Trivia # 3 - Appalachian Trail

imported
#21

I think I’ll start narrowing the field. One of the true hikes is - - - - - #10: Spent over $15,000 on the trail.

I read about this hiker who did a NOBO back in the 95-98 period. He was mentioned in one of the “narrative” books on AT hiking that was published later. I also met a Ridgerunner who said he thinks he had met the guy. He did a fully supported thru-hike. Carried little if any gear and had a van and family/friends who cooked meals and provided a place to sleep. But - he still hiked the entire trail. When the van was accessible at the end of a given day’s hike, he would head to the van, have a hot meal cooked on a stove, have a cool (or hot, as relevant) drink and crash for the night on a matress bed.

If what I was told is true, part of the $15,000 cost involved some major repairs to the van during the hike. That would explain a good chunk of the cost. If that was anywhere near half of the $15k, the rest could very easily be spent on town, food resupply, parties, support personnel, etc.

JAWS

#22

SIlers Bald and Double spring gap shelter are less than 2 miles apart. (I think, can’t be much more than that)

Hammock PhD

#23

And I forgot about the dual shelters in Pennsylvania. The ones that are only yards apart.

But the point is that it would be doable to sleep a separate night in each and every shelter in approximately 250 nights or less. That’s around 8 months. A NOBO would have to start February 15th (for a October 15th cut-off). A SOBO could start about anytime from late May to around Labor Day.

JAWS

#24

Jaws, what’s YOUR definition of a thru-hike? Makes a difference in some of the answers.

Note: It’s JAW’s definition that’s important. Please, no food fights over the definition .

K4KAM

#25

If someone would have asked me last year what my definition of a thru-hike is, I would have given some kind of stupid answer about it being a pure, no interruption, no blue-blaze, no slack-packing, no deviation thru-hike.

And then I met some pretty smart folks on the January, 05 thru-hike start. And some pretty smart people in Erwin. Then a number of smart thru-hikers from 2003. From them I learned some valuable lessons about what consitutes a thru-hike.

In my opinion now, a thru-hike is whatever each hiker wants it to be. Nothing more and nothing less. I think that philosophy goes hand in hand with HYOH. If I tend to be a purist, that’s fine. If someone else views a thru-hike another way, then that is their thru-hike. That’s all that matters - living and doing things to your own, personal standards.

JAWS

#26

1, 6 and 9 are false.

This is the most frustrating trivia question yet!

Keep it up, Jaws!

PS - If I’m right, I’ll take the credit. If I’m wrong, it’s my wife’s fault.:evil

K4KAM

#27

Since Geek & Ziggy have already been identified, I’ll go ahead and say that #5: Carried a cat has indeed been done.

That leaves nine left - six are true, three are false.

JAWS

#28

8,2, and 9 are false??

Mindi

#29

Time for another true answer: #7 - Walked Three YoYo’s Back to Back.

This is one that I heard from Wingfoot. There is indeed a hiker who has done a thru-hike then turned around and did another thru-hike (first YoYo); then turned around and did two more thru-hikes (second YoYo); and finally did two more thruhikes (third YoYo).

Thats a total of a little more than 13,500 miles.

All of the thru-hikes were pretty much back-to-back; one had about a month interval; some of the others had a week or two in between.

I don’t know the hiker’s name. For a while I thought it was Heald (who travels with Wonder Dog). But I talked to Heald at Mountain Crossings (Neals Gap) this past January. He (and his dog) have hiked that many miles, but not by doing YoYos. Maybe someone else can say who the hiker was.

That’s eight left - five are true, three are false.

JAWS

#30

I just looked again through all of your replies to this trivia question and just realized there are TWO OF YOU who have correctly identified the three wrong answers. I’m sorry for missing the two of you.

So here’s the question - should I go ahead and announce the winners; or does anyone/everyone want to continue to play?

JAWS

#31

Official guess: 1, 2 and 6 are false.

If I had more guesses, 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9 all seem false.

1

#32

tell us

Hammock PhD

#33

tell us

Hammock PhD

#34

This is the one where everyone is going to give me hell because it is somewhat tricky - but still (in my opinion) true.

#6 - Walked totally nude

This is another one I first heard from Wingfoot. A thru-hiker would only WALK ON THE AT in the nude. So any town visits included wearing clothes. After all, you don’t have to go into many towns to complete a thru-hike.

For towns like Hot Springs and Harpers Ferry, and for times when there were others close by, this hiker rigged a cloth towell to the front of his hip belt. When hiking alone, the towell was “raised.” When others would approach (especially Scouts, women, ministers, etc.) he just let the towell drop down - kind of like what the Indians used to wear. He did the same for towns the Trail went through.

After a days hike was over, he’d change into more conventional clothes for wear around shelters, campsites, etc.

I don’t know what he did about his rear. I’m assuming he had a similar towell arrangement.

The only reason I can justify that the hiker walked nude is because he did indeed hike with no clothes on. The towell wasn’t attached to his body, but to the pack’s hip belt. After all, if you can say he was nude while just wearing his pack, wouldn’t the same apply if all he did was add something (the towell) to the pack? Thoughts?

JAWS

#35

to me. How many decades ago did this take place? If it was in recent decades, the nude hiker would have made the grapevine in a heartbeat and would be well known.

It would have to be many years ago when few people were on the trail. But in the 1960s and before, I doubt anyone would have thought of hiking nude even one day, much less the entire trail.

“This is another one I first heard from Wingfoot.” Another factor.

1

#36

1,2,3 are the false answers

roy mercer

#37

1-2-3-6 are false.

max patch

#38

#5 is completely true. I met Geek, the cat carrying thru hiker from 1990 @ Low Gap in GA this past spring. The cat, Ziggy, rode on his pack most of the time.

Silent Bob

#39

I know #5 is true (carried a cat) 'cause “The Geek” (Jim Adams) and Ziggy are documented in “Walking the Appalachian Trail,” by Larry Luxenberg (pages 191 - 194, ISBN 0-8117-3095-6).

I’d sure like to see some documentation on the others. Real names, trail names, dates, and such. The stories could be really interesting!

Many of the other items seem to be based on “That’s been done” or “I know someone who knows . . .”

K4KAM

#40

Hey, my apologies if the answers require hiker names - because I don’t have them. Some of you have identified some of them (i.e. Carried a Cat).

Most of these accounts have been heresay, some in published materials. I surely can’t prove any of them, and I hope that wasn’t the point of doing the trivia thing.

I also believe Wingfoot when he mentioned the hikers he new of. But there is no way I can prove they took place. I just thought it was a pretty interesting interesting way(s) to do a thru-hike. And, they all seem feasible to me when explained. But for proof - sorry. :slight_smile:

JAWS