Deciding to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail

When I’ve never thru-hiked before

This one’s for my friends and family who are going to have a lot of questions

Hi there! 

This post is to try and help explain to my friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers who like to read other hikers’ blogs: Why.

I won’t get into every detail, but to start, here is a list of reasons why, why not, and hopefully some answers for my concerned friends and relatives.

Why?

In no particular order:

• Timing: I’m at a transitional time of life, caught between leaving a place I’ve come to love and returning home, while not quite feeling ready yet. A lot of people are right out of high school or college when they choose to hike, but I ran straight through highschool into college then into marriage, never really taking that “gap year” to slow down, explore, and think about what I want to do next. Now seems like a great time.
• Change: I have loved my career thus far, but I feel that I’ve become too comfortable in my job, and I worry that I’ll become (or have already become) complacent and glued to my desk chair. I want a career break to do something truly different, to get out of my comfort zone and see what I’m capable of by doing something outrageously different from my normal, comfortable life.
• Mental Strength: In my head, I want to become an entrepreneur after I move back home, and having never attempted something like starting my own business, I’m pretty intimidated by that dream. So the idea is if I can successfully hike 2000+ miles next year, maybe I’ll build the strength of character along the way to continue doing hard things that I’ve never tried before. 
• Emotional Strength and Resiliency: AKA learning to be Alone. I have always loved people, and I still do, and I will sorely miss my dear friends that I’ve come to know over the last 2.5 years of living where I am now. I’ve always found joy in doing activities with a friend or loved one, and struggle to get off my butt to do anything when I’m alone. So I’m trying to change that in a big way by building my confidence in myself with this enormous challenge. 
• To See What There is to See: I grew up in the PNW surrounded by mountains and ocean. Moving to the Midwest 3 years ago, I have learned to love the seasons and variety of flora and fauna that comes with the territory. Since I plan to move back to the PNW next year after my trek, I want this to be, in a way, a farewell tour. That’s not to say I won’t be back to the Midwest/East Coast ever again, but I want to give it time to appreciate the natural beauty. And honestly, with the rising tension of politics in this country, I am hoping to see the goodness of people in these rural areas and come away with a deeper appreciation of their lives. I consider myself a bit of a diplomat in personality, and I’ve heard “if you want to see the worst in people, go on social media. If you want to see the best in people, go outside and hike”. 
• Getting Off My Phone: Like many of us, I’m definitely addicted to my phone. And while I can spend hours watching other people live interesting and beautiful lives, I would finally like to become a person living a life I find interesting and beautiful. 
• Physical Strength: I really don’t like the gym, and I suck at motivating myself to do strenuous physical activity when the couch is right there… But I do love walking, and I honestly can’t wait for the sense of purpose that will come with waking up in the morning and saying “time to walk to Maine”. 

Why Not?

• Why not gain practical skills of living outdoors?
• Why not gain physical, mental, and emotional endurance?
• Why not take a short career break to figure out what’s next?
• Why not walk across the country just for the sake of it?

There are probably answers to these why-not’s, but for now they seem reasonable to me. 

But what about….

• Murderers?
• Bears?
• Blisters?

To address the first one, there are hundreds of people who hike this trail starting at the same time and going in the same direction, so I will most certainly not be alone for much of my journey, reducing the risk of being kidnapped and murdered. The Appalachian trail is safer than a lot of places in this country (sadly), and I don’t hear anyone asking about if I’m afraid of getting killed by living in a city. More questions on safety on the AT? Here’s a great link from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Bears: they’re out there. Here’s some more info on bear safety if you’re concerned. I plan to hang my food when camping and use a bear can where required. 

Blisters: Here are some tips from REI to address blisters on a long hike. 

Now what you didn’t ask about: Ticks!! Ticks are a big deal on the AT. Here is more information if you’re concerned (or if you weren’t aware and would like to be more concerned!). I will be carrying tick-tweezers on my hike to remove any unwelcome pests. 

How Can You Support Me?

Thank you so much for asking! Please sign up to get emails when I post a blog on The Trek, follow me on Youtube, and if you have any advice for someone like me who’s new to this backpacking life, please leave a comment! I’ve done a LOT of research over the last few months since deciding to get into backpacking, but I’m sure there’s always more to learn. 

Thanks for being here and supporting me in this crazy adventure.