Has anyone ever Yo-Yo’d the AT? I hear a lot of Thru-Hikers say that there is a big transition back to civilization so I suspect that there may be some who prefer to stay on the trail. Is there any record ofAT hikers who complete a North Bound hike and then turn around and head south? Has anyone completed a Yo-Yo?
Skylander Jack
JackW
I don’t know if I would ever do it (or have the time to stay out on the AT for the amount of time required to do a Yo-Yo. But the whole AT would look different from the two different approaches. Anyone journal on this?
JackW (AKA Skylander)
Several (probably less than 10 folks) have yo-yo’d the A.T. Ward Leonard allegedly went one better some years back…he Northbounded to Katahdin, turned around and walked back to Springer, and then turned 'round again and walked back to Katahdin THE SAME YEAR. This, to my knowledge, had never been done, and I doubt it’ll ever be done again.
B. Jack
That’s the beauty of the pre-internet days. I met a lot of these characters “in the day” and none of them participate in any of these puter forums. They don’t do Traildays, Gatherings, Rucks, etc., etc. Journals? Like me they don’t write em. They’re just hiker trash.
wolf
I had a friend in 98, grovin with the moose, who ended up yo-yoing. That is a long time on the trail. He said it was nice seeing a lot of the friends he got ahead of on his way back south, but then said it got really lonely.
Leif
There have been a lot of successful yo yo hikers. It can be hard, hiking in winter but it is doable, if you really want it. One guy I knew in 1992 turned around in mid-September, made it almost all the way back to Georgia, and decided to winter-over somewhere on or near the trail, then hike the last 100 or so miles in March so he could meet the next year’s class. The barefoot sisters yo-yo’ed two or three years ago.
If you want a first, try the yoyo on the PCT - it has been attempted several times, but as far as I know, so far not successfully. I doubt anyone has even attempted a CDT yoyo - too much high country there.
Ginny
Leif,
Did Groovin’ Moose make it? I met him in '97 and then again on my last hike in '98. I ran into him northbound and then somewhere in Maine on his way back south and I wondered if he actually made it all the way back to GA. If you talk to him let him know that he is photo is on Page 101 of Carol M. Highsmith’s and Ted Landphair’s book, “Appalachian Trail: A Photogrpahic Tour.” I laughed when I saw it in there.
Heck, for that matter, Lone Wolf your register entry at Dartmouth is photographed and shown on page 107 of the same book…looks like you were there on August 6th. 
These shots were taken in '98. Good picture book of the A.T.
Israel
Heard about a guy, who had some mental problems and who stayed on the trail for many years going back and forth up and down the trail. I imagine there have been a few of these. But they are a bit strange and as aforesaid, they don’t write, have journals and the like.
Believe Fanatsy Feet yo-yo’ed last year, in fact I know he did, but I am not sure if he made a complete yo-yo (both ways) or not.
See you out there. :cheers
Maintain