thru hikes and family, can it be done???

[AmericasHammock]

While I agree with most of what Catavarie said, there is one difference between school and hiking, and I think it's the one difference that's the line between selfish and unselfish is that going back to school will help further your career and the goals that go along with your professional life. Hiking for 6 months, while being a great life goal to accomplish will get you no further than a few miles. I do believe you live one time and need to follow all your goals and dreams, but if you bring other lives into this world and choose to spend your life with someone else you have more than your goals and feelings to take into account. But as was said before, this is my opinion and only my opinion so take it for what you will.

[affreeman]

Like many people thru-hiking the AT has been a life-long dream of mine, but one that was always put in the "someday" bucket due to obligations at home. Then a few years ago I realized that "someday" may just be drawing near. My daughter was off on her own and I was no longer a day-to-day parent. Financially we were through the struggling years. We had no mortgage on the condo, no car loans, no nothing. We didn't owe a penny to anybody. The bank account was reasonably comfortable, and we could even afford for me to not be bringing home a paycheck for half a year or so. So after some long talks with my wife, she bought in and I put the planning wheels in motion. March 18, 2009 found me hiking the Approach trail to Springer Mountain, and September 27 found me standing atop Katahdin in Maine.

[Shug]

Like many people thru-hiking the AT has been a life-long dream of mine, but one that was always put in the "someday" bucket due to obligations at home. Then a few years ago I realized that "someday" may just be drawing near. My daughter was off on her own and I was no longer a day-to-day parent. Financially we were through the struggling years. We had no mortgage on the condo, no car loans, no nothing. We didn't owe a penny to anybody. The bank account was reasonably comfortable, and we could even afford for me to not be bringing home a paycheck for half a year or so. So after some long talks with my wife, she bought in and I put the planning wheels in motion. March 18, 2009 found me hiking the Approach trail to Springer Mountain, and September 27 found me standing atop Katahdin in Maine.

Did your wife visit along the way at all?
Being away from my loved ones that long is my only problem with a thru. They are my closest folk and all.

[affreeman]

Did your wife visit along the way at all?
Being away from my loved ones that long is my only problem with a thru. They are my closest folk and all.

We talked on the phone almost every night (occasionally I would go a couple of days without getting cell service). I started mid-March and had my first visit with my wife at the end of May, when she met me in Waynesboro, VA (just south of SNP).

She met me again in Kent, CT and we headed to New York City for a few days together. When I was in MA she came out and slack-packed me for a weekend. When I got to Hanover NH she met me again for a couple of days, and when I reached Pinkham Notch in NH I went home for a while to heal up my knees before continuing. She also met me at Baxter SP in Maine and climbed Katahdin with me.

As you can see we saw a lot more of each other once I reached New England, since that's where we live.

I expect it is not every spouse that can or will put up with this. My wife is and has always been very independent. We didn't marry until we were both 47, and she lived alone and took care of her life herself until then.

[DivaB]

A "wife" and mother of a 13 year old here. I personally don't care to be without my husband for 4 weeks....it's not that I'm co-dependent on him; it just isn't something I would be happy with at all. Is he going to let me take off for 4 weeks and be happy about it while holding the fore front down. I don't think so. As for all 3 of us going?!?! Could be a lot of fun for awhile, may have to bang my head against a tree or hang myself after awhile; but that's the gamble you take.

[Canoexist]

I gotta say that I would feel like my husband was being selfish if he were to spend the time (probably years) planning a thru-hike, then spending money on gear, etc., for it, then actually doing it which would be several months. I would feel left out and probably jealous if I wasn't included. My idea of being included doesn't consist of visiting him along the trail and getting phone calls or post cards. We would either have to do it together or neither one of us would be doing it. That may make me sound like a crazy controlling wife but I know that my husband would not want me to do it either. If there were young kids in the picture for us then I could easily guarantee it wouldn't be happening. I don't know what small kids would think about their dad missing out on their lives for several months by choice.

It's not like either of us would ever think seriously about it for a minute anyway since there is no way our jobs would allow us to leave for that extended amount of time.

A week or two or even a month would be acceptable but that is about it.

-Laura

[^shane^]

The AT has always been a dream, but one I'd never consider making come true without my wife walking every step with me. I couldn't be away from her that long.

I followed Bark & Berry on Trail Journals a couple years ago and enjoyed their shared thru. It can be done successfully together. Now that the wife has taken to backpacking the dream is closer to fruition.