Grandma did actually "slackpack" though there wasn't a term for it. A couple of times Trail Angels helped her by shuttling her pack for her, albeit over short distances, while she made certain to hike every white blaze - at least that's the legend as presented in the book.
Hi. Here's my version of section-hiking. I started section-hiking the AT in Feb. 1992 with 3 other men while I was still working. We made it to Harper's Ferry (a few dropped out, a few others joined in) in late-September, 2019. Hoping to return in May-June to do MD and PA. Until this year, the way we did our section hikes was: 1. Set up a base camp in the middle of the section. 2. Each day, drive one car to where we would end that day, drive around to the starting point, and day hike to the next car, then return to the base camp. 3. We'd do that for 6 or so days. Some years, I didn't get to do new trail. The only parts we didn't do this was: - Smokies - The 20 miles north out of Pearisburg, VA As info, now the other guys have quit. I've bought some new backpacking equipment and hope to do more miles on each trip, especially since I've gotten so far from home (south Mississippi). However, since I'm 69, I need comfortable and more equipment than younger hikers for various reasons. Having said all of that, the only blue blazes I saw and followed were those side trails to water and views. I did see a few that were alternates for bad weather or flooding. But so far, I've done all the white blazed miles to Harper's Ferry. Sorry for the long story, but my journey has been different than most. But, I'm still at the 1025 mile point and thankful for what I've seen thus far. God Bless! P.S. - I've never heard of any colored blazing besides white and blue. But then, I'm normally much older than most AT hikers I see. 🙂
Thanks Baskets. You sell yourself short sometimes, I think you are one of the most experienced hikers out there in the 'RUclipsrverse'. Every time I stop for water on a hike I think of you saying "camel up" and I do so. Thanks for being yourself and best of luck with your next adventure.
Thanks for the info. Great content....... I can't wait for my 2023 hike. This year is just nothing but training for my son and i. It would be awesome to run into you and gardenstate on the trail some day. It would be an honor..... keep up the good work you two.........
You wanted us to let you know our view on thru hiking... okay baskets I will.... my view on thru hiking is I miss seeing you out there stepping off the miles! Hopefully there’s something in the works for you and GardenState in the future :)
Blue blazes aren't always shorter. Sometimes I'll take a blue blaze because I know it's more scenic than the white blaze section. But like you I prefer to white blaze it especially on my first trip.
Never said they are “ always” shorter I worded it as shortening your thru hike which is what blue blazes do, in the overall thru hike if you take all of them they will shorten and make your hike easier, there’s a few blue blazes that are probably longer and maybe even harder that’s definitely possible, eventually AT volunteers will route the trail over those harder parts too lol so the trail keeps getting harder for us
I also couldn't get over that boulder in New Jersey and felt bad about it. The trail was flooded in Tennessee so there was another blue blaze for me on the AT. Next time I'd probably do that blue blazed loop in Maine, heard good things about it. I liked the AT for it's purist vibe, not so present on the other trails. I have to confess I slackpacked on the PCT one day (could've taken a zero but wanted to do a no-zero Triple Crown back then, a plan destroyed by giardia and flip-flopping). I think you were ahead of me the entire way on the CDT in 2018 :-) Happy Trails, Zebra
I know exactly the spot you are talking about in NY. Did my AT Thru hike in 2021 and couldn't get up that, (think it was by the lemon squeezer,) was at the end of the day and I had a full water carry with an upper body that had wasted away the muscle. Ended up kind of pink blazing a girl and now we live together and are getting engaged in the near future. Heck of a way to get to know someone, you see all the good and the bad on trail with them and it lets you know their true colors.
Helpful conversation! I would suggest to anyone who is trying to build a RUclips channel to be a purist and not slack pack. Viewers are your customers and customers right or wrong will be critical.
yeah im not pro slack packing but if people need to do it im not gonna judge them, other than the fact that on the CDT you cant slack so thats gonna hurt them as preparation for other trails.
I would suggest you do the videos for yourself and not others. Hiking is hiking and you should do it how you want to. The viewers are your customers comment is ridiculous 😆😆 .
In my experience with talking with a lot of thru hikers and LASHers they started out with a "Purist" hiking mindset. About 300 - 500 miles in and the majority became gleeful slackpackers. Less weight = happier hiking.
This talk really shows the AT is a culture, not just a trail. I am not a thru hiker. Too many other places I want to hike, bike pack, or just be in a place for an extended time. As hiker-backpacker though when talking with other hikers outside my generation, I need to know the AT language. We have a whole generation of new hikers who have watched a few RUclips AT thru videos and think that is the entirety of the hiking experience. And a few surviving hard heads among my generation who watch an Andrew Skurka video and lose their minds (grins) Even though I have been hiking more than five decades now, I shamelessly take away tips and tricks from successful thru hikers , just as I did from mountaineers and long distance expeditionary hikers when I was a teen. It is still all just walking.
