THRU-HIKERS ONLY - Why did you do it?

[centsless]

There are undeniably many reasons to why someone would elect to hike the AT in its entirety. The goal for this posting is to find those very reasons outside of magazines, news paper articles etc.

In essence, it is a first hand account of former thru-hikers to tell us what was your driving desire to take on the AT?

Thru-Hikers only please!

[Pacific Tortuga]

Thru-Hikers only please!

Just the one's that finish ? Pure white blazers, slack packers, flip floppers. I can go on. Many more start off as "thru-hiker's", wannabe's, just not finishing where they thought they would.
Not sure what your really targeting this question to.

[TheTank]

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

[ShelterLeopard]

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

How many good stories I have heard that ended with that sentence...

And Tortuga, he means someone from GA-ME or ME-GA. (I know what you mean though)

[Nean]

I'm a traveler first and formost. I love adventure and challenge.
While I don't consider thru hiking a challenge any more, the adventure part remains- stronger than ever.
Hiking is my passion, second only to ....well, females!

[Mags]

Because when I took my first backpacking trip, I became hooked.

I did the Long Trail to see if I enjoyed longer trips. When I looked into Canada from Jay Peak one early morning, I had my answer.

Those white blazes leading north from Springer lead to five months of being immersed in the mountains....and to the life I have now.

[Blissful]

I wanted to do it for 30 years.

[Spokes]

Simple- to be part of the sub-culture.

[Desert Reprobate]

The question should be Why Not?

[garlic08]

What better way to spend a few months traveling in a developed, safe country, with some rule of law, little chance to get dangerously low on supplies or too low on the food chain, travel with a guidebook on a mapped and blazed trail, and still have some sense of adventure?

[Grampie]

It's one of the last great adventures you can do by yourself. You can walk 2000+ miles for 5-6 months and not rely on another soul if you choose.

[Bearpaw]

After leaving the Marine Corps, I felt like a long vacation. It fit the bill nicely.

[Chaco Taco]

I'm a traveler first and formost. I love adventure and challenge.
While I don't consider thru hiking a challenge any more, the adventure part remains- stronger than ever.
Hiking is my passion, second only to ....well, females!

Nean is tha ladies man....

Thruhiking? Why not?

[Jester2000]

It's one of the last great adventures you can do by yourself. You can walk 2000+ miles for 5-6 months and not rely on another soul if you choose.

Perhaps. And yet I've yet to meet a single thru-hiker who didn't rely on somebody at some point during their hike.

As for me, I was at an ending point in some things in my life, and I figured that six months of hiking would be a good way to think about what I wanted to do next.

It turned out that what I wanted to do next was more hiking.

[Spokes]

.......it's sorta like traveling with the circus and your part of the act.

[Hosaphone]

Nobody has said, "because it was there" yet?

[Spokes]

Nobody has said, "because it was there" yet?

HA! Reminds me of the old carnival "water tower stair climb" gag they use to pull.

Just put a sign with an arrow pointing up a set of stairs with the word "Free Exhibit". People invariably climb up to the top of the water tower platform only to find nothing but a brick sitting in the bottom of a bucket of water.

Curiosity gets 'em every time.

[Chaco Taco]

Perhaps. And yet I've yet to meet a single thru-hiker who didn't rely on somebody at some point during their hike.

As for me, I was at an ending point in some things in my life, and I figured that six months of hiking would be a good way to think about what I wanted to do next.

It turned out that what I wanted to do next was more hiking.

Exactly!!!! Very well put. This is pretty much what made me hike. Best thing i have done so far. All I want to do now is thruhike another trail.

[Mountain Dew]

I'm a traveler first and formost. I love adventure and challenge.
While I don't consider thru hiking a challenge any more, the adventure part remains- stronger than ever.
Hiking is my passion, second only to ....well, females!

I'm also a traveler, adventurer, and love the challenge. It must be the TEXAN in us Nean !! And everybody knows the ladies love the Mairnttt Boys.....

On a more serious note..... I read about the AT on a fluke in a Barnes and Noble book store and was hooked as if the AT was a drug. It was destiny calling. A year and a half later and I was off ....

[Johnny Appleseed]

Everyone is doing it so I had to. Showers are overrated.

Public television had the 2 hour film showing people hiking, and like mtn. dew it seemed like a drug. Then I did it and got hooked. I am a hiking junkie. I took a few years off because somehow I got a girlfriend. No, I did not sell my soul. I then became a trucker...a job suitable to a thru hiker/ traveler since each day you wake up somewhere else, and quite often see places not seen before. Now once becoming a truck driver said girlfriend dumped me for some vietnamese guy, as she likes the asians. Then my trucking company folded, but I saved lots of loot. NOW I AM BACK W/ A VENGENCE(sp?). I am thinking of doing two trails this year, PCT and maybe the Arizona trail next winter. On the PCT hike I am thinking of the tahoe rim trail as well....anyone done both at the same time? Or even the wonderland trail during the PCT? Anyways there is crack in them there hills, and i'm hooked. If I hike the arizona trail before the PCT you know I couldn't wait for the PCT, and I'm getting close.