Wisdom from 2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers: Part I

Gearing up for your AT 2020 thru-hike? Check in here first for some interviews with the Class of 2019. Two couples and one solo hiker chime in with their thoughts on resourcefulness, gear, and what you need to finish a thru-hike. Everyone’s answer is a little different, but that’s the charm! No two thru-hikes ever end up exactly the same, but hopefully, you can glean some wisdom from their experiences.

Check out the rest of the interviews in this series:

Wisdom from 2018 Thru-Hikers

Wisdom from 2019 Pacific Trail Thru-Hikers

Wisdom from 2019 Continental Divide Trail Thru-Hikers

Emily “FirSure” Schultz | March 11 – August 26, 2019 (NOBO)

Favorite trail town, and why?

Warwick, New York. I stayed (for free!) at the drive-in movie theater.  We tented up in the back, and they provided us with radios to tune in to the shows.  Also, the owner gave us leftover food from the snack bar, and there was a cidery, grocery store, and bagel shop all within walking distance of the theater!

What did you do to prepare for your hike that you think directly affected the outcome?

I thoroughly researched gear (mostly online and a little bit through crowdsourcing more experienced friends).  I looked at tons of best-of lists and reviews and made sure to understand the differences across various options for the same types of items (like down vs synthetic).  I didn’t do any overnight backpacking shakedown, but I did try out every piece of gear I purchased, by wearing my puffy to and from work, sleeping on my pad in my living room, and making tea over my stove.  When I started the hike I was confident that I had good gear and knew how to use it.

What were your luxuries on-trail?

I splurged on gear—I was willing to pay a little extra for warmer clothes and lighter gear.  I also splurged on hotels/food/beer in town. If a private room was available at a hostel, for instance, I sometimes opted for it even though I mostly hiked solo, because it was luxurious just to have a private (indoor) space from time to time.  I didn’t carry any luxury items.

What piece of gear did you bring but not need? What piece of gear did you wish you had? 

I never used my first aid or repair kits (other than maybe Band-Aids and Leukotape at the very beginning).  I never used sunscreen or sunglasses (but I did burn at times). I rarely used my hat and sent it home early. All else equal, I wish I’d had a two-person tent (I had a one-person, which was fine but a little snug at times).

What’s your best wildlife story from your thru-hike?

Three bears got my food bag one night and I just had to watch it happen.  Also, one day I hit EIGHT snakes in like 30 seconds (sunning out on a wooden plank walkway).

Did you hike more in a group or solo?

I mostly hiked solo but was in and out of two to three trail families of various degrees of formality.

What was your trail family like? 

My first trail fam was just me and four random men who all slept in the same shelter our first night; later, I was in a group that had built up over time, so it was a bit more coherent in terms of culture. I ended with three friends who hiked closely together (like literally walked together playing word games and sharing our life stories—that was a little weird but very fun), plus every day one or two other people would stick around us for a few hours at a time.

What was your favorite part of hiking in a group?

Sharing the crazy experiences with other people—being able to look back and talk about it.  And now, after the trail, to have people to text “remember when…” And share those memories with. Also, there’s just something so humanizing about seeing a familiar face at the end of the day.

Alone? 

When hiking alone, there’s no need to compromise on miles, camping spots, etc.  Just total independence.

What did you turn to, on a rough day, to keep yourself motivated and driven? 

Motivation wasn’t really a concern for me.  I had a deadline to go back to work, so I was working within a finite time period. Perhaps without that deadline, I would have had a hard time getting up and doing miles on bad weather days, but it never occurred to me to stop moving.  Also, from time to time, if a particular climb was challenging, I would text my friends back home along the lines of “this fucking sucks please inspire me” and they would reply with something like “you are so badass keep going!” Also, a lot of nice people commented on my Instagram posts and replied to my stories with encouraging words!

What do you miss most about the trail (life)?

I miss not having the running list of responsibilities, deadlines, to-dos, etc., which are in the back of my mind all the time in the “real” world.  Being on the trail is just so simple and straightforward. I also miss my hard hiker body, which quickly softened back toward normal after Katahdin.

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring thru-hikers?

First of all: DO IT! There are so many people posting on FB and Instagram like “I wish I could do a long hike :/” or “I’m planning on doing the PCT in 2025!” Like, just do it! Do it now! What are you waiting for!?  There’s probably never going to be a perfect time, you’ve gotta take the leap at some point! And second: Just be realistic with a touch of conservative. Unless you’re starting out as a great athlete, it’s going to start kind of hard (and get easier). Look at a lot of data and assume you’re going to be slightly slower than average, spend slightly more than average, assume the temps will be slightly colder than average, etc. If you build those types of protections into your plan/vision, it’s a lot harder to get knocked off course when something breaks or you get norovirus or whatever and you end up over budget or behind schedule. Nothing is more motivational than being exactly where you need to be on time or early!

