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Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

latimes.com

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Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#31

Post by ctrager »

TuringNYC wrote: post #28

I had friends do the Appalachian Trail and much of the decisioning was on how to start it after the winter but complete it before the next winter. I can see how the trail becomes nX more difficult during winter. Doing three in a year is remarkable for this reason, I think the almost mandates you done some through the winter.

I did a section of the PCT. Too early in the year? Too much snow. But if you go later in the year the melting snow makes the streams too high and fast and dangerous - people drown. But if you go later in the year the mosquitoes will drive you insane. But if you go later in the year, that's when things dry out the fires will drive you off the trail...

Pick your poison.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#32

Post by peterbraden »

ctrager wrote: post #21

There's so much bad policy in the USA that sucks, especially when compared to some European countries, but one thing the USA has done relatively well at is creating lots of public land and the creating these trails. I hiked a section of the PCT starting at a paved road (mile 652 of the trail) and didn't cross another paved road until 290 miles of hiking later. I tear up with gratitude for the vision of the people who…

Europe is far more free than the US for a lot of this, no permits required, right to roam in many countries, and camping is tolerated most places it isn’t a nuisance.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#33

Post by JKCalhoun »

ctrager wrote: post #23

This is a quote from the book "The Motion of the Body through Space" by Lionel Shriver. It's about exercise, but it applies to hiking ambition too. "People who exercise less than you are pathetic; people who exercise more than you are nuts.”

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?”

— Carlin

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#34

Post by randomsearch »

ctrager wrote: post #18

In 2019 when I was 63 I did a 500 snippet of the Pacific Crest Trail. Because of needing to resupply, my long hike was really a series of 9 trips, each individual trip lasting about 5 days, more or less, like a work week. I started to think of a day hiking as "a day at the office". Already on "Monday", my first day back on trail I would be thinking about "Friday", the day I could get to town and eat restaurant food i…

How did you find doing it at that age? I’d love to do the PCT but can’t see how I’ll manage the time before my 60s

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#35

Post by revax »

peterbraden wrote: post #32
ctrager wrote: post #21

There's so much bad policy in the USA that sucks, especially when compared to some European countries, but one thing the USA has done relatively well at is creating lots of public land and the creating these trails. I hiked a section of the PCT starting at a paved road (mile 652 of the trail) and didn't cross another paved road until 290 miles of hiking later. I tear up with gratitude for the vision of the people who…

Europe is far more free than the US for a lot of this, no permits required, right to roam in many countries, and camping is tolerated most places it isn’t a nuisance.

Europe is rather diverse regarding those rights.

In France you cannot do wild camping at all, bivouacking is merely tolerated. In some trails, you can only set up camp in designated spot.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#36

Post by saiya-jin »

helmholtz wrote: post #22
ctrager wrote: post #21

There's so much bad policy in the USA that sucks, especially when compared to some European countries, but one thing the USA has done relatively well at is creating lots of public land and the creating these trails. I hiked a section of the PCT starting at a paved road (mile 652 of the trail) and didn't cross another paved road until 290 miles of hiking later. I tear up with gratitude for the vision of the people who…

Yep, hiking in the alps is largely a hut-to-hut sort of affair. It's picture perfect, jaw droppingly so, but it is crowded, tamed and sterile. Goats are about the wildest thing you see.

Only if you do few most touristic places in whole range of alps. Most of it is quiet and you will meet few people a day. But sure if you pick one of the most popular hikes in alps then its surprisingly crowded, especially in the summer. Autumn is far superior time for Alps hiking (colors, temperatures, weather).

Also don't get that camping restrictions rant in this thread - you can camp literally everywhere outside of natural reserve. If its private property and you have somebody to ask then ask for permission. Otherwise be polite, quiet, don't leave anything after you and that's it.

I've been doing it for last 10 years almost every weekend weather permitting, never any issue. Outside of proper alpinism / skialpinism never used huts.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#37

Post by saiya-jin »

revax wrote: post #35
peterbraden wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Europe is far more free than the US for a lot of this, no permits required, right to roam in many countries, and camping is tolerated most places it isn’t a nuisance.

Europe is rather diverse regarding those rights. In France you cannot do wild camping at all, bivouacking is merely tolerated. In some trails, you can only set up camp in designated spot.

... in theory, in some places, maybe.

If you go to the mountains actually, you will see tons of folks camping around all the time, nobody has any issue with it. The only exception are proper natural parks, but that's understandable.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#38

Post by SyzygistSix »

helmholtz wrote: post #20
subpixel wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trail runner here and I wholeheartedly agree. Life is defined by experience, not achievement. But some people never reach this realization. I live surrounded by very accomplished retirees, and some, on first meeting, give me a rundown of the highlights of their illustrious career.

"What is important in life is life, and not the result of life" But I think this opinion does get thrown around a lot anytime someone pushes an aspect of hiking. Ultralight backpackers, fastpackers, even ultra runners are all familiar with the trite refrain of "just stop and smell the roses!". I mean sure, but I'll bet any money that someone committed enough to do the triple crown in a single year isn't lacking for g…

Certainly and I agree that their experience was certainly rare and unique. There can be a lot of pleasure in discomfort and accomplishment. I did not mean to be a naysayer so much as to emphasize the completely nuts ambition of their adventure. I'd still say it's a rare person who would find what they did enjoyable.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#39

Post by [deleted] »

ctrager wrote: post #21

There's so much bad policy in the USA that sucks, especially when compared to some European countries, but one thing the USA has done relatively well at is creating lots of public land and the creating these trails. I hiked a section of the PCT starting at a paved road (mile 652 of the trail) and didn't cross another paved road until 290 miles of hiking later. I tear up with gratitude for the vision of the people who…

[deleted]

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#40

Post by ctrager »

peterbraden wrote: post #32
ctrager wrote: post #21

There's so much bad policy in the USA that sucks, especially when compared to some European countries, but one thing the USA has done relatively well at is creating lots of public land and the creating these trails. I hiked a section of the PCT starting at a paved road (mile 652 of the trail) and didn't cross another paved road until 290 miles of hiking later. I tear up with gratitude for the vision of the people who…

Europe is far more free than the US for a lot of this, no permits required, right to roam in many countries, and camping is tolerated most places it isn’t a nuisance.

There's where you can WALK and where you can CAMP. I'm talking about where you can CAMP. The only countries in Western Europe where there's a lot of freedom to camp are Scotland, Norway, and Sweden.

In the Alps, where there is the most dramatic scenario, in France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, there aren't a lot of areas where you can just pick a spot and camp there.

You don't need a permit to stay in a hut/refuge, but you usually need a reservation, which is sorta the same thing, a limit to the number of overnight visitors. Effectively a permit.

There are very very very few places in the USA where you need a permit to just hike for the day. Places where they are required are either very vulnerable like "The Wave" in Utah or dangerous when overcrowded like Angels Landing in Zion.

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