I like the idea of the GA challenge for sobo's

[wornoutboots]

After reading "Chickenfats" 2014 TJ, I thought the Georgia challenge is a cool idea. How long has this idea been going on? I think it's a great way to slow your body down, prepare it for the exit & get to see everyone who is a week or so behind you who you haven't seen in a long time.

[Lone Wolf]

what's the challenge?

[TheCheek]

what's the challenge?

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=477898
Looks like hiking from shelter to shelter, one per day, no more.

[Lone Wolf]

oh. great challenge!

[wornoutboots]

Honestly it would be a big challenge for me, I'm not sure I could sit in camp all day long for a week+. I think it is an interesting twist to savor the last week of a hike & say your congratulations to your fellow hikers on finishing their adventures. Is this new?

[wornoutboots]

Sorry some of you may not read TJ so here's what the challenge is: to slow down when you hit GA & stay in every GA shelter instead of cranking out the normal 20-25 miles a day you wld be doing at that time.

[RED-DOG]

For me their would be no way I could do that, I would be too wound up from hiking 20-25mpd since ME to sit around a shelter waiting for some one that might not show up, I would just leave a message in a shelter register saying that I have slowed down to 15mpd and if you wanted to catch me you probably could, but for most sobo hikers by the time they reach GA their more than ready for the trip to end, I seriously don't see a lot of people doing this.

[MuddyWaters]

Um...if everyone slowed down, they wouldn't see the people behind them, because they would slow down as well.

Most hikers are tired and quite ready to be done. Sobos are often pushing hard to be home by holidays.

While nobos tend to band together in small groups or pairs for the 100 mi wilderness and finish, sobo seems to be more solitary, although family or friends can be there waiting. I encountered a lot of solo sobos during fall hikes in GA, nc, tn

[JeffBliss]

Reading Chickenfat's journal sparked a brief, but fleeting, idea of "What if you thru-hiked and stayed at every shelter?"

Then I started counting how many shelters there are. Then I asked myself what do you do in the Whites? Hut hop? Damn that would get pricey. :)

Still interesting in theory. So many days would be 2-5 miles but I also distinctly remember a 22 mile gap between shelters in New York.

[Starchild]

It would be very difficult on many levels to complete a thru that way but may help the hiker re-adjust to off trail life, start decreasing hiker hunger etc. in a more controlled fashion then the sudden stop at the end.