Thru - hike x2

[therisingtide86]

I am just curious if it has been done, has anyone ever thru - hiked northbound and then thru hiked back southbound? Or vice versa? I know one of the issues would be needing strict timing to avoid the north part after Oct from what I've read so far.

[capehiker]

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Ward Leonard do this back in the 80's/90's?

[therisingtide86]

Ok awsome, I was thinking of trying to do it. Currently trying to do research (my Internet is about as fast as a snail currently) but I'm hoping when I get back to a city where net works I can figure out more. Was thinking northbound early feb as I'd hit the northern area pretty early that way.

[therisingtide86]

Figured I'd throw some background up, I've never hiked the AT before, but am no stranger to hiking. I've been in the zagros mountains of iraq/iran the past 6 months doing military operations all over the qandil with a peshmerga group. Before that I was in the military and was in the mountains in afghanistan. Before I went crazy and flew off to iraq I ruck marched roughly 18-25 mi 3x a week (65 lb ruck) I am a newbie when it comes to mountaineering with crampons etc though(which is why the north in winter is not something I'd like to try)

[1azarus]

The Barefoot Sisters did it, too... even wrote a book or two about it. Apparently, the secret is to walk very very slowly.

[squeezebox]

Anyone know about how many Yo-Yos have been done, or other history items?

[therisingtide86]

I'll have to see if I can find a digital copy of it (sadly DHL doesn't deliver to the qandil mluntains, let alone to the top of any of the mtns lol) anyone else got info on anyone who's done it and wrote about it etc?

[squeezebox]

Figured I'd throw some background up, I've never hiked the AT before, but am no stranger to hiking. I've been in the zagros mountains of iraq/iran the past 6 months doing military operations all over the qandil with a peshmerga group. Before that I was in the military and was in the mountains in afghanistan. Before I went crazy and flew off to iraq I ruck marched roughly 18-25 mi 3x a week (65 lb ruck) I am a newbie when it comes to mountaineering with crampons etc though(which is why the north in winter is not something I'd like to try)

Read up about light weight gear. You don't want to try a yoyo with a 65 lb pack.

[therisingtide86]

I actually carry quite a bit right now (H & K G3,7.62x51 400 Rds, and 3 days food, we drink from streams so we don't carry water) along with a pack that basicly has a blanket,3 pairs of socks, and a sheepskin pad,but I'd really prefer to not carry more then necessary as it definitely creates undue stress on the body.
I can probably for the summer keep the weight low, as I'll be bringing my kurdish gear without the weapon etc. I'm looking at cooking equip at the moment as unlike here you probably can't just sit down and make a fire just anywhere and a hydration system (probably just a camelback and 2 canteens with iodine)

[Wolf - 23000]

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Ward Leonard do this back in the 80's/90's?

Ward Leonard did 3 thru-hikes back to back to back in 8 months back in 1990.

HF, WV - Georgia
Georgia - Maine (unsupported speed hike)
HF, WV - Maine
Maine - Georgia
Georgia - Hot Spring, NC

There was another hiker who when by The Traveler who claim to have hiked the AT 5 times back to back to ... Then it was discovered he had a car on the trail.

Wolf

[map man]

It's not all that rare. It's common enough that it's been given a name -- the yo-yo hike.

[therisingtide86]

Ward Leonard did 3 thru-hikes back to back to back in 8 months back in 1990.

HF, WV - Georgia
Georgia - Maine (unsupported speed hike)
HF, WV - Maine
Maine - Georgia
Georgia - Hot Spring, NC

There was another hiker who when by The Traveler who claim to have hiked the AT 5 times back to back to ... Then it was discovered he had a car on the trail.

Wolf

I've been reading about Mr. Leonard. Seems like a interesting fellow. Don't suppose he's written a book or has a journal anywhere such as some have done?

[Dogwood]

Figured I'd throw some background up, I've never hiked the AT before, but am no stranger to hiking. I've been in the zagros mountains of iraq/iran the past 6 months doing military operations all over the qandil with a peshmerga group. Before that I was in the military and was in the mountains in afghanistan. Before I went crazy and flew off to iraq I ruck marched roughly 18-25 mi 3x a week (65 lb ruck) I am a newbie when it comes to mountaineering with crampons etc though(which is why the north in winter is not something I'd like to try)

\

AT, PCT, and CDT yo yos have been done before.

Although parallels exist between what you've already done, and certainly the military hiking and lifestyle experiences will assist, a LD hike of the AT is a different beast in several ways. Keeping your head consistently in the game for the entire duration of a month after month after month after month 2200 mile linear path thru-hike and especially a 8-10 month 4400 mile four season AT yo yo independent of the military is different.