Hey Rob I couldn't agree more !! To me there's too much lingo I'm in my 60s now and I've been hiking since I was old enough to tie my own shoes, came from a family of campers. Quite frankly I get a little bit bored and annoyed with all this lingo that has come out of it it used to be just hiking or backpacking backpacking was separate from hiking back then hiking with something you did with a knapsack got your sandwich in there and you're going out for a stroll backpacking was are you going to be gone for a bit. To me finishing a trail meant I made it from point A to point b and whichever way I went to get there was not important. What was important was that I succeeded. I will agree with Baskets in the point that I'm not into slack packing as they say,,, I think for me it'd be just to much of a bad habit getting started and I don't trust my pack with anyone !! I got too much money tied up in gear and yeah I want my stuff with me all the times. there's a certain comfort that comes in having that thing on my back like a turtle shell you know. Well that was my part of the ranting,,, so here's some words of wisdom, go out and have whatever color of hike you want go out and have whatever color of backpacking experience you want as long as you're enjoying it and you love doing what you're doing and your respectful to others and most of all to the land there's just so very little untouched and spoiled land left and it's heartbreaking to come across and see bunch of toilet paper in the bush's somewhere !!! yeah, PLEASE be respectful whatever " color " of hike you have. Peace & keep on rocking the free world 😊
I like your perspective on slackpacking. I did a 29 mile planned slackpack with my tramily in 2016, one that I was miserable by the end of because I just wasn't mentally there for it, and it turned out there was a really cool place I could've camped if I'd had my full pack with me rather than having to push through the dark to get to our packs at a hostel. I'm attempting a 2nd thru this coming March and I like the mindset of always carrying your pack. My baseweight will be half as much as it was the first time, so I don't even see a need for slackpacking anyway.
As a caveat, I'm not a thru hiker, but would love to hike the AT after my kids are grown. But my thoughts are HYOH. Do what makes you happy. Know why you are hiking. Hike for yourself, not for the admiration or approval of others. If you are doing that, whatever you do is fine. I get irritated by people who are not honest about what they are doing. So a yellow blazer who says they hiked the AT is not being honest. That kind of puffery tells me they are not hiking for themselves, but for the approval or admiration of others. They ware willing to take shortcuts and claim an accomplishment because their motives and reasons aren't pure. But I'm not going to waste much time with those people. I also get irritated by the legalistic thru hikers who use it as a category to make them superior to others, and who nit pick and question what others are doing. Again, those people are not hiking for themselves, rather they are hiking for the approval of others. Now, a hiker who is in it for the journey, and in it because it makes them happy....those are the hikers I will form a friendship with. So HYOH.....and HYOH for the right reasons. If you do it for the wrong reasons, it will show.
I hike the trail. When a blue blaze is required for a spectacular view I backtrack. The trail is a designated route. How can I say I have followed the trail if I have done otherwise?
That is how people generally hike blue blazes. I didn't see hikers skipping white for blue. They always backtracked. I even know of people going back the following year to hike areas that were closed during their hike the year before.
@@kdavis4910 some backtrack , some take the blue and stick to easier routes, ive seen hikers walk the road instead of trail, theres also aquablazing which i didnt talk about which isnt hiking at all but sitting in a canoe in Shenadoah , not really sure how i feel about that one. During 2 thru hikes you see a bit of everything, plenty of honest hikers out there but here and there people roadwalk and think its ok to skip white blazes.
@@baskets8429 i could only imagine the stories you must have. I wish we could go for coffee for an afternoon so I could hear some of them. I love talking to long distance hikers of all kinds 😊.
nice ive done a half marathon near Elk Grove in Busse Woods, great place. Des Plaines River Trail stretches from River Grove all the way to the Wisconsin border, its one of the best trails out here
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy defines a thru-hike as: “a hike of the entire A.T. in 12 months or less.” If someone started on May 1st for example of 2022 , skipped a section that person has until May 1st 2023 to connect his steps and still considered a thru hiker
Baskets, To me a thru hike is taking every step from the start to the end. It doesn't matter if you slack a few times, it doesn't matter if you if you do a trail in sections. It doesn't matter if you pink blaze. It DOES matter if you yellow blaze. You need to hike every open step (trail or off trail if the trail is closed) as you proceed - on trail or on suggested road walks.
Additionally, I did some blue blazing in VA to get to town faster--both to avoid weather and keep up with other hikers. Looking back, I really regret that because I essentially skipped the Three Ridges Wilderness, and I shouldn't have been trying to hike other peoples' hikes.
wow did you take the Mau-Har bypass? I did the same thing. That's the only bypass I took and I regret it but the Mau-Har was a nice and challenging bypass. I just was bored with climbing mountains. But it ate away at my conscience enough where I never took another bypass again. And I'm not even a purist. I do think that there are different rules for sectioners and thru-hikers, though. A thru-hiker is on a continuous adventure, so it isn't as much about the trail as it is about hiking the full distance. But with a sectioner it is more controlled so there won't be as many allowances. It's just different.
In Europe slackpacking is called luggage transfer, and it is possible and popular because on many trails there is a hostel or refuge at the end of the stage. This luggage transfers are a solution for older people who can still make their kilometers but only without a heavy weight on their back. I know that many Americans like to hike in Europe because of the luggage transfers that are possible on popular long distance trails or Camino to Santiago routes, I don't consider it as cheating as long as you connect the footsteps. However, skipping stages because they go through suburbs or industrial zones is not my thing. This less scenic stretchess, never too long, are part of the experience. If you walk to Rome or Santiago, you must walk the whole route, not cheating by taking a bus or train to the next city.
