While on my way home one day I came across a young lady about 19 years old. She approched me at a gas station asking for a ride. She just came off the AT after compleating a thru hike of 5 months & was looking for a hostle to stay in. She started out with 5 friends, one of them her boyfriend. By the third week she was hiking alone! Everyone dropped out! She was determined to forge on, and she did.
She was tired and hungry but happy. Needless to say she came home with me and we gave her a celebration dinner and cake. Everyone helped make it and we had a great time. We let her call her mom in Canada to tell her she had completed her hike and was safe. The next day I drove her to her sisters in Clemson N.C. so she could see her graduate from college. She told us she'll never forget the "trail magic" she encountered after getting off the trail

I too think someone should be there to send off or greet but sometimes its just not possiable. Every hiker knows it is a personal journey they must take no matter if alone or with another. A personal accomplishment that will live with them forever.

CR

I wondered if many hikers begin their journey with any fanfare or not? What is your impression?

For the vast majority of people, there's very little fanfare at all. Most people can't (or don't) take the time to drive or fly hundreds or thousands of miles to see their friend or family member off. I was kind of disappointed when Amanda wasn't there to see me off for those first few steps on the trail, but she had a job. The only person around when I was starting my hike was Mark, who gave me the ride to Amicalola, and even he ended up having to leave before I started my actual first few steps. I was off making some phone calls from the pay phone there, the last calls I'd be able to make to Amanda and my mom for the next several days. So I waved goodbye to Mark (thanks for the ride, Mark, even if your license was suspended at the time! *wink*) and made some phone calls, then took my first few steps without a single witness to watch.

Perhaps a little fanfare would have been nice, but I wasn't expecting it either.

For north-bounders, the end of the trail tends to get a lot more fanfare if for no other reason than there are a lot of other north-bounders finishing at the same time. You've hiked with them for months and formed friendships with them, and it seems fitting for us to finish the trail together and being each other's fanfare.

I think more people are likely to be there at the end of the hike than the beginning as well, because a LOT of people start a thru-hike--numbering in the thousands every year. Only a tiny fraction actually complete a thru-hike. When 20% of the people who start quit before reaching the Georgia state line, they really didn't need much fanfare to begin with. ;o)

In my case, at the end of the trail, one of the hikers who finished the same day I did was from Ireland, and one of his friends from home flew all the way to Maine to be there for his grand finale. His friend brought a bagpipe which he played for every triumphant thru-hiker that returned to Katahdin Stream Campground after finishing the trail. It was wonderful! =) And of course, Amanda was able to be there for the end of the my hike, and that's the end that really counts. *nodding*

South-bounders probably don't get this kind of ending as much, though, since they're much fewer in numbers and much more spread out. They have much lonelier hikes than the north-bounders do, and probably much lonelier finishes as well.

She started out with 5 friends, one of them her boyfriend. By the third week she was hiking alone! Everyone dropped out!

Stories like that are very common. Only about 15% of people who start a thru-hike actually finish it, On average, out of every seven people who start, only one will actually reach the end. When I reached the top of Springer Mountain and the official start the Appalachian Trail, there were six other people besides myself lounging around one of them asked, somewhat jokingly, "Which if us will be the one that makes it all the way." Statistically speaking, though, he was absolutely right. Only one of us actually would see the end of the trail. I volunteered for the dirty task. ;o) In fact, one of us in that group, statistically speaking, wasn't even going to reach the North Carolina state line 63-miles away.

-- Ryan

Are the statistics the same with the PCT?

Our friends that did the PCT last summer made the whole thing. We were able to fetch them from the campground in OR, on highway 58 and treat them to a couple of days of food. Their stories about trail magic and the friends they had made were amazing.

At the end of the hike, one of their parents met them and hiked in the last 2 miles and met them. Then one of their sisters took straight to a shower, a meal and then a foot spa!

And Amyrica...I love that story!

Are the statistics the same with the PCT?

The number of people starting the PCT is significantly smaller than the AT--perhaps 300 people per year try to thru-hike the PCT. However, the success rate is significantly higher than on the AT. I don't remember what it is off the top of my head, but it's probably double or more than the success rate of the AT.

Probably because a large portion of PCT thru-hikers already did the AT and know what they're getting into, and the people who are doing their first thru-hike are much more likely to have backpacking experience. The AT tends to suck in a lot of people who really should never be on the trail by themselves. ;o)

In any case, the PCT is a much lonelier hike than the AT. When I hiked a section of it for a week last year, during the peak "thru-hiker season," I only saw one thru-hiker the whole time. He thought maybe there was another thru-hiker a week or so ahead of him, and another one a week or so behind him.

I'm not sure how the fanfare goes at the beginning or end of the PCT. The beginning has a "kick-off" event at the end of April that almost everyone seems to attend, so that probably has a lot of fanfare. The end of the PCT is harder to plan ahead to have friends and family go out and meet you, though, than it is on the AT. With the AT, there's a very accessible location that friends can meet you about five miles before the end of the trail, at Katahdin Stream Campground, and Katahdin is a popular hike even without the thru-hikers.

The end of the PCT ends at the Canadian border and doesn't get much in terms of day hikers--the nearest trailhead is seven miles away over the Canadian border. That makes it a lot harder for friends and family to get to (they might need passports depending on how they get to Canada), and there's no good spot before hand to let people know your exact arrival date or time to the Canadian trailhead. I suspect a lot of thru-hikers reach the end with nobody around to admire their accomplishment. Since thru-hikers on the PCT are much less common and more spread out, they aren't even as likely to be around for each other as you'd see on the AT.

And south-bound PCT hikers are a lonely bunch indeed. Last year, I read, only 13 people completed a south-bound thru-hike of the PCT.

-- Ryan

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Needless to say she came home with me and we gave her a celebration dinner and cake. Everyone helped make it and we had a great time. We let her call her mom in Canada to tell her she had completed her hike and was safe. The next day I drove her to her sisters in Clemson N.C. so she could see her graduate from college. She told us she'll never forget the "trail magic" she encountered after getting off the trail

That was excellent hospitality on your behalf, Cherokee Rose. Well done.

Cherokee Rose,

That is one of the nicest stories I have heard in a long time. She was a very lucky person to have met you and your family. Has you family stayed in touch at all with her?

(That is one of the nicest stories I have heard in a long time. She was a very lucky person to have met you and your family. Has you family stayed in touch at all with her)

Yes, we have. She is working as a nanny in Canada and we exchange letters about twice a year. I believe it is because of her that our son became interested in the out-doors. That night after everyone went to bed I got up around 3am and they were up takling. Her stories effected him profoundly. He now loves anything out doors. In fact he's been a white water rafting guide now for three years. He graduates from college in December and plans on teaching an out door wilderness course for a local college while he gets his masters in out door education.

We still live near Springer mountain and try to help the hikers any chance we get. Some just need rides to and from the airport & others just need a little trail magic from time to time.

That is so nice to hear. Just goes to show you how a stranger can affect your lives without you even realizing it at the time. Kudos to your son for what he is doing with his life. Keep up the good hospitality life is full of rewards!

Thank you!

CR