Starting a Thru -- [Was: Re: [at-l] A Clear Choice for RnR]

[daveh at psknet.com (David Hicks)]

Posted before I thought it through, fully.

By Baxter's count process, I started a SOBO Thru which I never intended to 
start, but I completed two NOBO Thrus, which I never started.

Oh well, I still wonder about the numbers.

Chainsaw

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Hicks" <daveh@psknet.com>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 12:11 PM
Subject: Starting a Thru -- [Was: Re: [at-l] A Clear Choice for RnR]


Not disagreeing with what I think is your point -- that the AT is about more
than Thruhiking.  Albeit my respect and admiration of Thruhikers abounds.

However, I'm morphing to a new thread.

I see numbers like 3000 "starts" vs. 400 "completions" used from time to time.

I often wonder how valid these numbers are.

As background -- At Baxter they seem to record/log two classes of hikers --
Thruhikers are those who have hike, or plan to hike, some number of miles
(100???) vs. some other classification.  Each time, I registered I was only
starting/had completed a Section -- last year starting 500 mile SOBO, before
that completing from Monson, NOBO.  It has been a while since I actually
started at the Amicalola Falls approach trailhead (using USFS Rt 42 as
access), but I seem to remember they did the same thing.  In route, I have
observed similar record keeping.

So, does that mean statically I started six uncompleted Thrus -- when in fact
I never started/intended to do a Thru in the first place?

OTOH, how many "unrecorded" NOBO starts skip the approach trail?

OTOH, how many SOBO short section hikers lie about their intentions in order
to save fees at Baxter?  Ditto, GSMNP & SNP for backcountry permits?

Chainsaw


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Raphael Bustin" <rafeb@speakeasy.net>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 1:11 AM
Subject: Re: [at-l] A Clear Choice for RnR

>>

SNIP
Let's consider a few numbers:

4,000,000:  number of folks who set
foot on the AT in a year
       3,000:  number of folks starting
AT thru hikes in a year
        400:  number of folks completing
AT thru hikes in a year
SKIP
<<


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