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View Full Version : Two teens trek Appalachian Trail from end to end - Greenwich Time



WhiteBlaze
07-05-2008, 03:00
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-0&fd=R&url=http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_9792044&cid=0&ei=CBxvSKXBBJLKQuLtyeAN&usg=AFQjCNFRFIEsVcqzOt5ZXVqU-UKbRZKY_g">Two teens trek <b>Appalachian Trail</b> from end to end</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Greenwich Time,&nbsp;CT&nbsp;-</font> <nobr>9 minutes ago</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>The 2006 Greenwich High School graduates plan to ascend Mount Katahdin today and thus complete their first through-hike of the <b>Appalachian Trail</b>, <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>

More... (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-0&fd=R&url=http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_9792044&cid=0&ei=CBxvSKXBBJLKQuLtyeAN&usg=AFQjCNFRFIEsVcqzOt5ZXVqU-UKbRZKY_g)

Homer&Marje
07-05-2008, 09:26
that was a really great article... glad to know that people are not just walking it 4 themselves these kids raised some money. I myself was thinking about that for my 09 attempt. Marje age 26 also has a genetic cancer called Von Hippel Lindau Disease and it varies from 30k-50k a year in med bills now piling up into the 6 figures. Turned down by mass health 3 times, and insurance doesnt cover the specialist care.

JAK
07-05-2008, 09:51
Never get tired of seeing that finish...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOj0zjPzg-c
http://www.indianyouth.org/billymills.html

Cuffs
07-05-2008, 10:56
"We can smell the end, that's really good," he said.

No... thats just you!

But dog gone, they are summiting already? Congrats guys!

Sly
07-05-2008, 12:17
that was a really great article... glad to know that people are not just walking it 4 themselves these kids raised some money. I myself was thinking about that for my 09 attempt. Marje age 26 also has a genetic cancer called Von Hippel Lindau Disease and it varies from 30k-50k a year in med bills now piling up into the 6 figures. Turned down by mass health 3 times, and insurance doesnt cover the specialist care.

Sorry to hear about Marje's condition...

While I'll agree it's a great article, I'm not that enthused about hiking the trail for charity, unless the charity is the trail itself. One of the reasons being, it tends to appear to elevate their effort moreso than the others and sets them apart, whereas normally everyone is on equal footing. What I mean by that is, on the trail, the millionaire is the same as the house painter and their goal is equal and it's shared by all.

I also think there are better ways to raise money, from fun runs and marathons to golf tournaments etc. With more numbers involved, each is also able help raise funds. Such an endeavor can be held annually and a hike for charity is most likely a one time shot.

rafe
07-05-2008, 12:32
While I'll agree it's a great article, I'm not that enthused about hiking the trail for charity, unless the charity is the trail itself.

I kind of agree... but yet, at every wayside in SNP, I saw copies of "Walk for Sunshine" for sale... :cool:

wilconow
07-05-2008, 13:08
Sorry to hear about Marje's condidtion...

While I'll agree it's a great article, I'm not that enthused about hiking the trail for charity, unless the charity is the trail itself. One of the reasons being, it tends to appear to elevate their effort moreso than the others and sets them apart, whereas normally everyone is on equal footing. What I mean by that is, on the trail, the millionaire is the same as the house painter and their goal is equal and it's shared by all.

I also think there are better ways to raise money, from fun runs and marathons to golf tournaments etc. With more numbers involved, each is also able help raise funds. Such an endeavor can be held annually and a hike for charity is most likely a one time shot.

Charity Running in marathons is not popular with everyone

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2004/04/18/run_for_the_money/?page=1

http://www.davidhays.net/running/tnt.html

I know this is very naive, but personally I believe if that someone wants to really help out a charity, ask people to donate directly to the cause. Less overhead benefits everyone right?

Sly
07-05-2008, 13:31
I'm not saying using other venues (marathons) to raise money but starting your own. Most likely it would have to start out at a lesser distance and why I mentioned fun runs. I just think it would be a better pursuit and very doable in the time it takes to plan and hike a trail. Also, the charity raisers (hikers) wouldn't feel pressured into completing the trail if they were injured or not up to it.

It's just an opinion, not likely to change many minds, but I don't feel right using the trail and the hundreds of hours of voluteerism to complete and maintain for outside pursuits.

wilconow
07-05-2008, 13:41
It's just an opinion, not likely to change many minds, but I don't feel right using the trail and the hundreds of hours of voluteerism to complete and maintain for outside pursuits.

I agree with that.

modiyooch
07-05-2008, 14:51
I disagree

Sly
07-05-2008, 14:55
I disagree

About what and why?

modiyooch
07-05-2008, 15:01
, but I don't feel right using the trail and the hundreds of hours of voluteerism to complete and maintain for outside pursuits.
I disagree. We all have different reasons for hiking. I can't approve or disapprove someone's hike. Is volunteering conditional? Is this comment based on your volunteering work?

Sly
07-05-2008, 15:24
I disagree. We all have different reasons for hiking. I can't approve or disapprove someone's hike. Is volunteering conditional? Is this comment based on your volunteering work?

Of course everyone has their own reasons to hike, raising money for charity being one. My thoughts aren't based on my trail volunteerism and giving it some thought most volunteers probably wouldn't care. I think for the most part, volunteers give their time so others can enjoy. For me though, I hate to see the trail short changed. It's like Bryson making millions without donating. (He very well could have but I've never seen it announced.)

