Definitely not a .22 and was way more than 100 yards away given the average speed of a bullet is around 2000 fps. . The time between the shot and the impact (and the fact your mic picked-up the hit) was a good 4 seconds. Stay safe.
I thru hiked NOBO in 2022 at age 60. For me I was a purest. My mission was to walk north on the entire trail, carrying my full pack. No SOBO sections, no slack packing, no blue, yellow or aqua blazing. I was proud that I was able to complete my mission. When I started I thought that was the only definition of a thu hiker, but learned that most did not adhere to such a strict definition…and good for them. Having options like slack packing, SOBOing difficult sections, support vehicles etc, makes the joy of thu hiking more accessible and more fun for many. Walk every step-you’re a thu hiker!
Man, if I had the time to do it, I would thru-hike as slowly as I could. I'd stay at hostels, enjoy trail towns, meet tons of interesting folks, and basically lollygag my way to Maine. People could call me what they wanted, but I'd know I did it exactly right. Love your channel, Ramdino! 😊❤
During my 2022 thru hike, I started out with an anti-slackpack mindset for myself. I wanted to see if I could do it. I managed not to slackpack until I got north of the Shennies, over 950 miles. Then I had a trail friend whose parents were coming down to slackpack her for a few days and I realized my body would really appreciate the break. It was June at that point and I was dealing with chaffing from sweating all the time, plus I was experiencing some fatigue which unbeknownst to me at the time was due to getting sick. I ended up slackpacking approximately 50 miles into Harpers Ferry over 3 days, and I'm so glad I did. My body absolutely needed the reprieve, but I couldn't rationalize taking multiple zero days as the costs add up really quick. Who cares what I was or was not carrying on my back? I never skipped a single mile of the AT. The idea that slackpacking during a thru hike somehow invalidates it is silly. Does that mean Jennifer Pharr Davis didn't really complete the trail when she was supported through her FKT? Scott Jurek? Karel Sabb? Does walking/running the entire trail not actually count unless you're carrying a certain amount of weight? If I climb Katahdin with 15 lb on my back does that make my summit somehow more "worthy" than someone's who climbed it with just 5 lb? What a completely out-of-touch mindset and it makes me sad that people want to gatekeep and police thru hiking in this way. I've hiked every foot of the AT from Springer to Katahdin within one calendar year (176 days to be exact). I completed a thru hike.
As someone who attempted a thru hike in 2019, I believe where you put your head at night or where you eat your meals does not matter. What matters is did you walk the entire trail in a 365 day period.
As somone who will turn 62 on the trail in 2026, I plan on staying in a lot of hostels and slackpacking, and once completed, I will be a thru-hiker just like any of the "purest." For me, as long as you walk all the miles, that's a thru hike. Thanks Ramdino for another great update. Please be careful out there.
Hey me too, 62 in 2026! Not sure how I’ll approach it all. I live in the CA Sierra. Will be attempting the John Muir Trail out here this summer. Went to AT Trail days in 2023 and backpacked a teeny section of the AT while out there. Fell in love with everything and everyone.
I did lots of slackpacking and stayed at many hostels. I managed to make 1,099 miles (halfway, but skipping the flatter middle miles, intending to get back to them after summiting Katahdin), but a fall just short of the Franconia Range and the resulting knee injury sent me home. I would have missed so many great experiences and met fewer people if I had just put my head down and plowed ahead. I am not sorry for anything but my unforseen plantar fasciitis, which plagued me beginning with mile 300 or so, and, of course, my fall and injury. I turned 70 during the trip. Tinker 2023 (with the guitar, in the South). Have a fantastic trip!
I thru hiked in 2023. There is a HUGE difference between those that put their full pack on their back and grind it nobo or sobo than those that make it as easy as they can. We knew the difference and it is huge not to have 20-30 pounds on your back every step you take. It makes it so much easier and that’s why they do.
Daisy zoomies are always appreciated. As far as what constitutes a true “thru-hiker”, I don’t worry too much about what others are doing. Just walk the entire trail, please.
A thru hike is when all the blazed miles have been hiked in a 12 month period, in any order. Yes, I a prospective thru hiker leaving in February. Whether you slack pack or platinum blaze or not does not matter to the definition of it.
It's looking like my plans are gonna have to be altered for this year. Instead of an early March Springer start for a BOBO (thanks for that term, Ramdino) I'll be starting directly after Trail Days and planning to hike BOBO from where I left off at Dalton, Mass. in 2020. I'll for sure finish the trail this year (Dalton to Katahdin, fingers crossed), but everything from that point is TBD. See y'all out there somewhere! As far as "thru-hiking" goes, I will hike every step of the trail, but I'm just hiking. My plan is to hike as many miles as I can every year from the rest of my hiking capable life. I hope to hike every mile with some of my grandchildren in the years to come. I may not be "thru-hiking", but I'll never be through hiking.
My opinion on the term thru hiker is the definition changes in certain contexts. When I was on the trail “are you a thru hiker?” Meant as opposed to someone out for a few days or weeks. It meant someone headed (through whatever means) from one end to the other, for months at a time. As long as you weren’t skipping sections and acting like you just hike really fast, no one really distinguished between who was a purist and who wasn’t. Whether slackpacking and staying in hostels “didn’t count” wasn’t even brought up. On the internet, I try not to use the term thru hiker because I found out (the hard way!) that means only purists to some people. When I’m talking to someone in person that hasn’t been out on the trail or following hikes online, it depends on how long of a conversation they seem like they want to have!
Wow when I heard the snap after the gun fire it gave me the chill bumps. Thank god you’re alright Ramdino! Thanks for all you do for the hiking community
Hey Ramdino, thank you for all you do in support of the Hiking Community. I had a close encounter with a Black Bear 🐻 just north of Front Royal during one of my Training Hikes as I continue to prepare for my 2024 North Bound Appalachian Trail Attempt. I will be starting around 15 March. I'm documenting my training hikes on my RUclips channel. Thank you for all you do.
