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David@whiteblaze
09-08-2009, 23:25
Okay, this is a really dumb question, but here goes.

Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who say:

"hey look, walmart has everything for backpacking and i bought it, so now what to do with it... aha! ive got it, ill search, searching... searching... AHA! The AT im leaving to hike the at honey!"

I mean, its obvious that those people wont finish, but who are the majority and why? i love reading essays, so if anyone wants to elaborate, pray continue. (it means go ahead.)

unclehud
09-08-2009, 23:51
I see lots of folks starting their through hikes each March. Frankly, I don't think there's any way to predcit or categorize those who finish. It's a little bit luck and a lot of desire. I'm not sure that prior experience, the amount of preparation and planning, or the hours spent readin books and websites make a lot of difference.

Mostly, I think, its the inner drive to keep at it day after day.

Slimer
09-08-2009, 23:58
I did'nt have any experience at all. I simply got off the couch and started walking.

Lone Wolf
09-09-2009, 03:02
Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who say:

"hey look, walmart has everything for backpacking and i bought it, so now what to do with it... aha! ive got it, ill search, searching... searching... AHA! The AT im leaving to hike the at honey!"

I mean, its obvious that those people wont finish, but who are the majority and why?

no. people on WB are not more likely to finish a thru-hike than someone who does it on a spur of the moment

why do you think the walmart hikers won't finish and website patagonia types will?

Doughnut
09-09-2009, 05:32
I am amazed a the hikers I meet who are NOT members here.

Doctari
09-09-2009, 06:37
Just last year I saw a section hiker that did nearly that, she didn't go to Wall Mart, she went to her parents basement & got her Brother's Boy Scout gear. Was on the trail the next week. She did NO research other than to find a trailhead (Damascus). Last time I saw her she was in Atkins having the time of her life.
So, sorry to say: but the "Wall Mart hikers" are not more (or less) likely to finish than anyone else. Yes, she did change some gear on the trail, but after the first week or so it's almost all attitude, she had a good attitude / mind set.

I have also seen "Well prepared hikers" (Patagonia hikers?) who didn't make it past the 100 mile mark, , , and NOT due to gear failure, but to a "Bad attitude".

Maybe White Blaze can help with gear and attitude, but if it isn't in YOU, there is nothing anyone else can say or do to make it work for you.

Hooch
09-09-2009, 06:40
Okay, this is a really dumb question, but here goes.

Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who say:

"hey look, walmart has everything for backpacking and i bought it, so now what to do with it... aha! ive got it, ill search, searching... searching... AHA! The AT im leaving to hike the at honey!"

I mean, its obvious that those people wont finish, but who are the majority and why? i love reading essays, so if anyone wants to elaborate, pray continue. (it means go ahead.)

There is no true, scientific way of accurately predicting who will finish a thru-hike and who won't. Gear actually has less to do with it than you'd probably think. Grandma Gatewood completed the trail in Keds sneakers, slept in a wool army blanket at night, a raincoat and carried it all in a homemade bag carried over her shoulder. Earl Shaffer hiked the trail in worn boots, an army rucksack and didn't carry a stove or a tent. The point is that thru-hiking is a lot less about expensive, status symbol gear than it is about heart, drive, determination, attitude and perseverance. Those 5 things you can't get at any outfitter, with any label or at any price. Either you have them or you don't.

CowHead
09-09-2009, 06:44
attitude is the reason they finish, I'm just a section hiker and I try to do 3 90 mile treks a year. If you don't get discourage no bug, rain, field mice, and the smell will stop you from reaching your goal

Hooch
09-09-2009, 06:52
no. people on WB are not more likely to finish a thru-hike than someone who does it on a spur of the moment Amen. DavidAWB, once you actually get out there, you'll find that the majority of AT hikers haven't even heard of WhiteBlaze, much less be members of it.


why do you think the walmart hikers won't finish and website patagonia types will?Because he's 14 and doesn't know any better. :rolleyes:

Gray Blazer
09-09-2009, 06:59
Because he's 14 and doesn't know any better. :rolleyes:

What's your excuse?:D

Hooch
09-09-2009, 07:01
What's your excuse?:DI'm just a ****tard. :rolleyes::D

Gray Blazer
09-09-2009, 07:03
I'm just a ****tard. :rolleyes::D
Hey, that's my excuse.:eek:

Lyle
09-09-2009, 07:07
First, not being on WB (only one of the ways to do research) does not mean you won't finish a thru.

Second, having no experience does not mean you won't finish a thru.

Third, being out of shape does not mean you won't finish a thru.

Fourth, having the "Wrong" gear does not mean you won't finish a thru.

Fifth, thinking it will mostly be a physical challenge will not mean you won't finish a thru.

Having said all that, my personal belief is that some study and practice can't help but increase your odds. Knowing that you are entering a mental game with yourself, having at least what most consider adequate gear, and more importantly, having some alternatives in mind if you don't like what you have can only increase your chances. Having some sense of what your daily routine will be will make you more comfortable physically. Knowing that it is normal to have some miserable times will be a comfort to you mentally when those times come.

Some research and planning, I think, will always be an asset to a successful thru. Over planning and analyzing can be worse than no planning. Obviously this is my opinion, but if I were designing a scientific experiment, this would be my beginning hypothesis. It makes sense, based on most other activities we engage in.

Marta
09-09-2009, 07:11
I'll go a step further and say that too much theory time is actually detrimental to completing a hike. In Bill Bryson's book, he writes about people quitting because "it wasn't what they expected."

How do people develop those expectations? Some people can develop them in a vaccum, through their own fantasies. But a lot of people develop them through reading books, watching movies, and spending time online. The more time spent in this passive acquisition of "knowledge," the more detailed and specific the fantasies are likely to be.

The actual hiking process is intensely real and physical. When someone has built up elaborate fantasies about The Hike, the real hike is usually a disappointment, even a betrayal.

A successful hiker is more likely to be someone who accepts the realities they find as they find them, and someone who can figure out a way to solve problems as they crop up. Stubborness and a refusal to quit in the face of obstacles is a key personality trait. Knowledge can be helpful, but practical experience is probably more helpful, and a willingness to learn and adapt more helpful still.

And then there's the luck factor. I don't think Whiteblaze has an effect one way or the other on that.

Manwich
09-09-2009, 09:08
I find that a lot of the things people say on Whiteblaze never actually make it on the trail and the attitude is a lot different. That said, take everything with a grain of salt and hyoh.

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 10:06
THANK YOU MARTA!!! I suppose I presented my query the wrong way...

Why do over 1,800 hikers leave the trail after sacrificing a lot just to get there? Is it because of family matters or injury? Is it injuries or understudy e.g. expecting an easy saunter down a well maintained trail with trees on either side? or just a tiring of repitition without anyting to show for it?

And btw, the whole walmart thing was saying that they have a 70+ pound pack because they are used to car camping (like me so far.)

sherrill
09-09-2009, 10:45
Some folks may read a journal on Trailjournals and decide to try, then find out that reading about walking miles in cold rain/snow is vastly different than actually doing it.

Speer Carrier
09-09-2009, 10:49
Okay, this is a really dumb question, but here goes.

Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who say:

"hey look, walmart has everything for backpacking and i bought it, so now what to do with it... aha! ive got it, ill search, searching... searching... AHA! The AT im leaving to hike the at honey!"

I mean, its obvious that those people wont finish, but who are the majority and why? i love reading essays, so if anyone wants to elaborate, pray continue. (it means go ahead.)

While hiking for three weeks this past May, in northern Virginia, our group met perhaps 20-25 thru hikers. I've read here on whiteblaze, that at least 6 have completed their hike now. I think most if not all of them had a good chance of finishing. I asked most of the thru hikers we met if they were familiar with whiteblaze, and non had ever heard of the website. So, I'd say being a member of whiteblaze has very little to do with completing a thru hike. I will note that the age range of those we met was 19-24. That probably has more to do with success rate than computer time. I'll also note that most had pretty good equipment.

John B
09-09-2009, 10:50
The reasons for stopping include being cold, hot, hungry, thirsty, lonely, bored, injured, broke, not being what they expected it to be, sick of rain/snow/drought, disgusted with being filthy, etc.

BTW, David, I think your biblical quote is from Job 1:7, not 1:9.

garlic08
09-09-2009, 12:17
Amen. DavidAWB, once you actually get out there, you'll find that the majority of AT hikers haven't even heard of WhiteBlaze, much less be members of it.

Amen again. I've only actually met three or four other WB hikers, and I never even heard of WB until after my AT thru. It sure didn't affect my hike. My gear and my style reflect my experience, not others'.

Blissful
09-09-2009, 12:41
Hikers have left for the reasons you pointed out - injury, money, disinterest, their best firend left the trail, family issues on the homefront, boredom, don't like the weather. One cannot predict who will finish or not but for sure attitude - the mental factor, plays the greatest role in overcoming the hardship you will encounter.

Ender
09-09-2009, 12:44
[QUOTE=David@whiteblaze;Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than...[/QUOTE]

No, they are not.

The real world is a whole heck of a lot different than the internet, as a lot of people find out when they hit the trail.

Jester2000
09-09-2009, 13:03
The actual hiking process is intensely real and physical. When someone has built up elaborate fantasies about The Hike, the real hike is usually a disappointment, even a betrayal.

I agree with this. I'm certainly NOT a spur of the moment kind of guy -- I need to do some planning. But aside from saving money, the planning I've done has usually been done in a 3-4 month period before the hike, not over a period of 5 years.

I think that all of the info on the internet (not really available for my first thru) can be a good thing in that it helps some people with little experience to get the nerve to get on trail at all, and helps them make some good decisions before they get out there. Like not starting your Southbound thru-hike in February.

