The difference between hiking the AT in 2019 vs 2024 is wild with how many more people are on trail every single mile

Back in 2019 I could go all morning without seeing anyone once I left Springer, but last summer I was passing 15+ people before lunch even on a Tuesday, and I think the pandemic year just permanently changed how many folks see backpacking as their weekend escape.

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron_wilson1723d ago

I remember in 2018 on the PCT I started at Campo and didn't see another hiker for most of the first two days, just coyotes and jackrabbits and that weird feeling of being totally alone in the desert (which was honestly kind of spooky at night). Then I did a section of the AT in '21 and it was like a different planet with people camped right next to each other at every shelter and someone always trying to chat when I just wanted to eat my ramen in peace. My buddy Dave did the CDT last year and he said even that trail had way more people than he expected, especially around the Wind River Range where it used to be super empty. I think the pandemic really did something to people's heads where suddenly everyone realized they could just quit their job and go walk in the woods for a while. It's not all bad though, I met some really cool people on that '21 trip that I still keep in touch with on Instagram and stuff. Just feels like the secret got out, you know?

kelly.robin23d ago

Wait, you started at Campo in 2018 and went two full days without seeing another person? Honestly that sounds wild to me, I did a section of the PCT near Kennedy Meadows in 2022 and it was bumper to bumper with hikers from the first step. Tbh I think the pandemic blew the whole thing up way more than anyone expected. I remember seeing a guy with a full inflatable kayak strapped to his pack near Tuolumne Meadows that year, like what even is that?