The Non-Thru Hiker's Guide to Thru Hikers

Before we get to Andrea's blog entry I have a few things to say about her time with me. Andrea Singer is a badass! She endured two 85 degree and humid days, and then did 15 miles in the rain with me on her last day. I was moving pretty quickly, and she managed to stay with me the entire time while remaining her positive and fun self! On my last day with Andrea we went to wal mart and she tried to pay for my re-supply! Who does that?! All she said was "but you're not working!". Only the most selfless and thoughtful person would do that. I love you Anje, and I can't wait to be reunited with you again! 

Andrea on the A.T. 

I was lucky enough to get some time off work, so obviously I decided to meet up with Kylie for 3 days on the Appalachian Trail.  I honestly had no idea what to expect, but had a good amount of hiking experience under my belt and let's be real - Kylie is pretty fun. The time came to head to Hot Springs, North Carolina where I planned to meet up with her and Sullivan at The Laughing Heart Hostel. Once I arrived, I was literally thrown from the car with an extremely heavy backpack and into her insane life as an AT thru hiker.  (Ok, so this is not exactly how it happened but looking back it does sort of seem that way...)

During my three days on the trail, we hiked about 35 miles and ate a lot of snacks.  I could go into detail about my specific experience, but since that is literally all we did I decided to instead turn this post into something a little more educational. So, without further adieu, I present you with: 

The Non-Thru Hiker's Guide to Thru Hikers 

1. Thru hikers eat so much food. SO MUCH FOOD. When they aren't eating food, they are talking about eating food. If you are not eating as much food as them, they will yell at you. Also, snacks.

2. Thru hikers are actually professional scales. They can tell you how much something weighs simply by looking at it. Nothing can ever weigh too little, but almost everything weighs too much. 

3. Thru hikers can sleep literally anywhere and through anything. I began to wonder if they are able to sleep THROUGH their THRU-hike. Heh heh....

4. A common misconception about AT thru hikers is that they are normal people, just like you and me! This is not true. They are actually super humans. Some of them might even be aliens.

5. Thru hikers speak a foreign language. Here are a few words I learned and their definitions.

Zero day: v, to chill.

Bear bag: v, using super human strength to make a bag full of stuff fly 20 feet in the air and have it remain there until morning.

Privy: n,  a very fancy toilet.

Elevation gain: n, a very cruel joke that nature likes to play.

Resupply: v, to hunt and gather new food ravenously.

Rocky and strenuous: adj, no. Just no.

Camp shoes: n, heavenly clouds that you put your feet into.

Trail magic: n, this is literal magic. Wizards appear and hand you treats.

Shelter: n, a wooden mansion.

Steripen: n, a magic wand that changes the flavor of water

Blister popping: v, this is what they do for entertainment. Weird, I know.

Fire pits: n, something no one uses because they are too busy eating or sleeping.

6. In all seriousness, thru hikers are among the most inspiring people you will ever meet.  They save a bunch of money, put their lives on hold, and just go for it - which is more than most people will ever do. Whether it's to check off a bucket list item, prove something to themselves, search for a purpose, or just to be in nature, they are all there together, working towards reaching the same place. Because of this, they are always there for each other like a very close and diverse family. The amount of respect and kindness they give one another and their surroundings is something everyone could learn from. They genuinely want the hiker next to them to succeed as much as they want themselves to.  I feel extremely lucky to have been able to spend time among such amazing people. 

Shout out to everyone I met during my trip, especially Sugar Magnolia, Lara, Wookie, Uphill, Cob, Rhonda, Tony, Coco, Magnus, Bud, Bud Light, and Sullivan. I wish you all the happiest of trails!