Love you guys....you are so smart to listen to your instincts. You may never know what problems you avoided, but trust that you made the right decision. 👍
Your concerns are valid. Some politicians are trying to increase the crime rates in order to then pass "emergency laws" to combat the crime. They are working to weaken the constitution.They've let many bad guys out of prison and not prosecuted many criminals. You probably are safer on trail than in the "real world". Stay together and have fun together. Good Luck, Rick
About 15 years ago, while doing a long section hike on the AT, we camped near Cold Springs shelter which is just south of the NOC. We saw some old cotton sleeping bags in the shelter, def not hiking gear bags, and our gut feeling was to set up camp some distance from the shelter. In the middle of the night two vagabond fellows from the shelter stalked me, a female, in the most terror filled night I have ever had on the trail. I still suffer from PTSD from the event and sleep with bear spray and a knife right next to my head when on a hike. Long way of saying that I totally respect your gut feeling. There are many weirdos on the AT now that it has become so well used.
On March 07, 2019 , I started what i knew was my year to Through hike the AT I completed the Approach , tapped the sign and signed the log book inside the box at Springer Mountain and off i went . I had a couple of long distance hikes under my belt , so i had a ideal what i was in for and knew what it was like to live on the trail ! what i didn't know was i was about to encounter a melt down of a world wide pandemic while on trail , and before North Carolina i was going to get a email from the ATC asking that all of us through hiker abandon our hikes and get off trail . What all the trolls don't understand that are critical of us through hikers we couldn't find Hostels open , no hitches to town , which meant no resupplies ! frankly it become a scary place ! What Baskets & Garden State just said is what i wanted to say publicly for some time . but i felt like because i didn't have maybe the Title to say it ( A Through Hiker ) i kept my thoughts silent ! I went from 8000 + followers on my RUclips channel to less then a 1k because i know longer had a story to tell ! But what i wanted to say was while on Trail i honestly encountered people that i at times had to hike away from Homeless , prisoners , mentally ill, people carrying huge knives , pistols , hikers wanting to bum money, cigarettes constantly , and when a group of hikers gathered together to pay for a cabin there was always one hiker who wanting a free ride because he was that low on money and was less then 100 miles in . In the beginning it's impossible to hike out of the bubble , you know it takes time . I had a single solo young lady partner with me early in the hike by her request until we got out of bubble because she said she was made to feel uncomfortable by some of the crazy talk in shelters at night ! Anyway i promise i am not that guy that's not fun at parties but i saw a lot of crazy stuff out there , my feeling is the trail has become sooo commercialized is is drawing a huge amount of people that are maybe only there temporarily but it is difficult to get through them . i am retired Police Detective with more then 20 years of service , retired some 15 years at the time of my AT hike ,hair down to my back and a long coatee , so know one had a clue what i did . The only reason i tell this is because i saw a lot of stuff that was really iffy and has me reconsider a trail such as the AT. Don't get me wrong i met incredibly wonderful people many i still stay in contact with. But man i met some bat shit dangerously crazy people out there on the trail . So having all the gear like us through hikers do , i have found other places like The National parks of Utah , i just finished a through hike of the foothills trail in south Carolina which was awesome . That gut feeling Garden State had ???? Trust it , and Baskets i have never watched such a respectful of a man on any You tube channel of hikers . Maybe if i did a flip flop got out of the bubble i would be able to enjoy and have a fair shot at the AT but covid caused a lot of difficulty starting over again
I’m sorry to see you decide to get off the trail, but what’s more important than that is making the right decision for you and Julie - looking forward to your further hiking adventures
Going to miss you guys. I followed you all the way to Katahdin your last thru-hike. It was nice to watch you and Julie's relationship grow. I understand that when one or both of the hiking partners are not having a lot of fun for whatever reason especially if it's stress-related it makes it very difficult to get through those very difficult sections so I just say God bless you and your future endeavors and I would hope to see you back on the trail again someday in the future. Be safe enjoy your life.
Ultra Hiking Girl also had a "trust your gut" feeling. She met someone camping on trail and one of the first things asked ... or maybe the first thing...was are you hiking alone. She kept hiking. They showed up at the Hostel she was at. She packed her stuff and moved on. Think that was around Duncannon. Always trust your gut.
