The official stance is that each person hikes the triple crown for their own personal reasons and the achievement of such is honor enough. The continental divide trail, so wild and sparsely blazed that its trail slogan is brave the cdt. These three trails represent the triple crown of hiking in the united states. Triple crown hikers who have trod all three long trails concur.
Lessons from a triple crown hiker out there outdoors. Dec 09, 2014 in addition, he gives hyperbolefree summaries of the challenges faced by prospective hikers, as well as extensive lists of triple crown related books, websites and films. The triple crown of hiking refers to the 3 great long trails in the us. May 27, 20 karen berger has hiked some 17,000 miles around the world, including thruhikes of the triple crown trails. Norways triple crown of hiking guide aliciamarietravels. She is the author of 12 books on hiking and backpacking, including where the waters divide an account of a continental divide thruhike, and backpacking and hiking, a dk eyewitness guide which has been translated into 12. Burke mountain triple crown and harper road loop british. We parked at the 311 parking lot and started on the trail at 7.
Wondering if others have done this, or have experience from thru hiking this portion that would be good to know. Brian robinson is a competitive distance hiker and longdistance runner, holding multiple worldfirsts and ultramarathon world records. Add these three trails together and you have the triple crown of hiking. The virginia triple crown is a combination of three of the most spectacular and popular hikes in the region. Robinson was the first person to hike the triple crown of hiking pacific crest trail, appalachian trail, and continental divide trail in one year, a total distance of over 7,000 miles. Jul 31, 2017 whether youre a dayhiker or backpacker, youll enjoy what the triple crown has to offer.
Salomon odyssey triple crown magic trail shoes hikinghammonds december 9, 2019 with a name like triple crown magic and tiedyed color scheme, salomons updated odyssey hiking shoe is clearly marketed toward the thruhiking community. Hiking guide for virginias triple crown loop happywhenhiking. Wildlife, weather, terrain, distance, culture, history. Just as the oscars are presented by the academy of motion picture arts and sciences, the triple crown is awarded by our own organization with an overly long name. Jun 12, 2017 the triple crown of hiking award is a distinction bestowed to hikers who have walked the appalachian trail, pacific crest trail, and continental divide trail in their entirety. Combining three of the most iconic vistas on the entire appalachian trail, the virginia triple crown is a hike that is growing in popularity and represents an. Scorched earth gap the story is told that a trail maintenance crew had hiked up the andy lane trail to do some work on the at. Although, i would highly advise you to have a good hiking shoes with solid grip. Jun 11, 2018 its a wonderful hiking trail and the trail work itself was very rewarding also.
He will share about his travels and talk about longdistance hiking tips such as gear prep on saturday, february 24 th, at 1. If youre not familiar with any of americas three great wilderness trails, this is a headfirst dive into refreshing waters. Buddy backpacker, finished the continental divide trail on september 18. Aldhawest does not recognize any other qualifiers such as. Backpack the virginia triple crown, dragons tooth parking lot. Even those who consider themselves pseudoexpert hikers, wellread on these thruhikes like myself, will find delightful insights when seeing them presented backtoback. Burke mountain triple crown and harper road loop is a 4. Hikers can choose which overlook to start at and which direction to go. Hiking hammonds appalachian trail, pacific crest trail. Due to the impact of covid19 and issues with overcrowding on trails, a large portion of the appalachian trail in virginias blue ridge is currently closed, including the three hikes that make up the triple crown dragons tooth, mcafee knob, and tinker cliffs. To hike the virginia triple crown, we give you tips to attempt each peak individually and to do all three as a multiday backpacking trip. With some practical limitations around shuttling cars, etc. Hes hiked the appalachian, continental divide and pacific crest trails three times each. The appalachian trail at, the pacific crest trail pct and the continental divide trail cdt.
Hiking for thetriple crown is a story that recounts the incredible journey taken by nancy andujar, the self determined and quirky seabiscut who set. Hiking in virginia, maryland, west virginia and north carolina, including the shenandoah national park, george washington national forest, jefferson national forest, monongahela national forest and many state parks. Cross the virginia triple crown off your hiking bucket list. Triple crown hiking the blue ridge mountains in roanoke. Trailheads and access points to the triple crown section of the appalachian. You can rent an entire small apartment and be within walking distance of half a dozen restaurants, a brew pub and a farmers market. The triple crown the oldest of them all, the green tunnel blazed by white, the appalachian trail. Completing all three hikes, or the big three earns you the triple crown. I was prepared to an extenti had gotten a gps for this hike, and was much more comfortable hiking cross country using a map and compass thanks. Download this triple crown trail pdf map that was created by the roanoke appalachian trail club. There are three major longdistance thru hikes in the united states. Virginias triple crown loop backpacking guide into the backcountry. At toughest of the triple crown archive whiteblaze. Apr 11, 2020 an overview of the triple crown of hiking and a breakdown of the main differences between these three iconic thru hiking long trails of america.
