AT Hiker Culture?

imported
#1

Ok, so there I was running aroung in the bushes last weekend near Mount Laguna. Ended up on the PCY and ran into these 2 guys. Me, I was sucking wind and trying to breath after punchin up from the desert a few thousand feet. These guys start talking about the “AT Hiker Culture” and how the PCT does not have it yet. They wander off before I can breath again.

Hmm, what is it? Is it like some secret handshake and password? Do you wear your socks on your ears? Anyways, I plead my ignorance and would appreciate some education here, what is AT Hiker Culture?

Evil Goat

#2

In the positive sense, the AT hiker culture is a strong sense of community - of family. All hikers are my brothers/sisters. The PCT doesn’t have it nearly as strongly. Although you meet other hikers on the PCT, it is usually in passing or in town and you don’t generally form the same kind of bonds that you do on the AT. Most PCT hikers are in a hurry and are much less likely to spend time with other hikers on the trail if it might slow them down. Without the shelter system, hikers spread out a lot more than they do on the AT, so you are less likely to spend six months leapfrogging the same people. The PCT hikers we met along the way we only saw a few times at best before we would move ahead or they would.

In the negative, the “AT hiker culture” can mean a sense of entitlement, of being ‘special’, of hiking town to town or pub to pub. Not all AT hikers have those attitudes, but there are more than a few who do.

Ginny

#3

Thank God the PCT and other long distance trails have not been strangled by the “AT Hiker Culture.” While it’s hard to define with precision, like pornography, you know it when you see it. Common traits of this “culture” include:

–Obsessive social gossip about other hiker, and I mean obsessive. Rumors, innuendo, and insults about other hikers fly like raindrops in a hurricane.

A couple of factors go into this. Southern mountain gossip & meddling culture, combined with hyper East Coast social brain. Combine those two traits, and you have something dangerous.

–Strict rules about whether you’re properly doing a “thru-hike.” Miss a blaze? You’re disqualified and are sent home!

–Other b*llshyt that you find only on the A.T.

Dust

#4

The AT thru-hikers are just modern-day hoboes…nothing more…you can easily fit in, if you want, or distance yourslef from them, if you want…just people (minimanlists) who like the idea of having all their worldly posessions on their back while they move about…not aware of any “rules” they actually follow or adhere to…they’re just travelers on the planet, moving for the sake of movement, like other backpackers…

OKie Dokie

#5

Oh, also, they make no claim to being good at proofreading what they espouse, so please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors? Por Favor?
:slight_smile:

OKie Dokie

#6

Dust while I must admit that I did hear a lot of the “can’t miss a blaze” stuff, I guess I was lucky enough not to have be privy to the other comments you listed. Or perhaps one only hears that crap if they want to…

Like any other culture it is what you make of it.

Hammock Hanger

#7

Dust, If you are a positive person, than you will tend to surround yourself with like-minded people, and will choose leave the gossipy rumormongers and their trivial pursuits just where they belong, in the dust. Whatever BS you found on the AT is no different than the BS you’ll find off the AT. Remember, you can choose to make your AT experience a miserable one, or a memorable one. It’s no different than what you do with your life off the trail.

Almost There '01

#8

Oh, and as for hiker culture, it’s about comeraderie and the shared experiences of eating ramens for countless dinners, enduring heat, humidity, blisters, snoring, slogging through bogs in Maine, plodding over endless rocks in PA, and my favorite of all… walking into a restaurant with your held high (although you and your friends smell like a pigpen), and being served.

Almost There '01

#9

It certainly doesn’t have to be viewed that negatively. Hiker culture was one of my favourite parts, meeting new people and immediately sharing stories and a common goal. I made more friends in six months then I’d made in a lifetime. And there was always a little bit of sadness when someone you knew had to get off the Trail. Thru-hikers root for each other, for the most part, and want other people to succeed.

yeah there was gossip. some people never bothered with it, and for others it was a drug. you can’t walk away? And if you get seriously bothered by other people trying to define your thru-hike, then you’ve got bigger problems.

I loved the AT culture.

0101

#10

0101, I don’t view any of my experiences as negatively. I just noted a few memorable moments which are part of what think makes hikers form such a strong bond on the AT. Some of what I perceived as the most trying experiences on the AT is when I grew the most. It’s all good!