On the other hand, I think it's also increased the number of people attempting to thru-hike without seriously affecting the completion rate (I believe the increase in completion percentage is more due to people claiming to have thru-hiked who have not. This is just my opinion.) I think it's created a whole class of "dreamers," many of whom will never attempt a thru-hike, an many others of whom quit when the reality doesn't match the dream.

So like most things (except cheese), the internet can be good or bad, depending on how you use it. I don't think it can be used as a predictor of success.

Personally, I save my elaborate fantasies about the hike for storytelling fodder after I've finished.

Jonnycat
09-09-2009, 13:52
If you don't get discourage no bug, rain, field mice, and the smell will stop you from reaching your goal

I plan every hike with the expectation that I am going to be completely miserable, with tons of bugs, vicious bears, freezing rain, and drunks at every campsite.

When I get out on the trail it turns out to be paradise, and the little things never compare to what I psych myself out to expect them to be.

Works for me!

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 14:39
The reasons for stopping include being cold, hot, hungry, thirsty, lonely, bored, injured, broke, not being what they expected it to be, sick of rain/snow/drought, disgusted with being filthy, etc.

BTW, David, I think your biblical quote is from Job 1:7, not 1:9.
thank u 4 noticing, i changed it...

TOW
09-09-2009, 14:49
Okay, this is a really dumb question, but here goes.

Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who say:

"hey look, walmart has everything for backpacking and i bought it, so now what to do with it... aha! ive got it, ill search, searching... searching... AHA! The AT im leaving to hike the at honey!"

I mean, its obvious that those people wont finish, but who are the majority and why? i love reading essays, so if anyone wants to elaborate, pray continue. (it means go ahead.)
huh?????????:-?

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 14:52
what do u mean huh??????

Gaiter
09-09-2009, 14:55
its all luck, it doesn't matter if you are the perfectly inshape marathon runner or the overweight out of shape kid like me, we get out there and hope for the best, some have the money for better gear, some have the money for beer, some don't have hardly any money at all but what it boils down too is that it doesn't matter, you go out and hike and do the best you can with your money/time/physical abilities and adjust to the surprises that arrise....

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 15:15
ty 4 the answer gaiter, but who wnts to SPEND GOOD COCOA MONEY ON BEER!!!!!!?????

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 15:16
i like hot cocoa...

drastic_quench
09-09-2009, 15:49
ty 4 the answer gaiter, but who wnts to SPEND GOOD COCOA MONEY ON BEER!!!!!!?????
A real man.

But seriously, I think it's likely that online info can only help most people. Which scenario is more likely:

1) The new over-researched hiker who bought into ultra-light philosophy without the skills to hack it and drops out.

2) The new under-researched hiker who starts with a 65+ pounds of gear in a expedition-sized pack and drops out.

I'm betting 2 has always been more common. And for every instance of 1, there's a dozen success stories of people getting informed, taking the middle path, and having that aid be a part of their successful through.

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 15:58
just sayin...that buying beer when large quantities of cocoa are much much cheaper isnt my idea of fun (i tasted beer once by accident and it tasted like moldy bread) and btw, u can be a real man and a christian by definitian, a real man would drink beer, but a real man christian style wouldnt, making to a christian a real man, but to a non-believer a weirdo.

Mags
09-09-2009, 16:20
jbut a real man christian style wouldnt, making to a christian a real man, but to a non-believer a weirdo.

News to my Italian Catholic family. :)

(We have the guilt...but man the food and wine are good! And Dad likes his dark beer, too. )


Hell, if wine is good enough for Jesus (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%202:1-11), it is good enough for me. ;)

drastic_quench
09-09-2009, 16:23
Lighten up, David. I'm not looking for a "definitian" of a real man or a theology debate.

sbhikes
09-09-2009, 16:29
I didn't join whiteblaze until after I completed my hike, my hike that took me two summers to do. I lurked last spring and learned a lot from Mags' articles and web site.

From what I saw out there, gear is rarely the reason people do or do not finish. Attitude is more important. I even met AT veterans who quit the PCT because it didn't meet their expectations.

I suffer from a bad attitude much of the time. So many of the thrus I met had such positive attitudes through all kinds of conditions that made me so incredibly unhappy. I was in awe of their positive attidues. I mean some of them happily hiked in shorts and slept under tarps in mosquitoes that drove me completely insane. And some of them had smiles on their faces in the rain in Washington when I could only curse the state for being so darn wet. But I persevered because I was stubborn and I knew how awful it feels not to finish because I went home after 3 months last year.

To keep myself going, whenever I wanted to go home I just took a few days off right where I was. I returned to the trail in tears many times not wanting to continue, but the tears always dried and I was always glad I kept going.

My light gear helped me a little but what helped the most was just not giving up no matter how hard the mosquitoes and the weather and being sick of hiking day after day made me want to. I don't think I'm special in any way, but a lot of people have said to me not many people out there would persevere like that.

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 17:04
i didnt say wine... i dont consider wine drinking per se, as long as you dont drink it to the point of a hangover.

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 17:08
Lighten up, David. I'm not looking for a "definitian" of a real man or a theology debate.
I know... y else would i say cocoa about beer? i was just kidding, drinking (as long as u're of age) in moderation isnt unbiblical, it's just getting drunk that is. As far as i can tell, most of the people on whiteblaze that talk about beer (including you, meaning no offense) are good natured people that enjoy a tankard w/ friends every so often, not really drunkards.

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 17:09
er maybe that should be bottle. Unless youre irish (or scottish?)

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 17:11
I didn't join whiteblaze until after I completed my hike, my hike that took me two summers to do. I lurked last spring and learned a lot from Mags' articles and web site.

From what I saw out there, gear is rarely the reason people do or do not finish. Attitude is more important. I even met AT veterans who quit the PCT because it didn't meet their expectations.

I suffer from a bad attitude much of the time. So many of the thrus I met had such positive attitudes through all kinds of conditions that made me so incredibly unhappy. I was in awe of their positive attidues. I mean some of them happily hiked in shorts and slept under tarps in mosquitoes that drove me completely insane. And some of them had smiles on their faces in the rain in Washington when I could only curse the state for being so darn wet. But I persevered because I was stubborn and I knew how awful it feels not to finish because I went home after 3 months last year.

To keep myself going, whenever I wanted to go home I just took a few days off right where I was. I returned to the trail in tears many times not wanting to continue, but the tears always dried and I was always glad I kept going.

My light gear helped me a little but what helped the most was just not giving up no matter how hard the mosquitoes and the weather and being sick of hiking day after day made me want to. I don't think I'm special in any way, but a lot of people have said to me not many people out there would persevere like that.
Yet another example of the superheroes of thruing. People like you guys make me feel bad for not being able to do amazing things that earn me bragging rights.

dreamsoftrails
09-09-2009, 17:12
From what I saw out there, gear is rarely the reason people do or do not finish. Attitude is more important. I even met AT veterans who quit the PCT because it didn't meet their expectations.

exactly. i saw a guy with a gear set that many on this site would have ridiculed as useless or even dangerous and he was knocking out 25 mile days with heavy heavy stuff including a big generic pack, 5 lb tent, stearns (wal mart) rain suit, weeks worth of fuel, i could honestly go on.

i believe i heard on here that he finished in about 4 1/2 or 5 months

Blue Jay
09-09-2009, 19:02
The reasons for stopping include being cold, hot, hungry, thirsty, lonely, bored, injured, broke, not being what they expected it to be, sick of rain/snow/drought, disgusted with being filthy, etc.


You are correct, however other than the injury one, those are the reasons I like LD hiking. Once you find out you can be all those things and still be happy, life is a lot better.

Hooch
09-09-2009, 19:18
........you guys make me feel bad for not being able to do amazing things that earn me bragging rights.I hate to break it to ya, but if you're in this for bragging rights, you may want to do some soul searching long before you start your thru.

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 19:39
lol, i'm not, what i meant was that you guys r so awesome, that i wish i could do some of the stuff that you do.

Blissful
09-09-2009, 19:42
David just keeping learning, reading good books, studying, make the grades, honor Mom and Dad and hike when you can...you're gonna do just fine and do even greater things. Glad you're on here.
:)

P.S. That's my son with me on our hike on my avatar - we did the whole AT. He was 16 (turned 17 in Maine)

Hooch
09-09-2009, 19:49
lol, i'm not, what i meant was that you guys r so awesome, that i wish i could do some of the stuff that you do.
You're here and that's a good start. You'll stand out from the video-game generation you're a part of. No one here's awesome, some are just more determined than others. :D

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 19:53
yes, well... I am in awe of the dedication of these determined hikers, so their dedication is worthy of awe, but we all should be looked upon with equal respect (unless proven useless and banned)

superman
09-09-2009, 19:57
I agree. Much of life is about attitude. The most effective thing a person can bring to any under taking is a "good attitude." I don't mean some goofy, sweet bull crap attitude. I mean a purposeful, can do, positive, make it happen attitude.:-?



Just last year I saw a section hiker that did nearly that, she didn't go to Wall Mart, she went to her parents basement & got her Brother's Boy Scout gear. Was on the trail the next week. She did NO research other than to find a trailhead (Damascus). Last time I saw her she was in Atkins having the time of her life.
So, sorry to say: but the "Wall Mart hikers" are not more (or less) likely to finish than anyone else. Yes, she did change some gear on the trail, but after the first week or so it's almost all attitude, she had a good attitude / mind set.

I have also seen "Well prepared hikers" (Patagonia hikers?) who didn't make it past the 100 mile mark, , , and NOT due to gear failure, but to a "Bad attitude".

