I know the record for the AT is 40x days or whatever, but if i’m not mistaken he had a nice support crew along the way, i was wondering if there is any record recognized of an unassisted thru? i guess all hikes are assisted in some way but u know what i mean
clong
If I’m not mistaken two people went for the record the same year.One assisted one not.I think one did it 43 days and the other 46.
mike
I just did some research on this a few weeks ago for another thread. I’ll repost the relevant parts here.
The only source I could come up with (Roland Mueser’s Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail) that mentions this with anything like currency states that Wardrow Leonard (“Spooky Boy” AT’90) is the fastest unsupported thru-hiker at 61 days. The problem is that the records on this just aren’t kept in any systematic way. You’d have to try and survey all the sign-in sheets from Amacalola and Khatadin to really get a handle on it and no one seems to have done that. Someone may have done it faster than Leonard, but it just hasn’t been noticed or reported.
For records, you have to turn to those who are obsessed with them, the ultra-trail runners. The record for them (supported, of course) now stands at 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes, set by Andrew Thompson in 2005.
In response to this post, freebird added some rather interesting personal info that I’ll quote:
I met Ward on the A.T. in '96 in Boiling Springs, PA. He was a legend at the time on the trail for a number of reasons, including his speed hiking ability.We had a fund-raiser for a thru-hiker named Skylark at the Italian restaurant in Boiling Springs that year. (her pack had been stolen at the ‘Dog Patch’ tavern in MD) Anyways, Ward was invited along with the rest of us who were strung out on the trail both north and south of Boiling Springs. “The Honeymooner’s” shuttled hikers to and from the party in their truck. Ward was about 48 miles south of Boiling Springs about mid-day. He refused the free ride into town offered to him, and said that he would hike to the party. Sure enough, around 8 PM he crashed through the doors of the restaurant, sweating from head to toe and wished ‘Skylark’ a happy birthday (he assumed it was her birthday party) and then ran off into the night.
Two days later, he was arrested on the steps of the ATC regional office for terroristic threatening. He was unofficially banned from the AT, although he has been spotted a couple times since, using psudo-trail names. The trail name which he used for years was “Spooky boy” which was apropos - he really enjoyed scaring hikers, especially at night.
Besides his speed record, he is the only hiker to complete a double “yo-yo”. He hiked from Springer to Katahdin to Springer to Katahdin in one year.
So apparently to set an AT speed record, you have to be, shall we say, a little outside the norm even for a hiker (well, we’re all a little crazy.)
Strategic
Mike,
You’re right that there was a dual attempt, but both were supported (one was a hiker, the other was a runner.) It was in 1991 and the two were Scott Grierson (the hiker, 55 days) and David Horton (the runner, 52 days.)
Strategic
Syeve Nuckolls did a triple AT yo-yo; and Ward did one too within 365 days.
Currently, Nosense/Eagle Eye is walking north on his third part of his triple yo-yo.
To me, the last great AT challenge is for someone to traverse the entire trail four times in one calendar year.
Andrew Thompson’s AT record will be safe for another year since Matt Hazley (Squeaky) is postponing, for the second consecutive year, his attempt of doing a sub40 day AT thru-hike.
Warren Doyle
I stand, or rather sit, corrected. The double “yo-yo” was completed within the calender year vs. a 365 day period.
If i’m not mistaken (again (’;)’)), Warren, you yourself held the unsupported record for a while before Ward broke your record. I kinda remember either Ward or you telling me this a long time ago. (was it 66 days?)
Many hikers might be thinking “who cares” or what does a record have to do with the intended purpose of the A.T.? I used to think that myself until i ran into Squeaky on the PCT in '05 during his Triple Crown thru-hike. He went through hell to prove a point and to stretch the bounds or “push the envelope” of human endurance.
He was convinced that nearly all of our limitations are self-imposed and that we need to break through these limitations. Perhaps his biggest motivation was that so many people thought that what he was doing was impossible.
