1-The Great Assumption. For whatever reason, any time any
two hikers spend two nights in a row in the same place, one of
them assumes ‘we’re hiking together’. No one ever asks. And
that makes is even harder when the less interested party wants to
go their own way either on the trail or when they get into town.
2-Solitude/Reassurance. Everyone is going to need different
amounts of both as the hike progresses. And each will have a
big impact on how you act toward and respond to other hikers.
Sometimes you really need the company of other hikers and
sometimes you really don’t and it can be hard to know the
difference.
3-Partnership Issues. People will hike at their own pace, deal
with the trail in their own way and sometimes just need some
time alone. Fine. When people NEED to hike together for safety
and security, particularly women, these things can be very
problematic.
4-It worked at home. The way we speak and act toward others
is often the result of many years of trail and error. Most hikers
are pretty easygoing when it comes to manners to begin with and
don’t always realize that it may take time for people to get used
to them.
5-Points of view. From its very founding, the Appalachian Trail
was about bringing people together from different parts of the
country. The good news is that it did. The bad news is that
very often it puts you face to face with someone who has very
strong and deeply felt opinions that may be very different from
yours and the folks back home.
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