The Dark Side of Thru Hiking (nobody talks about)
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
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I never feel lonely or homesick or bummed on a long hike. Part of it is being an introvert and part of it is realizing that no matter how difficult it gets out there, at least I’m not working a job I hate, in a relationship that’s not working, or struggling to pay rent or mortgage. I am not one of those who sees thru hiking as a “goal” to get from A to B as fast as possible for clout (sorry but a lot of people are like that, esp on social media) - I’m on trail basically to live outside for a few months and get constantly changing daily views and work through stuff in my head. Walking is amazing. And despite being an introvert, I’m also out there to meet some of the coolest people you’ll ever meet. Like Kyle’s mom.
I agree with you too. 😍 🌿 🙆🏻♀️
Same thing happened with me and cars. Loved cars to the point I made it my career. Needless to say my career burnt me out on my passion for cars. Now it’s a love hate relationship. Being a mechanic definitely takes a toll on the body as well which adds to hating working on cars 😂
I love reading everyone’s experiences on something I have NO clue about but tons of questions and curiosity. Im not even sure how I stumbled across khh but have enjoyed it so much and shared it with lots of folks. Y’all are sharan unknown world with some of us and I certainly appreciate it!!!
Hey also, In the book High Adventure of Eric Ryback. As Eric hiked the long long PCT he got tired and depressed and then came across a man putting a new roof on a cabin along the way. He poured out his woes to the man and they guy suggested he stop hiking and help him roof for a few days. "you just need a break" the man says. Eric did so and after a few days he felt great and ready to resume the trip. So if you're hiking a 3000 mile trek, and come to a lake at about the 1500th mile, stop, camp, and take your hatchet and some twine and build a raft. Fish and eat trout for a few days, take a big crap and then break camp and be on your merry way. Never overdose on the thing you love most, or you might end up hating it, and always have a hiking goal so that you're not just some bum wandering aimlessly. Carry a bird guide and keep a journal, these recorded observations put an asterisk on your travels. Enjoy it now, I'm 73 and can walk but my balance is bad, so....its the armchair for me.
Thanks for the advice
Great advice! And Im currently physically weak as well. All these hiking videos really help, don’t they?
i'm much younger than you, 26, but spent the better half of the past two years in chronic pain from a herniated disc and chronic sciatica (i did competitive gymnastics for over a decade and destroyed my body...) I finally was blessed with an epidural injection and feel much more like my old self- i actually want to get out and hike and move around again. I did lots of casual camping and day hikes but never any backpacking. I'm scared that i'll not be very good at it, i'll be slow, or my back will hurt from carrying a pack, but i want to try. People really take their bodies for granted, i'm so happy just to be able to walk without pain again.
good for you, I had back pain, 40 years, and finally received a lamenctomy in 2005, been fine ever since. God bless you... @@jo-eo9ld
@@jo-eo9ldcongratulations on getting some relief from that horrible pain.💕
It's so awful to live like that.
I think some of these dark sides are a core part of the experience. The nights you spend laying in the sleeping bag feeling lonely and homesick make the beautiful moments stand out more. The crappy food options make you appreciate every proper meal in a new way. The long days of physical strain give way to pure bliss when you finally take off your shoes and stretch out under the stars. The bad things and low points give meaning and depth to the overall experience, and if it was fun all the time it'd probably get old fast!
i needed that right now, so right.
So true! 🌿
Personally, I believe that this is a core purpose of thru-hiking. The darkness is what makes me thrive when I thru-hike. Whether it’s the unbearable pain of adjusting to an initial bag weight (and allowing my body to slowly get better). Whether it’s having to carry more water than is necessary because the area is currently in a drought. Whether it’s having to repeatedly treat blisters as I had to on the Colorado Trail. Having to adjust my patience so I won’t injure myself, having to adapt to what my body is telling me so I can safely complete a thru-hike (despite maybe not cranking out the mileage I’d prefer to in a day), the darkness is why I love thru-hiking. It makes me stronger, and happier, having to push through the weakness, and anger. It’s the metaphorical equivalent of peaks, and valleys. The lowest lows are often accompanied by the highest highs, and for that, I am grateful.
@@valleypioneer This is inspirational. My hike changed my life, and I constantly think about getting out there again, but I remember strongly how hard it was. I remember it being awesome too, but I'm not sure I want to put myself through the hardship again. But maybe I head out with a VP attitude. How's it go? Embrace The Suck? That sounds like a challenge to be met.
Oh, I love your perspective. That makes so much sense.
Same experience when you hike the Camino De Santiago and come back with Camino Syndrome. It’s bad. I ended up buying a house on the Camino so every time I set foot outside I’ll be on the Camino. True story. Excellent video!
What?? Jealously is an ugly emotion & I’m feeling quite ugly🤣 Good on You!
Aaaahhhh! I've been thinking of retiring to Spain, so I can just go hike ALL the Caminos 😂 and I haven't even done 1 yet 😁
@@stanbyme7874 lol 😂 I understand! 😍 🌿 🙆🏻♀️
OMG, my husband wants to do that trail so bad. We are not accomplished hikers but we've traveled a good bit and done some hiking. When it gets to 15K feet, I'm sick as a dog, so that's not happening....
@@kellikay8015well as with any trail, you can do sections. Many opt for the Sarria-Santiago stretch which amounts to like 118 k. My house is between Burgos and Leon, which is also a nice little stretch.
I remember reading an article about a married couple that spent an extended time either through hiking or backpacking. When they got home they had trouble readjusting to their regular life, so they put up a tent in their backyard and slept in it for a while.
I read an article about a married urban couple who split with their heavily-relied-upon "cell phones" together. That actually sounds like an equidistant marital experience.