The scope of his ideology reached far beyond simply breaking hiking records - it was to show people that if they could “free their mind” of their limitations, they would have a much freer human life. Squeaky didn’t inspire me to attempt to set a record on a trail, but rather to look at my own self-imposed limitations. I don’t think that his remarkable hike in '05 negatively impacted any of us on the trails that year, but rather enhanced it, especially if we had the opportunity to meet him.
freebird
You’re on to something there, freebird. I too have been interested in what gets people to do these things (also not being the record type myself) but have never really viewed them negatively. Especially in the trail world, it’s not like most of them do it for the glory. It seems to much more personal, which is the essence of the AT (or any other long hike) experience for us all. It’s well to remember that we all owe the entire AT experience to old Earl Shafer for doing exactly the same kind of thing. He thru-hiked for himself, but he showed the way to what was possible. So in a way, the entire record quest as it’s being waged out on the trails is just an extension of what we are as a community in the first place.
Strategic
To me ward is awsome.Its these pencil neck geeks that are the problem,lol.Mr Doyle that sounds like a challange to be endured.Also,I have heard about you for years.pitdog ga me 97
pitdog
I held the AT ‘record’ from August 3, 1973 until the summer of 1978. My traverse of the entire AT was 66.3 days.
I was not supported from Georgia up to Troutville/Cloverdale, VA and in Maine. My Dad, Warren Sr., took vacation days to provide vehicle support for me between T/C and Grafton Notch.
I also held the LT ‘record’ from August 1978 until 1996.
My 1978 LT hike was without support.
I have a great deal of respect and admiration for those who have, and are attempting to set, long-distance trail endurance records.
warren doyle
Yes,Mr. doyle I know and I have been reading about you since my years in grade school. The cathlic school I went to gave us educationial materal about the AT. However, the public schools I went to didnt provide anything at all for students. But,the local colleges let me do my essays on and about the AT. Thank you for all you have done. pitdog
pitdog
I just don’t get it… Why do you all get caught up in the absurdness of record-traversing the AT. Honestly… who cares
KTR
It is the conditions that one sets for themselves that define the AT. On my very first night on the 05 thruhike a well-worn hiker comes up to Springer shelter to tell us he just completed his SOBO hike. Dude started at Kathadin in Sept. and finished on Earth Day, April 22, 2005. He was an impressive inspiration upon hearing his stories, and yes, led me to my first thruhike, as a purist. My current record is five months,four days. I shattered my old record of sitting on the couch.
Fishn’GaMe
I think I set the record for most bottles of Diet Moxie consumed in Maine. I may have also set records for longest post-half-gallon-challenge recovery needed, most bottles of Yukon Jack purchased but not consumed, most horrible songs stuck in other hikers’ heads, and most disgusting thing to grow in armpit hair.
What’s more, I didn’t even try to set these records. Imagine what I could accomplish if I really put my mind to it.
Mr. Fusion
PS: When Lojack was told by a waitress at the microbrewery in Caratunk that no one had ever drunk so many cups of hot chocolate, he replied, “Well, I’m just glad to be part of the record books.” Great motivation, great explanation.
PPS: Fish, no LT beer sherpa duties for me. I’ll be hauling Robert the sheep around on the PCT. Woo hoo, woo hoo hoo!
Mr. Fusion
hEY fish’game
and to all
I also met DUDE in 05 near NOC and I was really struggling and defeated and worn. I wanted to give up I felt I was too fat and out of shape to keep going on my pack was still too big and I was still afflicted by the “thinking” (thinking as in conventional thinking not “trail” thinking if you know what I mean)
I was supprised by his appearance and although startled I did not jump totally out of my skin (damn south bounders)
He was so supportive of me and we talked about the little stuff
pack, personal strengths, and the love of nature. We talked maybe 10 minutes on the outside and his inner strength provided me with the extra backbone to carry on.
Right at this moment I applaud his help with a small tear in my eye.
I shall hope to be like him someday.
1/4
1/4 of the way