The comments of E-psi seem reasonable enough to me; as do those of Little Bear–who seems to take the core of the thoughts expressed, without fear or defense, and seek the kernals of truth in them.
As for the majority (not all) of the other comments, I find myself wondering(as I sometimes must in these forums)where all the anger comes from!
Sincerely–Paul English.
Paul English
There is no right way to hike the trail. I agree w/ some of E-psi comments; his statements are a bit strong and what I have come to find from people in the academic world. It’s east to make judgements that aren’t based on the reality of the world. The truth is thousands of people start hiking in Georgia every year and the towns and hostels along the trail have started to support those hikers. If you don’t like the current AT experience head west and hike a wilderness trail because there is no change what has happened to the AT. Which is sad but true.
My advice is to hike your own hike!
Darth Pacman
This has been an interesting post. I am continually amazed at how many folks out there want to direct/influence the actions of others. In my humble opinion, I don’t see why the purists can’t do their own thing even today on the “commercialized” AT. Don’t like towns? Then don’t go in them, no one is making you. Don’t like the social scene? Then camp away from the shelters. Don’t like all the commercial enterprise that now exists to support those hikers who seek such services? Then don’t avail yourself of those services. I personally am glad those commercial enterprises exist; it’s nice to know that if I break equipment, it can be repaired or replaced, or if I want a hot meal that I haven’t fixed myself, it can be had. I don’t expect to get these things for free, and have no problem with someone making a living out of providing a service to others.
Jonna
If you read “As Far As The Eye Can See” by David Brill you’ll see a different AT in the 1970s than today. Much more personal, much more separated from the consumerist commercial world that enslaves most everyone today including, quite ironically, many AT thru-hikers.
Noggin
…You’ll also see exactly what the author tells you to see. I’m not saying that what he says is any different from how it was, just stating the point that authors can bend reality to make it what they wanted rather than what it was. I could write a book about my 2000 AT experience and make his seem like a walk through NYC If I wanted to. It just wouldn’t be quite accurate…that’s all. But nobody would know that in 30 years.
It’s just like taking a picture of a flower in front of a nuclear plant and bluring the background beyond recognition with a wide aperture and then selling it to the Nature Conservancy to put in their calandar…
But again, just being the devils advocate, not meaning to imply that Mr. Brill is anything less than accurate.
-Howie
Hungry Howie
I took pics of everything from wild strawberries to the toilet in the middle of the trail made by the groups of college kids. Pics of the smog damged trees in GSMNP. Its all good, babbah.
Bushwhack
damm those capitalist hostel owner pigs! I knew thet they was a robbin me blind when they charged me 4 bucks to stay tha night. and that pesky “dalton tom,” he let me stay two nights for free and fed me both times, too. well, He thinks he’s slick but i’m on to him.
“hike your own hike”
thnx 4 ever:
bb patch, Miss J, the Place, the Holy Family, kinkora, 4 Pines, Rusty, Bear’s den, Blackburn, 501 & eckville(private shelters w/ showers a.k.a n/c hostel),Church of the Mt., Dalton Tom, Peg leg(R.I.P.), the Shaws’, and anyone i passed over in haste.
E-psi
your right and your wrong. however, because you are wrong, YOU ARE WRONG. who are you to IMPOSE your beliefs. i disagree with you in most every respect, except; the need for minimal clothes, a $1 a mile is high, and shelters free. well, actually they are not all free.
“hike your own hike”
magic ga>me03
magicgame03
I really think E-psi was just trying to give his advice KNOWING that there would be some that would agree and disagree. He’s not trying to impose any beliefs. By jumping down his throat you’ll only prevent others from sharing their opinions in the future and give aspiring thru-hikers (like myself) less advice to read and therefore less ways to consider HOW i should hike my own hike.
C-Giddy
some people seem unable, or unwilling, to burst the bubble of comfort that we all live in. And you are correct, C-Giddy. my posts are for people like yourself. i wish someone would have written this before I started. The way most people write about planning and their hikes, one would think that staying in hostels and stopping at every bar were mandatory activities. I stayed in a hostel in the beginning, at the suggestions of seemingly everyone, and found it completely in contradiciton with the spirit of the AT. if you plan on learning anything about yourself, forego the things you consciously decided to leave behind for the trail. I think it’s great that some of you may have met nice people in these places and that Mr. or Ms. proprietor were nice people, but it’s hard to get to know yourself when there are twenty wet hikers complete with dripping gear gabbing incessantly. Some say that these places make the hike for them. They definitely make something, perhaps a vacation, but not a hike. Both are equally valid, but don’t set out to do one and claim to be doing the other. ask yourself, before you leave, whether you want a hike or a vacation with hiking interspersed. I say go for a hike, at the cost of not meeting a plethora of new people, but with the gain of actually learning about yourself in ways you couldn’t imagine. you decide.
and with the “hike your own hike” stuff. give it a rest. we all know it, and it’s always implicit. the point was made before you wrote it down. think of something constructive and original to contribute, not some cop out from though. I myself used to subscribe to the “hike your own hike” school of thought. Unitl I saw too many people, with the help of backpacker magazine, doing it wrong.
