[pct-l] About how many thru hikers per year

Fri Jul 6 14:06:24 CDT 2007

Even more frustrating is that if you're using trail registers as your source of information, there are plenty of hikers who do not sign the registers, making it literally impossible to get accuratee statistics -- though it is the best source available.

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
>From: ed faubert <edfaubert at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Jul 5, 2007 5:14 PM
>To: pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [pct-l] About how many thru hikers per year
>
>
>
>Pea Hicks <phix at optigan.com> wrote:     
>
>Steve Fosdick wrote:
>
>> I'm still waiting for an answer to my original question: About how
>> many thru hikers are there on the PCT each year? What percentage hike
>> North?
>
>approx 300-350 begin a thru-hike every year, overwhelmingly northbound. 
>in fact, I'm only aware of two sobo thrubies this year.
>   
>  Its one of those ?s that come up every year here, how many started at Campo?Manning Park...........How many left Campo/Manning and did a complete thru hike? How many did a flip/flop in either direction? How many started at WalkerPass all the way to Canada last year who in 2007 walked from Mexico to Walker Pass to complete a thru hike. How many folks were at Green Valley for Memorial Day weekend in 06 vrs how many quite in the first 300 miles of the trail. Did 1/3 of the hikers all quit before Keneddy Meadows every year, but another 25/35 start their hike in Mojave/Tec.          
>  Who has these answers, the PCTA one would think would be the one to ask this ? or perhaps Donna in AD would know the real answer........... Some of you old timers reading this know the answer to this already but for you new to the list or to even be out on the PCT for the first time who know how the #s are arrived at on the AT think it would follow here on the PCT the same way to tally up the names.
>  Bill Jennings and myself have spent literal 100 of hours trying to compile these #s and even we have no real accurate figure to give out. There are too many roadblocks in the way to really get the correct #s every year. 225 people had come thru KMdws by the time i left there on 6/20 and yet new boxes were showing up everyday of even more folks coming thru...This # was i believe as i counted the names of folks who had picked up their boxes and signed the register there and not of just the names of folks who had mail drops there who had not yet come in there.
>  Yes we can come close to How many folks etc etc each year hike in either direction or even with the total amount of finishers each year... but its just a 3s game and folks get added in or taken off these temporary lists anyway. You hear so and so quit, went home only to come back again a week later in which case you do not hear that.... They were ashamed perhaps to have to leave the trail and will re-continue back without any fanfare this time til they rejoin the "group" they were with...........
>  Hope this helps  you to see there is no one out there qualified to really give the exact #s of how many hikers etc etc 
>
>
>Meadow Ed
>       
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