This is the second time this month that I've heard about a shuttle driver spreading tales about prisoners and other bad people being on trail. He even prayed with the ot hikers when dropping them off. Not sure why he is doing this, b u t he is creeping people out...
The trail will always be there ... it an'it go'in any where. Glad to see you both are following your heart. Baskets ... It takes a real man to support Garden State and to make decisions together. Well done. Always ... enjoy your vids ... thank you bunches for allowing us to tag along ... much appreciated.
Maybe it's because real hikers who are thru-hiking are way ahead (or flip-flopping) and the "shady" hikers aren't concerned about getting to Katahdin, just want to hang out.
I'm sorry your trip got messed up by all these factors. I was thinking about this today and I wonder if the difference between this thru-hike and your previous thru-hikes is your leave date? The last few times you've hiked the AT you were kind of in the hiker bubble, right? That would mean you were around serious hikers most of the time and not the riff raff.
Used to say back in the day of high school baseball that if 3 odd occurrences took place during practice, signs if you will, that we would go through the motions to make it appear as if we were practicing but practice was effectively over. Having said that, Baskets' comment of feeling safest on the trail speaks for itself. Hike your hike but sounds your hike has concluded. Garden seems to have family concerns in addition. Was looking forward to plotting your journey along the way-been following others north of you and they have not encountered concerns.
Thank you for sharing . I really appreciate you and thank you ❤️ for everything.Please do what you think is best.My opinion is you both are great. Thank you 👍 Ken
I would not worry about the AT. There are families hiking it with their children this year. Check out "Mommy and Me"( 7 yr old) and "Live Sutton" (5 year old).
I think the key difference there is those families started early with the main bubbles that are full of real hikers and regular people out to finish the trail. Starting in the summer means no real bubble, and a lot of sketchier, vagabond types who just want some wild space to wander without much of a plan.
I watched Julies video. I think you both did the right thing . If it doesn’t feel safe or right then go with your gut feelings. A woman’s intuition is seriously very accurate. I would trust it💗 There are other trails you can do. Take a break, till you feel better . Baskets trust her intuition . My father was a C&O engineer. I love trains
oh cool! we loved that hotel enjoy the mexican food place in town was so good! we are doing great in Chicago lots of hiking and lots of estate sales, check out our other channel where we do our resale business ruclips.net/video/mv9xm7gkydg/видео.html thanks Baskets
You’re both young, you’ve got lots of hiking years ahead of you, and the AT isn’t going anywhere. Always best to trust your gut rather than ignore it and regret it later. Stay well.
Sorry it's not feeling right, was really looking forward to following along, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do. Take it easy Baskets. See y'all down the trail. 👍
A woman's intuition is never wrong. It sounded like your intuition was speaking to you before anything happened. It is one of the super powers women have. We know when things are right and when they aren't. You will never likely know the event you avoided and sometimes that makes us doubt, but if something doesn't feel right, I've learned to trust that feeling.
First we support and respect your decision. But our first reaction was NOOOOOOOOOO Say it ain't so. So disappointing. But the reason for that is that we so enjoy yours and Julie's videos. We will miss you......again.oh well best wishes and good luck. If I could do it I would hike it with you Baskets. Your so knowledgeable especially when it comes to going into town. Maybe Julie would feel better about the hike if she had a big tramily hiking with her.
I think this year just isn't the year for you and Julie. The trail will still be there and there's always opportunities to try another trail in the future.
I hope we will see a view hiking videos of you this year. I noticed improved quality of your video takes and cuts. Maybe it´s time to change the trail, maybe it´s time to reach for the triple crown - not this year of course. Even AT pros are thinking of change - Hawk´s and Quicksand´s plan: CDT 2022 - maybe. Happy hiking
the good news: you have several months to do something different - and where the feel is right ! having also had to leave a trail I trained a lot for I share your disappointment.
sorry to see you guys get off trail. but listening to your gut feeling is the right thing to do. glad you two let your viewers know too. check out the Sheltowee Trace Trail, it's a 333 mile thru hike thru TN & KY that you guys might be interested in.