E-psi
Energy, position, momentum.
E-psi
If anyone out there is considering starting a thru-hike but wants to avoid too many people and a party atmosphere, you may want to start your hike later in the season. My husband and I started our thru-hike at the end of April and there were days when we only saw one or two other people, and we often camped alone, though there were days when we did meet a lot of people. You could also consider going from Maine to Georgia, as less people do it southbound.
We didn’t finish our thru-hike, due partly to a knee injury I had. Because of my knee, we ended up staying in hotels and cabins more than we had originally planned. One afternoon we saw a bear on the trail near the shelter we were planning to stay at that night. The bear didn’t seem threatened by us, even though we were making a ton of noise, so we ended up hitch-hiking to Helen, Georgia, where we met up with some other hikers we hadn’t seen in awhile. It was great. While we enjoyed all of our hotel/bunkhouse etc stays, hopefully next time we hike (whenever that may be!) we will be able to stay on the trail more.
Rachel Bearbait
I guess it’s hard for me to say right now, since i haven’t done it yet…but i think that even WITH using hostels and stopping at bars, i’d be hard-pressed to call hiking the AT a vacation. I’m honestly not sure how often we’ll stay in towns as opposed to staying in a tent or shelter every night, but i’m sure it’ll happen at least once…or perhaps as often as once every two weeks. It’ll depend on what my buddy and I feel like. I can’t say I’m looking for a vacation with hiking interspersed. I’m looking for an adventure. I’m looking for a challenge. I’m looking for…an expedition of sorts. So maybe it’ll be a hike…with “vacations” interspersed.
C-Giddy
“and with the “hike your own hike” stuff. give it a rest. we all know it, and it’s always implicit. the point was made before you wrote it down. think of something constructive and original to contribute, not some cop out from though.”
This coming from the person who uses quotes from Grandma Gatewood?
E-psi, make use of your education. Use capitals and dont contradict your ass.
guru
This guy reminds me of Bill Bryson. He makes it half way and then writes a know it all book.
Blue Jay
Again, I think E-PSI has a point. There is absolutely no question that for many folks, perhaps too many, an AT thru-hike becomes a rolling party, moving from trail town to trail town. I think we saw some of that with what occurred at the Four Pines Hostel. Drunkeness that resulted in an assault.
That’s not to say that everyone who stays in a hostel and consumes adult beverages is an alcoholic prone to violence. That’s also not to say that you can’t learn something about yourself by thru-hiking and staying at 20+ hostels along the way.
There is CLEARLY a difference however between a hiker that consciously chooses NOT to stay in hostels along the way. They have a different experience. I met a few folks who did that in 2000. They seemed to have a different energy about them. Let’s face it. It’s difficult to do, especially when the weather is crappy.
Would the AT be better off if more folks eschewed the trail town vortex, and chose to spend most of their time in the woods? (ie: traditional thru-hike)
Little Bear
I also don’t think you neccessarily learn more about yourself from being alone in the woods vs. staying in towns. I think it depends on the individual. If you’re normally a social person who likes to start conversations with strangers, perhaps you’ll learn more about yourself by staying out of towns and out of crowded shelters. If you’re a person who doesnt have much of a social life, or if your social life is restricted to the same people all the time, perhaps you’ll learn more about yourself by encountering lots of new people along the way. Look at what you’re used to in your everyday life, and go for a new experience all together. That is, if you’re looking to learn something about yourself…if not (and that’s ok!! Down boy!), than my post has nothing to do with you.
C-Giddy
In real life I am a loner. I am not complaining about it…I LIKE solitude most of the time. I am usually very uncomfortable in large crowds of people. I started a hike last year fully expecting to spend most of it alone. I ended up hiking with and around a great group of people. I really enjoyed the town visits, stays in hostels, and seeing them at the end of the day whether we stayed in or near a shelter or somewhere along the trail.
I hiked a lot of miles in solitude during the day. It was plenty for me. I didn’t finish my hike. I only made it to Pearisburg, VA. But there is no doubt in my mind it, at least to me, the trail being very social is what makes it a special experience for a lot of people. I would have enjoyed my hike MUCH less if I had not met and spent time with the hikers I met in the 2 months I hiked. Hikers and the people who support them are what makes the trail special IMO. If you weren’t out there sharing the same experiences with other people, it wouldn’t be as much fun nor a very rewarding experience. I saw a lot of things and views along the trail I will most likely forget someday. But I will never forget a lot of the people I met out there.
Radar
“The people are the trail.”
The AT is a nice walk through a long green tunnel. What makes it special and truly a wonderful experience are the people you meet along the way - other hikers, the town folks, the angels, etc. It gives you a unique perspective on life in this country, and real hope that life is good and people are basically good.
If you want a wilderness experience, go to Alaska. The AT is a social/cultural/natural experience, but not a wilderness.
Ginny
Sorry Radar. I saw your name earlier is a post and I when I went to post earlier I was typed your name by mistake. I shouldn’t post when I am tired…
Rerun