Maybe White Blaze can help with gear and attitude, but if it isn't in YOU, there is nothing anyone else can say or do to make it work for you.

sbhikes
09-09-2009, 20:06
lol, i'm not, what i meant was that you guys r so awesome, that i wish i could do some of the stuff that you do.
You can and you will. Maybe you already are. You have so much free time as a young person. Maybe you can spend some of it doing a section hike or something.

David@whiteblaze
09-09-2009, 20:12
distance is key, to get a key, i need to have a permit, when i have a key, i can go distance.
-David

Gramps
09-09-2009, 21:42
I plan every hike with the expectation that I am going to be completely miserable, with tons of bugs, vicious bears, freezing rain, and drunks at every campsite.

When I get out on the trail it turns out to be paradise, and the little things never compare to what I psych myself out to expect them to be.

Works for me!

Jonnycat,

I think you hit the nail on the head. Prepare for the worst and the rest will take care of itself. That's what we did in the fire service and it carried us through many a rough time. It is, however, a hard concept to understand that someone would just be reading the paper one day and say, "Oh, by the way, I'm leaving to thru-hike the AT tomorrow", then get up, go to Wally World and buy all the equipment they need in one fell swoop. I think that is setting yourself up for failure. There are exceptions to the rule and for some folks it may be that simple. For me, I will absorb all the knowledge I can get prior to beginning my attempt in 4-5 years, including several multi-night hikes. But no matter what one does, there's always going to be curveballs thrown your way. But bottom line, there is no right or wrong way, only your way. 'Nuff said.

PSy BaSS
09-09-2009, 21:54
pffff come on guys, you aint something special....like i've been told so many times; it's just walking, you guys aint nothin special!! if you feel it thru your body then you might be a little different but you aint better than the rest!! everybody feels like they can conquer the world thru a thru hike but what do they really have???? everytime you think that you can do it; the chances are you can't!!! alot of you guys can't even get thru the average day life; hence the reason you feel you need to walk!! what ever it seems it's not!! there are plenty of challenges in life that will push you to the limits, dont expect that you will solve all your problems walking thru the woods!!

i hate to be the bearer of bad news but you just aint cut out for it!! why?? well the thing is, is that most people really dont like the idea of being different! it sounds great but when it comes down to it everyone just wants to be like everyone else; dreams are wonderful, but what do they really mean?? it doesn;t really matter how you look at the situatuion you still can't see what is the truth! Why? because the truth hurts!!! there aint nobody who really likes the truth put in front of them!!!! walk all you want but you're not going to get any further then you would if you really knew who you were!! i'm just saying that play all the games that you want; if you know that you can compete, then all the power to you! for those that try and can't; well i'm sure there are other things you can entertain yourself with! Dont think for one minute that anybody that can walk is better than anyone that can't; just think about everybody that has the opportunity!!


the lick of life is all we have, dont feel that you are more entileted than me!!

Tinker
09-09-2009, 22:23
There is no true, scientific way of accurately predicting who will finish a thru-hike and who won't. Gear actually has less to do with it than you'd probably think. Grandma Gatewood completed the trail in Keds sneakers, slept in a wool army blanket at night, a raincoat and carried it all in a homemade bag carried over her shoulder. Earl Shaffer hiked the trail in worn boots, an army rucksack and didn't carry a stove or a tent. The point is that thru-hiking is a lot less about expensive, status symbol gear than it is about heart, drive, determination, attitude and perseverance. Those 5 things you can't get at any outfitter, with any label or at any price. Either you have them or you don't.

Grandma Gatewood :On one of her hikes, at least, she used a shower curtain as a raincoat and protection while sleeping (she did take advantage [in a nice way] of the kindness of strangers and slept in houses, garages, sheds, etc. as well as shelters along the trail.
Earl Shaffer: He never hiked in socks. He poured vegetable oil inside his boots, rubbed it in, and put them on his bare feet.
Just a couple of interesting factoids.

Gramps
09-10-2009, 00:56
pffff come on guys, you aint something special....like i've been told so many times; it's just walking, you guys aint nothin special!! if you feel it thru your body then you might be a little different but you aint better than the rest!! everybody feels like they can conquer the world thru a thru hike but what do they really have???? everytime you think that you can do it; the chances are you can't!!! alot of you guys can't even get thru the average day life; hence the reason you feel you need to walk!! what ever it seems it's not!! there are plenty of challenges in life that will push you to the limits, dont expect that you will solve all your problems walking thru the woods!!

i hate to be the bearer of bad news but you just aint cut out for it!! why?? well the thing is, is that most people really dont like the idea of being different! it sounds great but when it comes down to it everyone just wants to be like everyone else; dreams are wonderful, but what do they really mean?? it doesn;t really matter how you look at the situatuion you still can't see what is the truth! Why? because the truth hurts!!! there aint nobody who really likes the truth put in front of them!!!! walk all you want but you're not going to get any further then you would if you really knew who you were!! i'm just saying that play all the games that you want; if you know that you can compete, then all the power to you! for those that try and can't; well i'm sure there are other things you can entertain yourself with! Dont think for one minute that anybody that can walk is better than anyone that can't; just think about everybody that has the opportunity!!


the lick of life is all we have, dont feel that you are more entileted than me!!

Is this guy for real? If so, who the hell does he think he is? I've heard some real wack-os in my life, but he definitely is near the top. Fella, I'll assume you're making comments out of sheer ignorance. I don't believe hardly anyone thinks they are better than anyone else. People walk/hike because they want to prove something to themselves, not anyone else. And as to being able to cut it in real life, I've already done that 3 times over. Thru-hikers are not out to conquer the world, just see more of it. And anyone who doesn't succeed isn't a failure. Why don't you get off your fat rear in your yatch and do something for once? Nobody really gives a horse's patootie what you think anyway. Better still, why don't you stick your johnson out there and let the sharks have it?
(Note to mods: sorry about the outburst, but I hear enough idiots in my life that sometimes I just go off. My apologies!):mad:

Mr. Parkay
09-10-2009, 02:22
A real man.

But seriously, I think it's likely that online info can only help most people. Which scenario is more likely:

1) The new over-researched hiker who bought into ultra-light philosophy without the skills to hack it and drops out.

2) The new under-researched hiker who starts with a 65+ pounds of gear in a expedition-sized pack and drops out.

I'm betting 2 has always been more common. And for every instance of 1, there's a dozen success stories of people getting informed, taking the middle path, and having that aid be a part of their successful through.

I agree with all of the above statements. A Whiteblaze hiker is probably more likely to complete the trail because they will be less likely to make certain gear mistakes... such as starting with 65+ pounds of car camping equipment. Some of these folks will tough it out, others buy new gear at Neels Gap, but many others just go home.

This may only affect a small percentage of hikers, but it's definitely something.

Over the years, I'd say that Whiteblaze has been directly responsible for a great deal of successful thru-hikes :)

David@whiteblaze
09-10-2009, 09:33
that was one part of what i was asking for... i wasnt looking for someone to say that people make it on thier own or that i'm not going to finish just bcuz im sittin on whiteblaze (its true though. if i sit here, ill never get a hike. if i get up, ill b able 2 hike atleast a little.)

PSy BaSS
09-10-2009, 09:59
i'm not really quite sure that my above post came out the right way! i admire all thru hikers and believe they are a tenacious and courageous breed! i only hope to be half as tough as most of the people walking along the trails! now in regards to my earlier post; i think what i was trying to say is that anybody that that thinks they can read a whole lot of information and think they can do it, can't! i think i was trying to get across is that there is a special breed of people out there that don't even realise what it is about them, that they can complete anything they set their minds to. they dont know what it is in side them they just feel it. what i said earlier wasn't out of ignorance it was just wrongly expressed and i do apologise for getting such a rise. next time i've had a few too many, i'll try and chose to keep my mouth zipped up!

sorry Gramps........ but do you mind if i keep my johnson away from the pointy end

Jester2000
09-10-2009, 10:25
You're here and that's a good start. You'll stand out from the video-game generation you're a part of. No one here's awesome, some are just more determined than others. :D

I'm awesome.


pffff come on guys, you aint something special....like i've been told so many times; it's just walking, you guys aint nothin special!! if you feel it thru your body then you might be a little different but you aint better than the rest!! everybody feels like they can conquer the world thru a thru hike but what do they really have???? everytime you think that you can do it; the chances are you can't!!! alot of you guys can't even get thru the average day life; hence the reason you feel you need to walk!! what ever it seems it's not!! there are plenty of challenges in life that will push you to the limits, dont expect that you will solve all your problems walking thru the woods!!

i hate to be the bearer of bad news but you just aint cut out for it!! why?? well the thing is, is that most people really dont like the idea of being different! it sounds great but when it comes down to it everyone just wants to be like everyone else; dreams are wonderful, but what do they really mean?? it doesn;t really matter how you look at the situatuion you still can't see what is the truth! Why? because the truth hurts!!! there aint nobody who really likes the truth put in front of them!!!! walk all you want but you're not going to get any further then you would if you really knew who you were!! i'm just saying that play all the games that you want; if you know that you can compete, then all the power to you! for those that try and can't; well i'm sure there are other things you can entertain yourself with! Dont think for one minute that anybody that can walk is better than anyone that can't; just think about everybody that has the opportunity!!


the lick of life is all we have, dont feel that you are more entileted than me!!

This was an excellent attempt at replicating a Matthewski post. Major mistake: too many words spelled correctly.


. . .they will be less likely to make certain gear mistakes... such as starting with 65+ pounds of car camping equipment.

Plenty of people have finished thrus with 65+ pounds of car camping equipment. The mistake would be trying to carry the car.