Really bummed you are getting off trail. I was hoping you would catch up to me. I'm north Damascus and I have not had any weird or strange encounters with people. That one shot on a NJ street is by far stranger than the trail. Hoping for more videos of you hiking somewhere soon best ~ Mad Rat
Amazing support you have for each other. This will take you far.. farther than any trail. Looking forward so much more for the unfolding of this thru hike!
Wow didn't see this coming. AT is way safer than and decent sized city without a doubt. But if the heart is not in it the heart is not in it. Happy trails!
Yikes, you guys have to do whatever you feel is best. I have sure enjoyed your vids and Thxn again for letting me tag along! I will look forward to future vids if you post, be safe!
Sorry that you are considering stopping. I always try to trust my gut especially when I feel the way I think you do. Maybe try another trail (not one of the triple crown)?
A lot of my favorite railway footage, but sadly you decided to leave the trail. Is there another crowd out there because of your late start? Anyhow, I hope to see you back on trail.
It is happening on other very popular trails also. Some shady folks have found a new venue to prey on others. With the AT being so accessible from so many towns makes it a target. Sorry it has to be this way. I’m afraid to hike by myself anymore and I live near the PCT. I got another German Shepherd to hike with after my last one passed in December.
You have to make the decision that feels right for both of you. Way to support Julie. Respect your decision. Gainesville Ga is known as the Chicken Capital of the World. LOL Take care.
Enjoyed your vlog of summer days on the Georgia section of the AT. With my current job, a few days at a time is as good as it gets. As your plans change and evolve, I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the summer.
Hello from Australia! Absolutely love watching you and Julie on your adventures. You are both such genuine, decent people and so informative. Thought you might like to check out an Australian hiker vlogger Scotty and see some of the Australian hiking terrain. Scotty is one of my fav's and I think you'd find this interesting. Best wishes for your next chapter. Any news on Nope? ruclips.net/video/z6oZShwh5tc/видео.html
Baskets you’re the hiker so go for it. Let Julie spend some quality time with her patents. Seems to me like you are ready to solo the trail. Go for it man! You are there, have what it takes so what are you waiting for?
You are a good dude for supporting your girl emotionally..
Love to see a real man supporting his woman. Very much appreciated this video
Love you guys....you are so smart to listen to your instincts. You may never know what problems you avoided, but trust that you made the right decision. 👍
Your concerns are valid. Some politicians are trying to increase the crime rates in order to then pass "emergency laws" to combat the crime. They are working to weaken the constitution.They've let many bad guys out of prison and not prosecuted many criminals.
You probably are safer on trail than in the "real world". Stay together and have fun together. Good Luck, Rick
You both are great. There will always be another time for the AT or other trails . You can never go wrong with listening to your heart and gut.
About 15 years ago, while doing a long section hike on the AT, we camped near Cold Springs shelter which is just south of the NOC. We saw some old cotton sleeping bags in the shelter, def not hiking gear bags, and our gut feeling was to set up camp some distance from the shelter. In the middle of the night two vagabond fellows from the shelter stalked me, a female, in the most terror filled night I have ever had on the trail. I still suffer from PTSD from the event and sleep with bear spray and a knife right next to my head when on a hike. Long way of saying that I totally respect your gut feeling. There are many weirdos on the AT now that it has become so well used.
On March 07, 2019 ,
I started what i knew was my year to Through hike the AT
I completed the Approach , tapped the sign and signed the log book inside the box at Springer Mountain and off i went .
I had a couple of long distance hikes under my belt , so i had a ideal what i was in for and knew what it was like to live on the trail !
what i didn't know was i was about to encounter a melt down of a world wide pandemic while on trail , and before North Carolina i was going to get a email from the ATC asking that all of us through hiker abandon our hikes and get off trail .
What all the trolls don't understand that are critical of us through hikers we couldn't find Hostels open , no hitches to town , which meant no resupplies !
frankly it become a scary place !
What Baskets & Garden State just said is what i wanted to say publicly for some time . but i felt like because i didn't have maybe the Title to say it ( A Through Hiker ) i kept my thoughts silent !
