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fiddlehead
03-30-2009, 00:13
Ok, I've done it.

After lots of thinking about this and hiking in some strange situations, and still learning after 32 years since my first thru-hike, I have finalized this "Quiz" I developed about hiking ability and putting a number behind it.

I know many of you will flame me for trying to make hiking a competitive thing. That is not my goal.
My goal is to perhaps help hikers understand what is important (in my opinion) in the learning process of becoming a better hiker.

It's not about what kind of water filter, tent, food you eat or don't eat, or how many hostels you've stayed in. It's more about being a well-rounded hiker.

So, those who are interested, HERE (<a href="http://www.gotoquiz.com/rate_your_hiking_ability">Rate your hiking ability</a>)is the link for the quiz.

Feel free to list your feedback either here or in my blog. (good or bad, i can take it)

Pokey2006
03-30-2009, 00:18
Hey, sounds like fun! But the link's not working for me.

fiddlehead
03-30-2009, 00:18
Ok, i see the link is not working. I'll try again
Stay tuned.

fiddlehead
03-30-2009, 00:25
Sorry about that.
THIS LINK (http://fiddlehead.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/rate-your-hiking-ability/) should work.

Gaiter
03-30-2009, 00:53
***.... that is dumb, i will say it ITS DUMB... that isn't rate your hiking ability, its is your _____ as big as mine..... everyone hikes different, no one is perfect

go hiking

jrwiesz
03-30-2009, 01:30
***.... that is dumb, i will say it ITS DUMB... that isn't rate your hiking ability, its is your _____ as big as mine..... everyone hikes different, no one is perfect

go hiking

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.:eek:

Maddog
03-30-2009, 01:40
waste of time...thanks!

Mags
03-30-2009, 02:02
You forgot a few important questions:

WOULD YOU TAKE BOXED WINE?
a) Is there any other way to drink it?
b) Only a Philistine would take such a thing!
c) Hut trips only
d) Franzia is my friend!

BEER--WHAT KIND?
a) If it is free it is for me!
b) Microbrews only. Life is too short to drink ****ty beer
c) PBR, Nattie Light, Milwaukee Beast. Cheap beer is the only kind to drink!
d) Screw the beer. I am so burly I drink moonshine only



BURGERS, PIZZA OR ICE CREAM -A THRU-HIKER STOMACH REALLY DOES HAVE LIMITS. WHAT DO YOU EAT THE MOST OF IN TOWN?
a) Burgers! Besides being so burly I only drink moonshine, I subsist on rare, bloody, hunks of meat only
b) Pizza. It's like a certain biological act. Even when it is bad it ain't really that bad...
c) I am a vegan, free-frange, Gaia worshipping, tree hugging, Taoist Zen New Age Christian Atheist lover of all. I eat birdseed and granola only. Even in town.
d) I scream..you scream..we all scream for Ice Cream... (OUCH! WHYDIDJYA DO THAT???? YOU SCREAMED YOU BLOODY IDIOT! JUST EAT THE DAMN ICE CREAM!)


SNICKERS, LITTLE DEBBIE OR MOON PIES?
(Essay question. Please write in the blue book, mail your answer to Paul Mags and your answers will be graded based on how hung over he is from researching some of the questions above)

Pokey2006
03-30-2009, 02:06
[quote=Mags;812335]You forgot a few important questions:

WOULD YOU TAKE BOXED WINE?
a) Is there any other way to drink it?
b) Only a Philistine would take such a thing!
c) Hut trips only
d) Franzia is my friend!
[quote]

I would have scored better for sure with that question in there. Franzia is my friend! Nice thing about boxed wine is, after you drink the wine, you can blow up the bladder and use it as a pillow...

I'm a 39 percent. Above average, but taking the quiz made me realize I have so many other things I need to try!

Hey, guys, it's all in fun. I've taken dumber quizzes on Facebook.

zoidfu
03-30-2009, 02:13
***.... that is dumb, i will say it ITS DUMB... that isn't rate your hiking ability, its is your _____ as big as mine..... everyone hikes different, no one is perfect

go hiking

Teh internetz is serious bizness!

vamelungeon
03-30-2009, 02:15
[quote=Mags;812335]You forgot a few important questions:

WOULD YOU TAKE BOXED WINE?
a) Is there any other way to drink it?
b) Only a Philistine would take such a thing!
c) Hut trips only
d) Franzia is my friend!
[quote]

I would have scored better for sure with that question in there. Franzia is my friend! Nice thing about boxed wine is, after you drink the wine, you can blow up the bladder and use it as a pillow...



Good tip!

taildragger
03-30-2009, 03:38
Franzia? You can get better box wine than that, just look for other brands on sell, open up your pallet!!!

Lone Wolf
03-30-2009, 04:19
i scored 35%. i suck at hiking i guess.

Hooch
03-30-2009, 04:21
i scored 35%. i suck at hiking i guess.Yeah, same here. I guess I need an ice axe. :rolleyes:

jrwiesz
03-30-2009, 05:18
Franzia? You can get better box wine than that, just look for other brands on sell, open up your pallet!!!

You're taking a whole pallet? You got sherpas?:D

fiddlehead
03-30-2009, 05:43
i scored 35%. i suck at hiking i guess.

35% is one of the highest ones so far.

Some of my hiking friends weren't too happy with the final results either even though they are very experienced.

It's just that the software wouldn't allow me to put in my own figures. 35% should be around 75% if I could tweak the numbers.

It's pretty cool software. Make up your own quiz's if you don't like mine folks.
I just tried to show what i think is important out there to be well rounded.

Flame away. like i said, i can take it.