Ohh very interesting ! I learned something new , that’s helpful that luggage transfers allow older hikers to enjoy the trail more. CDT has some roadwalks where it’s not fun hiking but connecting steps is 100% needed for completion of the trail Thanks Happy trails
I did blue blaze once to tag a summit. But...at the time there was no way I was going to backtrack. I never slackpacked - I'm too paranoid about my pack. If the right opportunity arose who knows? Last year, there was a trail angel offering to shuttle packs at the start of section D on the PCT (a climb after the Cajon Pass McDonalds). No one took him up on it. However someone did buy a pack of beer and asked him to shuttle that.
Was the rock you couldn't climb the one right after the Lemon Squeezer? I live not to far from there and hike in Harriman quite often. The first time I came through there, I could not for the life of me get up that rock so I ended up going around. I made a point to go back the next weekend and was able to do it. Any long distance hikes coming up for you?
Yup that’s exactly the one My hand couldn’t grip and elbow was in pain , in 2019 on my 2nd thru hike I made sure to get up that Rock and show it who’s boss !!! I made it up it lol No plans yet just doing winter hikes in Illinois ( finishing up a nice 15 miler in freezing temps and snow in northern Illinois right now )
There are many shortcut opportunities presenting themselves every day in every area of life, begging us to take the bait, in my opinion there are a few levels of a purist thru hike. Those that walk by all the white blazes completing the full trail, they also slackpack when they can, that is a purist hike as far as doing the entire trail. Purist - One who hikes his own hike in strict accordance with a set of highly personal expectations or limitations. For me personally I decided to not slack pack while thru hiking that was my way of looking at it. There are some Extreme purists who won’t even take a ride into town and hike into town. So there are many levels to it I’d say if you hike all white blazes that is certainly a purist through hike.
Correct me if I'm wrong about this... As the AT was originally conceived it would be a series of hotel type places to stay at each night. In the morning you pack a lunch and hike to the next hotel . When you arrive all your stuff would be waiting in your room. So.... the trail was set up to be slack packed all the way. Then it morphed into the current monstrosity where you have to carry all your stuff with you!
Who set the trail up to be slack packed the entire way ? Back when they made the AT they didn’t even think someone could complete it , when Earl Shaffer did it in 1948 they questioned his through hike. The first AT thru hikers carried all their stuff. If people like slackpacking that’s fine, but let’s not complain when they need to carry 40 lb on the CDT with long water carry and they slack packed the AT and can’t carry their stuff
The AT was not designed for thru hiking at all. The people involved in it's creation thought it would generate more appreciation for the outdoors. It was the idea of the day to build a forest trail stretching from Maine to Georgia that people could leisurely hike on. Earl Schafer wrote a great book about being one of the first thru hikers to hikebthe AT. He was trying to walk off PTSD developed because of the war. He hiked 3 times in all i believe. Some of the trail creators thought thru hiking was a stunt. They disagreed with the idea because it brought a competitive spirit to the trail which was the opposite of the reason it was created. Interesting book Earl Schafer wrote. It's got actual journal entries from Schafer's journal. It's pretty cool 😎.
@@baskets8429 hi Baskets. It's nice to sort of meet you. I've actually been subscribed for awhile but am just now finding the time to watch the rest of the channels I subbed too earlier this year. I love how when reading about Earl's hike it feels like I get to travel back in time and get to see the trail when it was a lot younger than today, rougher too. And obviously a different trail era meant different types of hikers too. I call it the original AT, but if I was presented with a chance to go back and hike the original AT for only a day i would take it. Then I would come back and write one hell of a story. If I ever complete an AT thru hike I will definately write a book for sure. I just have to manage to thru hike it first. Lol 😆..
I was dealing with it and post holing a lot It was a low snow year but enough to make it dangerous tons of post holing once my foot got stuck pretty bad etc , when your getting close to Chama, New Mexico see if hikers that are ahead of you are using them , if there is a lot of snow might be worth having them, if your not using them u can always send them back.
Pink Blazing: when a hiker intentionally speeds up or slows down to hike with a potential love interest. ... and attempt to hike with you for miles making as much conversation that keeps them just on this side of not creepy
Baskets - I have a question. I do not understand why trails east of the Mississippi are typically blazed with paint marks and normally are easier to follow. I'm watching your videos on the CDT hike again and noticed some of the trail is not nearly as well marked as the AT, and other trails in the "East". Why is that the case? I've heard the PCT and othes out west are sparsely marked as well.
Appalachian Trail was completed . The trail itself was completed in 1937 after more than a decade of work, although improvements and changes continue. It is maintained by 31 trail clubs, more people live out on the east coast and are able to maintain it and keep the blazes looking visible. CDT doesn’t have as much people maintaining it and way less hiking it , but they are working on marking it better. PCT I heard from hikers is marked pretty well overall
@@kenwbrenner yeah CDT has wooden or other signs, some places they even cut into a tree indicating a blaze i think eventually they will have the CDT blazed really well
slack packing the whole trail with a bummed knee is actually more impressive then a fully healthy person not slack packing and carrying the pack, congrats on the 65 miles, did you do the Georgia part?
