How do you get over post trail Depression?

Most thru-hikers experience some form of post-hike depression, and there are steps you can take to help deal with it.

1. Know that it is coming.
2. Keep in touch with your tramily.
3. Get back on trail, find out where your local trails are and take some small local hikes.
4. Find a new goal.

Is Thru Hiking bad for your body?

But while thru-hikers may look the picture of health on the outside, two researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Integrative Physiology have published a study suggesting that a thru-hiking lifestyle may lead to troubling changes in vascular health.

How many hikers have been murdered on the Appalachian Trail?

List of Murders on the AT. The first known murder on the Appalachian Trail took place in 1974. To date, there have been 13 total murders recorded.

What percentage of hikers finish the Appalachian Trail?

The number of northbound thru-hikers has been increasing by about ten percent each year since 2010. What is the success rate of thru-hikers? The success rate of hikers hiking the entire 2,190 mile Trail within the course of a year has remained around 25\%.

Does hiking Help Depression?

Backpacking is not a cure for depression. When you’re depressed, therapy is necessary. However, the many mental benefits of hiking can put you in a better mood and help with depressive thoughts. My experience is just that, an experience, which came alongside therapy.

What to do after hiking the Appalachian trail?

Keep in touch with your tramily. (Trail family) Track them down on Facebook or through e-mail, and schedule semi-annual meet ups with anyone in your area. Your body will be going through a big transition to life back home, take the time to take care of your body off the trail. Eat healthy and keep it moving.

How does Hiking change your brain?

“Physical exercise can grow and promote gray matter retention and thickness in important regions of the brain, like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex,” McEwen adds. These positive changes are accompanied by an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for healthy cognitive function.

How hard is hiking the Appalachian Trail?

Just looking at the numbers on the PCT paints the picture well: More than 2,650 miles of hiking with a total elevation gain of just under 500,000 feet. The A.T. will have similar stats. Other physical challenges include everything from blisters to major injuries and Lyme disease to altitude sickness.

How many people quit thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail the first week?

As loony as that sounds, it is what happens to hundreds of people every season as they are surprised by the reality of a thru-hike. About one in five prospective Appalachian Trail thru-hikers quit within the first week!

What is the difference between backpacking and thru-hiking?

Another example of the difference between backpacking and thru-hiking is food selection. Backpackers often buy expensive packaged freeze-dried meals. Or, they tend to favor gourmet meals and attempt to reproduce Wolfgang Puck’s cooking in the woods. Thru-hikers have a far different diet.

Is thru-hiking a long trail?

Thru-hiking is not simply a longer version of a backpacking trip. Considering thru-hiking a long trail? Make sure you know what you’re getting into and set yourself up for success.