PDA

View Full Version : What Do You Get For Completing A Thru?



Chair-man
02-19-2014, 20:15
What does one get for completing such a monumental task as finishing an Appalachian Trail thru hike?

A Super Bowl type ring?
A call from the president inviting you to the White House?
How about a tee shirt?
A gold star next to your name on Whiteblaze?
Your name on the ATC list? (hardly seems fitting)
Just knowing you did it is good enough?

Ahh, I thing I know what it is you get. It's that look on someones face when you tell them you hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. Yea, that's what it is. I don't know what that look looks like but maybe I will someday.

Drybones
02-19-2014, 20:17
Blisters, cold, hungry, tired, wet, hurt....................blessed.

CalebJ
02-19-2014, 20:18
A sleeping bag in thorough need of deep cleaning?

Dogwood
02-19-2014, 21:07
The greatest things that you often get are not external. Sometimes, the greatest that can happen is a not an attainment of a materialistic thing but a reaching of an awareness. Sometimes, the greatest things are what you become. Read trail journals of thru-hikers shortly after they have completed their hikes. Follow a thru-hiker's trail journal as this person changes as they get further into their hikes.

Lone Wolf
02-19-2014, 21:20
What does one get for completing such a monumental task as finishing an Appalachian Trail thru hike?

A Super Bowl type ring?
A call from the president inviting you to the White House?
How about a tee shirt?
A gold star next to your name on Whiteblaze?
Your name on the ATC list? (hardly seems fitting)
Just knowing you did it is good enough?

Ahh, I thing I know what it is you get. It's that look on someones face when you tell them you hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. Yea, that's what it is. I don't know what that look looks like but maybe I will someday.
a lady friend for life

Feral Bill
02-19-2014, 21:30
a lady friend for life Can't beat that.

Chair-man
02-19-2014, 22:20
a lady friend for life

You mean to tell us that the legendary Lone Wolf isn't such a lone wolf after all?

Lone Wolf
02-19-2014, 22:28
You mean to tell us that the legendary Lone Wolf isn't such a lone wolf after all?

i've been with her goin' on 14 years

Prime Time
02-19-2014, 22:37
It's different for everyone, I'm sure. For me it was the realization that you can overcome the biggest obstacle we all face in our lives...ourselves. Prooving you can overcome your self doubts, your tendency to give up before you've given your all, to not give in to what appears daunting, allowing yourself to welcome and rely on the help and support of others, to accept and be humbled by the kindness and generosity of others along your journey. For me it was fullfilling who I always have been but was unwilling to be.

Chair-man
02-19-2014, 22:40
i've been with her goin' on 14 years

Congratulations. I bet lots of people have met on the trail.

HikerMom58
02-19-2014, 22:41
Some hikers have completed a thru-hike & shared it with a random person. They looked at them like who cares or asked them, What's the AT?

I think it's special to the people that do it for themselves. Also, to the people who know what an accomplishment it really is. (WB)

Damn Yankee
02-19-2014, 22:52
I've always wondered, what happens when you finish and there's nothing left. Getting closer to the end and knowing it will be over. Maybe someone will let me know what they felt and how they dealt with leaving such a great adventure behind.

Spirit Walker
02-19-2014, 22:53
Happiness while hiking, and a lot of really good memories afterwards.

4shot
02-19-2014, 23:16
It's different for everyone, I'm sure. For me it was the realization that you can overcome the biggest obstacle we all face in our lives...ourselves. Prooving you can overcome your self doubts, your tendency to give up before you've given your all, to not give in to what appears daunting, allowing yourself to welcome and rely on the help and support of others, to accept and be humbled by the kindness and generosity of others along your journey. For me it was fullfilling who I always have been but was unwilling to be.

all of this....plus Lyme's disease too.:eek: one stays with you and there's antibiotics for the other.

4shot
02-19-2014, 23:22
I've always wondered, what happens when you finish and there's nothing left. Getting closer to the end and knowing it will be over. Maybe someone will let me know what they felt and how they dealt with leaving such a great adventure behind.

the truth be told, the ending is very bittersweet. you dream about it for weeks...think about the showers and all the food you are going to eat when you get back home. Think about family and friends that you have missed. I swear I didn't sleep more than an hour or two in the Birches the night before I went up Katadin.
Then you get back home and miss the trail and your hiking buddies and just the simplicity of getting up and walking as far or as little as you feel like that day.

Starchild
02-20-2014, 00:07
A free trip to AZ for a week, also very unexplainable the ability to remember names when I never could before, a very noticeable change in the way people treat me (much better), and a new direction in life, just to name a few.

And a patch and a certificate and a increased shoe size.

Malto
02-20-2014, 00:10
Sore feet and nightmares on how much it sucked. (Insert dripping with sarcasm smilie here.)

