View Full Version : Easy One did it!
TJ aka Teej
12-15-2004, 17:27
“Easy One” Supercedes “The Crazy One” as Oldest A.T. Thru-Hiker
Longtime ATC member Lee Barry of Shelby, N.C., this year took the title of oldest Appalachian Trail thru-hiker from the late Earl Shaffer, who made his third thru-hike in 1998, finishing just before his 80th birthday. Barry, a 1996 thru-hiker and three-time 2,000-Miler before that (in sections), completed his most unusual second thru-hike this year at age 81. He accomplished it by hiking in 16 pieces of a week to three weeks at a time, going home in between. Engineer Barry also designed much of his gear and, like a true modern hiker, has his pack weight down to about 13 pounds.
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/trailnews/index.html
Mountain Dew
12-15-2004, 17:33
:-? --- don't section hikers that take years to complete a A.T. hike also go home in between sections ? Not making a statement, but rather just thinking out loud. How many months did it take him ? Start date and end date ? What a curious thread.
poison_ivy
12-15-2004, 17:50
Thanks for the update TJ -- I met EZ1 on the trail in May right at Thistle Hill Shelter. He was an interesting fellow.... I wished we had chatted more but he went to bed fairly early. His trail register entries were easy to spot -- he had labels printed up with this story and he just circled the day and month before pasting them into the book.
I just checked my trail journal and he said he started in Georgia on Jan. 2 and flipped around a bit and planned to finish in November.
I'm glad to hear he accomplished his goal.
- Ivy
max patch
12-15-2004, 19:01
Congrats to Easy for completing the AT in one year, which was his goal.
However, he's not the oldest thru-hiker. He jumped ahead when he hit the GSMNP because of ice and snow and then returned and completed it later. Ivy reports that he "flipped around" in addition to this. This turned his thru into a couple or several long section hikes.
A great accomplishment. Just not a thru. And unfair to Earl for anyone to claim otherwise.
Youngblood
12-15-2004, 20:15
Congrats to Easy for completing the AT in one year, which was his goal.
However, he's not the oldest thru-hiker. He jumped ahead when he hit the GSMNP because of ice and snow and then returned and completed it later. Ivy reports that he "flipped around" in addition to this. This turned his thru into a couple or several long section hikes.
A great accomplishment. Just not a thru. And unfair to Earl for anyone to claim otherwise.
Max,
Although he didn't meet your definition of a thru-hiker, he obviously met the ATC's (read the link that TJ provided). Maybe you should reread your rule book, see where the discrepancy is and straighten out the ATC if you can? LOL
Until then, I'll take the ATC's word for it, they got more credibility. Congradulations Easy! That is quite an accomplishment.
Youngblood
The Old Fhart
12-15-2004, 20:37
Youngblood is correct. If Easy One thru-hiked the trail it doesn't make any difference whether he did it NOBO, SOBO, or any combination of directions. Are some elitist going to try to dictate how long we can take a break or how much "thru-hikers" have to carry as well?
On another note, Alvis ''Pawpaw'' Kinney from KY hiked the A.T. at age 82. Check here (http://www.kypost.com/news/1999/qanda110899.html)
Congrats to Easy for completing the AT in one year, which was his goal.
However, he's not the oldest thru-hiker. He jumped ahead when he hit the GSMNP because of ice and snow and then returned and completed it later. Ivy reports that he "flipped around" in addition to this. This turned his thru into a couple or several long section hikes.
A great accomplishment. Just not a thru. And unfair to Earl for anyone to claim otherwise.
I disagree Max. The ATC seems to think his feat qualifies as a thru-hike, and that's good enough for me. If going home once doesn't "disqualify" a thru-hike, why would going home 16 times?
Anyway, I thought Paw Paw was the oldest thru-hiker.
Jack Tarlin
12-15-2004, 20:43
I think some folks are being a bit picky here.
Just about all thru-hikers take time off during their journeys; nobody hikes continuously. It is widely acknowledged that thru-hikers frequently interrupt their hikes to take time off to rest, recuperate from injuries, visit their families, attend family events or gatherings, return home briefly because of problems or emergencies at home, etc. As long as you're done in a year, and as long as you've done the whole thing, it's a thru-hike.
This guy's achievement is magnificent, and I could care less if he went home frequently or hiked in different directions, flip-flopped, whatever.
That being said, I also thought that PawPaw was 82 when he hiked, but in any case, these are all remarkable men.
Tha Wookie
12-15-2004, 21:00
I agree with Jack. Incredible feat. I hope I'm still hiking then.
TakeABreak
12-15-2004, 21:28
Not to take anything away from EASY, congratulations EASY. But, I have emailed the ATC, for confiramtion on the oldest person, because I had read it was an 82 or 83 yr old male a few years ago. I will post what they send me.
Lone Wolf
12-15-2004, 22:29
Paw Paw was 82 when he hiked but missed quite a few miles.
Mountain Dew
12-15-2004, 23:47
o.k. I was under the impression that EZ1 took well over a year. and that he did it in sections. I'm about as hardcore as it gets in the defintion of a thru-hiker and I'd say he thru'd.
Paw Paw...yeah I met the man. I'm not sure if he is a legend or not, but one thing is for sure....he's a hell of an American and hiker. He fought in two wars and is from the greatest generation this country has known. The GREAT generation. The Great ones. Can you imagine sitting down at a campfire with EZ1, Paw Paw, Epson, and the Crazy One ?
Does anybody know anything more about this EZ1 guy ?