@@baskets8429 i did the approach trail and 9 more days. i cried for days snd drank like a fish( my brother will support me. any help on the support part? advice?
@@jc4157 have verizon service as thats gonna be good to communicate better than others, study the roads to see where best meeting points are to make things smoother, study elevation to kind of prep the miles etc, most of all enjoy it , its an amazing adventure, probably a trip of a lifetime, enjoy it
Just my opinion, The minute you break trail to resupply what's that called? carry five or six days of food, don't ✌️stay in hotels. Don't take trail magic.have no Cell phone, no car rides, what do you call that? (hiking before 1995) was way better, fundamentally it served a different purpose, ✌️ for my self was totally isolation with nature and loved it!
I'm with you on that. that would be my definition of purism. Hiked a few weeks in VA back in the 70s, you carried it all. set up a tent every night - there were some shelters - hostels? trail magic? Did hitch into town a couple times to get food etc. So I kind of smile about the "every step" definition of purism. Like you're running a triathlon instead of a hike. I mean, I don't begrudge it, things change and I'm even contemplating keeping up with the times, in this new world of trail runners, ultra light packs, tents, dehydrated food... I think the major difference is philosophical, everything's known, how many miles, next stop, next town, exactly how much water/food you need to carry. It's more of an adventure game than an adventure. Again, I don't begrudge it, you still have to walk the miles, hence, I guess, the added emphasis on connecting every step when everything else is known.
@@TheJhtlag indeed My first Thru hike was 45 lb pack lots of places carried too much food as i didn’t research the trail much, made for an interesting experience. 2nd thru hike Ultra light gear and research made it much easier but also more pleasant hiking The 1st one is more memorable because it was a lot harder
@@baskets8429 I don't want to be that grumpy old man, but the purism arguments bother me. There was one woman who through-hiked this past year and had to get off the trail for reasons of life-threatening tumor which required surgery, talk about an adventure. Then she got back on the trail and completed the hike to Katahdin but had skipped 200 miles in the Smokies I guess to make the schedule work/catch up with friends etc. In my book, "She hiked the Appalachian Trail" her heart was in the right place. If someone wants to make a technical definition of "through-hike" as every step fine but I don't see that as the definition of purism. Btw, she went back and hiked the 200 miles so she checked that off anyway. Anyway, this post didn't trigger me, just been turning it over in my mind last couple months, and really for fun and just unpacking here. Long story short, been doing day hikes in MD lately, so started following through-hiker posts for those sections, and then their whole journies type stuff. (and then they all do the gear demos stuff so learning about that: wow!) and I'm fascinated by it all, the then and the now. I could see myself getting into 3 day 40 mile hikes w/new equipment these days but can't project beyond that. Oh yeah, if I see one of those guys trying to set the time for running the AT, I will make every effort to trip them. OK, kidding. Maybe.
@@TheJhtlag right on! Everyone is allowed to have their own definition of purism that’s the fun part of it. In my mind if you didn’t connect your steps your a section hiker until you fill in the gap which is fine too, many do the AT in sections and it can still be a thru hike if you complete it in 12 months. Believe it or not I’ve seen people do half the trail and call themselves through hikers, no matter where their heart is a through hike is completing the trail not skipping half the trail. I started my first journey on the AT in Maryland when I was a truck driver passing by I’d park in a rest area climb the fence and hike for a bit. I told myself I’d through hike one day. Hope you get some UL gear and get on trail it’s important to enjoy it anyway you can. Anyway happy hiking
wow, great CONTENTS. I enjoyed watching it, thanks for sharing ****
👍
Grandma did actually "slackpack" though there wasn't a term for it. A couple of times Trail Angels helped her by shuttling her pack for her, albeit over short distances, while she made certain to hike every white blaze - at least that's the legend as presented in the book.
Hi. Here's my version of section-hiking. I started section-hiking the AT in Feb. 1992 with 3 other men while I was still working. We made it to Harper's Ferry (a few dropped out, a few others joined in) in late-September, 2019. Hoping to return in May-June to do MD and PA. Until this year, the way we did our section hikes was:
1. Set up a base camp in the middle of the section.
2. Each day, drive one car to where we would end that day, drive around to the starting point, and day hike to the next car, then return to the base camp.
3. We'd do that for 6 or so days.
Some years, I didn't get to do new trail.
The only parts we didn't do this was:
- Smokies
- The 20 miles north out of Pearisburg, VA
As info, now the other guys have quit. I've bought some new backpacking equipment and hope to do more miles on each trip, especially since I've gotten so far from home (south Mississippi). However, since I'm 69, I need comfortable and more equipment than younger hikers for various reasons.
Having said all of that, the only blue blazes I saw and followed were those side trails to water and views. I did see a few that were alternates for bad weather or flooding. But so far, I've done all the white blazed miles to Harper's Ferry.
Sorry for the long story, but my journey has been different than most.
But, I'm still at the 1025 mile point and thankful for what I've seen thus far.
God Bless!
