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Oct 24, 2026 : Grey FoxAppalachian Trail
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It has been three months since I completed my AT thru hike. I find this an appropriate time to speak to life after my first thru hike, to speak to the common concerns, and my own experiences.
Post Trail Depression
At the end of my AT journey, many things awaited me. In the immediate, both foxes literally awaited at the base of Katahdin. On the horizon, paramedic school. It is to this possession of clear things to come home to, people and goals, that I attribute my complete absence of depression. I was at no loss for “now what” and I felt no angst for my future. And as much as I loved and continue to cherish my hike, I wanted to be home. I hold no sadness for the journey’s end. I have no sense of loss at all, just a sense of gratitude for having this moment of my life.
My advice: If you want to minimize post trail depression, sort out “what next” before you complete your journey. However I also recognize that “what next” was a more overwhelming question in my younger years.
Weight Gain After my Thru Hike
Perhaps sadly, I did not immediately pile on pounds when the trail ended. Only after two months of large meals and ice cream with protein powder did I my weight stabilize. Yes, I have finally set aside the daily ice cream supplement, but it took a lot to get my weight back to normal. This aligns to my history and my perpetual struggle against weight loss.
What Next?
As most I talk to, my initial feeling was “never again”. And like most, I am now imagining other trails. Will I thru hike another long, more than four week, trail? I cannot say for sure. This adventure took a lot of time from my family and any desire for another must be balanced against the desire to adventure with the foxes, who may not want a six month adventure. But certainly other adventures await.
In the next year we hope to finally hike Cirque of the Towers. I am eyeing several trails in Europe and India, along with closer adventures in Wisconsin and the uppet midwest.
Life is finite, and so in choosing a long thru hike I give up multiple smaller adventures. I will adventure, only the specifics remain to be decided upon.
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