Hooch
03-30-2009, 05:46
I don't see how ownership of an ice axe makes one a well rounded hiker. Just sayin'. :D

Tin Man
03-30-2009, 05:54
I don't see how ownership of an ice axe makes one a well rounded hiker. Just sayin'. :D

that's what the little debbies are for

Tin Man
03-30-2009, 06:10
fiddlehead, nice try but....

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mmBw3uzPnJI/R3-La-qaC-I/AAAAAAAAK9E/2lxfPxVqkIY/s400/you_fail_017.jpg

max patch
03-30-2009, 07:36
Valid passport?

Whatever...

warraghiyagey
03-30-2009, 08:04
I just wanna walk in the woods. . . wasn't thinking of grading myself on it. . .;)

Gray Blazer
03-30-2009, 08:08
I just wanna walk in the woods. . . wasn't thinking of grading myself on it. . .;)
You're just worried you'll get 100% on the test and then you'll have to give up your daytime job and become a professional hiker. A hiker prodigy!:D

4eyedbuzzard
03-30-2009, 08:21
I got a grade of WF -- no, not that -- withdraw failing. He probably did a little better.

Grinder
03-30-2009, 08:28
stupid test biased toward winter hiking. JAK should have done good.

HYOH

Lone Wolf
03-30-2009, 08:31
stupid test biased toward winter hiking....

...foreign countries, skiing, hiking above 12,000 feet, etc., etc.

superman
03-30-2009, 08:41
This thread is as refreshing as.....I forget.:)

Bearpaw
03-30-2009, 08:53
This thread is as refreshing as.....I forget.:)

What is a vinegar douche, Alex?

Lone Wolf
03-30-2009, 08:54
balsamic is tasty

jrwiesz
03-30-2009, 08:58
I don't see how ownership of an ice axe makes one a well rounded hiker. Just sayin'. :D

50 to 75 lbs. overweight makes one a well rounded hiker.:D

Sidewinder
03-30-2009, 09:25
i scored a 43

fiddlehead
03-30-2009, 09:38
Ok, Ok.

I get the point. You don't want to think about ice axes, snow or adventures in foreign places. Ok.

I'll work on one for cyber hikers then. (I'll aim for higher scores too)

Stay tuned.

Chenango
03-30-2009, 10:00
i scored 35%. i suck at hiking i guess.

I scored 34%. I must be a really bad hiker. Interesting survey to do for 5 minutes. Done and on to other things now ... like getting ready for this weekends hike.

snowhoe
03-30-2009, 10:09
I scored a 87. You guys are bad liers!

Darwin again
03-30-2009, 10:17
I scored a 92. I don't know where I went wrong...

(And I even pretended to be an adventuresome arrogant wealthy Eurotrash poseur!:cool:)

max patch
03-30-2009, 10:29
I wish I knew how to copy a web page. Heres a cut and paste:

Obviously a very accurate quiz! :)

=========


Your results for this quiz have been calculated and are presented below:
Your hiking experience score 96%


No one ever scored this high before. Congratulations!!!

waywardfool
03-30-2009, 12:50
35% is one of the highest ones so far

Reminds me of an advanced statistics course I took in college (about a hunnert years ago)...for all the semester, there were only 2 tests, mid-term and final exams...not even Monday quizzes or anything like that.

When the graded mid-terms got returned...I sank to the floor and covered it up...a big red "23" written across the top. I was already planning on not even showing up for class for the rest of the semester....until the prof announced that the grading curve would have been much higher if HE didn't do so well...he was pointing right at ME. Turned out 23 was the high score....most people had single digits. Moral of the story, big college prof couldn't write a good test or teach to it....iirc, I got a 40 on the final. (I think there, I was 2nd highest..."A" for the course was all that mattered at that point).

Anyway, fun quiz, but not really relevant to the AT...I scored well but it don't mean a thing. (just like most of what I learned in college).

fehchet
03-30-2009, 13:42
Did you think up these questions on your own?

Blister
03-30-2009, 13:47
I had fun and your right, not really relevant to the AT. When it comes to extreme hiking conditions, most AT hikers hold up in hostels, hotels or shelters. I could be more sarcastic but have a feeling I may infringe on the career AT'ers egos. Perhaps more of a world traveler quiz? I scored a 62%. Not sure how since I have yet to really do any international travels.

Another point, it does not center around winter hiking. If you travel out to the Sierras or the Rocky's, Glacier Nat'l Park you will encounter snow even into the summer months, the point is to see if you are able to withstand and navigate your way through them. These would be places where white blazes are not dotted out for you every ten feet.

I know somebody out there is going to be pissy, whatever, its all in fun.

IceAge
03-30-2009, 14:40
Your quiz is culturally insensitive, it only asks if you are former Army Infantry or Marine, where is the love for the Navy Seabees? That's where I learned orienteering, map reading, and how to hike with a chainsaw.

wrongway_08
03-30-2009, 15:13
i scored 35%. i suck at hiking i guess.

Me too! We are above average, most here have score 20-30%, so they all suck!! :p:p:p

leeki pole
03-30-2009, 15:29
I scored 41% that must mean I'm a better hiker than LW.:p

Tin Man
03-30-2009, 15:32
no. that means you lied. :p

Funkmeister
03-30-2009, 16:08
Yea...I had some procrastinating to do this afternoon, so I took the test.

I got a 4%. Four. IV.

Considering that I could take an A-B-C-D multiple test in Cantonese and still score within one standard deviation of 25%, I'm thinking the test is flawed.

And that takes into account that I speak a bit of Cantonese. Not really well, but I can make the waitresses laugh at the restaurant I go to when the peeps at my gym go to dinner a few times a month at the Chinese restarant.

