Did Pirate REALLY thru-hike 9 times?

[Carl Calson]

My wife and I were discussing the trail, and the more I think about it, the more astounding it seems that one person could get away with thru-hiking 9 times. Can anyone confirm or deny Pirate's claim to have thru-hiked 9 times?

[Lone Wolf]

hahaha. did he tell you that?

[WingedMonkey]

Of course he has. Probably more when your count every time he goes across the trail.

[Carl Calson]

I can't remember where I heard it, but when I stayed at MC it came up. At the time I believed it, but didn't give it much of a thought. Don't know why I thought of it now.

[Almost There]

As a white blazer...no...as a blue blazer...who can say for sure?

[jj2044]

Of course he has. Probably more when your count every time he goes across the trail.

LOL reminds me of a shirt i saw in damascus " I hiked the entire width of the appalachian trail" my dad got one lol

[evansprater]

hahah he told me the same thing...my bet is on NO.

[HikerMom58]

LOL reminds me of a shirt i saw in damascus " I hiked the entire width of the appalachian trail" my dad got one lol

Cool, I just saw that shirt on a hiker's page...

[SCRUB HIKER]

Apparently Pirate said 10 times to this poor Trailjournals guy, who bought it hook line and sinker. Nine, ten ... who can really keep track after all?

[Darwin13]

i wonder if he went online and talked about other people hiking experiences and whether or not they were true. Prob not.

[Captain Skivvies]

What's the most legit times someones done the whole trail?

[max patch]

What's the most legit times someones done the whole trail?

s

I think these stats are correct.

Warren Doyle, 16 times. 9 thru hikes, 7 section hikes. Of the 9 thru hikes, 1 was a traditional backpacking trip; 8 were "expeditions" which are basically van supported day hikes where for the most part you are walking thru the woods carrying an apple and a pint of water hiking van to van on a tightly controlled schedule. Don't know about the nature of the section hikes.

[Carl Calson]

i wonder if he went online and talked about other people hiking experiences and whether or not they were true. Prob not.

lol, pirate is a trail legend, and with that stigma comes the fact that people are going to talk about you. i only wish people gave that much of a crap about my trail exploits, whether true or not.

[WingedMonkey]

i wonder if he went online and talked about other people hiking experiences and whether or not they were true. Prob not.

It hasn't started yet, but wait till the thru-hiker wannabe crowd reaches it's crescendo as it passes through Mountain Crossings.

Pirate's Facebook page becomes one of the most entertaining every Spring.

[10-K]

Once is enough if you ask me. There are way too many trails to be walking up and down the same one all the time.

[Coffee Rules!]

Nine, ten ... who can really keep track after all?

If I take my shoes off I can track all the way to 20.

20 1/2 if I drop trou.

[takethisbread]

I think He hikes about 1-3 miles a day, when he does go out. I think he enjoys pulling folks leg and reminding folks you are out here to enjoy not be stressed about miles. Tall tales are part of the trail experience. He gets that

[Creek Dancer]

s

I think these stats are correct.

Warren Doyle, 16 times. 9 thru hikes, 7 section hikes. Of the 9 thru hikes, 1 was a traditional backpacking trip; 8 were "expeditions" which are basically van supported day hikes where for the most part you are walking thru the woods carrying an apple and a pint of water hiking van to van on a tightly controlled schedule. Don't know about the nature of the section hikes.

So that's really just one thru hike.

[SouthMark]

s

I think these stats are correct.

Warren Doyle, 16 times. 9 thru hikes, 7 section hikes. Of the 9 thru hikes, 1 was a traditional backpacking trip; 8 were "expeditions" which are basically van supported day hikes where for the most part you are walking thru the woods carrying an apple and a pint of water hiking van to van on a tightly controlled schedule. Don't know about the nature of the section hikes.

All were 2000 milers. The ATC makes no distinction on how you hike the trail. The key word here is hike, not backpack. The certificate and patch are the same if you hike van to van with an apple and water or hike with a 70 lb pack. It's all about the journey, not how you did it.

[Turk6177]

Pirate rocks. I met him this last fall. Who cares how much he has hiked. He cooks a mean dinner and a meaner breakfast. Anyone stepping off of Blood Mountain in a torrential downpour sure would appreciate that he is at Mountain Crossings. He personally told me that he has hiked the trail 9 times. That is good enough for me.