How many multiple thru hikes are there?

[jersey joe]

I am curious, does anyone have any information on how many people have completed more than one AT thru hike?

[Johnny Swank]

I've got at least a dozen on from my thru-hiker survey. I doubt anyone really knows once your get past the "official" hikes registered with the ATC.

http://sourcetosea.net/category/at-thru-hiker-study/

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

There would be no way to count that as most people don't register with the ATC.

[jersey joe]

I totally understand the impossibility of knowing exact numbers since a lot don't report their hikes. I was looking more for an educated estimate based on either ATC numbers(if they even track this sort of thing) or a guesstimate based on people's experience. I would guess that the number of multiple thru hikes is probably somewhere from 30-200?!?

[Johnny Swank]

I'm going to take a wild stab and say it's somewhere around 150-ish.

[max patch]

There would be no way to count that as most people don't register with the ATC.

Not true. Some people don't report their hike to the ATC. But "most" do.

[rafe]

I'm going to take a wild stab and say it's somewhere around 150-ish.

Add to that statistic the official total # of thru-hikes, which just exceeded 10,000 in the 2007 season. 150 would be 1.5%. Somewhat believable. I think I could name a dozen with minimal effort (some dead, some still alive...)

[ed bell]

Not true. Some people don't report their hike to the ATC. But "most" do.

I would tend to agree with this simply for the fact that thru hiking itself is such an extraordinary undertaking that reporting the completion would seem to be the logical end considering the goal oriented folks involved.

[rafe]

I would tend to agree with this simply for the fact that thru hiking itself is such an extraordinary undertaking that reporting the completion would seem to be the logical end considering the goal oriented folks involved.

Tiny sampling, but FWIW: of the two sobo thrus I met last summer -- one appeared in the official list (ATC magazine, this month) and the other did not.

[A-Train]

From what I've gathered by meeting several repeat thru-hikers, most of them don't seem to be the type of hikers who are too worried and consumed by stats and recording their hikes with the ATC. Most of these are die-hards who just wanna be out there.

On the flip, a few of them seem to be intense attention seekers.

[ed bell]

From what I've gathered by meeting several repeat thru-hikers, most of them don't seem to be the type of hikers who are too worried and consumed by stats and recording their hikes with the ATC. Most of these are die-hards who just wanna be out there.

On the flip, a few of them seem to be intense attention seekers.

Seems like these admirable type's journeys don't fit in with the purist thru hiker's parameters. A good question would be: who has the most thru hikes registered with the ATC. Anyone?

[jersey joe]

Go figure...I just visited the ATC site and found the answer to my own question...

"Multiple hikes. Approximately 125 people have reported hiking the A.T. two or more times; about 30 have reported hiking the A.T. three or more times."

[rafe]

Seems like these admirable type's journeys don't fit in with the purist thru hiker's parameters. A good question would be: who has the most thru hikes registered with the ATC. Anyone?

Probably Warren Doyle. Very purist -- so long as your definition of pure does not involve carrying a pack.

[fiddlehead]

Not true. Some people don't report their hike to the ATC. But "most" do.

I know i reported my first one but not the next 2. I think THAT is more like the norm IMO.

Possibly double or triple those numbers from the ATc and you'll get a more realistic total.

[dessertrat]

Not true. Some people don't report their hike to the ATC. But "most" do.

How do we know that?

[Jester2000]

Multiple. . .

[CrumbSnatcher]

I know i reported my first one but not the next 2. I think THAT is more like the norm IMO.

Possibly double or triple those numbers from the ATc and you'll get a more realistic total.

IMO i believe FIDDLEHEAD hit the nail on the head. those numbers would be somewhat higher.

[Alligator]

I'm not sure that ATC information answered your question Jersey Joe unless they separated out the thrus from 2000 milers.