Interview with LotsOFish

I met Fish on an Appalachian Trail online community, Whiteblaze. To prove to you that I’m not entirely insane, and other people actually do this crazy thing, I asked him if he’d answer a few questions for me.

The key:
TG = Trailgirl. That’s me!
LoF = LotsOFish.

And now, the interview!

TG: What is your trail name and how did you come by it?

*Note to readers: Trail names are a pretty common part of trail tradition on most long American trails, including the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. For some reason, hikers developed the practice of using nicknames along the trail — as a result, you almost never know the “real” name of anyone you meet on the trail. You can choose your own trail name, but it’s generally frowned upon. Traditionalists maintain that a trail name is something that can be found on the trail only, and must be given to you by another hiker.

LoF: LotsOfish…mostly I go by Fish. I was doing a weeklong hike in Arkansas, and one day I made a makeshift fishing pole and decided to catch me some dinner. As the amazing manly man that I am, I caught several, and as I was heading back to my camp, one of my buddies yelled out “Damn, that’s lots o’fish!” It’s silly, but it stuck.

TG: Why did you decide to hike the Appalachian Trail?

LoF: I first heard about the trail several years ago when a friend of mine hiked it right after graduating from college. Ever since then, it’s kind of been in the back of my mind as something that I’d like to do, and now that I’m graduating, I really want to take a break completely offline. I don’t want to have to think about school or obligations, or responsibilities — I just want to be completely disconnected. The Appalachian Trail seems like the perfect way to accomplish this.

TG: I agree completely. When are you planning on starting the trail?

LoF: I’m starting two days after my graduation in May, and I’m going through the summer and early fall until I complete the trail. I should finish in late October if all goes well. Since Mt. Katahdin and the mountain passes close in the wintertime, I’ll have to make sure to finish the trail by then.

TG: Do you get people asking you if you’re crazy when you’re telling them about your plans?

LoF: All the time. If they don’t say it right out, you can definitely see it in their eyes. I just tell them they’re right — clearly I’ve gone insane. Just kidding…but seriously, obviously I realize that it must seem crazy to a “normal” person, but it makes you brutally aware of how scared to death most people are to step out of their sheltered little lives and take even the smallest of risks.

TG: Wow, harsh. I can pretty much agree with you there, even if I wouldn’t put it in such critical terms. What’s the aspect of the trail you’re most looking forward to?

LoF: Actually starting — taking those first steps. Planning to hike the trail takes months of obsessing about itineraries, water supplies, gear choices…meticulously refining your total weight…it’s quite frankly enough to drive a person mad. So when I’m finally out there, it’ll all be behind me — I’ll be done with school and completely on my own, with no one to answer to for 5 whole months. Oh, and of course the adventure of it — this will be unlike anything I’ve ever done before.

TG: Any fears?

LoF: Bears. No, just kidding.

Really, it’s no so much a fear as a concern — mostly it’s budgetary stuff. Just out of college, I’m pretty strapped for cash…I have a general idea of how I should spend, but you never know what can happen on the trail. I’m sure you’ve read WhiteBlaze — most people say they a dollar a mile is a good estimate, which is so crazy!

Secondly, while I want to be disconnected from responsibility, I’m still concerned about the possibility of loneliness — having nobody to keep me company except my own thoughts.

TG: I’m pretty sure you won’t have much to worry about there, especially if you stay in shelters. If you’re in Shenandoah by summer, you should meet plenty of people, I’d say.

LoF: Yeah, you’re right. But I’m just worried that they’ll be superficial relationships, if anything. On short hikes I’ve taken, you don’t really say much to the hikers you pass — just a smile and a wave, if anything. I know everyone who’s done the trail says that you make great friends; it’s just hard to imagine because I see hiking as such a solitary activity.

TG: I can understand that. Hiking alone can be tough; especially if you’re not naturally a bit introverted. Ok, one last question: Everyone says that they change on the trail. What do you expect will be the biggest change in your personality or perception?

LoF: I fully expect that the trail will have a drastic impact on my life, but to say what exactly that impact will be at this point is impossible. Maybe you’ll have to have a followup interview in six months!

Well, there you have it, folks. Fish is starting a little bit before me, but maybe we’ll catch up to each other and see one another on the trail. I wish him and the rest of you happy hiking!