If you have also had some questions about the relationship of the "hiking community" to "the real world" read on. I monitor posts to this blog, but I am willing to read what you say and will post even the negative comments as long as there is A-no profanity and B-no personal attack on me. Even if you're cyber-stalking me, I'll post your comment if A and B requirements are met.
~~~~~An Appalachian Trail Hiker Overview by THFKA Coosa~~~~~~~~
According to the United States Forest Service, the Appalachian Trail is host to approximately 4 million visitors a year. This means that at least 4 million people put one foot on the (currently) 2,175 mile AT in a given 12 month period. Some are day hikers, some are Thru Hikers, some are just there for a photo opportunity, some are Trail Maintainers, and some visit more than once a year. For point of reference 4,000,000 will be used in my article.
According to The Appalachian Trail Conservancy a total of 9000 hikers have reported completing the AT since its completion in 1937. They also state that in any given year approximately 2000 to 3000 hikers set out to Thru Hike the AT (hike the entire Trail in one continuous hike in one 12 month period). Of these 70% to 90% do not complete their hikes. Reasons given for terminating their hike are found in Roland Messer's 1989 book, "Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail." They include injury and boredom. Additional information is on Mark Flagler's 2003 DVD "Appalachian Impressions: Hiking the A.T." It can readily be assumed that a certain number of the 2000 to 3000 Thru Hikers each year were also hiking in a previous year and either did not finish the AT when they initially started their hike, are officially Section Hiking (rather than Thru Hiking) the AT, or are repeat Thru Hikers.
Let's look at some numbers: Early on, in the 1930's through the 1950's the yearly number of hikers attempting a Thru Hike was much less than the 2000 to 3000 reported today. Even in the 1960's through the 1980's, these large numbers are suspect as interest in backpacking and completing a hike on the entire Appalachian Trail was in its infant stages during those years. For this dissertation, I will use 1000 hikers per year between 1960 through 1989 and starting with the year 1990 count 2500 Thru Hikers for each year through 2006. There was a surge in 1999 and 2000, but I believe that using 2500 attempts a year from 1990 to 2006 will be a fairly accurate yet conservative representation of the number of people (including repeaters) who set out to Thru Hike the Appalachian Trail in each of those years. 1000 x 29 years (counting 1960 as the first year and 1989 as the last) = 29000 hikers attempting a Thru Hike or officially hiking a Section Hike on the AT in the years from 1960 to 1989. 2500 x 17 years (counting 1990 as the first year and 2006 as the last) = 42500 Hikers on the AT in the years 1990 to 2006 attempting a Thru Hike or officially hiking a Section Hike. For my computation I will use the sum of these two numbers (71,500) as representative from 1937 to the present. Using the 9000 total completed Thru Hikes (aka 2000 Milers) reported to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, this means that 9000/71500 or approximately 13 percent complete a Thru Hike each year. This takes into account the 100% in 1937, assuming Earl Shaffer was the only person who attempted a Thru Hike that year, to the much lower numbers between 1938 and the surge in the 1990's. Since 2000, the ATC reports that approximately 20 percent of the hikers report completing the AT in a given year. (And they report that the majority of the 20% are women hikers.)
Now, let's look at the larger picture and put this all into perspective. The ATC reports that the AT has 4,000,000 visitors a year. Of those, approximately 2500 or 00.0625 percent are Thru Hikers or officially hiking a Section Hike. This is not to say that a Thru Hike or officially hiking a Section Hike is not an accomplishment, because I think that everyone will agree that hiking 2175 miles in one hike or over several (Section) hikes is an accomplishment to be proud of.
However, these statics are important when looking at the 'big picture' on the Appalachian Trail.
I've done some research and even with duplication and my innate generosity, the number of people who participate in online e-groups or e-lists related solely to the Appalachian Trail are approximately 4000 or 00.1 percent of all the people who put at least one foot on the Appalachian Trail each year. Where on the Internet are the rest of the 3,996,000 people?
Damascus, VA holds a Thru Hiker gathering called Trail Days each year on the Thursday to Sunday weekend after Mother's Day each May. According to one Trail Days website approximately 20,000 people attend the festivities. I've been there at least ten times and I think that it's generous to state that 10,000 attend Trail Days. Given the ATC's 4 million visitors to the AT and using the more than generous and highly speculative 20,000 Trail Days visitors, this indicates that 00.5 percent of those who set one foot on the AT attend Trail Days. Not everyone in attendance is a Thru Hiker or a Section Hiker. Many locals attend Trail Days as there are activities relating to alumni of the local schools and school activities as well as a community wide yard sale on the Saturday before Mother's Day. The "Hiker Parade" usually has approximately (and generously) 500 hikers (not counting the parade vehicles and floats). Of the 9000 reported Thru Hikers (2000 Milers) and the 2500 hikers on the AT each year working on completing their hike, 4.34 percent attend Trail Days.
I hope you can see where I'm going with this. If not, read on.
