[at-l] Section Hiking (was Bryson's Book)

[Phil.Heffington@oc.edu (Phil Heffington)]

Although the main reason I section hike instead of thru-hike is the limited=
 amount of time I can get off from work, there are certain advantages and d=
isadvantages associated with it.

First, as a long distance section hiker, I'm not real sure that I would hav=
e the motivation to keep on, keeping on for a 5-6 month hike.  I'm always e=
xcited about getting on the trail, but I'm also ready to get back off after=
 a month of hiking.  This year, particularly, from Port Clinton, PA to Grea=
t Barrington, MA, I encountered almost no thru-hikers who were "purists".  =
I'm not making a judgment about how they were doing their hike, but almost =
all of them were slackpacking major portions of the trail and/or yellow bla=
zing past major portions.  Of course, the shear numbers of thru-hikers dimi=
nishes greatly after passing Harper's Ferry.  That, in itself, probably spe=
aks to what they really have come to feel about doing the trail for so far,=
 for so long.

I'm just saying that the trail itself is probably not going to provide the =
level of variety, views and excitement on a day to day basis for a person t=
o count on it to maintain a sufficient level of motivation to continue.  It=
 will take a deeper personal philosophy of purpose and motivation for the h=
ike that comes from within the individual to be able to keep on going from =
Georgia to Maine, or vice versa.  I've often said that only 10% of the trai=
l is views.  The other 90% is pretty much just "A Walk In The Woods", along=
 with a lot of ups and downs, and a good bit of poison ivy, mice, lyme tick=
s (and now West Nile Virus mosquitoes) along the way.  I'm renewed in body =
and spirit every year when I return from my hike, but I'm usually ready to =
come home at the time, also.  You really must have an unusual capacity for =
"healthy discomfort" to make it all the way in one continuous effort.