WARNING THIS TOPIC CONTAINS A VERY HARSH TRUTH PEOPLE WILL NOT LIKE OR WILL WANT TO ARGUE AGAINST, WHICH PROVES THE POINT TO THIS POST
I'm not here to argue or debate with people, this post outlines a major problem with 2000 milers that more and more people are getting sick and tired of seeing. So this topic isn't from one person it's fom thousands and thosands of people.
This is something I've been making videos about recently and I've been polite about it for the most part but this last video someone posted made me and a ton of other real hikers blood boil People getting mad at me or disliking this isn't my concern because it's not going to change the facts. This needs to be said because it's out of control
First I will say outright that using hostels and hotels ARE NOT a problem and there is ALSO NOTHING WRONG WITH going to them. Want to go to them be my guest..I also want to be very clear that I am also not the only one who has a problem with the following situation, there are thousands of people who are so sick and tired of this, that they are trying to find ways to put a stop to this crap.
This problem only applies to the 2000 milers not the section/day hikers:
A once hard challenging trail which only few people could do, has now been turned into a weak, easy going walk any idiot can do.
There are tons of people who do nothing but hostel/hotel hop to get through all 2,198.4 miles of the trail, and then claim they have done some great accomplishment and what's worse, there are all sorts of trolls who keep praising them and feeding into their delusion.
Sorry to break it to you people doing that, but hiking is more than just the walk. But all most people do now is go out for a day then getting off trail and going home into a cozy place whenever any type of hardship occurs, which isn't hiking, it's cheesing your way through and taking the easy way out to get through something you obviously cannot handle, and is absolutely disgusting how anyone can try to argue it's somehow still accomplishing something major.
What people who hostel/hotel hop are doing is the equivalent of getting to the top of mount Washington in a vehicle while stopping every 2 miles to get out to takes some pictures, then once you reach the top, claim you climbed to the top. You haven't done anything, you've been given a very relaxed and easy way to go through something you obviously wouldn't have ever been able to do.
These people and their must have safety nets are ruining the trail.
You are on the AT to be in the wilderness and roughing it not to be heading indoors and running to luxury.
There is a reason why only a select few were able to hike all 2+ miles back in the 80's and 90's and even early to mid 2000's, it's because the trail wasn't set up to accommodate and coddle all lazy people who have to run indoors and be handed every safety net in order to be able to get through something that actually requires real work.
If you want to do the whole trail as an actual hiker then do the trail without this and quit being coddled because this crap is out of control. Anyone who argues against this is just proving they cannot handle the trail.
Face it, if all the hostels and shelters were only there for resupply, the people you see doing this, wouldn't dare step foot on the trail because they know they would actually have to earn going through.
Get rid of all hostels and shelters along the trial or at least spread them out 500 miles each, or only allow them for the purpose of resupply, and forbid anyone to go to town and stay in a hotel or some cozy place and watch what happens. Anyone sneaking into town from the trail should be banned.
People doing the 2000 miler, need to be forced to actually do it as real hiking no more of this coddling safety net crap
That's my rant
I'm not here to argue or debate with people, this post outlines a major problem with 2000 milers that more and more people are getting sick and tired of seeing. So this topic isn't from one person it's fom thousands and thosands of people.
This is something I've been making videos about recently and I've been polite about it for the most part but this last video someone posted made me and a ton of other real hikers blood boil People getting mad at me or disliking this isn't my concern because it's not going to change the facts. This needs to be said because it's out of control
First I will say outright that using hostels and hotels ARE NOT a problem and there is ALSO NOTHING WRONG WITH going to them. Want to go to them be my guest..I also want to be very clear that I am also not the only one who has a problem with the following situation, there are thousands of people who are so sick and tired of this, that they are trying to find ways to put a stop to this crap.
This problem only applies to the 2000 milers not the section/day hikers:
A once hard challenging trail which only few people could do, has now been turned into a weak, easy going walk any idiot can do.
There are tons of people who do nothing but hostel/hotel hop to get through all 2,198.4 miles of the trail, and then claim they have done some great accomplishment and what's worse, there are all sorts of trolls who keep praising them and feeding into their delusion.
Sorry to break it to you people doing that, but hiking is more than just the walk. But all most people do now is go out for a day then getting off trail and going home into a cozy place whenever any type of hardship occurs, which isn't hiking, it's cheesing your way through and taking the easy way out to get through something you obviously cannot handle, and is absolutely disgusting how anyone can try to argue it's somehow still accomplishing something major.
What people who hostel/hotel hop are doing is the equivalent of getting to the top of mount Washington in a vehicle while stopping every 2 miles to get out to takes some pictures, then once you reach the top, claim you climbed to the top. You haven't done anything, you've been given a very relaxed and easy way to go through something you obviously wouldn't have ever been able to do.
These people and their must have safety nets are ruining the trail.
You are on the AT to be in the wilderness and roughing it not to be heading indoors and running to luxury.
There is a reason why only a select few were able to hike all 2+ miles back in the 80's and 90's and even early to mid 2000's, it's because the trail wasn't set up to accommodate and coddle all lazy people who have to run indoors and be handed every safety net in order to be able to get through something that actually requires real work.
If you want to do the whole trail as an actual hiker then do the trail without this and quit being coddled because this crap is out of control. Anyone who argues against this is just proving they cannot handle the trail.
Face it, if all the hostels and shelters were only there for resupply, the people you see doing this, wouldn't dare step foot on the trail because they know they would actually have to earn going through.
Get rid of all hostels and shelters along the trial or at least spread them out 500 miles each, or only allow them for the purpose of resupply, and forbid anyone to go to town and stay in a hotel or some cozy place and watch what happens. Anyone sneaking into town from the trail should be banned.
People doing the 2000 miler, need to be forced to actually do it as real hiking no more of this coddling safety net crap
That's my rant
The post was edited 8 times, last by Matt_C ().