Then again, maybe I just look funny while speaking Cantonese. Or their funny threshold is fairly low.

tazie
03-30-2009, 16:31
Thanks guys, this is too funny and much needed laughs for Monday.
I'm an avid day hiker, trail runner, love the outdoors, blah, blah, blah....so I took the test.
NOT only do I have no hiking ability or credibility or even a current passport, I'm not even sure I should be going outdoors unsupervised.

Tin Man
03-30-2009, 16:49
....I'm not even sure I should be going outdoors unsupervised.

just put on a helmet, you'll be fine :)

Cannibal
03-30-2009, 16:52
Had to try it; got a 53%.

Frosty
03-30-2009, 16:54
quiz is culturally insensitive, it only asks if you are former Army Infantry or Marine, where is the love for the Navy Seabees? GI beans and GI gravy,
Gee, I wish I joined the Navy.

Quiz was kind of fun. Not sure why people are so outraged over an attempt to have some fun. Chill pills all around.

Bearpaw
03-30-2009, 16:58
just put on a helmet, you'll be fine :)

And spray your shoes...

snowhoe
03-30-2009, 17:10
Hey guys I have taken the test 5 times now and I have the ansewer key. Questions 1-8 are "c". Questions 8-11 are "a" and the rest are alternating "a" then "b". So if you want a 98 score that is the ansewers. Glad I could help. Any other problems just ask.

Blister
03-30-2009, 17:54
Ya'll want a better score we can make the following changes

Instead of ice axes - leki poles?
Instead of sleeping on snow - in shelters?
Instead of do you know how to self arrest - do you know how to hitch hike?
Instead of how much gear you have made/designed - how much has been bought?
Instead of do you know the magnetic deviation where you live - do you know where you live?
Instead of have you ever had to triangulate - can you draw a triangle?
Instead of have you ever helped a trail crew, have you ever walked by a trail crew?
Instead of 14,000 footers you've climbed, how many 4,000 footers have you climbed?
Instead of How many miles of snow travel (can’t see the trail) have you done? How many white blazes have you seen on the trail?

If we make these small changes, we will watch your scores improve, reinstating your self proclaimed knowledge of knowing everything, then others will bow to your A.T adventures, claiming it is the only adventure to be recognized. What? there are other trails other than the Appalachian Trail, your kidding!

Just havin a little fun, honestly not meaning to offend anyone. maybe.....

Tin Man
03-30-2009, 17:57
Had to try it; got a 53%.

show off

Cannibal
03-30-2009, 18:03
show off
I know! I must have done something wrong.:datz

kolokolo
03-30-2009, 18:50
This poll seems to be measuring your hiking experience and dedication, not necessarily ability.

Summit
03-30-2009, 18:58
The quiz reads more like an application for the next episode of 'Survivor!' :) Try making another one fiddlehead . . . this time not under the influence of mind-altering substances! :eek: :p Just having some fun with ya man . . . don't take it serious! Oh . . . scored 45, and I did not lie, and 'I did not have sex with that woman!' :D

neighbor dave
03-30-2009, 19:05
Ya'll want a better score we can make the following changes

Instead of ice axes - leki poles?
Instead of sleeping on snow - in shelters?
Instead of do you know how to self arrest - do you know how to hitch hike?
Instead of how much gear you have made/designed - how much has been bought?
Instead of do you know the magnetic deviation where you live - do you know where you live?
Instead of have you ever had to triangulate - can you draw a triangle?
Instead of have you ever helped a trail crew, have you ever walked by a trail crew?
Instead of 14,000 footers you've climbed, how many 4,000 footers have you climbed?
Instead of How many miles of snow travel (can’t see the trail) have you done? How many white blazes have you seen on the trail?

If we make these small changes, we will watch your scores improve, reinstating your self proclaimed knowledge of knowing everything, then others will bow to your A.T adventures, claiming it is the only adventure to be recognized. What? there are other trails other than the Appalachian Trail, your kidding!

Just havin a little fun, honestly not meaning to offend anyone. maybe.....

funny stuff:D

Bearpaw
03-30-2009, 19:05
Most of the skills that got me a high score (snow skills, ski-touring at night, avalanche, ice axe, triangulation, etc), I used in winter mountaineering as a Marine. These are skills most AT hikers will never EVER need.

kayak karl
03-30-2009, 19:09
funny stuff:D
throw in a question about Bourbon and we got ourselves a QUIZ:D

Tin Man
03-30-2009, 19:11
throw in a question about Bourbon and we got ourselves a QUIZ:D

i'll drink to that

Sly
03-30-2009, 19:12
These are skills most AT hikers will never EVER need.

Ah, now that you mention it, name one skill an AT hiker needs? Map and compass? Nope. Snow travel, ice ax? Nope. Fording? Nope. It's entry level. :D

PS I got 44%

Blister
03-30-2009, 19:24
throw in a question about Bourbon and we got ourselves a QUIZ:D

Where do you get a better buzzz from bourbon?

a. 4,000 feet

b. 14,000 feet

c. on a empty stomach in town

d. depends on how much bourbon you have

A-Train
03-30-2009, 19:31
Ah, now that you mention it, name one skill an AT hiker needs? Map and compass? Nope. Snow travel, ice ax? Nope. Fording? Nope. It's entry level. :D

PS I got 44%

How to trailjournal

How to txt a friend about the next upcoming hiker feed

how to enlarge your stomach for a half gallon of ice cream

how to cram 12 into a shelter for 6

how to slack pack thru a state without staying in the woods.

