Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
The ATC does not recognize thru hikers-- at least not as a special classification.

Rather, they acknowledge applicants who have walked the entire AT with the organization's "2000 Miler" recognition, regardless of how they hiked the Trail.

They don't care if applicants did the AT as day hikers, or thru-hikers, or section hikers or slack packers or any combination of these.

Sort of makes sense considering the ATC is first and foremost is a TRAIL organization and not a HIKING organization, right?

The definition of what constitutes a "2000 Miler" is spelled out on their application form. It is thier award so they get to define it or change it anyway they so choose. They ATC can even require that hikers looking for the "2000 Miler" recognition sign a document attesting to having met their definition. And they do.

The term "Thru Hiker" is different.

Like many words in common usage, some will use them more "correctly" than others, but no one person or organization gets to set the definition-- we all do. English a living language -- does anyone think "gang banger" still means what it did 30 years ago?

Same with "Thru Hiker". The meaning has changed over time (but not as much as some would think).

Big deal.
That ATC does define a Thru-Hiker: https://www.appalachiantrail.org/hom...ru-hiking/faqs"How does the ATC define thru-hiking?We define a thru-hike as a hike of the entire A.T. in 12 months or less."

The 2000 Miler application also asks you to define your hike as a Section or Thru Hike. If a Thru Hike which type; NOBO, SOBO, Alternative (Flip-Flop).

Even ATC's definition of a Thru has changed over the years as they now encourage alternative hikes to address overcrowding in the souther sections. They also use to say "one calendar year" but now say 12 months.