August Thruhikers at Katahdin

[TJ aka Teej]

This weekend at Baxter were Crow, The Gambler, WildFlamingo, Buddha, SouthernYankee, Buzz, Dumpy, Tubbs, Noll and others. On Sat morning I slacked soreshouldered Chiquita's pack into the Park, and she and AKA made it to Katahdin Stream at noon. We looked at the clouds. We looked at each other. We looked at the time... They headed up, summitted, and were back at my tentsite before 6:30. Strong Hikers! As we were toasting their hike with some Long Trail Ales, Spot (a 4x thruhiker), Mandingo, Gnome, and Tunnel came down from the Birches to get water. Some of these hikers hadn't seen Katahdin *at all* through the entire cloudy/rain soaked 100 mile wilderness, and for the first time in days the clouds blew away and lo, there was The Mountain behind us as we celebrated with AKA and Chiquita. The impact of that view on some of the kids rendered them speechless. Others couldn't shut up :O) Late that night, in the warm rain, Spot, Mandingo, Tunnel, and Gnome headed up at about 2AM. They summitted in the rain at dawn as the clouds lightened, and then just about danced in the rain all the way back down. Sunday's rain saw Harvey, flippers BlisterFree, Walnut, Clint, and some sectioneers go up. Ran into MATCers Weary and Rick StCroix a couple of times, once in the rain, fine gents both and I'm glad to know them. On Monday morning after the rain young Shifty's parents (great folks) were still hanging about looking for him, so I ran out to Abol Bridge to leave a message with the MATC TrailRunner who happens to be PopTart 02! We meet at the Park boundary and in just a few minutes, up hikes Shifty and Shovel with Brother Ron close on their heels. Poptart radios into Katahdin Stream to let Shifty's parents know he's on the way, while we watch in mock horror as Shovel doctors his soggy feet. A rainy, muggy, wet, rainy, muggy, and wet weekend. The drought's over!
Random register entries:
(Heading up)
8/7 "Only .25% to go!" SouthernYankee
8/7 "Where are my pants?" Moxie
(After climbing)
8/9 "It just couldn't get anymore... wonderful! Chiquita and AKA signing out..."
< I couldn't resist!

[Miss Janet]

Thank you for sharing this! Every year I wonder about all of those finishing and I love hearing "my" hikers names among the finishers!! I have started getting summit pics already and it makes me proud!

[girlnextdoor]

crumbsnatcher finished july 31st!

[Lone Wolf]

I wonder how many actually hiked the WHOLE trail?

[Moon Monster]

Thanks for this report!!!

I recognize most of those names and I really wondered where they've been since I'd gotten ahead of them. I'd walked a good bit with some of these people and it's nice to know they reached the end.

mm
GA->ME '03
Mar. 9- Jul. 26

[Chappy]

TJ: Do you know when any of these thru-hikers started their hikes? I'm interested in their miles per day average. Thanks.

[TJ aka Teej]

Miss Janet - I feel the same about all the ME>GAs I see in May and June, but so many don't get TrailNames til later I seldom know who finishes!
girlnextdoor- Nice to see one of 02s great TrailNames on WhiteBlaze!
L.Wolf - I'm told only 3 out of four take the ATC form when offered it after registering with the Ranger at Katahdin Stream.
MoonMonster - Congrats on your hike!
Chappy - I seldom ask questions like that. Check TrailJournals.com for start/finish dates and stats. (See above for mm's dates, and Shifty's Dad said he had a journal over there.)

[Blue Jay]

L. Wolf, does the L stand for Larry?

[A-Train]

Great to see so many friends that finished. thanks for the update Teej. Lol Lone Wolf. Yes crumb did "finish" the trail on the 31st at abol with lots of holes in between. hes a good fellah and i agree with hyoh so who cares.
A lot of those people started arounf the beginning of march so to answer your question they averaged about 14-16 miles/day what it takes to hike the AT in 5 months.
Too bad the weather stunk so much for them at the end. We had so much rain this yr but i was incredible thankful for a clear last 4 days.
A-Train 03

[mustang]