I think you're selling the whole experience short.

kayak karl
03-30-2009, 19:35
Where do you get a better buzzz from bourbon?

a. 4,000 feet

b. 14,000 feet

c. on a empty stomach in town

d. depends on how much bourbon you have
OR,
Have you ever night hiked to an ABC? :D

Summit
03-30-2009, 19:37
Have you ever cell phoned for a pizza & beer air drop? Check! :)

russb
03-30-2009, 19:58
As a non AT hiker (I am just here for the camaraderie) nor a mt climber I figured I wouldn't even register on the quiz. However a 46% for this adirondack hiker who hasn't strayed more than a few hours from NY for any backpacking was a surprise after reading other peoples responses.

buff_jeff
03-30-2009, 20:02
Ah, now that you mention it, name one skill an AT hiker needs? Map and compass? Nope. Snow travel, ice ax? Nope. Fording? Nope. It's entry level. :D

PS I got 44%

While that's certainly true, using an ice axe and fording aren't rocket science. Hell, map and compass are super easy. For the most part, hiking anywhere is "just walking."

Blissful
03-30-2009, 20:06
I got 30%. But the years are still young...

Lone Wolf
03-30-2009, 20:07
Have you ever cell phoned for a pizza & beer air drop? Check! :)

back in 86, Jumpstart who parachuted on Springer to start his hike, had his son air drop pizza and chicken on Whitetop mtn

Bearpaw
03-30-2009, 20:12
back in 86, Jumpstart who parachuted on Springer to start his hike, had his son air drop pizza and chicken on Whitetop mtn

What? No beer?!:eek:

Sly
03-30-2009, 20:15
While that's certainly true, using an ice axe and fording aren't rocket science. Hell, map and compass are super easy. For the most part, hiking anywhere is "just walking."

Yeah sure, hiking anywhere is just walking but if you plunked down your average AT hiker without the above skills on the CDT in many sections, they probably wouldn't get too far.

Lone Wolf
03-30-2009, 20:17
Yeah sure, hiking anywhere is just walking but if you plunked down your average AT hiker without the above skills on the CDT in many sections, they probably wouldn't get too far.

oh BS :rolleyes:

Blister
03-30-2009, 20:18
back in 86, Jumpstart who parachuted on Springer to start his hike, had his son air drop pizza and chicken on Whitetop mtn

Nowthat....is a respectable traits all good hikers have, logistical planning. 25 points alone.

buff_jeff
03-30-2009, 20:20
Yeah sure, hiking anywhere is just walking but if you plunked down your average AT hiker without the above skills on the CDT in many sections, they probably wouldn't get too far.

I think most AT hikers would have the foresight to plan ahead and learn the requisite skills beforehand, just like every other hiker who plans to hike those trails. You had to learn them at some point, too.......

kayak karl
03-30-2009, 20:21
I got 30%. But the years are still young...
i got 15 % :confused: i think that qualifies me to car camp.

Summit
03-30-2009, 21:20
Lots of rewording is needed. "Do you own an iceaxe?" No, but I have rented and used them on glaciers in the Alps. Some folks may own one but never put it to serious use! So I left a few points on the table there as there was no appropriate choice. ;)

Hey kayak karl, yeah you qualify for supervised car camping! LOL :D

SteveJ
03-30-2009, 21:29
i'll drink to that

damn...I'm out of bourbon....oh, well, how about a Sam Adams?

Ox97GaMe
03-30-2009, 21:40
I didnt fare very well on the test either. I guess being able to hike a 5 mile day, or a 40 mile day, depending on my mood has nothing to do with ability. And having hiked in 31 states doesnt register on the list either. I do have a passport, but have not used it for a hiking trip (or even carried it on one), so dont get any points for that either. Ive hiked to over 14,000 ft, and below sea level. Ive hiked in -40 degrees as well as 120 degrees. None of that apparently counts either.

I think you need to get questions that are more relevant to hiking conditions to judge experience. But then again.... everyone's experiences are different. Hiking the same trail at different times of the year (sometimes just on different days of the same week) can make a world of difference in the experience level required/achieved.

Maybe the quiz is actually reverse psychology. The lower you score, the better hiker you are??????????? My ACT score was higher than this 'quiz'.

buff_jeff
03-30-2009, 21:44
Yeah, I've hiked over 13,000 ft. on Mauna Loa, an active volcano, and I think I was worse off hiking on the AT in New Jersey at, what, 1,500 ft. I went anticipating nothing abnormal and I got mile upon mile of straight ice and then got socked in by an unexpected snowstorm and bailed the next day.

kayak karl
03-30-2009, 22:04
Hey kayak karl, yeah you qualify for supervised car camping! LOL :D
ill just stay at Kincora and hike out and back each day. rake the leaves off the trail for Bob:(

TrippinBTM
03-30-2009, 22:10
it kind of favors hiking in big mountains. Being a Midwesterner, I find that a bit biased. Someone could be a very experienced hiker here in the Midwest and Eastern states, but because they haven't been up at 14000 feet, they score lower.

Blissful
03-30-2009, 22:11
i got 15 % :confused: i think that qualifies me to car camp.


You should get bonus points starting in Jan. on the AT.

Ox97GaMe
03-30-2009, 22:12
Ok. I took the test several times, just to compare answers and scores. So, here are a few observations......

a) if you are STUPID enough to carry 15 days worth of food, you get more points than if you stop in a town every 3 or 4 days.

b) you get more points if you become a peak bagger than if you hike the distance between the peaks, or trails that never get over 10,000 ft elevation. Apparently, living in Colorado makes one a more experienced hiker. Go figure.

c) if you hike along the coast and need to use a tide chart (I am aware of 3 trails that actually suggest this), you are more experienced than someone who hikes inland.

d) having a passport apparently relates to hiking experience. Not sure how that would apply. I guess I should get a passport for each of the kids and send them into the woods.

e) I have been face to face with an elk AND a moose, but not a bear. Apparently, one must be careless enough to let a bear get within 8 ft in order to get experience points. I say if you SURVIVE an encounter with a bear at 8 ft, it will be more of an experience than you will ever care to repeat.

f) Im not quite sure how carrying a compass, map, and trail guides makes one more experienced than someone who doesnt. Sometimes, I rather enjoy trying to get lost in the woods. Most trails in the US are marked well enough that unless you are hiking in dead of winter, it would be almost impossible to get lost, which would be the time that pulling out the compass and map would be needed. I also know a lot of folks that can ready a map in the parking lot, and can then get lost 2 miles down the trail.

g) I found this one almost comical..... Apparently, just being male makes you a more experienced hiker than a female. I dont know how you computed that one. I did identical answers for male and female and got a 3% difference in rating.

h) apparently being a younger hiker with 2000 miles makes you more experineced than an older hiker with 10000 miles. Is there some algorythm that calculates average miles hiked per year of age? Is that why the question is in there about difference in your age and the age you were for your first overnight?