I can see that.. I lived out of my truck camping around Florida for a year once and the first apartment I got afterwards I put my same air mattress up in the living room, used my camp chair & everything. Basically remade my typical camp setup in my living room & stayed my entire 6 month lease that way 😂 I have yet to find any part of my regular life that ignites my souls since that year camping
I've thru hiked the A.T. twice and never experienced the things you have but the 2 hikes were 12 years apart. I hiked the PCT and hated the desert but loved the Sierra's. I only got as far as Yosemite and had to go into the hospital for 3 days. I was above 10,000 feet for a long period of time and the altitude caused me to lose my appetite. In 11 days I ate a Slim Jim and an energy gummy.....that's it. I lost 26 lbs in a week, and even though I was drinking, I was dehydrated. I had been a Paramedic for 45 years before I retired and knew that I needed to get to a hospital. When I was released from the hospital I decided to go home simply because the hospital had eaten up all my money and I basically just had enough to buy an airline ticket back to Pennsylvania. None of these hikes were close together and my attitude was good but it did take a toll on my body. The first thru hike was in 1990 at age 36 (A.T.), the second was at 48 in 2002 (A.T.) and the third was in 2008 at 54 years old, (PCT). I loved each one and never got tired of it and I changed up my meals enough that I never got tired of the food.
I can no longer hike now due to Lyme Disease affecting my knees. I am back to walking short distances with an uneven gait but I don't mind since I was on a walker for 5 years and a cane for 2. I don't know when I got the Lyme as I've only ever found 2 ticks on me and neither one was embedded but the Doctor told me that I've had it at least 20 years and will never get rid of it. All they can do is treat the symptoms. I am now 70 years old so it doesn't make much difference now but I am retired now and missing the thru hiking. Good video dude!
BTW, on my 1990 thru, I couldn't work for stay at the Madison Hut so myself and another hiker dropped down below tree line to a campsite just below tree line on the trail called Airport (I think). We had an uneventful night there overlooking Gorham, slept well and in the morning went back up to the trail and continued hiking. Years later I read a book about deaths in the Whites and found that a woman that had been missing for like 3 years before that night and was found hanging with a suicide note 60 feet back in the woods from that campsite and they hadn't found her till something like 8 years after we had camped there. Thought you might like that story with your other vlog.
Been to Connecticut? I live in the town next to Lyme. Horrible disease, we lost a few kids until they figured out what was wrong with them.
I got the Lyme disease as a Scoutmaster in my thirties and now at almost seventy my knees sound just like yours. I really pushed two years ago and was doing five mile hikes with a forty pound pack three or four days a week. My knees won’t allow that anymore so short walks and back to camping to enjoy nature.
There are several different types of lyme's disease. Generally speaking, [the types] are region/location specific and some variances will not prove on other types' assay(s). I do not know what the variables or status of mutability or translocation of that are, currently. I was doing plenty of websearch on that circa 2009 or 2015 or something
The medical field by then had different types of assays, which need to be specific to the region of suspected/anticipated acquisition and/or type of carrier/tick type. In 2015, it was Very difficult to attain more than one assay with social services (public aid) Healthcare, which is really s ca ry . However, there have been take home tests that can be bought at a drugstore circa 2018 for less than 20usd
I wish I could provide you any or all my references, I was using academic facility computers...
[Here is a brand new article from time magazine, which I discovered via linked in
time.com/6299276/tick-borne-illnesses-climate-change/
]
...So, you are saying that a woman had been hanging for a total of 11 years somewhere within a distance of 60 feet where you had camped ?
[.what was the elevation?!]
have you tried heat treating lyme, hot tubbing @ 105 degrees F, cold pack on head. I had unexplained experience while hiking from Monroe Mt. to Lake of the clouds, it was rainy, foggy & I was wet and couldn't see much, my friends way ahead when suddenly the sun came out, it was low on the trail and it was still rainy but the fog prevented shadow. The sun was always just ahead and I followed the light till I reached the hut and my party. "Isn't it great the sun was out". But they hadn't seen it. Also I've been lifted up with energy, had super acute hearing and felt intense joy like heaven.
You brought up another point to why I have not found a hiking partner. ... tick checks. You could have appreciated someone checking you corporally for the "one" you did not see. ... ...and most individuals I have known would Need to be able to have trust and interpersonal acquiescence ("comfort") with a partner like that. Sex happens overnight, that type of relationship is not able to because individual health is not so simple.
Never experienced most of what you’re describing. Yep my feet hurt. I was hot and sweaty and cold and wet and freezing and hungry and sick. Some days I absolutely did not want to get up and carry my pack 20 miles. But the only “dark” effect I experienced was developing a gag reflex any time I even look at peanut butter or a granola bar LOL! Thru hiking made me very aware of acceptance, adaptation, how to navigate tough spots and make the best out of bad situations. It taught me how strong I can be. How I will always be able to take care of myself. How to achieve my goals. And it taught me to appreciate all the little things…an ice cube. Hot running water. Soap. Salad. Being alone and discovering the joy of that. The community and generosity of complete strangers. I learned how to distill all the complications and excess and fluff of life down to exactly what I needed to be happy. And I realized that I ALREADY had all those things within.
I lived out of my truck, camping all over Florida one year & that was 4 years ago .. I can definitely agree that it makes regular life seem mundane. I think about those times more than I want to admit, my soul lights up everytime I talk about it or get reminded of it. And I can honestly say nothing in my normal life gives me that feeling in my soul anymore. Kinda sad, but I’m still glad I did it
The most satisfaction and accomplishment I feel hiking is after a BIG day hike, like 5am-10pm. I've had hikes where we were low on water, it was so hot I didn't want to move, rolled ankles, hunger, hearing things in the woods, crossing wild streams. The cool part about a day hike to me though is that you always can look back at those handful of tough days hiking and really cherish them because you overcame something, with a thru hike you are pretty much overcoming something constantly. I always felt like doing a long thru would be for people who "enjoy" pain.
There are a lot of similarities with long solo travel (backpacking). It’s a hard adjustment getting back to normal life. It’s been 24 years since my three months solo around India. There is probably not a day that I don’t think about it, at least in passing. It’s a part of who I am. If you are young and have the time (summers in college or grad school) take out a student loan and travel. You will pay back the money later, but it’s difficult to find that kind of time as you get a job and responsibilities increase. Then when you get older, your knees and back hurt to do the 12 hour bus rides and running for the train with a huge rucksack. So I am saying, if you are young GO. Do it on a credit card if you have to, because you’ll never have that chunk of time and the knees of youth again.
