Good video ER. I definitely relate to the introvert side. A 5 minute interaction on trail with an extrovert is worth at least several hours of internal laughter once I've escaped. Might even come to mind for a little chuckle/smile days and weeks later. - Peace and Sparkling Paths
I was a hairstylist so people think I am in extrovert, but I am not. I would come home exhausted from having to be "on" all day. Exhausted from all of the noise and conversations from everyone else too! I was so much healthier when I finally retired from that. When a friend asks me to go to lunch? I go because I want to stay close with the friend but I'd much rather go for a hike/walk/skiing/bike riding than sit face to face having lunch. It is nearly torture but I can't have it my way every time so I compromise. Thank you for sharing.
Trey, Thank you so much for posting this video. I’m probably more of an extrovert, although at times I can be quite introverted. My wife and teenage son are both introverts, and your video taught me more in 15 minutes about how they may sometimes feel, than I have learned on my own in several years of life’s experiences. I can literally see the panic and anxiety on their faces if they know we have to interact with a large group of people. This has often frustrated me since I tend to make excuses for them about why they choose not to be at a party, social gathering, etc. Now, I feel like I’ve got a better understanding of their emotions, and less likely to feel judgmental of them. I’ve been following you since your AT thru-hike, and I am thankful for your insight and for self-awareness you share on topics such as ego, anxiety, and authenticity. God bless you my guy!!!😊
Great video! Lots of valid points. As someone who has to small talk for a living, I get on trail to take a break from people. I tend to hike in the off-season and mostly camp alone for this reason. The idea of being in a Tramily repels me, but there have been people that I've met on trail who I'm still in contact with to this day. Camping at a shelter and expecting peace & quiet is like camping next to a train track and expecting a train to not come by.
Seeing your comment made me think of how I approached towns on the AT as an introvert. When I made it to Damascus I loved stopping into the stores to have brief chats with people (where I met you and Garvey). That was a battery charger for me. But as I left your store, a guy on a bench yelled Early Riser! and that freaked me out. I wanted to run and hide 😅😅. It ended up being Crazy Larry tho so it was cool!! 🤣🤣🤘🕓
Thanks for highlighting this. As an introvert, it's a struggle. If there is a big group, I try to find clusters of maybe two people and hang out there. If it's a section hike and there's a shelter, I'll listen to the extrovert. When I'm tapped out, I'll let them know that I need to get some camp chores done before it gets dark. If it's a resupply within the vortex, I may be ready to get back to trail for the night instead of staying in town. Like you, if I find those one or two hikers that we understand each other, I could get to talking. It's all about respect and giving each other space when we need it.
Great video that hit home. I feel the same way as you brother-to a T. The trails in CO give me just enough solitude and exposure to others. We have 5 children and that's intense for an introvert...really enjoyed this and listened twice while plowing a crazy snow storm in lower Denver. Keep em coming ER. Great medicine for my mind.
Have you figured out which children are introverted and extroverted? It's so amazing how they are different. We only have a son... he got the introver gene. 🤘🕓
Well said my friend. I 💯% with you on this. My wife is an introvert and I am an Extrovert. We see life very differently. It is very important for us to understand this difference and support each other.
Everyone has a bubble, both physical and mental. Encroaching the bubble usually gets uncomfortable for at someone. Understanding this made communicating with people more effective for me. My bubble is pretty big, I like my space.
I am an Introverted Extrovert, and what I mean by this is I am an introvert - but never knew this or what it even was. So I grew up forcing myself into popularity and Being seen and noticed; all superficial and never building intimate relations. I have to assume that there are plenty of people who don’t know where they get their juice (like I didn’t). So it is still a conditioned response to me - even today, for whatever reason I attract people to me, and there is a part of me who enjoys that but it drains me. I am a natural Introvert with Extrovert conditioned behavior. So I say it a lot, I don’t like what happens to ME when I get around a lot of people. So I engage with people, but from a distance is that makes sense? I believe It is vital for people to know the difference, and we should put ourselves in uncomfortable positions, it’s just been a problem for me personally because the old paradox, am I working on unconditioning my lifelong forcing myself to be in groups - against my natural instinct to be an introvert, or am I just making excuses to be isolated? So I compromised, I ALWAYS hiked alone. That was my time to reflect, be alone with source, ponder, question, challenge myself and fill those batteries. And then, I shared deeply with a few people on the trail - some of them totally different experiences in life than I had. Those people were put in my path intentionally, organic relationships without any pressures. Amazing to see how easy it is to form relationships when the thinking mind is quiet / even with seemingly different backgrounds and experiences. When I get out of the way, magic happens. I do believe the trail Demands solitude. You can only distract yourself for so long. I would set up my hammock early some days and relish the silence of it all. And it never failed, a group of four or five hikers would stroll in all chattering about pointless stuff and set up only feet away from me. I would ask myself, what the heck do people have to talk about for 12 hours of hiking together - day in and day out? But the truth is, I probably wouldn’t have made it to Katahdin if I had forced myself into that kind of Tramily. I needed to be alone. But, at the same time, maybe those in that group wouldn’t have made it if they were alone. I understand everyone has their path in life and that the trail provides exactly what we need - even on an individual basis. The people I hiked around - they all knew that I needed space and they all respected it. I’d start off behind four or five people and before the first mile was even logged, I had faded to out of sight. Gone, vanished, alone. They all knew that about me and I love them for being ok with that. They knew I’d make it to camp at some point - and we can share about the day. The trail provided for me exactly what I needed.
@AwakenedAve always love reading your thoughts. You are getting really good at using words to express the inexpressible. That is a rare talent! Extrovert-conditioned behavior is a great term and could be an entire book!! 🤘🕓
I’m an introvert as well. I hiked the Long Trail last fall starting with a hiker I had met a few years ago on the AT in Virginia. I had planned my hike from start to end, and he kept telling me I’d never make it on time….way too much daily elevation gain/loss. After one week I told him we needed to part ways, and he got pretty angry with me. I was miserable hiking with him…I had been planning this hike for a couple of years, and wanted to really enjoy it…I planned an aggressive pace because I love a good challenge! I never saw this guy again on that Long Trail hike…I believe he quit and went home. The rest of my hike was so much more enjoyable…and I completed the Long Trail on time…one of the hardest, yet satisfying hike I’ve done to date….
