[pct-l] What is a Thru-Hike Defined as Nowadays?

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I consider it a thru-hike if you hike the whole thing end-to-end all  
in one season, or if you hike pretty much the whole trail all in one  
season even if it wasn't in order and even if a couple of sections  
were closed. You get the trail you get and if part of it is closed,  
there's not a lot you can do about it. I consider you a thru-hiker if  
you are making the attempt, so long as you are on the trail. If  
you're home, you aren't a thru-hiker unless you get yourself back on  
the trail.

I also think it's not really a thru-hike unless it's complete end-to- 
end, but I'm not that much of a stickler for that much detail. I give  
you extra kudos for a perfect, contiguous, continuous, contagious  
thru-hike, but I won't diss anybody who wasn't quite so perfect.

I've been thinking about thru-hiking the Gene Marshall Piedra Blanca  
National Recreation Trail. So far I've only section-hiked it. It's 17  
miles long. I think I could call myself a thru-hiker and say I'm thru- 
hiking, but all that glory would last me only a couple days.


On Sep 2, 2011, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> The list has been quiet of late so I thought I would venture a  
> question that
> may have a variety of answers in this diverse community of hikers.   
> So, the
> question is, What is your definition of a thru-hike?  I ask, as in  
> recent
> years it would appear that the definition of a thru-hike and even  
> that of a
> thru-hiker has changed somewhat.  So, let's get some input from a  
> diverse
> community that loves a long trail and let's remember that there  
> will likely
> be a diverse set of responses and it really is a definition that  
> one defines
> for oneself.