[at-l] Post Katahdin Depression (PKD)

[guillermo_manzana@hotmail.com (manzana)]

I had an interesting chat with some thru-hikers at Cosby this weekend.
Some of them were making their second thru-hike and they described what
it is like the day after Katahdin. Basically, it can be severely
depressing. I experienced it myself after an expedition into the
Everglades. You train for it for weeks, you plan and look forward to it.
Then you experience the exhilaration of the event. The day after can be
a real downer. I recall that several of the Apollo astronauts who went
to the moon required therapy after returning to earth. I imagine that
walking the AT would be a major accomplishment of a lifetime and how do
you top it when it's all over? So I guess the message is... plan on some
re-adjustment after you have done the Trail. Go out and hit the town or
something! I would be interested in any other vet's post-Katahdin
experiences.



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