Your new trail name needs to be therapist early riser 😂 early riser therapy 😁 that sounds better… great video I had to sleep in the shelters going through the Smoky Mountains. It was quite the experience and entertaining I only talked to a handful of people .. but there was one person I met whom I enjoyed talking with 🥰
I’m an extrovert as required, meaning I hate awkward silences and will chat with people around me. My biggest problems with shelter chat is all the BS, fear mongering, and general showing off. Everyone thinks they are right about their gear choices, their food choices, etc. -and they want to tell you all night long so you become a believer in their way of doing things too.
This was perfect ER!!!! You sound so much like me. I'm sure so many people think I am just unfriendly and that is just not the case. People I know understand me and deal with and put up with my behavior. I think I have become more of an introvert as I have grown older. I have friends that have regular get-together events or holiday parties and used to they would always invite me and now they just don't because they know I won't show up and it's ok they understand. I have to push myself to go to family events sometime and usually in the end I'm glad I went.
💯. Excellent points. The trail definitely forces you to expand who you are whether you are introverted or extroverted. The trail has so much to teach a person if they just allow it to do so.
Thanks so much for this video, I CAN RELATE! I am definitely an introvert and I also work with and around people all week in a sometimes stressful law office. When the weekend comes I just want to be outside walking or hiking or bikeriding and I will go out of my way to avoid contact with people I really enjoyed your hiking vlogs and messages in those too, like "tame your mind" I also practice the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, we have that in common as well.
Ok, I'm following instructions and I didn't click off the video and jump to anything else...I'm writing my comments ha ha ha. First, it's great to see you back on YT. I've learned so much from your AT videos and your book Pushing North. They made a huge difference in my thru hike. Your encouraging comments on my thru hike videos also had a significant impact on me. Thank you for your honesty and perspective. Both of which I valued then and continue to value. Second, I think it's possible to be a mix of each, the extrovert and the introvert, because there are so many similarities for me with both as you described them. Perhaps it's the Gemini in me ha ha The days when it felt like I was suffering alone on an island of fear, pain, and desperation were the times when the ONLY people I wanted to be around were my tramily because we didn't have the need to fill the quiet with nonsensical chit-chat. Their presence and sharing of similar experiences throughout the day comforted me at camp. On the other hand, one of the most profound and meaningful aspects of my hike was hiking alone all day. Our group didn't really hike together because we hiked at different paces so it gave me the solitude I desperately sought on my hike. I LOVED being alone all day. Loved the video and think your timing is perfect for the class of 2025 to ponder as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Be well.
Seems like every video you put out has been hitting home with me. I am defiantly introverted! I am a listener, and not a talker, until it comes time to talk, then you better be listening and don't interrupt me. My heritage is Finnish and as most Finns we are introverted by our bringing up. As a whole we are quiet, don't like loud people, like solitude, feel uncomfortable around people, don't sit in the chair next to me, leave me alone, etc. But when we have a friend, there is a bond and we will talk a lot,
I’m starting in Mid February so I will hopefully stay ahead of the bubble mainly for many of the reasons you talked about. I’m an introvert who has learned to engage socially even when I don’t want to from the Marine Corps and my career in Law Enforcement. In fact if it weren’t for the Corps I don’t think I could’ve ever become a LEO. But even so, it does drain me - mentally and emotionally. Will I engage with people on the trail? Of course. Will I even hike with a group? Maybe. But I know I have the option (for the most part) of getting some solitude when I want it. Thanks for the video! (Oh - and thanks for your book too - Pushing North - Super Helpful!)
I started in Feb and was shocked at how many people were on trail. Mostly in the south and at shelters. I didn't have a shelter alone until Standing Indian Mountain, and then not again until VA I think (might be off a little there but I was amazed). I learned to stay away from shelters as much as possible. Bears hang out there because they are conditioned and extroverts hang out there for the same reason! 😂😂😂🤘🕓
2nd video this morning. -4° this morning, sitting on my butt watching videos. Also, an introvert. Love my family, but I need my alone time. Just me and my dog.😊 I've struggled with mediation. I'll check out your other channel.
Everyone struggles with it. The mind doesn't want you to be still. Here's a technique... Just imagine you have forgotten the English language when you're meditating. We think in English. Our minds use our voice and our language to think. Just imagine you have forgotten English and watch what happens... the mind goes silent.
Im definitely an introvert. Im planning a thru hike this year, but i planned my hike specifically to avoid the bubble like a plague. Im doing a flip flop starting at the southern end of the Shennandoahs going NOBO in the Spring, and will return to my starting point after Katahdin and hopefully finishing at Springer SOBO. I can't even think about starting in a crowd in winter heading NOBO.
This should be a required watch for any new thru hiker. I am more on the introvert side than center. Prefer hiking alone than with a large group, but can if I have to. Had the experience of taking a small scout troop on several backpacking trips and giving this same advice. One of our leaders was an extrovert level 99 and we all knew it. We would sometimes exploit him onto other extroverts when arriving at a destination just to give others some peace. Great guy, just a little intense. Hearing your Sassafras Gap shelter story, AWOLs guide should include a scale to rate that and other shelters as almost always busy. I usually go past it and stay at the peak. I try to avoid staying in a shelter for that reason and tent nearby. Stinks the GSMNP forces you to use shelters, but i understand their impact concerns. Enjoy retirement. Your AT thru hike vlog is still one of my favs.
I'm very much an introvert. I'm also a hammocker. Those two things go together well. I could get the little social interaction I needed wherever and then pretty much could set up anywhere on the trail (with a few exceptions) to get away the high energy of the people on the trail.
