Your’er absolutely right Thunder.Rick,“The Lone Wolf”(I’m starting to realize why)needs to focus on his own hike…his way.My God,when I started at Springer in 2000,I had so many things going on that I didn’t have time to worry about what another hiker was doing.What if, another hiker has blue or yellow paint on his or her boots.Let it go and, be thankful that you are able to be out there. :boy
Bill Harris
Ooops, children! I meant CHILDREN, dagnabbit. War is not healthy for CHILDREN and other living things."
Have a great weekend out there, everybody!
Morgan
The National Park Service is the Governing body of the AT, as so designated by Congress I’m sure with some kind of law, the same congress that enacts all the other laws. The NPS designated the ATC a non profit, to administer the day to day operation of the AT. AT our Maintainers meeting in January, the ATC had a Representative there.
The ATC gives special recognition to those who have completed the entire trail as 2000 milers not thruhikers.
How does ATC define thru-hiking?
We don’t. ATC uses the term “2,000-miler” as a matter of tradition and convenience.
ATC defines a “2,000-miler” as anyone who has hiked the entire trail between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Katahdin in Maine. We don’t consider issues such as the sequence, direction, speed or whether one carries a pack. We do expect that persons applying for inclusion in our 2,000-miler records have made an honest effort to walk the entire Trail. The complete 2,000-miler definition can be found on our
Note The honest effort to walk the entire trail. People if you cant be honest to yourself…
To get a Long trail end to end certificate, they ask that you submit a written description of your trip, do you think someone would get the ticket if they said…" at US 4 I got in a car and drove to Lincoln Gap some miles up the trail and then continue my hike from there."
Chef
rule number one: when you get on the trail stop being the bickering dorkus that you are on this forum, and enjoy the company of all these looney toons. most have no problem complying with this rule.
milo
does anyone really care about this crap… i don’t care if your hair is short or long… i respect anyone who walks the distance… i don’t care if you walk the old at the new at a combination of at’s from different time zones… by your definitions then Earl Shaffer is not the first thru hiker because he could not always find where the blazes were. I agree with Milo… I can’t wait to be at springer next week so I can enjoy walking northbound and enjoy all the cool folks, young old, blue blazers, yellow blazers and any other way you care to define yourself.
Peace and Love
Aswah and the golden pimp boots
Aswah
my hike was more important than yours and more difficult b/c________________________________________________.
I need to prove how tough I am b/c____________________________________ has made me feel insecure about myself.
:bawling
infant
My whining is better than yours b/c I’M BETTER THAN YOU.
:bawling :bawling :bawling
Cribrocker
Why cant all the thru hikers just be friends?
:boy :cheers :boy :cheers :boy :cheers :boy :boy :cheers :boy :boy :cheers :girl :cheers :boy :girl :cheers :boy :cheers
Hurl Schaefer
Hi folks! Reading this for a new hiker has sure been an education. I am (still) enthused despite the nit picking going on (oddly, the mean comments seem to be made mostly by males…). I became aware of the whole AT thing cuz a friend of mine is going this yr; I’m real excited for her, & am starting to plan & train for me to go next yr too! I wanted to read up on the “rules”, as I want to know what I’m getting into. I do have one basic, simple ?; you folks keep on referring to yellow, blue, etc trails…what do you mean? Thanks so much. Enjoy yourselves this yr; I’m looking forward to meeting you all next yr. RBG
rainbow girl
PS…come to think of it; most of the NICE emails appear to be from males too…come on girls, lets get writing! RBG::girl
Rainbow Girl
The rule are structured as follows:
Are U cute (gets a question mark / caution lite orange)
I’m Petite (gets a definate Green Light!)
I’m medium build / fully proportioned (gets a ticket / red light)
:lol :x 
:pimp :happy
Rule master
Allen knows darn well I never made that comment. The thread
‘Gimmick’ was put out by “Lone Wolf” and not “Rick the Lone Wolf”. We are two different people. I am the last person
who would criticize a hiker with disabilities. While I am
disappointed in many slack packers I would rather see people
hiking than sitting at home. My opinion has been, and always
will be, that I have no problem with individuals who are
injured, disabled or in poor health slack packing the trail.
