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View Full Version : Did Pirate REALLY thru-hike 9 times?



Carl Calson
02-07-2013, 19:30
My wife and I were discussing the trail, and the more I think about it, the more astounding it seems that one person could get away with thru-hiking 9 times. Can anyone confirm or deny Pirate's claim to have thru-hiked 9 times?

Lone Wolf
02-07-2013, 19:33
hahaha. did he tell you that?

WingedMonkey
02-07-2013, 19:34
Of course he has. Probably more when your count every time he goes across the trail.

:welcome

Carl Calson
02-07-2013, 19:58
I can't remember where I heard it, but when I stayed at MC it came up. At the time I believed it, but didn't give it much of a thought. Don't know why I thought of it now.

Almost There
02-07-2013, 21:27
As a white blazer...no...as a blue blazer...who can say for sure?:rolleyes:

jj2044
02-07-2013, 21:40
Of course he has. Probably more when your count every time he goes across the trail.

:welcome

LOL reminds me of a shirt i saw in damascus " I hiked the entire width of the appalachian trail" my dad got one lol

evansprater
02-07-2013, 21:53
hahah he told me the same thing...my bet is on NO.

HikerMom58
02-07-2013, 23:16
LOL reminds me of a shirt i saw in damascus " I hiked the entire width of the appalachian trail" my dad got one lol

Cool, I just saw that shirt on a hiker's page... :)

SCRUB HIKER
02-08-2013, 00:04
Apparently Pirate said 10 times to this poor Trailjournals guy (http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?ID=704617), who bought it hook line and sinker. Nine, ten ... who can really keep track after all?

Darwin13
02-08-2013, 00:23
i wonder if he went online and talked about other people hiking experiences and whether or not they were true. Prob not.

Captain Skivvies
02-08-2013, 00:42
What's the most legit times someones done the whole trail?

max patch
02-08-2013, 02:06
What's the most legit times someones done the whole trail?s

I think these stats are correct.

Warren Doyle, 16 times. 9 thru hikes, 7 section hikes. Of the 9 thru hikes, 1 was a traditional backpacking trip; 8 were "expeditions" which are basically van supported day hikes where for the most part you are walking thru the woods carrying an apple and a pint of water hiking van to van on a tightly controlled schedule. Don't know about the nature of the section hikes.

Carl Calson
02-08-2013, 02:06
i wonder if he went online and talked about other people hiking experiences and whether or not they were true. Prob not.
lol, pirate is a trail legend, and with that stigma comes the fact that people are going to talk about you. i only wish people gave that much of a crap about my trail exploits, whether true or not.

WingedMonkey
02-08-2013, 05:13
i wonder if he went online and talked about other people hiking experiences and whether or not they were true. Prob not.

It hasn't started yet, but wait till the thru-hiker wannabe crowd reaches it's crescendo as it passes through Mountain Crossings.

Pirate's Facebook page becomes one of the most entertaining every Spring.

10-K
02-08-2013, 06:50
Once is enough if you ask me. There are way too many trails to be walking up and down the same one all the time.

Coffee Rules!
02-08-2013, 08:59
Nine, ten ... who can really keep track after all?

If I take my shoes off I can track all the way to 20.

20 1/2 if I drop trou.

takethisbread
02-08-2013, 09:07
I think He hikes about 1-3 miles a day, when he does go out. I think he enjoys pulling folks leg and reminding folks you are out here to enjoy not be stressed about miles. Tall tales are part of the trail experience. He gets that

Creek Dancer
02-08-2013, 09:11
s

I think these stats are correct.

Warren Doyle, 16 times. 9 thru hikes, 7 section hikes. Of the 9 thru hikes, 1 was a traditional backpacking trip; 8 were "expeditions" which are basically van supported day hikes where for the most part you are walking thru the woods carrying an apple and a pint of water hiking van to van on a tightly controlled schedule. Don't know about the nature of the section hikes.

So that's really just one thru hike.

SouthMark
02-08-2013, 09:30
s

I think these stats are correct.

Warren Doyle, 16 times. 9 thru hikes, 7 section hikes. Of the 9 thru hikes, 1 was a traditional backpacking trip; 8 were "expeditions" which are basically van supported day hikes where for the most part you are walking thru the woods carrying an apple and a pint of water hiking van to van on a tightly controlled schedule. Don't know about the nature of the section hikes.

All were 2000 milers. The ATC makes no distinction on how you hike the trail. The key word here is hike, not backpack. The certificate and patch are the same if you hike van to van with an apple and water or hike with a 70 lb pack. It's all about the journey, not how you did it.