I went from 8000 + followers on my RUclips channel to less then a 1k because i know longer had a story to tell !
But what i wanted to say was while on Trail i honestly encountered people that i at times had to hike away from
Homeless , prisoners , mentally ill, people carrying huge knives , pistols ,
hikers wanting to bum money, cigarettes constantly , and when a group of hikers gathered together to pay for a cabin there was always one hiker who wanting a free ride because he was that low on money and was less then 100 miles in .
In the beginning it's impossible to hike out of the bubble , you know it takes time .
I had a single solo young lady partner with me early in the hike by her request until we got out of bubble because she said she was made to feel uncomfortable by some of the crazy talk in shelters at night !
Anyway i promise i am not that guy that's not fun at parties but i saw a lot of crazy stuff out there , my feeling is the trail has become sooo commercialized is is drawing a huge amount of people that are maybe only there temporarily but it is difficult to get through them .
i am retired Police Detective with more then 20 years of service , retired some 15 years at the time of my AT hike ,hair down to my back and a long coatee , so know one had a clue what i did .
The only reason i tell this is because i saw a lot of stuff that was really iffy and has me reconsider a trail such as the AT.
Don't get me wrong i met incredibly wonderful people many i still stay in contact with.
But man i met some bat shit dangerously crazy people out there on the trail .
So having all the gear like us through hikers do , i have found other places like The National parks of Utah , i just finished a through hike of the foothills trail in south Carolina which was awesome .
That gut feeling Garden State had ????
Trust it , and Baskets i have never watched such a respectful of a man on any You tube channel of hikers .
Maybe if i did a flip flop got out of the bubble i would be able to enjoy and have a fair shot at the AT but covid caused a lot of difficulty starting over again
I’m sorry to see you decide to get off the trail, but what’s more important than that is making the right decision for you and Julie - looking forward to your further hiking adventures
You guys were real. Will miss you.
Going to miss you guys. I followed you all the way to Katahdin your last thru-hike. It was nice to watch you and Julie's relationship grow. I understand that when one or both of the hiking partners are not having a lot of fun for whatever reason especially if it's stress-related it makes it very difficult to get through those very difficult sections so I just say God bless you and your future endeavors and I would hope to see you back on the trail again someday in the future. Be safe enjoy your life.
You should keep going do it be ok ❤️❤️❤️💪💪💪👍👍👍
Just something to consider, Flip it! Switch it up to a SOBO. It might have a better feel. Look forward to yours and Julie's next adventure.
Ultra Hiking Girl also had a "trust your gut" feeling. She met someone camping on trail and one of the first things asked ... or maybe the first thing...was are you hiking alone. She kept hiking. They showed up at the Hostel she was at. She packed her stuff and moved on. Think that was around Duncannon. Always trust your gut.
You always have to listen to your gut, at least for a few days. You can always change your mind.
This is the second time this month that I've heard about a shuttle driver spreading tales about prisoners and other bad people being on trail. He even prayed with the ot hikers when dropping them off. Not sure why he is doing this, b u t he is creeping people out...
You can always skip to east coast england states like Vermont NH a Maine or hike Acadia in maine
The trail will always be there ... it an'it go'in any where. Glad to see you both are following your heart. Baskets ... It takes a real man to support Garden State and to make decisions together. Well done.
Always ... enjoy your vids ... thank you bunches for allowing us to tag along ... much appreciated.
Maybe it's because real hikers who are thru-hiking are way ahead (or flip-flopping) and the "shady" hikers aren't concerned about getting to Katahdin, just want to hang out.
*real* hikers
Doesn’t sound like there were shady hikers, just a shady shuttle driver
Always go.with the girls gut feeling. Good decision.
Checking out dolly sods WV great place for summer backpacking.
I'm sorry your trip got messed up by all these factors. I was thinking about this today and I wonder if the difference between this thru-hike and your previous thru-hikes is your leave date? The last few times you've hiked the AT you were kind of in the hiker bubble, right? That would mean you were around serious hikers most of the time and not the riff raff.
