2010 Appalachian Trail Circle Expedition

[Darryl G]

The first expedition (1975 - 109 days) had nineteen people in it, mostly college students from the University of Connecticut. The circle was unbroken - we all made it.

Later, several members of this group formed the nucleus of the first group to walk both the PCT (1977) and the CDT (1984-I believe).

If you're referring to the CDT hike that was led by Kirk Sinclair, as I believe you are, it was 1985 not 1984. Not that it matters a lot, but as a member of that expedition I'm sure of the year.

[Tin Man]

bob barker?

A 1987 thru-hiker who had MS. There's a photo of him on page 11 of this document.

Oh, for a second I thought "the hike is right" was coming on tv soon.

[weary]

I used to think that when I became old and infirm that slacking might be the way to go.

Then I realized that if Bob Barker and Bill Irwin can hike the trail then mere age would not be a barrier.

Thanks for the chuckle. But mere age is a barrier. I know because I live with "mere age," daily.

I still walk in the woods and hills five or six times a week. I still lead hiking trips. I still dream of thru hiking again. I still work to expand the narrow National Park Service corridor of the trail in Maine. I still cart my chain saw two and three miles occasionally to remove blowdowns on our town land trust trails.

But I also see good friends gradually passing away. Even more declining my invitations to walks. And I know that I now struggle to walk three or four miles a day without a pack. I never was a "strong" hiker, just a persevering hiker.

I'm now a persevering and slow hiker. My chances of walking one season between Georgia and Maine again are virtually nil.

Weary

[Lugnut]

bob barker?

Not 'the' Bob Barker. This one hiked with Multiple Sclerosis using crutches. A real inspiration.

[warren doyle]

Had a very productive first preparation session for the Expedition with a concluding 'reality check' at Backbone Rock Picnic Area Friday morning.

Twenty people participated with fifteen people completing both day hikes.
Three people have discontinued.

Looking forward to our next prep session - a 3-day, 63-mile backpack in northern VA and MD the first weekend in October.

My son Forest (AT00) is graduating from Warren Wilson College this morning and then it is back to Trail Days for two programs and calling the contra dance.

Another session of the Appalachian Trail Institute starts Monday.

[Heater]

bob barker?

Yeah. SOBO.

He "hiked on down" the trail.

Uhgggh... ... sorry 'bout that...

[Red Hat]

My son Forest (AT00) is graduating from Warren Wilson College this morning and then it is back to Trail Days for two programs and calling the contra dance.

I remember when he was graduating high school! Say hi to him for me. Maybe he'd like to head SOBO this summer.

[ofthearth]

Hm.

So far it's been remarkably civil, informative, and balanced all things considered.

There's no room for discussion? A difference of opinion ruins it? Maybe you should think about possible reasons the vast majority of people have ready criticism for him.

Thanks for the chuckle. But mere age is a barrier. I know because I live with "mere age," daily.

I still walk in the woods and hills five or six times a week. I still lead hiking trips. I still dream of thru hiking again. I still work to expand the narrow National Park Service corridor of the trail in Maine. I still cart my chain saw two and three miles occasionally to remove blowdowns on our town land trust trails.

But I also see good friends gradually passing away. Even more declining my invitations to walks. And I know that I now struggle to walk three or four miles a day without a pack. I never was a "strong" hiker, just a persevering hiker.

I'm now a persevering and slow hiker. My chances of walking one season between Georgia and Maine again are virtually nil.

Weary

Weary,
I've been meaning to post and tell how much I appreciate your clear and calm responses to many posts. Sorry to hear the years are taking their toll. In regards to WD; I believe he courts controversy by many of his own statements. There may be a fine line between advocating something and saying (with great flare and props I might add) this is what I do, such as climbing gates of "robber barons" to enter sections of the AT that are closed for the night and sleeping in posted/ closed areas. I would think that he would recognize that by his accomplishments people are going to think that if WD can do it then it must be okay for me to do it. After all, he is highly spoken of, has lead many "expeditions", and gotten many people thru the trail. ( A disclosure- I'm still trying). And I can only imagine the delight (of WD) in poking at Jack with the term "expedition" and then tweaking further when Jack asks for an explanation of the term. Anyway, have a good day and keep the calm posts flowing.

And as an afterthought - maybe that could/would be a fitting challange for WD; to organize an "expedition" for people such as yourself that love the trail and could use the support and organization. Just a thought.

[Jack Tarlin]

Good post!

Except, when I think of great "expeditions", I'm tempted to think of people like
Lewis and Clark; Morton and Stanley; Burton and Speke; Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen, Mawson; Mallory and Irvine; Ranulh Fiennes.

Among other things, these people achieved most of their reknown without meeting up with car support every few miles!

Some people seem to use the phrase "expedition" a little loosely. A thru-hike on the A.T., after all, is not a traverse of the Amazon basin.

[OregonHiker]

[quote=Jack Tarlin;628653]Good post!

Except, when I think of great "expeditions", I'm tempted to think of people like
Scott,; Mallory and Irvine;/quote]

Could'nt have been that "great" an expedition as they DIED

[Jack Tarlin]

Right. And people died under Columbus, Vespucci, Verranzano, Tasman, Raleigh, Magellan, Francis Drake, DeSoto, LaSalle, Balboa, etc.

And your point was......?

[weary]

Good post!

Except, when I think of great "expeditions", I'm tempted to think of people like
Lewis and Clark; Morton and Stanley; Burton and Speke; Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen, Mawson; Mallory and Irvine; Ranulh Fiennes.

Among other things, these people achieved most of their reknown without meeting up with car support every few miles!

Some people seem to use the phrase "expedition" a little loosely. A thru-hike on the A.T., after all, is not a traverse of the Amazon basin.