Turk6177
02-08-2013, 09:32
Pirate rocks. I met him this last fall. Who cares how much he has hiked. He cooks a mean dinner and a meaner breakfast. Anyone stepping off of Blood Mountain in a torrential downpour sure would appreciate that he is at Mountain Crossings. He personally told me that he has hiked the trail 9 times. That is good enough for me.

takethisbread
02-08-2013, 09:34
16 times is a lot by any way possible. A thru hike is defined by the participant. Some people consider flip flops not thru hiking some people go home for weeks at a time. Some folks consider even a single blue blaze not a thru. Some people miss a hundred miles and still call it a thru. I respect 16 times any way you slice it.

Astro
02-08-2013, 12:47
How many times has Baltimore Jack thru-hiked?

Lone Wolf
02-08-2013, 12:50
How many times has Baltimore Jack thru-hiked?

7...........

SouthMark
02-08-2013, 13:04
7...........

That's what he told me at SoRuck just last month. He also had a lot of good words for you LW. Now I don't no whether to believe him or not. ;)

SouthMark
02-08-2013, 13:06
That's what he told me at SoRuck just last month. He also had a lot of good words for you LW. Now I don't no whether to believe him or not. ;)

Damn, "know" not "no". I guess it is true… you can't fix stupid.

Cookerhiker
02-08-2013, 13:16
What's the most legit times someones done the whole trail?

We can guess but the real answer is that no one knows for certain because there are hikers who thruhike the AT multiple years but never report it to the ATC, don't post on WhiteBlaze, trailjournals.com, Facebook, etc.

Astro
02-08-2013, 13:41
We can guess but the real answer is that no one knows for certain because there are hikers who thruhike the AT multiple years but never report it to the ATC, don't post on WhiteBlaze, trailjournals.com, Facebook, etc.

I guess they are just too busy hiking. :rolleyes:

Coffee Rules!
02-08-2013, 14:32
I guess they are just too busy hiking. :rolleyes:

Don't they know it's all about post count?

daddytwosticks
02-08-2013, 16:48
Who was that guy with the pshycological issues (hope that's PC) who used to hike the trail 2 or 3 times a year, back-to-back? They say he was a hiking machine. :)

daddytwosticks
02-08-2013, 16:51
Who was that guy with the pshycological issues (hope that's PC) who used to hike the trail 2 or 3 times a year, back-to-back? They say he was a hiking machine. :) Ward Leonard! Just saw his name mentioned in another thread. How many thrus did he do? :)

k2basecamp
02-08-2013, 17:04
Ward Leonard! Just saw his name mentioned in another thread. How many thrus did he do? :)


Think he still holds the traditional unsupported record like 60 days.

mfleming
02-08-2013, 18:23
Wow! 60 days?!!

lemon b
02-08-2013, 19:04
Who cares? Dude can cook.

goedde2
02-15-2013, 19:31
hahaha. did he tell you that?

Remember Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce? 7 times, documented.

19712

Del Q
02-16-2013, 20:26
Trek - I think that he is in the 10 range. Used to start each Jan 1st, ran into him a few times. Not sure what he is up to these days.

Prime Time
02-16-2013, 22:23
To quote Mae West, "You only live once, if you do it right, that's more than enough."

"Atlas"
02-17-2013, 12:46
To quote Mae West, "You only live once, if you do it right, that's more than enough."

Nice idea on the quality of life.......Pirate......My opinion of him varied. But 9 times seems reasonable, after all, he didn't strike me as having a lot of pressing issues in life that would deter thru-hiking.

Red Hat
02-17-2013, 17:16
Trek is who I was thinking of... wasn't sure how many though. I completely respect Warren's 16 times... He walked the whole thing, no yellow or blue blazing, no matter how big his pack was or wasn't.

Jeff
02-17-2013, 17:59
In 2011 Trek stayed with us and said he was hiking the AT for the 9th time.

Del Q
02-17-2013, 19:04
Trek was really helpful, serious hiker, like 22 lbs all in, up early and gone........I changed a lot thanks to Trek

...........hope to cross his path or his mine again.

DaSchwartz
02-17-2013, 20:31
Ward Leonard, ran across him I guess 20 years ago or more I reckon. Told me he did about 30 to 40 miles a day and I believe him 100 percent. I think he doesn't hike anymore though.

ekeverette
02-17-2013, 21:21
i met pirate this spring on my thru, and he could hardly make it to the bar at the pizza place in damascus!!!

TJ aka Teej
02-17-2013, 23:25
Pirate's claim, Wingfoots's claim, Doyle's claim, are all just that - claims.
Believe what you want. The AT is on the honor system.

Jeff
02-18-2013, 06:55
Ward Leonard, ran across him I guess 20 years ago or more I reckon. Told me he did about 30 to 40 miles a day and I believe him 100 percent. I think he doesn't hike anymore though.

Ward Leonard is still out doing section hikes in New England. He has gotten a little more mellow, but not much.

kayak karl
02-18-2013, 07:51
i met pirate this spring on my thru, and he could hardly make it to the bar at the pizza place in damascus!!!
that's a very disrespectful comment. wouldn't expect that from somebody of your age.