[at-l] Thru-hiking vs. Section hiking

[Northern Wind <northernwind@mail.geocities.com>]

Wingfoot said:

I am always amazed at how some people get their hackles
up every time the subject of "thru-hiking vs. section hiking"
is raised, and then someone else says it doesn't matter, that
hiking the AT is what it's all about, as if that will make
the subject go away.

Truth is, thru-hikng is different from section hiking. Each
has it's own rewards. I agree with Fallingwater that, on a
hiking forum like this one, it's worth trying to clarify the
various aspects of each. We all might learn something.  (cut)

Quid Pro Quo replied:

I think there is a natural tendency for some people who haven't thru-hiked
to feel as though their own A.T. experience is deemed to be lesser or
inferior compared to a thru-hiker's experience, especially on a list that
has a thru hiker emphasis. There is an implication of "superiority" when as
thru-hikers we talk about how it isn't possible to attain that feeling of
"oneness" with the wilderness on a section hike.  I've felt that feeling of
"oneness"; it's an undeniable phenomenon. However, the other side of the
coin is that the feeling comes at a price. Section hikers also get to miss
out on the often difficult re-entry into society that many thru-hikers
experience after a thru-hike. 

I'll never forget my memory of an old man in his early eighties finishing up
his last few miles of a section hike on a hot day in Virginia. He could only
manage 6-8 miles per day. He would walk 100 yards, take a short break, and
then walk another 100 yards before taking another break. 

I met some amazing section hikers on the trail--people who have been hiking
for more than twenty years, taking two weeks per year to bite off another
chunk of the A.T. To me, that type of long-term committment to the trail is
incredible.  A thru-hiker is already in great physical shape for most of the
journey. Theoretically, a thru-hiker only has to get to one trailhead.
Also,many section hikers dedicate countless hours towards the A.T's
maintenance, lobbying, and fund raising.  

As a former thru-hiker, I tip my hat to the section hikers.  





Quid Pro Quo
GA>ME '96

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