Un supported AT thruhiker does half the trail in 30 days

I have been following a thread on Whiteblaze about an individual that is going for the unsupported record for the trail. Folks attempting records like this usually burn out early and disappear but this person has done half the trail starting up North in 30 days. In addition to the trail he has to hike into and out of town to resupply and isn't being met at trail crossings so his total mileage is even more than the trail itself. For those familiar with the AT, the 'hardest miles' are up north and 90% of the trail down south is well groomed dirt paths along ridges, generally well graded and suited for running. The biggest issue is hydration as water sources dry up on the ridges although the canopy does help.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/sho...ted-In-Under-60-Days&highlight=self+supported

I don't know if he finish the entire trail but his current accomplishment is impressive.

His Rules

Walk into and out of resupply towns to purchase or pick up prepacked and mailed supplies.
Hike as a backpacker, carrying all food and equipment between resupply towns.
Follow the official AT route, no detours, road walks or alternates of any kind.
Do not have anyone follow, or provide support in a prearranged manner.
Do not get into a vehicle for any reason during the attempt.
Honestly and thoroughly document the attempt.
Practice Leave-No-Trace ethics

Well I would hate to mess him up, so I officially will not support him.

Also, I'm curious about 'trail magic' - that's one of the best parts. Does he refuse it all?

I hope he makes it. Not to discredit Jenn Pharr... but I'd love to hike the AT if I could arrive at a setup tent with a cooked meal every night... AND NOT HAVE TO LUG A PACK! Unsupported is the way to go.

just to clarify, Matt Kirk refers to his attempt as "self-supported," not "unsupported." Unsupported means you carry all your food from the start and only resupply with water on the way (obviously next to impossible for the full AT).

Jeff List said:

just to clarify, Matt Kirk refers to his attempt as "self-supported," not "unsupported." Unsupported means you carry all your food from the start and only resupply with water on the way (obviously next to impossible for the full AT).

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If you really wanted to get, well, strict about it, you'd say "unsupported" means you get everything you need, food, clothes, shelter, whatnot, in the trail corridor. You should get to the trailhead under your own power and depart the other end in the same fashion while you're at it. Then there's the "opposed" hike, kind of like football, where others set up obstacles, tackle you, pin you down if possible, and invade your camp when you sleep. ...

Wow. That is blazingly fast especially with detours into town, not meeting a support team daily, and carrying a pack. There is certainly something authentic about the way he is doing it, not to take away from past attempts or records, but he is actually emulating what most thru-hikers do. It's admirable that he is not cutting those corners.

A 15 year old girl from the Tampa area is attempting to be the youngest to thru-hike the AT solo. I find this one interesting because it's questionable whether one can really hike on the AT solo when surrounded by people.

I've been seeing, giving rides to, and talking with more than a few thruhikers passing through Gorham this month.

Jeff List said:

just to clarify, Matt Kirk refers to his attempt as "self-supported," not "unsupported." Unsupported means you carry all your food from the start and only resupply with water on the way (obviously next to impossible for the full AT).

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We've had this discussion re self-supported before, his guidelines are clear and understandable

Certainly some of his rules sound overly stringent (not hitching into town, not trading food, no blueberries from bushes) yet on the other hand one could say that by shopping and picking up packages instead of caching stuff himself he is relying on others

"...one could say that by shopping and picking up packages instead of caching stuff himself he is relying on others"

Aren't you being just a little harsh? Would you have him hike naked and eat only what he kills with his bare hands?

RoySwkr said:

no blueberries from bushes

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Now that's just crazy! Walk past nice ripe berries that you can't eat because it's against the rules? I understand that it's a self imposed rule, but it's still crazy! What about any black files that you happen to swallow?

Don't let Lriz see this thread...

Aren't you being just a little harsh? Would you have him hike naked and eat only what he kills with his bare hands?

That was my thought as well. I consider "unsupported" to mean not receiving help from other people, which is the same as "self-supported". But people can split hairs any way they'd like, so long as they're not splitting hares on the trail, right? (yes, that was a pun).

Lawn Sale said:

I consider "unsupported" to mean not receiving help from other people, which is the same as "self-supported". But people can split hairs any way they'd like,

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Everyone should hike their own hike, and make their standards clear - whether that is "unsupported" is a judgement of others who may not agree. For instance, in the Australian Outback to be "unsupported" you can get water from streams but not wells or stock tanks. Obviously if you are going to hike the official route of the A.T. you are going to have to use many steps, bridges, etc. built by others or you will be off-route but you could choose to not sleep in shelters except where camping elsewhere is forbidden.

Certainly Benton Mackaye would have trouble with the self-supported concept, as he expected hikers to interact with locals even more than they usually do. And swapping food, tossing random food in a common pot, Trail Magic, etc. are important parts of the trail experience to many people.

I'll leave it to others to comment where in this spectrum "self-supported" ends:
* Joe carries all his gear and food from the beginning, shuttling loads as required
* Joe leaves pre-positioned caches along the way
* Joe mails or ships packages ahead
* Joe shops for supplies in grocery and equipment stores
* Joe eats in restaurants
* Joe spends nights in motels or hostels
* Joe picks up his packages from Aunt Martha who lives on Main St in Gorham instead of at the post office, and has a home-cooked meal and shower
* Aunt Martha lives in Manchester, but meets Joe in Gorham with packages and home-cooked pie

I know Matt. He is a great guy, and I think he would find this conversation entertaining.

He is quite innovative, making some of his own gear. He already has two thru hikes under his belt as well as some fast 100 mile ultras, too. Best wishes to him.

Update, he did the entire trail in 58.3 days

And after looking at some if his pictures, he did eat berries along the way. Made me smile!

Jeff List said:

Unsupported means you carry all your food from the start and only resupply with water on the way (obviously next to impossible for the full AT).

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Not impossible if you carry enough ammunition...

Dana said:

Not impossible if you carry enough ammunition...

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Lewis and Clark anyone?