Slo-go'en
02-20-2014, 00:13
Another day older and deeper in debt...

Zippy Morocco
02-20-2014, 00:20
Another day older and deeper in debt...

lol funny . . . . . . . .

Mountain Mike
02-20-2014, 00:24
A whole lot of memories, great picture & stories plus a whole bunch of new close friends!

rocketsocks
02-20-2014, 00:44
What does one get for completing such a monumental task as finishing an Appalachian Trail thru hike?

A Super Bowl type ring?
A call from the president inviting you to the White House?
How about a tee shirt?
A gold star next to your name on Whiteblaze?
Your name on the ATC list? (hardly seems fitting)
Just knowing you did it is good enough?

Ahh, I thing I know what it is you get. It's that look on someones face when you tell them you hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. Yea, that's what it is. I don't know what that look looks like but maybe I will someday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ

Southeast
02-20-2014, 00:45
Free time to read people argue on WB over super important topics. Plus you can now use CAPS whenever you want.

rickb
02-20-2014, 06:56
a lady friend for life




How/where did you meet and when did you know she was something special?

Capt Nat
02-20-2014, 12:08
I'm looking forward to the ticker-tape parade down Broadway in NYC... I wonder if my family can ride with me?

Teacher & Snacktime
02-20-2014, 12:40
Another day older and deeper in debt...

Katahdin don't you call me 'cause I can't end,
I owe my soul to the trail my friend.....

RED-DOG
02-20-2014, 12:57
A Appreciation for a simple life, and an Understanding of exactly how much hard work goes into the trail.

Last Call
02-20-2014, 13:17
A badge and certificate of completion, suitable for framing!

psyon27
02-20-2014, 14:09
Haven't done it, hope to though! However, below is what I want to get out of it.


Happiness while hiking, and a lot of really good memories afterwards.

Ken

Pedaling Fool
02-20-2014, 14:15
...It's that look on someones face when you tell them you hiked the entire Appalachian Trail...I think that is a prime motivator for many people to do a thru-hike. Sure they are attracted by the "romance" of walking thru the mountains from one end to the other, but the one thing they love is the attention both during the hike when they meet people in towns and when they come across mere mortals on the trail; And they love the bragging rights.

This pride manifests itself in various ways, but one way you can see this pride materialized is when in a resturant and the thru-hiker table is louder than any other group, talking about all their exploits; they want everyone to hear how adventurous they are.

Sarcasm the elf
02-20-2014, 14:18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ


Brilliant!

But at least you get to keep the gobstopper.

HikerMom58
02-20-2014, 15:30
How/where did you meet and when did you know she was something special?

I met her in person. She's a wonderful lady! The friendliest & sweetest lady ever! That was my first impression of her when I first met her, last May, & it hasn't changed. :)

Sierra2015
02-20-2014, 15:33
I met her in person. She's a wonderful lady! The friendliest & sweetest lady ever! That was my first impression of her when I first met her, last May, & it hasn't changed. :)
At first I thought this meant I had TWO moms. :p

Chair-man
02-20-2014, 16:24
I think that is a prime motivator for many people to do a thru-hike. Sure they are attracted by the "romance" of walking thru the mountains from one end to the other, but the one thing they love is the attention both during the hike when they meet people in towns and when they come across mere mortals on the trail; And they love the bragging rights.

This pride manifests itself in various ways, but one way you can see this pride materialized is when in a resturant and the thru-hiker table is louder than any other group, talking about all their exploits; they want everyone to hear how adventurous they are.

I thought so. It all comes down to bragging rights. Nothing wrong with that.

Do you really get a
Badge?
Patch?
Certificate? Seriously? who gives them to you? do you have to buy your own? I'm serious.

I'm guna need some kind of motivator (keep your eye on the prize) to get me to Katahdin. 386,000 hits on your Trailjournals page like Chin Music has sounds pretty cool. Talk about attention. Congratulations Chin Music on your thru and all those page hits.

Dogwood
02-20-2014, 16:40
Hey, I didn't get my lifetime supply of Wonka Bars and everlasting gobstoppers at Katahdin

Sarcasm the elf
02-20-2014, 16:46
Hey, I didn't get my lifetime supply of Wonka Bars and everlasting gobstoppers at Katahdin

Wonka brands backed out of the deal once they realized the true quantity of candy that would make for a "lifetime supply" for hikers.

bamboo bob
02-20-2014, 16:51
Personal satisfaction and a nifty certificate and a serious addiction that forces me out into the woods every year since adding end-to-end trips of trails all over the country some of them multiple times. Please make it stop....please....ahhhhh.......................... ............

