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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lone Wolf View Post
    for you to say he would not have made it out of maine last year is just an opinion. not fact. i dropped a guy off at the north end of the long trail in the middle of january one year in 5 feet of snow. he made it all the way to mass.
    Yeah, I started my thru March 5th in 2010, and the first 300 miles were all snow. It sucked. I can hike in winter conditions, but prefer not to.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    I haven't read his whole blog, but the one part I did read showed that he jumped a section to hike Washington during a weather window, then returned to the skipped part.

    I honestly have no idea what you're trying to convey. He skips around trail sections in a manner that doesn't please you?
    im saying that at some point, with enough jumping around, the term :"first ever winter thru hike" no longer applies.

    in his defense, he is not the one making this claim, but rather the author of this particular article. in his mind he seems to just be out for a long distance hike in the winter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tdoczi View Post
    ... one could make multiple flips based on local conditions to insure they were always hiking the part of the trail where the weather was best.
    That's the beauty of section hiking. You could do the trail over a dozen Septembers.

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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    That's the beauty of section hiking. You could do the trail over a dozen Septembers.

    sure could, and it would be marvelous. but would i then be able to say "i thru hiked in the month of september?" i suppose i could, but it wouldnt mean what it seemed on the surface.

    actually "winter thru hike" would be more impressive done that way. hike for the entire winter, and if not done, stop and come back next winter to finish. i just dont see how climbing katahdin in may qualifies as "completing the first ever southbound winter thru hike"

    if this were a speedhike and it were done this way, even if he did make it to katahdin on time to climb on his scheduled day, everyone would cry foul.

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    tdoczi - I have no dog in this fight. I really don't pay attention or care much for "first" at this or that, or fastest known times, or that sort of thing. Gathman's hike is kinda interesting to follow, even if it is just a bit brain dead. Not something I'd ever attempt nor do I think it should be emulated. One in a thousand can pull it off.

  6. #26
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    This guy is the real deal.

  7. #27
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    Make no mistake, the purpose of the trip is very much to be a "first Southbound winter thru-hike"......which was doomed from the outset by skipping Katahdin. Much like skipping the Approach Trail disqualifies one when starting Northbound....

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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    tdoczi - I have no dog in this fight. I really don't pay attention or care much for "first" at this or that, or fastest known times, or that sort of thing. Gathman's hike is kinda interesting to follow, even if it is just a bit brain dead. Not something I'd ever attempt nor do I think it should be emulated. One in a thousand can pull it off.

    not a fight, just talking. like i said, it seems "first southbound thru hike in winter" is something the author of an article invented

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by tdoczi View Post
    not a fight, just talking. like i said, it seems "first southbound thru hike in winter" is something the author of an article invented
    Possibly. Like I said, I think this has at least been attempted before. This being the social media and information age, not surprising that Tom is getting coverage and lots of followers.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Last Call View Post
    Much like skipping the Approach Trail disqualifies one when starting Northbound....
    umm, you're sadly mistaken

  11. #31
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    The instagram feed makes me want to do this myself!
    Plaid is fast! Ticks suck, literally... It’s ok, bologna hoses off…
    Follow my hiking adventures: https://www.youtube.com/user/KrizAkoni
    Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphagalhikes/

  12. #32
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    Justin Lichter and Shawn Forry winter PCT hike: They started their hike on October 21, 2014 and finished March 1, 2015 for a total of 132 days. It was not all in winter but for me it is a winter hike.

    AT, PCT,CDT are too long to expect hikers start and finish in a calendar winter. Superhuman needed.

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    I was shoveling the driveway today and feeling fortunate compared to last year. Maybe a foot total this year. Last year was brutal. Had about 10 feet of snow total last year, but luckily 90% of it was light and fluffy.
    It was mostly in February too. Hold onto your hats! Another storm forecast for Monday into Tuesday!

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Last Call View Post
    Make no mistake, the purpose of the trip is very much to be a "first Southbound winter thru-hike"......which was doomed from the outset by skipping Katahdin. Much like skipping the Approach Trail disqualifies one when starting Northbound....
    ever been on Katahdin in May? Trust me. Its still Winter.

  15. #35

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    Even with the significantly above average temps, no really big storms and well below average snow fall, getting through Maine and NH is quite a feat which can't be dismissed lightly.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

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    If he's doing this to challenge himself, as I believe, he's doing it very well. Crossing through the Whites in winter alone is impressive enough. Besides, Marines I've known don't tend to have need to prove anything in any case.
    "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss

  17. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by Feral Bill View Post
    If he's doing this to challenge himself, as I believe, he's doing it very well. Crossing through the Whites in winter alone is impressive enough. Besides, Marines I've known don't tend to have need to prove anything in any case.
    As a vet, I have a lot of friends from all branches, other than the coast guard. Never met one, oddly enough. The only difference I've noticed between the Marines and Army is they have a longer and tougher boot camp. I was gonna go Marines, but they don't have combat medics, found out later that I had to go Navy to do that, but whatever.

  18. #38

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    Thanks for the link as I'll copy it and read it on my February trip---this month!

    I remember Flyin' Brian Robinson tried to pull the AT in the Northeast in the winter for his triple crown and had to turn back due to SNOWDOWNS---whereby the green tunnel of the trail becomes completely blocked by snow-loaded laurel, brush, rhodo and thickets. Of course as I write this Gathman could be in Virginia by now.

    His blog with a lot of text---

    https://therealhikingviking.com/blog/

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    I remember Flyin' Brian Robinson tried to pull the AT in the Northeast in the winter for his triple crown and had to turn back due to SNOWDOWNS---whereby the green tunnel of the trail becomes completely blocked by snow-loaded laurel, brush, rhodo and thickets. Of course as I write this Gathman could be in Virginia by now.
    We got hit with about eight inches of heavy wet snow yesterday in the Boston burbs. The kind that clings to the trees. Lots of downed trees and power outages. There's part of a downed tree in my yard. It'll probably stay there till spring. But the sunset at the end of the storm was spectacular.

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by rainydaykid View Post
    As a vet, I have a lot of friends from all branches, other than the coast guard. Never met one, oddly enough.
    Now you have!
    "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss

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