“Thru-hiker” Definition

[Berserker]

Alright, I’m gonna beat a fossilized horse here, so sorry to all those who are eye rolling already.

I just gotta know what the big deal is with defining the term “thru-hiker”. This gets debated constantly on here with people’s hackles seemingly bristling, and it appears that most just go ahead and concede that it means different things to different people.

Well, it doesn’t need to be like that. Here’s the ATC definition: “We define a thru-hike as a hike of the entire A.T. in 12 months or less.” There, now that wasn’t so hard.

So now some FAQs:

1. I recently hiked 2,143.7 miles of the AT in 4 months, am I thru-hiker?
No. However, per the ATC’s loosey goosey statement of “We do expect that persons applying for inclusion in our 2,000-miler records have made an honest effort to walk the entire Trail”, you can apply for and get the completion certificate, and tell all your friends you finished. But late at night when you are in that dark quiet place you’ll know the truth, and it will haunt you.

2. I hiked ¾ of the trail last year, got injured, took 8 months off and am finishing it this year. Am I a thru-hiker?
Technically if you finish it within 12 months of first stepping on it according to the ATC definition, but come on…that’s a pretty big time gap there…there’s no shame in finishing and calling yourself a section hiker...oh wait, that’s right “section hiker” is like a dirty word…silly me.

3. I hiked the AT over a 3 year period taking some time off here and there, am I a thru-hiker?
Seriously, did you read the definition? I hate to disappoint, but of course you are not a thru-hiker. You are what is called a “section hiker”. You are better than weekenders, day hikers and most other hikers, but you are not worthy to tie the boots of a thru-hiker. So you can tell others you did the AT, but when they find out it was in sections they’ll sigh and may or may not listen to the details of your hike from that point on.

4. I hiked the 2,190.9 miles of the AT in 2018 in 6 months taking a week off to go to my daughter’s wedding, am I a thru-hiker?
YES! Also you are now legendary, will develop a special green aura that other hikers can see, and all other hikers except for thru-hikers must bow to you.

Obviously most of this was tongue in cheek, but my point is why can’t we all just agree to a simple definition?

To use a similar analogy can someone run 25.8 miles of the Boston Marathon and say they finished…ummm no, this would not be accepted by anyone anywhere as finishing the Boston Marathon. Or what about the Jennifer Pharr record setting thru. What if she had skipped 7.3 miles of the trail, would that have counted for the speed record? Of course not.

So again I ask why is it ok to say one is a thru-hiker if they didn’t do the whole thing in one shot? I know it’s just semantics, it doesn’t really matter, blah blah blah…but I do have a good point here right…anyone?

[tdoczi]

Alright, I’m gonna beat a fossilized horse here, so sorry to all those who are eye rolling already.

I just gotta know what the big deal is with defining the term “thru-hiker”. This gets debated constantly on here with people’s hackles seemingly bristling, and it appears that most just go ahead and concede that it means different things to different people.


oy vey. you said in another thread it doesnt impact you any. but clearly it does. so why? why do you care if some kook who once walked 1/4" of a mile on the C&O towpath is going around telling people they thru hiked? really, *** difference does it make?

[MuddyWaters]

A thru hike is an end to end complete hike of a trail, and needs to be a reasonably unbroken effort to complete a trail in single effort, except to resupply.

The atc opinion doesnt matter.
Except to say that if you dont do it in 12 mo, you werent trying.

Hiking it in 6 mo, with a 6 mo break in between would be a thru hike by atc standards, and it isnt.

But, its of no importance
Except to those wanting to claim "my hike is better than yours"

[DuneElliot]

Yup, I definitely did some eye-rolling as soon as I read the thread title.

[FreeGoldRush]

My son and I plan to thru hike in 2019 with a "jump start" in the fall of 2018. We will use weekends this fall to get GA and NC done. This is not ideal but is required to meet our time restrictions. It's not entirely traditional, but the ATC calls it a thru hike and so will we.

[rickb]

Most unfortunately, there is no equivalent of the Académie française when it comes to many of these words.

While English is living/evolving language, I find it hard to let go of what words like thru hiker, Trail Magic, and slackpacker
meant when I first l leaned them.

I am getting over it — thanks to White Blaze.. Still having trouble coming to terms with how the bean bag guys redefined Corn Hole, though.

[rickb]

Double posted one that really didn’t need to be read twice.

[capehiker]

Here’s the ATC definition: “We define a thru-hike as a hike of the entire A.T. in 12 months or less.” There, now that wasn’t so hard.