DrRichardCranium
09-10-2009, 11:29
Okay, here's another question: If it is all about attitude & perseverance, then why has the % completion rate changed?

It used to be that of those that attempted an AT thru-hike, only 10% would make it. Successful thru-hikers were called "10 percenters."

But according to the AT conservancy figures, in the last 10-15 years it seems that closer to 20% make it.

Why is that?

tlbj6142
09-10-2009, 11:36
Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who sayObviously, no.

As a side note, I am constantly amazed at the number of folks that I meet in the back country that do very little research. Anywhere. Maybe its my personality, but I like to, at least, have some idea what I looking for when I go to a store, new trail, etc. I can understand this behavior 15 years ago when it was harder to find information, but now 10s on google...

But then, this seems to be quite common in other areas as well. Recently, I've been looking for a new cell phone. I go to a store, and 99% of the time, the salesperson doesn't mention anything other than "the looks" or the "the price" of the device. They don't have a clue how to sell it. Or understand any of the devices real features that make it "better" than another phone. Which makes me think we have way too many impulse buyers out there....

garlic08
09-10-2009, 14:52
Okay, here's another question: If it is all about attitude & perseverance, then why has the % completion rate changed?

It used to be that of those that attempted an AT thru-hike, only 10% would make it. Successful thru-hikers were called "10 percenters."

But according to the AT conservancy figures, in the last 10-15 years it seems that closer to 20% make it.

Why is that?

Excellent point. I've pondered that, too, and my guess is that it's at least partly because of the use of more appropriate gear for a thru hike (lighter pack and shoes, for instance). Why has this usage increased? In my experience, it's mainly word of mouth out on the trail (look at how many people refit during their hike), but certainly internet forums have something to do with it, for some at least.

One related issue--I think one of the driving forces behind the availability of lightweight gear is the adventure racing phenomenon. There is actually prize money there, and that drives competitors to seek an edge. Those competitors spend big bucks on entrance fees, travel, support, etc, so a few thousand on gear is no big deal, and manufacturers market to and sponsor them. Then hikers have access to 5-oz ice axes, better running shoes, UL shelters, etc.

Jester2000
09-10-2009, 15:02
Okay, here's another question: If it is all about attitude & perseverance, then why has the % completion rate changed?

It used to be that of those that attempted an AT thru-hike, only 10% would make it. Successful thru-hikers were called "10 percenters."

But according to the AT conservancy figures, in the last 10-15 years it seems that closer to 20% make it.

Why is that?

I suspect (and again, this is just my opinion) that to a large degree it has to do with people submitting for certificates who have not hiked the entire trail. I've met an awful lot of people in WV, MD, and PA who will freely admit to skipping sections in Virginia and are still comfortable with referring to what they're doing as a thru-hike and themselves as thru-hikers. I suspect these folks are equally comfortable with submitting their hikes to ATC as thru-hikes.

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 15:22
Jester's opinion is one hundred per cent correct.

Most of the folks in recent years who have reported a completed thru-hike to Harpers Ferry have not, in fact, hiked the entire Trail.

The ATC's "completion rate" figures, especially in the years that they approach 25%, are a joke. I have long suspected that the actual completion rate is well under five, and probably closer to 1-3 per cent of the folks who start at one end or another with the avowed intention of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.

(I will now be bombarded with outraged posts from people who haven't hiked much demanding where I get my figures from. The answer is from hiking with, spending time with, and observing countless thousands of long-distance A.T. hikers over the the past 15 years. And the simple truth is that by the time folks get to Maine or New Hampshire, just about everyone has skipped something somewhere along the line. Sorry, folks, but that's a simple truth, like it or not).

DrRichardCranium
09-10-2009, 15:31
But why would there be more of that (lying about completing a thru-hike) just in the last 10-15 years?

sbhikes
09-10-2009, 15:44
there is a special breed of people out there that don't even realise what it is about them, that they can complete anything they set their minds to

People have described me this way, but I don't think I'm special in any way at all. I think I'm sort of a loser. Walking a long way translates into nothing of any value out in the "real" (mundane) world. I can put up with pain and mosquitoes and walking 30 miles a day but I can't seem to tolerate office politics. I love how on the trail you can just walk away from people who bug you.

On the PCT I think a true, perfect thru-hike is pretty rare. There always seems to be some part of the trail that's closed. I didn't thru-hike, and there is still a small segment I have not completed, but I still feel a huge sense of accomplishment for what I did. I do not try to pass it off as a thru-hike, but I do say I completed the hike because as far as I'm concerned, I completed MY hike, my HYOH hike.

I kind of resent when people call not finishing the trail in one year a failure, as in when people ask "why do so many people fail to complete the trail?". If you just sit around your whole life saying "someday..." and then never do it, that's a failure. Starting the trail and then finding out it's going to take you more than one year to complete it is not a failure.

tlbj6142
09-10-2009, 15:48
But why would there be more of that (lying about completing a thru-hike) just in the last 10-15 years?Maybe it is easier to lie now? In the past I had to request a form (via snailmail) and then mail it back, along with some sort of "proof"? Now I just fill out a web form? The former provides lots of opportunities for your conscious and/or laziness to catch up with you, the later does not.

Just a thought....

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 15:48
There would be more lying about it (without remote fear of embarassment) because our world and society have indeed changed in the past fifteen years.

In the mid nineties, if people skipped chunks of the Trail or yellow-blazed, they kept this to themselves, and if it were publicly known, people thought less of them. So folks were pretty mum about this.

Now, nobody cares, and people don't bother to keep such things secret.

There is no shame anymore, and this goes for a lot of things.

In short, Richard, things have indeed changed over the past few years, and I'll leave it up to individuals to decide whether things have changed for the better.

ShoelessWanderer
09-10-2009, 16:13
A lot of people on whiteblaze are avid hikers, and therefore yes I think they'd have a better shot. But a lot of whiteblazers never get off the computer, they are getting their "experience" by reading other peoples post. I don't think they have a better shot. You gotta get out there and experience backpacking, there are only so many things you can learn from a computer!

DrRichardCranium
09-10-2009, 16:21
There would be more lying about it (without remote fear of embarassment) because our world and society have indeed changed in the past fifteen years.

mm, I don't think I buy into that. It's the old "In the old days, people were better/more moral/honest etc." Usually BS.

Not that I think people are so great now, but that people a few years back could be just as sleazy. 15 years isn't that long ago.

Could there be other explanations too? Maybe there really ARE more people completing the trail, due to better gear & more info about how to do a thru-hike? Or maybe more people are actually bothering to submit the applications now?

Jester2000
09-10-2009, 16:54
There is no shame anymore, and this goes for a lot of things.


mm, I don't think I buy into that. It's the old "In the old days, people were better/more moral/honest etc." Usually BS.

Not that I think people are so great now, but that people a few years back could be just as sleazy. 15 years isn't that long ago.

Could there be other explanations too? Maybe there really ARE more people completing the trail, due to better gear & more info about how to do a thru-hike? Or maybe more people are actually bothering to submit the applications now?

I'd normally agree with you, but we're not talking about thirty or forty years ago, we're talking about a noticeable change over a relatively short span of time. I can freely admit that I wasn't part of the hiking community prior to 2000, as Jack was. But I can say that even in 2000 it was considered shameful to skip sections, and something people kept to themselves. People who were known to have skipped, particularly people whom one seemed to see in town but never on the trail, were looked down upon.

Now, one could make the argument that prior to the current era these folks skipped sections, kept it to themselves, and still submitted a thru-hike claim to ATC. On the other hand, I know of a number of hikers from 2000 who, even though they summitted Katahdin, did not consider themselves to have thru-hiked and never claimed it.

Since my hike of the AT, I've probably talked to a couple of thousand "thru-hikers," and I can say that from my experience a surprisingly large number both a) considered themselves thru-hikers and b) openly talked about skipping sections. Most who did so didn't feel like they were "admitting" anything, and most did not seem to even recognize that the two things were incompatible.

So I think that Jack is either right about the lack of shame, or there's a fundamental misunderstanding about what thru-hiking is, or perhaps it's been watered down to the point that it has no particular meaning to many.

I'm certainly not the kind of person who could be described as a purist regarding long-distance hiking, as I frankly don't really care what other people choose to do. I was only offering my opinion about the rise in completion rates, and I suspect that the availability of online information has less to do with it than many think.

A-Train
09-10-2009, 16:57
There is no shame anymore, and this goes for a lot of things.


Like associating with Jester?

Lilred
09-10-2009, 17:25
Okay, here's another question: If it is all about attitude & perseverance, then why has the % completion rate changed?

It used to be that of those that attempted an AT thru-hike, only 10% would make it. Successful thru-hikers were called "10 percenters."

But according to the AT conservancy figures, in the last 10-15 years it seems that closer to 20% make it.

Why is that?

Could it be because the AT counts thru hikes and section hikes as the same thing, 2000 milers? So any section hiker that finishes the AT, can register as a 2000 miler. As time goes on, more and more people start sectioning, more and more will start finishing. Those finishing would obviously start increasing.

sbhikes
09-10-2009, 17:42
I'm debating whether to get a 2600 miler patch for the PCT. I hiked 3000 miles on the PCT, but there are a few miles I missed. I think it's an achievement to have hiked some of the least favored miles twice. But I probably won't get one just because I don't want to dilute others' achievement. I know what I did and am pretty darn proud and happy with it. I think I'd rather have a tattoo anyway.

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 17:46
Geez, guys, there's a tendency to over-intellectualize things here, and what we're talking about isn't that complicated.