I just think there are better ways to raise money without using the trail.

wilconow
07-05-2008, 15:55
For me, it comes down to pretentious ultra-pure thinking

Why should anyone be on the trail other than a love of hiking, a love of being out there, a love of challenging oneself?

Raising money when hiking is in contrast to that. Where it goes to is not important. Hiking for charity is hiking for raising money

In one of the articles I linked to about charity runners, one of the criticisms is that the charity runners focus all their attention on their fundraising marathon and never run again.

Sly
07-05-2008, 16:08
Well put wilconow...

modiyooch
07-05-2008, 16:13
The fact that they are 19 years old, I somehow get the feeling that charity wasn't their drive to hike the trail. I could have been their justification for taking a semester off, for all I know. Needless to say, makes no difference to me why people hike. I have met people that were hiking for other reasons than the three that you have listed.

Homer&Marje
07-05-2008, 20:43
Charity. I hate that word. Sympathy should be found in the dictionary between S^&! and Syphilis. I believe these guys decided to do the trail, and then planning it came up with a good way to help a fellow human being. Trail magic? My wife and I suffer from severe anxiety due to many things, when we walk, it stops. She doesn't enjoy her life taking lorazapan 3 times a day so that she doesnt go cardiac or something... we are going in 09 so that we can escape for a while and reduce anxiety, with regards to raising money, or as it has been eloquently put, "charity", was an idea that i thought of to help her with the med bills, i think if more hikers tried to take this amazing feat that we all want and desire and turn it away from our own selfish reasons, a lot of things could be accomplished, not world changing, but life changing. Just like thru hiking the AT. Agreed?
Happy Trails

A-Train
07-05-2008, 21:19
Have to say I respectfully disagree with Sly and co.

I hiked the PCT while raising money for a non-profit hurricane relief and disaster organization.

I wouldn't say this put me on unequal footing at all in the hiking community. The fact is, most of my fellow hikers and friends didn't even know I was raising money. The majority of the fundraising took place before I left and while I was hiking, it was out of my hands. I never tried to solicit donations from hikers, trail providers or people I met. I hiked a lot with a hometown friend who was not himself raising money for the organization.

I don't get how the trail maintainers would be offended or upset by my fundraiser. If anything I think they'd appreciate that others are out there volunteering. Afterall, I spent 2 months volunteering with this organization before I started hiking.

It wasn't an excuse to hike the trail or my reason for doing it. I simply did two things simultaneously: I hiked a trail that was a major life goal, and helped a community of struggling people I really believed in, after being part of their organization.

Not sure how that hurts or upsets hikers, maintainers or PCTA employees, but everyone has an opinion.

Good for these 2 guys from CT. Their hometown is one of the most affluent places in America. It's nice to see them doing good with what they've been given.

Homer&Marje
07-05-2008, 21:28
{It wasn't an excuse to hike the trail or my reason for doing it. I simply did two things simultaneously: I hiked a trail that was a major life goal, and helped a community of struggling people I really believed in, after being part of their organization.}

thank you. Kind of immature these days to "not agree" with someone trying to help a cause. That article that was posted about the boston marathon, so what if they are not world class athletes, 1100 people raised 7 million dollars in just 1 race, imagine if the other 19000 runners had done that. Sounds redundant but it makes a difference. My motive for hiking is simply that, everything that could come of it should be considered a bonus to society in appreciation for those in our past that put all this together for us, we didn't create the AT, we use it.

oldfivetango
07-06-2008, 08:02
Charity. I hate that word. Sympathy should be found in the dictionary between S^&! and Syphilis. I believe these guys decided to do the trail, and then planning it came up with a good way to help a fellow human being. Trail magic? My wife and I suffer from severe anxiety due to many things, when we walk, it stops. She doesn't enjoy her life taking lorazapan 3 times a day so that she doesnt go cardiac or something... we are going in 09 so that we can escape for a while and reduce anxiety, with regards to raising money, or as it has been eloquently put, "charity", was an idea that i thought of to help her with the med bills, i think if more hikers tried to take this amazing feat that we all want and desire and turn it away from our own selfish reasons, a lot of things could be accomplished, not world changing, but life changing. Just like thru hiking the AT. Agreed?
Happy Trails

Great news!You and your wife can quit worrying!
The Earth is likely to be hit by a monster asteroid which
will take us the way of the dinosaurs.
Since there is not a blessed thing you can do about it then
you can stop worrying and start enjoying what little time you
have left!
Feel better?
Oldfivetango

oldfivetango
07-07-2008, 07:55
I would like to publicly apologize for my careless and
insensitive remarks posted above.

I was responding to post 17 about the anxiety,didn't realize
it was based in response to a serious life threatening illness.

It was my mistake and I am truly sorry to have made this one.
I will keep you both in my prayers,
Oldfivetango

jersey joe
07-07-2008, 08:26
It wasn't an excuse to hike the trail or my reason for doing it. I simply did two things simultaneously: I hiked a trail that was a major life goal, and helped a community of struggling people I really believed in, after being part of their organization.
I agree with you A-Train and I applaud hikers that try to think beyond themselves while hiking the trail.

Homer&Marje
07-07-2008, 14:34
Publicly accepting oldfivetango's apology. No malcontent intended on his part. If you are confused it's because most of this argument was done in pm's so there is no need to post questions that won't get answered.