The Bad – Fox AT Thru Hike – Day 89

Day Zero 2

I don’t like to put too much negativity in my posts. So what are the bad parts I leave out?

Petty theft is the order of the day

Many hikers steal. Toilet paper is the most common, so much so that many hostels have signs asking them not to steal TP. Borrowed clothes are also stolen. I know this because many not only do not hide it but speak openly about it. Let me share with you a notable conversation I overheard: “Aren’t those borrowed shorts?” “Yes, if I pay $35 for a bunk bed, I paid for them.”

Gossip

I’m not talking about gossiping about where people are on the road, or even about who’s sleeping with whom. Anytime there are more than four hikers in a shelter, the gossip becomes absolutely toxic. On several nights, I sat and listened to an almost endless litany that overwhelmed people. Of course, it is always someone who is not present. Imagine you are in high school. However, to be clear, it covers all ages. The most toxic person I met was in his 60s.

And a frog!

Sanitation

I get it when people are bothered by those who can’t camp without lecturing someone about Leave No Trace. And after all, who wants to be lectured about spilling some electrolytes when people are literally shitting in the shelter?

Yes, you read that right. In most shelters without toilets, the stern is not far. In one case, human feces and tp were literally piled up against the back wall. My theory: It was raining and people were walking under the eaves. I’ve also seen people come out of the shelter and urinate on the outside wall, literally in front of me. Just think, those mice running through your head probably contacted all of that too.

Yeah, leave no trace fans annoy me too. But maybe we can aim to not poop where we sleep?

And another sneak!

Complete lack of consideration for others.

The general lack of consideration is omnipresent. Most hikers range from blithely unaware to disdainful of anyone outside their group. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of drugs. Only once did someone ask if others cared before they blew up. I once sat in a shelter where five people smoked there and then everyone went to their tents. Could they all have sat by the fire, away from the shelter? Yes. I don’t think it even occurred to them. I don’t care if someone does drugs. But making a shelter you don’t even plan to sleep in unwelcoming to others perfectly exemplifies the kind of selfishness one sees here. Egoism that goes far beyond drug use.

Am I saying the worst part of the journey is the people and culture we’ve created? Yeah.

I have gotten to see a wide range of hikers. Because I went back three weeks and then went up fast, I meet new people almost every day. I rarely see the same hikers for more than three days. So while it’s not a perfect sample, I think I’ve seen enough to say they’re not an anomaly. And I generally only see it among hikers. Section hikers, weekenders, and day hikers are generally more pleasant.

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