Paw Paw was 82 when he hiked but missed quite a few miles.
Well, six years ago I set as my goal to beat -- or maybe just equal Earl's record. Then a few years ago I met Paw Paw on Saddleback, shared his Maker's Mark and wondered if anyone could beat that record, a thru hike at age 82.
Thanks lone one for pointing out that I can begin my challenge a year earlier, assuming I survive and remain fit until then. I'm already in training, though I still have six years before I'm old enough to start my record-breaking trek.
Well, actually, I've been busy raising money to pay off our Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust mortgage for our purchase of parts of Saddleback and the summit of Abraham in recent weeks. Today, I did walk a mile and a half through some woods and around a beaver bog. That's almost training.
But, I promise. Just as soon as we can generate some money to buy buffers for the trail in Maine, I'm going to train in earnest. You can help. Just open:
www.matlt.org
and send money.
Weary
Mountain Dew
12-16-2004, 00:09
fight the good fight Weary
TakeABreak
12-17-2004, 20:52
Well, here it is people, a response to me email, directly from Laurie Potteiger, at the ATC.
"Lee Barry ("Easy One") is now the oldest thru-hiker to report to us. Prior to that, Earl Shaffer was the oldest at 79. There is a section-hiker who was 86 when he completed the Trail.
We haven't yet updated our website, (we have some of this sort of information at <http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike/thru_hike/milestones.html> but will do so shortly.
Laurie"
....That being said, I also thought that PawPaw was 82 when he hiked, but in any case, these are all remarkable men.
Anyone who does a thru hike and still meets all the ATC published criteria for a 2,000 miler patch is remarkable. I've been around the trail for four decades. I've even hiked with several who I thought actually met the criteria and many who got a patch, but didn't.
I also think the ATC criteria is far too strict. Less stringent standards would make more sense, though I've yet to find language that would clearly separate the genuine hiker from the fraud.
Weary
Ramble~On
12-19-2004, 05:04
How old was Grandma Gatewood the last time she hiked the trail ?
TakeABreak
12-19-2004, 05:42
Spiritwind,
From the information I have been able to find on her, she was either 75 or 76 when she did the trail for the 3rd time. She was also the first person to have recorded a second thru hike, and I remember reading, that sometime in between doing thru hike's, she walked the Oregon Trail one year.
The ATC, has a lot of interesting articles about her, I read several of them while volunteering there for 2 weeks in 2000. If you get the chance, I suggestion paying them a visit sometime just to browse through things like that, I would be sure to arrange it with them first.
The Old Fhart
12-19-2004, 09:14
Grandma Gatewood was 77 when she finished her 3rd hike (sectioned from 1954-1964). She hiked the Oregon Trail in 1959 at the age of 72. She died at the age of 85 on June 5, 1973. This info is from the 2-volume set Hiking The Appalachian Trail by Rodale Press.
MileMonster
12-20-2004, 00:14
Congratulations to Easy One! I met him twice along the way this year. Glad to hear he finished well.
The Solemates
12-20-2004, 11:03
Great job EZ1! We met up with him about 3 different times while on our thru. I think he finished in ~11 months. Awesome feat.
Grandma Gatewood was 77 when she finished her 3rd hike (sectioned from 1954-1964). She hiked the Oregon Trail in 1959 at the age of 72. She died at the age of 85 on June 5, 1973. This info is from the 2-volume set Hiking The Appalachian Trail by Rodale Press.
Upon reflection, it may be better if I first try to match Gatewood's record, since that is only a couple of years away and my knees make more and more noises when I get up each morning.
My only misgiving is that Earl always thought grandma was mostly fraudulent. At my age, should I desire to emulate a fraud? Golly, these trail matters are getting increasingly complicated. Maybe, I'll just go hiking and forget all this stuff. I'm tempted. But I still have the trail in Maine to protect. If a few folks would go to www.matlt.org and send some money, life would be much easier.
Weary
Does the ATC consider one to have thru-hiked if the hiker carries no gear, only water and a little food, and has support at the end of the daily hike ie: van with gear and food? Is this considered slackpacking the entire AT?
Nightwalker
05-30-2005, 15:39
Does the ATC consider one to have thru-hiked if the hiker carries no gear, only water and a little food, and has support at the end of the daily hike ie: van with gear and food? Is this considered slackpacking the entire AT?
A walk is a walk.
TJ aka Teej
05-30-2005, 16:00
Does the ATC consider one to have thru-hiked if the hiker carries no gear, only water and a little food, and has support at the end of the daily hike ie: van with gear and food? Is this considered slackpacking the entire AT?
The ATC grants '2000 miler' status to anyone who has completed the entire trail. The first 2000 milers were all section hikers, the first being Myron Avery who pushed a measuring wheel the whole way. Since Earl Shaffer's northbound thru-hike almost 60 years ago, 2000 miler status has gone to southbound thru-hikers, day hikers, 25-year section hikers, supported 'stunt' hikers, supported day hikers, supported hikers with health concerns, supported short term backpackers, supported group hikers, and just about every other kind of hiker you can think of. No matter how you do it, if you hike the entire trail you're a '2000 miler' in the eyes of the ATC. It's important to note that not everyone who hikes the whole trail reports to the ATC, and not everyone who reports has hiked the whole trail.
My only misgiving is that Earl always thought grandma was mostly fraudulent. At my age, should I desire to emulate a fraud? ... If a few folks would ... send some money, life would be much easier.yeah, I'm sure it would, but you might have better luck begging for money if you didn't comtemplate being a fraud in the same paragraph :)