Thru hiking is simple, purposeful, and satisfying. You have a trail in front of you, and you follow it. Your purpose is clear. The challenges that you encounter are meaningful and (for the most part) simple: get water, manage your food, find a place to sleep. I'm not saying it's always easy, just that it's simple, almost animal-level tasks. By contrast, off-trail life is complicated, messy, you often have too many choices, too many convoluted tasks with no immediate payoff. There's no one clear path in front of you. You have to define your own purpose every single day. You can definitely incorporate some of trail simplicity into your "real" life, but it won't be the same.
Right on! About 4 "simple" tasks on trail vs life in the "matrix"
agreed. I have been "working" 11 years after my thru-hike and what exactly is the point? Everyone I talk to goes "wow, that's an accomplishment" or "that's always been on my bucket list" or "I wish I did that when I was young" or "that's something I've always wanted to do" and yet we all sit at our miserable jobs cursing out pathetic meaningless lives, counting pennies and worrying about some imaginary future "retirement" or even just waiting on the weekened. And for what? so we can sit around and waste our time being "safe"? I am 40 now and I need to go out and hike again. God will watch out for me I don't need to fear ANYTHING. and if I die, so what? It's not like I'm actually living right now, anyway.
Post trail depression years later, man... it's wild. Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all?
Hope y'all dig the edit. ✌🏼
Well done my dude 🤙
Did you get your first duty station yet?
@@CastawayHikes I'm at Eglin AFB in FL rn, until April. Then I'll be a fully certified and registered Respiratory care practitioner. I should know my permanent duty station soon. Most likely Alaska or California!
@experienceoverthings I'm at Eglin too! Want to check out some of the Florida Trail sometime?
@@CastawayHikes yeah man! Hmu on my insta and we can chat! Luke_mckay98
So what did you do to Kyle on your Whatchatararara hike?
Another issue that not enough people talk about with hiking is with sustainability, especially when it comes to single use packaging, discarding of worn items, and waste left out on the trails.
Bernie Krausse is currently thru-hiking the NCT. He started in ND on May 15th and is almost halfway through. He’s doing 33 mile days consistently. Old guy too. Beast!
At 4800 miles long, getting it done in a calendar year is a long and lonely journey.
does it go east from ND or west? I'm not familiar with this one! but it's much closer to me than a lot of the other trails I see talked about
@@jlt131 ND to VT, 4800 miles.
33 mile days! 😳😳😳😳
It was was great to see you come out and support Taylor at her hiker event at her shop👍👍👍.
Oscar Wilde wrote: "Everything in moderation, including moderation."
Yep, I've had post hike depression. I have found it hard to relate to others especially describing what it is like hiking in the mountains; the views, the experiences, the fun.
Don't worry, we're not fooled by the happy pictures -- We've seen your videos!! You complain and whine the whole way (yes I watched the entire PCT series,) and when it's over, you immediately start planning your next hike! 😆 I LOVE IT!!
😂 lmao so true
That's why it's called Kyle HATES hiking
Haaaa! Wha? Whining? “Oh the rain is so wet!” “Did I tell you I almost stepped on a snake once?”
Jk! Obviously I’m a fan or I wouldn’t have subbed.
I havent
It’s exactly like being pregnant. For nine months you wonder why the hell you made this ridiculous choice - and two weeks after the baby is born, you want another.
I’m not anywhere near being in shape for it yet, but I am determined to section hike at least part of the AT!
I'm often told by thru-hikers trying to be nice to me that what I do (LASHing) is actually harder than thru-hiking (more complex logistics, having to get trail legs over and over, etc.) After having just completed a 480 mile LASH (Amicalola Falls to Damascus on the AT) I have finally come to the conclusion that thru-hiking, at least when that means 2K+ miles, is harder. Like I was at 300 miles and thinking "Hmm..., 180 miles to go, seems doable." A thru-hiker at the same point has to say "Hmm... 1900 miles to go... uh-oh." My brain would explode. So while it's probably different for everyone, for me at least, thru-hiking would be harder (I've never done it, but I don't have to jump off a bridge to know it would be bad for me.) I managed to avoid the repetitive motion injuries, but probably couldn't avoid them if I went much farther. (Longest hike was 566 miles, when I was 63 y.o. Probably that's my limit.)
About trail food: yeah, I finally got physically sick on it on my second to last day on the trail this year. Ended up fasting for 22 hours to get it out of my system, only did 12 miles that day. At that point I couldn't wait to get back home to the little woman and our dog, which required long shuttles and train rides because the Damascus Town Motto is "You can't get there from here. You can't get anywhere from here."
Long a$$ section hike
@@MrJedi5150 Long A*s Section Hike
@@MrJedi5150 "LASH" stands for Long-A$$ed Section Hike. I hadn't heard until a few years I told someone I was hiking 570 miles and they said something "Oh, doing a LASH." And then they had to tell me what it stood for.
I have never been a thru-hiker---I just do day trips--but I love to hear your stories. And yes, you can get burned out easily if you do the same thing too many times. The repetition becomes tedious. I remember when I was in the Marines we would go on war maneuvers for several weeks at a time every year. There were good days and bad days and it was often monotonous. (The bad days were when it rained all day, was hot as hell and the bugs were constantly biting!)
The only good thing about the bad days was that we would joke about them afterwards which helped a lot. One of those, "Do you remember when----?" things and we'd laugh about how much that sucked. It would give you a sense of comradeship. I think that the bad hikes can be like that too. You can feel a sense of pride that you survived!
Man, I can tell you from my army days, doing good things with friends is great, but doing horrible hard things can be rewarding on a different level.
Kyle u are correct. I’ve studied and learned that risk taking adventures are an endorphin rush. They have found out that always seeking out risk taking adventures is a personality disorder. My personal findings that life is difficult in and of itself so I’m not looking for risky adventures. I believe also that ppl who have deep depression and are not that psychologically aware are drawn to risk taking adventures to escape reality and possibly even hope for death.
This is the kind of content I started following your channel for. Watching this with runner's knee after hiking the PCT and Camino del Norte this year, yeah, I feel you.
I've always wondered this about thru hikers. It often seemed like an obsessive compulsive need to complete an arbitrary goal regardless of the personal costs.
I agree with you. Backpacking with my dad growing up is my best and favorite memories together. On days where we tried to do 20+ miles in a day, those days were not as enjoyable. Sometimes we caught ourselves moving too fast and taking in the scenery, the beauty, and the company. I do believe that the best part of being in the woods is being a part of the woods.
