35.63% of AT miles covered, roughly..... Re: [at-l] Ruck Thruhikers

[sloetoe at yahoo.com (Sloetoe)]

--- rcli4@comcast.net wrote:
> I need a favor.  I would like a list of long distance hikers
> (Say ~ 500 miles) that will be attending the Southern Ruck.
...

> Sloetoe
### 1979

> Long Distance
> The Boyz of Toe
### Have hiked 775.1 miles of ATness thus far, 35.63% (roughly,
to two decimal places), including
590 VT->ME
and
150 Hot Springs->Wesser

and bits and pieces in CT, PA, MD, WV, VA, and G-oh-ja. This
past weekend's hike (Fontana->Wesser) brings this year's total
to 
 0.9 Springer
 2.4 Blood Mtn
 0.8 Wesser
 5.2 Katahdin
 1.0 WV/MD
29.4 Fontana->Wesser
to a whooping
39.7 miles for 2005     

... and endured roughly SEVEN THOUSAND miles of driving this
calendar year. That's a boatload of global warming gases for 40
miles of AT, and almost $500 in gasoline buckos out of my
over-dieted wallet. That's 179 miles of driving for each mile of
AT hiked; last year, by contrast, had us driving ~8 miles for
each mile of AT hiked... a slightly better ratio, in my little
mind.

Including the rest of the LT (~170 miles) and the PART of the
Cohos (~60 miles), they've hiked 1,006.1 miles of "longer"
trails.

But this last one? Fontana->Wesser? Wuz sweeeeet. We were
bopping along the trail Saturday morning (the boys a'goodly 100
yards ahead, chatting away), temps in the low 30s, sun shining
brightly, wind barely at a whisper, the boys wearing their
million-dollar gloves and RockDancer hats and dayglo green cross
country running shirts, and these two college-looking types
passed us northbound -- they said something to the boys, but by
the time they got to me, they were still a mite wide-eyed, and
with a nod back uphill to the boys, commented to me "short
sleeves! Man, they're tougher'n me!" I don't think it was a
comment on the boys' dress so much as to the lighthearted manner
in which they were negotiating the hill. It was just another
great day on trail for them, whereas the rest of us humans were
actually working at it..... Their first "winter" hike -- I think
they liked it: the clothes were "a pain" to negotiate, but the
views beat the pants off the warmer weather. Sounds like they
get it.

Oh, and officially now, they are now completely outpacing dear
ol' Dad for most of the day, cruising lightly forward, waiting a
minute til Dad hoves into view, and then turning back forward
and striding on. At the end of the day, they're mine, but only
just because they've probably done a good 4 miles extra in
turning back all the time. If they were enthused, I'd call them
"dog-like", but they're just curious -- "Is he coming yet?" --
so I'll just call 'em YoungHikerMen.......

Dadtoe

Spatior! Nitor! Nitor! Tempero!
   Pro Pondera Et Meliora.