In regards to platinum blazing... my original plan was to do a solo AT thru hike this year, but along the way plans changed. The new plan is a supported platinum blazed modified flip flop thru hike. I did start off feeling a bit guilty about how much easier this will be with a support van and asked my self the same question, is this really a thru hike? Then I asked...where do you draw the line? Someone else feels that it is a not real hike if you use ultralight gear, slackpacked some (or a lot) of it,or stay in a hostel at all. Heck, maybe someone feels that anyone not using a canvas backpack and leather hiking boots, like they did, is not a real thru hiker. In the end, I decided the important thing (for me) is that a thru hiker, hikes all of the trail. Hiking all the miles is the hard thing. Not if you use Dollar General to resupply, or stayed at that hostel, or even did the same things that others did (like the approach trail, or climbed to the top of the fire tower, or whatever. I can't see how hiking only in one direction is the defintiion of a thru hiker. Supported? Well, almost all hikers are supported to some extent right? Picking up a box at the post office that was mailed to you. Eating trail magic at a trail head? Hichtchiking even...all of that is support. We are really only discussing degress of support. For me... even with some things easier because of platinum blazing and support... it is not like it is easy to hike the entire trail at my age (66 years old) and with some other complications. The important thing is you walked all of it.
Thanks to all for answering my question about shelters. My humble and inexpereinced opinion is if you walk the entire trail, you are a through hiker, however that is done. I do think it would be nice if there was a "special designation" for someone who walks it straight through with staying in shelters and tent only.
I’m a section hiker. Plan to hike every bit of the trail over several years. I go north or south, whatever makes sense for my parking for that section. I view thru-hikers as doing the whole trail in one year. Car assisted seems ok to me. HyOH. You using the leapfrog method doesn’t diminish my experience.
ThruHiker Opinion on what makes a thruhike,,, Platinum or not...The hike is what you want it to be....but To BE a thru-hiker, you have 365 days to travel in one continuous footpath from terminus to terminus, completely; bypass for bad weather allowed. However you do it otherwise, is up to you.
Platinum blazing was almost unheard of in 2015 but in 2023 it has almost become the standard norm. Slack packing is also more popular nowadays. Both platinum and slack packing are becoming more acceptable with each season. Aqua blazing I will never do as you have to deal with hiker stench and now the extra stench from those dirty boats.
yes. which makes it all the more confusing that one would conflate that with an early start AT thru-hike, when many hikers do the same thing with March & April start dates. Hostel hopping, multiple zeros et cetera are going to be an inevitable par for the course with an early start. why judge?
Lot of excitement around Peters Mountain near Pearisburg, woman chained herself to the drilling equipment Monday Jan 29th and halted drilling on the Mountain Valley Pipeline for eight hours, Forest Service is bringing in all their LEOs from all over the country right now. Otoh, talking to some crew there, they thought they'd be done in six weeks. They are on high alert.
IMHO, a thru-hiker hikes every foot of a trail within 365 days of stepping off. If there's a trail closure: 1. You can take the official re-route if there is one, OR 2. You can road-walk around the closure, especially if there's no official re-route yet, OR 3. You can come back to do the closed section later. What matters to me is a continuous footpath between 1 terminus & the other terminus within 1 year of stepping off. Unimportant to me: BOBO, NOBO, SOBO, flip flop, slackpack, if you take 3 months off for winter or an injury, if you hike 7 days a week or just 3 days a week, where you lay your head each night, snowshoes versus postholing, etc. I thru-hiked the 442-mile Natchez Trace from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS in 2016 over 31 days...a BOBO. (You have to get special permission from the National Park Service to hike the Trace - it's more for bicycling it or driving it.) I did a complete section-hike of the 1220-mile Ice Age NST over 6 years & change. I respect what others do & think (HYOH!), but in my own mind, I wouldn't call myself a thru-hiker unless I did it the way I just described. :-)
My opinion. Who cares what anyone else does. Do the AT the way that works for you. At the end of the day it only matters to the individual. I started sectioning in 2021 and have a hang tag for each year. It’s my commitment to finish the whole AT. Happy trails.🤘🏻🥾⛰️
Lots of bear tracks in the snow in VA…seems the never really go to sleep. I’ve always been interested in the 2 vehicle leapfrog method and would consider that a through. My intent is to hike, under my own power, past every legal blaze between ME and GA within 365 days. I’ll have my wife of 34 years (GrayJay) supporting me (and others along the way) with the “RoadRunner. 🥰
My definition of a thru hiker, for me, is: anyone who starts the trail at a terminus (Katahdin or Springer) and hikes each step of the trail in the same direction following the (white) blazes (unless there is a mandatory detour) within one 12 month period. You can get off the trail and return to the trail, but don’t skip. If I were to start the AT at Springer going NOBO but, later in the hike, hike a section (or more) SOBO - I would consider myself a flip-flopper, but not a “thru” hiker. If I hiked a variety of sections in any direction and in any order within a year or over multiple years, I would consider myself a section hiker and not a “thru” hiker. I would not hold anyone other than myself accountable to my definition! And, if you register your AT hike with the ATC, everyone (except those poor 2020 to 2021 folks) gets a 2,000 Miler cert. Hike your own hike! 😁 We are all HOBOs on the trails - lol!!!
I thought it was so funny after your video the other week how you mentioned you want to know why bag tags weren't available at the start of the year, then they put out an email with the reason why. They definitely watch your channel!
Crossword here - 2022 Flip flop thru hiker. I agree with your definition - as long as you hike every mile of the trail you are a thru hiker. And I would go one step further - as long as you connect all of your steps you are a thru hiker. This means you can hike some blue blades and still be considered a thru hiker. There are in fact alternate routes designated on the PCT and CDT that are still considered thru hiking. I am curious how much of the trail the people trying to tell others what a thru hike have hiked. My experience on the trail is that the people doing this haven't hiked much of the trail.
Thanks for the update Ramdino! Always enjoy your videos and the sensible info and suggestions you give. Appreciated you saying who's starting the trail and when. I really enjoy following the hikers here on RUclips. Sounds like there will be a bunch starting first week of Feb. If I did the trail, I'd start in March. That would give me seven months to get to Katahdin. I'd stay in hostels. I'm an avid camper & love hiking, but haven't hiked the AT, PCT, or CDT. Hiked maybe a half mile one time on the AT when visiting Great Smoky Nat'l Park. Great video.Hopefully those hunters will stay off your property!