I have not done any through hiking but I experienced much of this travelling in my van.
No showers, trying to eat healthy with minimal space, missing birthdays and events at home, being away while
My mom had a cancer scare and not being there to hug her.
Most of all I definitely experienced the depression after. When we bought a house and has to go back to working a daily job I really struggled. Life seemed so boring. I would get a Facebook memory of being an n a beach in California or a national park in Alberta and instead of those memories making me happy they made me sad.
KYLE this is the only time I’ve ever heard someone talking truth about the downsides of hiking or any risk taking activities. Ty for ur transparency. FACT.
You’ve absolutely inspired me to hike. Starting with small day trips 😊❤
I didn't have the post hike depression some folks had and I think that's because I did plenty of day hikes and a few segments of the CT after I got back. Backpacking, right now, almost feels like work. I knocked out a few more segments of the CT and I did not have the fun I expected. It was enjoyable but it was like having a good time at work. Maybe that's because I have a channel and was filming for it...who knows?
Personally, I didn't encounter periods of FOMO or mental breaks. I've spent about 8 years of my life, off and on, away from family. Six months was no big deal to my wife and I, especially when you can talk just about every day.
Physically, my body was pretty beat up. I lost 40 lbs and had zero upper body strength/muscle mass. I looked like my head was 2x the size it needed to be and resembled an olive stuck on a toothpick. My blood test levels, however, were outstanding. All key tested areas were in excellent levels and I no longer had sleep apnea.
One HUGE disservice RUclipsrs do to the hiking community is publish what I call "sunshine and rainbows" videos. This is where they are always upbeat, looking fresh, and never encountering any challenges. They give people a false impression about thru hiking and leads them to believe it's a 24/7 party. Let's be honest, not everyone is cut out for it and that's why only 25% of those that start the AT actually finish it. Right now, I think the best videos to give you a real look into thru hiking are IB Tat's. His are definitely no bullshit and you see the good with the bad.
It would probably be a pretty funny contrast if one of the middle aged UK fell walking RUclipsrs did one of the big American thru hikes. Grumbling is our national sport, after all 😅
Hey Kyle when I you talked to me on Trail Tales I kind of touched on how a thru hike changes you years later and I had a hard time verbalizing it. Now 24 after my AT thru hike with several shorter thru hikes and failed longer hikes under my belt, I’m still very confused on exactly what that feeling is but there is definitely something mental that changes you after the experience that for me at least has stuck for 2+ decades. I see you are having trouble putting it in to words too. I also burned out after my At hike followed by a failed PCT attempt and took a five year break from backpacking at one point.
Hello Kyle! I just discovered your channel. I’m Brazilian and have been living in the US since 2007. Every time I went camping or spent some time in nature (days or months) I used to have a hard time adapting to society again (Going to work, college, dealing with problems, people, etc). I don’t get along with people, and have no contact with my family. I feel great when I’m alone in nature; the problem is that eventually I have to go back to civilization and find a job and start the whole bs over again. I think living in the woods might be detrimental to our physical body after a while but living in the matrix is 100% detrimental to your soul and mental health.
Leaving a comment in support of your channel Kyle. I've never thru hiked but nothing killed my feet like training for a marathon a few years back. When the feet aren't happy, nothing else can be happy. I enjoy your channel and hearing stories from different thru hikers. Good video. Nothing says welcome back to reality like having to out and get a job after enjoying so much freedom. That has to be depressing unless there is something even better to look forward to. Peace.
One of your best vids, heartfelt and real. Life isn't all an Instagram moment. I find the challenges of the trail helps appreciate the comforts of home.
Teachers feel it every year as summer comes to a close!! 😅😭
Kyle: "hiking is something I love, I have a whole RUclips channel about it"
.... channel is called Kyle Hates Hiking!
Lol
Love you man
Regarding the food-- the BIGGEST thing that's saved my (metaphorical) bacon is learning to forage. The PNW and California as far south as the Sierra Nevada are prime territory for some easy to identify, easy to spot mushrooms that are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Even knowing which wild greens are fair game can make a world of difference. Imagine the standard "rice side" dish made with parcooked rice, but with super fresh nettle greens mixed in? Or chunks of freshly picked porcini? Slices of wild lobster mushroom and fall cress in your noodle soup? Breakfast of pan toast with sauteed chanterelles and wild spinach?
The mini hikes you do throughout the year just for fun become SO much more fun when you combine them with foraging and learning to find food. Then, when you're through-hiking, you just pick as you go during the day and put it all together in the evening. If you tend to plan in sitting time in the mornings or evenings while hiking, you can even fish too!
Sounds like alot of the downsides are very similar to truck drivers. My husband is a trucker and when he was gone long times he missed so much, ate horrible diet. Missed being in an actual home and sleeping in basically one step up from a tent comfort wise.
Very good retrospective on some of the psychology of through-hiking. Everyone ponders the ups and downs that happen and should try to "look on the bright side" What are the ultimate benefits after you suffer hunger, pain, loneliness, boredom, regrets and loss. Read "Walden Pond and Into the Woods by Henry David Thoreau. Although most people will not become a Jedi or reach nirvana or anything like that, I think just based on my own experience one may get a better outlook on living in the civilized world and maintaining dignity and contentment because there are those old memories stored away in our reptilian brains. Ron Howard's movie Cast Away is interesting because it was not so much about Tom Hanks being a castaway on a desert island but that after he returned home and everyone thought that he had died his existence was "Cast-Away" like he did not exist anymore. Wilson!? Flossy!?
Dude, love ya and keep it up. Big Hike can be a life changing event. Just like: near dearth experience, defending yourself from harm, doing first aid, getting stopped by the cops, or shagging another hiker's mom. It can be PTSD level. Just ask yourself and Mr Flossy. I'm no psychologist...those guys are crazy. Zippy
I can only imagine the gamut of emotions a thru hiker goes through. That must take a toll on your psyche. Definitely one of the dark things.
It was nice meeting you at Taylors store last week!
