too many encounters with throw hikers have convinced me I will never hike the AT

[kayak karl]

if i go to disconnect the first thing i avoid is shelters. there have been inconsiderate people in shelters since the '70's (for me). nothing new.

[Drybones]

And yet........the thread lives on and on and........................................

Throw hikers have stamina.

[kayak karl]

Throw hikers have stamina.

yes, most have been throw a lot!

[Marta]

And yet........the thread lives on and on and........................................

The OP has a lot in common with the glory-seekers who appear on WB every year. First they ask about doing an AT thru-hike--from where they sit, it seems like a daring and novel thing to do. They'll be famous! People will admire them! No one they know has ever done such a thing. They're risking their lives!

Have these people ever hiked before? No. Are they motivated by love of hiking and the outdoors? No. They have zero experience with it. It's a romantic fantasy.

Then they realize that there are lots of hikers and would-be hikers here. Uh oh. Merely announcing on WB that you're going to thru-hike doesn't bring gasps of admiration from the crowd--the best it will garner is some good luck wishes. The more self-important the announcement, the more it is greeted with skepticism. The glory-seeker encounters, virtually, dozens and dozens of people who have been there, done that, and more.

Hmmm. Well if that won't impress them... The fantasy grows and morphs into something that will impress this jaded crowd--a hike in less than 30 days; a live-off-the-land hike...whatever.

Unfortunately, to most of us it just seems sad.

[foodbag]

Like Theosus said, if you would like to be alone with your thoughts try hiking North to South. I hiked from Peekskill NY to Duncannon PA without seeing the same hiker twice. With most people headed north, you pass them and maybe camp with them for a night and then they're gone.

Personally I would have preferred to travel with the pack as opposed to being by myself had circumstances been optimal at the time, but that's just me.

Hike your own hike and don't worry about what everyone else is doing, or why they're doing it and you'll be fine.

[aficion]

One who will throw in the towel before one starts, may as well just throw out the baby with the bathwater. Throw thick and thin, a throw hiker will be better company, throw down more humor, wisdom, and general goodness, than any permanently self styled, angst ridden throw out. I'm threw.

[Train Wreck]

I'm throworoughly against throw hikers myself. One time, after hiking throw a long and grueling day on the AT near Pearisburg, we arrived at our camp site to encounter a throworoughly obnoxious bunch of students from Blacksburg who were throwing down & throwing up simultaneously.Not to mention throwing gear all over the ground, and throwing beer bottles all over the camping area. I felt like throwing a fit but threw in my lot with the rest of the group who were throw for the day and wanted to stop. That night, we did not actually talk to the miscreants but I'm pretty sure they were throw hikers.

[Another Kevin]

Train Wreck: How do you manage to tell a story that long without getting a sore throwt?

[grateful 2]

OMG...Sounds like another lost sole. These are the type of thru-hikers we are looking for. It will give the other thru-hikers another guy to talk about.

I lost my sole once on the AT. It took duct tape for me to hold it together.

[Marmaduke]

This thread will never dye......... nor do I want it too.

[Abatis1948]

Please remember it is their hike not yours! Most of usYahoos love the trail and the many different folks we interact with. It’s not theYahoos but the Entitled Yahoos I have a problem with. My family picked up andcarried down two large bags of trash from Preachers Rock this past Saturday. Someof the trash was very fresh and must have belonged to the three college age EntitledYahoos we passed on their descent. I guess their mothers were not there to clean up after them.

[illabelle]

This thread will never dye......... nor do I want it too.

If you don't want to dye the thread, you can purchase pre-dyed thread from any fabric store. I don't want to dye the thread either.

[aficion]

This thread will never dye......... nor do I want it too.

I too prefer undyed threads..... so natural!

[max patch]

The OP posted this and hasn't been back to the site since. He really isn't interested in any of these 105 replies.

Still hasn't been back. Up to 153 unread replies.

[atmilkman]

Still hasn't been back. Up to 153 unread replies.

Probably lurkin' and jurkin' admiring his creation.

[Hoofit]

ekih,
Get over yourself!
Man, are you a p-ssed off individual!
Sounds to me like you need a hug, real bad....
Don't write off the trail until you've at least attempted it
Hey, there are many, many wonderful folk out there
And who knows, you might just have a good time!
If you want tranquility, realize that the trail thins out considerably after Virginia as most of the hikers fade out
Good luck with your future hikes, it's a big wide world out there...

[Another Kevin]

The OP posted this and hasn't been back to the site since. He really isn't interested in any of these 105 replies.

He's probably sitting somewhere reading the thread, like a king on the throwne, and wondering why we find him so hilarious.