Navigating the Challenges of the Multi-Phase Thru-Hiking Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2021-V13-I3-10067Keywords:
thru-hiking, nothwest, national scenic trail, challenges, long distance trail, hikingAbstract
Thru-hiking is an immersive recreational activity that involves hiking over long periods and often traversing thousands of miles of trail across multiple states. This unique recreation activity is growing rapidly, yet there are limited studies in the outdoor recreation field about the short- and long-term challenges and how individuals navigate challenges during the different phases of the thru-hike experience. To better understand the multiple phases of the thru-hiking experience, this study focused on the thru-hikers of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNNST). Multi-phase semi-structured interviews were conducted with PNNST thru-hikers before their hike (anticipation phase), directly after completion (on-site phase), and two months after completion (recollection phase). The research illuminated the importance of physical and psychological preparation, how thru-hikers navigated challenges while hiking, and how hikers transitioned to everyday life. These findings contribute to the outdoor recreation field’s understanding of the unique aspects of thru-hiking as a recreational activity and can inform management practices to support a positive, safe, and transformational experience across the different phases of recreation.
References
Adler, N. J. (1981). Re-entry: Managing cross-cultural transitions. Group & Organization Management, 6(3), 341-356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/105960118100600310
Appalachian Trail Conservancy [ATC]. (2020). 2,000 Milers. Retrieved August 10, 2020 from
https://www.appalachiantrail.org
Arnberger, A., & Brandenburg, C. (2007). Past on-site experience, crowding perceptions, and use displacement of visitor groups to a peri-urban national park. Environmental Management, 40(1), 34-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0355-8
Berg, A . (2015). " To Conquer Myself": The New Strenuosity and the Emergence of" Thru-hiking" on the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s. Journal of Sport History, 42(1), 1-19.
Berg, B. L. (2004). Methods for the social sciences. Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Boston: Pearson Education.
Bruce, D. (1995). The Thru-hiker's Handbook 1995. Center for Appalachian Trail Studies.
Christofi, V., & Thompson, C. L. (2007). You cannot go home again: A phenomenological investigation of returning to the Sojourn Country after studying abroad. Journal of Counseling & Development, 85(1), 53-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2007.tb00444.x
Clawson, M., & Knetsch, J.L. (1966). Economic of Outdoor Recreation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315064215
Coble, T. G., Selin, S. W., & Erickson, B. B. (2003). Hiking alone: Understanding fear, negotiation strategies and leisure experience. Journal of Leisure Research, 35(1), 1-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.18666/jlr-2003-v35-i1-608
Coghlan, A., & Gooch, M. (2011). Applying a transformative learning framework to volunteer tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(6), 713-728. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2010.542246
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
Fondren, K. M., & Brinkman, R. (2019). A comparison of hiking communities on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. Leisure Sciences, 1-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2019.1597789
Freidt, B., Hill, E., Gomez, E., & Goldenberg, M. (2010). A benefits-based study of Appalachian
Trail users: Validation and application of the benefits of hiking scale. Physical Health Education Nexus, 2(1), 1-22.
Harmon, J., & Dunlap, R. (2018). The temporal phases of leisure experience: Expectation, experience and reflection of leisure participation. Leisure Sciences, 40(5), 326-342. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2016.1274246
Hitchner, S., Schelhas, J., Brosius, J. P., & Nibbelink, N. (2019). Thru-hiking the John Muir Trail as a modern pilgrimage: implications for natural resource management. Journal of Ecotourism, 18(1), 82-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2018.1434184
Hitchner, S., Schelhas, J., Brosius, J. P., & Nibbelink, N. P. (2019). Zen and the art of the selfie stick: blogging the John Muir trail thru-hiking experience. Environmental Communication, 13(3), 353-365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2019.1567568
Iwasaki, Y., & Schneider, I. E. (2003). Leisure, stress, and coping: An evolving area of inquiry. Leisure Sciences, 25(2-3), 107-113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01490400306567
Juan, P. J., & Chen, H. M. (2012). Taiwanese cruise tourist behavior during different phases of experience. International Journal of Tourism Research, 14(5), 485-494. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jtr.882
Ketterer, W. P. (2011). Psychological change among Appalachian trail thru-hikers: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Antioch University, New England.
Kotut, L., Horning, M., Stelter, T. L., & McCrickard, D. S. (2020). Preparing for the Unexpected: Community Framework for Social Media Use and Social Support by Trail Thru-Hikers. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376391
Kyle, G., Graefe, A., & Manning, R. (2004). Attached recreationists... Who are they. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 22(2), 65-84.
Lacanienta, A., & Duerden, M. D. (2019). Designing and staging high-quality park and recreation experiences using co-creation. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 37(2), 118-131. http://dx.doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2019-8818
Lee, T. H., Jan, F. H., & Huang, G. W. (2015). The influence of recreation experiences on environmentally responsible behavior: The case of Liuqiu Island, Taiwan. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23(6), 947-967. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2015.1024257
Littlefield, J., & Siudzinski, R. A. (2012). ‘Hike your own hike’: Equipment and serious leisure along the Appalachian Trail. Leisure Studies, 31(4), 465-486. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2011.610111
Lugo, D. (2019). The Unlikely Thru-Hiker: An Appalachian Trail journey. Appalachian Mountain Club Books.
Lum, C. S., Keith, S. J., & Scott, D. (2015). It may be ‘wild,’ but is it authentic? Contested activity and authenticity among Pacific Crest Trail hikers. Proceedings of the Southeastern Recreation Research Conference.
