View Full Version : if thruhiking were free.
mweinstone
10-05-2006, 18:11
each hiker apon completing a thruhike would be elidgable to receive a check for the full cost of there hike to a maximum of 5000.00$. paid by a charitable trust set up by a billionare.papers would be filed like a grant is applied for. and a decision is rendered by a body of governing member thruhikers as to the amount to be paid. no strings. no hassle. just get recepts and file at the end.
how does this impact the trail and the exspirience?
Footslogger
10-05-2006, 18:28
Where do we sign up ??
'Slogger
Just pondering as it might affect myself, it very well could tilt a thru for me next year for instance. Would it feel right to accept the money? Would it feel right to hike on someone else's dime? Naw. I'll pass....on the money not a thru sometime.......
twosticks
10-06-2006, 10:26
each hiker apon completing a thruhike would be elidgable to receive a check for the full cost of there hike to a maximum of 5000.00$. paid by a charitable trust set up by a billionare.papers would be filed like a grant is applied for. and a decision is rendered by a body of governing member thruhikers as to the amount to be paid. no strings. no hassle. just get recepts and file at the end.
how does this impact the trail and the exspirience?
I think it would cheapen the expirience. Like they say half the fun is getting there. The harder you work getting ready and saving money the more you get out of the hike. But if they were giving them away, then it's like, who cares.
Footslogger
10-06-2006, 11:22
[quote=twosticks;253527]I think it would cheapen the expirience.
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So if someone else funded your hike it wouldn't be as meaningful ??
The likeliehood of someone doing that for me is slim to none but if offered I truly don't think I'd turn it down based on the impact that would have on the significance of my hike.
'Slogger
each hiker apon completing a thruhike would be elidgable to receive a check for the full cost of there hike to a maximum of 5000.00$. paid by a charitable trust set up by a billionare.papers would be filed like a grant is applied for. and a decision is rendered by a body of governing member thruhikers as to the amount to be paid. no strings. no hassle. just get recepts and file at the end.
how does this impact the trail and the exspirience?
just another free ride would be all gets through their head.........
Tim Rich
10-06-2006, 11:34
each hiker apon completing a thruhike would be elidgable to receive a check for the full cost of there hike to a maximum of 5000.00$. paid by a charitable trust set up by a billionare.papers would be filed like a grant is applied for. and a decision is rendered by a body of governing member thruhikers as to the amount to be paid. no strings. no hassle. just get recepts and file at the end.
how does this impact the trail and the exspirience?
Even more cheating and misplaced priorities.
RockyTrail
10-06-2006, 11:48
...papers would be filed like a grant is applied for and a decision rendered by a body of governing member thruhikers as to the amount to be paid. No strings. No hassle. Just get receipts and file at the end.
Sounds like a hassle to me...but for $5k? Hey I'm hasslin'
vipahman
10-06-2006, 12:51
Given that the goal for qualification is completion, that would probably spark an exodus of hikers destroying the quiet, outdoor experience. Everyone who is between jobs or between semesters and has an interest in hiking would probably take up the offer of a paid vacation.
No, I don't like it because the bar is too low. Raise the bar. Make it $5K for completing the AT in 100 days or less. That's still a big goal for most hikers and would take care of the crowds.
Wanderingson
10-06-2006, 14:08
And would this include reimbursement for blueberry pancakes? No that would be boarderline criminal. Somethings in life you just can't put a price on.
I agree with Boston... the direct costs are not what is holding a lot of people back from long distance hiking. The reason I don't see a thru-hike in my near future is that when I got back my wife and job likely would not be there (well, my wife might still be there, but she would be pretty pissed). If anyone can think of a way to take the indirect costs out of the equation, I will be on the trail next week... ok maybe in the spring.
i knew a couple of people that hiked for free on the trail.
people with "sponsers" usually hiking for a cause.
and people who were taking in unemployment while hiking.
i'm fine with the first group, so long as they actually are raising money or awareness for their cause. i'm not so keen on the second group.
sounds like matthewski's been doing some tax reviews.:D
twosticks
10-06-2006, 15:09
[quote=twosticks;253527]I think it would cheapen the expirience.
==================================
So if someone else funded your hike it wouldn't be as meaningful ??
The likeliehood of someone doing that for me is slim to none but if offered I truly don't think I'd turn it down based on the impact that would have on the significance of my hike.
'Slogger
I wouldn't turn it down, what I mean is if everyone was offered a free ride, people that shouldn't be thru hiking would be and looking at the events that happened in Everest this year, just because you have the money, ie getting it for free, doesn't mean you should be there. Now please, I'm not comparing everest to the AT, but you get my drift. Imagine what the trail would look like with thoasands more people who didn't know thier @$$ from a hole in the ground attempting that.
mweinstone
10-06-2006, 17:51
read more carefully. it says reimburse you for the exspensis you lay out. you save receipts and all. what part of that didnt you see?
humunuku
10-06-2006, 21:50
The only impact on the trail, i think, would be a tiny increase in the people who start the trail and quit soon there after. I really don't think money is really holding back a ton of people whole would really complete the trail (family and work seem like the real hurdles). If you really want to hike it, you can save up the money, but not save up the fam or work.
Now if this were offered to me, i'd hike the AT in the spring of 2007, and the PCT in 2008 and the CDT in 2009 and what ever else qualifies in between or after...bring it on...i'm not tied down to work or the fam.
humunuku
10-06-2006, 21:53
oh yeah, the experience could change some, since you have an unlimited backaccount for going into towns and staying at hotels, eating out ect...but for most, i think this wouldn't change
Big Foot
10-06-2006, 22:25
Maybe they could include little treasure maps so you could collect little keys or something along the way to prove you really hiked the trail so you could get your money at the end? :D
saimyoji
10-06-2006, 22:51
I knew it would come down to this. This has been discussed some time ago.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7448&highlight=punch+card