P.S. - I've never heard of any colored blazing besides white and blue. But then, I'm normally much older than most AT hikers I see. 🙂
Thanks Baskets. You sell yourself short sometimes, I think you are one of the most experienced hikers out there in the 'RUclipsrverse'. Every time I stop for water on a hike I think of you saying "camel up" and I do so. Thanks for being yourself and best of luck with your next adventure.
thanks : )
happy trails!
Thanks for the info. Great content....... I can't wait for my 2023 hike. This year is just nothing but training for my son and i. It would be awesome to run into you and gardenstate on the trail some day. It would be an honor.....
keep up the good work you two.........
Thanks
Happy trails!
I'm hiking in 2023 also. Maybe we'll see you out there 😉
You wanted us to let you know our view on thru hiking... okay baskets I will.... my view on thru hiking is I miss seeing you out there stepping off the miles! Hopefully there’s something in the works for you and GardenState in the future :)
Blue blazes aren't always shorter. Sometimes I'll take a blue blaze because I know it's more scenic than the white blaze section. But like you I prefer to white blaze it especially on my first trip.
Never said they are “ always” shorter
I worded it as shortening your thru hike which is what blue blazes do, in the overall thru hike if you take all of them they will shorten and make your hike easier, there’s a few blue blazes that are probably longer and maybe even harder that’s definitely possible, eventually AT volunteers will route the trail over those harder parts too lol so the trail keeps getting harder for us
@@baskets8429 Are you planning on doing another thru?
@@danielstoddart no plans
I also couldn't get over that boulder in New Jersey and felt bad about it. The trail was flooded in Tennessee so there was another blue blaze for me on the AT. Next time I'd probably do that blue blazed loop in Maine, heard good things about it. I liked the AT for it's purist vibe, not so present on the other trails. I have to confess I slackpacked on the PCT one day (could've taken a zero but wanted to do a no-zero Triple Crown back then, a plan destroyed by giardia and flip-flopping).
I think you were ahead of me the entire way on the CDT in 2018 :-)
Happy Trails, Zebra
Happy Trails : )
Outstanding video Baskets I have only done section hikes on the AT and on those hikes I have never missed a white blaze. Take Care
Awesome!
I love the white blazes
Happy trails
I know exactly the spot you are talking about in NY. Did my AT Thru hike in 2021 and couldn't get up that, (think it was by the lemon squeezer,) was at the end of the day and I had a full water carry with an upper body that had wasted away the muscle. Ended up kind of pink blazing a girl and now we live together and are getting engaged in the near future. Heck of a way to get to know someone, you see all the good and the bad on trail with them and it lets you know their true colors.
Congrats on finding a partner on trail ! That’s awesome
That’s exactly the spot
I remember I tried hard and couldn’t make it up there
Helpful conversation! I would suggest to anyone who is trying to build a RUclips channel to be a purist and not slack pack. Viewers are your customers and customers right or wrong will be critical.
yeah im not pro slack packing
but if people need to do it im not gonna judge them, other than the fact that on the CDT you cant slack so thats gonna hurt them as preparation for other trails.
I would suggest you do the videos for yourself and not others. Hiking is hiking and you should do it how you want to. The viewers are your customers comment is ridiculous 😆😆 .
You’re right I apologize. The post was not intended to be negative
In my experience with talking with a lot of thru hikers and LASHers they started out with a "Purist" hiking mindset. About 300 - 500 miles in and the majority became gleeful slackpackers. Less weight = happier hiking.
Yes I’ve noticed that as well
Many start with a purist mindset and eventually slackpack.
PCT 2022?
This talk really shows the AT is a culture, not just a trail. I am not a thru hiker. Too many other places I want to hike, bike pack, or just be in a place for an extended time. As hiker-backpacker though when talking with other hikers outside my generation, I need to know the AT language. We have a whole generation of new hikers who have watched a few RUclips AT thru videos and think that is the entirety of the hiking experience. And a few surviving hard heads among my generation who watch an Andrew Skurka video and lose their minds (grins) Even though I have been hiking more than five decades now, I shamelessly take away tips and tricks from successful thru hikers , just as I did from mountaineers and long distance expeditionary hikers when I was a teen. It is still all just walking.
Hey Rob I couldn't agree more !!
To me there's too much lingo I'm in my 60s now and I've been hiking since I was old enough to tie my own shoes, came from a family of campers.
Quite frankly I get a little bit bored and annoyed with all this lingo that has come out of it it used to be just hiking or backpacking backpacking was separate from hiking back then hiking with something you did with a knapsack got your sandwich in there and you're going out for a stroll backpacking was are you going to be gone for a bit. To me finishing a trail meant I made it from point A to point b and whichever way I went to get there was not important. What was important was that I succeeded. I will agree with Baskets in the point that I'm not into slack packing as they say,,, I think for me it'd be just to much of a bad habit getting started and I don't trust my pack with anyone !! I got too much money tied up in gear and yeah I want my stuff with me all the times. there's a certain comfort that comes in having that thing on my back like a turtle shell you know.