Blue Mountain Edward
02-20-2014, 16:56
You get strong legs and strong shoulders.

rocketsocks
02-20-2014, 17:30
Wonka brands backed out of the deal once they realized the true quantity of candy that would make for a "lifetime supply" of hikers.
tweaked it for ya...Now that's funny.:D

elray
02-20-2014, 18:09
I found a wrist watch in Mass, so I'm gonna say you get nice watch. Oh, but then I found the owner and had to give it back.

4shot
02-20-2014, 20:28
I thought so. It all comes down to bragging rights. Nothing wrong with that.

Do you really get a
Badge?
Patch?
Certificate? Seriously? who gives them to you? do you have to buy your own? I'm serious.

I'm guna need some kind of motivator (keep your eye on the prize) to get me to Katahdin. 386,000 hits on your Trailjournals page like Chin Music has sounds pretty cool. Talk about attention. Congratulations Chin Music on your thru and all those page hits.

dude, you get a certificate AND a patch FREE from the ATC IF you decide to apply for it. I'm not kidding....it really is free. all is takes is 4 -6 months of toting a pack up and down hills from Maine to Georgia or vice versa and a few thousand $ of expendable cash for gear and supplies. I don't know for sure, but I've been told you can take the aforementioned certificate and patch into any restaurant on the east coast, along with a buck and $.50, and get a cup of coffee. providing it's not a starbucks or one of those kind of upscale coffee joints. P.s. I think the folks up there at ATC are really nice so they send a patch to anyone who applies so you can skip the whole thru hike thing if you don't like hiking or backpacking or stuff like that and still get the same swag.

Deer Hunter
02-20-2014, 20:53
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ

You went and did again, socks. You made me laugh. Thanks!

Chair-man
11-21-2014, 21:18
What do you get for completing a thru?

Celebrity Status! (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=478368)Well sort of, a little bit. I actually followed Clinker's trail journal somewhat back in 2013. Glad to see a thru hiker getting some recognition.

Just thought I'd revive one of my old threads too.:)

dangerdave
11-21-2014, 21:34
What a cool lady. Thanks for sharing!

DavidNH
11-22-2014, 09:55
You can get a certificate from the ATC. You can get yourself a patch. You get plenty of memories.. both good and bad. Far as the outside world is concerned though, no one really cares.

MuddyWaters
11-22-2014, 11:04
But if you try sometime...
You just might find...

You get what you need.


Different for every person.
No one ever says it was a waste of time, or the shouldn't have done it. For many, it is life altering, in a good way.

I think the most common thing most get, is the knowledge that real happiness and contentment doesn't come from money or possessions.

Sly
11-22-2014, 11:42
Do you really get a
Badge?
Patch?
Certificate? Seriously? who gives them to you? do you have to buy your own? I'm serious.


You can apply for a certificate and rocker patch from the ATC. If you attend the ALDHA Gathering (Shippenburg University, Pa in 2015) following your hike you can also receive a certificate along with a patch from ALDHA.

28969

PS Also for 2015, if you show your trail-worn 2015 Thru-Hikers' Companion (or the Maine section in its entirety) the Gathering fee is on ALDHA.

rafe
11-22-2014, 11:51
But if you try sometime...
You just might find...

You get what you need.


Different for every person.
No one ever says it was a waste of time, or the shouldn't have done it. For many, it is life altering, in a good way.

I think the most common thing most get, is the knowledge that real happiness and contentment doesn't come from money or possessions.

A hearty +1 on that.

RED-DOG
11-22-2014, 13:28
A lot of aches and pains and mucsels you didn't think you had plus a lot of dirty gear that needs to be washed and oh yeah a patch and a completion certificate.

norts
11-22-2014, 17:50
I got a compulsion to do more. PTC next year.

Taz

Dogwood
11-22-2014, 22:34
What Do You Get For Completing A Thru? (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/101828-What-Do-You-Get-For-Completing-A-Thru/showthread.php/101828-What-Do-You-Get-For-Completing-A-Thru/page3)
While there sure is some pride of accomplishment involved, and an explosion of "experts", :) I notice quite a few getting a greater humbleness and sense of appreciation. I believe this happens when we soberly reflect upon the maintainers, trail clubs, angels, ATC, hostels, commercial establishments, private and commercial land owners that abut the AT corridor, police, rangers, towns, and huge amount of generosity of all that support the AT and one can meet as we travel through 14 states over a few seasons. This comes out in a desire to "belong" to a greater community by giving back to it and the activity of backpacking in a myriad of ways: doing trail maintenance, being a trail angel, supporting others in their hiking endeavors, financially support trails, sharing trail knowledge and wisdom unconditionally.......etc.

You may become infected with a virus as well. A virus that habitually causes you to hike another trail, and another, and another, and....:banana