Once upon a time (and it was a lot less than 15 years ago, too) hikers didn't openly lie about this sort of thing, and it was considered kinda low rent and vulgar not only to lie about it, but also to DO what you were later lying about. But bottom line, people simply DIDN"T lie about it because they knew there was an onus and a certain ammount of shame in being known to lie about it. In short, people skipped chunks back then but they were a helluva lot more discreet about it.

This is no longer the case.

And sorry, as for people saying "This is BS, we're not talking about that many years ago, things cvan't have changed that much in so short a period of time, blah, blah....."

Sorry. We're talking about something that you obviously DON'T know about, because anyone that was actively out hiking ten or fifteen years ago would know that everything Jester and I have commented on above is the truth. Most of today's "thru-hikers" haven't hiked the entire Trail, and their friends and contemporaries are perfectly aware of this. Nobody cares. But the fact remains, the annual "completion" rate these days is under five per cent.

bigmac_in
09-10-2009, 17:56
But the fact remains, the annual "completion" rate these days is under five per cent.


Jack,

I'm curious - how do you come up with this number? If it is a "fact", what hard data do you have to support it? I must admit, it is an interesting number.

CowHead
09-10-2009, 17:58
the old days were no better than the new days information is quicker lets say someone here seen hiker x at damascus then 2 day laters someone sees hiker x at harpers ferry the logic would shown something stinks and it's not cowpoo. The internet makes catching the jumpers alot easier

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 18:06
Bigmac:

Since you asked:

I've spent an awful lot of time on the Trail since 1995.

This includes seven consecutive thru-hikes from 1997-2003 and several thousand miles since.

In the course of this, I've met thousands of the men and women who have been "long-distance" hiking on the A.T. since 1995. I've met them, hiked with them (often for long periods of time), I've seen them on the Trail, run into them in Trail towns, put up hundreds of them at my home.

And very very few of them ever identify themselves as absolute hardcore Trail purists, i.e., virtually none of them in recent years would ever identify themselves this way. (And of course, if you'd spent significant time with these people, you'd know what they wre anyway, i.e. if they were lying about it, people hiking with them would know.

Bottom line, Bigmac, is that by the time one arrives in NH or Maine, i.e. by the time one is 80 or 90% done, just about everyone has skipped something. The number of folks who started the Trail committed to hiking every mile and who have actually been at pains to do so, well that number is very small late in the trip. And by Katahdin, that number is tiny.

The "hard data" you mentioned, Bigmac, is based on what I've seen from the folks I've met or hiked with, who constitute the majority of folks who've claimed thru-hiker status since 1995.

And the hard data indicates that just about all of them skipped something somewhere along the line.

Sorry, but a simple truth does not become questionable merely because it makes people uncomfortable.

leeki pole
09-10-2009, 18:08
I'll tell you, hiking sections is tough. Probably tougher than a thru, although I can't speak to that. I've run 2 marathons, 13 half marathons but nothing compares to a section and then having to go back to the world. Even after a long training run I go home to my family and a nice hot shower and a warm bed. But before and after a section, you deal with all the family reponsibilities, work, bills, house, taking and picking up the dogs from the kennel, pick up points on the trail and re-entering into a world much different than where you have been. Logistically, you have to plan all this out, if you're responsible. I would think that a thru would be much, much easier than a section. You just give it all up and walk. Maybe someday I'll find out for sure.

Jester2000
09-10-2009, 18:11
Like associating with Jester?

Especially that. There was a time not too long ago when right-thinking individuals paid heed to the warnings of people who had never met me, and made sure not to associate themselves with me or those with whom I chose to associate.

There was a time that the shame associated with being seen hanging out with the kind of person I was said to be was such that people made sure not to find out first hand what hanging out with me might be like.

Thank God those days are over. It was getting lonely, or so I've been told.

Jester2000
09-10-2009, 18:15
I'll tell you, hiking sections is tough. Probably tougher than a thru, although I can't speak to that. I've run 2 marathons, 13 half marathons but nothing compares to a section and then having to go back to the world. Even after a long training run I go home to my family and a nice hot shower and a warm bed. But before and after a section, you deal with all the family reponsibilities, work, bills, house, taking and picking up the dogs from the kennel, pick up points on the trail and re-entering into a world much different than where you have been. Logistically, you have to plan all this out, if you're responsible. I would think that a thru would be much, much easier than a section. You just give it all up and walk. Maybe someday I'll find out for sure.

I agree with quite a bit of this. I've often said that it must be tough to section hike, if only because by the time you really get your hiking legs under you, and just as you're getting really comfortable on the trail, it's time to go home.

Plus, the dedication it takes to hike the entire trail over a number of years, sticking to it and going out year after year, is impressive.

I suspect they're both very difficult, for different reasons.

rcli4
09-10-2009, 19:04
Jack bloviated....
The "hard data" you mentioned, Bigmac, is based on what I've seen from the folks I've met or hiked with, who constitute the majority of folks who've claimed thru-hiker status since 1995

Do you really believe this? Bob Peoples "might" be able to claim that but he is about it.

Clyde

Egads
09-10-2009, 19:17
Bigmac:

Since you asked:

I've spent an awful lot of time on the Trail since 1995.

This includes seven consecutive thru-hikes from 1997-2003 and several thousand miles since.

In the course of this, I've met thousands of the men and women who have been "long-distance" hiking on the A.T. since 1995. I've met them, hiked with them (often for long periods of time), I've seen them on the Trail, run into them in Trail towns, put up hundreds of them at my home.

And very very few of them ever identify themselves as absolute hardcore Trail purists, i.e., virtually none of them in recent years would ever identify themselves this way. (And of course, if you'd spent significant time with these people, you'd know what they wre anyway, i.e. if they were lying about it, people hiking with them would know.

Bottom line, Bigmac, is that by the time one arrives in NH or Maine, i.e. by the time one is 80 or 90% done, just about everyone has skipped something. The number of folks who started the Trail committed to hiking every mile and who have actually been at pains to do so, well that number is very small late in the trip. And by Katahdin, that number is tiny.

The "hard data" you mentioned, Bigmac, is based on what I've seen from the folks I've met or hiked with, who constitute the majority of folks who've claimed thru-hiker status since 1995.

And the hard data indicates that just about all of them skipped something somewhere along the line.

Sorry, but a simple truth does not become questionable merely because it makes people uncomfortable.

Strange that I've never met anyone taking surveys on the trail; by that fact alone, your data is skewed.

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 19:19
Gee, sorry your argument considted only of insults. You should try facts sometime, based on actual field experience.

Feel free to tell us about yours.

And speaking of accuracy, I dunno what Bob Peoples would have to say about all this. Since he didn't take in hikers in Dennis Cove til the spring of 1997, I kinda doubt he had too much to say about figures from 1995.

But, gee, since you seem so extraordinarily well informed on this....... :D

Maybe when you actually know what you're talking about, you can "bloviate", too.

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 19:22
My above comment was obviously based on previous poster, not Egads.

But speaking of him, no, my figures are based on what I personally oberved, i.e personally witnessed.

If you want to attack this and call it "skewed", well feel free. But when you do so, tell us how and why you're better equipped to talk about the subject.

We're all ears.

Egads
09-10-2009, 19:23
My above comment was obviously based on previous poster, not Egads.

But speaking of him, no, my figures are based on what I personally observed, i.e personally witnessed.

If you want to attack this and call it "skewed", well feel free. But when you do so, tell us how and why you're better equipped to talk about the subject.

We're all ears.

I'm not making the wild claims am I???

mudcap
09-10-2009, 19:27
I'm not making the wild claims am I???
Dunno,what the heck are you saying ?:rolleyes:...or trying to say. English is my first language,hope that works for you.:D

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 19:32
Egads:

Your profile reveals that you've been sectioning since 2006.

My comments were based on personal observations, and personal declarations (i.e. spoken comments) from hundreds and hundreds of people that I met, very, very few of whom claimed to be total purists, and in fact, most of whom made it very clear that they were anything but.

But please tell us based on your vast experience over the years how my claims are "wild".

The only one making wild accusations here is you.

Lugnut
09-10-2009, 20:16
It isn't a "fact" till you write it down! Did you? :D

Bulldawg
09-10-2009, 21:22
Jack, you have a lot of miles, a lot of people respect you and take what you say to heart as fact. But just because you have a lot of miles, have seen a lot of hikers, etc. etc. etc. doesn't make you the absolute authority on the "facts" concerning the data here. I don't know if ANYONE can present the absolute "FACTS" unless we gave every single hiker starting at Springer a tracking braclet like criminals wear while on parole or whatnot and track their every move. Only then would one be able to present this as indisputable fact. Thanks!


People who were known to have skipped, particularly people whom one seemed to see in town but never on the trail, were looked down upon.

I know some folks posting in this thread that I could say this about, but I won't.

rcli4
09-10-2009, 21:25
Gee, sorry your argument considted only of insults. You should try facts sometime, based on actual field experience.

Feel free to tell us about yours.

And speaking of accuracy, I dunno what Bob Peoples would have to say about all this. Since he didn't take in hikers in Dennis Cove til the spring of 1997, I kinda doubt he had too much to say about figures from 1995.

But, gee, since you seem so extraordinarily well informed on this....... :D

Maybe when you actually know what you're talking about, you can "bloviate", too.

There is no arguement. Even the most casual of observers would understand that if they are out hiking they couldn't possibly know the majority of the other hikers. The ones within a couple of weeks, yes but most? My reference to Bob was that someone along the trail was more apt to meet more hikers. But Jack, keep typing and you will make this thread about you, like you always do.

Clyde

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 21:29
I like cheesecake. . . .