All this dark side would be fixed with a camp chair... You should try it (evil laugh)
Thought-provoking video! I have done a lot of hiking, in all seasons, often with a fairly substantial daypack, but I've only just begun to dip my toe into backpacking (I've done a handful of short, 1-2 night outings.) I read a lot of blogs/articles, and watch a lot of videos (including a lot of yours :) which I really enjoy -- entertaining, informative, and very well-done.) I am about 80% certain that a long thru-hike is not in my future, and some of the "dark sides" that you address were exactly the things I was considering.
Last year my job sent me 5,000 miles from home for 35 days, and while I was in an amazing place, and thoroughly enjoying it in my non-work hours, by the end I was very much missing my man and our two cats. (If not for them . . . well, I'm a huge introvert, and I might have felt differently. :) ) I'm thinking 3-4 weeks away at any one time is as much as I would enjoy.
Which relates, somewhat, to Thing 2 for me: the idea of doing the same thing, over and over again, for 5-6 months straight, does not really appeal. There are a lot of things besides hiking that I absolutely love to do, and that I am equally invested in doing: sea kayaking, kayak camping, road bike riding, bike camping, and then there's "indoor" stuff, like competitive billiards . . . I feel like I would have a weird resentment or something about being forced to forego EVERYTHING else that I enjoy for such a long time. (Note that I am an old, though :D -- 61 -- so this factor may weigh more on me than it would on a youngster such as yourself.)
The food thing . . . yeah. Again, this has become more pronounced as I have advanced in years, but my tolerance for eating crap (especially lots of sugar) has gone waaaaay down. It is kind of startling, how much noticeably better, physically and mentally, I feel when I'm consistently eating in a healthy way. I have a few friends who dehydrate their own food, and I've toyed with that idea, but of course the logistics of shipping yourself re-supplies on a long thru-hike can get tricky.
I had wondered about the long-term effects of thru hiking. Thanks for your honesty - just subscribed.
The filming of this is crystal sharp, perfect lighting and you look good! New camera? I’m going to buy some of those drink packets.
Kyle,
You are making some fresh, meaningful videos. Great narratives.
I haven't done a through-hike yet.
I've given a lot of thought to the Appalachian Trail and was planning to do it by now, but I suffered a really serious injury last year unrelated to hiking that affected my hiking and I lost the whole season.
For me. I'm going to be hitting 60 next spring. I look a lot younger than my age. About 15 years younger. (Hiking, right?) And my (first and only) wife is the same way. She looks super-young. She looks 21, but she is 41. And bonus, I'm lucky because she's 18 years younger than I am.
But we aren't going to have many years left of me not being an old, doddering fart that embarrasses her. We need to make the best of these years.
We get along well. Lots of trust and loyalty.We have many differences but being married with her is easy. I am smitten. She is my best friend.
The reason I'm giving you all this information is because I realize I might only have 10, 15 or 20 years left to spend with my wife, so I could be giving up a 20th of the rest of my days that I spend with my wife to go on a through-hike that she can't go on because of work commitments. That is a daunting sacrifice.
I think this is true of any hobbies. I'm an artist that feels that way about painting right now. It's what brought me to hiking. Doing something different for a while can be that break you need.
I wish I could go hiking. I’d go hiking every weekend. However, I fell off a ladder and messed up my knee. It will be a while before I can get back on the trail again. I never get hurt like that on the trail. It takes work to hurt me enough to stop me from hiking.
It doesn't matter what your passion is- fishing, hiking, playing guitar, etc.- if you do it too much, you will get bored with it. I've experienced this with multiple hobbies- stuff that I was so consumed with, I swore I could never burn out- but it eventually happens. That's why you got into whatever int is that you love in the first place- you're one of those ppl who is looking for new experiences. Then you find something that seems to totally consume you, that you're fascinated with- and you maybe be able to sustain that passion for a very long time- long enough it comes to define you as a person- but eventually, you will burn out. And it seems no matter what you do- you can't go back to what it was like- you can keep going, but it's different from then on. I love that initial period where you're so absorbed in whatever you're doing to everyone else it seems like an obsession. That's why I bounce around from this to that I suppose- I get bored easily.
Enjoying the NCT (North Country Trail) mention! There are some great sections in Michigan!
Have you tried dehydrating your own food? It helps a lot, because you can make your favorite foods at home, dehydrate them, and bring them with you. Sure, you still have to do the rehydrate thing, but it's healthier and tastier, imo. Thank you for all the tips you've given, absolutely invaluable advice on your channel. 💙
@diannapedersen9065 So true. ... one of the best for me was a variety pack of dried organic mushrooms from cost co that I ground to powder with garlic and onion powder, spices and salt. One of my best resources for two thru hikes has been znaturalfoods. They have a bulk organic cashew milk powder (game changer) and many other superfood dried ingredients, an incredible variety including berry, fruit and banana powders to make a smoothy that i would fortify with supplements. . Anyway I'd mix the mushroom and spices with the cashew milk to make a delicious sauce over rice noodles or whatever and it was delicious. I had a challenging time keeping weight on so english muffins (they squish well) with Justin nut butters helped. For the first day out after a resupply I would down like 4 bananas before heading back out then bring apples oranges cucumber and carrot that would offset a water carry and hydrate the first at least morning back out with fresh fruit. Cooked organic dried beans with white freeze dried onions, garlic powder, reconstituted freeze dried veggies in a tortilla was also good.. the onions made things especially delicious. Another trick is making your own nut mix to include Brazil nuts and a few chocolate bits or carob helps that helps with the runs. Anyway, making sure to chew the nuts thoroughly to a paste brings out the nutrients and flavor. Do you have any favorite vegan dishes?
When I finally do a thru hike, im going to go against the norm and only film the worst moments hahaha
Whilst I've never through-hiked, I think the post-trail depression side of things is completely relatable. I imagine it's the same feeling you can experience after going to a festival or a long holiday, or especially when travelling or living in another country for some time then returning home; real life can seem so dull in comparison, and sometimes once that's clicked in your head, there's no going back. The important thing to remember is that you don't really have a choice about this, and that the reason the depression comes is because the thing itself was so enjoyable and enlightening. The best way past this is to try to blend the two, so that your passion BECOMES your regular life in some way or other. Not always possible or practical, but a good goal to have, and to be honest a successful RUclips channel focused on your passion seems like it falls into this category. Give it a couple thousand more subs and maybe you could drop everything, up-sticks and live on the trail. Of course that doesn't help with some of the other issues you raised, but there'll be a balance in there somewhere..!
