Thru Hiking Myths
As I prepare for my Calendar Year Triple Crown hike I lean heavily on lessons I learned on my first hikes. Over and over I discovered that commonly held beliefs about thru hiking simply weren’t true. Some of this “conventional” trail wisdom is enshrined as often repeated expressions such as, “the trail provides”, “embrace the brutality”, and “you pack your fears”.
Yes, there are fortuitous happenings while hiking, but does that mean the “trail provides”? A majority of hikers who begin hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) do not finish. Somehow the trail did not provide what they needed. I would venture to say that for the approximately 25% who do complete this trail, their success had more to do with planning, determination and effort than to what the trail provided. Yes, on occasion there are inexplicable events that can be a godsend. We all savor these special incidents. But they are nothing to be counted on.
“Embrace the brutality” or more crudely, “embrace the suck” is another iconic phrase. I even saw people wearing t-shirts emblazoned with this alleged pearl of wisdom. There were times when I hiked through sweltering, humid conditions rife with swarms of mosquitoes and black flies and long stretches of dank, deep mud. That was easy compared to hiking for days on end through near constant rain. I don’t feel like there is anything wrong with me when I say, “I don’t embrace miserable conditions.” I endure those times. “Embrace” is not the appropriate verb to pair with the worst nature throws at us, so don’t feel like sadism is part of the hiking experience.
“You pack your fears.” This one is usually directed at new hikers by purveyors of the “ultralight” mantra. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the efforts of hikers and equipment manufacturers who work to lighten our loads as much as possible. What a difference it can make! But don’t lecture me on what I should or shouldn’t carry and insinuate that I am a fear monger. For example, I carry a bear canister when I hike. It is worth every cent I paid for it and every ounce it adds to my pack. I look back on all the time I spent trying to pull off a PCT bear hang at the end of a long day only to discover that habituated bears can defeat them with ease. I now sleep solidly on the trail, secure that my food is safe from mice, raccoons, and, yes, bears. So for those hikers who eat, cook and sleep with food in their tents, more power to you. I will never do that. As a beekeeper I have interacted with bears for years. I know what they are capable of. If I am “packing my fears” so be it.