VA Blues - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

what to do? here is Waynesboro, VA and got the blues. Dread getting back on the trail and at the same time dont want to quit. Also i dont have time to take a long break. just deal with it until is passes? any other suggestions? thanks

Manfire

#2

If you want to quit, quit! If you want to keep walking, keep walking. If you dread it and are having a bad time, then why keep going. I hiked for 500 miles or so after I was having a bad time and now see that it was kind of a waste of time and money.

That said, I now look back fondly upon that dreaded time and want to go back and finish up the 500 miles I didn’t complete.

Tough call…

Tell it like it is

#3

Just my two bucks (inflation):

If you’ve got the VA Blues, get outta Virginia!

I’d go up north, say somewhere around Greylock, hike to Katahdin, then come back to Greylock when you’re done and hike SOBO to Waynesboro.

Advantages: You get away from this oppressive heat and humidity wave right NOW! You get to summit Katahdin before the nastier weather blows in. You don’t have to rush to get to K before Baxter closes (let’s face it, if you’re in Waynesboro on July 17 you’re likely gonna have to flip-flop anyway at some point). You will have more NOBOs to hike with up there right now than you have left around you down here. When you hike south later, you’ll be hiking with the SOBOs.

Or, you could just go home.

Skyline

#4

Should be: “You don’t have to rush to get to K before Baxter closes IT.”

Baxter itself doesn’t close, but BSP closes Katahdin when the weather gets too fierce or on or about Oct. 15, whichever comes first.

Skyline

#5

Man, just get back on the trail and hike. Va north of Waynesboro is so cool and its fairly easy. Just think,soon you can come into Harpersferry.If you wanted to Thruhike than do it!!!

Virginian

#6

You’ve obviously planned for a thru-hike. Nothing would be worse than sitting around 10 years from now and saying “I wish.” Well, it’s easy to say that as I sit in my dry living room, at my computer, with a refrigerator full of food in the next room. However, you’re out there, got your trail legs, and still have some desire. Keep walking…you’ll go totally insane in a few weeks, or things will get better.

Good luck!

Horn Head

#7

Give yourself a zero day or 2 to rest up a bit, cool down & consider the options…& then really listen to the inside of YOURSELF… MORE than trying to figure out from the rest of the hiker community what YOU should do. If you feel a secret sigh of relief about the idea of leaving, well that gives you an answer. If you feel more of a sense of a need/ desire to stay; & maybe alter your course a bit; that’s what you should do. If you still are confused; hike a bit more; also maybe search thru the “trail forums” history to see what & when & why others ended their walk. Tho I still say; listen to yourself primarily!

leah

#8

worst yet, why set next year frustrated with the same crap that pulled you onto the trail this year. i know i had to go out this year because i didn’t get outta VA last year. costs alot more in personal satisfaction/accomplishment as much as the green. yes you’ll be back to the AT if you hike the whole thing, but if you don’t, you’ll always wanna recreate the “magic” which is not possible. Next years magic will be different, but not what this year is supposed to be.

that said, I enjoyed this years hike, and the people i met, but still have that inner ghost that said, “son, you missed a chance in a lifetime.” don’t be haunted, unless yer sure yer thru. hike another week…or more, and Virginia has always been a possitive, supportive friend of the AT. May be that heading up North now may just be the ticket to getting er done.

best of luck!!!

burn

#9

i shoulda quoted skyline, who is equally a friend of trailjournals and the AT…my bad…between those 2, who can keep up with such good advice.

burn

#10

Because you are running a little late If you are not sure you want to continue I like Skyline’s advice. Maybe the change of scenery will remotivate you. At the very least you have the time off so why not just hit the highlights before you go home. I however thought VA was one of the highlights and loved hiking the Shennies. If you think that coming to NE will relieve the heat I have to tell you it has been no picnic up here (NH) recently. High humidity, low views and temps in the upper 80s.

Big B

#11

I’m Flipping. Bnought my airline ticket to NY for the 19th. Dad will be driving me to Maine the up coming Saturday and I will hike south to Waynesboro, VA. This will allow me to have a few days off, wont pressure me to get there by a deadline, and I should have more people on the trail. Thanks for all the advice!
www.trailhournals.com/manfire

MAnfire

#12

Now you won’t have to be stressed out every day trying to make an arbitrary deadline at Katahdin. And doing a total flip, instead of a partial flip as I outlined above, is easier logistically (only one re-start, one end-point).

I’m assuming you’ve thought about the possibility of not having much company at first on the Trail (in late July, not too many NOBOs will be near you yet and most of the SOBOs have already departed K). But there should be some thru-hikers around, plus section hikers and short-termers, and before long you’ll be sharing the AT with more NOBOs.

Late in your hike (November I’m thinking), it might get sparse people-wise again but up through the end of leaf-peeping season in the mid-Atlantic, Shenandoah, etc. you shouldn’t be too alone (though most SOBOs will be further south than you). Of course, you may not mind being alone.

Bonus: You have a good chance of getting away from the oppressive heat and humidity we can’t seem to shake this year in Virginia!

Skyline

#13

When ever I felt the urge to quit, if it was some where on the trail I said to myself to wait till next shelter and then decide, when arriving to the shelter I said to myself to wait till next town, when arriving to next town I always waited a day before deciding and then, the next morning I woke up with tingling feet and got back to trail and so forth and so forth.
But when I really really really wanted to quit nothing helped.

french connection