And here I thought I use a hammock because it's better on my old body. But damn, I think you just hit the nail on the head with my subconscious reasons for using a hammock. 🤣
Am definitely an introvert, spent most all of my miles alone. Remember my first 30 mile day. Made it to Trimpi shelter just before dark. Shelter was full with two guys standing up trying to outstory each other. After 45 minutes I left and hiked 10 miles in the dark through a snow covered green tunnel to Partnership shelter. Thankfully there was a full moon
Man, can I relate to this subject. I am also an introvert, but sometimes People walking by (like in a state park campground for instance will walk by, see me relaxing in my hammock, or cooking and just stop by and next thing I know, I have a history of their camping adventures, travels, best and worst places etc, and I’m looking around like….What did I do to cause this? I try to be pleasant, but I enjoy the solo time to do my own thing, yet there are some folks that just gotta come talk to you and they usually talk about themselves! It wears me out! I usually give short answers, tell them I need to finish this that or the other to move them along on their way. I enjoy people, but I enjoy my quiet time too! My choice!
I’m an introvert and my wife is an extrovert too. My social battery expires WAY before hers. On trail, I like being with my friends but I don’t want have meaningless conversation with strangers. 🦑
@KirtLewis I thought I saw a video saying that was the plan. Then I thought maybe I dreamed it. Good luck. I hope the weather windows open nicely for you!!! 🤘🕓
Good Stuff. It makes me think about being considerate, then asking myself is it inconsiderate if you've never considered it? It appears that many extroverts never even give a thought that they're doing that. I would struggle yappy people. I doubt I'd do a shelter unless it's a downpour. My whole point of being out there is to get away from the people you descibed.
And this is why, despite being pretty out of shape, female, and 47, if I make it to a thru-hike, I’m determined to go SoBo and tent until forced to use a shelter in the Smokies. If I could avoid going into towns to resupply, I’d totally do it. And resupply might be why I section hike. P.S. thank you for sharing this. I’m glad to find I’m not alone.
Excellent content. Introvert, higher side of normal. I can relate to a lot of points that you made. I hiked the majority of the trail alone. I hiked the second half of Virginia with a fellow that came along at a very beneficial time for me; very positive, and very motivational, which I needed at the time . I enjoy my close friends, and loved ones, but need my alone time. My S/O and I live separately and it’s positive for both of us. Do you believe that one side or the other has a higher chance of success for completing a thru- hike? BTW, I have watched the last three minutes of your Day 9 countless times, and have forwarded it to many others. Look forward to more posts. Happy New Year!
Had to go back and watch Day 9 to see what you were talking about. Such a good experience that day. Trail taught me some patience and that if you just let go, it will all be perfect! Thanks for sharing that! Awesome to go back and refresh it in my mind! 🤘🕓
I am planning on starting the AT soon. My biggest worry is getting stuck in the bubble. At 63, I know how to deal with the drain and how to escape crowds. It is just not my idea of fun or hiking. I would have to say it is my biggest anxiety.
If you get on trail and trust the universe to unfold in front of you exactly how it's supposed to, it will all be perfect. Just try to trust. It's crazy, if we'd just do more of that in our daily lives, we'd be much better off. Good luck! I'm jealous! 🕓
I'll be starting at Springer the first week in April, and deeply hoping I miss the biggest packs of the bubble, but kinda fearing I will still get more company than I would see as ideal. I'm a very odd kind of introvert. I come off as VERY extroverted, but it's a reflexive act. When people are around, I can't help but play the jovial "life of the party" type, because if I don't, people find me very "angry" or "cold-hearted." I'm not any of those things usually, but because I can come off that way, I guess I've conditioned myself to overcompensate... and frankly, it's fucking exhausting. We all have our stories to tell, but damn, y'all... can we take breathers between them??? Anyway, thanks so much for this video. It's the first I've seen from your channel, and it earned an immediate like and subscribe. I look forward to watching more morsels of your perspective on hiking, the AT, and everything else!
Awesome you found the channel and you wrote a great description of you! Find the comments from Awakened Avenue in here. You will relate to what he wrote. He calls it "Extorverted-conditioned behavior." I seem to use it as well for the same reasons you stated!! 🤘🕓
Dude I’m right there with you man 100 percent. I’m going by Cracker Jack on the trail starting February 20th if you run into me. I’m such an introvert could care less about bears but I don’t think I’ll be sleeping in shelters any night probably stealth camp most of the nights
Just flow with the trail and it will all be perfect. Shelters are great during storms... but I was always praying I'd be alone. Good luck on the hike. I started 16 Feb. Wouldn't change a thing!! 🤘🕓
Oh man…I was definitely THAT guy on the PCT. 😅 I was usually the most extroverted member of my trail families and I sometimes (ok, often) annoyed the shit out of them with my exuberance. 😂
I didn’t realize I was a introvert until someone told me, lol. When I researched it I was floored. Thing about me is, if I’m comfortable or know you I can be a talker.. I mean people have timed me before as talking 2hours straight, haha. But I like hiking solo, people literally drain me after a bit and I have to decompress. I don’t want someone talking the whole trail destroying the peace of the trail the whole time. But I have learned to exist with extroverts an how to be around them for extended periods of time.
Extroverted Introvert! Prefer to be alone and have moments of interactions in shelters or in towns. I can chat😅, but prefer small gatherings and lots of alone time. It’s those extroverts that do not have ability to assess others communication needs that can be difficult to be around.
I remember that night in the shelter with all those fellas. It kind of felt like being in the trenches in WWI as the rain poured down. I'm a MASSIVE introvert but I find my battery doesn't get zapped nearly as fast when I'm suffering with people around me. Maybe that's because we couldn't hear each other over the thunder and lightning and tarps blowing in the wind. I hiked ahead and took a total of two Zero days because somehow, some way, the most unhappy days on trail were when I was around a group of other hikers. I would start comparing, people pleasing, putting masks on. Over analyzing how my behavior affects others around me. You, Fresh Ground and Stamps were an exception. That's a group of men I'll remember for the rest of my days. I don't think either of us would have made the leaps of growth without that alone time in the woods. There's more forms of investments than financial. We bet on ourselves with every step. Keep the videos comin' -Kansas
Such a great comment, Kansas. So good to hear from you. I need to put some thought into the suffering piece. I think you're on to something there. That checks with my time in the Marine Corps and suffering abounded. I seemed to have a lot less worry about my introverted needs during those times. And it checks with the AT as well. Great comment! Stay healthy and happy my friend!! 🤘🕓
Stop, look , listen, and think. Respond, don’t react. Don’t “overly” engage or explain. Try not to take things personally. A moral compass is everything. Awareness is about “you, others and surroundings”, kindness and respect are gifts. Be honest to yourself and others. 1-2-3 rule: 1st time, recognize. 2nd acknowledge with awareness and 3rd time address any issue. A lot of folks don’t take time to process respectfully nor do they make time for others to do so. If you can share “space” without crossing boundaries, read “the room”, you’ll always have advantage. It’s careless to be the fool.
