Longest straight through, thru hike ever?

[woodsy]

With alot of talk here about fastest thru hikes, how about the longest time period someone took to do a complete thru hike in one attempt.
Is it possible MS might attain this unglorified title if he ever completes his thru hike?

[The Solemates]

With alot of talk here about fastest thru hikes, how about the longest time period someone took to do a complete thru hike in one attempt.
Is it possible MS might attain this unglorified title if he ever completes his thru hike?

a spanish couple did a thorough hike in 03-04 which took 14 months.

[Sly]

Baevis took a full year to hike southbound 96-97 from June to June. No flip-flops, no slackpacking and no complaining....

[woodsy]

Looks like the only title MS will attain is that of being "The Ungratefull Critic".

[Ender]

Is it possible MS might attain this unglorified title if he ever completes his thru hike?

Honestly, much as I find MS's rantings annoying, I think the idea of a long long thru-hike to be anything but unglorified. I wouldn't mind spending 14 months straight in the woods having fun.

[RAT]

Nope, that would be "Strider, The Trail Legend" back in mid 90`s, took him 18 months or more, know him well and was with him on many parts of it, can vouch that its true.

RAT

[Topcat]

Didnt Stumpknocker and Hippie Longstockings compete to make the longest thru hike a couple of years ago??

[mweinstone]

i envy ms being out there so long is a dream come tru.and hes not ungrateful or a critic. hes ms dammit!


now back to your rantings.

[The Desperado]

Stanimal may be very close for that title, ha ha

[Lone Wolf]

Baevis took a full year to hike southbound 96-97 from June to June. No flip-flops, no slackpacking and no complaining....

we ran into Beavis at Burt's Pub in Stowe recently.

[JAK]

I would imagine there might still be some people somewhere that travel
continuously the better part of their lives. I would like to think so anyway.

[Mags]

Does "OD Coyote" still hold this record? He also coined the original (though less used) term for slackpacking.

Interesting article on the concept of slow thru-hikes by him:
http://www.mountaingazette.com/article/511

(And the article that started it all, that is also interesting:
http://mountaingazette.com/article/423

Mountain Gazette is my favorite outdoor magazine. Outdoors as a lifestyle and not as a way to acquire outdoor toys.

[DavidNH]

a spanish couple did a thorough hike in 03-04 which took 14 months.

wow 14 months! how many zero days did they take I wonder? That also means hiking through the winter! How do you even stretch it out that long? maybe do 5 mile days? imagine the discipline that must take!

This couple deserves an award for sure!


David

[Jim Adams]

If I remember correctly, that couple stayed at every shelter and that was their plan from the start.
geek

[Lone Wolf]

that couple stayed at every shelter

that would totally and utterly suck.

[Jim Adams]

that would totally and utterly suck.

VERY TRUE L.W.! But I think that was the plan.
I remember hearing about them ahead on the trail when I was doing a little Georgia hiking that spring.


Could the best / longest hike be: doing the same daily mileage but NEVER stay in a shelter? Now that would rock!

geek

[JAK]

Shelters might not be so bad in the off season. There's something particularly beautiful about normally crowded places when they are deserted, like stadiums in the snow.

Does anyone prefer to do the AT in the winter, or is it just too icy in places I've thought of doing the Fundy Footpath mid winter but it is kinda crazy in places, and that was only as far as I got. I don't mind cold and wind and snow and ice, and I love the solitude, but some trails are best avoided in winter. Mostly because of the icy down slopes, but I've also even heard of deep water under snow and ice where you don't expect deep water to be. Even if you were the mountaineering type, which I am not, it might not be good for the trail either.

It might be a great way to slow down and take your time though.

[Lone Wolf]

Shelters might not be so bad in the off season. There's something particularly beautiful about normally crowded places when they are deserted, like stadiums in the snow.

shelters are dirty, man-mades boxes that are out of place in the woods

[max patch]

If I remember correctly, that couple stayed at every shelter and that was their plan from the start.
geek

They had some 5 minute days in PA.

Unless the tandem shelters have all been destroyed.

[Yahtzee]

shelters are dirty, man-mades boxes that are out of place in the woods

Was beginning to miss me some LW silliness. I stand corrected, the board is more interesting with LW than without. Just too bad he isn't as friendly online as he is in person. Methinks that may be the point.