I'm lonely - Pacific Crest Trail

imported
#1

I’m lonely. There is nobody out here in the “real” world who understands.

Piper

#2

I feel ya Piper. I think the trail is the real world, and this is world is a horrible illusion. I work in Fairfield county, Ct. This is about as opposite a community from PCT that I can conceive of. After out of debt, back to the trail for me!!

CanyonMan

#3

Any way you can stay in contact with other hikers you’ve met on the trail? That usually helps. Getting back to the “real” world after a long distance can be compared to a culture shock and it’s worst after your first long distance hike. Finding something else you can be passionate about helps too. Otherwise just plan the next long hike. ; )

apple pie

#4

The good thing though, Piper, is that you are AWARE you aren’t moving. You’ll be sad for a while, but you sound like the kind of person who will always keep travelling, keep adventuring. As long as you’re aware, you won’t just be “driving around purposefully” yet miserably. You will force yourself to be interesting and to actually DO something worthwhile with your life. I’m lonely right now too. Had to get off the AT when I got a stress fracture.

Brown Toe

#5

Probably i shouldn’t air this on a public forum, but heck you already :bawling for everyone, so i guess it’s ok.

Ever since you left the trail, i’ve felt responsible. You didn’t know me, so you probably listened seriously to my thoughts of quitting the trail. Everyone who already knew me from before just laughed and told me they’d see me in Manning Park, even though i FELT like i meant it when i said i was quitting.

So, i should have been encouraging, but i wasn’t. Next thing is i turn around, and Piper has left!!! I hope i didn’t ruin your hike. I feel so bad, i better go eat something. :frowning:

Cuddles Quitting Quitting

Cuddles

#6

and you’ll forget all about those scruffy bums nursing bottles on the sides of convenience stores.

Sam Stone

#7

Piper start planning you next hike. Get your head into planning the details. Look ahead there are a lot of folks out there who will keep you company and share your future adventures

unbreakable

#8

…because I wished to live deliberately, to confront only the essential facts of life…" They are all real worlds.

fishngame

#9

A girlfriend might be a nice change of pace, but I already have a boyfriend.

Cuddles, you aren’t responsible. By the time I met you, I was trying to find ways to make my feet stop hurting, but failing miserably. I thought maybe only 20 miles a day would help, but I couldn’t walk so few miles. I thought maybe soaking my feet at the Heitman’s would help, but it didn’t. I thought two days off the trail at my mom’s would help, but it had no effect.

I finally had to admit to myself that I was causing real damage to my feet. I could barely walk, even though I walked some 8 extra miles I had hoped I wouldn’t walk that day when I walked with you. I still limp when I get out of bed in the morning. I worry I will not be able to long distance hike anymore. But I will.

My feet combined with the endless forest fire smoke just got to me and I decided to finish the trail some other year. I was only planning to to to Ashland Oregon anyway.

So drop the ice cream, man. It ain’t your fault.

(P.S. Dang how the weight comes back so quickly.)

Piper

#10

The Piper on Trailjournals who hiked the PCT in 2005 is a male. Sorry for the misfusion. :oh

Since you’re a girl, Piper, I reiterate the warning to stay away from those unshaven bums who hang around the side of convenience stores.

Sam

#11

P - Did you ever find out what was wrong with your feet? Plantar Fascitis? Morton’s Neuroma? Too many miles a day? Did you need new insoles with more support or more padding? Wrong shoes?

I find that if I do too many miles a day, my feet ache all night, so I limit my miles wherever possible. I need shoes with some support, but do all right with trail runners except on really rocky trails. I also wear insoles that have as much padding as possible. I find when they get old and worn out, my feet hurt more. My husband OTOH can’t wear runners because they kill his feet after 10 miles or so, but usually does fine with light boots. So - if it isn’t something serious like a neuroma or PF, you might try different shoes or insole combinations to see if that works better for you. Or try again with an easier schedule. You don’t have to do 25 mile days if it hurts.

Ginny

#12

I bought a copy of your book, Piper, and started reading it Wed. Turkey Day and all that food interferred with my reading yesterday, so am looking forward to a quiet weekend with lots of reading!

Janet

#13

It was definitely my shoes. Not plantar faciaitis. Not Morton’s Neuroma, although I do have that, too.

I did great with my first pair of shoes. The next pair seemed comfy but gradually they destroyed my feet. I believe they had too much support for me. I felt like my feet were paralyzed inside the shoes in a permanently toe-up position.

Now I get a catalog from Road Runner Sports that categorizes shoes by the kind of support they provide. I’ll make my choices with help from this guide from now on.

I hope you enjoy my book, Janet.

Piper

#14

Does it ever go away? I’m a daily limper as well. Ow, ow, ow.

FrankleeMiDeer