I've found extroverts rarely 'read the room' - they just babble on, without any internal reflection. If they DO notice an introvert is silent, or barely responding, they tend to chalk it up to the introvert just being a grouch, bitch, rude, or some other negative descriptor. And don't get me started on the touchy-feely people. I can't begin to count the number of times I've backed myself literally into corner as I pull away, inch by inch, from extroverts blabbering on that also have to keep touching your arm as they talk. Seriously, how can they NOT notice I keep backing away?!?! LOL
@ I make a point of pushing right back and clearly saying: “Right here now” this is not working for ME and I’d appreciate you giving me at least 2 feet of personal space. If they don’t respect that, I find the exit. It’s beneath me
Great video. Thank you. I realized while watching it that I generally had two types of reactions to my announcement of a thru hike this year from close friends and family. The introverts thought it was interesting, a good challenge, and were mostly supportive. The extroverts, thought I was crazy, that is was dangerous and unwise, and initially tried any argument they could think of to dissuade me from going. I won those folks over only when I said "well, I wouldn't really be alone on trail. There are lots of people out there."
Wow - very interesting. And when you think about it, especially as an introvert, it makes perfect sense about the 'personality type' of the two different reactions!
This is the funniest video you have ever produced. I smiled the whole time listening to your uncomfortableness because I am just like you. When I worked overseas my wife would drag me to a get together. I would find one dude that I trusted and we would talk for hours. Later on the ride home my wife would ask did you see and talk to Oscar or Russ. My reply was no. She would say did you talk to Bruce or Mike. I would say no. She would ask did you see Ann and Lori. I would say no. After she named everyone there she would say then who did you talk to? I talked to Roy the entire evening. I would stand against the wall as far way from the entrance and nearest the exit, so I could bug out if needed. On trail I loved hiking alone, pop into a shelter to eat, listen to any news the other hikers shared and then I would go camp a mile from the shelter alone. I tried staying in the shelters in the beginning, but found I could not deal with groups of people. Happy Hiking!
Hahahaha, that was my biggest lesson as well. Thinking I was going out to the woods to get away from all the annoying people in society....and finding out they are on trail as well!
I can't possibly agree more with everything you said. I am what the 'experts' call a 'social introvert' - meaning I'm fine (not awkward) in social situations, but it physically drains me. Completely wipes me out. When someone - even my sole close friend - wants to do something, it takes me weeks to work up to it. And trust me, the whole time I'm dreading it. Honestly, at the last minute I'm judging how easy it will be to back out. But I do always have fun, and that thought is always what stops me from backing out at the last minute the next time plans are made. I hike alone. I backpack alone. I camp on trail alone. The last thing I want is someone yapping at me when I'm just trying to completely zone out and enjoy the solitude of the trail. I pointed out to someone at work one day that it annoys me when someone I pass on the walk from parking to the building (or vice versa) gives me a dirty look when I don't respond or smile when they say "hi" as they pass me. First, my mind is a thousand miles away - I am deep in thought about something. It takes a bit for my brain to realize that someone even said something. Their response was that I can't control what other people do, I can only control my reaction, which of course is perfectly true. But obviously the person saying hi hasn't controlled their reaction to me not reciprocating... I think my biggest 'gripe' about it all is that introverts tend to just accept an extrovert's meaningless chatter, grit their teeth, get through it, not be the rude person despite in my head I am shouting "just shut up for 5 seconds!", but extroverts seem to be completely oblivious to how excruciating their chatter is to an introvert. It always seems to be a one way street. I am dreaming of hiking the AT when I retire, and whenever I give it more than just a passing thought - like when I jot down notes in my notebook I'm using for AT hike plans & thoughts - I've often wondered if I can just do the entire trail without ever staying at a hostel. I think it will mean staying at hotels only, but I'll be hiking with a dog, which will make that a bit more difficult. I think I'll just be doing a whole lot of NEROs.... 🤣🤣
Such a great comment. The one-way street comment was really spot on. Most extroverts aren't aware as much of the other person's needs. I don't think they do it maliciously, but they need that energy charge from people (whether the other person likes it or not) 😁. 🤘🕓
I’m an introvert, and after reading your comment. I’ll make it a point to try my best NOT to be like you. You sound like a miserable stuck up geezer, with or without company. Thank you for enlightening me.
Thanks for the unique positive analytical. Go go gadget stillness!!!
Good stuff ER! Enjoying you being back on regularly.
Nice to see you back, Trey! Keep pushing...
Really enjoying these episodes!
Good video ER. I definitely relate to the introvert side. A 5 minute interaction on trail with an extrovert is worth at least several hours of internal laughter once I've escaped. Might even come to mind for a little chuckle/smile days and weeks later. - Peace and Sparkling Paths
Thanks for the message, and love the comedy. Hated the hike out of the NOC. 💙🐦
Thank you.
I was with you up to the willfully sleeping in a shelter full of gas passing snorers, lol. Great video, thanks for sharing!
Well said👍
I was a hairstylist so people think I am in extrovert, but I am not. I would come home exhausted from having to be "on" all day. Exhausted from all of the noise and conversations from everyone else too! I was so much healthier when I finally retired from that. When a friend asks me to go to lunch? I go because I want to stay close with the friend but I'd much rather go for a hike/walk/skiing/bike riding than sit face to face having lunch. It is nearly torture but I can't have it my way every time so I compromise. Thank you for sharing.
