I was talking to some hunters who pulled up next to me to ask what I was doing; was I “doing the Appalachian Trail or something?” One of them told me he had “seen people walking around here all the time past his property back there.” I told him how three trails run through here: the Buckeye Trail, the North Country Trail, and the American Discovery. He was curious about how we knew where to go and I pointed out the blue stripes of paint on the telephone poles in either direction to him. He was kind of dumb struck about this secret code, or traffic signals through his everyday life that he was completely oblivious to.
This made me think, there really is almost a “secret code” between hikers that most of the locals don’t even know about. It’s weird to think about how we navigate through their neighborhoods like visiting people in a zoo. Thru-hiking has really opened my perspective in terms of anything political or social because of all the trails I’ve hiked and the places I’ve been – small towns big cities, and everything in between – not just the beautiful nature part. So many people think I’m homeless, but in reality, most thru-hikers are on a vacation and have enough money to take five months off and travel. I feel like for a lot of us, it’s almost more of a disguise or a costume to parade through people’s everyday lives – Hawaiian shirts and neck ties, or in my case short shorts, a hotdog shirt, and an American flag hat – it’s almost kind of pretentious. But then, we all record ourselves walking through these people’s everyday lives and people online go watch us watch them.
One thing I especially dislike is when there are hikers who cause scenes in towns, tip badly, or even steal. We are both ambassadors and guests in the communities we pass through. If you’re going to walk through their everyday lives, make sure you’re respectful of their struggles and their homes.
Addendum:
Immediately after I wrote this, I shared it with a close non-hiker friend, and they told me they were almost offended by what I wrote. I can imagine WHY some of these communities dislike thru-hikers. Many newcomers act like “oh you should be happy we’re here and supporting your small town.” But certain times of the year, on big trails like the PCT, AT, and CDT hundreds of thru-hikers take over people’s small, rural towns like it’s spring break. I think that’s a big reason why I have not had the interest to hike the big three again. Why not go in search of more obscure trails? Don’t get me wrong, after this year I really miss those times. They’re amazing and fun. Just exhilarating day after day as spring break lasts 4-5 months, following the summer sun to Canada.