This whole exercise was rather amusing. I hope that someday, if I live long enough, I can be as 'experienced' as the folks that put this little quiz together. Or maybe not. That would probably mean that I have to climb Everest or K2 or log over 50,000 miles. I have no desire to become that 'experienced'.

Does driving 4 million miles across the US count for anything? Does car camping make me an experienced hiker?????? Just sayin....

Blissful
03-30-2009, 22:14
it kind of favors hiking in big mountains. Being a Midwesterner, I find that a bit biased. Someone could be a very experienced hiker here in the Midwest and Eastern states, but because they haven't been up at 14000 feet, they score lower.


It seemed more like a test for the CDT...or rather the Himalayas. I've heard more than one hiker tell me the PCT is easier than the AT.

Blissful
03-30-2009, 22:18
Ok. I took the test several times, just to compare answers and scores. So, here are a few observations......

ag) I found this one almost comical..... Apparently, just being male makes you a more experienced hiker than a female. I dont know how you computed that one. I did identical answers for male and female and got a 3% difference in rating.



Well, dem's fightin' words right there!!! :mad: We need to discuss this on the ladies forum right now...

Equal points for equal hikes no matter the sex.

TrippinBTM
03-30-2009, 22:32
You know, you'd think being a woman would make you score higher, not lower, as they are still a minority out there.

Lugnut
03-30-2009, 22:34
I got 22%. I'm embarassed to even be posting here! :eek:

Skyline
03-30-2009, 22:43
I scored 41% that must mean I'm a better hiker than LW.:p


I scored 33 so I must be 2% less than Lone Wolf. :cool:

I don't understand how rafting or military has anything to do with how one rates as a hiker. Both of these are in there. Why?

Ox97GaMe
03-30-2009, 22:50
high peaks in the Rockies are not necessarily harder than hiking on the east coast. There are trails in the Whites, Adirondacks, and Smokies that are pretty vertical and strenuous. On the flip side, there are a lot of trails in the Rockies that are graded for pack animals. You cant really make a general comparison based on geographical location. Shoot.. some of the scariest, most difficult hiking I have done was climbing the red rocks in Canyonland NP in Utah. Nothing to grab on to, and some places you are on ledges that are 4 ft tall and 3 ft wide and you are looking at a 500+ foot drop if you make a mistake.

Mt Elbert an Mt Massive are the two tallest peaks in the Rockies, yet are rated as the easiest 14ers to climb. They do not require any technical climbing, unless you hike them in the winter, in which case, an ice axe is suggested as safety gear. If you are on Mt Massive in the summer time, I suggest taking a ride down the face of the snow field. It is a 1500 ft slide to the bottom. Wheeeeeeeeeee... :)

Also, I thought this was supposed to be a hiker rating. What does rock climbing and top roping have to do with hiking?

Darwin again
03-30-2009, 23:20
My hiking ability is equal to or greater than the explosive power of ten million eruptions of Mount St. Helens.

Oh.
And I hike with Morgan Fairchild.
Naked.
While drinking box wine.

fiddlehead
03-31-2009, 03:01
Ok. I took the test several times, just to compare answers and scores. So, here are a few observations......

a) if you are STUPID enough to carry 15 days worth of food, you get more points than if you stop in a town every 3 or 4 days.

b) you get more points if you become a peak bagger than if you hike the distance between the peaks, or trails that never get over 10,000 ft elevation. Apparently, living in Colorado makes one a more experienced hiker. Go figure.

c) if you hike along the coast and need to use a tide chart (I am aware of 3 trails that actually suggest this), you are more experienced than someone who hikes inland.

d) having a passport apparently relates to hiking experience. Not sure how that would apply. I guess I should get a passport for each of the kids and send them into the woods.

e) I have been face to face with an elk AND a moose, but not a bear. Apparently, one must be careless enough to let a bear get within 8 ft in order to get experience points. I say if you SURVIVE an encounter with a bear at 8 ft, it will be more of an experience than you will ever care to repeat.

f) Im not quite sure how carrying a compass, map, and trail guides makes one more experienced than someone who doesnt. Sometimes, I rather enjoy trying to get lost in the woods. Most trails in the US are marked well enough that unless you are hiking in dead of winter, it would be almost impossible to get lost, which would be the time that pulling out the compass and map would be needed. I also know a lot of folks that can ready a map in the parking lot, and can then get lost 2 miles down the trail.

g) I found this one almost comical..... Apparently, just being male makes you a more experienced hiker than a female. I dont know how you computed that one. I did identical answers for male and female and got a 3% difference in rating.

h) apparently being a younger hiker with 2000 miles makes you more experineced than an older hiker with 10000 miles. Is there some algorythm that calculates average miles hiked per year of age? Is that why the question is in there about difference in your age and the age you were for your first overnight?

This whole exercise was rather amusing. I hope that someday, if I live long enough, I can be as 'experienced' as the folks that put this little quiz together. Or maybe not. That would probably mean that I have to climb Everest or K2 or log over 50,000 miles. I have no desire to become that 'experienced'.

