Scariest part of hiking the AT

[Tin Man]

thru-hikers who feel entitled

[OldStormcrow]

Seeing someone really messed up either mentally or on drugs

.....or genetically!

[RockDoc]

Road travel to/from trail.

[Captn]

You pitch your tent, build a fire, settle in for an evening alone.

Then someone who's not all there shows up and proceeds to talk your ear off about half crazy stuff.

You settle in to sleep and about 3 am you hear that twig snap just outside your tent. You get up to pee and check stuff out, dude is wandering around camp like he's stoned or something, talking to himself. Try to go back to sleep and toss and turn all night listening to him wander around.

Pack up in the morning and he says: I was getting lonely, glad I found someone to hike with.

I took a Unplanned Zero day in Town last section hike because of this exact thing, then stealth camped the next two nights all by myself half way between shelters.

[Captn]

You pitch your tent, build a fire, settle in for an evening alone.

Then someone who's not all there shows up and proceeds to talk your ear off about half crazy stuff.

You settle in to sleep and about 3 am you hear that twig snap just outside your tent. You get up to pee and check stuff out, dude is wandering around camp like he's stoned or something, talking to himself. Try to go back to sleep and toss and turn all night listening to him wander around.

Pack up in the morning and he says: I was getting lonely, glad I found someone to hike with.


I took a Unplanned Zero day in Town last section hike because of this exact thing, then stealth camped the next two nights all by myself half way between shelters.

Oh yeah .... forgot the part about him asking if he could have everything he watched me pull out or put into my pack, like my stove, cookpot, tent, sleepingbag, water bottles, food, etc. Actually wanted to FONDLE my gear.

[DrRichardCranium]

actually, the canoe has the white blaze, not the fording spot

they should both have white blazes. When I get there, I'm bringing some white paint!!

[slowandlow]

What is the scariest, most dangerous part of the AT (aside from creature encounters)?

The privy at Sassafras Gap shelter just north of the NOC.

[ridgerunninrat81]

I also was caught on priest during a thunderstorm, lightning is very scary on top of a mountain in the open. However back in 81 when I did the bulk of my AT hike by far the scariest thing on the trail was the late night "visitors" who drove near to a shelter and were expecting to party there only to find their party place occupied by hikers.

[Trailweaver]

I hike solo and worry about some catastrophic accident happening while I'm out there (ie: tree limb coming down, or a fall that breaks my leg. . .etc.) and without someone to go for help.

I did have a small accident last year and managed to hike myself out, but was in tremendous pain and certainly don't want it to happen again. Still, I haven't quit.

[Mr. Parkay]

Scariest part for me is when I'm camped near a road, and someone shines their car headlights at my tent in the middle of the night... possibly for an extended period of time.
... definitely creepy, and a good reason not to camp near roads when possible.

[jbrecon2]

hiking along with my eyes pealed on the ground out of fear of snakes. an irrational fear, but its my fear. HATE snakes

[jnl82381]

i agree with snowhow. i think the scariest part for me would be that you're out in the middle of nowhere (relativly) and something happens to a loved one and there's no good way to get a hold of you.

My wife will be deployed while i thru this summer so we're still trying to work that one out how we'll be able to talk and how i'd be notified if something happens to her.

lets all cross our fingers that that never happens

[CrumbSnatcher]

hikers sharing gorp!

[weary]

fording the mighty kennebec is the scariest for me. why the ATC forces us to do it is beyond me

I don't know of any evidence that ATC has much to say about it, one way or the other.

ATC has no independent source of funds -- especially to the multimillions a bridge would cost. It survives on the contributions from the notoriously stingy hiker community, and what little it can glean from taxpayers through appropriations from Congress. Neither has shown any interest in a bridge. And only reluctantly supports a canoe ferry.

As every hostel owner in moments of honesty knows, hikers by and large are dedicated free loaders. I suspect ATTroll could probably atttest to that also. What percentage of active posters actually contribute towards the cost of this site? I'm constantly amused by folks who have made thousands of posts, but who still complain about the inability to edit their comments -- when just $10 bucks a year would give them unlimited editing rights.

Weary

[Flush2wice]

Losing or breaking a trekking pole miles from a road.

[Flush2wice]

...or not being able to find frequent video/chat service,

[Captn]

Getting started!

[johnnybgood]

Nothing is scary about the AT . Now the world away from the trail ....

[superman]

Nothing is scary about the AT . Now the world away from the trail ....

The only time my stress level went up during my thru hike was when I went to a phone to call home. Each call was weirder than the last. When I got home I discovered that my girl friend, at that time, stole $15,000 from me as I was hiking.

[Okie Dokie]

Gotta go with jbrecon2, above...watch for snakes, especially in warm weather...I encountered multiple rattlers and copperheads in the middle states and came awfully close to getting bit by a copperhead while on a lunch break...don't really fear them, just don't want the inconvenience of suffering through a venomous snake bit and losing time, or having to seek medical attention...very few other hazards along the trail can catch you completely by surprise....