FYI...
I finished my thru hike July 15th with a group of 6 (Ben, SweetnLow, Pilgrim, Turbo, Sugar High and I- Not Yet). We counted about 15 additional thru-hikers finishing ahead of us (Eric and Christie, Mikeanango, Red Headed Stranger, Magic, Fiver, Fixy are names I can think of) with several we knew who were finishing in the next days (Vic and Irish, Hoosier Owl, Soft Serve and Just Ducky, Tadpole and Twinkle Toes, the Lieutienant, Pepper, etc.) Does anyone know how many have finished to date???
Thanks!
Not Yet
Ga-Me
2/23-7/15 '03

[Moon Monster]

Only 40 have reported so far. The ATC regularly updates this site to show 2003 Northbounder statistics:http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike...ike/facts.html.

Still, I bet it will be a couple years before everyone who will report an '03 hike completion actually does report. Worth noting though: the percentage reaching Harpers Ferry appears to be the highest ever, so the percentage reaching Katahdin should be high if not also a record, maybe 20-25% or more of the 1750 who started.

I counted 36 NOBO entries in the Katahdin Stream register on July 26. Maybe someone finishing in October will be as geeky and make a late count?

[Papa Bear]

Actually it may not be a record year at all.

I spoke with Hostel owners in both Gorham NH (Hikers Paradise) and Andover Maine (Pine Ellis) and both reported significantly fewer NOBOs than previous years, and slightly higher numbers of SOBOs.

I suspect the relentless rain in the late spring and in July led to a higher than average attrition rate in the northern half of the trail.

Not scientific, but a real-life observation from folks who rely on hikers for their business.


Pb

[TJ aka Teej]

174 MEGAs have signed in at Katahdin Stream Campground as of 9/2. As recent finishers can tell you, the Ranger is collecting quite a bit of data from the hikers for the ATC. A new form was issued a few weeks ago, asking twice as many questions. Hopefully we can get them to share what they find out!
I'll be back up thataway twice more before the Gathering, I'll post what I learn from the Ranger.

[Moon Monster]

Time will tell, surely. I do find these numbers interesting for now, though.

More observations: The ATC statistics site estimated as few as 1350 or so had left Springer by May, but it now shows 1750. If 400 truely started in May and June, there will probably be a big number of flip floppers this year, but it also may mean a large number reach Katahdin in late Sept. and October.

741 photographed NOBOs in Harpers this year is very near the record of 764 set in 2000 when over 1100 more hikers left Springer than did this year. That's over 42% making it over 1000 miles this year; 16% more than in 2000. This is despite the fact that each of the c/o 2003 certainly had 30 or more days of rain in the South (I had over 40). Even if the attrition rate for the Northern half is above average this year, it is very possible that 20% or more would still finish this year! Ten percent have already finished.

Bravo c/o 2003!

Bravo TJ for these reports!

Bravo whiteblaze.net and other like sources that help each successive year's class be wiser and more prepared to go further!

[A-Train]

im in the process of doing a "study" of sorts. I wrote down the names of all folks i met along the way, who started from springer. I made 4 categories. One for people who finished, one for those who didnt, one for those not intending to go all the way and one for those still hiking. I have several names of people i assume will finish and hope to clear that up soon.
the category for not intending to finish is important because those folks are counted as "thru-hiker" dropouts by counters such as Walasi-Yi and Harpers Ferry. I know sevral folks who took pictures at both places not intending to hit Katahdin. This is important because that is why only 17 percent generally "make it all the way". Of the people who intended to make Big K a large number of those folks made it (as my statistics show).
im doing this study mainly because it was always made aware to my trailfriends and i how so many people drop out, tho i rarely heard or witnessed anyone leaving. Almost everyone i hiked with finished, which is a great thing, despite the rain.
Maybe the early year people are just a tougher breed Im kidding but that comment was thrown around at times
Not Yet, i was behind you the whole way. Was in a few days of you guys until i took off 9 days at Glencliff for a wedding. I think Moon monster musta skipped over me there as did a couple other folks. we always thought so many were right behind and i was shocked to see only 5-10 people pass by me in the 9 days break.
ill get back with the numbers. Thanks Teej for the info.,
A-Train GAME 03 and ill be at the gathering!