15-Month Old Out to Set the AT Record

[egilbe]

I aplogize if I offended anyone.

Last I knew, they had flipped to Katahdin and headed South and are somewhere south of Mass.

 

[hikerbrian]

That's awesome.

Last night I was thinking that backpacking with a 15-month old is really something, but actually maybe a really little kid is easier than a slightly older kid - a 3 month old only weighs, what, 15 lbs? A 2 year old weighs probably 30 lbs, and you've still got to carry him pretty much the whole way.

Eventually the kid starts to hike on his own, and there are no diapers, but you probably need to carry more food, and the clothing and gear are larger. Eventually he can do it all by himself and can even save your butt in a jam.

There must be a way to express all of this mathematically, to find the 'age of maximum effort required' to backpack with a kid. I'm thinking 2 years old. Maybe 3. But I believe the numbers will show definitively that kids in general are a huge pain* in the a$$!

*Still wouldn't give mine back though.

 

[peakbagger]

Oh they were carrying the kid? Bummer the ATC completion form requires the applicant to certify that the applicant walked the entire distance .

Much more interesting, youngest person to crawl the AT.

 

[Raven]

Moderator Note:

I can't believe I have to remind folks to dial it back in a thread about hiking with babies, but here we are. If you can't reply in a civil manner, step outside and enjoy the weather.

Bwahahahahhahahaha!!! It's Precious!!

This is the funniest thing on VFTT in a long time.

Baby Blue Lives Matter!!

 

[Raven]

Oh they were carrying the kid? Bummer the ATC completion form requires the applicant to certify that the applicant walked the entire distance .

Much more interesting, youngest person to crawl the AT.

That's called "Baby-Blazing." It's the latest addition blue blazing, yellow blazing, and aqua blazing. Purist.

 

[Trail Boss]

... as I consider to be a " Supported Endeavor ''.

+1

It's a charming, heart-warming story but as much an "achievement of completion" as the many backpacks, sporks, and iPhones that also "finished" the AT. Except this cuddly bit 'o baggage needed constant refueling and some maintenance (so ... kind of like a stove).

/s

 

[griffin]

I think I ran into these folks at Lakes. What an amazing family experience to have!

 

[SherpaTom]

I found the article very interesting and if someone did this in 2000-2001, wouldn't that be over the winter and quite impossible Francis?

 

[JoshandBaron]

Winter thrus arent impossible...

 

[egilbe]

I found the article very interesting and if someone did this in 2000-2001, wouldn't that be over the winter and quite impossible Francis?

Sobos tend to hike later in the year and when you hike barefoot, you tend to hike slower. They were hiking well into January. What you think is impossible two young women did it barefoot.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Sobos tend to hike later in the year and when you hike barefoot, you tend to hike slower. They were hiking well into January. What you think is impossible two young women did it barefoot.

It's true there is always a 'bubble' of finishers down here (Georgia) around Thanksgiving and another around Christmas. If you were in that last bubble and were running a bit behind you could easily finish in January. Depending on the year the Smokies might or might not prove to be a problem in December. South of the Smokies you normally wouldn't have much trouble.

 

[SherpaTom]

You may have missed my point to Francis...

 

[Raven]

I found the article very interesting and if someone did this in 2000-2001, wouldn't that be over the winter and quite impossible Francis?

I finished February 4, 2001 on Springer after a late start at end of June. Snowshoes needed in the Smokies but not south as Ed suggested. Hardly impossible, although northbound would be a tough one in that time frame!

The barefoot sisters were ahead of me as I recall. Pretty sure I was about last. I'm not sure how they dealt with snow and cold. They may have finished early enough.

I only saw the large family of thru hikers early on in Maine in the first few weeks. Don't recall seeing them after.