, the plan was to take three days getting back. I figured 10 miles a day wasn't too much to ask of a fat out of shape guy. I wound up doing the walk in two days but not for the reasons you might think. I was so completely miserable that I literally death marched the entire thing just so I could get out of the woods as soon as possible. Knees ached, legs ached, everything ached. The trip was a disaster in every conceivable way other than I managed to hobble back to my car unassisted by anyone. I did however walk the last several miles back on the Creeper Trail because my legs and knees couldn't take the downhills anymore. I cannot relate in words how miserable I felt.

    So I drive back home and despite being sore, dehydrated, and beaten to a pulp, something strange happened. I started looking back on those two miserable days in a different light. Fondly remembering things that at the time I couldn't enjoy or didn't realize I was enjoying. So I get back home and obviously have mixed emotions about the entire episode. And then came the moment of clarity. I could enjoy this a lot if I weren't so out of shape. I looked at the reasons for my terrible shape and it all came back to my lack of motivation and the heavy drinking I did daily. I actually stopped drinking soon after. For good. Haven't had a drop since. 9 years and counting. Lost about 70 pounds in the process too.

    Since that fateful (life changing) experience I've been all over the country hiking. I've climbed several 14ers in Colorado. Hiked the Wind Rivers in Wyoming. Even hiked the JMT back in 2012. Not to mention almost all of the AT between the approach Trail and Damascus. I've lived more in the last 9 years than I ever did the previous 39. All because I quit drinking.

    So to get back on track of this topic, I'm not worried in the slightest about having a relapse on the trail this year. I wouldn't give up sobriety for anything. It's my thing now. I'm sober. Love it. If I get in a group of rowdy party people I'll be fine. I probably won't stay around them long but there's no temptation so no worries. I hope everyone who enjoys their sobriety will continue to do so on trail and for those who like to party a bit, I'm sure they'll have a great time as well. Sorry for the long post.

  7. #87
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    Consider an alternative trail, such as Great Eastern Trail http://www.gethiking.net

    Less weed, more weeds.

  8. #88

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    On an AT hike we each have the ability to create and embrace the environment we desire to a very large extent.

    Camp away from others. Eat away from others. Choose those you embrace and environment according to the character you wish to be surrounded.

    TIP: Be careful of tee totalers that don't drink(?) yet look down on those that do(or smoke weed) but pop OTC and pharmaceutical drugs as if they were not really drugs. Vitamin I(ibuprofen) and other non steroidal anti inflammatories(NSAID's, a category of pain relievers) use may be one of the most rampantly abused drugs on the AT.

  9. #89
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    Quote Originally Posted by Another Kevin View Post
    Don't hike with Terry Coyle. His videos, to the extent they reflect reality at all, reflect only a small slice of it.

    You pretty quickly get a feel for who's there to hike and who's there to party. It's pretty easy to avoid the second group, particularly if you avoid the crowded shelters near the highway. That's no easier, and no harder, than not walking into the gin mill that you pass on your way home from work.

    The only joints I roll on a trail are my ankles.
    Talking about Terry Coyle which goes by "7" on the trail, has anyone heard from him recently?

  10. #90
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    The last video I seen of his he done found himself a woman. Been probably a couple years ago now, I used to enjoy his videos.

  11. #91
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    I will have 30 years sober on 7/28. Been in the bubble several times. Daily concern is always there. I hike solo. I hammock and just observe what is going on and hike out of the shelter area if I smell or feel, or see any of "it". I am a certified addiction counselor. I am not recruiting for my life style. Frankly, there is more going on within 1 mile of me right now, in my location, than within 1 mile of anything out there, on trail, or in a trail town. My rule is that if somelthing is saying to me "you really don't need to be here right now", I go. I never stare at "it"; I move. Once upon a time, I was with a group of 6 overnight. In a very bad place in NC. I didn't know them. They knew each other and hiked together a section once a year. At breakfast, I guy pulled out a 5th (honestly, a 5th, bottle and all, of Wild Turkey) and poured a shot in everyone's cup. Not mine. I just said I had all I could stand of that today. Which was true. I can stand none. And I let them leave first, trailing them. Bad storm hit. Got cold. I changed stuff. Couldn't see. Down to the road. Sun was out. They were beat up. Ambulance on the way. One broken arm. Bent trek poles. Story of one almost going off the ridge. They all evaced. To take care of each other. I hiked on alone. There is a bubble, there is a pack. I drift with them, very emotionally and self contained wiith plan and gear. So I can get my butt out of there. I give myself the right to live. And honestly, who carries a 5th of ETOH on the AT?