Does driving 4 million miles across the US count for anything? Does car camping make me an experienced hiker?????? Just sayin....

Hey Folks. Glad to see that since page 3, the attitudes are lightening up a bit.
You were supposed to enjoy it. sorry if some didn't
It was NEVER meant to be any kind of judge of AT hiking ability.

I did start one on that (but Blister Sister had much better questions than mine) but i just couldn't come up with enough and make the point spread enough.

Which reminds me about the above quote from Oxy97. Sorry man, i don't believe that you really took it enough times to find that out because at least two of your answers were trick questions that had no value (hint: gender is one)

Town guides was actually a detriment (small one)

Ok international travel: Some pluses: metric system (probably the biggest), able to use maps that Don't rely on the Greenwich Meridian, able to use maps that have very strange symbols and scales (some maps in Nepal are 37,000 to 1), resupplying in another language (with ingredients, directions, weights, etc in foreign language also), you'd be amazed at some of the edible things found in the wild (even in the states) that people eat, finding out things like Americans are one of the few people you'll find that do the Malaria preventative (expensive and makes you sick) thing, There are sometimes other cures for things like giardia that are not used in the states, TB exposure treated much differently, and most importantly: respecting other people's customs and becoming a humble and smart traveler. Unlike the guy who i met the other day who goes around saying things like: I'm American, we don't kiss ass, we kick ass!
You say that in the wrong crowd and you may not come back the same.
The list goes on and on of course.
Some of that relates to hiking, some of that relates to achieving a more open mind about many things in life. Is it important? (at least as much as how many pizza's you've called in on your cell phone on a thru IMO)

So, I would change a few questions if i could but unfortunately, once you press the "make public" button, it's a done deal.
I did get feedback from my well travelled hiker friends (all who had more than 10,000 miles experience, and 2 of them were out of the country at the time, two others were hiking) and no one said it was dumb, or doesn't relate, etc.

Maybe a bit too many high altitude questions, i will admit. But it is a different world up there and priorities do change a bit. Should've had perhaps more desert questions (i really liked the cow one though)

But that's ok. I'm going to post it on the CDT-l (once i remember my password) and see how they like it. I'll let you know.

I really think we could have a thread to make up one specifically for AT hikers and start with Blister's questions.

hoz
03-31-2009, 08:43
Thx for the test. It was an interesting exercise for a drizzly spring morning.

I answered truthfully, have never hiked 100 continous miles at one time and my "hard days' are well behind me.

Yet I scored 51%.

Guess I'm just too good to hang around the WB.

sly dog
03-31-2009, 10:05
I dont know how i did it but I scored a 138% . Some bells and horns went off when I submitted my answers and a little confetti flew out of my speakers.
Seriously this thing is a joke. It cant be serious, all questions are based on opinions of the writer and trying to show off his little napsack vacations. It was amusing and fun but it aint real so dont get all pissed off with scores people. I do admit the title of this post is far from actual and it should have been posted in hiking humor forum, can the mods move it?:p

leeki pole
03-31-2009, 10:19
I actually do know my magnetic deviation. I'm pretty proud of that. I would venture that no one in my home county knows it, except naval aviators who would risk landing on our 4,000 foot unsupervised airstrip. :D

BR360
03-31-2009, 10:41
If it floats yer boat, it might be entertaining!

I scored 100% because i read a few questions without answering a single one.

Face validity = very low.
Construct validity = none.
Insidious bias = much, if the survey purports to be anything other than ironic.

Better things to do with my time.

Red Hat
03-31-2009, 16:52
I scored 30% and I've been hiking for more than 50 years! Of course, most of it was in Texas up until I started the AT back in 2003. I did hike a bit in Israel, but less than 100 miles. Of course, my passport has expired since then. And I don't know about using ice axes, tide charts, or much other technical stuff. I do know how to use my hiking poles, pitch my tent, hang my hammock, and carry my backpack. I know enough to rest my feet in the middle of the day, enjoy the views, visit with folks, and have fun. That's what I know about hiking.

saimyoji
03-31-2009, 16:59
when i finished it said my score was "chuck norris." it then promised never to ask me another question if i agreed not to rip the internet right out of it.

Mace
03-31-2009, 17:04
Yeah, same here. I guess I need an ice axe. :rolleyes:

i scored 19% and i HAVE an ice ax... :-?

kanga
03-31-2009, 17:05
i scored 35%. i suck at hiking i guess.
haha. i got a 47. you suck.:banana

Bulldawg
04-01-2009, 20:26
This is the silliest **** I've ever seen in my life!! I didn't see one single question on there that would decide whether or not I could say I had hiking experience. What I got a feeling was that fiddlehead was sort of blowing his own horn with some of those questions! What a waste of my 8 minutes!!!

fiddlehead
04-01-2009, 21:12
This is the silliest **** I've ever seen in my life!! I didn't see one single question on there that would decide whether or not I could say I had hiking experience. What I got a feeling was that fiddlehead was sort of blowing his own horn with some of those questions! What a waste of my 8 minutes!!!

Well, your first sentence says quite a bit about your hiking experience to me.

As for your second one: Do you have a clue what people are talking about if they use the words "magnetic" and "deviation" in the same sentence?

As for the rest, perhaps fiddlehead is just trying to show what HE thinks might be important to know in some hiking situations.

As i've said a few times before, you are more than welcome to create your own and show us what YOU think is important.

Bulldawg
04-01-2009, 21:34
Ok, Ok.

I get the point. You don't want to think about ice axes, snow or adventures in foreign places. Ok.

I'll work on one for cyber hikers then. (I'll aim for higher scores too)

Stay tuned.


