Rude AT hikers - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

IE: Sunshine and Balls comments about rude hikers…After hiking the PCT it must be a bit disappointing to be in groups of hikers along the AT that are inconsiderate of others around them. It does make me wonder how much the AT is changing after reading of the problems in Damascus. As caretaker at the Blackburn Center in VA in 1995 I experienced one or two rude hikers but they were the exception. To B&S, the AT is not the PCT but hope you have a great hike. Perhaps I will see you when you come through VT.

Marti /Swannee

#2

You know we used to hike the trail a long time ago but got out of it. I read and hear stories about how the trail has changed from what it was then to now and makes us realize its not the same trail any more. You have these locals trying to cause trouble hikers being harassed u name it. The trail has changed and its sad.

tigger

#3

Marti/Swannee

Sorry to hear more stories about rude hikers, but I saw just as many on the PCT as I have on the AT, even with the AT’s far higher numbers of hikers. Trails are different, people are not.

I’ve been on the AT three times in the past 7 years, and each time, I’ve seen increasing numbers of partiers (doood no one drinks beer on the AT like we do, doood) usually annoying clusters of 20-somethings, with a few very odd and possibly dangerous older guys with chips on their shoulders only slightly smaller than their inflated-I-was-a-Navy-Seal egos…normally these encounters happen between Springer and Damascus…a part of the trail equivalent to boot camp in the military–a process meant to weed out the, well, weeds.

If you are hiking the AT and experience idiots, keep hiking, the idiots almost always fall by the wayside somewhere in VA.

Some of the best people I’ve met in life have been my fellow hikers on both the PCT and AT, as well as the chance meeting with trail angels, hostel owners and day hikers along any trail.

So please keep hiking–you’ll meet them too.

And Marti–the Blackburn Center in 2005 was one of my favorite stops–I ended my day prematurely there (after only 8 miles) because I really liked the hosts. It was a good choice–a fun group of hikers came in that evening and we had a wonderful dinner put on by the hosts. We slept on the porch. It was great.

Jason

#4

In 2011 I did a thru-hike on the A.T. I ran into one person that I was not comfortable with. I kept hiking. Since you carry everything on your back you can stay anywhere. Don’t let a few bad moments ruin your experience on the trail. www.trailjournals/DreamWalker:cheers

DreamWalker

#5

Jason and DreamWalker have got it right. Just stay away from the rude hikers and enjoy the many good ones.

Wingo

#6

Don’t think I met any rude hikers. Though I was moving fast and didn’t get to know many. The rudest people in the trail community are definitely not on the trail, their online, and have their heads so far up their butts that they think other people are doing it wrong. Once you get to the trail and get away from the anonymity of the web, you will see that hikers are really great and its just loud mouths on the net who aren’t currently hiking that let their depression get the best of them.

Most of the so called hostel owners who complain should have their taxes looked into. They charge hikers then don’t report that 5 bucks a night that they earn as income, instead calling it a mandatory donation, which we all know is a lie to get around filing taxes. They run shoddy establishments that are not up to any code that a normal inn keeper is required by law to keep. Then say hikers who don’t follow some screwed up religion are immoral.

Hikers are great.

Guino

#7

My first experience with AT hikers was two years ago in Loft Mountain campground. My wife and I were in a ‘pay’ campsite a few yards off the trail. We had gotten set up and I was relaxing in the shade while my wife went to the campstore. I heard a female voice say 'Look, someone left all their stuff out and aren’t at their site! followed by a male voice stating ‘Check it out!’. My wife returned just as the girl was entering out site. The thieves took off but had stolen from other sites and shortly thereafter the police arrived and a wonderful day turned into an evening of shouting and accusations.

Fred

#8

The Appalacian Trail doesn’t change much at all, it’s all the sideshows in the way of convenience, hiker feeds,coddling, and business opportunity that contribute to what people are complaining about these days.
Focus on the positive.

Larry

#9

it was all good

mytht

#10

I wish they would get rid of half the shelters and close down the unauthorised (no permit,license,etc)hostels. Fewer so called Trail Angels with religious agendas would be nice too.