You and your perfect timing! I was just in the thru-hiking food section of YT and I got overwhelmed.
Overuse injuries are no joke and can be hard to recover from. I suppose I’d rather be overactive than a couch tater. I think a lot of the folks who follow you would agree.
The thing that seems unappealing about thru hikes to me is that it seems too much like a race. You are trying to get as far and as fast as you can.
It doesn't feel like you take time to enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere, knowing you will be out of the area that same day.
I think that your honesty is most commendable to speak openly about the hardship endured on the trail. I got the permit for the JMT I was so pumped to do it especially watching all RUclips videos I started from Happy Isles and went up the Mist trail however in RUclips videos it's never discussed that climbing up you will be on trail with thousands of tourists and here you are with a backpack and bear canister which definitely adds weight and the elevation and altitude the heat. I got up there and everything seemed to be okay it completely down poured and our ultralight tents were apparently in a low line area a river went under our tents we had to reposition our tent when the rain slowed down. It poured so hard we never got a chance to really eat a meal just eating snacks in the morning everything was wet so we decided to go back down and dry our stuff out and try again. We thought we could bail out 1. 9 miles away nope that wasn't the case we had to turn around back track I think I walked around 12 miles that day which doesn't seem like much but for me that is a lot. Inspite of my experience it was still so beautiful I don't want to give up. Thank you for your honesty and sharing your thoughts greatly appreciate it
Great video. Some of the things I can relate to, some I can’t. I have never done these months on months long hikes. But I have been out for weeks. And I’m thinking of a couple of month long hike perhaps next summer. Great video!
Getting home and off the trail, no longer living in nature, being surrounded by it and having to/getting to pay attention to it, that's the part that depresses me. Paying attention to and learning more about the ecology of where I live (and I live in a dense urban area) is one way that I cope.
Nature is present in all places and you don't have to be in the wilderness to engage with it. Being in the wilderness demands that you pay attention to nature--you have no other choice--so feeling connected to the natural world is easier, there. Engaging with nature in an urban area requires that you pay closer attention. It's hard mode, but it's helped me sooth my longings for the natural world in between backpacking trips.
Thank you for your videos and being honest. I’m from the Netherlands, where nature looks like a city park compared to the US, where you hardly can get lost and the highest hill is 322m (1056ft). Videos like these made me realize that hiking abroad isn’t for me. I’m even more scared since I learned how hikers get lost, or killed by animals and humans. The MrBallen video about Bells Canyon didn’t help either. I’ll just go on day hikes and enjoy watching videos from people going on ‘real’ long hikes, such as yours.
I love this channel and MrBallen too!
You should definitely give longer hikes a shot! You don't have to do only day hikes, or only thousand mile thru hikes. I personally don't do the longer stuff, but a weekend trip backpacking by yourself in a state park does wonders! There's definitely some really good natural areas & trails in Europe you could do that would be more than just the regular day hike.
The reality is that on the pct no one in 45 years since the beginning of recorded data has been killed by animal or human predation. Now we have our phones with ultra clear gps coordinates and dedicated gps devices with locator buttons making it much harder to get lost. The wonderful Mr. Ballen trail mishaps on the pct date way back. The trail is generally clear. Another reality is that aside from a few areas in the Sierra nevadas there is at least one way to get off trail everyday and usually a few trailheads to readily get back to civilization. In Europe you have so many options. You can go to places like Cauterets in the pyranees and luz st savour and day hike to your hearts content. Cirque du gavarnie is just there and beautiful with plenty of people around. Or just endless options hiking hut to hut with refugios and gites with even meals available. Dolomites to the alps and endless national parks everywhere in every country nearby. There is nothing quite like the expanse of the Cascades tho in washington that one could spend a lifetime exploring and not get close to seeing it all...and that's just one park!
@@pguth98 that’s a good point. There are probably even organized hikes on different levels or with a group.
@@kathrynlynch4317 both channels popped up in my feed around the same time and now I can’t stop watching.
So, lets get this strait: youre hiking, u wish to be home, and when youre home, u wish to be on a hike! 😂 I know this feeling ❤
Love the shirt (Vermonter here). After I burned out backpacking I adopted the Cliff Trail on Mt Mansfield. Gave me a fresh reason to go hiking. And it is a very difficult 1.1 mile trail so it still provided a challenge.
I agree with you on food. I think most people intend to eat healthy but it goes out the window quick. It's just difficult.
For me, being away from home isn't about loneliness, or homesickness, or FOMO. It's responsibility. I'm no thru-hiker; a two-week section hike is my limit (NPT is a perfect length!) I simply can't walk away from my life for several months. People depend on me, and God willing, I'll have people depending on me and work to do until it's time to hike the lonesome valley home. So I'll never be a thru-hiker of a major trail. (I'll chase the peak-bagging patches instead, I can do those in smaller bites.)
Some thing I have learned with friends hiking the PCT over the last few years is a lot of hikers, skip sections, and then act like they’ve hike the whole thing which I don’t really care if they do or not but that’s some thing I am hearing a lot about is people just skipping, and lying about it
As someone who really struggles with the demands of our current society - when I was introduced to hiking , it really filled that emptiness that I had when it came to the day to day ‘rat race’ hustle whatever you want to call it.
I personally have a massive desire to live in a simpler time or a simpler way.