Well that was my part of the ranting,,, so here's some words of wisdom, go out and have whatever color of hike you want go out and have whatever color of backpacking experience you want as long as you're enjoying it and you love doing what you're doing and your respectful to others and most of all to the land there's just so very little untouched and spoiled land left and it's heartbreaking to come across and see bunch of toilet paper in the bush's somewhere !!! yeah, PLEASE be respectful whatever " color " of hike you have.
Peace & keep on rocking the free world 😊
Happy to hear you are doing an AT thru hike in another video. Hope to see you out there. Good luck.
I like your perspective on slackpacking. I did a 29 mile planned slackpack with my tramily in 2016, one that I was miserable by the end of because I just wasn't mentally there for it, and it turned out there was a really cool place I could've camped if I'd had my full pack with me rather than having to push through the dark to get to our packs at a hostel. I'm attempting a 2nd thru this coming March and I like the mindset of always carrying your pack. My baseweight will be half as much as it was the first time, so I don't even see a need for slackpacking anyway.
Yes , having a light baseweight makes a big difference that’s for sure, the lighter the gear the less people would slack I think, Happy hiking
As a caveat, I'm not a thru hiker, but would love to hike the AT after my kids are grown.
But my thoughts are HYOH. Do what makes you happy. Know why you are hiking. Hike for yourself, not for the admiration or approval of others. If you are doing that, whatever you do is fine.
I get irritated by people who are not honest about what they are doing. So a yellow blazer who says they hiked the AT is not being honest. That kind of puffery tells me they are not hiking for themselves, but for the approval or admiration of others. They ware willing to take shortcuts and claim an accomplishment because their motives and reasons aren't pure. But I'm not going to waste much time with those people.
I also get irritated by the legalistic thru hikers who use it as a category to make them superior to others, and who nit pick and question what others are doing. Again, those people are not hiking for themselves, rather they are hiking for the approval of others.
Now, a hiker who is in it for the journey, and in it because it makes them happy....those are the hikers I will form a friendship with.
So HYOH.....and HYOH for the right reasons. If you do it for the wrong reasons, it will show.
yup thats very true
gotta hike the trail the way you want to hike it
and stay true to yourself
I hike the trail. When a blue blaze is required for a spectacular view I backtrack. The trail is a designated route. How can I say I have followed the trail if I have done otherwise?
100% that’s the best way
That is how people generally hike blue blazes. I didn't see hikers skipping white for blue. They always backtracked. I even know of people going back the following year to hike areas that were closed during their hike the year before.
@@kdavis4910 some backtrack , some take the blue and stick to easier routes, ive seen hikers walk the road instead of trail, theres also aquablazing which i didnt talk about which isnt hiking at all but sitting in a canoe in Shenadoah , not really sure how i feel about that one. During 2 thru hikes you see a bit of everything, plenty of honest hikers out there but here and there people roadwalk and think its ok to skip white blazes.
@@baskets8429 i could only imagine the stories you must have. I wish we could go for coffee for an afternoon so I could hear some of them. I love talking to long distance hikers of all kinds 😊.
@@kdavis4910 yeah ive got some stories, lots of incredible people ive met on the trails
Des Plaines? I used to live in Elk Grove Village!
nice ive done a half marathon near Elk Grove in Busse Woods, great place.
Des Plaines River Trail stretches from River Grove all the way to the Wisconsin border, its one of the best trails out here
If you miss a section you can go back and do it later to connect your steps correct? Is there a time frame to get it done to call it a through hike?
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy defines a thru-hike as: “a hike of the entire A.T. in 12 months or less.”
If someone started on May 1st for example of 2022 , skipped a section that person has until May 1st 2023 to connect his steps and still considered a thru hiker
They ask only that you connect all 5,000,000 steps along the trail within a consecutive 12 month period.
Baskets,
To me a thru hike is taking every step from the start to the end. It doesn't matter if you slack a few times, it doesn't matter if you if you do a trail in sections. It doesn't matter if you pink blaze. It DOES matter if you yellow blaze. You need to hike every open step (trail or off trail if the trail is closed) as you proceed - on trail or on suggested road walks.
yup I definately agree with that
thanks !
Additionally, I did some blue blazing in VA to get to town faster--both to avoid weather and keep up with other hikers. Looking back, I really regret that because I essentially skipped the Three Ridges Wilderness, and I shouldn't have been trying to hike other peoples' hikes.
Yea Three Ridges was a beautiful hike
wow did you take the Mau-Har bypass? I did the same thing. That's the only bypass I took and I regret it but the Mau-Har was a nice and challenging bypass. I just was bored with climbing mountains. But it ate away at my conscience enough where I never took another bypass again. And I'm not even a purist. I do think that there are different rules for sectioners and thru-hikers, though. A thru-hiker is on a continuous adventure, so it isn't as much about the trail as it is about hiking the full distance. But with a sectioner it is more controlled so there won't be as many allowances. It's just different.
In Europe slackpacking is called luggage transfer, and it is possible and popular because on many trails there is a hostel or refuge at the end of the stage. This luggage transfers are a solution for older people who can still make their kilometers but only without a heavy weight on their back. I know that many Americans like to hike in Europe because of the luggage transfers that are possible on popular long distance trails or Camino to Santiago routes, I don't consider it as cheating as long as you connect the footsteps. However, skipping stages because they go through suburbs or industrial zones is not my thing. This less scenic stretchess, never too long, are part of the experience. If you walk to Rome or Santiago, you must walk the whole route, not cheating by taking a bus or train to the next city.