  12. #92

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    I left about a week in front of the bubble. Stayed ahead of it the entire time, except for the "runners" who flew by me. Finished in 140 days. I think I had 4 beers the entire trip. Was invited to join in a smoke at about 3 campfires and declined. No harm, no foul.

    I was in my late fifties, but was hiking with guys in their early and late twenties and another guy in his late thirties. None of my guys were big drinkers or partiers and we did not see any debauchery in the trail towns. I honestly feel that those leaving early might be little more serious about the hiking part. I know it happens out there, but I did not experience it. Good luck.

  13. #93
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    If you don't struggle with sobriety the occasional trail "party" can be a great time. One of my best trail memories was a few miles north of Srtatton ME. A group of 5-6 of us ran into each other at the camp site and we all had whisky or wine. While we didn't hike together we got to know each other over the past few months. We sat around the fire sipping on our booze, sharing stories, sunging songs and laughing. There was a group of college freshmen on an orientation trip and after a while they came to talk to us about our hikes. We had a nice long Q and A session, and while they did not partake they all seemed to have a good time and everybody in both groups was very respectful of each other. This wasn't a nightly thing for any of us and we paid for it the next day. While in essence this was no different than the partying that goes on in the southern part, it had a much different feel. A group of hikers reminiscing about our experiences over the last several months and celebrating the rapidly approaching completion of our hikes rather than just getting hammered for the sake of getting hammered. Either way, if you are worried about your sobriety I would just avoid any group drinking and smoking.

  14. #94

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pony View Post
    If you don't struggle with sobriety the occasional trail "party" can be a great time. One of my best trail memories was a few miles north of Srtatton ME. A group of 5-6 of us ran into each other at the camp site and we all had whisky or wine. While we didn't hike together we got to know each other over the past few months. We sat around the fire sipping on our booze, sharing stories, sunging songs and laughing. There was a group of college freshmen on an orientation trip and after a while they came to talk to us about our hikes. We had a nice long Q and A session, and while they did not partake they all seemed to have a good time and everybody in both groups was very respectful of each other. This wasn't a nightly thing for any of us and we paid for it the next day. While in essence this was no different than the partying that goes on in the southern part, it had a much different feel. A group of hikers reminiscing about our experiences over the last several months and celebrating the rapidly approaching completion of our hikes rather than just getting hammered for the sake of getting hammered. Either way, if you are worried about your sobriety I would just avoid any group drinking and smoking.

    Dude! With all due respect, this thread is to support sobriety, not talk about how much fun it is to drink with your hiking buddies!

  15. #95

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    Quote Originally Posted by clay pot View Post
    I will have 30 years sober on 7/28.
    Congratulations!

  16. #96

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    Quote Originally Posted by JNI64 View Post
    The last video I seen of his he done found himself a woman. Been probably a couple years ago now, I used to enjoy his videos.
    I never enjoyed his videos. Saw one where a young lady worried her mom would see what she was doing. If you’re worried about that, you ain’t on the right path.

  17. #97

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    Quote Originally Posted by TylerJ76 View Post
    I am just curious if anyone else was/in my boat.

    January 1st of 2017 will be my 2 year sober anniversary.

    I am not planning on my Thru until 2020.

    That being said, everything I have read, seen on YouTube depicts this drug and alcohol scene that just isn't a part of who I am anymore.

    I have a pretty good control on my sobriety, I am just curious if anyone else has been in my shoes?

    Are my concerns legit? Or am I worrying about nothing?
    Approaching 3 years since this thread started, which has not slowed down responses, I presume you are still sorted out, sober, and not as fragile as you were in the fall of 2016 after a few dozen months of sobriety.

    Not everything I have seen, read, or experienced depicts booze and drugs on the trail, but it can appear that way I'm sure. There are a lot of journals, videos and other mediums used to capture the AT experience but keep in mind it's the filter of the author that you are seeing it through. If the author is 23 and wants to party constantly, that's what you will read about or view. If the author is a photographer intent on introspection and a Coffee Table book, that's what you will read about or view.