And I already live in the boonies of southern Iowa lol
So not sure what all that says about me- maybe I’m just a closet hippie that needs my own homestead lol
I’m the wanderer of the family who’s never really felt tied to a place or people besides my parents, husband and kids lol
I'm only 3 minutes in, but so far your intro has reminded me of a film. One off my initial "take aways'" from Forrest Gump (1994) was the transient nature of some of the main character's interests. It was like he was saying, hey . . . you can have a passion, invest yourself, pour yourself into expressing & experiencing that passion, and then move on to experiencing something different. The passion seemed to be tied more to experience than anything else, so it was kinda judgement free when the character moved on to something different. Running didn't define him . . . he defined running, for a period in his life. I admit that it's been a looooong time since I've seen this film, so I don't know if I would have the same reaction to that theme today. But I remember it striking me at that particular moment in my life, in the positive. (It also helped me to move through my youngest daughter's ever-changing special interests/fascinations; she is on the autism spectrum.) Lastly, I can appreciate & empathize with the feelings & thoughts associated with an existential question like "who am I without?" I'm going to continue the video, fingers crossed that things turn out ok for you. UPDATE: Thanks for highlighting some of the dark sides. I don't hike, but I LOVE to travel, and I have experienced a few of these myself, especially the "look back at this day" stuff. I wondered if your video applies to mountaineers . . . like, after attempting/reaching summit goals, if it's hard to go back to non-climbing/adventuring day-to-day life (& why it seems many enthusiasts, including divers, end up in jobs/careers associated with their passion🤷♀).
Great video, Kyle. I’m not a thru-hiker, but I experience some of things you discussed during and after hiking and backpacking trips. I was in the Whites for 5 days this past week, and talked to quite a few thru hikers who were just so ready to be done. It made me a bit sad to know that they’d be seeing things like Franconia Ridge and the Presidentials with a “get it over with” mindset (perhaps a bit more understandable with the crazy conditions this season). As in all parts of life, finding balance is the key.
Dude, I got post-trail depression just day hiking around Tahoe for a week. 5 days a week in a cubicle feels like the worst thing possible after you’ve experienced the best of what Mother Nature has to offer. I couldn’t imagine doing a thru-hike on PCT for 4 months and being like “welp, time to open Outlook and Excel”. It must be so surreal.
It truly takes a certain mindset to tackle a through hike with a smile. Despite all of the challenges I faced while on the PCT, I’ve always had a strong mindset about these things. Simply put, I love to suffer. Seems incredibly strange, but I am absolutely obsessed with putting myself through hell. This same mindset helped me to cross over into ultra running quite effortlessly. I used to think this mindset could not be trained, but when I first married my wife she absolutely refused to even attempt to run or do anything over 10 miles in a day. But after being married with me for four years she now goes out and casually runs a marathon and absolutely loves the hell out of it. She’s unlocked something she never knew she had. Also, a bad memory is a thru hikers best friend. 😂
I’ve done a decent amount of hiking but most were only day or weekend treks. But I wanted to touch on the topic of life being boring/different after you complete something that is so amazing. My situation is different but I’ll try to show the similarities.
In 2012 I had pancreatitis twice, that caused me to become a whole different kind of diabetic (I’m not type 1 or 2), I’ve also had an unknown form of headache (though I’ve been studied quite a bit in my life), and with all of that combined, I ended up having all of that still but also severe chronic fatigue syndrome and some unknown form akin to fibromyalgia but worse.
I guess what I’m getting at is before 2012 I was constantly busy with work, college, student organizations, doing things with friends etc. But once I got sick, I realized how much I’d taken for granted. It was going from having fun and being a vicarious 20 something to being set back very far. I guess I understand the idea that when you do something fun, inspiring, and go hard for it that once you return to your “typical” life, you are happy and grateful for what you have but you’re also left with this sort of hole on your life because you accomplished something so amazing.
Sorry this is so long and I’ll wrap it up. I also apologize if what I wrote doesn’t make sense. My chronic fatigue/brain fog is quite bad today. So love, hope, and peace to everybody out there! 💛✌️
All great points. I think your section on food is spot on. It’s a little easier to abuse your gut when you’re young. But a proper diet is more and more important as you age. I’m 66 now and I’ve been hiking all my life. Hydration and balanced food intake are mandatory for me now. And there’s one you didn’t mention: Ibuprofen. It’s become utterly ubiquitous, and it is poison. People popping hundreds of mg/day are doing long term damage to themselves.
I had a coworker who hiked the AT like 14 years ago and he would still talk about it so fondly like it was a few months ago. I could tell it was a defining moment in his life and it just reminded me when you said post trail depression or "real life" seeming boring. I totally get that. When I'm out on a trail the last thing I want to think about is the daily grind
I am doing lots of overnight and two night backpacking trips with moderate or slightly light packs before I ever attempt thru hiking. And it will be years of saving before I can go too
I used to love hiking,, then I spent 20 years working as a land surveyor in the bush, in the Pacific Northwest..... now I'm a big fan of driving to exactly where I want to go pitching my tent there and not moving for a week.
Also solar showers are a godsend!!!!
If you have feet issues you definitely should try AKU boots. I have hiked and backpacked since I was a kid. I am 50 now and I have owned and used dozens of high end boots early Adolfo, Scarpa, Limmer and many others. The Aku pilgrim gtx is my favorite by far. The boots are supportive but lightweight and aren’t neon.
Watching this while thru hiking the AT and it’s all spot on. I also think that it’s a lot more expensive than people realize and has taken a toll on my finances, but all that said I am grateful to be out here creating memories and growing.
You keep it honest and real - a lot of information in this video topic, actually.
Definitely post trail depression. I was a miserable B when I came home. No one understood. I hated waking up inside every morning. I’ve learned that in order to fight it, I need to schedule one long weekend a month and get out to do a short backpacking trip.
I’ve been watching Maddie @BeerinBeautifulPlaces thru-hike the AT this year and one of the things I really appreciate about her vlogs is her dedication to keeping it real. She’s a quirky and optimistic person, but also isn’t afraid to show the tough days. Fatigue, bugs, heat, cold, etc. She includes it all and makes the experience that much more real and interesting because of it. I love hiking, but it can legit suck sometimes. Type 2 Fun for the win! 😂
"When you turn the corner
And run into yourself
Then you know that you have turned
All the corners that are left"
Final curve, Langston hughes
Thanks for the video 😁. Mental challenges are the hardest, but we gain the most from them .
Luke, your editing is wonderful stuff.
Love this show! You are a doll! Keep it coming!
Here’s my 7,500 trail miles/74 yo take:
Aches & pains: rarely any except tired feet & running low on stamina after 20-30 mile days. Why? My gear kit (refined over time) works for me, esp Arc Haul 62 pack. BW usually mid to high teens.