Almost There '01

#11

Besides the shared experiences among the hikers themselves, there is a wonderful network of ‘trail angels’ and other hiker support in almost every town along the AT route. Also, there is a considerable amount of “hiker” history on the AT.

In addition, there is a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ on the AT - an aura or feeling one gets on an AT hike. If i mention just a few words like the Doyle, or Mountain Mama’s, or say Rusty’s these words will almost immediately conjure up strong memories/feelings (whether good or bad). I quess i’m back to the shared experience factor, which seems to be one of the most meaningful.

The PCT has all of these elements, just in smaller quantities. Increasingly, as more former AT thru-hikers hike the PCT, elements from the AT transfer over to the PCT. For example, on my first PCT thru-hike ('97), only the former AT hikers used trail names & there were very few trail angels (Jack Fair, Milt Kinney’s daughter, Don Middleton, etc.)

Now there are quite a few trail angel “stops” along the PCT and the number of hikers is large enough so that you can have the social atmosphere during a long hike if you want it - especailly if you start at the Kickoff.

The biggest difference may stem from the lack of shelters along the PCT. A lot of socializing and comraderie takes place in shelters along the AT. Where else in this crazy world do you end up sleeping side by side with strangers on any given night?! As the AT is a much wetter trail for the most part, these shelters can be very handy. (of course WA is wet on the PCT)

If you want to stay away from the hiker culture on either trail during a hike, its fairly easy to do this -simply stay away from shelters and holstels on the AT ; and on the PCT make sure to start well before or well after the Kickoff (if you’re thru-hiking). Outside of that narrow band of thru-hikers, the PCT has virtually no hiker “culture” on the trail.

Happy Trails!

freebird

#12

Evil Goat:

After reading your original post, i had another thought on this topic. There’s no ‘secret handshake’ (LOL), but the AT culture does have sort of a membership itself - its all the long distance hikers, whether they are thru-hikers, section hikers, etc. (completed or not). Like war vets, these hikers have been through hell at times, and they naturally enjoy the comraderie and social asspects of the shared experiences, which inevitably forms strong bonds.

This hiker culture is like a very extended disfunctional family. There are large ‘family reunions’, like Trail Days & Trail Fest, the Gathering (ALDHA) etc. The PCT has the Kickoff and a couple others. These gatherings are not unlike giant Thanksgiving dinners where all of your crazy extended family members get together around one big table. Just like in any extended family there are some REAL characters that show up for these gatherings!

Some day or weekend hikers might find this culture or club rather exclusive, especially if they are sitting near a bunch of thru-hikers in a restaurant. I see this all the time. But In reality, the weekend hikers can’t really be a part of the conversation b/c they haven’t gone through the hell that the long distance hikers have. In order to be a “member” of the club, you have slog through mud for days on end, endure a million mosquito bites, feel like you’re freezing to death or dying of thirst in unbearable heat, nearly get struck by lightning, and get so filthy dirty that you actually are sick of your own smell. These are some of the “dues” that are paid to be part of this club. Wannabe a member ?!

Its kinda like visiting a foreign country - you can’t expect to be a part of the culture until you actually live there for an extended period of time. On a short visit, you’re just a tourist observing the culture.

Anyway, i hope this helps define the culture a bit more.

freebird

#13

Almost There, I didn’t see your comments as negative at all, I thought they were good points.

I could definitely see the PCT changing closer to the current AT culture. Maybe all it would take is another 800 or so hikers every year, maybe a few more small towns along the way and there you go. Then I guess everyone would choose the CDT for their solitude. But I like it now, three distinct trails with their unique plusses and minuses.

0101

#14

Why should the PCT have the AT culture? They are different trails in different parts of the nation and they are different experiences.

The PCT has its own unique culture, though perhaps, it isn’t as defined. I think those individuals who complain about a lack of culture on the PCT like the AT has are merely trying to make an AT experience out of the PCT which will not work and I’m glad of that. Different trails should be different experiences where your horizons are expanded in different ways. If one wants the AT culture, they can just hike the AT. It would be nice if all trails had a different culture. Thats just my $0.02.

miner

#15

I am with you Miner, each trail has its own personality, culture and mystique. That is as it should be. You sure do not have to worry about a bear canister on the AT nor do you have to worry about missing the trail somewhere on southern part of the CDT. Each provides its own journey. I have discovered that each hike is its own, with varied, and granted some similar, characters and experiences. God forbid we try to duplicate them.

