[at-l] De-lurk and two newie questions

[kellyswhitman at hotmail.com (Kelly Whitman)]

Hi, everyone.  Planning to thru hike next spring.  While reading online 
thru-hiker journals, two things puzzled me.  Lots of people mention eating 
Pop Tarts, Snickers, and soda like they're staple foods.  How in the world 
do people hike 10-20 miles per day eating that way?  Not that I don't enjoy 
junk food, but I can't imagine including those things in my daily diet when 
I'm demanding that kind of hiking of my body (I tried it).  I'm worried now 
that the stores in the towns along the trail might not have healthier kinds 
of foods.  I'm coming from Arizona and won't have any local support - 
suddenly I'm envisioning weekly drops just for food (expensive)!

That might be connected to my second question... some of the comments make 
the trail sound like one big dorm lounge, especially in the shelters.  Are 
the majority of the hikers, thru or not, college students?   I not really 
thrilled about spending the six months with college kids (no offense to any 
students here).  Do the shelters tend to be places where socializing has 
priority (over getting a good night's rest for the next day)?  Do you really 
have to hike north to south to get any solitude?

Kelly Whitman
INTP
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"There ARE no other women like me."  -- 7 of 9

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