I'm not sure if I added myself to your channel properly.. I'm starting my thru hike on Feb 12th.. I didn't know how to add a hyperlink.. I'm not very tech savy.. I uploaded my link.. do you think that would be OK? I want people to follow me and know I'm out there.. I'd like to share my adventures with you
I'll preface by saying I have NOT thru hiked the A.T. But my opinions about what makes a genuine hiking experience apply only to me. I set standards for myself only, and then try to meet them. How others go about it is just none of my business. But are you tellin' me there are people out there who try to claim credit they don't actually deserve? I'm shocked.
In 2016, I hiked a few days with someone who claimed to be thru hiking. The last time I saw them, they were getting off trail to go to town, and the next time I heard from them they had skipped over 50 miles up the trail. They claimed they were thru hiking all over social media, but they quite obviously had been yellow blazing and skipping section after section whenever the weather got bad.
Love seeing Daisy out there having fun, but that gun shot, yikes, id have to check it out too. As for your question. Being safe is always best, but if the hiker can afford to get off and be at a hostel or hotel and get on where they got off, who cares and why not. Skipping the Smokies bc of weather is smart, as long as they go back and finish. So IMO, ... do you and have fun, be safe, be real.
Every hiker should remember to stretch out before each hike. You may not think so, but you are athletes. Walking 2200 miles is more than a walk to the store. Stretch limber up.
You may have to don a bright orange cap and vest out there next time you do an update in hopes of avoiding incoming fire. That was scary. Thanks for all the intel you gather about the trail and for providing support for hikers. Good webcast every week!
The problem is with the term thru hike,or thru hiker and hiking the whole trail in one calendar year. For the definition should be long distance hiking the trail no matter how long it takes one year ten years or a lifetime. God bless Fast Eddy 88
I have very low iron and it is no fun. I feel if a person feels that they hike the AT then they did. To many things can happen and you can't control it.
Ramdino so sorry to hear that gun shot in your own back yard! 😡 🤯 To close for comfort and your poor doggie. 😢 Please be careful! Thanks for the update! I’m not a hiker but I think a thru hiker is the person who hikes every honest mile! Take care stay safe and Hike On!! 🥾🙏😊🧗♀️⛺️
Ramdino - I have to agree: aqua-blazing means you missed hundreds of miles of the AT, but be ready for hate mail. Too many justify a "thru-hike" by dismissing their shortcuts by saying "HYOH." Thanks for all you do. RTK (AT '18). [I'm also the author of "Platinum Blazing the Appalachian Trail."
Hi Ramdino, I am planning to be 2024 Thru hiker. I agree with you on the thru hike qualification. Just need to hike every step of the trail. Based on watching many RUclips Vids, I think hostels are a great part of the AT experience and I would not want to miss it. On the Fresh Ground support. Have y’all consider a bag tag with similar art as the mug? I would luv to hang a tag on my pack like that.
I hike a bunch but never attempted the AT in its entirety (I wish!!). An A.T. Thru Hiker is someone that has done every mile of the trail in one calendar year. I have no issue staying in the occasional hostel (helps them stay in business and I believe in supporting local) but I'd stay on the trail as much as possible. Just my .2. :)
Jara Walks started SOBO and ended up turning around along. There was also another man that tried and turned around too. Both ended up back in Portland. I believe Jara walks flipped to GA but he hasn’t posted any new videos.
I used to struggle with the "what constitutes a through hike" and My advice on the many new styles of hiking is Mileage versus more challenging doesn't always constitute a thru - hike. For instance I could hike thru Georgia with sunny skies while my neighbor could go thru during hurricane force winds, downed trees and tornados, maybe even hail and ice. And we could all agree her hike would have been a lot harder than mine, but I don't think it takes away from the fact that I hiked the same amount of trail miles. So Instead of not calling it a "thru-hike" in general, just respect that their style is different from your preferred style and adapt to watching your favorite styles without condemning someone else's. Also many people have different gear and limitations that we may not know of or understand so in short Hike your own hike and don't worry to much on how their hiking theirs lol.
For me a thru hike is a person who has walked every white blaze of the trail. Those who get off trail,skip sections, and never go back to finish. That is not thru hiking . As for me can’t wait to be on trail 30 days left. 🐻🥾
Wow, that *was close!* 😮 Not cool that someone is shooting on your private property. That was way too close for comfort. You shouldn't have to wear blaze orange in your own backyard. But maybe get the dog a vest, at least! Poor Daisy. As for where you sleep at night, WTH does it matter? If someone can afford to stay in hostels or hotels along the way, if they're hiking every mile, doesn’t matter, they're thru hiking. If you're yellow blazing entire sections and don't plan to go back and do them before the year is done, then by the ATC definition, that's not a thru-hike. Starting in winter is going to mean some sections are impassable, and too dangerous to hike. But if you need to skip ahead, and then come back in a month or so to do that section, or after you summit come back and do it, or whatever. Just be safe. And have fun. I plan to thru hike when I retire, and will probably start in winter, mostly because I intensely dislike summer and would like to be done before the dog days. But that may mean snow, and that I may have to skip ahead, and the do some backtracking. But I do plan to hike every mile. Until I make it to Katahdin, or my body gives out. 😉🤣
I hiked 750 plus miles 2023. I think you should hike ever step of the trail to be a thru hiker. I plan on finishing the trail this year. If I finish all the trail . I’ll call myself an AT hiker but won’t feel like a true thru hiker. Or call myself one out of respect for true thru hikers.
Another nice video. Thanks for sharing. You going to need to start wearing a hard hat. Hopefully you caught the person shooting on your land. Stay Safe and HIKE ON!!!
Hey brother thank you for all the information, very helpful. I start my attempt to thru hike the AT in April 13. In the mean time I would like to do trail magic. Can you recommend where to go, I’m in Maryland. Thanks
If you Walk Through the Arch in Ga and Slap/Kiss the Sign on Katahdin -- and your feet traveled more than 2000 miles on the AT -- you are a Thru-Hiker. I feel it would be disrespectful to anyone who meets these 3 criteria to be called anything else. - Life happens and no matter how long it takes (months or years to complete) or how your feet get on and off the trial each day/night of hiking those who thru-hike are folks who have found their JOY in their JOurneY.!