Ohh very interesting ! I learned something new , that’s helpful that luggage transfers allow older hikers to enjoy the trail more.
CDT has some roadwalks where it’s not fun hiking but connecting steps is 100% needed for completion of the trail
Thanks
Happy trails
I did blue blaze once to tag a summit. But...at the time there was no way I was going to backtrack. I never slackpacked - I'm too paranoid about my pack. If the right opportunity arose who knows? Last year, there was a trail angel offering to shuttle packs at the start of section D on the PCT (a climb after the Cajon Pass McDonalds). No one took him up on it. However someone did buy a pack of beer and asked him to shuttle that.
Yea I think I feel safer having my gear w me and hiking slightly slower , than giving up my gear to hike a little faster. Happy trails
Was the rock you couldn't climb the one right after the Lemon Squeezer? I live not to far from there and hike in Harriman quite often. The first time I came through there, I could not for the life of me get up that rock so I ended up going around. I made a point to go back the next weekend and was able to do it. Any long distance hikes coming up for you?
Yup that’s exactly the one
My hand couldn’t grip and elbow was in pain , in 2019 on my 2nd thru hike I made sure to get up that Rock and show it who’s boss !!! I made it up it lol
No plans yet just doing winter hikes in Illinois ( finishing up a nice 15 miler in freezing temps and snow in northern Illinois right now )
You da man B. Just your personal opinion.. if someone slackpacked on their thru hike does that not make them a purist?
There are many shortcut opportunities presenting themselves every day in every area of life, begging us to take the bait, in my opinion there are a few levels of a purist thru hike.
Those that walk by all the white blazes completing the full trail, they also slackpack when they can, that is a purist hike as far as doing the entire trail.
Purist - One who hikes his own hike in strict accordance with a set of highly personal expectations or limitations. For me personally I decided to not slack pack while thru hiking that was my way of looking at it.
There are some Extreme purists who won’t even take a ride into town and hike into town.
So there are many levels to it
I’d say if you hike all white blazes that is certainly a purist through hike.
@@baskets8429 wow great answer. Hope to see you out there this year.
"let me know the kinds of videos you want to see" Baskets and J 2022 PCT :) In all seriousness, thanks for the updates. Hope all is going well.
thanks for watching : )
Correct me if I'm wrong about this... As the AT was originally conceived it would be a series of hotel type places to stay at each night. In the morning you pack a lunch and hike to the next hotel . When you arrive all your stuff would be waiting in your room. So.... the trail was set up to be slack packed all the way. Then it morphed into the current monstrosity where you have to carry all your stuff with you!
Who set the trail up to be slack packed the entire way ? Back when they made the AT they didn’t even think someone could complete it , when Earl Shaffer did it in 1948 they questioned his through hike.
The first AT thru hikers carried all their stuff.
If people like slackpacking that’s fine, but let’s not complain when they need to carry 40 lb on the CDT with long water carry and they slack packed the AT and can’t carry their stuff
The AT was not designed for thru hiking at all. The people involved in it's creation thought it would generate more appreciation for the outdoors. It was the idea of the day to build a forest trail stretching from Maine to Georgia that people could leisurely hike on. Earl Schafer wrote a great book about being one of the first thru hikers to hikebthe AT. He was trying to walk off PTSD developed because of the war. He hiked 3 times in all i believe. Some of the trail creators thought thru hiking was a stunt. They disagreed with the idea because it brought a competitive spirit to the trail which was the opposite of the reason it was created. Interesting book Earl Schafer wrote. It's got actual journal entries from Schafer's journal. It's pretty cool 😎.
@@kdavis4910 i think im gonna buy Earl Schafers book to add to my collection
i had it before but cant find it
@@baskets8429 hi Baskets. It's nice to sort of meet you. I've actually been subscribed for awhile but am just now finding the time to watch the rest of the channels I subbed too earlier this year. I love how when reading about Earl's hike it feels like I get to travel back in time and get to see the trail when it was a lot younger than today, rougher too. And obviously a different trail era meant different types of hikers too. I call it the original AT, but if I was presented with a chance to go back and hike the original AT for only a day i would take it. Then I would come back and write one hell of a story. If I ever complete an AT thru hike I will definately write a book for sure. I just have to manage to thru hike it first. Lol 😆..
Erin-Great video! I have a CDT question. Do you recommend snowshoes in the San Juans if their is alot of it? Leaving in mid April.
I was dealing with it and post holing a lot
It was a low snow year but enough to make it dangerous tons of post holing once my foot got stuck pretty bad etc , when your getting close to Chama, New Mexico see if hikers that are ahead of you are using them , if there is a lot of snow might be worth having them, if your not using them u can always send them back.