Trey,
Thank you so much for posting this video. I’m probably more of an extrovert, although at times I can be quite introverted. My wife and teenage son are both introverts, and your video taught me more in 15 minutes about how they may sometimes feel, than I have learned on my own in several years of life’s experiences. I can literally see the panic and anxiety on their faces if they know we have to interact with a large group of people. This has often frustrated me since I tend to make excuses for them about why they choose not to be at a party, social gathering, etc.
Now, I feel like I’ve got a better understanding of their emotions, and less likely to feel judgmental of them.
I’ve been following you since your AT thru-hike, and I am thankful for your insight and for self-awareness you share on topics such as ego, anxiety, and authenticity. God bless you my guy!!!😊
@utbeef18 such a good post and growth mindset. Thanks for sharing this! ❤️🕓
Great video! Lots of valid points. As someone who has to small talk for a living, I get on trail to take a break from people. I tend to hike in the off-season and mostly camp alone for this reason. The idea of being in a Tramily repels me, but there have been people that I've met on trail who I'm still in contact with to this day. Camping at a shelter and expecting peace & quiet is like camping next to a train track and expecting a train to not come by.
Seeing your comment made me think of how I approached towns on the AT as an introvert. When I made it to Damascus I loved stopping into the stores to have brief chats with people (where I met you and Garvey). That was a battery charger for me. But as I left your store, a guy on a bench yelled Early Riser! and that freaked me out. I wanted to run and hide 😅😅. It ended up being Crazy Larry tho so it was cool!! 🤣🤣🤘🕓
Thanks for highlighting this. As an introvert, it's a struggle. If there is a big group, I try to find clusters of maybe two people and hang out there. If it's a section hike and there's a shelter, I'll listen to the extrovert. When I'm tapped out, I'll let them know that I need to get some camp chores done before it gets dark. If it's a resupply within the vortex, I may be ready to get back to trail for the night instead of staying in town. Like you, if I find those one or two hikers that we understand each other, I could get to talking. It's all about respect and giving each other space when we need it.
Camp chores excuse is a good one. 🤘🕓
Great video that hit home. I feel the same way as you brother-to a T. The trails in CO give me just enough solitude and exposure to others. We have 5 children and that's intense for an introvert...really enjoyed this and listened twice while plowing a crazy snow storm in lower Denver. Keep em coming ER. Great medicine for my mind.
Have you figured out which children are introverted and extroverted? It's so amazing how they are different. We only have a son... he got the introver gene. 🤘🕓
Well said my friend. I 💯% with you on this.
My wife is an introvert and I am an Extrovert. We see life very differently. It is very important for us to understand this difference and support each other.
Everyone has a bubble, both physical and mental. Encroaching the bubble usually gets uncomfortable for at someone. Understanding this made communicating with people more effective for me. My bubble is pretty big, I like my space.
Excellent commentary and spot on.
There is a reason we have two ears and one mouth! Listening is a gift.
I am an Introverted Extrovert, and what I mean by this is I am an introvert - but never knew this or what it even was. So I grew up forcing myself into popularity and Being seen and noticed; all superficial and never building intimate relations.
I have to assume that there are plenty of people who don’t know where they get their juice (like I didn’t). So it is still a conditioned response to me - even today, for whatever reason I attract people to me, and there is a part of me who enjoys that but it drains me. I am a natural Introvert with Extrovert conditioned behavior. So I say it a lot, I don’t like what happens to ME when I get around a lot of people. So I engage with people, but from a distance is that makes sense?
I believe It is vital for people to know the difference, and we should put ourselves in uncomfortable positions, it’s just been a problem for me personally because the old paradox, am I working on unconditioning my lifelong forcing myself to be in groups - against my natural instinct to be an introvert, or am I just making excuses to be isolated?
So I compromised, I ALWAYS hiked alone. That was my time to reflect, be alone with source, ponder, question, challenge myself and fill those batteries. And then, I shared deeply with a few people on the trail - some of them totally different experiences in life than I had.
Those people were put in my path intentionally, organic relationships without any pressures. Amazing to see how easy it is to form relationships when the thinking mind is quiet / even with seemingly different backgrounds and experiences. When I get out of the way, magic happens.
I do believe the trail Demands solitude. You can only distract yourself for so long. I would set up my hammock early some days and relish the silence of it all. And it never failed, a group of four or five hikers would stroll in all chattering about pointless stuff and set up only feet away from me. I would ask myself, what the heck do people have to talk about for 12 hours of hiking together - day in and day out? But the truth is, I probably wouldn’t have made it to Katahdin if I had forced myself into that kind of Tramily. I needed to be alone. But, at the same time, maybe those in that group wouldn’t have made it if they were alone. I understand everyone has their path in life and that the trail provides exactly what we need - even on an individual basis.
The people I hiked around - they all knew that I needed space and they all respected it. I’d start off behind four or five people and before the first mile was even logged, I had faded to out of sight. Gone, vanished, alone. They all knew that about me and I love them for being ok with that. They knew I’d make it to camp at some point - and we can share about the day.
The trail provided for me exactly what I needed.
@AwakenedAve always love reading your thoughts. You are getting really good at using words to express the inexpressible. That is a rare talent! Extrovert-conditioned behavior is a great term and could be an entire book!! 🤘🕓
I’m an introvert as well. I hiked the Long Trail last fall starting with a hiker I had met a few years ago on the AT in Virginia. I had planned my hike from start to end, and he kept telling me I’d never make it on time….way too much daily elevation gain/loss. After one week I told him we needed to part ways, and he got pretty angry with me. I was miserable hiking with him…I had been planning this hike for a couple of years, and wanted to really enjoy it…I planned an aggressive pace because I love a good challenge!
I never saw this guy again on that Long Trail hike…I believe he quit and went home.
The rest of my hike was so much more enjoyable…and I completed the Long Trail on time…one of the hardest, yet satisfying hike I’ve done to date….
Good one ER. Had me laughing throughout. Introvert all day here. I really enjoyed this episode.