    I won't say you are worried about nothing, much as I would never say don't worry about Norovirus. Being prepared for both tends to be the best defense against either. Defend against Norovirus by practicing good hygiene is the most practical way to avoid it., The same applies to sobriety, be ready with a friendly hands up to pass on trail booze (the backwash from a group pulling on the same bottle is disturbing enough), when the current crew of trail pals wander into a tavern on a town trip be ready with the "I have laundry to do and letters to write" excuse. Be prepared to move away from things that appear to be getting out of hand.

    Like me, you will probably find there are people who never cross the sobriety line, there will be some people who may share a pull or two from a flask or joint as they settle into camp. I would not consider these people to be a sobriety threat when all you need do is wave off the offer with an appreciative smile. You will probably also run across some folks who act as if they are on their first trip away from home who drink for hours, are loud and obnoxious, and will probably not survive the trek unless that changes.

    My guess is you will be prepared and fare well on the trek. You could also be of great help to someone in that last category that you run across after chasing off anyone who can tolerate their behavior and they have reached bottom. While you won't find any ironclad assurances of your sobriety, you will find helping someone find that first step off the bottom will be a positive way to help ensure it.

    Good luck next year!
    Last edited by Traveler; 07-09-2019 at 09:06.

  18. #98
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    Quote Originally Posted by Traffic Jam View Post
    Dude! With all due respect, this thread is to support sobriety, not talk about how much fun it is to drink with your hiking buddies!
    Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come off that way. I've been offered beers at road crossing, and found them in trail magic coolers. We found a 1 liter bottle of whisky in the middle of the trail in boiling springs. I can't count the number of times section hikers offered me alcohol. One time in vermont i talked to a french canadian family at a park and as i was cooking my dinner, they sent their 5 ur old daughter over to me to give me a beer, never even knew where they were camped. I guess the point that i was trying to make is that unless you avoid people, you're gonna run into drugs and alcohol. I chose a poor analogy.

  19. #99
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    Quote Originally Posted by Traveler View Post
    Approaching 3 years since this thread started, which has not slowed down responses, I presume you are still sorted out, sober, and not as fragile as you were in the fall of 2016 after a few dozen months of sobriety.

    Not everything I have seen, read, or experienced depicts booze and drugs on the trail, but it can appear that way I'm sure. There are a lot of journals, videos and other mediums used to capture the AT experience but keep in mind it's the filter of the author that you are seeing it through. If the author is 23 and wants to party constantly, that's what you will read about or view. If the author is a photographer intent on introspection and a Coffee Table book, that's what you will read about or view.

    I won't say you are worried about nothing, much as I would never say don't worry about Norovirus. Being prepared for both tends to be the best defense against either. Defend against Norovirus by practicing good hygiene is the most practical way to avoid it., The same applies to sobriety, be ready with a friendly hands up to pass on trail booze (the backwash from a group pulling on the same bottle is disturbing enough), when the current crew of trail pals wander into a tavern on a town trip be ready with the "I have laundry to do and letters to write" excuse. Be prepared to move away from things that appear to be getting out of hand.

    Like me, you will probably find there are people who never cross the sobriety line, there will be some people who may share a pull or two from a flask or joint as they settle into camp. I would not consider these people to be a sobriety threat when all you need do is wave off the offer with an appreciative smile. You will probably also run across some folks who act as if they are on their first trip away from home who drink for hours, are loud and obnoxious, and will probably not survive the trek unless that changes.

    My guess is you will be prepared and fare well on the trek. You could also be of great help to someone in that last category that you run across after chasing off anyone who can tolerate their behavior and they have reached bottom. While you won't find any ironclad assurances of your sobriety, you will find helping someone find that first step off the bottom will be a positive way to help ensure it.

    Good luck next year!
    so well written!
    humor is the gadfly on the corpse of tragedy

  20. #100
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    I will be starting my thru-hike March 2020. I am 4 months sober now and have every intention of hiking sober. I attribute my failure to complete the trail back in 2013 at least in some part to my addiction. Hope to run in to you!

    -Flood

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