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

[Deems]

Steel Eye,
I must inject a little PCT history in between your signature timeline.  The 
PCT was stamped official by Congress in Oct 2, 1968 and signed by LBJ. This 
meant that the trail received recognition as a federally funded National 
Scenic Trail with an intended construction route and reroute along the CCT, 
OST, and California.  The PCT has been a recognized USFS trail as early as 
1939 via my maps and as early as 1935 via my books. I have a pair of maps in 
my hand titled: 1939 USFS Map for the Cascade Crest Trail and Pacific Crest 
Trail System in Washington, and a 1952 USFS Map of the Oregon Skyline Trail 
and Pacific Crest Trail System in Oregon.  The 1939 map was carried and 
signed by Joe G. Harris.  Clinton Clarke, Warren Rogers, and many others 
hiked and mapped the trail from Mexico to Canada from 1935-1938 and is 
documented in the historical limited edition 1968 PCT Relay Book. My 1945 
Pacific Crest Trailways guide book maps and describes the route from Mexico 
to Canada.  Your years upon the PCT are enviable, incredible, highly 
respectable, and with due respect, I must say your dusty old 1965 foot 
prints don't predate the PCT.   I love those old OST and CCT sections too!

a lowly, not-thru with the PCT, section hiker since -- 1976
~~~^^~~^^~~
Good afternoon, Monte,

I also like some of the sections of the old Oregon Skyline Trail (OST) which
substantially became the PCT through most of Oregon.  I hiked the Mt.
Jefferson Primitive Area quite a bit in the mid-'60s, and I particularly
enjoyed the OST section beginning north of Three-Fingered-Jack, past Marion
Lake, Hunts Cove, and on to Milk Creek north of Pamelia Lake.

At that time before the backpacking craze of the early '70s hit, I could
hike all weekend in that area and probably never see another person except
right at Marion and Pamelia Lakes.  Later I sort of gave up on the area
because there seemed to be so many people that I had to carry my own rock to
sit on for a break.

Steel-Eye

Hiking the PCT since before it was the PCT -- 1965