Thru-hiking the AT does not sound like something I want to do.
When we arrived at the Cosby Knob shelter on Tuesday night, it was just a little after 5 pm. Ten thru hikers had already made it there. The majority were already in their sleeping bags and eating cold food. All headlamps were out by 8 pm, and although it was gray and snowy, it was still light out. It seemed kind of lame. I like to hike and do backpacking trips so that I can enjoy the time outside, stop for views, experience creation, take time to sit around a fire or a stove and cook a nice meal while chatting distraction-free with friends.
This group was all work and no play. They were concerned only with getting to their destination each night which is a lot of pressure. They had been cold and wet for almost a month, hiking through waist-deep snow for days, sometimes even up to their armpits. All of this a result of wanting to hit the trail in mid-February to avoid crowds...? I'm not sure how worth it is. One guy, a Canadian, took 4 months off work. He started early Feb so he's planning to be finished by early June- it's not even warm yet in Maine, the trail's end, in June.
I have often thought about doing a long thru hike, something like the AT, the PCT, or after a friend hiked it later, the Camino de Santiago de Compostela from France to Spain. But, I think I may have crossed the AT off my list.
'Suum Cuique'
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