Well, your first sentence says quite a bit about your hiking experience to me.

As for your second one: Do you have a clue what people are talking about if they use the words "magnetic" and "deviation" in the same sentence?

As for the rest, perhaps fiddlehead is just trying to show what HE thinks might be important to know in some hiking situations.

As i've said a few times before, you are more than welcome to create your own and show us what YOU think is important.

Still the silliest **** I've ever wasted 8 minutes on. My hiking experience is just fine. I have forgotten more about the mountains within 35 miles of my home than you'll ever dream to know.:cool: That's good enough for me. I don't have to travel to all the continents using a passport to prove I can hike. Silly, just plain waste of time.:eek:

Egads
04-01-2009, 22:29
It's just walking :rolleyes:

A-Train
04-01-2009, 22:31
It's just walking :rolleyes:

No its not. Haven't you learned anything since you've been here?

p.s. I got a 34:)

IceAge
04-02-2009, 11:59
I do know my magnetic declination ( easy here because it's 0) but it is a fairly useless thing to know. First, most maps have the declination listed. Second, most hiking doesn't require a map and compass. Third, when you are actually using a map and compass to hike in 95% of the places people hike, the declination isn't big enough to worry about. If you're hiking in those other 5% areas, you'll be aware of it.

So here is my 'Rate your hiking ability' quiz.

1) Do you know how to tie your shoelaces?

2) Do you like seeing trees up close and personal?

3) Can you handle eating dehydrated or freeze-dried foods for 4 days?

4) Does the idea of walking while carrying a bunch of extra weight appeal to you?

5) Is being a filthy stinky vagrant a problem for you?

If you answered yes to the first 4 and no to 5, congratulations! You are an excellent hiker!

Maddog
04-02-2009, 12:06
42% :)

fredmugs
04-02-2009, 12:39
That was too retarded to even finish. Was there a question asking if you used leaves or toilet paper?

Here's a good gauge on my hiking ability. First time I tried to hike the Grand Canyon to the river and back it about killed me. Second time I finished but the end was very difficult. 3rd time I went down the Bright Angel trail and back up the South Kaibob trail (16.6 miles) in just under 8 hours. Last week I did the reverse hike in 6.5 hours. This came just after doing a 172 mile section of the AT from Standing Bear to Dennis Cove.

The Grand Canyon is no longer a challange to me. Bring on the Presidentials!

Spirit Walker
04-02-2009, 12:55
I had fun with this, though my score was lower than I expected (51%). I think it is more of a measure of your willingness to try new things, learn about the world beyond the safe tourist paths, experience wilderness, and stretch your limits way beyond what you ever dreamed of doing. Not so much a test of hiking ability, than a test of your adventure quotient.

The more I experience of the outdoors, the more I realize that there are whole worlds of adventure that I have never tried. Some are ones I would like to try (like kayaking), some I don't care about (i.e. serious mountaineering). Some I have some experience with, but not as much as I'd like (i.e. rafting and international travel).

Those who thruhike the long trails tend to think they have a lot of experience - but it's all on protected land, with well written guidebooks, maps, markings. We follow the bouncing white blaze or the well trodden paths. The skill set needed to successfully complete a national scenic trail isn't that great. The trails are civilized and other people have done all the thinking for you. AS LW says, "It's just walking."

But it is possible to go to places where there is much more than that. Many of you will never go to those places. Some of us will. This quiz was, in a sense, an invitation -- to see what's out there, see what you can learn, see what you can do, see how much more you can become.

prain4u
04-02-2009, 17:14
I scored very well on this test. HOWEVER, I still think that this test is not all that pertinent to HIKING. It is more of a winter camping and mountaineering survey.

I have done a little of those things. I also have an active passport. I have military experience. The military sent me to Germany--so I spent a very long weekend racking up miles while walking around in the Alps. I have done some long canoe trips in Canada. Thus, I did pretty well on this test.

Do those things inform my hiking and help me in my hiking? Of course! Do they make me a good/great hiker? The jury is still out on that!

Taking college courses in things like meteorology and geology giving you points? PLEASE! How does that INDOOR CLASSROOM experience REALLY help someone with actual OUTDOOR HIKING?

As usual, this test also appears to lift up thru hikers as being a superior species of hiker. I admire thru hikers and respect their achievement. However, a thru hiker may--or may not be a great hiker. There are SOME thru hikers out there who are pretty weak in their outdoor skills and hiking abilities. They were simply extremely persistent as they walked from trail town to trail town (and from hotel to hostel) along a blazed trail in Appalachia for 8-9 months. Remove a few miles worth of blazes and force them to pitch a tent and they would quite possibly fall to pieces.

I know some good old-fashioned backwoods people who practically live in the woods three seasons of the year. They have a high school education (or less). They have probably never left their home State. They don't own an ice ax or a passport. They have REAL work to do and real bills to pay--so they hike short hikes quite often (but not thru hikes or 300+ mile hikes).

Those people have FORGOTTEN more about the outdoors and hiking than most of us will ever know. Yet, they would score very poorly on this test.

Conversely, a pampered college student from a wealthy family could probably do very well on this test (without ever spending much time in the woods or in a tent). This is especially true if their parents financially supported them while they hiked from hostel to hostel for an entire summer in Europe and if they spent a couple of Christmas breaks skiing and hiking in Aspen Colorado. They would get bonus points for being a geology major, owning a valid passport and owning an ice axe. If they also left their food bag in their sleeping area and a bear came up and took it--they probably get even more points on this "hiking" quiz. I believe they also get points for having things like hypothermia! Go figure!

This test is interesting--but has little to do with hiking and backpacking abilities (in my opinion!)

puddingboy
05-11-2009, 22:18
14% Wow I suck

BR360
05-11-2009, 22:22
No, this "test" sucks!