David@whiteblaze
09-10-2009, 21:32
I like cheesecake. . . .
Hey, me too... maybe we should start a forum here 4 lovers of cheesecake.

Skidsteer
09-10-2009, 21:36
Hey, me too... maybe we should start a forum here 4 lovers of cheesecake.

Many people think they love cheesecake but they've never eaten real cheesecake.

Bulldawg
09-10-2009, 21:39
Many people think they love cheesecake but they've never eaten real cheesecake.


What is a real cheesecake??

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 21:43
I like box cheesecake and I think an entire forum dedicated to cheesecake might be overkill. . .

David@whiteblaze
09-10-2009, 21:51
i was jk. any cheescake'll cut it 4 me, but fresh beats all.

Egads
09-10-2009, 21:59
Have you been eating cheesecake for as many years as I have? Or have you eaten an entire cheese cake without munching on anything else?

Did you know that of all the people who attempt to eat a cheesecake only 5-10% complete it?

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 22:26
Have you been eating cheesecake for as many years as I have? Or have you eaten an entire cheese cake without munching on anything else?

Did you know that of all the people who attempt to eat a cheesecake only 5-10% complete it?

I ate an entire cheesecake in '06 with cherry topping and a full bowl of cool whip. . . true story. . .

Bulldawg
09-10-2009, 22:29
I ate an entire cheesecake in '06 with cherry topping and a full bowl of cool whip. . . true story. . .


Impressive!!

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 22:30
Impressive!!
Thanks. . . last year I was only able to eat about 3/4 of a cheesecake but I did finish the cool whip. . . .

Bulldawg
09-10-2009, 22:33
Thanks. . . last year I was only able to eat about 3/4 of a cheesecake but I did finish the cool whip. . . .


With age comes loss of more than your appetite my friend.:rolleyes::confused:

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 22:34
With age comes loss of more than your appetite my friend.:rolleyes::confused:
I know. . . I can no longer eat an entire box of Boo-Berry in one setting. . . . :(

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 22:35
http://www.i-mockery.com/booberry/starwarsboo.jpg

Jack Tarlin
09-10-2009, 22:36
Clyde:

Why do you feel the need to insult people? Do you think it furthers your argument?

There was never an attempt, as you said, to make this thread about me. In point of fact, the thread was already a few days old and had 60-odd posts on it before I joined the discussion, and in doing so, I wasn't trying to make the thread about me. In fact, all I did was agree with what another poster had previously said, which is that most of the folks nowadays who sign in at Harpers Ferry to report a completed thru-hike of the entire A.T. have not, in fact, hiked the Trail in its entirety.

I'm sorry this fact makes you so uncomfortable, but saying nasty things about me doesn't alter this simple truth.

If you want more credibility on matters like this, well maybe you should spend more time actually on the Trail interacting with hikers. Then when you criticize other people's comments you might actually have some foundation for your complaints.

Cuz right now you don't.

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 22:38
Clyde:

Why do you feel the need to insult people? Do you think it furthers your argument?


Yeah. . . . what's up with that Clyde???

rcli4
09-10-2009, 22:43
Well I have eaten more cheese cake then anyone else. While I am eating cheesecake I keep an eye on all the other people eating cheese cake. I know that less then 5% of people actually eat all the cheese cake. Some people just fondle the cheese cake and put it back.

Clyde

rcli4
09-10-2009, 22:50
Clyde:

Why do you feel the need to insult people? Do you think it furthers your argument?

There was never an attempt, as you said, to make this thread about me. In point of fact, the thread was already a few days old and had 60-odd posts on it before I joined the discussion, and in doing so, I wasn't trying to make the thread about me. In fact, all I did was agree with what another poster had previously said, which is that most of the folks nowadays who sign in at Harpers Ferry to report a completed thru-hike of the entire A.T. have not, in fact, hiked the Trail in its entirety.

I'm sorry this fact makes you so uncomfortable, but saying nasty things about me doesn't alter this simple truth.

If you want more credibility on matters like this, well maybe you should spend more time actually on the Trail interacting with hikers. Then when you criticize other people's comments you might actually have some foundation for your complaints.

Cuz right now you don't.


Jack,
You just answered your own arguement. You have no idea how much time I have spent on the trail. You may very well be right about your percentage of actual finishers. But the fact remains, your making stuff up. You have absolutly no way to back up your bloviating. Rather then post facts you make the arguement about how much you have hiked. This aint got nothing to do with how much you hiked it has to do with how much you are making stuff up. If you can back your statement with FACTS go ahead, otherwise, go fondle a pork chop.

Clyde

warraghiyagey
09-10-2009, 22:57
Pork chop flavored beer. . . that would be good. . .

rcli4
09-10-2009, 23:05
Pork chop flavored beer. . . that would be good. . .

You might be a dirty pee pants.

Bearpaw
09-10-2009, 23:13
I like box cheesecake . . .

Mmmm...

Box cheesecake washed down with box wine. Now THAT's a delicacy!

Bulldawg
09-11-2009, 00:49
Mmmm...

Box cheesecake washed down with box wine. Now THAT's a delicacy!

Red or white?? Or does it depend on the topping?

warraghiyagey
09-11-2009, 07:04
Mmmm...

Box cheesecake washed down with box wine. Now THAT's a delicacy!

:sun:sun:sun:sun


Red or white?? Or does it depend on the topping?
White, with cherry topping! :):):)

David@whiteblaze
09-11-2009, 08:29
sounds like the AT would b the best place to eat cheesecake, many fewer calorie counts.

JaxHiker
09-11-2009, 09:03
Sure seems to be a lot of uptight people around here lately. Stop posting and hike already.

warraghiyagey
09-11-2009, 09:16
Sure seems to be a lot of uptight people around here lately. Stop posting and hike already.
You're not the boss of me. . . . :p

Heater
09-11-2009, 09:33
You're not the boss of me. . . . :p

I am making a Fromunda Cheesecake to settle him down.

Pedaling Fool
09-11-2009, 09:39
Okay, this is a really dumb question, but here goes.

Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who say:

"hey look, walmart has everything for backpacking and i bought it, so now what to do with it... aha! ive got it, ill search, searching... searching... AHA! The AT im leaving to hike the at honey!"

I mean, its obvious that those people wont finish, but who are the majority and why? i love reading essays, so if anyone wants to elaborate, pray continue. (it means go ahead.)
You see David, how much trouble you started with the topic of "thru-hiker";)

There's just no point in pondering this thing, because it's so subjective. It's as if most that attempt to hike the AT are just doing it for the prestige of being a thru-hiker, or at least that's seems to be central. It was smart of the ATC to not attempt to define, but then they came up with a 2,000 miler certificate:datz.

To focus on this is to lose focus on the big picture -- Hiking.

A last thought to the term Thru-hiker:
I do believe there is a traditional connotation of the term thru-hiker that many hold dear, which stems from a time when the AT community was much smaller, but that time is fading, much like how cultures die off and with them their language. Kind of sad, but what can you do.



.

Jester2000
09-11-2009, 12:12
Hmmm. I see now what happens when I post a thoughtful opinion in response to a question. I'll try not to do that again.

Mags
09-11-2009, 12:12
Pork chop flavored beer. . . that would be good. . .


Stay tuned..your wish is almost true!

http://gobohd.com/shows/BeerNation/?p=239


Or...just go for broke:
http://www.bevlaw.com/bevlog/fv/bacon-flavored-vodka

Mags
09-11-2009, 12:16
Mmmm...

Box cheesecake washed down with box wine. Now THAT's a delicacy!

Been there and done that... :)

The cheesecake made:

http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=13520&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=119b28e3dc3f09387b46a5aa240c9c76

From the same trip, the wine we washed it down with:
http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=13486&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=119b28e3dc3f09387b46a5aa240c9c76

Egads
09-11-2009, 12:45
Been there and done that... :)

The cheesecake made:

http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=13520&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=119b28e3dc3f09387b46a5aa240c9c76

From the same trip, the wine we washed it down with:
http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=13486&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=119b28e3dc3f09387b46a5aa240c9c76

I found a hero, eating an entire cheese cake & washing it down on a hike:banana

warraghiyagey
09-11-2009, 12:59
You see David, how much trouble you started with the topic of "thru-hiker";)

There's just no point in pondering this thing, because it's so subjective. It's as if most that attempt to hike the AT are just doing it for the prestige of being a thru-hiker, or at least that's seems to be central. It was smart of the ATC to not attempt to define, but then they came up with a 2,000 miler certificate.

What at all does this have to do with cheesecake. . . .?:confused:

JaxHiker
09-11-2009, 13:59
You're not the boss of me. . . . :p
I see how it's gonna be. :bse

CowHead
09-11-2009, 16:18
i like beer
it makes me a jolly good fellow
i like beer
it stays together better than jello

David@whiteblaze
09-12-2009, 08:35
What at all does this have to do with cheesecake. . . .?:confused:

Well... On page 5 or so, there was a rather large and uneventful debate, after which, jester mentioned his love of the food. I seconded that and the following 15 or 20 posts were following that same line of topic.

Jack Tarlin
09-12-2009, 10:15
Hey Clyde:

Your argument still hasn't changed. All you're doing is insulting me. Pretty pathetic way to make your point.

But you know, in your last post, you made an interesting statement: You're right, we have no idea how much time you've spent on the A.T., so we have no way of knowing your qualifications when talking about such things as completion rates, the number of true purists, etc.

Feel free to tell us, and then we'll be in a better position to judge whether or not you really know what you're talking about here.

Cuz right now there seems to be some doubt. You're really good at insulting people when they say things you don't agree with, but when it comes to telling folks why we should have faith in your own beliefs and statements, then all of a sudden you're pretty quiet.

