Date: 2013-12-17
To: Post Hike Blues
Miles today: 0.0

Crunchmaster's post on FB today was short..."I miss the trail sooooo much already."I was going to start on sharing Trevor's comments on his gear, and I may pick up one or two at the end of this post.First, I'd like to address this common phenomenon known as 'post hike blues', or maybe it has other names. Here are the replies that his FB post got in just a short time...from a mother, "Sumo ...the same. Every thing in the real world just does not really hold what is valuable in life. The real world is shallow. I sympathize with her at this moment...as I have not walked in her shoes."from a past thru-hiker,"I'd say you do. A home away from home."from an experienced and wise day hiker,"Go for a hike."from an aspiring middle-aged hiker, "I know what you mean Trevor. I'm trying to get my wife to sell everything and live on the trail."from a fellow thru-hiker, " I know the feeling dude. It sucks readjusting to the real world."from another fellow thru-hiker, "I've been done three months today, and I still miss it every single day."And my reply to Trevor on his post was "Specifically, what are you missing? What aspect of the experience are you missing?" His response was, "everything about it." Not exactly what I was looking for because I'm wanting to share a little more in this journal. Rather than press him for details I figured I'd share my thoughts. I'd welcome all you thru-hikers who have been through this to share your thoughts, your insights, your suggestions on ways to handle it.Life is simple on the trail. You only have to deal with the basics, like what shall I eat, where is the next water source, how far should I hike today. And every day is a day of discovery, new places to see, beautiful scenery, experiencing the weather, meeting people, freedom to come and go as you please, the joy of eating (everything tastes better when you're out in the woods), the pleasure of sleeping and resting the body.I've not been out more than 10 days straight so I really have no idea what Trevor is feeling or experiencing. I know all of us that are in the rat race and humdrum of daily living yearn for the freedom of the trail, and maybe that feeling is a little like what it feels like after you've spent 5 or 6 months in the woods. I guess I'm wondering if Trevor's quote from Thoreau has in fact come true."I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I have not lived.¢Has he discovered 'life'? We'll have more discussions about this in the next few weeks.Here's a quote from Buddy Backpacker's mother..."Long trails are a healthy addiction that change your life. How could one possibly be expected to go back to ¢normal life¢ once you¢ve experienced real life?"I will be encouraging Trevor to set another goal soon, so he can refocus his energies and drive to accomplish it. That may be school, work, or maybe another adventure. Everyone needs a sense of purpose and something to strive for, maybe some of the stress comes from not any longer having that goal, that 'finish line' to be headed to. If that is so, then identifying another goal becomes paramount.Now a little about gear. I asked Trevor about each piece of gear and here is what he said about his pack. His UL Catalyst did well but was starting to show signs of wear, breaking away at the seams a little, and a broken buckle. For all it went through this is not bad. Carrying a full 5-7 days food placed this pack at its limit and probably contributed to some excessive wear. While he was happy with this pack he indicated he'd probably go with an Osprey pack next time. A lot of hikers have Ospreys and speak highly of them. I think they are a little more rugged and probably weigh a little more as a result. We will definitely look at replacing his pack with one that will carry more if he ever decides to hike the PCT or the CDT. The distances between resupply are a little longer requiring a little more carrying capacity. There were really no other negatives with regard to his backpack.I'll pick up on more gear reviews on my next post. I would value comments from you, the reader, particularly any thru-hiker who has some suggestions on handling 'post hike blues'.