Your new trail name needs to be therapist early riser 😂 early riser therapy 😁 that sounds better… great video I had to sleep in the shelters going through the Smoky Mountains. It was quite the experience and entertaining I only talked to a handful of people .. but there was one person I met whom I enjoyed talking with 🥰
I’m an extrovert as required, meaning I hate awkward silences and will chat with people around me. My biggest problems with shelter chat is all the BS, fear mongering, and general showing off. Everyone thinks they are right about their gear choices, their food choices, etc. -and they want to tell you all night long so you become a believer in their way of doing things too.
I've never heard anyone complain about your extroversion. It seems to be your super power on trail. 🤘🕓
This was perfect ER!!!! You sound so much like me. I'm sure so many people think I am just unfriendly and that is just not the case. People I know understand me and deal with and put up with my behavior. I think I have become more of an introvert as I have grown older. I have friends that have regular get-together events or holiday parties and used to they would always invite me and now they just don't because they know I won't show up and it's ok they understand. I have to push myself to go to family events sometime and usually in the end I'm glad I went.
It sounds like I wrote this comment. We have very similar experiences. 🤘🕓
💯. Excellent points. The trail definitely forces you to expand who you are whether you are introverted or extroverted. The trail has so much to teach a person if they just allow it to do so.
Thanks so much for this video, I CAN RELATE! I am definitely an introvert and I also work with and around people all week in a sometimes stressful law office. When the weekend comes I just want to be outside walking or hiking or bikeriding and I will go out of my way to avoid contact with people I really enjoyed your hiking vlogs and messages in those too, like "tame your mind" I also practice the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, we have that in common as well.
Ok, I'm following instructions and I didn't click off the video and jump to anything else...I'm writing my comments ha ha ha.
First, it's great to see you back on YT. I've learned so much from your AT videos and your book Pushing North. They made a huge difference in my thru hike. Your encouraging comments on my thru hike videos also had a significant impact on me. Thank you for your honesty and perspective. Both of which I valued then and continue to value.
Second, I think it's possible to be a mix of each, the extrovert and the introvert, because there are so many similarities for me with both as you described them. Perhaps it's the Gemini in me ha ha
The days when it felt like I was suffering alone on an island of fear, pain, and desperation were the times when the ONLY people I wanted to be around were my tramily because we didn't have the need to fill the quiet with nonsensical chit-chat. Their presence and sharing of similar experiences throughout the day comforted me at camp.
On the other hand, one of the most profound and meaningful aspects of my hike was hiking alone all day. Our group didn't really hike together because we hiked at different paces so it gave me the solitude I desperately sought on my hike. I LOVED being alone all day.
Loved the video and think your timing is perfect for the class of 2025 to ponder as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
Be well.
Yes, I am envious of people like you that can play both sides and be comfortable with it (ambivert). That is a gift!!🤘🕓
Seems like every video you put out has been hitting home with me. I am defiantly introverted! I am a listener, and not a talker, until it comes time to talk, then you better be listening and don't interrupt me. My heritage is Finnish and as most Finns we are introverted by our bringing up. As a whole we are quiet, don't like loud people, like solitude, feel uncomfortable around people, don't sit in the chair next to me, leave me alone, etc. But when we have a friend, there is a bond and we will talk a lot,
Great comment. Didn't know that about the Finnish but it checks.
Right there with you ER!
I’m starting in Mid February so I will hopefully stay ahead of the bubble mainly for many of the reasons you talked about. I’m an introvert who has learned to engage socially even when I don’t want to from the Marine Corps and my career in Law Enforcement. In fact if it weren’t for the Corps I don’t think I could’ve ever become a LEO. But even so, it does drain me - mentally and emotionally. Will I engage with people on the trail? Of course. Will I even hike with a group? Maybe. But I know I have the option (for the most part) of getting some solitude when I want it. Thanks for the video! (Oh - and thanks for your book too - Pushing North - Super Helpful!)
I started in Feb and was shocked at how many people were on trail. Mostly in the south and at shelters. I didn't have a shelter alone until Standing Indian Mountain, and then not again until VA I think (might be off a little there but I was amazed). I learned to stay away from shelters as much as possible. Bears hang out there because they are conditioned and extroverts hang out there for the same reason! 😂😂😂🤘🕓
2nd video this morning. -4° this morning, sitting on my butt watching videos. Also, an introvert. Love my family, but I need my alone time. Just me and my dog.😊 I've struggled with mediation. I'll check out your other channel.
Everyone struggles with it. The mind doesn't want you to be still. Here's a technique... Just imagine you have forgotten the English language when you're meditating. We think in English. Our minds use our voice and our language to think. Just imagine you have forgotten English and watch what happens... the mind goes silent.
Im definitely an introvert. Im planning a thru hike this year, but i planned my hike specifically to avoid the bubble like a plague. Im doing a flip flop starting at the southern end of the Shennandoahs going NOBO in the Spring, and will return to my starting point after Katahdin and hopefully finishing at Springer SOBO. I can't even think about starting in a crowd in winter heading NOBO.
This should be a required watch for any new thru hiker. I am more on the introvert side than center. Prefer hiking alone than with a large group, but can if I have to. Had the experience of taking a small scout troop on several backpacking trips and giving this same advice. One of our leaders was an extrovert level 99 and we all knew it. We would sometimes exploit him onto other extroverts when arriving at a destination just to give others some peace. Great guy, just a little intense. Hearing your Sassafras Gap shelter story, AWOLs guide should include a scale to rate that and other shelters as almost always busy. I usually go past it and stay at the peak. I try to avoid staying in a shelter for that reason and tent nearby. Stinks the GSMNP forces you to use shelters, but i understand their impact concerns. Enjoy retirement. Your AT thru hike vlog is still one of my favs.
@@PoliteChihuahua great comment. Thanks for sharing. 🤘🕓
I'm very much an introvert. I'm also a hammocker. Those two things go together well. I could get the little social interaction I needed wherever and then pretty much could set up anywhere on the trail (with a few exceptions) to get away the high energy of the people on the trail.