Why's that? :rolleyes:

TD55
09-12-2009, 13:35
Why would a person question the emperical knowledge of a guy who has thru hiked the trail multiple times and section hiked for 14 years. Add to this the time spent working or helping out at numerous hostels and trail towns, reading thousands of pages of shelter registers, knowing and communicating with dozens and even scores of trail maintainers, and yes, attending hiker events up and down the trail in addition to being active on most of the online hiker sites. Just sayin....he has an impressive resume.

Alligator
09-12-2009, 15:11
Folks, if you want to continue discussing this, then it will have to be done without the insults.

rcli4
09-12-2009, 15:45
I said, Good Day Sir

Clyde

max patch
09-12-2009, 20:24
Why would a person question the emperical knowledge of a guy who has thru hiked the trail multiple times and section hiked for 14 years. Add to this the time spent working or helping out at numerous hostels and trail towns, reading thousands of pages of shelter registers, knowing and communicating with dozens and even scores of trail maintainers, and yes, attending hiker events up and down the trail in addition to being active on most of the online hiker sites. Just sayin....he has an impressive resume.

Jealousy..

Bulldawg
09-12-2009, 21:54
Why would a person question the emperical knowledge of a guy who has thru hiked the trail multiple times and section hiked for 14 years. Add to this the time spent working or helping out at numerous hostels and trail towns, reading thousands of pages of shelter registers, knowing and communicating with dozens and even scores of trail maintainers, and yes, attending hiker events up and down the trail in addition to being active on most of the online hiker sites. Just sayin....he has an impressive resume.


Well dang TD, I see Jack and I see your legs hanging out of his backside. Could it be any more obvious. I think you oughta just get a room with the guy and keep it between the two of ya, not air it all out here where the public has to see it.

Bilge Rat
09-12-2009, 22:16
Folks, if you want to continue discussing this, then it will have to be done without the insults.

Poopiehead!:D

TD55
09-12-2009, 22:55
Poopiehead!:D

Fartface :D

TD55
09-13-2009, 07:49
Well dang Bulldawg, you sure have a way with crude insults with sexual perverse connotations. Guess that name in red gives you the authority.

max patch
09-13-2009, 08:30
Inappropriate thing for a mod to say.

Interesting that much the same thing has been said about this mod and another poster.

Same ole WB.

Egads
09-13-2009, 08:32
Back to the topic; man I like Cheese Cake :D

sheepdog
09-13-2009, 08:47
I'd gladly pay you tomorrow, for a cheese cake today.

Egads
09-13-2009, 08:53
I'd gladly pay you tomorrow, for a cheese cake today.


OK, wimpy

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

sheepdog
09-13-2009, 09:03
OK, wimpy

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.
so where's the cheese cake????

Egads
09-13-2009, 09:07
Here ya go

sheepdog
09-13-2009, 09:09
You da man. (although the slice is a little thin)

sheepdog
09-13-2009, 09:09
oh.... and your ah...... check is ah ......inna mail

Egads
09-13-2009, 09:15
Isn't cheesecake a metaphor?

ShelterLeopard
09-13-2009, 10:16
Okay, this is a really dumb question, but here goes.

Does anyone know if the people on whiteblaze are more likely to finish a thru-hike than the people who say:

"hey look, walmart has everything for backpacking and i bought it, so now what to do with it... aha! ive got it, ill search, searching... searching... AHA! The AT im leaving to hike the at honey!"

I mean, its obvious that those people wont finish, but who are the majority and why? i love reading essays, so if anyone wants to elaborate, pray continue. (it means go ahead.)

I can't really say (until next summer when I'm standing victorious on Katahdin), but I have heard that some people will plan all year and pour thousands of dollars into gear, only to turn back after an hour or two. I don't think gear brands or planning have that much to do with it- I do think that people who have hiked before for at least a week are more likely to finish though.

saimyoji
09-13-2009, 10:31
Inappropriate thing for a mod to say.

Interesting that much the same thing has been said about this mod and another poster.

Same ole WB.

there are plenty of places on the internet for people without a sense of humor who want to suck the fun out of everyone else.

try trailplace for starters. i think terrapin and homer are over there now, too. :)

Egads
09-13-2009, 10:32
there are plenty of places on the internet for people without a sense of humor who want to suck the fun out of everyone else.

try trailplace for starters. i think terrapin and homer are over there now, too. :)

good place for them

Bulldawg
09-13-2009, 10:34
Why can't everyone just have a laugh and keep moving. Ya know, y'all should read my signature line. Stop taking all this so serious. It's only walking after all!!

Blue Jay
09-13-2009, 10:41
Although I try to disagree with Jack as often as possible, overall his opinions and observations concerning the AT are almost always completely and consistently correct.

rcli4
09-13-2009, 11:38
I find it hard to believe that someone can hike 200 miles away from someone and be able to judge their character. If 20 % apply for 2000 miler status and only 5% really hike the trail, then 15% are liars and cheats. By the time someone starting mid April hikes into Mtn Crossings others are drinkin a beer with lone wolf in Damascus. There is very little chance the April starter can know what trail 20% take out of town. That's all I was saying. I just don't see how spending your life walking a trail makes you qualified to know such things. I may be wrong so I will just eat cheese cake.

Clyde

sheepdog
09-13-2009, 14:17
Isn't cheesecake a metaphor?
It's more than that. It is the very meaning of life itself.

saimyoji
09-13-2009, 14:18
Isn't cheesecake a metaphor?

what's a meta for?

TD55
09-13-2009, 14:21
what's a meta for?

Meta for is a cake that looks more like a pie but taste like cake.

Jack Tarlin
09-13-2009, 15:12
In regards to the comment above that 15% of the folks who report in that they've completed a thru-hike are "liars and cheats" I hope people are clear about who said this.

It wasn't me.

Nor did I say anything about anyone's character, nor did I attempt to pass judgment on them. I truly wish people could learn to disagree with others here without putting words in other folks' mouths.

I think that at the end of the day, people have to decide for themselves how they're going to hike, where they're going to hike, and yes, where they are NOT going to hike. This is THEIR decision, and always has been.

But the fact remains that whatever the official "completion" rate is, (and of course the reported completion rate changes virtually every year), the fact remains that most of the people that have reported a completed A.T. thru-hike in recent years have not in fact achieved that distinction, and that the number of folks who do this has been going up for years now.

And this is hardly a secret among those of us who've been out there for awhile.

I'm sorry that this news is evidently troubling to some people (for reasons that escape me), but being made uncomfortable by the news one hears is not sufficient evidence to baldly deny it.

And with that, I think the subject is pretty much played out for now.

Bearpaw
09-13-2009, 15:36
Of course none of it answers the OP's question: Do Whiteblaze posters have a better chance of finishing a thru-hike than someone who decides to hike on fairly short notice with cheap gear?

Personally, I still think "No" is the best, most honest answer.

Info and high-quality gear may help make things a bit easier, but (aside from those who get hurt or run out of money) people who finish a thru-hike simply have a different mind-set from those don't IMO. My 2 cents.

Jack Tarlin
09-13-2009, 15:54
While I'd like to think that the better informed you are, and the fewer surprises you encounter once you're out there BECAUSE you started off better informed, then your chances for finishing the hike are better; in the end, tho, I probably have to agree with Bearpaw on this one.

You can be the most experienced hiker in the world; you can be a world-class athlete; you can buy the best-reviewed and most expensive gear in the world; you can have a budget that allows you every conceivable luxury or town treat.

Bottom line tho, is that it's your mental attitude and mental strength that will ultimately determine whether or not you finish your trip, and this is something that can't be purchased in a store or found On-Line.

Hoop Time
09-13-2009, 16:19
just sayin...that buying beer when large quantities of cocoa are much much cheaper isnt my idea of fun (i tasted beer once by accident and it tasted like moldy bread) and btw, u can be a real man and a christian by definitian, a real man would drink beer, but a real man christian style wouldnt, making to a christian a real man, but to a non-believer a weirdo.

How about we compromise: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1421/569565277_469cae4dd3.jpg?v=0

This idea that a Christian would drink wine but not beer is absurd. If God didn't want us to drink beer, he would not have created Hops and Barley. I'll buy the argument that a Christian would not get drunked up and practice "sinful" behavior, but until you can find me someplace in the Bible where it says wine is OK, but beer if a heathen's drink, I'm gonna hafta disagree.

And the language best be very specific unless you want me to rebut the argument with passages from the Good Book that pot smokers point to as evidence God has no problem with folks smoking weed.

I don't mind if your God tells you in your mind that beer is un-Christian. But don't try forcing that point of view on others, or castigating beer drinkers.

As many very wise folks here have often said: Hike your own hike.

saimyoji
09-13-2009, 17:06
Beer is proof that god loves us.

Ben Franklin....or was it Sam Adams.....either way....Beer is good. :)

rcli4
09-13-2009, 17:12
Beer is proof that god loves us.

Ben Franklin....or was it Sam Adams.....either way....Beer is good. :)

Not as good as cheesecake.

Clyde

saimyoji
09-13-2009, 17:23
Not as good as cheesecake.

Clyde

well....cheesecake makes you do things you don't wanna do in order to get some......but beer only sometimes makes you do things you don't wanna do after you get too much.....



......a true dilemma. :-?

rickb
09-13-2009, 18:34
Jack Tarlin;892412](Snip) most of the folks nowadays who sign in at Harpers Ferry to report a completed thru-hike of the entire A.T. have not, in fact, hiked the Trail in its entirety.

I'm sorry this fact makes you so uncomfortable, but saying nasty things about me doesn't alter this simple truth.




