4 ms·

These are the kinds of folks on the AT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjyNO0Ltc6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjyNO0Ltc6U. They're partiers, not hikers, w

by nether 11y ago

These are the kinds of folks on the AT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjyNO0Ltc6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjyNO0Ltc6U. They're partiers, not hikers, who are destroying the wilderness and opportunities for solitude.

matwood 11y ago
I'm confused how people can party every night and then hike. The problem is the AT is just so accessible these are the things you're going to find when something becomes hip. Head to the Rockies or out to Oregon if you want solitude hiking. When I hiked Mt. Bierdstadt in CO I was completely alone for 7 hours and never saw another person the entire day.
- burningion 11y ago
  I attempted a thru hike in 2005. The thing about hiking is, doing it is a lot more difficult than talking about it. Something like 60% of thru hikers give up in the first 20 miles of their 2100 mile hike. That being said, of course there are people like in this article, but they're only at the shelters that are close to town. Walk a bit away from the town, and you're golden. Walking 15 miles into the woods to "party" is a huge ask. Shitty people are lazy. The real story behind all of this is how young / homeless / disenfranchised people are turning to the trail as an outlet / support group. That is more interesting to me, and worthy of a story, rather than judgement as doom of the trail.
  - jandrese 11y ago
    That 60% statistic is incredible. It takes months of planning and preparation to thruhike the AT. Throwing it all away on the second day is mind boggling to me.
    - matwood 11y ago
      I don't think many of the people you see in videos or in this article are doing months of planning. They buy a pack, quit their job and show up.
- 0x0539 11y ago
  Adding to this, if people want a lonely long hiking trail the Continental Divide is a good choice. My longest period without seeing another person at all was 6days, and I know several who have gone went weeks without seeing anyone(apart from hitchhiking into town for more food). Its also just a really awesome trail (Montana/Wyoming/Colorado/New Mexico) with on a good year maybe 300 hikers starting(far fewer finishing or making significant progress) Though it does take map and compass navigation as the trail is not complete and even when it is, there often isn't a trail just a line on a map.
  - matwood 11y ago
    That's great! When I lived in CO I hiked some of the same 1-2 day loops over and over across different seasons (some hit the continental divide). Seeing the same trail change depending on time of year was great. My favorite time hiking is in the winter (talk about being completely alone!). The stillness is so quiet, and all you hear is the snow crunching beneath your boots or the actual snow falling. The AT just seems anti-why I like to hike, and sounds more like a backpacking trip across Europe with your HS senior class.
cowsandmilk 11y ago
I would argue the locals having "hiker feeds" and handing out free beer are a cause of some of the problems. It seems hospitable, but it leads to bunching. When you have one hiker feed a year in a spot, you will attract everyone there at once. And they aren't coming for the love of the trail and to meet fellow hikers, but for the free food.

by nether 11y ago

matwood 11y ago

I'm confused how people can party every night and then hike. The problem is the AT is just so accessible these are the things you're going to find when something becomes hip. Head to the Rockies or out to Oregon if you want solitude hiking. When I hiked Mt. Bierdstadt in CO I was completely alone for 7 hours and never saw another person the entire day.

burningion 11y ago
I attempted a thru hike in 2005. The thing about hiking is, doing it is a lot more difficult than talking about it. Something like 60% of thru hikers give up in the first 20 miles of their 2100 mile hike. That being said, of course there are people like in this article, but they're only at the shelters that are close to town. Walk a bit away from the town, and you're golden. Walking 15 miles into the woods to "party" is a huge ask. Shitty people are lazy. The real story behind all of this is how young / homeless / disenfranchised people are turning to the trail as an outlet / support group. That is more interesting to me, and worthy of a story, rather than judgement as doom of the trail.
- jandrese 11y ago
  That 60% statistic is incredible. It takes months of planning and preparation to thruhike the AT. Throwing it all away on the second day is mind boggling to me.
  - matwood 11y ago
    I don't think many of the people you see in videos or in this article are doing months of planning. They buy a pack, quit their job and show up.
0x0539 11y ago
Adding to this, if people want a lonely long hiking trail the Continental Divide is a good choice. My longest period without seeing another person at all was 6days, and I know several who have gone went weeks without seeing anyone(apart from hitchhiking into town for more food). Its also just a really awesome trail (Montana/Wyoming/Colorado/New Mexico) with on a good year maybe 300 hikers starting(far fewer finishing or making significant progress) Though it does take map and compass navigation as the trail is not complete and even when it is, there often isn't a trail just a line on a map.
- matwood 11y ago
  That's great! When I lived in CO I hiked some of the same 1-2 day loops over and over across different seasons (some hit the continental divide). Seeing the same trail change depending on time of year was great. My favorite time hiking is in the winter (talk about being completely alone!). The stillness is so quiet, and all you hear is the snow crunching beneath your boots or the actual snow falling. The AT just seems anti-why I like to hike, and sounds more like a backpacking trip across Europe with your HS senior class.

cowsandmilk 11y ago

I would argue the locals having "hiker feeds" and handing out free beer are a cause of some of the problems. It seems hospitable, but it leads to bunching. When you have one hiker feed a year in a spot, you will attract everyone there at once. And they aren't coming for the love of the trail and to meet fellow hikers, but for the free food.