And here I thought I use a hammock because it's better on my old body. But damn, I think you just hit the nail on the head with my subconscious reasons for using a hammock. 🤣
Am definitely an introvert, spent most all of my miles alone. Remember my first 30 mile day. Made it to Trimpi shelter just before dark. Shelter was full with two guys standing up trying to outstory each other. After 45 minutes I left and hiked 10 miles in the dark through a snow covered green tunnel to Partnership shelter. Thankfully there was a full moon
😂😂😂😂 Such a great example of what this video is about!! I would have left as well!! 🤘🕓
Man, can I relate to this subject. I am also an introvert, but sometimes People walking by (like in a state park campground for instance will walk by, see me relaxing in my hammock, or cooking and just stop by and next thing I know, I have a history of their camping adventures, travels, best and worst places etc, and I’m looking around like….What did I do to cause this? I try to be pleasant, but I enjoy the solo time to do my own thing, yet there are some folks that just gotta come talk to you and they usually talk about themselves! It wears me out! I usually give short answers, tell them I need to finish this that or the other to move them along on their way. I enjoy people, but I enjoy my quiet time too! My choice!
🤣🤣 Just extroverts trying to get that fix!! Thanks for the comment. You stated it well!! 🤘🕓
I’m an introvert and my wife is an extrovert too. My social battery expires WAY before hers. On trail, I like being with my friends but I don’t want have meaningless conversation with strangers. 🦑
Great video!!!
What are you up to this year? Did I miss the announcement? You hiking something big?
@ calendar triple crown start tomorrow.
@KirtLewis I thought I saw a video saying that was the plan. Then I thought maybe I dreamed it. Good luck. I hope the weather windows open nicely for you!!! 🤘🕓
Good Stuff. It makes me think about being considerate, then asking myself is it inconsiderate if you've never considered it? It appears that many extroverts never even give a thought that they're doing that. I would struggle yappy people. I doubt I'd do a shelter unless it's a downpour. My whole point of being out there is to get away from the people you descibed.
100%
And this is why, despite being pretty out of shape, female, and 47, if I make it to a thru-hike, I’m determined to go SoBo and tent until forced to use a shelter in the Smokies. If I could avoid going into towns to resupply, I’d totally do it. And resupply might be why I section hike.
P.S. thank you for sharing this. I’m glad to find I’m not alone.
Just get out there and let the universe have control. It will all unfold perfectly. 🤘🕓
Excellent content. Introvert, higher side of normal. I can relate to a lot of points that you made. I hiked the majority of the trail alone. I hiked the second half of Virginia with a fellow that came along at a very beneficial time for me; very positive, and very motivational, which I needed at the time . I enjoy my close friends, and loved ones, but need my alone time. My S/O and I live separately and it’s positive for both of us. Do you believe that one side or the other has a higher chance of success for completing a thru- hike? BTW, I have watched the last three minutes of your Day 9 countless times, and have forwarded it to many others. Look forward to more posts. Happy New Year!
Had to go back and watch Day 9 to see what you were talking about. Such a good experience that day. Trail taught me some patience and that if you just let go, it will all be perfect! Thanks for sharing that! Awesome to go back and refresh it in my mind! 🤘🕓
I am planning on starting the AT soon. My biggest worry is getting stuck in the bubble. At 63, I know how to deal with the drain and how to escape crowds. It is just not my idea of fun or hiking. I would have to say it is my biggest anxiety.
If you get on trail and trust the universe to unfold in front of you exactly how it's supposed to, it will all be perfect. Just try to trust. It's crazy, if we'd just do more of that in our daily lives, we'd be much better off. Good luck! I'm jealous! 🕓
@ thank you!
I'll be starting at Springer the first week in April, and deeply hoping I miss the biggest packs of the bubble, but kinda fearing I will still get more company than I would see as ideal. I'm a very odd kind of introvert. I come off as VERY extroverted, but it's a reflexive act. When people are around, I can't help but play the jovial "life of the party" type, because if I don't, people find me very "angry" or "cold-hearted." I'm not any of those things usually, but because I can come off that way, I guess I've conditioned myself to overcompensate... and frankly, it's fucking exhausting. We all have our stories to tell, but damn, y'all... can we take breathers between them???
Anyway, thanks so much for this video. It's the first I've seen from your channel, and it earned an immediate like and subscribe. I look forward to watching more morsels of your perspective on hiking, the AT, and everything else!
Awesome you found the channel and you wrote a great description of you! Find the comments from Awakened Avenue in here. You will relate to what he wrote. He calls it "Extorverted-conditioned behavior." I seem to use it as well for the same reasons you stated!! 🤘🕓
Dude I’m right there with you man 100 percent. I’m going by Cracker Jack on the trail starting February 20th if you run into me. I’m such an introvert could care less about bears but I don’t think I’ll be sleeping in shelters any night probably stealth camp most of the nights
Just flow with the trail and it will all be perfect. Shelters are great during storms... but I was always praying I'd be alone. Good luck on the hike. I started 16 Feb. Wouldn't change a thing!! 🤘🕓
Oh man…I was definitely THAT guy on the PCT. 😅 I was usually the most extroverted member of my trail families and I sometimes (ok, often) annoyed the shit out of them with my exuberance. 😂
🤣🤣 Great self-reflection!!!
That muscle between our ears must be challenged, stepped out of and explored. Kudos
I didn’t realize I was a introvert until someone told me, lol. When I researched it I was floored. Thing about me is, if I’m comfortable or know you I can be a talker.. I mean people have timed me before as talking 2hours straight, haha. But I like hiking solo, people literally drain me after a bit and I have to decompress. I don’t want someone talking the whole trail destroying the peace of the trail the whole time. But I have learned to exist with extroverts an how to be around them for extended periods of time.
Great comment!
Extroverted Introvert! Prefer to be alone and have moments of interactions in shelters or in towns. I can chat😅, but prefer small gatherings and lots of alone time.
It’s those extroverts that do not have ability to assess others communication needs that can be difficult to be around.
