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Thread: Name and shame

  1. #61
    Registered User CaptainScarlet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wcgornto View Post
    I have no problems with purism and at this point, I am plannig to be an almost-purist when I hike form Maine to Georgia this year. I do find it silly however, that the purest of the pure insist on backtracking from a shelter to rejoin the trail where they left it rather than rejoining the trail from the side trail at the other end of the shelter.

    However pure I hope to be, I have no plans of imposing my chosen manner of hiking on others. Everyone should enjoy the trail in the way that makes them most content with their endeavors.

    I'm not a thru hiker, probably never will be....but, this whole discussion is kinda funny to me. I think it's congenitally impossible for me to "follow the beaten path." (Or the blazed path?) I lose the trail when I'm on a day hike with regularity. "Oh there's an interesting butterfly, let's get closer to it and get a good look!" Then the next thing you know I'm in the middle of the woods somewhere. I was taking a day hike near High Point New Jersey on the AT last summer which is probably about as well-marked as one could imagine and I couldn't manage to stay on the "white blazed" trail.

    If I'm moseying along in the woods I don't want to necessarily stay exactly on "the trail" anyway. I just try to use things like blazes to orient myself and (along with compass of course) make sure I'm going generally in the right direction. If there's an obstacle that seems intimidating I try to figure out if the marked trail is the best/safest way or maybe there's a slight detour that's easier on the knees and/or a little bit safer looking.

    For my money anyone who can hike 2,000 anywhere deserves a great big patch.
    Don't celebrate until the check clears.

  2. #62
    Registered User mister krabs's Avatar
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    Ya missed something there:

    ATC assumes that those who apply have made an honest effort to walk the entire Trail, even if they did not walk past every white blaze.

  3. #63

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    Quote Originally Posted by wcgornto View Post
    I have no problems with purism and at this point, I am plannig to be an almost-purist when I hike form Maine to Georgia this year.
    I am not trying to be an a** but being an almost-purist is kind of the whole point of the thread. Its a situation of all or nothing. You either are or your not. Good luck on your hike.

  4. #64
    Registered User weary's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Christus Cowboy View Post
    Interesting discussion.... Here's what application says for what its worth:

    http://www.appalachiantrail.org/atf/...pplication.pdf
    The form is pretty straight forward -- well except where it offers five choices and only 4 boxes to check.

    But I've solved the registration problem. I just never read the list when it has been published in Journeys.

    Nor did I ever register, though I felt like a thru hiker as I trudged through a half foot of snow while arriving on the summit of Katahdin on October 16. Why? I bypassed (that terrible yellow word) southern New England in order to climb Katahdin before the snow got too deep. I've since done most of what I missed. But a "section" hike doesn't seem to really fit -- around 2000 miles in 1993 and 100+ miles in 1995.

    If I had walked all the way from Springer to Katahdin, however, I would have registered, regardless of the number of scenic loop blue blazes I had taken. I never seemed to be able to resist taking scenic bypasses that some maintainer spent many hours constructing for us. That is one reason I was late heading towards Katahdin. The other was a powerful pain in my right leg as I passed through New York, whenever I scratched a mosquito bite. The doctors insisted on a two week rest and rehabilitation break.

    ATC, however, referred to me as a "thru hiker" when it made me an honorary life member a few years ago. I thought of correcting them. But the occasion didn't seem appropriate.

    Weary

  5. #65

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    Quote Originally Posted by weary View Post
    The form is pretty straight forward -- well except where it offers five choices and only 4 boxes to check.

    But I've solved the registration problem. I just never read the list when it has been published in Journeys.

    Nor did I ever register, though I felt like a thru hiker as I trudged through a half foot of snow while arriving on the summit of Katahdin on October 16. Why? I bypassed (that terrible yellow word) southern New England in order to climb Katahdin before the snow got too deep. I've since done most of what I missed. But a "section" hike doesn't seem to really fit -- around 2000 miles in 1993 and 100+ miles in 1995.

    If I had walked all the way from Springer to Katahdin, however, I would have registered, regardless of the number of scenic loop blue blazes I had taken. I never seemed to be able to resist taking scenic bypasses that some maintainer spent many hours constructing for us. That is one reason I was late heading towards Katahdin. The other was a powerful pain in my right leg as I passed through New York, whenever I scratched a mosquito bite. The doctors insisted on a two week rest and rehabilitation break.

    ATC, however, referred to me as a "thru hiker" when it made me an honorary life member a few years ago. I thought of correcting them. But the occasion didn't seem appropriate.

    Weary
    Nicely put Weary!!!! Congratulations!

  6. #66
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    If you don't pass every white blaze then the hiking authorities will revoke your hiking license.
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

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    If you dont walk every blaze you can call yourself whatever you want but you are NOT a thru hiker! This is just one more way of dumbing down like most things in USA today, people are fat , lazy and for the most part "pantywaists" to quote Grandma Gatewood. I know MANY people who just skipped HUGE sections, slackpacked and aquablazed their way to Katahdin and I am glad they hiked their own hike...but DO NOT try and fool anyone that you "thru-hiked the AT"!
    Semper Fi

  8. #68

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    Correct me if I'm wrong, please, but I find it amusing that those who appear to have the strongest opinion on the definition of a thru-hiker aren't actually thru-hiking now?

  9. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by whiterockjock View Post
    If you dont walk every blaze you can call yourself whatever you want but you are NOT a thru hiker! This is just one more way of dumbing down like most things in USA today, people are fat , lazy and for the most part "pantywaists" to quote Grandma Gatewood. I know MANY people who just skipped HUGE sections, slackpacked and aquablazed their way to Katahdin and I am glad they hiked their own hike...but DO NOT try and fool anyone that you "thru-hiked the AT"!
    NONSENSE! It's one thing to "skip huge sections", I agree that would DQ someone from thru hike "status" (whatever that might really mean). But to leave a shelter and take the blue blaze back to the trail (which usually doesn't save anything distance wise in relation to just staying on the trail) instead of backtracking and adding unrequired miles, is just plain common sense.