What I find disappointing is healthy, young people slack
packing so they can stay in hostels. It’s your hike and
you can hike it anyway you want too. I am not going to
change your views and your not going to change mine. I will
be quite happy to stop wasting your time with these threads
when Allen stops trying to lie about what I said. I told
him the first time I was not the “lone wolf” who made that
comment under the thread “gimmick”, but he continues to
accuse me of it. The rest of you are all too willing to
take his word for it and join in accusing me. I will defend
myself till the next Ice Age on this. I have very strong
feelings about the disabled and have had my own serious
health problems in the past. So why in hell would I be
against the disabled? Why don’t you all go check out who
said what before you all go accusing me. I have certainly
said enough things to piss some people off and you can hold
me to them if you want, but don’t accuse me of something I
never said. Shame on the whole bunch of you and especially
Allen who has continued to lie! Considering Allen’s repeated
twisting of what I said, I would not be surprised he posted
the “Lone Wolf” thread “Gimmick” just to start a juicy
argument. If someone has the capability of checking the
address of who posted “gimmick” you can varify it for
yourself that I did not post it.
Rick The Lone Wolf
A few things…
I would urge everyone to spend some time reading the two volume “Hiking the Appalachian Trail”, first published by Rodale Press in 1975, 2009 pages total. It discusses the creation of Appalachian Trail, then sets forth the journals of the earliest hikers, running through 1971. Those journals express (reflect) pure enjoyment, exploration, and discovery; and contain none of the pettiness, busyness of mind, and jockeying for position exhibited in this, and numerous other threads on this website. I urge the reading of those early journals, as a spiritual option.
Some philosphers have suggested that the “busy mind” is not really “you”; and that the “busy mind” gets in the way of “you” just “being”; which in turn, interferes with the free flow of natural, unadulterated, “joy” which accompanies (or flows freely, easily and inevitably) as a result of just “being.”
I see so much of the “busy mind” in these threads.
Just stop.
Just be.
You have other options.
Sincerely–Conan.
Conan
A few things…
I would urge everyone to spend some time reading the two volume “Hiking the Appalachian Trail”, first published by Rodale Press in 1975, 2009 pages total. It discusses the creation of Appalachian Trail, then sets forth the journals of the earliest hikers, running through 1971. Those journals express (reflect) pure enjoyment, exploration, and discovery; and contain none of the pettiness, busyness of mind, and jockeying for position exhibited in this, and numerous other threads on this website. I urge the reading of those early journals, as a spiritual option.
Some philosphers have suggested that the “busy mind” is not really “you”; and that the “busy mind” gets in the way of “you” just “being”; which in turn, interferes with the free flow of natural, unadulterated, “joy” which accompanies (or flows freely, easily and inevitably as a result of) just “being.”
I see so much of the “busy mind” in these threads.
Just stop.
Just be.
You have other options.
Sincerely–Conan.
Conan
Ok, At the end of your hike If you dont care about 2000 miler status, wether you were pure or not, Dont submit your name at the end of your hike, dont het your name on the list. If you think some of us have done this just for bragging rights, your right. If you dont care if its such a big deal, remove your journals and take off that patch. If you want to just Hike the from GA to ME go ahead, but dont submit your name and dont get on the list. Prove to me that its just a walk in the woods. ITs obviously something very tough to do if only 10 opercent of hikers make the whole trip in one shot. I didnt, I failed and Im not afraid to say that to anyone. I accept my failures and use them to make me a better person.
For my attempt in 2000 I did a project with a local elemenatary school, I went before the trip and showed equipment and talked about what I was doing. I specifically set out to hike the entire AT in one year, I DID NOT. So when I returned after my failed attempt, I told the truth, I told them I couldnt make it. They still thought what I did was great, but I did not lie to them.
Aswah you know I love you man, Im calling bunny this weekend to say hello.
As a matter a fact, I dont believe Iv actually heard anyone discuss this on the trail, I dont usually, being in the minority. This subject seems to always come up on the internet where we are safe in our homes.
Chef