Not hiking the AT in its entirety is a tradition that goes back to Earl Shaffer's first hike. He missed sections of the AT in the Whites because he failed to have maps mailed to him in time (something he pointed out to the ATC when sending in his report, BTW).

I bring this up because it points to one of the difficulties in any such discussion. While I think Jack is probably 100% correct with his comment in this thread, I am not sure how he is defining hiking the entire AT.

In the context of this thread, does reaching an AT shelter by a one blue blazed "off ramp" and later joining it a different blue blazed "on ramp" factor into his percentages?

Or are the figures cited all about skipping major sections.

In one sense, the distinction matters little. In another, it matters a great deal. Some of those most instrumental to creating the AT argued it should thought of as a corridor, not just a marked treadway.

To my way of thinking the distinction does matter. Thought I will admit I didn't always think this way.

In any event, the percentages Jack cites don't tell a complete story without knowing how he defines what "walking the entire trail" means.

Bulldawg
09-13-2009, 19:22
How about we compromise: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1421/569565277_469cae4dd3.jpg?v=0

This idea that a Christian would drink wine but not beer is absurd. If God didn't want us to drink beer, he would not have created Hops and Barley. I'll buy the argument that a Christian would not get drunked up and practice "sinful" behavior, but until you can find me someplace in the Bible where it says wine is OK, but beer if a heathen's drink, I'm gonna hafta disagree.

And the language best be very specific unless you want me to rebut the argument with passages from the Good Book that pot smokers point to as evidence God has no problem with folks smoking weed.

I don't mind if your God tells you in your mind that beer is un-Christian. But don't try forcing that point of view on others, or castigating beer drinkers.

As many very wise folks here have often said: Hike your own hike.


Not arguing this posters thoughts or statements; but what in the heck does this have to do with this thread???

Egads
09-13-2009, 19:22
Some of those most instrumental to creating the AT argued it should thought of as a corridor, not just a marked treadway.

Amen to that

royalusa
09-13-2009, 19:28
We heard several hikers on our 2008 thru-hike state that they felt they had 175 "play miles" (ie, miles to skip if they wished), as the ATC certificate is called 2000-Miler, not 2175-Miler. Not my idea of a completed hike, but who am I to say otherwise. To each, their own.

rickb
09-13-2009, 19:47
Amen to that

The Appalachian Trail is a wilderness strip; it could be very wide–several miles wide–if possible. It is not a trailway. Actually, the trail itself could be a strip no wider than space for a fat man to get through. And that’s the trouble: ‘Trailway’ is a very unfortunate word; it gives the impression of a Greyhound bus and a great cement, six-lane highway, which is just the opposite of what the trail is supposed to be.

–BENTON MACKAYE, AIA Journal interview where he bluntly repudiated the Trailway concept as adopted by the Appalachian Trail Conference, 1971


__________________________________________________ ______________________________

modiyooch
09-13-2009, 19:49
My name is Modiyooch and I am a purist.

sorry guys, I haven't read the whole thread. I'm not a thru hiker, just a lowly section hiker, but I am an obnoxious purist. Yes, I have to walk out the blue blazed trail that I walked in on. I travelled 1000+ costing $$$ just to hike 15 miles that I missed due to a storm. In 140 miles, I will submit for my patch and I will not be any less proud. I'm doing it my way, which does involve slackpacking at times and I don't fell quilty at all. It's only important to me.

rickb
09-13-2009, 19:52
My name is Modiyooch and I am a purist.

sorry guys, I haven't read the whole thread. I'm not a thru hiker, just a lowly section hiker, but I am an obnoxious purist. Yes, I have to walk out the blue blazed trail that I walked in on. I travelled 1000+ costing $$$ just to hike 15 miles that I missed due to a storm. In 140 miles, I will submit for my patch and I will not be any less proud. I'm doing it my way, which does involve slackpacking at times and I don't fell quilty at all. It's only important to me.


I like your style!

It used to be the rage.

Jack Tarlin
09-13-2009, 20:30
RickB:

I think we should probably let Earl Shaffer off the hook on this one; parts of the Trail essentially disappeared during the Second World War, and weren't entirely repaired (or adequately signed and blazed) for quite some time afterwards. If Earl skipped a few things here and there I rather doubt there are too many folks these days who much care.

As to your question to me, I'd be inclined to describe a thru-hike as one where the hiker makes every possible attempt to hike the Trail in its entirety, and to not consciously deviate from the Trail, which is, of course, very well signed, mapped, and blazed. In other words, when someone elects for whatever reason to deliberately skip parts of the Trail, this is a deliberate and conscious decision......as is the decision to not do this.

Skidsteer
09-13-2009, 20:45
Not arguing this posters thoughts or statements; but what in the heck does this have to do with this thread???

Rogue Chocolate Stout goes very well with cheescake. Duh.

warraghiyagey
09-13-2009, 20:49
Folks, if you want to continue discussing this, then it will have to be done without the insults.
That hurts my feelings. . .

Bulldawg
09-13-2009, 20:49
Rogue Chocolate Stout goes very well with cheescake. Duh.


Oh OK, stupid me. How about bringing over a 6 pack and a cheesecake then. We can decide if it really does?

Jester2000
09-14-2009, 12:15
Well dang TD, I see Jack and I see your legs hanging out of his backside. Could it be any more obvious. I think you oughta just get a room with the guy and keep it between the two of ya, not air it all out here where the public has to see it.

Classy.


Why can't everyone just have a laugh and keep moving. Ya know, y'all should read my signature line. Stop taking all this so serious. It's only walking after all!!

Hmmm. Maybe you changed your signature. Did it used to say "I reserve the right to insult people for no reason and call it humor, and then when called to task for it, blame other people's lack of humor rather than apologize"? I think if that was your signature your post would make a lot of sense.


Beer is proof that god loves us.

Ben Franklin....or was it Sam Adams.....either way....Beer is good. :)

Ben Franklin


We heard several hikers on our 2008 thru-hike state that they felt they had 175 "play miles" (ie, miles to skip if they wished), as the ATC certificate is called 2000-Miler, not 2175-Miler. Not my idea of a completed hike, but who am I to say otherwise. To each, their own.

This strikes me as a rather comical attempt at rationalization. The patch is a "2000 Miler" patch so that there's no distinction between thru-hiking and completing the trail in sections, and because the trail mileage changes from year to year.

But I suppose if that allows them to sleep at night, why not make up nonsense about how many miles they're "allowed" to skip?

sherrill
09-14-2009, 12:29
Bottom line tho, is that it's your mental attitude and mental strength that will ultimately determine whether or not you finish your trip, and this is something that can't be purchased in a store or found On-Line.

I will agree with that, but, a misplaced step and a broken leg could play into it also...

sheepdog
09-14-2009, 12:36
Beer is proof that god loves us.

Ben Franklin....or was it Sam Adams.....either way....Beer is good. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqrogegV1lw
song says it all

Jester2000
09-14-2009, 12:39
I will agree with that, but, a misplaced step and a broken leg could play into it also...

Sheer stupidity can counterbalance this. I broke my foot and kept hiking.

ShoelessWanderer
09-14-2009, 12:39
We heard several hikers on our 2008 thru-hike state that they felt they had 175 "play miles" (ie, miles to skip if they wished), as the ATC certificate is called 2000-Miler, not 2175-Miler. Not my idea of a completed hike, but who am I to say otherwise. To each, their own.

I have to agree with you. Are they telling people they hike 2000 miles or that they hiked the AT? Chances are, it's the later. In that case, they should do all of it. But hey, that's just my opinion...

sheepdog
09-14-2009, 12:41
Who lies more; a thru hiker or a fisherman??
annnnnnnd is there really any harm in the exageration?????

jersey joe
09-14-2009, 13:19
I will simply say YES, people who find whiteblaze before their hike are more likely to finish their hike.

Pedaling Fool
09-14-2009, 17:23
We heard several hikers on our 2008 thru-hike state that they felt they had 175 "play miles" (ie, miles to skip if they wished), as the ATC certificate is called 2000-Miler, not 2175-Miler. Not my idea of a completed hike, but who am I to say otherwise. To each, their own.
This reminds me...

I remember reading somewhere that someone was talking to a thru-hiker (or maybe section hiker), who said he skipped the rocks in Pa., but planned to make it up by walking those miles past the stopping point (can't remember if he was NOBO or SOBO) so he could apply for the 2,000-miler patch.

modiyooch
09-14-2009, 18:34
I will simply say YES, people who find whiteblaze before their hike are more likely to finish their hike.
what did hikers do before whiteblaze??

modiyooch
09-14-2009, 18:37
How many people do you know that actually sight their reason for hiking the at is the 2000 mile patch? I didn't even know there was a patch until a couple of years ago.

Egads
09-14-2009, 20:40
How many people do you know that actually sight their reason for hiking the at is the 2000 mile patch? I didn't even know there was a patch until a couple of years ago.

Why would anyone want a patch?

sheepdog
09-14-2009, 23:34
Why would anyone want a patch?
to quit smoking

slow
09-15-2009, 01:11
A well marked path,not really true hiking and taking in all the outdoors.

Pedaling Fool
09-15-2009, 08:16
A well marked path,not really true hiking and taking in all the outdoors.
So, is hiking a poorly marked trail "true hiking" or must one bushwhack to be a true hiker?

BTW, nice to see you again slow, been a while:)

kanga
09-15-2009, 09:12
Why would anyone want a patch?
because it covers up the unsightly hole left after you poke your own eyes out after reading this crap?..

sheepdog
09-15-2009, 09:17
Patches???? We don't need no stinking patches!!!!

ShelterLeopard
09-15-2009, 12:43
Love that movie!