    You might end up missing a few hundred feet of AT, but in the end you likely walked farther due to the deviation from the main trail to the shelter and back. In what manner does that breach the "spirit" of a thru hike?
    “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates

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    Registered User kyhipo's Avatar
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    Default name and shame

    Quote Originally Posted by Engine View Post
    NONSENSE! It's one thing to "skip huge sections", I agree that would DQ someone from thru hike "status" (whatever that might really mean). But to leave a shelter and take the blue blaze back to the trail (which usually doesn't save anything distance wise in relation to just staying on the trail) instead of backtracking and adding unrequired miles, is just plain common sense.

    You might end up missing a few hundred feet of AT, but in the end you likely walked farther due to the deviation from the main trail to the shelter and back. In what manner does that breach the "spirit" of a thru hike?
    well said just like normal thinking
    .ky

  11. #71
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    You are giving other people way too much power over your emotions. Who cares what others do it is what you do and what you know you did that matters.

  12. #72
    Getting out as much as I can..which is never enough. :) Mags's Avatar
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    Another enlightening discussion.

    Here's the the post from a person who works at the ATC:
    http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...573#post755573


    We want to recognize those who have hiked end to end, although it is not important to us that a hiker passes virtually every one of the 80,000-something blazes. What kind of experience would it be if a hiker was consumed with being "legit" with every step? That's never been part of ATC's view of what the A.T. is for, and it can (although doesn't necessarily) detract from a hiker's ability to really enjoy what's around them. Most at ATC don't view a hiker taking a blue-blazed trail as any great sin.


    Good enough for the ATC...should be good enough for most of you, too.

    Now, go walk damn it. OR just argue..seems to work better for most of you.
    Paul "Mags" Magnanti
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  13. #73
    Registered User Engine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mags View Post
    Another enlightening discussion.

    Here's the the post from a person who works at the ATC:
    http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...573#post755573


    We want to recognize those who have hiked end to end, although it is not important to us that a hiker passes virtually every one of the 80,000-something blazes. What kind of experience would it be if a hiker was consumed with being "legit" with every step? That's never been part of ATC's view of what the A.T. is for, and it can (although doesn't necessarily) detract from a hiker's ability to really enjoy what's around them. Most at ATC don't view a hiker taking a blue-blazed trail as any great sin.


    Good enough for the ATC...should be good enough for most of you, too.

    Now, go walk damn it. OR just argue..seems to work better for most of you.
    Maybe a clarification on this needs to be added to the great HMHDI treatise on hiking.
    “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates

  14. #74
    Getting out as much as I can..which is never enough. :) Mags's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Engine View Post
    Maybe a clarification on this needs to be added to the great HMHDI treatise on hiking.
    Most of the people on this thread obviously think the HMHDI is really the one, true, correct and absolute way to hike.
    Paul "Mags" Magnanti
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    The true harvest of my life is intangible...a little stardust caught,a portion of the rainbow I have clutched -Thoreau

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    I guess I really dont because I dont know what HMHDI stands for. Please enlighten me ohh great hikers from the all powerful whiteblaze.

  16. #76
    Registered User Egads's Avatar
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    It's pretty simple

    If you hike the blue blazes, you aren't on the AT, but you hiked 2000+ miles

    If you hike the yellow blazes, then screw you, you aren't a hiker

    This stuff isn't worth the arguments
    The trail was here before we arrived, and it will still be here when we are gone...enjoy it now, and preserve it for others that come after us

  17. #77
    Registered User Egads's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snowhoe View Post
    I guess I really dont because I dont know what HMHDI stands for. Please enlighten me ohh great hikers from the all powerful whiteblaze.
    Consider yourself enlightened. "If you have to ask, you are obviously a pack sniffer and have no clue."

    http://www.pmags.com/joomla/pdf/hike...ke-damn-it.pdf
    The trail was here before we arrived, and it will still be here when we are gone...enjoy it now, and preserve it for others that come after us

  18. #78

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    Quote Originally Posted by whiterockjock View Post
    If you dont walk every blaze you can call yourself whatever you want but you are NOT a thru hiker! This is just one more way of dumbing down like most things in USA today, people are fat , lazy and for the most part "pantywaists" to quote Grandma Gatewood. I know MANY people who just skipped HUGE sections, slackpacked and aquablazed their way to Katahdin and I am glad they hiked their own hike...but DO NOT try and fool anyone that you "thru-hiked the AT"!
    Dumbass

    Quote Originally Posted by Mags View Post
    Another enlightening discussion.

    Here's the the post from a person who works at the ATC:
    http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...573#post755573


    We want to recognize those who have hiked end to end, although it is not important to us that a hiker passes virtually every one of the 80,000-something blazes. What kind of experience would it be if a hiker was consumed with being "legit" with every step? That's never been part of ATC's view of what the A.T. is for, and it can (although doesn't necessarily) detract from a hiker's ability to really enjoy what's around them. Most at ATC don't view a hiker taking a blue-blazed trail as any great sin.


    Good enough for the ATC...should be good enough for most of you, too.

    Now, go walk damn it. OR just argue..seems to work better for most of you.
    Thanks for clearing that up Mags. HMHDI Lives in us all

  19. #79
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    Egads do you know what WFYT means?

  20. #80

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    Quote Originally Posted by Homer&Marje View Post
    Dumbass



    Thanks for clearing that up Mags. HMHDI Lives in us all
    But don't ever....ever divert one step off the beaten path that HMHDI leads you too. There is salvation. And Ice Cream I hear

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