JDCool

#16

Thanks for the response! I only know the PCT, actually did trail building on it in the 80,s but have ran around Yosemite south to the border for years. I have definitely seen the trail evolve in the people hiking. So in 5 years when I rehike the PCT I will see

  1. Trail Names. Off the trail, I have a mortgage-rent, student loan maybe, job, family, etc to deal with and I am the stalwart worker guy and I have a nice legitimate name like Mike, or Pete, or Betty, or Susie. But on the trail, I can redefine myself and name it…so it is fun and not hurting anyone…The PCT will see trail names as readily as the AT

  2. Hiker Groups…Man is a social animal and tends to thrive in a group…it is our nature and many of us feel incomplete, insecure and do not do well if not in a group , for extended periods. Of Course, there are loners who do great but usually men. Because of the length of the PCT, seasonality of the start, and reason 3, these groups will form but will be small-2 to 7 max. The Filthy Dozen in 2007 was actually three groups that just happened go through the Sierras at the same time.

  3. The West is huge. The towns are not on the trail and involve some effort to get to. “I mean, I love hiking with you , Man…but if I do not have to do the Devils Slide trail down and up…hey, catch up with me” I like hiking and do not mind going a few miles off trail for a friend but 10 miles and a few thousand feet! Hey, I am a hiker , not an idiot! Town stops and the siren call of zero days in them will naturally break up groups and reform new ones but the window of opportunity to hike will result in a “pack” which quickly subsizes.

  4. Higher Drop out rates on the PCT. You start and it is hot. If you can not acclimate to heat, or know how to handle blisters, and chaffing, I have seen 50% drop out rates, some years, by Warner Springs. Then, You get to freeze in the Sierras, if you can not handle snow, you have a problem here. The number of AT hikers has increased the rate of completion-they know the drill-can they apply it to a new trail? It is still a long trail and the terrian will take its toll. By Northern California, it seems Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is knocking off a few people now. I laugh when AT hikers complain about California being too big and by now they would have been though 10 states…Hello, the PCT has 3 states, yes, count them on one hand (Usually this is where I tell them what to do with the other fingers, but I am working on my “attitude”)

  5. PCT Thru Hiker Patches. Hey, I just thought of this, I will start up a Website. I will print your trail name on a PCT Emblem and you can mount this patch on your purse, chest, or book bag and shout out to everyone, your cool accomplishment. Of course I need some help with the ad copy here. We could have section patches, etc, and we could do the AT and CDT…yey, yey, these will be must have items in 5 years.

Thanks for the answers. It would probaly be an interesting book to explore the 3 trails and the “cultures” that are evolving and present on them.

Evil Goat

#17

The completion rate on the PCT is much higher than on the AT. About 20% of AT hikers finish the trail. About 50% of PCT hikers finish the PCT - except in very high snow years when it drops significantly due to the difficulty of getting through the Sierras safely. The CDT seems to have a higher completion rate, but I’m not certain about that. A lot of that has to do with the level of skill necessary to hike the trail. You can hike the AT doing 5-10 mile days, going to town every 3 or 4 days, taking 8-10 months to hike 2100 miles. On the PCT, because of the desert heat and long distances between water sources, you need to start the trail with the ability to hike 15-20 miles a day. You have a shorter time window (5-6 months) to complete 2700 miles. The CDT requires the ability to hike fairly long sections between resupplies, deal with water scarcity, snow, altitude, navigation, etc. Those who hike that trail generally either have experience at hiking or are traveling with someone who does. Many AT hikers have never backpacked a day before they get on the trail. It makes a huge difference in determining who finishes and who doesn’t. Backpacking is hard - not just beautiful views, sunshine and flowers, but steep climbs, rocky trail, heat, cold, thirst, hunger and pain. If you don’t understand that all that beauty has a price, you may not be willing to stick to it for five or six months. Those who hike the PCT and CDT usually have some idea of what to expect. Many of those who hike the AT don’t.

Ginny