This is the only definition that matters for anyone who is concerned about what the definition is. Any definition that deviates from this is opinion.

[gracebowen]

To some no one is truly a thru hiker. If you go in one trail to the shelter and out the other you skipped part of the trail. Therefore you did not thru hike. To me that's silly.

[rickb]

This is the only definition that matters for anyone who is concerned about what the definition is. Any definition that deviates from this is opinion.

I have asked this before, but never received an answer.

Were all these “ATC definitions” determined by a vote of a membership quorum, or by a resolution of the Board?

Or perhaps they are incorporated inthe ATC’s bylaws?

No?

By a duely authorized comittee, then?

Nope?

Then bu a long-standing undertanding that reaches back to the organization’s founding, right?

Not that either?

Anyone have an opinion on this?

[4shot]

Arthur C. Clarke wrote a short story long,long ago called the "the 9 Billion Names of God". The premise was once all the combinations and permutations of Yahweh's name were written down on a tablet by some monks in a Tibetan monastery, the purpose of the universe had been met and all would cease to exist. I think "the 9 billion definitions of a thruhike as posited by WB members and contributors" is the equivalent. Once all 9,000,000,000 theories have been posted here, this site may simply cease to exist. And perhaps the universe as well. Maybe AC Clarke's theory was off just by a little bit. maybe we shouldn't be asking the question?

[MuddyWaters]

This is the only definition that matters for anyone who is concerned about what the definition is. Any definition that deviates from this is opinion.
Sorry, no
That is only opinion as well

And what kind of people would state opinion , as an organization, about something of .... Absolutely no consequence? None at all.

[JPritch]

Hiking it in 6 mo, with a 6 mo break in between would be a thru hike by atc standards, and it isnt.

But, its of no importance
Except to those wanting to claim "my hike is better than yours"

That sums it up perfectly. Thank You.

[Night Train]

I have never lost any sleep over it.....so....yes....it doesn't matter.

[trailmercury]

A thru hike is an end to end complete hike of a trail, and needs to be a reasonably unbroken effort to complete a trail in single effort, except to resupply.

The atc opinion doesnt matter.
Except to say that if you dont do it in 12 mo, you werent trying.

Hiking it in 6 mo, with a 6 mo break in between would be a thru hike by atc standards, and it isnt.

But, its of no importance
Except to those wanting to claim "my hike is better than yours"

So you wouldn't call a flip flop a thru hike? um, I disagree.

[Berserker]

Arthur C. Clarke wrote a short story long,long ago called the "the 9 Billion Names of God". The premise was once all the combinations and permutations of Yahweh's name were written down on a tablet by some monks in a Tibetan monastery, the purpose of the universe had been met and all would cease to exist. I think "the 9 billion definitions of a thruhike as posited by WB members and contributors" is the equivalent. Once all 9,000,000,000 theories have been posted here, this site may simply cease to exist. And perhaps the universe as well. Maybe AC Clarke's theory was off just by a little bit. maybe we shouldn't be asking the question?
This guy gets it.

[Gambit McCrae]

To some no one is truly a thru hiker. If you go in one trail to the shelter and out the other you skipped part of the trail. Therefore you did not thru hike. To me that's silly.

Hey I just need everyone to know this is me!!! I have backtracked the distance between multiple shelter trails more times then I can remember and I just need everyone to know that I WALKED THOSE FEET!!!!!! No but really I do that
:datz

[Berserker]

Hey I just need everyone to know this is me!!! I have backtracked the distance between multiple shelter trails more times then I can remember and I just need everyone to know that I WALKED THOSE FEET!!!!!! No but really I do that
:datz
It's ok Gambit, I do to.

Hey everyone...my name is Berserker and I have to pass every single white blaze...hey Berserker.

[illabelle]

Hey I just need everyone to know this is me!!! I have backtracked the distance between multiple shelter trails more times then I can remember and I just need everyone to know that I WALKED THOSE FEET!!!!!! No but really I do that
:datz


Ain't no shame in walking those extra feet.
But bragging about it? Making sure we all know? That's shameful for sure! What a horrid despicable thing to do!
Here, take another beating: :datz




Just kidding, of course!
:D

[Puddlefish]

The only definition that matters is yours, and it only matters to yourself.


If someone tells me they're a thru-hiker, the only question I'll ask is "did you have fun?" because that's all that matters to me. Other people will have different reactions, none of them any more or less valid than mine.