What do you think changed the most about your personality or outlook on life, from this experience?

I am more patient, especially with things/people outside of my control. In the “real” world I live in NYC and work as a corporate litigator—everything is extremely fast-paced and highly choreographed.  Nothing keeps you humble like relying on strangers to pick you up as a hitchhiker for six months—I had to remember to roll with the punches and always look for a Plan B.  It really puts what’s important in perspective: even if everything goes wrong, it’s fine, assuming you and your people are safe and healthy. And, if things do work out as planned, that’s just gravy.  Relatedly, I think the trail instilled a resourcefulness in me. Like if I have some problem to solve, instead of thinking, “Wow I really wish I had a widget to cure this problem,” I can look around myself, consider what resources I do have access to, and almost always devise some way to solve the problem or at least work around it!

What sets the AT apart from other long-distance trails (for you)? 

Every man and their brother has hiked some portion of the trail and will tell you all about it! If you want a special, unique experience—this is not it! It’s a really rich and deep community of people. Not so many mansplainers out there with “expertise” on the CDT, I’d bet.

The AT gets more and more crowded every year. How did the crowds on the trail affect your experience?

This relates to my answer above.  It’s less going-into-the-wilderness and more going-into-a-trail-community.  The people were the best part of the trail to me so the crowds didn’t really bother me. I hope the trail finds a way to continue to instill in hikers a sense of ownership and stewardship, so that the hundreds and thousands of people on the AT every year consider themselves to be protectors, rather than exploiters, of nature and Appalachia.

Pam “Starcrunch” Caruso and Donovan “Moss” Bregg | March 4 – August 2, 2019 (NOBO)

Favorite trail town and why? 

Daleville, Virginia. It felt really large and it was easy for our families to meet us there. The Three Pigs BBQ was awesome and the free dessert for hikers was the cherry on top!

What did you do to prepare for your hike that you think directly affected the outcome? 

We hiked Shenandoah National Park during prime thru-hiker season. We were able to ask them so many questions related to the hike.

What were your luxuries on-trail? 

Starcrunch: Small Venus Razor

Moss: Nemo Fillo Elite Pillow

What piece of gear did you bring but not need? 

We rarely used our headlamps. We used our cellphones if we needed a quick light.

What piece of gear did you wish you had? 

Better rain gear during the early months.

What’s your best wildlife story from your thru-hike? 

We stepped over a baby rattlesnake without even knowing it was there.

Did you hike more in a group or solo?

Just the two of us continuously.

What was your trail family like? 

We didn’t really have one, but we ran into a lot of the same people. They were fun and determined.

What was your favorite part of hiking in a group? 

Since it was just the two of us, we helped carry one another’s belongings and share cell phone battery power in order to listen to audiobooks so we were never bored while we hiked.

Alone? 

We were never alone. Almost always together.

What did you turn to, on a rough day, to keep yourself motivated and driven? 

One another. Someone told us in the beginning—never both be mad or upset at the same time.

What do you miss most about the trail (life)? 

Eating anything we wanted and still losing weight.

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring thru-hikers? 

Don’t quit until you’ve had three consecutive good days. (You will never have this.)

What do you think changed the most about your personality or outlook on life, from this experience? 

We’ve become a lot more patient when it comes to small things. We also learned to live with a lot less.

What sets the AT apart from other long-distance trails (for you)? 

Instead of climbing one mountain for two days, you’re climbing six mountains in one day.

The AT gets more and more crowded every year. How did the crowds on the trail affect your experience? 

It was fun meeting new people.

Allison “Slim Shady” Olson | June 28, 2019 (Ongoing SOBO)

Favorite trail town and why? 

Monson, Maine. Monson was my first trail town. We hiked over 114 miles before coming across our first town and I remember the relief I felt hiking out of the 100-Mile Wilderness and knowing that good food, beer, and an opportunity to recalibrate my gear would be possible in this tiny town made it that much more magical. What I didn’t expect was the community that would come from my time in Monson. Our trail family grew a bit, we met other SOBOs who were near us but we had yet to cross paths with, and we got to hear stories from NOBOs who were incredibly close to finishing their thru-hike. I was so new to the trail and here were people about to finish the trail. It was pretty surreal.

What did you do to prepare for your hike that you think directly affected the outcome?

I spent a lot of time focused on mental preparedness, I knew the physical strengths would come and I’ve always been fairly athletic and active. This hike requires mental fortitude, an ability to wake up each and every day and put one foot in front of the other, knowing full well finishing the trail is not guaranteed and nobody is forcing you to do this. There is no true reward other than the personal joy and confidence you will gain as a result of finishing and the incredible memories you will have created.

What were your luxuries on-trail? 

A Kindle and a journal.

What piece of gear did you bring but not need? What piece of gear did you wish you had? 