Let's assume for the sake of mathematics that the number of visitors to the AT during 1937 to 1959 totalled 10 million and the numbers from 1960 to 1989 at 2 million a year totalled 58 million and the total between 1990 and 2006 of 3 million a year in the 1990's and 4 million a year beginning 2000 totals 30 million plus 28 million or 58 million. Taken as a whole, this equals 126,000,000 over the same time frame that 9000 hikers reported completing the AT. Of 126 million who have visited the AT since its inception only 00.00007 have reported completing a Thru Hike to the ATC. And of the Thru Hikers on the AT during this same time period (71,500) they represent 00.00057 of the total number (126,000,000) who have visited the AT.
In the grand scheme of things, Appalachian Trail Thru Hikers and Official Section Hikers are in a minute minority. But again, let me emphasize that hiking the AT and completing the entire Trail is an accomplishment to be proud of.
My question is: Where are the rest of the AT Thru Hikers who have not reported their completed AT hikes to the ATC? Some, like a certain male ballet star, 'said' they Thru Hiked but failed to follow all the white blazes and yellow blazed about half of the Trail. A person can "say" anything, but eventually the truth will out. (Right, Mr. Gore?) But I have met former AT Thru Hikers who just "didn't" report to the ATC that they completed their hikes. Why? Good Question.
So this is where this is going: Not everyone who hikes on the Appalachian Trail is a member of any AT related e-group, e-List, attends Trail Days, or is a member of any AT related group such as the AT Conservancy, the local AT Maintaining Club, ALDHA, Trailplace or WhiteBlaze. Why? Good Question.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cycle of AT Hiker Life~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I see it. Recall, this is my blog and you have the right to comment.
1- Interest in the Appalachian Trail is sparked.
A- By Bill Bryson's "book"
B- By a high school or college backpacking class
C- By a family member or friend who completed a Thru Hike
D- By an article in a magazine or newspaper
2- Inquiries made regarding gear.
A- Through books about backpacking
B- With local outfitter
C- Borrowing from friends or family (this hand me down gear usually does not fit)
D- Checking on the Internet
3- Gear not borrowed is purchased
A- From local outfitter
B- From discount online outfitter
C- From backpacking equipment store
4- Money is saved for trip
5- Some "pre-hike" hikes are made
6- The Big Day Arrives and the AT Thru Hiker arrives at the Terminus of his/her hike
A- The Thru Hiker is fortunate and everything falls into place and he/she completes his/her Thru Hike
1- Hiker notifies ATC and may be active in local AT Maintaining Club and other AT related resources (including online e-groups and e-lists)
2- Hiker completes hike, tells few and resumes pre-hike life (often with a changed perception and life-style, but not always)
3- Hiker's entire life-style and outlook are changed and he/she becomes an active Trail advocate and politically active in an AT related area
B- Things go wrong or an injury occurs and the Thru Hiker has to get off the Trail
1- Injury or 'misery' is so great that Hiker sells gear and returns to "the real world"
2- Hiker vows to overcome injury/misery and returns to the AT as an Official Section Hiker or to attempt another Thru Hike
3- Injured Hiker doesn't wish to lose the camaraderie of the hiking community and joins one of the many e-groups or e-lists.
4- Injured hiker becomes actively involved as a Trail Advocate
C- Post Thru Hike, hiker decides to hike on other long (and short) Trails and becomes active in the Trail Community related to those Trails
D- Post Hike, hiker returns to College and obtains a degree in a field in which he can promote the AT and environmental causes
E- Post Hike, hiker realizes what's truly important and gets politically involved, working for local, State or Federal government
The above is not all inclusive, but the general observation is that a Thru Hiker is a changed person. Some change for the better, some go off the deep end and join forces with those organizations which would overthrow the US Government and destroy our current way of life, and some are changed spiritually with or without any external indication of the change.
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A person who wants to Thru Hike the Appalachian Trail can do so without any contact with any one who has Thru Hiked previously, without joining any e-group/e-list, without reading or writing a book (including Bill Bryson's) or a journal. A person can Thru Hike the AT and enjoy the hike, the moment and the community and then return to the "real world" and never look back or hang on to "what was then" because "this is now!"
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Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: 24 And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak; ye the truth every man with his neighbour; for we are members one of another.
2 Corinthians 5:17 If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new. 18 But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins; and he hath placed in us the word of reconciliation. 20 For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.
Mark 4:1 And again he began to teach by the sea side; and a great multitude was gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a ship, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude was upon the land by the sea side. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine: 3 Hear ye: Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4 And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up. 5 And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth.
6 And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And some fell upon good ground; and brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased and yielded, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred. 9 And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, the twelve that were with him asked him the parable.
11 And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand: lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he saith to them: Are you ignorant of this parable? and how shall you know all parables? 14 He that soweth, soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, and as soon as they have heard, immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized. 18 And others there are who are sown among thorns: these are they that hear the word, 19 And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless. 20 And these are they who are sown upon the good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and yield fruit, the one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.
These verses do relate, but I'll leave it up to you to discover how if it's not obvious to you.
Pace e Bene! ~~~~~~THFKA Auntie Coosa~~~~~~
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