Trail food: not the expert here but I eat b-fast every day. At days end, my hunger overcomes any taste issues. 10 yrs later, I still like cold soaked Idahoan potatoes esp the sour cream one. Hydrate with electrolytes constantly esp in pm.
Off season, I road cycle a lot to keep fit - sort of.
Strategy: Take what the trail gives. Be mindful of how I respond to issues.
PTSD (post trail stress disorder). Rare for me. But I’m retired & can choose other interests, including sun lounging & planning next adventure. There’s no free lunch & I deal with BS just like everyone 🤦♂️
I decided to start dehydrating my own meals after my first camping trip with prepared meals; even though the sodium levels were high, the food was flavourless and mushy.
Further, hiking generally builds up an appetite and I often consumed entire packs of the prepared dehydrated overly salted meals that were often 2-3 suggested servings.
I've never gone hiking, but when I was a kid I was always in the woods doing something. When I think of through hiking I think of just nothing but a lot of walking. Maybe try bringing a fishing pole with you and fish some of the streams, rivers or mountain lakes, and then you could cook-up the fish for dinner. Maybe get off the trail(without getting lost) and explore for caves and other things. Maybe take some awesome photos of nature and wildlife. Idk, I'm just trying to throw in my two cents.
whenever you do anything big ,a through hike, sail for a year or two, climb a big rock, whatever and you return to your carved out monotonous life you'll not only feel a little lost but also " why don't the people im around get it. Not that you feel superior but more like how did we get here where no one cares about eachother or the world we live in.
people weren't meant to be part of an industrial mechine and when you get away from it for long enough to know yourself ..... its part of the reason i don't have any youtube channels anymore. because i want to be gone when im gone. also the reason,besides health i dont walk the big trails anymore im there for desolation its the only way i can calm myself and just live. when i get back yeah i still have those feelings but it helps me plan the next thing. the last thing was cirumnavigating the U.S on a motorcycle with my old pitbull. it was great but it might not be the next thing.
For me hiking is like going to the beach. 3 days, I'm ready to go home.
Interestingly-I see some parallels between thru hiking and the Navy. I've done a lot of hiking-but the longest trip was eight days-mostly a day hiker now. However, in the Navy we spent 6-9 months on deployment. Stuck with the same 150 or so guys (back in those days it was just guys) in a confined space, eating the same food for weeks on end. Working became a routine, life revolving around 8 or 10 hours shifts-punctuated by crazy drill or real life crisis. Pre-internet, we were totally cut off, with only mail call a couple of times a week if we were lucky. The occasional port call (sometimes after up to 90 days at sea) was like a town day on steroids. Sasebo, Subic Bay, Hong Kong etc were like Damascus or Harpers Ferry-and the dreaded North Arabian Sea stretch, the worst rocky waterless stretch of Pennsylvania :). Hope this is not too much of a stretch-but the readjustment period was also real-and more than some could handle. Keep up the good work, Kyle-
The only freeze dried food I take on long hikes is for emergency. I take fast-cooking pasta, quick oatmeal, muesli, lots of gorp, dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, whole grain pancake mix, peanut butter, lentil and rice pilaf boxes, spices, dehydrated veggies, ground coffee, herbal tea, beef jerkey, cookies, I rarely have to pull out the horrid freeze-dried crap. Short hikes, I always bring some fresh food. I supplement with Vit C and a multi-vitamin, but not everyday. Sometimes I carry a hard cheese like parmigiana cheese (but that can be smelly and attract bears and lions.... ) So basically I can go for weeks eating a healthy diet without having to eat freeze-dried crud..... My food may waeigh a few pounds more than yours, but i feel healthier and much more satisfied than if my diet consisted of freeze-dried yuckiness.
As far as cleanliness, take the time off and jump in a lake or a river or a stream if you can. Stop whining..... You might lose a few miles, but man is it relaxing and refreshing and helps any aches and pains -- mental and phyisical.
I feel happy after a long hike and exhilarated and gave me the satisfaction of accomplishment which helps me focus on my work....
It's not a sacrifice to go on a long thru hike. It's a commitment. Hell, if you have to travel for work, you might miss a lot of family events. Same with hiking. If you can't cope, get the hell off the trail. If your priority is to be with family all the time and you can't stand missing a wedding or bar mitzvah or birthday or divorce ceremony, don't go on a thru hike. A party is a party. There will be many. How many thru hikes will you take?????
PS And I always make sure I have plenty of water... in bottles that won't rip or tear... if I have to carry four liters of water, I will do so, if I know H2O is scarce... I don't want to carry all that water because that is an extra nine pounds, but if necessary to stay hydrated, so be it.. So many people drink too little water on these long hikes.....
Makes sense. I'm only a day hiker and feel a sense of isolation some times because there isn't a huge hiking community where I live and people just don't get it or care lol
Try freezer-bag cooking, using regular dry ingredients from a store. I did my AT thru hike with 33 different lightweight dinner menus, add boiling water. I introduced them to my diet in stages, so I didn't get too tired of them.
Never thru hiked ! I do alot of canoe camping and pond hoping! But I"m commenting on the food portion of your hiking! Try dehydrating or ( if you can afford a freezer dryer) your own food! Been out on 3+weeks of tripping and never had my food go bad! Try looking into it!
Loved the brief black and white hornet reenactment scene… made me laugh:)
Thanks Kyle for sharing your thoughts with us. It is important to keep it real and don´t get blinded by only happy pictures. Good work!
I would say through-hiking on the long trails is an extreme sport given what is demanded of your physical and mental capacities.
How about planting food gardens along the AT or other trails for future hikers?
Congrats on all your new subscribers Kyle
I thought the real dark side of thru hiking is that you are obligated to create a youtube channel and make the same video over and over again every year. Just kidding. Sort.
For real, you're good people Kyle! Even in making the "same video" a year or two apart, things change. You're real and that's uncommon and I'm very grateful for what you do. I only get to go backpacking a few times a year, and often I romanticize about dropping what I'm doing (I'd never do that) and getting at the trail, but that wouldn't be good for me or anyone else.
Keep up the good work!
I've not been able to hike much (YET?!?!) but I totally understand the concept of 'gees, last year at this time...' because my daughter and I took cross country road trips for years and had SO MUCH FUN then she moved out in January and I am sad.