05 thru hiker stats

imported
#1

so after hiking for the past months
and too many conversations about;
how many people attempted a thru hike this year
how many went straight thru
how many finished
how many flipped flopped and all in between
how many of them completed their hike
how many sobo’ed … etc.
you get the picture
ive just heard from word of mouth while hiking how so many people were getting off and getting on because of this years conditions
so i decided to post the question
while in kennedy meadows i know that meadow ed had some stat sheet
that he or someone else had compiled listing those who left campo when
and was wondering if anyone knows or will know
the answers to the questions
anyways, if any friends still hiking,
once were hiking,
or are now finsished are reading this
i hope all is well and you are great

panda

panda

#2

I’m happy to say that although I’m not a thru-hiker, I did complete the AT this year. When I signed in with the ranger at Katahdin Stream Campground, he was keeping a tally sheet of thru-hikers finishing and section-hikers finishing the AT at Katahdin. Perhaps someone passing through the Ranger Station could relay the thru-hiker stats back to this list. As far as I know, there isn’t a way to call that Park ranger station to find the information directly.
Good luck to all of you still out there on the Trail, and congrats to all of you who joined the Class of '05!
Two Hats

Two Hats

#3

This from an almost thru hiker Chubster.

“Just an update from the big K 1392 started from Springer Mtn in GA and as of the 16th of Sept, 108 have finished their thru hike. You folk can do the math on this less than 10 percent so far. Your Pal Chubster.”

Ed Wright

#4

The question was about the PCT ; )

Apple Pie

#5

I just came across this:

http://www.pct2005.com/dispatches/20050918/

In the third paragraph:

“Many hikers, like myself, have dropped off the trail, and just as many are skipping large sections to make it to Canada before winter. He thinks the success rate this year is going to be very low. Maybe 5%. I have to agree. Many “thru hikers” I met are not doing the full 2650 miles.”

For those interested in AT stats, try this:

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/2000milers/

Pacer

#6

Weird when I finished on 8-17 the ranger told me I was number 125 thru hiker to finish.

stick

#7

Some times you people who post #s need to be taken to the wood shed!!! 5% , 125 thru hikers !!! , give it a rest please… its way to early to even guess the correct #s of PCTERs to compleat their hike…I have #s from some flipfloppers to finish their hike at KMs and by monday will have more #s, i know who is on their way to Mexico to finish there 05 PCT hike… I will know next week the folks who reach canada as we have a person going to go out to the monument and get the #s from the regester…Unless you have a better system then i do in quoting the #s then i suggest you sit back and wait until i hear from my own sources to post the REAL #s this year…
Meadow Ed

meadow ed

#8

Hi Panda, this is Squeaky’s mum here, I was flicking through all the web pages and came across your note. In answer to one of your questions Panda, Squeaky finished the PCT this year going North and through all the Snows etc without flip-flopping, he did it in 81 days and 8 1/2 hrs and you can find his journal under ‘Triple Crown’ on the PCT journals. He is now doing the CDT and has done 2100 miles and enroute to the AT in over 2 weeks time to try and achieve the ‘Triple Crown’ this year. I am not sure how many have done a thru hike this year, but I am proud to say Squeaky has and has almost done the CDT as well, not taking the ‘Aternates’. I am updating his journals when he sends his tapes home.

A proud mum, and of course family. (England)

Squeaky

#9

The #s are coming in now for the flip flopers…4 more yesterday finished at KM and i would guess 6/8 more by sat…

meadow ed

#10

I would also say that 5% is far from accurate. Prior to this year, the average success rate has consistently been in the 30 to 35 percent range. In the period of 2000 to 2004, the finish numbers were between about 105 and 135, with about 300 to 350 starting each year. Yes, defining a starter and how to count them is tricky and we won’t do better than estimation, but there are ways to get reasonably close. In high snow years, such as 1993, 1995, 1998, and 2005, the finish numbers are significantly lower, but there’s evidence that the starting numbers in those years are also lower because people decide to put off their hikes until a lower snow year. Based on my experiences on the trail this year, I’m estimating this year’s numbers to be 200-250 starters and perhaps 60-75 finishers. That would put the success rate at perhaps the 20 to 30 percent range. This weekend I’ll talk with Ed and others who were keeping track of all this for the 2005 season. We should have a better picture of what the rate is by the end of October. Many non-flipping northbounders are late, and may not finish at Manning for a few more weeks. I also saw flipfloppers a few days ago in Yosemite, just starting south from Tuolumne. It’s definately too early to have a clear idea of how many finishers there are.

weathercarrot

#11

I finished the PCT last Sunday (10/9) on the summit of Mount Whitney. (flip flopper) I was the caboose of the Sounthbound train (SOBOS & Flip Floppers). Smack, Love Barge, Wildcat, Zed and the Gimp finished around this time @ Trail Pass and Walker Pass. I counted 65 NOBOS going north (including the hikers i personally missed, but heard about). I was told by NOBOS that i was #47 when only Zed and the Gimp were behind me in Northern CA. Of course, these are rough estimates, but it seems that close to 100 PCT thru-hikers have finished so far & there are about 14 SOBOS on the trail still heading for Mexico. I’m not sure how many started, but most hikers estimated that around 350 to 400 started at the Mexican Border, sooooo this would indicate a 25% completion rate. :slight_smile:
happy trails!
PS. weathercarrot - how was that nice hitch in the BMW in Yosemite??? It was good to finally meet you.

freebird

#12

Hey meadow Ed, Are the numbers in yet?

Doodlebug

#13

Thi is Dot from the Mansion Family , me and Bob-boh we finish on Oct 9 :cheers

Dot Nguyen