INVESTIGATING the THRU-HIKING EXPERIENCE: a STUDY on the PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL Taylor Rose Cole the University of Montana
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Graduate School Professional Papers 2018 INVESTIGATING THE THRU-HIKING EXPERIENCE: A STUDY ON THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL Taylor Rose Cole The University Of Montana Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Recommended Citation Cole, Taylor Rose, "INVESTIGATING THE THRU-HIKING EXPERIENCE: A STUDY ON THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL" (2018). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11160. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11160 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. 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INVESTIGATING THE THRU-HIKING EXPERIENCE: A STUDY ON THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL By TAYLOR ROSE COLE B.A, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, 2016 Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Recreation Management The University of Montana Missoula, MT May 2018 Approved by: Scott Whittenburg, Dean of The Graduate School Graduate School Jennifer Thomsen, Chair Department of Society & Conservation Keith Bosak Department of Society & Conservation Douglas Dalenberg Department of Economics i © COPYRIGHT by Taylor Rose Cole 2018 All Rights Reserved ii Cole, Taylor, M.S., Spring 2018 Recreation Management Investigating the Thru-hiker Experience: A Study on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Chairperson: Jennifer Thomsen The phenomena of thru-hiking has been on a dramatic rise, spurring hikers to venture onto increasingly remote and challenging trails over extended periods of time. Despite the recent popularity of thru-hiking, the field remains relatively unstudied. In recreation, the expectations held beforehand have been linked to perceptions after an activity, but this has not been explored in thru-hiking. For example, there is little known on the challenges associated with thru-hiking and how these challenges are navigated. Additionally, the social experience associated with thru-hiking on and off the trail has not been studied. Further, research is lacking on immersive experiences such as thru-hiking and hikers’ transition back to ‘regular’ life. Through exploration of these areas, there will be an increased understanding of the thru-hikers and their actions, a field that is growing greatly in popularity and yet little research has been conducted. With a better understanding of thru-hikers, managers will be able to better adopt their plans and strategies to incorporate the unique characteristics of this user group. Without an increased understanding of thru-hiker attitudes and behaviors, managers will lack the necessary knowledge to effectively manage long distance hiking trails, which could negatively impact the natural resources of the trail and the hiker experience. This study addresses these gaps by investigating the thru-hiker experience of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNNST), a trail best known for its remoteness and rugged features. The study also examines what thru-hikers believe should be maintained or reconsidered in the face of the impending management plan. Multi-phase semi- structured interviews were conducted with 42 of the 2017 PNNST thru-hikers before their hike, directly after completion, and two months after completion. The research focused on how pre-hike expectations and previous experiences affect the experience of the thru- hiker, how thru-hikers navigate adverse circumstances, how the social aspect impacts the thru-hiker experience, and how completion of a thru-hike affects the transition back to everyday life. The findings suggest that previous experience and expectations for the trail have an impact on how thru-hikers interpret their experience, with many describing how the PNNST met or did not meet their expectations going into the trail. Thru-hikers dealt with challenges utilizing both mental and physical strategies, which were unique depending upon their previous levels of experience. Additionally, the research suggests that the thru-hiking experience will have an impact on the lives of the majority of thru- hikers going forward. This study’s findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of thru-hiking and is useful to land managers, recreational planners, and community planners for extended trails and trail towns. iii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my committee chair Jenn Thomsen for her guidance throughout the graduate school process. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with such a supportive and helpful advisor. Thank you for the countless edits, fitting me in for last minute meetings, and creating such a positive environment within our graduate program. I cannot thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me and I could not imagine having another mentor during my time at the University of Montana. I would also like to thank my other committee members, Keith Bosak and Douglas Dalenberg. I truly enjoyed working with Keith and getting to know him as both a professor and committee member. Thank you for all of your help in developing and strengthening my interview questions. Doug, I cannot thank you enough for stepping in and helping me out. I appreciated all of your help with the monitoring work and getting to know you. To all of the PNNST thru-hikers who I met during this process, thank you for all of your help. I’ve enjoyed hearing about your experiences and hope to meet you on the trail some day. I’m also incredibly grateful to the PNTA and Forest Service for supporting me throughout the my fieldwork and thesis project. I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me to work with fantastic people on such a tremendous trail. A final thank you to my wonderful friends and family who have helped me through all of my most difficult moments. My friends and graduate school colleagues have been an invaluable resource of support and friendship. You’ve all been instrumental to getting me to the finish line. Thank you, mom and dad – I could not have done any of this without you. Your love and support throughout this experience has been invaluable. And a thank you to Tyler and Banjo for being my at-home support team. You’ve seen me at my worst and I cannot thank you enough for seeing me through all of my ups and downs. iv Contents Chapter I: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 History of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNNST) ....................................... 3 Purpose .................................................................................................................................. 7 Significance of the study ........................................................................................................ 8 Thesis organization ............................................................................................................... 9 Chapter II: Literature Review .............................................................................................. 10 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 10 Section 1: Motivations for thru-hiking ............................................................................... 10 Section 2: Environmental impacts of thru-hiking .............................................................. 11 Section 3: Experiences compared with expectations .......................................................... 13 Section 4: Psychological and physical benefits of hiking .................................................... 14 Section 5: Challenges and coping strategies of thru-hiking ............................................... 15 Section 6: Social interactions of thru-hiking ...................................................................... 17 Section 7: Transition after thru-hiking............................................................................... 18 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 20 Chapter III: Methodology....................................................................................................... 22 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 22 Instrument development ..................................................................................................... 23 Study sample ....................................................................................................................... 23 Data collection ..................................................................................................................... 24 Data analysis ........................................................................................................................ 26 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 27 Chapter IV: Article Draft ......................................................................................................