"Expedition" as defined by Merriam-Webster:

1 a: a journey or excursion undertaken for a specific purpose b: the group of persons making such a journey
2: efficient promptness : speed
3: a sending or setting forth

Weary

[sherrill]

It's all how you perceive it. Some days an expedition can be simply getting back to my desk from the printer (I work in IT)

[warren doyle]

"Expedition" as defined by Merriam-Webster:

1 a: a journey or excursion undertaken for a specific purpose b: the group of persons making such a journey
2: efficient promptness : speed
3: a sending or setting forth

Weary

And the answer is (drum roll please): 1a and 1b

[warren doyle]

If you're referring to the CDT hike that was led by Kirk Sinclair, as I believe you are, it was 1985 not 1984. Not that it matters a lot, but as a member of that expedition I'm sure of the year.

That you for this correction Darryl and happy trails!

[Frosty]

I would imagine the expeditions have pretty high satisfaction and completion rates because Warren does a very good job of painting an accurate picture of what a thru-hike of the AT will be like, before they start. It's not hard to imagine that he has a pretty good idea of the experience after all the miles. I've talked to a few people who were members and they all had pretty good things to say about it.

I flirted with the idea of hiking with the 2005 Expedition, though ultimately I did not, and am again considering the 2010 Expedition. From what I have seen first hand, your first sentence is absolutely correct. Warren does not only paint a good picture, he shows it with the prep hikes. I hiked with him into Trail Days. Two days, 42-odd miles. It was not easy.

Warren says his members are self selected, and the "self selection process" pretty much guarantees a mentally and physically tough group of people. His self selection process reminds me of my high school football coach. He never cut anyone from the team, even it was a large school (New Bedford Mass) and he had at least four times as many people try out as he could use. He simply made the practices harder and harder until enough people dropped out. What was left were people who really really wanted to be on the team. I think that is a good part of Warren's success. The other part is a commitment to friends, which I shan't comment on here, but your mentioning comraderie is part of it.

The fact is, Warren offers an experience/"service" that is very desireable for a small population of people. It attracts people who may be physically unable to hike with 30-40 lbs on their backs, or people who may not want to rough it, like a traditional backpacker would.

I've been backpacking since 1972. I'm 6'5" tall and my hiking weight varies between 240 and 270 pounds. I can carry a heavy pack. The reason I did not do the 2005 Expedition is that (among other things) I didn't think I could physically do it that year.

When people think of slacking, they think of a nice 10-15 mile break, hiking without a backpack, staying in an inn hte night before and after. They don't think of hiking 15-25 miles after breaking camp and having to set up camp the night after. Except for the pack weight, this is a different slackpacking that what people usually think of. It is still camping every night, still setting up tents in the rain and breaking them down in the rain.

And hiking about 20 miles a day, every day. Starting from Day One. People who "do not want to rough it" as you say, do not commit to hiking that much each and every day from the get-go. And the prepaation hikes would quickly weed out such people anyway. The next prepartion hike starts at Linden and goes 63 miles in 3 hiking days. That's a load for someone who has been on the trail for months. For those who section hike and do weekend trips, anyone think this is the softer, easier way? I don't.

There is always a lot of negativity about people who don't hike the "way they should," but I think a lot of this here is either generated or fed by some who feel a personal animosity toward Warren and his political stance. As a man who enlisted in the Army in 1966 when I had a student deferrment, volunteered for Viet-Nam then volunteered for a second term, and whose career has been as an engineer for the Department of Defense, my philosophies could not be more different than Warren's. I do not personally approve of some of his actions for the simple reason that I would not have done/said those things. But I think hte same of everyone who follows that particular path to peace, and I do not find it morally wrong as some do. Diff'rent strokes for different folks (I'll leave it to Cookerhiker to attribute that for me).

I just don't see why different political philosophies have any bearing on hiking philosophies.

Anyway, I've hiked traditionally, and done some of slacking Warren-style, and Warren's way is tougher.

Anyone who thinks otherwise ought to come on the 63-mile, 3 day backpack with us.

[Alligator]

...
Anyone who thinks otherwise ought to come on the 63-mile, 3 day backpack with us.

I don't think that day hikes of 20 miles are easy. That being said, 63 miles of backpacking over 3-days does not compare to 20 mile days day hiking. It's an apples and oranges argument. There's about a 15-30+ pound difference and the availability of additional comforts provided by van support. It's not something I care about though, there are many different ways to hike the trail. The 3 day hike does necessitate a full backpack yes?

[weary]

Ah, so a group of four plump sixty-ish ladies setting forth, speedily, to the hairdressers, Wal-Mart, and the Bingo Hall, according to Weary, constitutes an "expedition."

If they set forth on a bus for a package weekend to Atlantic City, I guess this would be an "extended" or "long-distance" expedition.

Thanks for clearing this up.

Jack:

I haven't said anything. I just quoted from my trusty Merriam Webster, which sits next to my computer for occasions like this.

Weary

[Pokey2006]

I don't think that day hikes of 20 miles are easy. That being said, 63 miles of backpacking over 3-days does not compare to 20 mile days day hiking. It's an apples and oranges argument. There's about a 15-30+ pound difference and the availability of additional comforts provided by van support. It's not something I care about though, there are many different ways to hike the trail. The 3 day hike does necessitate a full backpack yes?

It's not apples and oranges. Whether with a full pack or not, it's still HIKING.

[Alligator]

It's not apples and oranges. Whether with a full pack or not, it's still HIKING.

I didn't say it wasn't hiking. It's my opinion that the effort involved is different. Having a full backpack on for a twenty mile day vs. having a daypack on over the same distance is in my view different, particularly when multiplied over three days. I know personally I could go a further distance each day dayhiking vs. having a full pack. There is no question in my mind on that point, it's simple physics (work). How about for you?