[at-l] Post Katahdin Depression (PKD)

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

Anytime you do something "extreme" you take a good chance of the "downers".
I was out for most one spring and all of one summer.  I really "turtled" and
went into a lot of towns.  No goals.  Just a desire to be on the AT.  

I actually held up in Hot Springs for two weeks in a cabin.  

Yet when I got back home, I felt like imploding or exploding.  There were
nights I could not sleep because of the "noise" nearby, and the noise was
just the hum of the electric wires that ran by our apt. complex; a noise I
ordinarily did not hear.  And I'd end up going somewhere I just could sit in
the "outdoors": A couple of cops got use to checking up on me.  

Also I went and bought a couple of "environmental" tapes, and would set my
player up to looping all night long.  One tape particularly reminded of this
one tenting area with tall evergreens, a wide stream, and cool breezes.  I
never had trouble sleeping when the tape was playing and the AC was cranked
wide open.  And as far as eating, I'd eat like there was no tomorrow or like
a thru-hiker, and I favored all-you-can-eat buffets.  Plus I really missed
all the people I met while hiking...  

I'm afraid if I had made it an objective to hike the whole AT and had
continued to Mt. K, that I would have Yo-yoed.  And I might still be
yo-yoing.  I understand that some of the Eco-Challange racers feel the same
way, and they are not out quite as long as a thru-hike.

When you invest your heart and mind in something, it never lets go of you.
You definitely need decompression after a thru-hike or any major hike.
William, The Sad Turtle
-----Original Message-----
From: manzana [mailto:guillermo_manzana@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 10:29 AM
To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [at-l] Post Katahdin Depression (PKD)


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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