How many people hiking this year?

[Chance09]

The 2009 registry is up to 341 people as of a few min ago but i'm sure that by the time i'm done typing this there will be a few more people added on. I read in some AT book or another that about 1,500 people (maybe i need to check that figure) attempt to thru hike a year. I guess what I'm getting at is that i can't believe that more people are not signed up on here. I can't fathom having a successful thru hike without all the information I have gained from here. So where is everyone else, just doing it the old fashioned way i guess?

[CrumbSnatcher]

not everyone whos hiking the trail are WB members:)have a great hike

[Chance09]

not saying that there is anything wrong with it, just curious to how many people will be on the trail.

[Spirit Walker]

Most of the people who hike the trail aren't part of the internet community. Many have probably never heard of whiteblaze. You'll also find that a lot of the people who signed up ahead of time won't actually make it to the trail. Life gets in the way. If you look at trailjournals, even many of the people who sign up for a public journal don't ever make it to the trailhead.

[mtbmatty]

The 2009 registry is up to 341 people as of a few min ago but i'm sure that by the time i'm done typing this there will be a few more people added on. I read in some AT book or another that about 1,500 people (maybe i need to check that figure) attempt to thru hike a year. I guess what I'm getting at is that i can't believe that more people are not signed up on here. I can't fathom having a successful thru hike without all the information I have gained from here. So where is everyone else, just doing it the old fashioned way i guess?
i agree although i have not committed (100%)to attempt a thru this year. being a relative novice to backpacking, i would be at the mercy of the guys at REI, or EMS. who may very well know there stuff, but as we all know what works for some does not always work for others. its nice to get some different perspective on things

[ofthearth]

Most of the people who hike the trail aren't part of the internet community. Many have probably never heard of whiteblaze. You'll also find that a lot of the people who signed up ahead of time won't actually make it to the trail. Life gets in the way. If you look at trailjournals, even many of the people who sign up for a public journal don't ever make it to the trailhead.

One of the better ways I've heard it put: "Life gets in the way."

[garlic08]

Most of the people who hike the trail aren't part of the internet community. Many have probably never heard of whiteblaze.

That was true in my case. I never even looked at WB until after I thru hiked last summer.

I'd also like to add that WB is not always a pleasant, enlightening experience. There have been some pretty nasty posts here, like on the thread about Faithwalker that was shut down yesterday.