The Lost Summer
A Disappointing Phone Call
At first, it seemed that it would happen gradually - or not at all. It appeared that maybe over March, long-distance hikers may have to slightly amend their plans as news of COVID-19 (and the virus itself) began to spread throughout North America and the entire world. I remember being on the phone with a friend of mine who was on the AT around mid-March. He had begun his hike a month earlier, one of the first hikers on the trail to start the season. A few hundred miles into his journey, he was excited to have conquered the Smokies.
Now, in the thick of the AT Spring bubble, he and his fellow hikers found themselves facing decisions they had not anticipated having to make.
Still, it didn't seem that the consequences of the virus would be that drastic for a few days. My friend mused that maybe he'd have to get off the trail, go wait at home for two weeks at the worst, and then be able to get back on and continue. Two days later, we had another phone conversation; he was getting off the trail indefinitely - as were most other hikers. Two days seems like a short amount of time to make such a big decision - but having witnessed the frantic, unprecedented spread of COVID-19 myself over those two days, I wasn't surprised at all to hear the news.
By the time March was over, there was no doubt about it: the 2020 thru-hiking season would NOT be happening.
As it became apparent how necessary social distancing and staying home would be for public health, the thru-hiking community had to make the difficult but responsible decision not to go on the trail this season. Every trail association came out with statements explicitly asking hikers to postpone their hikes and only to use trails for the day while practicing social distancing. As a community, it was the responsible decision to make. These trails go through some of the smallest towns in North America. Despite being often pressed for resources and struggling financially - these towns support thousands of hikers every year. For us to bring these towns into harm's way by potentially bringing this virus to them would not only be irresponsible but downright disrespectful. Prioritizing one's own hike over the health and safety of entire towns was not an option.
Thankfully, most of our community understood this and made the necessary sacrifice to protect the integrity of our trails. For 2020 thru-hikers, it meant having to go through the devastating process of ending a thru-hike before they intended. For some, it meant not even getting a chance to begin.
Quitting, Together
Every season there are hikers that have to get off the trail before finishing. There's no shame in it, and it's usually a complicated decision forced by unexpected circumstances. An injury, financial burdens, or something happening at home that needs to be addressed. Whatever the case, it's a hard choice hikers have to make all the time. This situation feels a little different, though. Ok, very different.
It's an eerie feeling, and a difficult thing to confront.
Almost every person attempting a long-distance hike this season
had to get off for the same reason.
I was lucky enough to have enjoyed the Southern Hemisphere's hiking season, thru-hiking Te Araroa in New Zealand from November 2019 - March 2020. Still, I arrived back in the states with over 3500 miles planned across three trails throughout the entire summer. Shortly after that call with my friend, I decided to cancel the first hike, a Spring walk on the AT from Harper's Ferry to Mt. Katahdin. I was holding out hope for the second, a Great Divide Trail thru-hike, which wasn't supposed to begin until the end of June. By mid-May, it was clear that I wouldn't be able to get that one in either. It feels like my hiking season is all but lost. It's very disappointing, to say the least.
How peculiar, to know that so many others are experiencing the same thing. Across the world, thousands of people spent the last few months eagerly anticipating their 2020 hiking season. They all went through the planning process, just like me. They got the gear and tested it out. They sorted their logistics, like jobs and housing, to make sure they could get out on their hike. They put in the tedious work of planning food drops and miles; transportation and finances. All the while, growing more and more excited about their adventure.
We took all of the steps to make our hikes possible, only to have them taken away from us. How do we deal with this? How should we feel?
Dealing With A Change In Plans
One of the best lessons long-distance hiking teaches us is to never grow too attached to our own expectations.
As much as we may be looking forward to the next day of hiking, unforeseen circumstances can always make it harder than we anticipated. When that happens, all we can do is make the most of it. This "lost summer" is no different. Hikers everywhere find themselves staring at a summer now open with possibility. Finding ways to positively impact ourselves and those around us is the best way to move forward.
Photo courtesy of Ryan “Kodak” Brown
Our community is in a strange spot, along with the greater global community. Now almost three-months into this new reality, the end is hard to anticipate. We don't know if this virus will be under control in a few weeks, months, or even years.
Rather than let fears and anxieties be amplified by uncertainty, we have an excellent opportunity to practice living in the now.
Our hikes aren't happening this summer, either in the way we had planned or altogether. We can simultaneously feel disappointment in that fact while contributing positively to our planet, community, family, and ourselves.
If you’re reading this article because you had to cancel a hike this summer and are feeling bummed about it, or if you're just feeling confused and disappointed about how different everything seems all of a sudden, take a breath. Ground yourself in the now. Ask yourself - what can I do to cultivate positivity today? How can I be productive right now? The possibilities are still endless, despite the restrictions of social distancing.
Learn ways to make your own life more sustainable. Create content to share with others. Engage with friends and family via phone and internet who may be feeling the same disappointment as you. Just because our community isn't on the trail this summer doesn't mean we can’t stay connected. Keeping in touch with trail friends and family after a hike can be difficult. Now is the perfect opportunity to open those channels back up and expand our community. Find out if there's any volunteer work you can do for a local trail or conservation organization. Get internal. Start writing a new journal or a new song. A thru-hike is incredibly conducive to inner work - but that doesn't mean we can't have a summer of bettering ourselves off of the trail.
The Miles Ahead
Of course, living in the moment, under the circumstances, doesn't mean we should lose momentum for the future. The trails will be open again one day. We don't know when but they will…
Our 2020 hikes can go from canceled to merely postponed as long as we don't lose sight of our dreams.
The wilderness in all of its glory will be waiting for us. Having a season off from human impact, it may be more lush, spectacular, healthy, and welcoming than ever.
With all of us having to take a season off from walking, laughing with, learning from, and loving one another, we will return, open to one of the most extraordinary communities out there.
The 2020 long-distance hiking season will see empty trails and clean boots; packs without dirt stains, holes, or wear. Our legs will remain at their current circumference, our bodies less riddled with the aches and pains that we love to hate. The dust won't coat our tents. We won't get to share smiles on chilly, mountain nights after long, hard days together - but the 2020 long-distance hiking season will still exist. It looks nothing like what we expected, or anything we’ve seen before, but, It's still our season and our community.