The title thru hiker is silly early on. it has more to do with intentions than progress, and we know what trails paved with good intentions get you. I support the idea of alternates especially for safety reasons, or to get a better experience (view point, shelter, aqua). I am a prospective thru hiker (give me about 10 years) but I cant see how what someone else does or says they do would impact my experience. Hike (just about) all the trail, hike 14 states, hike almost 6 months out of 12 and you are a thru hiker. the red line on farout isnt sacred since it changes every year. is a 2024 hike any less worth than a 2023 one? its shorter. The ATC doesnt define the value of a thru hiker's effort, that rests with the thru hiker.
Randino is there any info for hikers,who are diabetic? Can the thru hike be done? Im also concern about my race ,not much info on minorities on the trail .Are we welcome? I am 66 yo ,who has a life long dream of seeing the mountains and thru hike the AT. I enjoy your updates and I have followed various hikers for several years.
@williamoody8898 as a minority you will be very welcome on trail. There is a lot of folks that would love to see more diversity on trail so I hope you'll get out there. You'll have a lot more issues with your medical condition. On trail we are all equal, no matter what your race or socio-economic place.
There’s a type 1 diabetic out there now. Captain Jack and Bob were hanging with him per their channel in one of their recent videos. I don’t remember his name tho.
Hi Ramdino, Question... If a hiker thru-hikes the AT, then finishes the remaining 172 miles of The Vermont Long Trail all in the same calendar year...... Is that considered 2 complete thru-hikes? There is about 100 miles of double dipping in the equation. Is this ok?
A thru hiker hikes all the trail in a calendar year. Doesn’t matter the weight of the pack or if they sleep in shelters, tent, hostels or a van. Hike your own hike shouldn’t include driving instead of hiking. Glad you and your dog were OK. She looks like deer and I was worried that they were shooting at her. Greyhound Thru hiker 2023
I'm not a thru hiker. IMO, as long as someone walks every step/mile of the trail, i couldn't care less HOW they did it. Slack pack, staying at hostels, staying at hotels, whatever. I will say, however, that sometime who does it without staying at hotels garners a lot of respect in my book. As far as people claiming to be a thru hiker while skipping sections, that's between them and God. They're lying which means most likely they lie about other things in their life too. Ignore them.
I think some of these people are just trying to get away from their annoying families. Let’s face it, staying in a hostel every other night and taking limousines into town is more like a 3 month vacation (disguised as a grueling mission to achieve your dreams)
However you hike the miles, I don’t care. But there are boatloads of folks who choose to steal the “valor” of those who hiked all the miles on trail. It’s insulting for those who take a tremendous amount of pride and satisfaction to hike the miles, because their are many moments where we could have elected not to. I don’t know why this is such a hard concept for people to understand. Did you hike the miles or not?
Maybe consider a informational/ safety video explaining what a mid life crisis is. I don’t want to see another 60 yr old white guy get his ass handed to him. Go buy a sports car! Keep up the great work ramdino🙏
I don’t care about labels. Don’t like the cork sniffing. Your no more or less of a hiker if you thru hike or day hike. Without day hikers(3 million a year) we wouldn’t have gotten the AT to be a national park.
Gunshot and near miss round impact 23:07
Holy cow! 😮
Incoming! There is a time to get your own out but, you got to be careful about approaching poachers. That sounded bigger than a .22. Good Luck, Rick
Definitely not a .22 and was way more than 100 yards away given the average speed of a bullet is around 2000 fps. . The time between the shot and the impact (and the fact your mic picked-up the hit) was a good 4 seconds. Stay safe.
Did they hit the tree you were sitting behind?
You’re dog looked in the direction of the shot than looks in the direction of where the bullet landed
I thru hiked NOBO in 2022 at age 60. For me I was a purest. My mission was to walk north on the entire trail, carrying my full pack. No SOBO sections, no slack packing, no blue, yellow or aqua blazing. I was proud that I was able to complete my mission. When I started I thought that was the only definition of a thu hiker, but learned that most did not adhere to such a strict definition…and good for them. Having options like slack packing, SOBOing difficult sections, support vehicles etc, makes the joy of thu hiking more accessible and more fun for many. Walk every step-you’re a thu hiker!
Man, if I had the time to do it, I would thru-hike as slowly as I could. I'd stay at hostels, enjoy trail towns, meet tons of interesting folks, and basically lollygag my way to Maine. People could call me what they wanted, but I'd know I did it exactly right. Love your channel, Ramdino! 😊❤
I'd do the same! Sounds great!
Been doing that for fifty years. Do a lot of trail feeds. Super fun hike with challenged hikers too.
My son and I are platinum blazing, over a number of years, due to my health issues. We hike every blaze. I consider us through hikers.
During my 2022 thru hike, I started out with an anti-slackpack mindset for myself. I wanted to see if I could do it. I managed not to slackpack until I got north of the Shennies, over 950 miles. Then I had a trail friend whose parents were coming down to slackpack her for a few days and I realized my body would really appreciate the break. It was June at that point and I was dealing with chaffing from sweating all the time, plus I was experiencing some fatigue which unbeknownst to me at the time was due to getting sick.
I ended up slackpacking approximately 50 miles into Harpers Ferry over 3 days, and I'm so glad I did. My body absolutely needed the reprieve, but I couldn't rationalize taking multiple zero days as the costs add up really quick. Who cares what I was or was not carrying on my back? I never skipped a single mile of the AT.
The idea that slackpacking during a thru hike somehow invalidates it is silly. Does that mean Jennifer Pharr Davis didn't really complete the trail when she was supported through her FKT? Scott Jurek? Karel Sabb? Does walking/running the entire trail not actually count unless you're carrying a certain amount of weight? If I climb Katahdin with 15 lb on my back does that make my summit somehow more "worthy" than someone's who climbed it with just 5 lb? What a completely out-of-touch mindset and it makes me sad that people want to gatekeep and police thru hiking in this way.
