Triple Crown of Hiking

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(From left to right) Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail Map of Triple Crown of Hiking Trail.png
(From left to right) Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail
Hikers on the Continental Divide Trail in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Montana. Volunteer on the CDT.JPG
Hikers on the Continental Divide Trail in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Montana.

The Triple Crown of Hiking refers to hiking the entire length of three major U.S. National Scenic Trails:

Contents

These three trails were the first designated National Scenic Trails in the National Trails System. [4] Their total length is about 7,875 miles (12,674 km); vertical gain is more than 1,000,000 feet (300,000 m). A total of 22 states are visited if the three trails are completed. [5] The American Long Distance Hiking Association – West (ALDHA–West) is the only organization that recognizes this hiking feat. At the ALDHA–West gathering, held each fall, the Triple Crown honorees are recognized and awarded plaques noting their achievement. As of the end of the application period in 2023, 665 hikers have been designated Triple Crowners by ALDHA-West since 1994. [6]

History

The first person to ever achieve The Triple Crown of Hiking was Eric Ryback. Ryback completed the Appalachian Trail in 1969 as a 16-year-old. He completed the Pacific Crest Trail in 1970 and chronicled it in his 1971 book The High Adventure of Eric Ryback: Canada to Mexico on Foot. Ryback completed a route approximating today's Continental Divide Trail in 1972 and chronicled it in his second book, The Ultimate Journey (now out of print). [7]

In 2013, Reed Gjonnes, age 13, became the youngest person at the time to thru-hike all three trails to complete the Triple Crown. A thru-hike is defined as completing a long trail in a single trip. She hiked all three trails as continuous northbound hikes in one hiking season each. [8] Along with her father Eric Gjonnes, she hiked The Pacific Crest Trail in 2011, the Appalachian Trail in 2012, and the entire 3,100 mile official route of the Continental Divide Trail in 2013.

As of 2023, Juniper Netteburg (aged 7 at the completion of her family's hike), is the youngest person to have hiked all three trails to complete the Triple Crown. Netteburg, known by her trail name The Beast, [9] completed all three trails with her mother (Danae), father (Olen) and her four other siblings, the youngest being two at the end. [10] Together they completed the Appalachian Trail in 2020 (Juniper aged 4), [11] the Continental Divide Trail using official and alternate routes, when she was 6 in 2022, [12] and began the Pacific Crest Trail in May of 2023 and completed it in November of 2023 just days before she turned 8. [13]

The title of "youngest to complete the Triple Crown" previously belonged to Christian "Buddy Backpacker" Geiger, who was aged 9, when he finished all three trails in 2018. [14] Along with his step-father Dion Pagonis, the two completed the Appalachian Trail in 2013 when Buddy was 5, [15] [16] the Pacific Crest Trail when he was 6 in 2014, [17] and began the Continental Divide Trail in the spring of 2016 and completed it in September 2017 when he was 9. [18]

In 2018, Elsye Walker, known as Chardonnay on the trail, became the first African American to complete the Triple Crown. [19] [20] She thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2015, the Appalachian Trail in 2016/2018, [21] [22] and in 2017 she thru-hiked the Continental Divide Trail. [23]

On September 15, 2019, combat veteran Will Robinson, age 38, became the first African American man to complete the Triple Crown. Will thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017, the Appalachian Trail in 2018, and completed the Continental Divide Trail in 2019. [24] Will's trail name is Akuna, from the Swahili phrase Hakuna Matata meaning "no worries", and made popular by a song in The Lion King.

By the end of 2018, only ten people had completed the Triple Crown within one calendar year. “Flyin’” Brian Robinson was the first, and Heather “Anish” Anderson was the only woman. [25] The three long distance hikes can technically be done continuously in one season -- however, because of snow, they are generally attempted in sections.

Calendar-year Triple Crown

A prestigious accomplishment in long-distance hiking is the completion of the Triple Crown of Hiking in a single calendar year (January 1 through December 31). [26] The first person to hike the Triple Crown in a calendar year was Brian Robinson, who completed the Triple Crown in 2001. [27] [28] The first woman to complete the challenge was Heather Anderson (AKA Anish) in 2018. [29] Most CYTC (calendar-year triple crown) finishers "flip flop" across the three trails through the year, hiking sections that are the best suited for the time of year. In 2005, Matt "Squeaky" Hazely was the first person to complete a CYTC without flipping, where he hiked each trail in its entirety (either northbound or southbound) before progressing to the next one. [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian Trail</span> Hiking trail going through fourteen US states

