Very Nervous about AT

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#1

hey ya’ll im thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in under a month and I have one problem. I AM NERVOUS AS HECK…I am nervous about being in the woods alone, nervous about succeeding at a thru-hike, nervous about everything involved in thru-hiking. I have read countless journals and every one of them talked about how amazing it is out there, but how long does it usually take to get into that frame of mind? Is there usually a few days of nervousness at the beginning while on the trail? Any pointers or other info/stories are so greatly appreciated. Basically I am thru-hiking because everybody including me has told me that I can’t. So I want to prove them wrong, but more importantly prove myself wrong. Thank you so much and I hope to see you all out there following the white blazes.

Shoe Guy

#2

i thruhiked in '98 1) you will only be alone in the woods if you want to be alone. you’ll meet many lifelong freinds. 2) you should be nervous about finishing. it aint easy. plan well, dont hurt yourself and remeber your goal. dont get stuck somewhere. YOU CAN DO IT!

goob

#3

Hey Show Guy,
I just finished my SoBo thru-hike on January 24th. Don’t worry about being in the woods alone. You probably have a better chance of dying in a plane, train, or car accident traveling to the AT than you do hiking it. I didn’t carry a cell phone and never needed one. I did carry a little can of pepper spray, but I never needed that either. You’ll hear weird noises, you’ll see bears, and you might meet a few weirdos, but you will be fine. My best piece of advice is to make a pact with yourself that you will not quit during the first month. Barring a broken leg or some life-threatening sickness, DO NOT QUIT DURING THE FIRST MONTH. The first few weeks will suck. You will realize you have some of the wrong gear, nature will kick your butt, and you will have blisters and aches and pains. That is when most people quit. But once you get through that, you will begin to get that feeling that the AT is amazing like the journals you have read. So unless you have to be carried off of the trail, don’t quit during the first month. Once you get through that first few weeks, it will all seem much easier, not because it IS easier, but because you are used to it. And make sure that you aren’t just doing it to prove people wrong. Do it for fun, or just do it to do it. Do it because you enjoy it. And make sure to have a good time along the way. Smiles, not miles. :slight_smile:

                    -Smiles :) SoBo '07

Smiles

#4

Maybe it’s the cocky people that have a bad time. Some care and respect is very important. Dealing with fears has been one of the great lessons of my long hikes–fear of hunger, thirst, cold, heat, bugs, critters, bumps in the night… Great advice above. Have a great hike, and I hope to see you out there this year.

Garlic

#5

You will learn a lot on the trail if you take your time and listen to what the trail teaches you. The journey is a hike not a race so do not try to push yourself just to keep up with a group of fast hikers. The Georgia section will give you a good feel for the rest of the trail, so keep pushing foward. There are a lot of places along this section to find help or take a short break until you get your trail legs. Take your time there will be lots of hikers of different skill levels on the trail at this time, just enjoy the journey each and every day. Life is good on the trail…Swamp Dawg

Swamp Dawg

#6

Shoe Guy, You have every right to be nervous…you’ve never done anything like this before. But, like goob said, in the beginning, you would have to try real hard to be alone. When I hiked in 2003, out of the 6 months and one week that I was on the trail, I was alone only one night. I was weirded out by someone only twice and just got off the trail for the night and never saw that person again. You have the ability to do this…you just have to want it badly enough. Good luck~J.

Journey

#7

Here’s another piece of advice. “Never chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” Write this down somewhere and look at it the first time and every time you think about quitting. I wish someone had told me that when I tried my thruhike, I gave up much too easily and chose a permanent solution to what was a very temporary problem that could have easily been worked out if I had just stopped and took some time to think about it. Best of luck!

Janet

#8

It’s OK to be nervous…just have faith in the decisions you’ve made…like your equipment and you’ll make it through just fine…I was weirded out one of my first nights out by a shelter that was a few miles from a logging road and I could hear some locals raising cain…I just had faith that they wouldn’t climb up the side of a mountain in pitch dark…you actually gain confidence as you go along and I can remember after a day or two saying “I can’t do this” and then after a wekk saying…“I can do this.”…good luck.

Doc holiday

#9

First, everyone that attempts this is nervous. If you weren’t I would be suprised. Second: and listen carefully to this. YOU will be provided with everything you need. How do I know this? When I attempted a thru in 03, I had the exact same thoughts as you. Everything was not only ok, it was great. I just did the first 40 last weekend. It was foggy, rainny, and cold. I thought, “****, I hope I’m not alone”. I wasn’t, it was great, and everything I needed was provided, including a snickers bar that I needed to get up Blood Mt. You’ll be fine. Look at the glass have full, and stop whinning. LOL

ficade

#10

Oh crap…now I’m nervous too! :slight_smile:

Stumpknocker

#11

(stumpknocker…yours is just the coffee!)