I've hiked every foot of the AT from Springer to Katahdin within one calendar year (176 days to be exact). I completed a thru hike.
👏👏👏 agreed 100%
I can only hope for the chance to leapfrog with 2 fully loaded RVs and thru hike that way! Love that idea!
As someone who attempted a thru hike in 2019, I believe where you put your head at night or where you eat your meals does not matter. What matters is did you walk the entire trail in a 365 day period.
As somone who will turn 62 on the trail in 2026, I plan on staying in a lot of hostels and slackpacking, and once completed, I will be a thru-hiker just like any of the "purest." For me, as long as you walk all the miles, that's a thru hike.
Thanks Ramdino for another great update. Please be careful out there.
I will be hiking it this year at age 66. I plan on using hotels, hostels, slackpacks as much as possible. And I plan on hiking every step.
@@chase-lifebest of luck!
Here here, Catherine. A comfortable hiker is a happy hiker. Best wishes on your 2026 hike!
Hey me too, 62 in 2026! Not sure how I’ll approach it all. I live in the CA Sierra. Will be attempting the John Muir Trail out here this summer. Went to AT Trail days in 2023 and backpacked a teeny section of the AT while out there. Fell in love with everything and everyone.
I did lots of slackpacking and stayed at many hostels. I managed to make 1,099 miles (halfway, but skipping the flatter middle miles, intending to get back to them after summiting Katahdin), but a fall just short of the Franconia Range and the resulting knee injury sent me home. I would have missed so many great experiences and met fewer people if I had just put my head down and plowed ahead. I am not sorry for anything but my unforseen plantar fasciitis, which plagued me beginning with mile 300 or so, and, of course, my fall and injury. I turned 70 during the trip.
Tinker 2023 (with the guitar, in the South). Have a fantastic trip!
Even Grandma Gatewood stayed at peoples homes along the trail.
I thru hiked in 2023. There is a HUGE difference between those that put their full pack on their back and grind it nobo or sobo than those that make it as easy as they can. We knew the difference and it is huge not to have 20-30 pounds on your back every step you take. It makes it so much easier and that’s why they do.
Daisy zoomies are always appreciated. As far as what constitutes a true “thru-hiker”, I don’t worry too much about what others are doing. Just walk the entire trail, please.
A thru hike is when all the blazed miles have been hiked in a 12 month period, in any order. Yes, I a prospective thru hiker leaving in February. Whether you slack pack or platinum blaze or not does not matter to the definition of it.
Crockett here. Legally blind hiker. I start March 24.
Jolly got off at Albert Mountain the 100 mile mark
It's looking like my plans are gonna have to be altered for this year. Instead of an early March Springer start for a BOBO (thanks for that term, Ramdino) I'll be starting directly after Trail Days and planning to hike BOBO from where I left off at Dalton, Mass. in 2020. I'll for sure finish the trail this year (Dalton to Katahdin, fingers crossed), but everything from that point is TBD. See y'all out there somewhere! As far as "thru-hiking" goes, I will hike every step of the trail, but I'm just hiking. My plan is to hike as many miles as I can every year from the rest of my hiking capable life. I hope to hike every mile with some of my grandchildren in the years to come. I may not be "thru-hiking", but I'll never be through hiking.
Well said.
My opinion on the term thru hiker is the definition changes in certain contexts. When I was on the trail “are you a thru hiker?” Meant as opposed to someone out for a few days or weeks. It meant someone headed (through whatever means) from one end to the other, for months at a time. As long as you weren’t skipping sections and acting like you just hike really fast, no one really distinguished between who was a purist and who wasn’t. Whether slackpacking and staying in hostels “didn’t count” wasn’t even brought up.
On the internet, I try not to use the term thru hiker because I found out (the hard way!) that means only purists to some people.
When I’m talking to someone in person that hasn’t been out on the trail or following hikes online, it depends on how long of a conversation they seem like they want to have!
Wow when I heard the snap after the gun fire it gave me the chill bumps. Thank god you’re alright Ramdino! Thanks for all you do for the hiking community
Hey Ramdino, thank you for all you do in support of the Hiking Community. I had a close encounter with a Black Bear 🐻 just north of Front Royal during one of my Training Hikes as I continue to prepare for my 2024 North Bound Appalachian Trail Attempt. I will be starting around 15 March. I'm documenting my training hikes on my RUclips channel. Thank you for all you do.
Albert Mountain fire tower is the location of the 100 mile marked on it. It's really at mile 98.0
The Albert Mountain Fire Tower is at NOBO Mile 100 🥾🥾🙂
99.2, but who's counting.
yea, thats the one.
Section hikers can get a tag too?! Wow. I need to go get one.
I look forward to you weekly videos. I'm sure I'll send thanks again this year.
@MJG70 tks so much for your support of my channel. Happy hiking
In regards to platinum blazing... my original plan was to do a solo AT thru hike this year, but along the way plans changed. The new plan is a supported platinum blazed modified flip flop thru hike. I did start off feeling a bit guilty about how much easier this will be with a support van and asked my self the same question, is this really a thru hike? Then I asked...where do you draw the line? Someone else feels that it is a not real hike if you use ultralight gear, slackpacked some (or a lot) of it,or stay in a hostel at all. Heck, maybe someone feels that anyone not using a canvas backpack and leather hiking boots, like they did, is not a real thru hiker. In the end, I decided the important thing (for me) is that a thru hiker, hikes all of the trail. Hiking all the miles is the hard thing. Not if you use Dollar General to resupply, or stayed at that hostel, or even did the same things that others did (like the approach trail, or climbed to the top of the fire tower, or whatever. I can't see how hiking only in one direction is the defintiion of a thru hiker.
Supported? Well, almost all hikers are supported to some extent right? Picking up a box at the post office that was mailed to you. Eating trail magic at a trail head? Hichtchiking even...all of that is support. We are really only discussing degress of support.
For me... even with some things easier because of platinum blazing and support... it is not like it is easy to hike the entire trail at my age (66 years old) and with some other complications.
The important thing is you walked all of it.