I remember that night in the shelter with all those fellas. It kind of felt like being in the trenches in WWI as the rain poured down. I'm a MASSIVE introvert but I find my battery doesn't get zapped nearly as fast when I'm suffering with people around me. Maybe that's because we couldn't hear each other over the thunder and lightning and tarps blowing in the wind. I hiked ahead and took a total of two Zero days because somehow, some way, the most unhappy days on trail were when I was around a group of other hikers. I would start comparing, people pleasing, putting masks on. Over analyzing how my behavior affects others around me. You, Fresh Ground and Stamps were an exception. That's a group of men I'll remember for the rest of my days. I don't think either of us would have made the leaps of growth without that alone time in the woods. There's more forms of investments than financial. We bet on ourselves with every step. Keep the videos comin' -Kansas
Such a great comment, Kansas. So good to hear from you. I need to put some thought into the suffering piece. I think you're on to something there. That checks with my time in the Marine Corps and suffering abounded. I seemed to have a lot less worry about my introverted needs during those times. And it checks with the AT as well. Great comment! Stay healthy and happy my friend!! 🤘🕓
Stop, look , listen, and think. Respond, don’t react. Don’t “overly” engage or explain. Try not to take things personally. A moral compass is everything. Awareness is about “you, others and surroundings”, kindness and respect are gifts. Be honest to yourself and others. 1-2-3 rule: 1st time, recognize. 2nd acknowledge with awareness and 3rd time address any issue. A lot of folks don’t take time to process respectfully nor do they make time for others to do so. If you can share “space” without crossing boundaries, read “the room”, you’ll always have advantage. It’s careless to be the fool.
I've found extroverts rarely 'read the room' - they just babble on, without any internal reflection. If they DO notice an introvert is silent, or barely responding, they tend to chalk it up to the introvert just being a grouch, bitch, rude, or some other negative descriptor. And don't get me started on the touchy-feely people. I can't begin to count the number of times I've backed myself literally into corner as I pull away, inch by inch, from extroverts blabbering on that also have to keep touching your arm as they talk. Seriously, how can they NOT notice I keep backing away?!?! LOL
@ I make a point of pushing right back and clearly saying: “Right here now” this is not working for ME and I’d appreciate you giving me at least 2 feet of personal space. If they don’t respect that, I find the exit. It’s beneath me
Great video. Thank you. I realized while watching it that I generally had two types of reactions to my announcement of a thru hike this year from close friends and family. The introverts thought it was interesting, a good challenge, and were mostly supportive. The extroverts, thought I was crazy, that is was dangerous and unwise, and initially tried any argument they could think of to dissuade me from going. I won those folks over only when I said "well, I wouldn't really be alone on trail. There are lots of people out there."
Wow - very interesting. And when you think about it, especially as an introvert, it makes perfect sense about the 'personality type' of the two different reactions!
Very interesting! 🤘🕓
This is the funniest video you have ever produced. I smiled the whole time listening to your uncomfortableness because I am just like you. When I worked overseas my wife would drag me to a get together. I would find one dude that I trusted and we would talk for hours. Later on the ride home my wife would ask did you see and talk to Oscar or Russ. My reply was no. She would say did you talk to Bruce or Mike. I would say no. She would ask did you see Ann and Lori. I would say no. After she named everyone there she would say then who did you talk to? I talked to Roy the entire evening. I would stand against the wall as far way from the entrance and nearest the exit, so I could bug out if needed. On trail I loved hiking alone, pop into a shelter to eat, listen to any news the other hikers shared and then I would go camp a mile from the shelter alone. I tried staying in the shelters in the beginning, but found I could not deal with groups of people. Happy Hiking!
It's like I wrote this comment. So damn similar! 🤘🕓
Introvert here! 100%
Hahahaha, that was my biggest lesson as well. Thinking I was going out to the woods to get away from all the annoying people in society....and finding out they are on trail as well!
I can't possibly agree more with everything you said. I am what the 'experts' call a 'social introvert' - meaning I'm fine (not awkward) in social situations, but it physically drains me. Completely wipes me out. When someone - even my sole close friend - wants to do something, it takes me weeks to work up to it. And trust me, the whole time I'm dreading it. Honestly, at the last minute I'm judging how easy it will be to back out. But I do always have fun, and that thought is always what stops me from backing out at the last minute the next time plans are made.
I hike alone. I backpack alone. I camp on trail alone. The last thing I want is someone yapping at me when I'm just trying to completely zone out and enjoy the solitude of the trail.
I pointed out to someone at work one day that it annoys me when someone I pass on the walk from parking to the building (or vice versa) gives me a dirty look when I don't respond or smile when they say "hi" as they pass me. First, my mind is a thousand miles away - I am deep in thought about something. It takes a bit for my brain to realize that someone even said something. Their response was that I can't control what other people do, I can only control my reaction, which of course is perfectly true. But obviously the person saying hi hasn't controlled their reaction to me not reciprocating...
I think my biggest 'gripe' about it all is that introverts tend to just accept an extrovert's meaningless chatter, grit their teeth, get through it, not be the rude person despite in my head I am shouting "just shut up for 5 seconds!", but extroverts seem to be completely oblivious to how excruciating their chatter is to an introvert. It always seems to be a one way street.
I am dreaming of hiking the AT when I retire, and whenever I give it more than just a passing thought - like when I jot down notes in my notebook I'm using for AT hike plans & thoughts - I've often wondered if I can just do the entire trail without ever staying at a hostel. I think it will mean staying at hotels only, but I'll be hiking with a dog, which will make that a bit more difficult. I think I'll just be doing a whole lot of NEROs.... 🤣🤣
Such a great comment. The one-way street comment was really spot on. Most extroverts aren't aware as much of the other person's needs. I don't think they do it maliciously, but they need that energy charge from people (whether the other person likes it or not) 😁. 🤘🕓
BTW, a lot of hostels have private rooms. A great option. Cheaper than hotels, and comes with all the amenities of a hostel (aka rides).
I’m an introvert, and after reading your comment. I’ll make it a point to try my best NOT to be like you.
You sound like a miserable stuck up geezer, with or without company.
Thank you for enlightening me.