Jim Fletcher

#11

Ya Jim, less generous people sharing their time, money and faith is what we need. And we need more people willing to take people’s time, money and then demand the giver’s go away (because dammit we DESERVE their property!). And we need more eco-zealots/atheists moaning about the effect of Gorebal Warming on trails and how they are oppressed by free dinners along the trail given by churches and church goers as they hike along a trail that wouldn’t exist if we weren’t a prosperous nation thanks to what used to be free-markets and a country based on Judeo-Christian values.

You and me Jim, let’s thru-hike a 2000 mile beautiful 2trail in some secular, highly regulated, utopian paradise.

Oh wait, there are none. Hmm. I wonder why.

Jason

#12

Thanks for the great example of what rudeness is Jason. Push your politics and religion onto people, add some insults and name calling. Thanks

Jim Fletcher

#13

Hey, thanks Jim, you’re welcome.

Jason

#14

You know not all people are bad or rude, like someone said before just ignore and move on. And not all Trail angels are in it for the religion. Our youth group at our church does trail magic and also a hiker feed and we do it because I want them to see how great it is to help someone along the way and even be able to meet people from every walk of life. We put gospel tracks in our box, if you want to take one, great, if not, that’s ok too. You never know who out there might need some comfort along the way. Don’t discourage other people who want to help. If you don’t want to stay in shelter or take trail magic just keep on walking, but let the ones who do want it take it without feeling guilty. From a blessed trail angel :slight_smile:

Trail angel

#15

In addition to my last comment, as of April 1st we have had over 350 hikers sign and leave wonderful messages in our notebook. We are the ones who are being blessed. And the hikers that we have meet along the way while doing this have been far from rude, what great people. We love being a little help along the way. Maybe one day there will be an angel on the trail to help out my boys as they hike the AT. I hope and pray that there is :slight_smile:

Trail angel

#16

On the one hand, religious trail angels are some of the best. On the other hand, religion ruined my life so I don’t want no part of it (specifically, the negativity of calling you a sinner & making you hate yourself; even though in patriarchal, mammon worshipping capitalism- men have to be extremely confident to the point of arrogance in order to communicate with women who are as passive as they ever were). So, yes, religious people can be great… but no, this is not a Judaeo-Christian faith base nation, as economically, mammon is worshipped… & politically, Stalin is worshipped due to the $trillions in corporate welfare to billionaire executives & subsidies to millionaire landowners & bailouts to tax exempt speculators… thus, we are now the most communist nation in history!!! & yes, there are millions of miles of wonderful trail in a secular utopian paradise… it’s called Europe! Unlike many states here where there is mostly barbed wire fences & angry gun toting land barons, many of whom cash huge gov’t welfare subsidy checks behind “trespassers will be shot on sight” signs, while screaming about big gov’t handouts to the urban poor; Europe has a huge spiderweb of trails that go almost anywhere in the entire country & you are welcomed, though they hope that you will spend some money, unless you are a religious pilgrim on one of the many pilgrimage routes in which case monasteries etc… provide free room & board !!! The German tourist is right now hiking across Germany on such trails hoping to reach Istanbul & her secular, socialist country isn’t $tens of trillions in welfare for the rich debt; unlike this country which borrows $trillions from the rich (& communist China) in order to handout $trillions in welfare & subsidies to the rich !!!

inchworm plumber

#17

But, He just hit the nail on the head.

Larry

#18

There are more rude hikers on the trail. No question I think. The reason for this is threefold. 1) So many expect trail magic to be routine 2) Aggressive hikers demand that hostels owners cater to their every demand. 3) The internet that glorifies the trail when in fact, it’s damn hard work.

Drunks also play a factor but I don’t think the drunk factor has changed.

Darnell

#19

I remember when trail magic was just that… Now, it’s gotten to be so many people doing it and hikers even expecting it. It’s like feeding the bears, eventually the bears come to expect it.

Darnell

#20

The number of hikers on the trail certainly has increased in the last 40 years. My experience is there are good apples and Bad apples in all baskets. These days I avoid the shelters. Also we get more bees with honey, and everyone has there bad days. HYOH

Lemon