Thanks to all for answering my question about shelters. My humble and inexpereinced opinion is if you walk the entire trail, you are a through hiker, however that is done. I do think it would be nice if there was a "special designation" for someone who walks it straight through with staying in shelters and tent only.
Thanks for another news update!
Love hearing about everyone 💕 wishing everyone well!!!😊
You are so welcome!
Gunshot and round impact near my position at 23:07
I’m a section hiker. Plan to hike every bit of the trail over several years. I go north or south, whatever makes sense for my parking for that section. I view thru-hikers as doing the whole trail in one year. Car assisted seems ok to me. HyOH. You using the leapfrog method doesn’t diminish my experience.
I got one of the “I support Fresh Ground’s Leapfrog Cafe” coffee mugs from your merch store. It’s a beauty!
Awesome, tks for your support.
ThruHiker Opinion on what makes a thruhike,,, Platinum or not...The hike is what you want it to be....but To BE a thru-hiker, you have 365 days to travel in one continuous footpath from terminus to terminus, completely; bypass for bad weather allowed. However you do it otherwise, is up to you.
Platinum blazing was almost unheard of in 2015 but in 2023 it has almost become the standard norm. Slack packing is also more popular nowadays.
Both platinum and slack packing are becoming more acceptable with each season. Aqua blazing I will never do as you have to deal with hiker stench and now the extra stench from those dirty boats.
yes. which makes it all the more confusing that one would conflate that with an early start AT thru-hike, when many hikers do the same thing with March & April start dates. Hostel hopping, multiple zeros et cetera are going to be an inevitable par for the course with an early start. why judge?
Lot of excitement around Peters Mountain near Pearisburg, woman chained herself to the drilling equipment Monday Jan 29th and halted drilling on the Mountain Valley Pipeline for eight hours, Forest Service is bringing in all their LEOs from all over the country right now. Otoh, talking to some crew there, they thought they'd be done in six weeks. They are on high alert.
IMHO, a thru-hiker hikes every foot of a trail within 365 days of stepping off.
If there's a trail closure:
1. You can take the official re-route if there is one, OR
2. You can road-walk around the closure, especially if there's no official re-route yet, OR
3. You can come back to do the closed section later.
What matters to me is a continuous footpath between 1 terminus & the other terminus within 1 year of stepping off.
Unimportant to me: BOBO, NOBO, SOBO, flip flop, slackpack, if you take 3 months off for winter or an injury, if you hike 7 days a week or just 3 days a week, where you lay your head each night, snowshoes versus postholing, etc.
I thru-hiked the 442-mile Natchez Trace from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS in 2016 over 31 days...a BOBO. (You have to get special permission from the National Park Service to hike the Trace - it's more for bicycling it or driving it.)
I did a complete section-hike of the 1220-mile Ice Age NST over 6 years & change.
I respect what others do & think (HYOH!), but in my own mind, I wouldn't call myself a thru-hiker unless I did it the way I just described. :-)
Little Daisy is such a lovely little girl, give her big snuggles from us , bless her , sweet girl
Thank you, I will
My opinion. Who cares what anyone else does. Do the AT the way that works for you. At the end of the day it only matters to the individual. I started sectioning in 2021 and have a hang tag for each year. It’s my commitment to finish the whole AT. Happy trails.🤘🏻🥾⛰️
Lots of bear tracks in the snow in VA…seems the never really go to sleep. I’ve always been interested in the 2 vehicle leapfrog method and would consider that a through. My intent is to hike, under my own power, past every legal blaze between ME and GA within 365 days. I’ll have my wife of 34 years (GrayJay) supporting me (and others along the way) with the “RoadRunner. 🥰
Yea , Im kinda like the BOBO method, even better with support.
My definition of a thru hiker, for me, is: anyone who starts the trail at a terminus (Katahdin or Springer) and hikes each step of the trail in the same direction following the (white) blazes (unless there is a mandatory detour) within one 12 month period. You can get off the trail and return to the trail, but don’t skip. If I were to start the AT at Springer going NOBO but, later in the hike, hike a section (or more) SOBO - I would consider myself a flip-flopper, but not a “thru” hiker. If I hiked a variety of sections in any direction and in any order within a year or over multiple years, I would consider myself a section hiker and not a “thru” hiker. I would not hold anyone other than myself accountable to my definition! And, if you register your AT hike with the ATC, everyone (except those poor 2020 to 2021 folks) gets a 2,000 Miler cert. Hike your own hike! 😁 We are all HOBOs on the trails - lol!!!
Got the hobo part right.😅
Dang that gun shot did sounded real close! As Always Thanks for all the updates as always! Blessings on you and your Family!
I thought it was so funny after your video the other week how you mentioned you want to know why bag tags weren't available at the start of the year, then they put out an email with the reason why. They definitely watch your channel!
Oh heck yea, and they will respond. Wonder how many reports Sandra gets 🤮
Crossword here - 2022 Flip flop thru hiker. I agree with your definition - as long as you hike every mile of the trail you are a thru hiker. And I would go one step further - as long as you connect all of your steps you are a thru hiker. This means you can hike some blue blades and still be considered a thru hiker. There are in fact alternate routes designated on the PCT and CDT that are still considered thru hiking. I am curious how much of the trail the people trying to tell others what a thru hike have hiked. My experience on the trail is that the people doing this haven't hiked much of the trail.
Thanks for the update Ramdino! Always enjoy your videos and the sensible info and suggestions you give. Appreciated you saying who's starting the trail and when. I really enjoy following the hikers here on RUclips. Sounds like there will be a bunch starting first week of Feb. If I did the trail, I'd start in March. That would give me seven months to get to Katahdin. I'd stay in hostels. I'm an avid camper & love hiking, but haven't hiked the AT, PCT, or CDT. Hiked maybe a half mile one time on the AT when visiting Great Smoky Nat'l Park. Great video.Hopefully those hunters will stay off your property!
I'm not sure if I added myself to your channel properly.. I'm starting my thru hike on Feb 12th.. I didn't know how to add a hyperlink.. I'm not very tech savy.. I uploaded my link.. do you think that would be OK? I want people to follow me and know I'm out there.. I'd like to share my adventures with you
I'll preface by saying I have NOT thru hiked the A.T. But my opinions about what makes a genuine hiking experience apply only to me. I set standards for myself only, and then try to meet them. How others go about it is just none of my business. But are you tellin' me there are people out there who try to claim credit they don't actually deserve? I'm shocked.