Pink Blazing I'm still confused 🤷♂️
Pink Blazing: when a hiker intentionally speeds up or slows down to hike with a potential love interest. ... and attempt to hike with you for miles making as much conversation that keeps them just on this side of not creepy
@@baskets8429 ahhh ok I was guessing pink had something to do with it. Makes sense now 👍
Baskets - I have a question. I do not understand why trails east of the Mississippi are typically blazed with paint marks and normally are easier to follow. I'm watching your videos on the CDT hike again and noticed some of the trail is not nearly as well marked as the AT, and other trails in the "East". Why is that the case? I've heard the PCT and othes out west are sparsely marked as well.
Appalachian Trail was completed . The trail itself was completed in 1937 after more than a decade of work, although improvements and changes continue. It is maintained by 31 trail clubs, more people live out on the east coast and are able to maintain it and keep the blazes looking visible.
CDT doesn’t have as much people maintaining it and way less hiking it , but they are working on marking it better.
PCT I heard from hikers is marked pretty well overall
@@baskets8429 Thanks for the reply. One thing I've noticed about west vs. east trails is that the CDT/PCT does not use paint blazes like the AT.
@@kenwbrenner yeah CDT has wooden or other signs, some places they even cut into a tree indicating a blaze
i think eventually they will have the CDT blazed really well
Congratulations on your engagement with Julie!
Do you have a P O box? Would love to send you a wedding present. I’ve enjoyed your videos so much!
Any thru hikes this year? Hope all is well with you and Julie.
Thanks
Hikes planned , no thru hikes though
i did 65 miles in 2021. i plan on slack packing the whole trail in 2024. is that still ok? my knee was shot(
slack packing the whole trail with a bummed knee is actually more impressive then a fully healthy person not slack packing and carrying the pack, congrats on the 65 miles, did you do the Georgia part?
@@baskets8429 i did the approach trail and 9 more days. i cried for days snd drank like a fish( my brother will support me. any help on the support part? advice?
@@jc4157 have verizon service as thats gonna be good to communicate better than others, study the roads to see where best meeting points are to make things smoother, study elevation to kind of prep the miles etc, most of all enjoy it , its an amazing adventure, probably a trip of a lifetime, enjoy it
Just my opinion, The minute you break trail to resupply what's that called? carry five or six days of food, don't ✌️stay in hotels. Don't take trail magic.have no Cell phone, no car rides, what do you call that? (hiking before 1995) was way better, fundamentally it served a different purpose, ✌️ for my self was totally isolation with nature and loved it!
Yeah it probably was much better back then, I’m sure it was tougher as well, happy trails
I'm with you on that. that would be my definition of purism. Hiked a few weeks in VA back in the 70s, you carried it all. set up a tent every night - there were some shelters - hostels? trail magic? Did hitch into town a couple times to get food etc. So I kind of smile about the "every step" definition of purism. Like you're running a triathlon instead of a hike. I mean, I don't begrudge it, things change and I'm even contemplating keeping up with the times, in this new world of trail runners, ultra light packs, tents, dehydrated food... I think the major difference is philosophical, everything's known, how many miles, next stop, next town, exactly how much water/food you need to carry. It's more of an adventure game than an adventure. Again, I don't begrudge it, you still have to walk the miles, hence, I guess, the added emphasis on connecting every step when everything else is known.
@@TheJhtlag indeed
My first Thru hike was 45 lb pack lots of places carried too much food as i didn’t research the trail much, made for an interesting experience.
2nd thru hike Ultra light gear and research made it much easier but also more pleasant hiking
The 1st one is more memorable because it was a lot harder
@@baskets8429 I don't want to be that grumpy old man, but the purism arguments bother me. There was one woman who through-hiked this past year and had to get off the trail for reasons of life-threatening tumor which required surgery, talk about an adventure. Then she got back on the trail and completed the hike to Katahdin but had skipped 200 miles in the Smokies I guess to make the schedule work/catch up with friends etc. In my book, "She hiked the Appalachian Trail" her heart was in the right place. If someone wants to make a technical definition of "through-hike" as every step fine but I don't see that as the definition of purism. Btw, she went back and hiked the 200 miles so she checked that off anyway.
Anyway, this post didn't trigger me, just been turning it over in my mind last couple months, and really for fun and just unpacking here. Long story short, been doing day hikes in MD lately, so started following through-hiker posts for those sections, and then their whole journies type stuff. (and then they all do the gear demos stuff so learning about that: wow!) and I'm fascinated by it all, the then and the now. I could see myself getting into 3 day 40 mile hikes w/new equipment these days but can't project beyond that. Oh yeah, if I see one of those guys trying to set the time for running the AT, I will make every effort to trip them. OK, kidding. Maybe.
@@TheJhtlag right on!
Everyone is allowed to have their own definition of purism that’s the fun part of it.
In my mind if you didn’t connect your steps your a section hiker until you fill in the gap which is fine too, many do the AT in sections and it can still be a thru hike if you complete it in 12 months. Believe it or not I’ve seen people do half the trail and call themselves through hikers, no matter where their heart is a through hike is completing the trail not skipping half the trail.
I started my first journey on the AT in Maryland when I was a truck driver passing by I’d park in a rest area climb the fence and hike for a bit. I told myself I’d through hike one day. Hope you get some UL gear and get on trail it’s important to enjoy it anyway you can.
Anyway happy hiking
Another talking head video.
yup