Type II Fun on the Appalachian Trail
Mar 12, 2026
Ask almost any long-distance hiker about their most memorable moments on the Appalachian Trail, and you’ll often hear stories that weren’t exactly fun at the time — soaked gear, unexpected injuries, or adrenaline-filled encounters with wildlife.
Hikers sometimes call these moments “Type II fun.” They’re the experiences that feel miserable while they’re happening, but become some of the most meaningful and memorable stories once the hike is over.
Along the more than 2,000 miles of the A.T., the unexpected is part of the journey. What makes for a successful hike is often a mix of preparation, grit, and the support of the A.T. community. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy encourages hikers to prepare carefully for changing weather, challenging terrain, and wildlife encounters, not to eliminate adventure, but to help ensure those tough moments stay memorable stories rather than hike-ending situations.
Here are a few real stories from hikers who experienced Type II fun firsthand and shared their stories with us.
Weather Misfortune
Sometimes the mountains have other plans. The weather along the A.T. can change quickly, especially at higher elevations, and hikers often find themselves adapting on the fly.
A Plum For Your Troubles
I was at a campsite somewhere around New Jersey. At 6 a.m., I jolted awake from a weird, floating sensation. My entire tent was in a pool of water and my shoes that I usually kept right outside my tent were slowly floating a few feet away.
I sat for a few seconds, decided I wasn’t going to be mad about it, and got up to pack my stuff. A Ridgerunner who was camped there was packing up and gave me a plum for my trouble. Worth it.
—Dirt Nap
The Mt. Madison Mishap
The “Type II Fun” that Buck (Kelly) and I had was several days in and around Mt. Madison in the Presidentials (the Presidential Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains). Rough weather came through that had us spending several nights at Madison Springs Hut. We finally did manage to make it over the mountain, but it was a cold, wet day, which had us hiking in the dark to get to Carter Notch Hut. We started fantasizing about how, despite the season being officially over, the closing-up caretaker might just have made a fresh apple pie and would be eager to share it with us. This was silly fantasizing, but it kept us entertained through the stumbling unpleasantness. As it turned out, when we got to the hut and told the caretaker that story, they actually produced a can of apple pie filling!
Buck and are still in touch, despite living multiple states apart. I haven’t seen her in person since she and her parents came to my wedding (my girlfriend—now wife—drove out to hike Katahdin with me, and I proposed to her there). But we swap occasional correspondence, including Buck sending me a “30th anniversary” card in 2023 to commemorate our shared experience of the A.T. The Mt. Madison mishap was certainly a highlight of that experience!
—Gilligan
The Coolest Girls in the Smokies
My college roommate and I began a thru hike in 1995. We left Springer Mountain on April 15 with way too much in our packs. At our first town, we decided to send our cold weather layers home to lighten our load. It was going to be nice and sunny — almost summer, right? Not in the mountains, we learned. On our first night in the Smokies, it snowed! We could not get out of our sleeping bags for the whole day. Our bare legs were freezing!
A nice man from Virginia (Free to Go) found us in our shelter shivering. He introduced himself to us, we swapped stories, and then he hiked on. When the sun came back out and the snow melted, we continued on and found a note to us from our new friend, Free to Go, in the next trail register. “To the 2 “COOL” girls hiking for their mom, I name you Hypo and Thermia.” It stuck and we finally had trail names. Don’t underestimate those spring temperatures and write off winter too early in the mountains!
—Thermia
A Special Springer Summit
In 2021, I was hiking with a friend about the last 30 miles of her southbound (SOBO) thru-hike. It was mid-December and the day before we summited Springer, it was about 60 degrees, but it poured rain for hours. Everything was soaked, shoes squelching with every step. We arrived at Springer Mountain Shelter that evening and hung our soaking wet clothes to dry overnight. Later that evening, temps started to drop and the wind kicked up.
I’m not sure quite how cold it got, but my guess is in the teens. We woke the next morning to our clothes and shoes frozen solid. As we summited Springer the next morning basically with ice blocks on our feet and with every single layer of clothing on, I asked Bethany, who just finished her thru-hike, “How do you feel?!?!” all she could muster was “OH MY GOSH I’M SO COLD!!!”
It was so special to get to be with my friend as she summited Springer, and I’ll truly never forget the day leading up to it or the excruciating, yet thrilling end to her hike.
—Jess L.
Preparedness Tip
Expect Unexpected Weather
Mountain weather can shift quickly along the A.T., particularly in spring and fall. We recommend that hikers always pack the ten essentials, which includes warm layers and rain gear. Also be prepared for colder conditions at elevation, even when the forecast looks warm in nearby towns.
Injuries & Delayed Arrivals
Even seasoned hikers sometimes run into unexpected injuries and delayed arrivals. What often stands out in these moments is the resourcefulness and care that defines the A.T. experience.
A Wheel-y Unfortunate Injury
In June, 2016, my hiking buddy, Neon65 (Marsha), her two dogs, and I set out in her new camper to hike northbound for about a week along the mountain ridge of the Appalachian Trail between North Carolina and Tennessee. A few orange azaleas were still in bloom, the laurel blossoms were just past their peak, and I was looking forward to seeing the purple Catawba rhododendrons on Roan Mountain.
