For what it's worth: Watching you tube tonight, a gentleman stated that he was number 260 on 3/1/16.
For what it's worth: Watching you tube tonight, a gentleman stated that he was number 260 on 3/1/16.
"gbolt" on the Trail
I am Third
We are here to help one another along life's journey. Keep the Faith!
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCik...NPHW7vu3vhRBGA
This was just posted on FB:
People are wanting to know if this year will be any busier. At Amicalola State Park hikers starting the Approach Trail from Jan. 1 to March 1:
2015 155 people
2016 288 people
I guess that answers part of my question! I know it leaves out the Springer variable but it is still almost a 100% increase in that span.
Recall the weather last year was very cold and nasty from January through March, likely it kept the numbers down so I don't know how accurate that number is in context to weather.
Dang... So that means about 100 people went out on Labor Day, saw a horrible movie version of a good book and became so motivated that four to five months later they showed up to hike the AT in the dead of winter? I know this isn't the case, but the data on starts is telling.
I honestly believe social media (Facebook) is having a bigger impact on the trail than the movie. People share posts, articles, videos, etc of the trail and it makes people interested.
While I agree the movie wasn't even close to the book, I did enjoy the rapport between Bill and his friend Katz. I think it provided a little bit of insight for those who know nothing of the trail. There were some funny moments in the movie and I enjoyed it for what it was. It's not going to win any trail awards, and the ended sucked compared to the book, but hopefully it will drive more people to read his books which are great.
I noticed the registration numbers seem to be down from last year as well. At first I wanted to be optimistic and hoped that there wouldn't be an increase of hikers, but walking joe's points seem valid. A chart that showed last years registration numbers as they changed with time would be a much more helpful indicator than just the end totals.
Also, for those who know approximate dates, you should go ahead and register for your best guess. I originally registered to hike NOBO from springer March 15, but decided to leave a day earlier thanks to registration charts. I emailed them, and on the next chart that came out, there was actually 1 less hiker registered for the 15th, so that shows they are good about keeping it updated when plans change.
Registration numbers look up to me. It may be hard to see because last year is summarized into one chart, whereas 2016 is split among several. But for now, if we add those starting from Springer to those starting from Amicalola (not to mention the flips), it looks higher. For instance, compare this year 2/29 to last year 3/3.
When speaking about "official" thru-hiker sign-ins at Amicalola Falls State Park, it should be remembered that a very large percentage of contemporary thru-hikers opt to skip the Approach Trail to the summit of Springer; instead, they go 'round the back way (FS Road 42), head south for less than a mile, tag the summit and plaque, then turn around and head North. Thus, they never set foot in Amicalola Falls State Park, and subsequently don't "sign in" anywhere. In short, I'd be highly skeptical about any source that claims to have "official" numbers. The simple truth is that nobody really knows how many people start Northbound thru-hikes each year, and when numbers are bandied about, they are pretty much wild-ass guesses.
Yes! We watched the Revenant earlier this week. What a survival story! Some seriously tough people.
We saw the #1 NOBO in SNP at the end of February. Yes, it was Speedstick.
Last weekend we did a dayhike north out of Carver's Gap. We saw no backpackers at all. I'm sure they're out there, but it doesn't look like there are very many of them north of the Smokies.
I have wanted to hike the AT for many years but if I had to pick a movie about it that was authentic (imho, fwiw) it would be Southbounders. That really fueled the fire. It's been a good bit ago but the stars finally aligned this year to make it possible.
Must put in a plug for the best thru-hiking film ever: Long Start to the Journey.
Look it up (or use this link: http://www.theatmovie.com)
I spoke to Amicalola Visitors Center March 15 at 4:30pm and 670 hikers had checked in thus far. That's 260 check ins from Jan 1- Mar 1 AND 410 check ins from Mar 1 - Mar 15.
We were up to over 650 when I left Amicalola Monday afternoon. That's about 200-250 more than last year this time. I've been putting 30-50 thru-hikers on the trail everyday and 20-40 sectioners.
Great blog site for new and/or female hikers! www.appalachiantrailclarity.com