In 2016, I hiked a few days with someone who claimed to be thru hiking. The last time I saw them, they were getting off trail to go to town, and the next time I heard from them they had skipped over 50 miles up the trail. They claimed they were thru hiking all over social media, but they quite obviously had been yellow blazing and skipping section after section whenever the weather got bad.
Love seeing Daisy out there having fun, but that gun shot, yikes, id have to check it out too. As for your question. Being safe is always best, but if the hiker can afford to get off and be at a hostel or hotel and get on where they got off, who cares and why not. Skipping the Smokies bc of weather is smart, as long as they go back and finish. So IMO, ... do you and have fun, be safe, be real.
Every hiker should remember to stretch out before each hike. You may not think so, but you are athletes. Walking 2200 miles is more than a walk to the store. Stretch limber up.
Daisy is having a good time!
Changed my starting date to February 2nd
Tru hiker is anyone who hikes every step of the trail. IMO
The ultimate thru hiker purist hikes every step and never slack packs. Screw that! Crackerjack.
You may have to don a bright orange cap and vest out there next time you do an update in hopes of avoiding incoming fire. That was scary. Thanks for all the intel you gather about the trail and for providing support for hikers. Good webcast every week!
Tks a bunch
Thanks for the update. Sounds like you need to wear some orange flannel! The Doodle makes me chuckle. She's a live wire! Stay safe out there.
😁
A thru hike can be so many options. I would consider a little aqua blaze as being official. It's going GA to ME by oneself.
Thanks for all the updates. Didn’t know you could put Element in Hot choc. Have to check them out ❤
Hope you enjoy, the chocolate flavors are good for warm drinks.
Great vid
A sobo would be a interesting start w those freezing conditions
Lots of hikers nobo though
Best of luck to all
God bless
The problem is with the term thru hike,or thru hiker and hiking the whole trail in one calendar year. For the definition should be long distance hiking the trail no matter how long it takes one year ten years or a lifetime. God bless Fast Eddy 88
I section hike but if you walk every step, it is a through hike.
I have very low iron and it is no fun. I feel if a person feels that they hike the AT then they did. To many things can happen and you can't control it.
Gun shots are scary for you and Daisy. Thanks for the update.
Ramdino so sorry to hear that gun shot in your own back yard! 😡 🤯 To close for comfort and your poor doggie. 😢 Please be careful! Thanks for the update! I’m not a hiker but I think a thru hiker is the person who hikes every honest mile! Take care stay safe and Hike On!! 🥾🙏😊🧗♀️⛺️
Ramdino - I have to agree: aqua-blazing means you missed hundreds of miles of the AT, but be ready for hate mail. Too many justify a "thru-hike" by dismissing their shortcuts by saying "HYOH." Thanks for all you do. RTK (AT '18). [I'm also the author of "Platinum Blazing the Appalachian Trail."
Yea, Float your own hike just doesn't roll off the tongue
Hi Ramdino,
I am planning to be 2024 Thru hiker. I agree with you on the thru hike qualification. Just need to hike every step of the trail. Based on watching many RUclips Vids, I think hostels are a great part of the AT experience and I would not want to miss it.
On the Fresh Ground support. Have y’all consider a bag tag with similar art as the mug? I would luv to hang a tag on my pack like that.
Nope but that's a good thought.
I hike a bunch but never attempted the AT in its entirety (I wish!!). An A.T. Thru Hiker is someone that has done every mile of the trail in one calendar year. I have no issue staying in the occasional hostel (helps them stay in business and I believe in supporting local) but I'd stay on the trail as much as possible. Just my .2. :)
Jara Walks started SOBO and ended up turning around along. There was also another man that tried and turned around too. Both ended up back in Portland. I believe Jara walks flipped to GA but he hasn’t posted any new videos.
Couldn't find that channel or account
@@Ramdinohikes it’s Jaru Walks. I misspelled it.
@leeannsnyder804 that's the same spelling. Send a link please
@@Ramdinohikes youtube.com/@JaruWalks-hb2ec?si=9g7scHkUIzUUpfd6
I used to struggle with the "what constitutes a through hike" and My advice on the many new styles of hiking is Mileage versus more challenging doesn't always constitute a thru - hike. For instance I could hike thru Georgia with sunny skies while my neighbor could go thru during hurricane force winds, downed trees and tornados, maybe even hail and ice. And we could all agree her hike would have been a lot harder than mine, but I don't think it takes away from the fact that I hiked the same amount of trail miles. So Instead of not calling it a "thru-hike" in general, just respect that their style is different from your preferred style and adapt to watching your favorite styles without condemning someone else's. Also many people have different gear and limitations that we may not know of or understand so in short Hike your own hike and don't worry to much on how their hiking theirs lol.
For me a thru hike is a person who has walked every white blaze of the trail. Those who get off trail,skip sections, and never go back to finish. That is not thru hiking . As for me can’t wait to be on trail 30 days left. 🐻🥾
i suppose i consider an AT thru hiker someone that hikes all the miles in a calendar year. Whether you do it SOBO, NOBO or FLIP flopping.
Wow, that *was close!* 😮 Not cool that someone is shooting on your private property. That was way too close for comfort. You shouldn't have to wear blaze orange in your own backyard. But maybe get the dog a vest, at least! Poor Daisy.
As for where you sleep at night, WTH does it matter? If someone can afford to stay in hostels or hotels along the way, if they're hiking every mile, doesn’t matter, they're thru hiking.
If you're yellow blazing entire sections and don't plan to go back and do them before the year is done, then by the ATC definition, that's not a thru-hike.
Starting in winter is going to mean some sections are impassable, and too dangerous to hike. But if you need to skip ahead, and then come back in a month or so to do that section, or after you summit come back and do it, or whatever. Just be safe. And have fun.