[Lone Wolf]

the family of 8 are not thru-hikers

[Berserker]

the family of 8 are not thru-hikers
Hmmmmm...I'm intrigued by this statement. Please explain in more detail why they aren't thru-hikers.

Or maybe a better way to ask this is I thought they all finished except for the 2 year old. So did they?

[Gambit McCrae]

the family of 8 are not thru-hikers

Yes Yes Wolf we all know you didn't want them to make it and they are definitely not thru hikers, that last mile gottem

longest section hike ever? Yes, indeed.


I have a buddy that I met in the highlands a couple years back. On his first thru hike attempt back around 15' he made it to Vermont or so..."I thru hiked in 2015" he says. Well....Ya attempted it I tell him

last year he attempted again, and got caught up in the matrix for a month in Erwin, working for Johnny. Finally I said "man if your gunna make it the whole way this year you have GOT to leave ERWIN" I happen to be heading up to VA for my second to last completion of the state and he asked if I would pick him up to bounce him up the trail, and I did! However, when he posted his picture on top of Katahdin and claimed his victory with quote "I am now an Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker" He failed to mention anything about Gambit picking him up and driving him 441 miles up trail to the James River. Do I care? Nah, not style anymore, when I finish, I wont be a thru hiker but by god I'm gunna do what I said I was gunna do and that's walk the distance of the AT, and if I see every single foot of the trail then when I touch the sign, its done. Not all of it except for the little parts, or the convenient parts, ALL of it.

[Berserker]

Nah, not style anymore, when I finish, I wont be a thru hiker but by god I'm gunna do what I said I was gunna do and that's walk the distance of the AT, and if I see every single foot of the trail then when I touch the sign, its done. Not all of it except for the little parts, or the convenient parts, ALL of it.
This guy also gets it.

[Venchka]

Bill Murray said it best.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9mf3Bypyk8
Wayne

[Dan Roper]

Heading north from I-40 near Davenport Gap a few years ago, our happy group of four thought the trail followed the gravel road a ways before slipping off into the woods. In fact, the trail didn't follow the gravel road. For a quarter-mile or so it veered off into a nondescript patch of woods. Missing that stretch wasn't intentional and meant nothing to me later, when I found out. Had that taken place during a successful trip from Springer to Katahdin, I'd consider myself a thru-hiker.

P.S. But I also consider the Approach Trail part of the trail and wouldn't have felt like I had done a thru-hike had I not included it. But that just applies to me - I'd never dispute a thru-hiker who started at the top of Springer. Who cares?

[rickb]

longest section hike ever? Yes, indeed.


Which is a FAR cooler record!

Amd their false summit shot is FAR better than most at the big sign.

[kestral]

My son and I plan to thru hike in 2019 with a "jump start" in the fall of 2018. We will use weekends this fall to get GA and NC done. This is not ideal but is required to meet our time restrictions. It's not entirely traditional, but the ATC calls it a thru hike and so will we.

Hey now, Jump Start is a great trail name if you don’t have one already! Enjoy your journey, I’ll be rooting for you both 😊

[rickb]

Or maybe a better way to ask this is I thought they all finished except for the 2 year old. So did they?
They all stuck together as a family, and completed their thru hike together at tree line — about a mile or so south of Baxter Peak. A beautiful decision.

A hostel owner carried up a mini summit sign to mark the spot.

If you google you can see a really cute photo of the two year old in his hero pose.



Not sure but I expect they walked more of the AT than most thru hikers.

They could probably care less, but I hope all 8 of them apply for the 2000 mile award. That does have a formal definition (it’s the ATC’s award, so it mean whatever they says it does), but I don’t see a problem.

Since the toddler was in effect handicapped due to incomplete formation of legs, I see no issue with him using service humans to assist him over those parts of the Trail he did not hike on his own, and the Trail was closed to him alone, so he probably has a stronger claim than the other seven.

[rickb]

Hey now, Jump Start is a great trail name if you don’t have one already! Enjoy your journey, I’ll be rooting for you both 
I agree, but you might get confused with the hiker who started his hike by parachuting in.

[D2maine]

foolishness. hope they don't make it




the family of 8 are not thru-hikers


lol salty much

[FreeGoldRush]

I agree, but you might get confused with the hiker who started his hike by parachuting in.
I do not yet have a trail name and Jump Start would be a cool one, except for the fact that it has already been made famous. Kinda like AWOL, that one can never be claimed again.