The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles (3,540 km) between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy claims the Appalachian Trail to be the world's longest hiking-only trail. More than three million people hike segments of it each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Crest Trail</span> Long-distance hiking and equestrian trail in the western US

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles east of the U.S. Pacific coast. The trail's southern terminus is next to the Mexico–United States border, just south of Campo, California, and its northern terminus is on the Canada–US border, upon which it continues unofficially to the Windy Joe Trail within Manning Park in British Columbia; it passes through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Divide Trail</span> Long-distance scenic trail in the western United States

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of 3,028 miles (4,873 km) between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and the border with Alberta, Canada. Frequent route changes and a large number of alternate routes result in an actual hiking distance of 2,700 miles (4,300 km) to 3,150 miles (5,070 km). The CDT follows the Continental Divide of the Americas along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. In Montana near the Canadian border the trail crosses Triple Divide Pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Muir Trail</span> Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, passing through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. It is named after John Muir, a naturalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Trails System</span> System of trails in the United States

The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nation". There are four types of trails: the national scenic trails, national historic trails, national recreation trails, and connecting or side trails. The national trails provide opportunities for hiking and historic education, as well as horseback riding, biking, camping, scenic driving, water sports, and other activities. The National Trails System consists of 11 national scenic trails, 21 national historic trails, over 1,300 national recreation trails, and seven connecting and side trails, as well as one national geologic trail, with a total length of more than 91,000 mi (150,000 km). The scenic and historic trails are in every state, and Virginia and Wyoming have the most running through them, with six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thru-hiking</span> Style of hiking

Thru-hiking, or through-hiking, is the act of hiking an established long-distance trail end-to-end continuously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Northwest Trail</span> Hiking trail in the western United States

The Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) is a 1,200-mile (1,900 km) hiking trail running from the Continental Divide in Montana to the Pacific Ocean on Washington's Olympic Coast. Along the way, the PNT crosses three national parks, seven national forests, and two other national scenic trails. It travels against the grain of several mountain ranges, including the Continental Divide, Whitefish Divide, Purcells, Selkirks, Kettles, Cascades, and Olympics. It was designated as the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail by Congress in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Robinson (hiker)</span> American hiker

Brian Robinson is a competitive distance hiker and long-distance runner, holding multiple world-firsts and ultramarathon world records. Robinson was the first person to hike the Triple Crown of Hiking in one year, a total distance of over 7,000 miles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Continental Trail</span> Long-distance hiking trail in the United States and Canada

The Eastern Continental Trail (ECT) is a network of hiking trails in the United States and Canada, reaching from Key West, Florida to Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Scott Williamson is an American thru-hiker, most noted for being the first person to complete a continuous one-season round trip of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). He is also noted for his speed records for hiking the PCT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-distance trail</span> Long trail used for walking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing

A long-distance trail is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents except Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Pharr Davis</span> American hiker

Jennifer Pharr Davis is a long distance hiker from the United States of America who serves on the President's Council for Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. She has been called "the Serena Williams of long distance hiking" by Baratunde Thurston and is also an author, speaker, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and Ambassador for the American Hiking Society. She has hiked over 14,000 miles on six different continents, including thru-hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the Colorado Trail, the Long Trail in Vermont, the Bibbulmun Track in Australia, and numerous trails in Europe and South America (e.g., the Tour du Mont Blanc, West Highland Way, Laugavegur, GR 11, GR 20, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Cotahuasi Canyon and the Inca Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Tapon</span> American writer

Francis Tapon is an author, global nomad, and public speaker. He has walked across the United States four times via its three major mountain ranges. He also walked across Spain twice. He was the first person to do a round-trip backpacking the Continental Divide Trail. In addition, he thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail southbound. He has traveled to over 100 countries of the world. Lastly, he is the author of the self-help travelogue Hike Your Own Hike and the travel narrative The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us. He traveled to all 54 African countries from 2013 to 2018 and climbed to the highest point of 50 of those countries. In 2019, he was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame.

The Great Western Loop is a hiking route that is 6,875 miles (11,064 km) long, and passes through several states of the western United States.

The Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 to support and promote the interests of long-distance hikers in the Appalachian mountain area and east of the Mississippi. It "was the first organization of long-distance hikers in the United States".