The hard reality is being in the military and doing military hikes is no guarantee of LOOONNG Distance hiking success. As advanced and tough physically, emotionally, and mentally military personnel usually are one might expect to observe healthy ex or current military newbie thru-hike wannabees to have much much higher newbie thru-hiker completion rates than non military newbie thru-hikers. This is NOT what I repeatedly observe as a LOOONNG distance hiker himself with a paramilitary back round. It dismays me. I strongly advise you research and consider why that is so you can avoid the common cross over issues and assumptions.

[bigcranky]

I actually carry quite a bit right now (H & K G3,7.62x51 400 Rds, and 3 days food......

You probably don't need all 400 rounds of ammunition for an AT thru-hike.

[therisingtide86]

\

AT, PCT, and CDT yo yos have been done before.

Although parallels exist between what you've already done, and certainly the military hiking and lifestyle experiences will assist, a LD hike of the AT is a different beast in several ways. Keeping your head consistently in the game for the entire duration of a month after month after month after month 2200 mile linear path thru-hike and especially a 8-10 month 4400 mile four season AT yo yo independent of the military is different.

The hard reality is being in the military and doing military hikes is no guarantee of LOOONNG Distance hiking success. As advanced and tough physically, emotionally, and mentally military personnel usually are one might expect to observe healthy ex or current military newbie thru-hike wannabees to have much much higher newbie thru-hiker completion rates than non military newbie thru-hikers. This is NOT what I repeatedly observe as a LOOONNG distance hiker himself with a paramilitary back round. It dismays me. I strongly advise you research and consider why that is so you can avoid the common cross over issues and assumptions.

Will do, thank you for the input. I do plan on trying to do a thru-hike NB. The idea to go back SB is really a secondary option at this point. I'll probably plan for both(I've got friends in ME so gear storage isn't a issue) I've got roughly a year to plan it as I was thinking 2017. As im going to try and summit Halgurd and Cheekha Dar(Cheekha Dar is iffy as it's partly in Iran) with some of the iranian kurd peshmerga I am with (many have done halgurd but none so far cheekha dar that I've talked to)

[Viper2016]

Just a question: didn't someone do an AT yo yo then attempt a PCT thru all in the same year. If that memory is correct I also think he got stranded in a snow
storm on his SOBO PCT. He needed a rescue team.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Lone Wolf]

I've been reading about Mr. Leonard. Seems like a interesting fellow. Don't suppose he's written a book or has a journal anywhere such as some have done?

no. he's not into that

[rocketsocks]

I actually carry quite a bit right now (H & K G3,7.62x51 400 Rds, and 3 days food

You probably don't need all 400 rounds of ammunition for an AT thru-hike.

Right...prolly get by with 250


keep an eye on this fella

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

In 2012, PJ Wetzel did an AT double flip-flop slack pack. He worked out of his van, in which he slept most every night. He drove to a road crossing, walked out a half-day, turned around, and came back to his starting point. Next day he'd start farther from the turn-around point, hike back to it, and turn around to his starting point.

He did the entire hike without once spending a night on the trail. That required some 18 hour 30 mile + or - hikes in GSMNP, but he got it done.

PJ started on New Year's Day and finished around the end of October. He flip-flopped a lot, starting in the central VA lower elevation sections in January, and moving to more southerly and northerly sections as the weather improved. His final section was in central PA, I believe.

Not exactly everybody's cup of tea, but an extraordinary effort by an interesting guy who flat out loves to hike.

AO

[4eyedbuzzard]

I actually carry quite a bit right now (H & K G3,7.62x51 400 Rds, and 3 days food, we drink from streams so we don't carry water) along with a pack that basicly has a blanket,3 pairs of socks, and a sheepskin pad,but I'd really prefer to not carry more then necessary as it definitely creates undue stress on the body.
I can probably for the summer keep the weight low, as I'll be bringing my kurdish gear without the weapon etc. I'm looking at cooking equip at the moment as unlike here you probably can't just sit down and make a fire just anywhere and a hydration system (probably just a camelback and 2 canteens with iodine)

Kurdish gear is likely very well adapted for a soldier hiking the mountains of the Middle East on military missions. But hiking the AT, as a civilian, for recreation, is a completely different mission. Get gear that is designed for the purpose - civilian LD hiking. Sheepskin pad and blanket? No, Neoair type inflatable or closed cell foam pad with down sleeping bag or down quilt. Add a tent or tarp to sleep under. Canteens? No, Gatorade bottles. Iodine? No, Chlorine Dioxide such as Aquamira or Potable Aqua. Cooking only on fires? No, canister or alcohol stove and small cook pot.

To hit the best hiking conditions for the northern 1/3 of the trail, you'll want to time your hike to arrive NOBO at the MA/VT border right about mid-June (earlier arrival increase chances of mud, high water levels during melt, black flies, and lack of trail maintenance) and depart Katahdin SOBO by mid-August (later departure increases chances of snow and ice in the Whites).

Oh, and don't underestimate money. Bring lots of money.