Safety first. You'll hike on when it's right👍
Used to say back in the day of high school baseball that if 3 odd occurrences took place during practice, signs if you will, that we would go through the motions to make it appear as if we were practicing but practice was effectively over. Having said that, Baskets' comment of feeling safest on the trail speaks for itself. Hike your hike but sounds your hike has concluded. Garden seems to have family concerns in addition. Was looking forward to plotting your journey along the way-been following others north of you and they have not encountered concerns.
sounds like a bit of homesick...it happens...it creates anxiety ...always good to follow your gut. good luck and happy trails. I enjoyed the videos.
Trust your gut. Good for you standing by Julie.
Thank you for sharing . I really appreciate you and thank you ❤️ for everything.Please do what you think is best.My opinion is you both are great. Thank you 👍 Ken
Very nice video.. dropping by to show appreciation to the channel 😍 Hope you have a wonderful Sunday! 🤗🥰XoXo #RRFam big like 162
I would not worry about the AT. There are families hiking it with their children this year. Check out "Mommy and Me"( 7 yr old) and "Live Sutton" (5 year old).
I think the key difference there is those families started early with the main bubbles that are full of real hikers and regular people out to finish the trail. Starting in the summer means no real bubble, and a lot of sketchier, vagabond types who just want some wild space to wander without much of a plan.
I watched Julies video. I think you both did the right thing . If it doesn’t feel safe or right then go with your gut feelings. A woman’s intuition is seriously very accurate. I would trust it💗 There are other trails you can do. Take a break, till you feel better . Baskets trust her intuition . My father was a C&O engineer. I love trains
Great vlog. Love the trains Included! Thanks for sharing.
How are you guys doing? We just thought about you, we are at the Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee. Miss your hiking on the AT videos. Take care.
oh cool! we loved that hotel
enjoy
the mexican food place in town was so good!
we are doing great in Chicago lots of hiking and lots of estate sales, check out our other channel where we do our resale business
ruclips.net/video/mv9xm7gkydg/видео.html
thanks
Baskets
Flip flop cdt 🤛
You’re both young, you’ve got lots of hiking years ahead of you, and the AT isn’t going anywhere. Always best to trust your gut rather than ignore it and regret it later. Stay well.
Sorry it's not feeling right, was really looking forward to following along, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do. Take it easy Baskets. See y'all down the trail. 👍
A woman's intuition is never wrong. It sounded like your intuition was speaking to you before anything happened. It is one of the super powers women have. We know when things are right and when they aren't. You will never likely know the event you avoided and sometimes that makes us doubt, but if something doesn't feel right, I've learned to trust that feeling.
First we support and respect your decision. But our first reaction was NOOOOOOOOOO
Say it ain't so.
So disappointing. But the reason for that is that we so enjoy yours and Julie's videos. We will miss you......again.oh well best wishes and good luck. If I could do it I would hike it with you Baskets. Your so knowledgeable especially when it comes to going into town. Maybe Julie would feel better about the hike if she had a big tramily hiking with her.
I think this year just isn't the year for you and Julie. The trail will still be there and there's always opportunities to try another trail in the future.
I hope we will see a view hiking videos of you this year. I noticed improved quality of your video takes and cuts. Maybe it´s time to change the trail, maybe it´s time to reach for the triple crown - not this year of course. Even AT pros are thinking of change - Hawk´s and Quicksand´s plan: CDT 2022 - maybe.
Happy hiking
Is CDT getting questionable too? Or are they just loathe to leave the AT?
You guys will make the right decision for yourselves! Sweet that your supporting Julie. Hope you end up making it!❤️❤️
the good news: you have several months to do something different - and where the feel is right !
having also had to leave a trail I trained a lot for I share your disappointment.
Sorry to see you get off the trail. Hope you made the right decision. I have enjoyed your other videos.
Well that's a let down, but we're here for ya...
If it doesn't feel right, it aint right, trust your instincts.
Such a gorgeous trail thanks for sharing !
Was the shuttle driver's name Murris? If so, I had an odd encounter with him back in April. Very sorry your hike ended in my home state.
sorry to see you guys get off trail. but listening to your gut feeling is the right thing to do. glad you two let your viewers know too. check out the Sheltowee Trace Trail, it's a 333 mile thru hike thru TN & KY that you guys might be interested in.