JAK
05-11-2009, 22:38
37% lol
They obvoiusly put WAY too much weight on me playing around in woods and snow.

fiddlehead
05-11-2009, 23:31
Now that the hiking quiz has been up for over a month, here's a few observations:
AT hikers seem to be about 80% negative on the quiz
PCT hikers are about 60% positive
CDT hikers are about 80% positive with their comments on the questions

For the guy who thinks magnetic deviation means nothing, try triangulating your position in CA or ME without knowing it and see how accurate you are. (there's an 8 degree difference or thereabouts)

For all you naysayers on the quiz, i am working on an AT only one.
It will be quite different from the CDT one i'm working on also for sure. (I'll try to keep most of you happy)

AFter reading all comments on 4 different hiking forums, i would perhaps make one or two questions different. I agree it is a little too heavy on higher than 15,000' travel as most can't get to those places.

I do realize that America is a beautiful and vast place with lots of hiking. BUT, I also realize how important it is to learn about other cultures, hiking styles, carrying weight, and the open mind it produces to see these things up close and find yourself the minority in how you hike using traditional American gear and ways. So, i would not take out the question about a passport.

Ok, flame away (again) i can still take it.

fiddlehead
05-11-2009, 23:34
Sorry magnetic deviation is closer to 30 degrees difference between CA and ME.

harryfred
05-12-2009, 00:09
Growing up in sw PA near the WV border wandering thru the woods with nothing more than what I could carry in my pockets some times for days sleeping in the woods without even a blanket.
Bringing my patrol craft in over three hundred miles of open angry ocean with a sick crew and a sticky magnetic compass only.
Climbing an active volcanoe in the Phillipines, walking across a glacier in Oregan and through the swamps in Mississippi
Visiting over fifty countrys and getting along fine in all of them (I could get beer and food no matter what the language barriers).
Going three days out in the Mojave desert with an old sea bag mostly full of rinsed out milk jugs full of water and Cherrios.
None of this seems to count for anything

JAK
05-12-2009, 01:18
Now that the hiking quiz has been up for over a month, here's a few observations:
AT hikers seem to be about 80% negative on the quiz
PCT hikers are about 60% positive
CDT hikers are about 80% positive with their comments on the questions

For the guy who thinks magnetic deviation means nothing, try triangulating your position in CA or ME without knowing it and see how accurate you are. (there's an 8 degree difference or thereabouts)

For all you naysayers on the quiz, i am working on an AT only one.
It will be quite different from the CDT one i'm working on also for sure. (I'll try to keep most of you happy)

AFter reading all comments on 4 different hiking forums, i would perhaps make one or two questions different. I agree it is a little too heavy on higher than 15,000' travel as most can't get to those places.

I do realize that America is a beautiful and vast place with lots of hiking. BUT, I also realize how important it is to learn about other cultures, hiking styles, carrying weight, and the open mind it produces to see these things up close and find yourself the minority in how you hike using traditional American gear and ways. So, i would not take out the question about a passport.

Ok, flame away (again) i can still take it.Well its not really meant to be scientific anyway is it, since you aren't really measuring knowlege, skill, performance, or judgement as directly as you might have? It was still rather thought provoking though. I thought it was interesting that AT hikers are a more negative bunch. lol

JAK
05-12-2009, 01:21
I think rather than hiking ability I think hiking experience might more precise, in terms of what is actually being measured.

fiddlehead
05-12-2009, 03:36
Growing up in sw PA near the WV border wandering thru the woods with nothing more than what I could carry in my pockets some times for days sleeping in the woods without even a blanket.
Bringing my patrol craft in over three hundred miles of open angry ocean with a sick crew and a sticky magnetic compass only.
Climbing an active volcanoe in the Phillipines, walking across a glacier in Oregan and through the swamps in Mississippi
Visiting over fifty countrys and getting along fine in all of them (I could get beer and food no matter what the language barriers).
Going three days out in the Mojave desert with an old sea bag mostly full of rinsed out milk jugs full of water and Cherrios.
None of this seems to count for anything

Don't see how you figure none of that counted for anything???
Desert hiking experience got points,
Hiking in many different countries got points, ( a few times )
Knowing how to triangulate and use a magnetic compass with more than basic skills got points,
Glacier walking got points (if it was more than a few miles anyway)

Sorry i didn't include active vocanos. It's a good experience i agree. (Phillipine's huh? Sounds good, hey, next time you're in the area, stop in and see me in Phuket, got a great trail started here, so far it's only 53 kms but it's full of variety and thick jungle)

Jester2000
05-12-2009, 10:55
Fun to take. Thanks, Fiddlehead!

I scored a 47%, mainly because I rule.

puddingboy
05-12-2009, 21:20
Im looking forward to the AT quiz even though i've never set foot on it.

fiddlehead
05-12-2009, 21:30
It's really tough coming up with questions that would fit only the AT and have different choices with different scores. I have a few but not enough yet.

Suggestions would be welcome (hoping for serious ones but all would be welcome)

puddingboy
05-12-2009, 22:03
It's really tough coming up with questions that would fit only the AT and have different choices with different scores. I have a few but not enough yet.

Suggestions would be welcome (hoping for serious ones but all would be welcome)


How many miles have you done on the trail?
A ) 0 miles
B ) 100 miles
C ) 1000 miles
D ) completed AT or more

Skidsteer
05-12-2009, 22:15
It's really tough coming up with questions that would fit only the AT and have different choices with different scores. I have a few but not enough yet.

Suggestions would be welcome (hoping for serious ones but all would be welcome)

You could ask:

Do you carry a list of liquor store addresses on your Ipod?

troglobil
05-13-2009, 09:52
whats rafting got to do with hiking?