I brought a tin coffee cup, which I never actually used. I love coffee, but waking up and starting my stove is not on the top of my list of things to do in the morning. I did drink wine out of it in our first trail town, then sent it home. One piece of gear I wish I had, that’s a tricky one. At the start, I definitely wanted a new pack, but I eventually caved and bought one. So much of this hike has been learning to let go and simplify, so slowly but surely I’ve pared my pack down and really focused on what the necessities are. I’m not really wanting for much at the moment.

What’s your best wildlife story from your thru-hike? 

I’d say it’s a tie. I absolutely love bears. I remember our first bear encounter and I was just in awe/a bit afraid because we came across a mama and her cub. I wish I got a picture, but we were so close it was best for us to hike on. A few days later, we were stealth camping and a bear was trying to get our food that was hanging in the tree. We didn’t sleep a wink because the bear was so persistent and we got nervous every time it started to lurk near our tent. I still love bears but don’t love when they cause some seriously sleepless nights.

Did you hike more in a group or solo? 

I’m hiking with my husband, so we are pretty much inseparable. We’ve had a larger trail family at some points. In Maine, we hiked consistently with two other people, then hiked by ourselves for a while, and we only just started hiking with one other individual for a few hundred miles.

What was your trail family like? 

Our trail families have kept us going and seem to come into our trail life when we need them most. They help to propel us forward through uncertainty, through the hard days, and keep us laughing on the good days. Our first trail family taught us the ropes, gave us advice on gear, supported us when we didn’t think we could push additional miles, and truly helped us adapt to life on-trail. Our most recent trail family has helped us mentally and emotionally. They’ve injected so much joy and laughter into this portion of our thru-hike, which has made such a difference as we hike through cold, snowy, weather. As much as this is an individual journey, this community shows up for one another in profound ways. Whether it’s a quick, passing conversation that leaves an impact or walking hundreds of miles with people who become your family. They say the trail provides, but really it’s the people.

Alone? 

We’ve definitely enjoyed our time alone, but at times it can be so isolating hiking SOBO. We’d often go days without seeing people and were grateful that we had each other.

What did you turn to, on a rough day, to keep yourself motivated and driven? 

I really relied on looking back at how far I’d come. I reflect on every obstacle in Maine and New Hampshire, where I doubted myself and where I’d overcome my doubt, my fear, my insecurities. Looking back has helped me move forward through different challenges—like waking up to my gear 100% frozen or having to walk 6+ miles in my Crocs because my shoes froze. I know that I’m capable, but as the days become colder, it becomes harder to motivate myself. Thinking about how far I’ve come helps me to dig deep; it reminds me why I started this trek and why I’m so focused on finishing it.

What do you miss most about the trail (life)? 

I am still hiking, but I did have to take 25 days off when I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. During that time, I missed having a purpose. At that point, I felt like my thru-hike and my life became so complicated, so quickly. I missed the simplicity, the very clear progress I was making on the trail—I couldn’t comprehend that taking time off to heal was just as important as putting one foot in front of the other.

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring thru-hikers? 

There are good days and bad days, but it’s up to you to determine how you react. You have everything you need inside of you to weather the ridges and valleys of this epic adventure. Trust yourself, don’t sweat the small stuff, the days are so full with so many ups and downs—remember to keep it simple—one foot in front of the other, the rest will fall into place. Enjoy it, don’t lose sight of what a gift it is to be able to explore by foot.

What do you think changed the most about your personality or outlook on life, from this experience? 

I think I’ll be unpacking this experience for years to come, but I can honestly say I no longer see obstacles as limitations, I see them as opportunities to grow. I think it’s easy to put up walls, to think things are impossible, to make excuses for why you can’t achieve things—but if you really want something, you can find a way. I can’t wait to continuously create the life I want rather than just show up for it. I know it will be scary, require hard work, and be filled with so much uncertainty, but if it’s anything like the trail, I know it will be so rewarding and fulfilling.

What sets the AT apart from other long-distance trails (for you)? 

I grew up on the East Coast,  and this trail holds a special place for me because I had the chance to walk home twice. I grew up in New England, but have called Virginia home for 12 years. To go back to my roots, to begin this trail where my love of mountains began and to walk toward where it was nurtured for the last decade, is pretty surreal.

The AT gets more and more crowded every year. How did the crowds on the trail affect your experience? 

I chose to go SOBO to avoid the crowds and embrace the solitude as much as possible. In some ways, the crowds directly impacted the direction of my hike. That said, I loved meeting NOBOs, hearing their stories, and learning from their experiences when we’d cross paths. For me, it’s balanced and I know I wouldn’t have made it this far without the community of thru-hikers, trail angels, day hikers, hostels, etc.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share their stories about their AT thru-hikes with us. More Wisdom from 2019 upcoming, so stay tuned!

Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.