[at-l] Re: Pennsylvania Pointed Rocks

[gbenkert@fuse.net (Gregory A. Benkert)]

Hummingbird,

There is no official definition for "thru-hiker," but I think that most peo=
ple use the term to describe someone who is attempting to hike the entire t=
rail in one roughly continuous journey.

The ATC does define a 2000 miler.  You cans see that definition on ATC's we=
bsite:
=09http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike/thru_hike/after.html#1

In practice on the trail, anyone who is spending the season hiking the trai=
l is referred to as a thru-hiker regardless of whether they have skipped se=
ctions or not.  On occasion someone will roll their eyes when talking about=
 someone who yellow blazes or blue blazes, but you will find in most cases =
that people on the trail are not very judgmental.  Perhaps we are all just =
too tired! :-)

Hummingbird, you have to determine your goal.  There is nothing "wrong" wit=
h spending the summer hiking parts, but not all, of the trail.  In fact, it=
 sounds like a wonderful way to spend the summer.  If you want to skip sect=
ions, go ahead.  Enjoy.

But I would suggest that you think about what, if any, regrets you might ha=
ve.  Will it bother you some day that you had the chance to hike the entire=
 trail and chose not to?  If the answer is honestly "no", then choose the p=
ath of most interest to you and follow that path.  If the answer is "yes", =
then follow the white blazes.

"Why do you want to skip Pennsylvania?"  I voted myself the person who most=
 hated rocks in 2002.  I would not have missed Pennsylvania or any other pi=
ece of the trail for anything.  People love to complain and the rocks of Pe=
nnsylvania are fun to complain about.  Don't let all the talk bother you.  =
It simply isn't all that bad.

But I sure did hate those Pennsylvania rocks!

Big Red

Greg Benkert
gbenkert@fuse.net
GA->ME 2002
www.trailjournals.com/bigred

-----Original Message-----
From:=09Linda/Jan Benschop [SMTP:athummingbird@ellijay.com]
Sent:=09Monday, December 09, 2002 6:49 AM
To:=09Mark Rebuck; at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject:=09Re: [at-l] Re: Pennsylvania Pointed Rocks

So...is there anyway you can blue blaze (or yellow blaze??) PA and still be
considered a thruhiker??

Hummingbird


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