Really bummed you are getting off trail. I was hoping you would catch up to me. I'm north Damascus and I have not had any weird or strange encounters with people. That one shot on a NJ street is by far stranger than the trail. Hoping for more videos of you hiking somewhere soon best ~ Mad Rat
Amazing support you have for each other. This will take you far.. farther than any trail. Looking forward so much more for the unfolding of this thru hike!
Wow didn't see this coming. AT is way safer than and decent sized city without a doubt. But if the heart is not in it the heart is not in it. Happy trails!
Yikes, you guys have to do whatever you feel is best. I have sure enjoyed your vids and Thxn again for letting me tag along! I will look forward to future vids if you post, be safe!
There's plenty of other trails to hit, quieter and safer, take a break and weigh up your options
Thoughts: I enjoyed the walking tour of GA towns, the shots of the food you got, and the train footage. You could do train spotting videos!
I might !
Love watching trains
Sorry that you are considering stopping. I always try to trust my gut especially when I feel the way I think you do. Maybe try another trail (not one of the triple crown)?
Hope you guys still do the pct plan on
A lot of my favorite railway footage, but sadly you decided to leave the trail. Is there another crowd out there because of your late start? Anyhow, I hope to see you back on trail.
Not many thru hikers
But Everyone I met was super cool
Just hot and I don’t feel like hiking alone
Sorry to hear you have to end your trip early. Hopefully you will both find some other trails that will feel right for now.
It is happening on other very popular trails also. Some shady folks have found a new venue to prey on others. With the AT being so accessible from so many towns makes it a target. Sorry it has to be this way. I’m afraid to hike by myself anymore and I live near the PCT. I got another German Shepherd to hike with after my last one passed in December.
Best damn hiking and train video I’ve ever seen. 🙂
If it don’t feel right then it’s not going to be fun .Always listen to your gut
Trust your gut, Julie......always.
Gainsville was very pretty ... sorry about this but right call sad that the world has come too
You have to make the decision that feels right for both of you. Way to support Julie. Respect your decision. Gainesville Ga is known as the Chicken Capital of the World. LOL Take care.
Enjoyed your vlog of summer days on the Georgia section of the AT. With my current job, a few days at a time is as good as it gets. As your plans change and evolve, I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the summer.
As Bill Murray says “It just doesn’t matter!” I’m still holding out for a long distance train adventure. :-/
Tuned in to the third eye vibes. If it does not feel right, it does not feel right. Let's meet up in Denver in 3 weeks. Different vibes for sure.
Hey Baskets hope you and Julie are doing ok. Take Care
Still time to SOBO PCT.
Always follow your gut ...keep on keepin on..
What up what up what up!
Gotta go with your gut. Maybe try another trail. ADT, Sheltowee Trace trail, catch up with Constantine, something. Be well.
Sorry to see this. I was just getting to know you. I’ll check in to see what you get up to next.
Hello from Australia! Absolutely love watching you and Julie on your adventures. You are both such genuine, decent people and so informative. Thought you might like to check out an Australian hiker vlogger Scotty and see some of the Australian hiking terrain. Scotty is one of my fav's and I think you'd find this interesting. Best wishes for your next chapter. Any news on Nope? ruclips.net/video/z6oZShwh5tc/видео.html
Good call if you have uneasy feelings. Maybe PCT next year?
Any suggestions on who to watch?
Taylor & Kelly Hays
I like ...”heading north”
I also enjoyed Dixie's (Homemade Wanderlust) vlog of the Florida Trail.
Craig Mains "Hawk" is on his 6th AT Thru-hike and Quicksand on the Trail. They're in NY now but they both make great videos.
ASMR Intro
You can't teach intuition.
Baskets you’re the hiker so go for it. Let Julie spend some quality time with her patents. Seems to me like you are ready to solo the trail. Go for it man! You are there, have what it takes so what are you waiting for?
Julie is also a hiker. She did the AT in 2019. Baskets was being a great partner by stepping off with her. And he's already done the AT twice.