Lum, C. S., Keith, S. J., & Scott, D. (2020). The long-distance hiking social world along the Pacific Crest Trail. Journal of Leisure Research, 51(2), 165-182. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2019.1640095
McKay, A. D., Brownlee, M. T., & Hallo, J. C. (2012). Changes in visitors' environmental focus during an appreciative recreation experience. Journal of Leisure Research, 44(2), 179-200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2012.11950261
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Miller, T. A., & McCool, S. F. (2003). Coping with stress in outdoor recreational settings: An application of transactional stress theory. Leisure Sciences, 25(2-3), 257-275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01490400306562
Mills, A. S., & Butler, T. S. (2005). Flow experience among Appalachian Trail thru hikers.
Proceedings of the 2005 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium, 366-370.
Moyle, B. D., & Croy, W. G. (2006). Media in the anticipation phase of a recreation experience: Port Campbell National Park. International Tourism and Media Conference Proceedings, 138-152.
Pacific Crest Trail Association [PCTA]. Retrieved August 10, 2020 from https://www.pcta.org
Pacific Northwest Trail Association [PNTA]. Retrieved August 10, 2020 from https://www.pnt.org
Palmer, C. (2004). Death, danger and the selling of risk in adventure sports. In B. Wheaton (ed.) Understanding Lifestyle Sport (pp. 67-81). New York: Routledge.
Ptasznik, A. (2015). Thru-hiking as Pilgrimage: Transformation, Nature, and Religion in Contemporary American Hiking Novels. (Master’s thesis). University of Colorado, Boulder.
Seidman, I. (2006). Interviewing as qualitative research: a guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. 3rd ed. New York: Teachers College Press.
Simpson, D., Post, P. G., Young, G., & Jensen, P. R. (2014). “It’s not about taking the easy road”: The experiences of ultramarathon runners. The Sport Psychologist, 28(2), 176-185. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2013-0064
Strayed, C. (2012). Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Publishing.
Tarrant, M. A., Manfredo, M. J., & Driver, B. L. (1994). Recollections of outdoor recreation experiences: A psychophysiological perspective. Journal of Leisure Research, 26(4), 357-371. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1994.11969967
Taylor, L. L., & Norman, W. C. (2019). The influence of mindfulness during the travel anticipation phase. Tourism Recreation Research, 44(1), 76-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2018.1513627
Teherani, A., Martimianakis, T., Stenfors-Hayes, T., Wadhwa, A., & Varpio, L. (2015). Choosing a qualitative research approach. Journal of graduate medical education, 7(4), 669-670. http://dx.doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-15-00414.1
Tsaur, S. H., Yen, C. H., & Hsiao, S. L. (2013). Transcendent experience, flow and happiness for mountain climbers. International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(4), 360-374. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jtr.1881
Turley, B., & Goldenberg, M. (2013). Assessment of readjusting to life after completing a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 5(1), 96-107. http://dx.doi.org/10.7768/1948-5123.1150
Walker, G. J., Hull IV, R. B., & Roggenbuck, J. W. (1998). On-site optimal experiences and their relationship to off-site benefits. Journal of Leisure Research, 30(4), 453-471. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1998.11949843
Zweier, D. (2016). Appalachian Trail on the Rise. Retrieved March 23, 2017 from https://backpackers.com/appalachian-trail-on-the-rise/
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)
Journal Publishing Copyright Agreement for Authors
PLEASE REVIEW OUR POLICIES AND THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT, AND INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BY CHECKING THE ‘AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE’ CHECKBOX BELOW.
I understand that by submitting an article to Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, I am granting the copyright to the article submitted for consideration for publication in Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership to the Copyright Owner. If after consideration of the Editor of the Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, the article is not accepted for publication, all copyright covered under this agreement will be automatically returned to the Author(s).
THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT
Assignment of Copyright
I hereby assign to the Copyright Owner the copyright in the manuscript I am submitting in this online procedure and any tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript in all forms and media (whether now known or later developed), throughout the world, in all languages, for the full term of copyright, effective when the article is accepted for publication.
Reversion of Rights
Articles may sometimes be accepted for publication but later be rejected in the publication process, even in some cases after public posting in “Articles in Press” form, in which case all rights will revert to the Author.
Retention of Rights for Scholarly Purposes
I understand that I retain or am hereby granted the Retained Rights. The Retained Rights include the right to use the Preprint, Accepted Manuscript, and the Published Journal Article for Personal Use and Internal Institutional Use.
All journal material is under a 12 month embargo. Authors who would like to have their articles available as open access should contact Sagamore-Venture for further information.
In the case of the Accepted Manuscript and the Published Journal Article, the Retained Rights exclude Commercial Use, other than use by the author in a subsequent compilation of the author’s works or to extend the Article to book length form or re-use by the author of portions or excerpts in other works.
Published Journal Article: the author may share a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI.
Author Representations
- The Article I have submitted to the journal for review is original, has been written by the stated author(s) and has not been published elsewhere.
- The Article was not submitted for review to another journal while under review by this journal and will not be submitted to any other journal.
- The Article contains no libelous or other unlawful statements and does not contain any materials that violate any personal or proprietary rights of any other person or entity.
- I have obtained written permission from copyright owners for any excerpts from copyrighted works that are included and have credited the sources in the Article.
- If the Article was prepared jointly with other authors, I have informed the co-author(s) of the terms of this Journal Publishing Agreement and that I am signing on their behalf as their agent, and I am authorized to do so.