I plan to thru hike when I retire, and will probably start in winter, mostly because I intensely dislike summer and would like to be done before the dog days. But that may mean snow, and that I may have to skip ahead, and the do some backtracking. But I do plan to hike every mile. Until I make it to Katahdin, or my body gives out. 😉🤣
I hiked 750 plus miles 2023. I think you should hike ever step of the trail to be a thru hiker. I plan on finishing the trail this year. If I finish all the trail . I’ll call myself an AT hiker but won’t feel like a true thru hiker. Or call myself one out of respect for true thru hikers.
Just for me. I would consider myself a true thru hiker, if I hiked all the miles of the trail in one calendar year.
Thanks for mention me!
You bet!
Another nice video. Thanks for sharing. You going to need to start wearing a hard hat. Hopefully you caught the person shooting on your land. Stay Safe and HIKE ON!!!
Is that Leo on the background, dog of I Suck at Hiking?
Nope, that's Daisey from "I don't suck at hiking " aka Trail boss's dog
That is small for a bear I've seen dog prints that size how do you tell the difference
Haha. Allana (sp?) that was perfect
Where do I find your "community tab," to answer your poll? Thanks in advance. 😊
Thanks for the updates. MAVERICK
No problem 👍
i think starting in early January should be re-evaluated. I get they wanted to avoid high summer hiking but better than high snow.
Hey brother thank you for all the information, very helpful. I start my attempt to thru hike the AT in April 13. In the mean time I would like to do trail magic. Can you recommend where to go, I’m in Maryland. Thanks
Look at videos to see where folks are at. Prob nc tenn amd southern va.
Be careful out there in the woods.
If you Walk Through the Arch in Ga and Slap/Kiss the Sign on Katahdin -- and your feet traveled more than 2000 miles on the AT -- you are a Thru-Hiker. I feel it would be disrespectful to anyone who meets these 3 criteria to be called anything else. - Life happens and no matter how long it takes (months or years to complete) or how your feet get on and off the trial each day/night of hiking those who thru-hike are folks who have found their JOY in their JOurneY.!
So not totally disagreeing, but the arch isn't on the AT
It sure sounded like that bullet impacted extremely close to you.
No kidding. It registered on my mike almost the same as my voice.
Slowbos love it
The title thru hiker is silly early on. it has more to do with intentions than progress, and we know what trails paved with good intentions get you. I support the idea of alternates especially for safety reasons, or to get a better experience (view point, shelter, aqua). I am a prospective thru hiker (give me about 10 years) but I cant see how what someone else does or says they do would impact my experience. Hike (just about) all the trail, hike 14 states, hike almost 6 months out of 12 and you are a thru hiker. the red line on farout isnt sacred since it changes every year. is a 2024 hike any less worth than a 2023 one? its shorter. The ATC doesnt define the value of a thru hiker's effort, that rests with the thru hiker.
Just leave the mileage off the tag?
Randino is there any info for hikers,who are diabetic? Can the thru hike be done? Im also concern about my race ,not much info on minorities on the trail .Are we welcome? I am 66 yo ,who has a life long dream of seeing the mountains and thru hike the AT. I enjoy your updates and I have followed various hikers for several years.
@williamoody8898 as a minority you will be very welcome on trail. There is a lot of folks that would love to see more diversity on trail so I hope you'll get out there. You'll have a lot more issues with your medical condition. On trail we are all equal, no matter what your race or socio-economic place.
There’s a type 1 diabetic out there now. Captain Jack and Bob were hanging with him per their channel in one of their recent videos. I don’t remember his name tho.
100 mi is albert mt.
Hi Ramdino, Question... If a hiker thru-hikes the AT, then finishes the remaining 172 miles of The Vermont Long Trail all in the same calendar year...... Is that considered 2 complete thru-hikes? There is about 100 miles of double dipping in the equation. Is this ok?
yep, I would say so. Nothing says you have to start over on a trail and do it only in that particular hike.
A thru hiker hikes all the trail in a calendar year. Doesn’t matter the weight of the pack or if they sleep in shelters, tent, hostels or a van. Hike your own hike shouldn’t include driving instead of hiking.
Glad you and your dog were OK. She looks like deer and I was worried that they were shooting at her.
Greyhound Thru hiker 2023
It's not hunting season around here and any hunter mistakes her for a deer needs to turn in bis gun. Good to chat at EOD.
Did you catch the guy shooting at you or your dog?
Nope
I'm not a thru hiker. IMO, as long as someone walks every step/mile of the trail, i couldn't care less HOW they did it. Slack pack, staying at hostels, staying at hotels, whatever. I will say, however, that sometime who does it without staying at hotels garners a lot of respect in my book. As far as people claiming to be a thru hiker while skipping sections, that's between them and God. They're lying which means most likely they lie about other things in their life too. Ignore them.
I'm a S.A.S.H.er!!😮 "Bacon Wrap "
Short Detour at Stecoah Gap due to road construction. Detour doesn’t have blazes
I still say only chicks get cold. YMMV. Remember, folks, it's just walking. Anyone can do it.
I think some of these people are just trying to get away from their annoying families. Let’s face it, staying in a hostel every other night and taking limousines into town is more like a 3 month vacation (disguised as a grueling mission to achieve your dreams)
Maybe have categories such as authentic ,modern , glamping etc. have to sit down with other authentic thru hikers to come up w fair categories.
However you hike the miles, I don’t care. But there are boatloads of folks who choose to steal the “valor” of those who hiked all the miles on trail. It’s insulting for those who take a tremendous amount of pride and satisfaction to hike the miles, because their are many moments where we could have elected not to. I don’t know why this is such a hard concept for people to understand. Did you hike the miles or not?
Maybe consider a informational/ safety video explaining what a mid life crisis is. I don’t want to see another 60 yr old white guy get his ass handed to him. Go buy a sports car! Keep up the great work ramdino🙏
Heyyyyy, I resemble that remark.
I watch because im studying Human behavior and seeing why they are so prideful to risk their lives 😅
risk is completely subjective and thats what is great about living your own life
I see hikers skip every year. Then hear them poo pooing day or section hikers.
I don’t care about labels. Don’t like the cork sniffing. Your no more or less of a hiker if you thru hike or day hike. Without day hikers(3 million a year) we wouldn’t have gotten the AT to be a national park.