As we started down the mountain, we were joined by four hikers: Dooda, Sideways, Cha Cha, and Duckie. About 0.1 miles down the slope, as I was chatting and not paying attention to the terrain, I stepped into a leaf-covered rut, twisted and fell.
I could not support my weight on my right foot. I knew it was badly sprained and possibly broken, although there was not yet much pain or swelling. Marsha helped remove my boot and sock. Duckie (a pharmacy tech) supplied an Ibuprofen patch. Marsha skillfully wrapped an ace bandage around my foot and replaced my heavy outer sock. But how to navigate a half mile of remaining trail?
I figured I could scooch along the ground like an inch worm for a couple of yards at a time, but it was quite a bit faster (although not as amusing) for me to hop along while leaning on two people, which we did for a while. At this point, someone suggested that the hostel people might have advice on how to evacuate an injured hiker. Bringing the dogs and several packs, Marsha and Dooda hiked ahead to find out. In the meantime, Cha Cha and Sideways found a sturdy birch branch for me to sit on, like a swing, to be carried between them.
We picked up speed using this method, but it was a tough slog for the guys. Spirits rose when Dooda returned with wooden crutches from the hostel! Sadly, the crutches were too tall and couldn’t be adjusted. However, Marsha had seen a big yellow wheelbarrow at the hostel, and Dooda again ran down and back up the trail with the wheelbarrow! The final stage of the evacuation was the most successful; we couldn’t stop laughing!
—Inch Worm
Talk of the Trail
I am a section hiker from Scotland and was trekking without a trail name until my second visit in March 2024, walking from Atkins to Pine Grove. My flight to Charlotte went wrong, and when I arrived in Atkins, I was pretty tired. On my first night in Bear Garden Hostel, I met up with another hiker called Tinker, and I (foolishly) said I would see him at the next shelter.
The next day, the hike up Chestnut Knob did me in, and I camped by the pond before the summit. The next day, refreshed, I strolled down the mountain only to be greeted by a procession of hikers all on the lookout for the “THE Scotsman.” I had been reported overdue by Tinker, who only knew that I was a Scotsman, and the A.T. community was now keeping an eye out for me! It was a slow day as everyone who passed recognized my plaid bandana, pointed at me, said, “you’re the Scotsman,” and stopped for a chat.
Eventually, I arrived at Jenkins Shelter where I got a rousing, “It’s the Scotsman,” from the residents. And that’s the story of my trail name. I wear it with pride not just because I am a Scotsman but because it reminds me of the community and caring spirit that is ingrained in the A.T. culture.
—The Scotsman
Preparedness Tip
Prevention is the Best Medicine
Many injuries on the A.T. are minor but can still end a trip if hikers are unprepared. Carrying a first aid kit, hiking within your limits, and knowing when to rest or seek help can go a long way toward keeping small problems from becoming big ones. Remember to also look out for your fellow hikers.
“Wildlife” Encounters
Sometimes the most memorable Trail stories involve the animals that hikers encounter along the way.
Grime, Grit, and One Very Clean Mouse
Grime. It is the one thing on the Trail that is difficult for me to accept. I would even paint my nails red so I did not have to look at the dirt underneath. One year to mitigate the funk, I hung one of those lightweight collapsible buckets half-filled with water up on a tree limb. Then I poured some Dr. Bronner’s lavender soap in it and commenced to wash my hands, encouraging my fellow hikers to wash up as well.
The next morning, I got up and washed my hands and face in the “sink.” What luxury! Soapy lavender water! One of my hiker buds got up and was enjoying the soapy water also. She called out to me, “Did you put a washrag in this bucket?” I denied it. “Well, there is something soft in this water.”
We dumped the water out of the bucket and in unison shrieked “OOH NO!! IT’S A MOUSE!!”
—Inside Out
An Unwelcome Wake-Up Call
In 1988 or 1989, Reese Lukei arrived after dark to the mid-summer Trail Club camp out in the Southern Region. He quietly set up his tent and settled in for the night. Suddenly an explosion of yelling erupted from Reese’s tent, waking the whole campground.
A stray dog had come into the camping area, sniffed around for just the right spot, lifted his leg, and peed through the front screen, right on Reese’s head and face!
—Sara D.
Preparedness Tip
Store Food & Scented Items to Keep Wildlife Wild
Wildlife encounters are part of the Trail experience, but simple precautions can help keep both hikers and animals safe. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy encourages hikers to store all food, trash, and scented items in hard-sided bear canisters so animals don’t learn to associate people with an easy meal. In some sections of the A.T., bear canisters are required, and they are widely considered the most reliable way to protect your food from bears, rodents, and other curious critters.
Long Live Type II Fun
Moments of Type II fun highlight what makes the Appalachian Trail special: perseverance, creativity, and the support of a community that looks out for one another.
Preparation can’t eliminate every challenge the Trail throws your way, and that’s part of the fun! But thoughtful planning, packing the right gear, paying attention to conditions, and looking out for others helps ensure that when things do go sideways, they become stories of resilience rather than reasons to stay home.
Years later, those moments of Type II fun may just be the stories you tell first. Thank you to those who shared their Type II fun stories with us! We are always accepting stories and photos from people who love the A.T. via our media submission form.