>>2406438The AT and PCT are pretty unique. The AT is especially popular, so there are always people around. You’ll rarely be totally alone, at least for long periods of time. And because so many people do it the logistics are pretty easy. There are even guidebooks for it, which tell you how fat it is until water sources, towns, shelters, designated sites in some spots, and so on. The PCT is similar but fewer people and the logistics can be harder.
Of course those aren’t the only two long distance trails in the US. But the others can be pretty tough to figure out simply because there’s just not very much to go on. Or the info you do find is outdated.
The only complete thruhike I did was the Pinhoti trail, and there was almost nothing at the time, just a crumby website and a FB group. Now there’s a Guthooks guide, but that doesn’t change the fact that there are 80 mile sections between resupplies (it’s like 110 if you don’t count the Dollar General). But yeah, read up on some of the lesser known thruhikers (or watch videos) and you’ll see what I mean.
The AT still looks like a bucket list hike though. I’ve done sections and it’s not crowded like a festival or anything. It might be further south during peak start times, but I’ve never seen that.
90% of the people doing it are under 25 or over 60, because who else can take 6 months out of their life to hike? And most people quit for psychological reasons rather than physical ones. I think it’s because most have never actually been on their own.