…NOW!..EVERYBODY JUST RELAX!..it’ll be okay…really!..the “rookie prayers” are bein’ sent up as we speak! :^)

maw-ee

#12

Hey Shoe Guy,

I too am Thru-Hiking this year. My start date is a little more than 2 weeks away. I can’t even sit still I am so excited.

The best advice I can give you is take and deep breath and go for it. This will be my third (and longest) long distance hike to date, and if there is one thing I’ve learned from all of my trips, it is that EVERYTHING has a strange way of working itself out.

It’s okay to be nervous. You SHOULD be nervous - you’re walking over 2000 miles man! The key is to take that nervous energy and focus it so that it will motivate your hike, not detract from it.

Goob is CORRECT. If you want to be alone, you will be alone. If you want company, you will have company.

When I hiked the Long Trail last summer I started off thinking “Man, I hope there is gonna be a lot of people around.” Of course - there was. One of my biggest surprises though was finding out how much I enjoyed the alone time… walking through the woods, camping out on a ridge… by myself. It was great. That’s one of the beautiful things about the trail… you are free - free to walk and live the way that YOU want to.

Now, I thrive on traveling alone. Don’t get me wrong - good people and good conversation are one of the things that MAKE backpacking so special to me - but when it’s just you out there - man, it’s good. You’ll see.

Hiking the AT is a major commitment. It will certainly require an incredible amount of physical and mental strength - but you have to keep in mind that it is a completely attainable goal. It’s all very possible. 1000’s have hiked it before, and 1000’s will continue to hike it in the future.

The people who typically finish the hike are the ones who have realistic expectations about the journey.

This ain’t gonna be a walk in the park. I’m sure there will be times when you will want to quit. And of course - there will be times when I want to quit. You’ve just gotta work through it. You’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing. You’ve got to give yourself over to the experience.

Take it day by day. I feel like there is this idea that if you don’t finish your hike, you’re less of a hiker or something. It just isn’t true. Day hikers, Weekenders, Section Hikers, Thru-Hikers - we’re all the same - we LOVE the wilderness. That’s what’s important.

You’re gonna be fine. Hike YOUR OWN hike.

There is a natural flow to the trail.
When you get out there, you’ll find it, and you’ll love it.

See ya out there!

-li-

-li-

#13

You’ll have a great time. If you can, try to start off with the hiker hostel folks. Sorry, I don’t have their email handy. you’ll meet all sorts of other hikers, get some last minute gear advice, and be initiated to the hospitality that you will find throughout the trail.

They will also shuttle you to the trail and can arrange for a pickup if you want to stay with them a little longer and slack pack.

Theirs lots of support at the beginning of the trail that will help you get your feet wet. Just take your time.

Repeat: JUST TAKE YOUR TIME!!!:cheers

jalan jalan

#14

I think everyone is a little nervous before they start since it’s such a big transition. I started a SOBO thru hike on AT by myself in '04…and late in the pack. The first few days were pretty lonely and a little scary for a girl out alone, but by the start of the second week I had eased into it a bit and found a good group of people to hike with.

Once you’re on the trail you’ll be so busy tweeking your gear, meeting people, and thinking about what you’re gonna eat when you get in town that you’ll forget about your nerves pretty quickly. It’s an amazing experience, so don’t psyche yourself out too much before you even set foot on the trail.

Best of luck to you! :cheers (oh and call home often, they love that…and you’ll realize how much you do too)

p.s. I was talking to a friend in undergrad before I started the AT. He said he knew someone who “tried that” once. No one ever said that I couldn’t do it, and I thought that I could, but from that moment on, it was my personal mission to make that guy be able to say I knew someone that “did” that once. …and now I’m getting ready for the PCT…

tangent

#15

Just start to walk and be thankful for the time away from it all. Your frame of mind will change from day to day, even after 1000 miles youll go through different emotions and strains. Just stay focused. Dont think about the finish, just think about the day. By the time the finish comes, you wont want to let go. Good luck !!! Va

Virginian

#16

Def natural to feel how you do… You’ll be in a plethra of hikers as you start, many who share the same feelings. Just be yourself and take one day at time. Also, taking a “Tall One” along and cracking it will ease the transition :wink: I prefer heineken… Enjoy the hike!:cheers

KTR

#17

It takes me about a mile on the trail to forget about everything in the “civilized world.”
The absolute feeling of freedom makes all the little anxious things disappear like (trail) magic.

VABill

#18

The first few weeks were incredibly tough for me. It was smooth sailing after that. Enjoy.
GA - ME Fall 2002 Summer 2003

Bankrobber

#19

This has been fun to read! Thank you all! We are ALL nervous. I’m wondering if I can hike for 3 weeks at a time with my thru hiker husband (Ed Benton) Smokies, Damascus area and Shendoahs. His journal: trailjournals.com/comedbenton --When you get your “stuff” straightened out and huffed up a few of those hills, the nerves will melt away and you’ll be able to crash into your sleeping bag. Good luck to all of you!!

Lipstick