Elizabeth Thomas is a thru-hiking champion and former women's unassisted speed record holder for the 2,181-mile (3,510 km) Appalachian Trail. She holds the hiking "Triple Crown," having completed the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. She is the pioneer of the Chinook Trail in Washington and the Wasatch Range in Utah. She is Vice President of the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West, an ambassador for the American Hiking Society, and an outdoors writer for Wirecutter, a New York Times publication. She is also Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review, a hiking gear publication. As of 2018, she completed 20 long-distance wilderness hikes.

Bart Smith is an outdoor photographer who concentrates on documenting America's National Trails System. Over the course of more than 25 years, he became the first person to hike and photograph all of the 11 national scenic trails and to traverse all of the 19 national historic trails. The 30 national trails go through all 50 states, with a total mileage of more than 50,000 miles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Divide Trail Coalition</span> Non-profit organization in the US

The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) is a Colorado-based organization that works to complete, promote, and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. The CDT is used by hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers, and runs approximately 3,000-miles along the Continental Divide from Mexico to Canada. The trail crosses five states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, and is considered one of the three Triple Crown of Hiking trails in the United States.

Karen Berger is an American writer, long-distance backpacker, and speaker. She is the author of adventure narratives, guidebooks, instructional books, and essays about the U.S. national scenic and historic trails, worldwide trails, and hiking and backpacking skills and techniques.

References

  1. ↑ Gailey, Chris (2006). "Appalachian Trail FAQs" Outdoors.org (accessed September 14, 2006)
  2. ↑ Pacific Crest Trail Association. "Pacific Crest Trail – Frequently Asked Questions". Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail: Online Map and Guide – Mexico to Canada. United States Forest Service. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  3. ↑ Karen Berger. "America's Triple Crown—Hiking on the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide Trails". Gorp. Archived from the original on May 13, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  4. ↑ "History of the National Trails System - American Trails". www.americantrails.org. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ Glenn Adams, Associated Press Writer (October 27, 2001). "Hiker Achieves 'Triple Crown'". Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Triple Crown", American Long Distance Hiking Association – West
  7. ↑ "Eric Ryback". Cold Splinters blog. November 5, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Ore. girl, 13, youngest to claim hiking 'Triple Crown'". USA TODAY.
  9. ↑ "The Family That Hiked Together". issuu. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ "The Family, Author at The Trek". The Trek. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Volunteers physicians in Chad, Netteburg family of 6 hike the Appalachian Trail | Global Health Institute". ghi.llu.edu. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  12. ↑ Gleisner, David (August 1, 2023). "Meet the Family of 7 That's About to Finish the Triple Crown". Backpacker. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  13. ↑ Hardingham-Gill, Tamara (August 28, 2023). "The parents hiking America's longest trails with five kids". CNN. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Buddy Backpacker". BuddyBackpacker. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Being Buddy Backpacker". Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. March 13, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  16. ↑ Kindergarten Can Wait: The Story of Buddy Backpacker , retrieved October 15, 2017
  17. ↑ "Meet Andrea (Buddy Backpacker's Mom) – Hike Like A Woman". hikelikeawoman.net. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Buddy Backpacker". www.facebook.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  19. ↑ "wandering chardonnay". wandering chardonnay. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  20. ↑ Egan, Erin (January 25, 2022). "ELSYE WALKER aka CHARDONNAY". Hiking Thru. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  21. ↑ "107 Chardonnay- Looking for a Triple Crown This Summer". Cascade Hiker Podcast. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Walking Off the Beaten Path: The Not-So-Happy Trails Quit". Quitting by Design. May 1, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Hiking With Chardonnay – Hike Like A Woman". hikelikeawoman.net. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  24. ↑ Miles, Kathryn (October 1, 2019). "The Triple Crown Is Just the Beginning for Will 'Akuna' Robinson". Outside Online. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  25. ↑ Miller, Elizabeth (November 24, 2018). "How Heather "Anish" Anderson Finished the Triple Crown in a Single Year". Backpacker. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  26. ↑ "ALDHA-West - Past Recipients". American Long Distance Hiking Association (West). Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  27. ↑ Steubner, Steve (October 8, 2006). "Hiking the Continental Divide Trail". AmericanProfile .com. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  28. ↑ Hazley, Matthew; Butler, Robert III (2005). "Matthew Hazley – TrailCast 12 (43:00; audio talk)". TrailCast. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Heather "Anish" Anderson". Fastest Known Time. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  30. ↑ Pathfinder (May 27, 2019). "Triple Crown in Under a Year History". pathfinder. Retrieved October 19, 2021.

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