Asking the "Why?" question

[Wendigo]

There are many trails you could hike, like the American Discovery Trail, Continental Divide, etc. So why hike the Appalachian Trail? What's the "draw" for you? The history? Mystery? Adventure? People? Some "ancient wisdom" there?

[johnnybgood]

No ancient wisdom here, simply one word ; Proximity.

[Tinker]

My very first signature line here on Whiteblaze says it all for me. "I just walked, I was very happy" (borrowed verbatim from Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods.

I continue to hike, he continues to write - apparantly I'm happier walking than he is. .

[Mountain Mike]

It's historic, not much experience need, lots of planning guides & books, movies about it. Although many bail out, there are pleanty of people who have completed it without ever having backpacked before.

[brian039]

Because it was the easiest logistically and Springer was a 4 hour drive from my house. Now that I know that I can do a long-distance hike the other trails seem more appealing.

[JAK]

I like it because it follows a long ridge line or mountain range more or less, so much of it would be traditional trail routes. Before modern roads rivers and ridge lines and coastlines were the highways and biways, so that's it for me. I am in New Brunswick so between here and Maine it would be mostly rivers and portages and coastlines, but when you get down further the AT is all about ridgelines. Why ridgelines? Less trees. Before agriculture the forests and swamps and such were pretty thick. Also less people. People used ridgelines for travel, but didn't live up there. That hasn't changed. Most of our rivers are clogged with cities now, but thankfully alots of our ridgelines are fairly intact, the ones with coal under them.

[Slo-go'en]

For many of us, it's in the back yard so to speak. The logistics are pretty easy so not a lot of planning is required, yet the trail is reasonably challenging.

The ADT is off my list since it's mostly road walking. Same goes for the Florida trail. Boring. I require mountians and trees. The CDT through Glacier had great views, but I much more enjoyed my hike on the Long Trail a month later. Hopefully I'll get out and sample some of the PCT - maybe this year - but I have a feeling my heart and soul are firmly attached to New England and the AT.

[Carry-On]

I wanted to thruhike the AT after reading A Walk in the Woods. I had never heard of any of the long distance trails before, or that anybody would hike the whole thing in one long hike, so it stirred my imagination. Even after learning about other long trails, this was the one I had dreamed of for years, plus there was so much information available. I was not an experienced backpacker, had never camped two nights in a row on a hike, so the proximity of towns and number of people who might be around also seemed like a benefit. I live in Utah, so it isn't close to me, but I still think of it as a good "beginner" long distance trail. The hiking may be the hardest of the three big trails, but the availability of chances to learn while you go seems invaluable. I did learn as I went, and I completed my thruhike in 2012. Now I want to go for some of the other long trails, though circumstances may make me wait a few years until the next one.

[Biggie Master]

The question is "Why not?" ... What doesn't it have that you want in an outdoor experience? Overall it meets me where I want to be.

[fredmugs]

Because it's there.

[Wise Old Owl]

mountain mike and fred mugs nailed it...

[Spaghetti O's]

The National Geographic special moved me to get moving and get busy living. I have not hiked it yet but hope to do a section in 2015 and in the long term attempt a thru hike when I retire in 2023.

[4shot]

it's the trail I had heard of since I was a boy scout.Maybe that is a function of proximity but honestly did not know there were others until I stumbled on this site a few years ago. The others I am sure are great but don't seem to have the mystique or romance...Earl Schaeffer,Bryson and a Walk in the Woods, The White Mountains, etc.

[SCRUB HIKER]

It's historic, not much experience need, lots of planning guides & books, movies about it.

Because it was the easiest logistically and Springer was a 4 hour drive from my house. Now that I know that I can do a long-distance hike the other trails seem more appealing.

Ditto: for me it was all about easy logistics, which is nice if you're unconfident about your long-distance backpacking ability, as I was (turns out I had nothing to be afraid of compared to most people). A few gear purchases and some money-saving was all that was required. Then I had to fly home to Virginia, someone in my family offered to drive me to Georgia on a weekend, and after that it was just get on and go. Worked out great.

[Hosaphone]

I want to hike all 3 some day, and it seems logical to start with the AT...

[BuckeyeBill]

I read two thru hike books, one by the Barefoot Sisters and it peaked my interest. Also as many have said it is logistically closer to home and my support group.

[mtnkngxt]

Same answer I give people when the ask me why I own guns, speak my mind, and support those who practice religions. It's the beauty of being a free man, I can choose to do as I wish as long as it does not infringe on the freedoms of others. Some days I hike, some days I write, some days I work, some days I sleep, and everyday I'm thankful that my lungs have held out for another day.

hike your own life...

[dukakis]

Logistics. I'd like to complete the Triple Crown sometime this decade, but thought it would be a wise idea to start out on a trail where there is a town every 3-5 days. It should provide me with some training on what I need to do should I tackle the CDT and PCT.

[Capt Nat]

Walk up to any American on the street and ask if they've heard of the Appalachian Trail. It is an institution.

[daddytwosticks]

The AT has personality.