When will it end?

[Mother Natures Son]

Now that the average age for the At is going up, I was wondering when something end? (Over the top drinking etc.)

[JNI64]

It will never end. We're doomed

[RockDoc]

No, that's not right. It's a bimodal age distribution. Lots of pre-college youth, and lots of retirees. The people in the middle are to busy with jobs, children, and mortgages to go hiking much.
It's also bimodal in terms of income, millionaires sitting with folks who can't scrape two nickels together.
It's sort of humorous, when you think about it. Where else are these groups sitting around together?

[peakbagger]

The AT will probably disappear from lack of maintenance long before. Most of the trail clubs have the same issues, the median age is probably mid to late sixties, young folks just do not volunteer for group activities.

[Gambit McCrae]

No, that's not right. It's a bimodal age distribution. Lots of pre-college youth, and lots of retirees. The people in the middle are to busy with jobs, children, and mortgages to go hiking much.
It's also bimodal in terms of income, millionaires sitting with folks who can't scrape two nickels together.
It's sort of humorous, when you think about it. Where else are these groups sitting around together?

I agree with this����

[Slugg]

I don’t get your question

[gpburdelljr]

Here is an article based on a 2022 survey of 403 people. Early on in the article is a graph of age distribution.
https://thetrek.co/the-2022-at-thru-...l-information/

[Mother Natures Son]

Hanging out at Iron Master's hostel I notice the avenge age is going way up. The youngest was 30's, the oldest was 60s.

[JNI64]

The AT will probably disappear from lack of maintenance long before. Most of the trail clubs have the same issues, the median age is probably mid to late sixties, young folks just do not volunteer for group activities.

I agree with this 100 % . This next generation running things oh boy we're doomed

[Traveler]

Funny how things remain the same over many generations, for example:

"Children; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. They no longer rise when elders enter the room, they contradict their parents and tyrannize their teachers. Chlldren are now tyrants."

This from Socrates sometime around 390 BCE. Somehow as a species we have managed to avoid the prognostications of ancient philosophers.

[Seatbelt]

I agree with this 100 % . This next generation running things oh boy we're doomed

I don't disagree but the same thing was said when we were all young.
Just think, 50 years from now, folks will call these the "good old days"

[LittleRock]

The AT will probably disappear from lack of maintenance long before. Most of the trail clubs have the same issues, the median age is probably mid to late sixties, young folks just do not volunteer for group activities.

Not necessarily true. A lot of the people who maintain the trail now thru-hiked or section hiked when they were younger, and I suspect more will continue to do so, but yes they will probably be mostly older folks.

My goal is to retire by age 60, move to western N.C. and volunteer for at least one AT trail club. I'd love to do it now, but I live four hours from the trail, have a full time job and two kids.

[CalebJ]

Not necessarily true. A lot of the people who maintain the trail now thru-hiked or section hiked when they were younger, and I suspect more will continue to do so, but yes they will probably be mostly older folks.

My goal is to retire by age 60, move to western N.C. and volunteer for at least one AT trail club. I'd love to do it now, but I live four hours from the trail, have a full time job and two kids.

For one thing, at least in this area the vast majority of the trail maintenance meetups I've gotten info about have been during the 9-5 work week. That eliminates a huge portion of the population right from the outset, encouraging a heavy balance of retirement age volunteers.

[Odd Man Out]

Here is an article based on a 2022 survey of 403 people. Early on in the article is a graph of age distribution.
https://thetrek.co/the-2022-at-thru-...l-information/

I've always enjoyed the AT Hiker Survey done by The Trek. It's been a while since I looked at that demographic page. One bit that stands out is not the age distribution but the prior experience distribution, with the majority having less than 7 days of backpacking experience prior to attempting a long distance AT hike. My guess is that if this had been tracked over time you would see the number of less experienced hikers has been increasing.

[gpburdelljr]

I've always enjoyed the AT Hiker Survey done by The Trek. It's been a while since I looked at that demographic page. One bit that stands out is not the age distribution but the prior experience distribution, with the majority having less than 7 days of backpacking experience prior to attempting a long distance AT hike. My guess is that if this had been tracked over time you would see the number of less experienced hikers has been increasing.

I suspect there has always been a majority of hikers with little of no hiking experience attempting a thru hike. Only about 25% of people starting a thru hike finish, and although there are other reasons for not completing a thru hike, I think lack of experience is probably the largest reason.

[HankIV]

Funny how things remain the same over many generations, for example:

"Children; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. They no longer rise when elders enter the room, they contradict their parents and tyrannize their teachers. Chlldren are now tyrants."

This from Socrates sometime around 390 BCE. Somehow as a species we have managed to avoid the prognostications of ancient philosophers.

Yep, I agree with this 100%

[Mother Natures Son]

What are the avenge age of your club? Being a member of KTA, I see the age creeping up all the time. I wonder how long the are going to keep the trails open?

[garlic08]

Check out the Colorado Trail. The new executive director is a young trail runner/MTBer. The new staff is all, I think, in their 30s and 40s. They're doing a great job.

I spent five days last summer on a self-supported backpacking crew on the CT, and there were several young people who time off paying jobs to work on it.

The county trail crew I volunteer with has plenty of new blood flowing in--retirees, yes, but young, strong 50-something retirees with many active years ahead. I was that person 10 years ago, and it's great to see more coming in. It's a weekday crew, but still a few 30-somethings come work when they can, and their dedication is admirable. The local MTB and ultra runner groups are all young folk, who work evening and weekends, and they do impressive work.

There are some young folks staffing the CDTC, too.

The Front Range in Colorado at least will be in good hands for another generation or two.

I'm signed up for a Saturday crew this weekend in Tucson. That crew is mostly U of A students, young trail runners and MTBers, with a few olds like me. The AZT local crew works on weekends, and they're similarly young. The few section stewards I know are in their 30s and 40s, or are training younger replacements. The AZTA executive director is 40-something. I started volunteering with the AZTA in 2009, and, like Socrates, all the old guard were worried about the future, but it seems to be working out well here, too.

[Patrickjd9]

My experience of the last 4-5 years is that AT maintainers who are aging out tend not to be replaced by young people. At least in the club I'm in, they are being replaced by people who are young enough to get the work done, but past their peak responsibilities in life--basically 45 to 60 year olds.

[Mother Natures Son]

Is this it? Are we all doomed?