[pct-l] What is a "Thru Hike?"

[Scott Bryce]

CHUCK CHELIN wrote:
> Good morning, Scott,
> 
> Near Hauser Canyon one fellow stepped off the trail a ways to take a
>  squirt, and when he came back he met the trail about 30 ft. ahead of
>  where he left.  He made it to Manning that summer, but what a
> bummer: He's apparently not a thru-hiker.  Anyone who hikes the
> Crater Lake Rim Route rather than following the"official" PCT flunks
> out also.  Same for following Eagle Creek to Cascade Locks rather
> than following the PCT on Benson Plateau.  By that standard there are
> lots of thru-cheaters out there.

You didn't read what I wrote did you? That isn't the standard I set.

I don't care what sections you walked around, what alternatives you
took, or how much trail you missed because you stepped off of the trail
for some reason. If you walked from border to border, primarily along
the PCT, you through hiked the trail.

OK, I was anal about hiking the Warner Springs loop, but I stepped off
the trail there to walk around a bull who was standing in the trail. Big
deal. I walked it. Just like those who chose to take the highway out of
Warner Springs walked it.

My point is that if they took a ride to skip a section of trail, in my
mind they did not through hike.

I thought I made that clear. I don't care how you got from point A to
point B. If you are calling yourself a through hiker, I assume you
walked from point A to point B. Whether you took the official route, an
alternative, a convenient highway, whatever, I'll assume you walked it.

My decision to hike the Warner Springs loop was a decision I made for
myself. It was part of hiking my own hike. If I had a partner who
decided not to hike the loop, I would have honored his decision, parted
company with him, and hoped to catch up with him farther up the trail.
If he and I both made it to Canada, I would not think any less of his
hike than of mine.

FWIW, I followed your journal in 2007. I have more respect for you than
I do for a lot of people who made it all the way. But I would not have
that same respect if you insisted that your hike was a through hike. You
did not make it all the way. You left the trail for very good reasons,
better reasons than I had for leaving the trail. You endured more pain
than most of us would. You did what you could. You accomplished a lot.
But you didn't make it to Canada. I don't see you whining that your hike
should be called a through hike too. You are a better person than that.

My post on this subject was in response to people who are arguing that
HYOH means that you can call it a through hike if you want to. I don't
agree. Please don't call it a through hike unless you walked from border
to border. That does not mean that I don't stand in awe of your
accomplishments. There isn't anyone on this list who does not deserve
more respect than I do.

I'm with Ned. I am seeing the definition of "through hike" change over
the past several years, and I don't think that is a good thing. I see it
as part of the culture that won't recognize winners because we can't
have losers. A through hike is what it is. Anything less than that is
still a tremendous accomplishment, but it isn't a through hike.

--Scott Bryce
Campo to Paradise Cafe through hike, 2008.
(Can't you see how ridiculous that is?)