Ralph northams executive order 55 and continued heavy overuse of the triple crown section of the at, the national park service has closed a ll access and use to 27 miles of appaowned land in central virginia. Episode2239 jessica dixie mills on the triple crown of hiking. It combines the dragons tooth, mcafees knob and tinker cliffs hikes into one long multi day hike along the appalachian trail. It is well known for its picturesque cliffs and a sheer solitude that is often rare to find. Triple crown map in pdf mid atlantic hikes also has a 28mile version of the triple crown warning. This trip and mileage is outlined for ultralight backpackers, if you need help dropping weight from your pack i highly, highly recommend reading andrew skurkas ultimate gear guide and the awesome and animated ultralight backpackin tips. The appalachian trail, pacific crest trail and continental divide trail or at vs pct vs cdt.
This hike is packed with great attractions like amazing views, tough climbs and descents, and beautiful sections of trail. And if you are backpacking the entire triple crown, this trail completes your loop. You will also get a chance to hike a fairly large portion of the appalachian trail and luckily get to meet some of the thruhikers. Looking at planning a trip to do the virginia triple crown in a 43 day section hike next year. All are conveniently located within a few miles of each other just outside of roanoke.
Mcafee knob and the triple crown roanoke appalachian. A 35mile loop featuring mcafee knob, dragons tooth, and tinker cliffs. Added together these three trails cover almost 8,000 miles of the most rugged and remote landscapes in the country. That could be because, collectively, the triple crown involves nearly 8,000 miles of hiking. Oct 16, 2017 this 9yearold completed thru hiking s triple crown christian thomas, a. The virginia triple crown is comprised of what many consider to be the states three best hiking destinations. It makes for an excellent 2 day backpacking trip, with many rewarding views. Nov 25, 2017 triple crown loop is one of the most scenic hikes in west virginia. Hiking virginas triple crown with scouts by ken holder. Hiking virginia, maryland, west virginia, and north carolina. Buddy backpacker, finished the continental divide trail on september 18, becoming the youngest person to complete all.
The triple crown of hiking is a thruhike trifecta that includes the three most prominent long trails of the united states the appalachian trail at, the pacific crest trail pct and the continental divide trail cdt. Cascade hiker podcast clint lint bunting is a tripletriple crown hiker. About the cdt and the triple crown hiking hammonds. Mcafee knob, dragons tooth trail, and tinker cliffs. Though it is one of the mosttraversed sections of the appalachian trail, the hiking is not necessarily easy unless you are a regular in the mountains. Dragons tooth, mcafee knob, and tinker cliffs covid 19 alert. Mcafee knob and the triple crown roanoke appalachian trail club. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from april until september. We started with tinker cliffs, then on to mcafee knob, and finally dragons tooth. Dec 10, 2015 the continental divide trail is rumored among the thruhiking community to be the toughest trail of the triple crownit is remote, rugged, and has the unofficial motto embrace the brutality. One of the most notable routes is virginias triple crown. Pacific crest trail 2,654 miles 4,270 km, between mexico and canada following the highest portion of the sierra nevada and cascade range and traversing washington, oregon, and california. The triple crown of hiking informally refers to the three major u.
This 9yearold completed thruhikings triple crown christian thomas, a. Hiking the 7,910mile triple crown of american trails. May 18, 2017 some four and a half years after finishing the 12 long walks of which the calendar triple crown constituted the last three hikes the pct, cdt and at continue to be the trails i am asked about the most. A guide to backpacking the virginia triple crown goeast. Dec 04, 2017 as we move into 2018, our travels and blog will be focused on our attempt to hike the cdt and complete hikings triple crown. With a lot of hiking and running experience we decided to go for these three amazing day hikes in the same day. Earlier this week, david getchel began the second leg of his three part quest to hike the triple crown of american trails. This would be the usual exit point of the trip if doing the original triple crown hike. In the world of long distance hiking, the triple crown is king. I believe this is because it is the shortest hike and the one closest to stavanger and oslo.
The hike to dragons tooth is probably one of the most difficult things that you will have to do during your triple crown loop hike. Its a grueling physical feat, and an enormous time commitment. Mcafee knob affords a 270degree view of the catawba valley far below and has been called the most photographed spot along the appalachian trail. If youre considering dayhiking or backpacking the triple crown, plan to. Virginias triple crown loop hiking trail, salem, virginia. Find out everything you need to know to trek extraordinary distances and reach new heights. This part of the hike is fairly strenuous, with some rock scrambling near the top. Enjoy nature at one or more of these three littleknown and seldomused hiking trails at indian lake. In 2016 i am doing the triple crown of hiking by doing the appalachian trail, pacific crest trail and continental divide trail for suicide prevention.
The pacific crest trail, where the highest peaks of the sierra ebb into the california desert. So what motivates someone to leave their old life behind for months at a time to hike day after day after day after day. Now that the word is out, get your hiking boots on and get out and take advantage of indian lakes triple crown of trails. The triple crown of hiking award is a distinction bestowed to hikers who have walked the appalachian trail, pacific crest trail, and continental divide trail in their entirety. We decided to start this threeday outing on thursday night to get to the top of mcafee knob by sunrise on friday morning. Dec 26, 2017 cascade hiker podcast clint lint bunting is a tripletriple crown hiker. The hike uses the appalachian trail as well as several other footpaths to create a. Oct 07, 2016 with a lot of hiking and running experience we decided to go for these three amazing day hikes in the same day. The following is a helpful map that can serve as a resource for hiking the triple crown, with information about camping shelters, parking lots, and where each summit is located. The article in its entirety simply says that the a. Jul 03, 2017 collectively, they are referred to as the triple crown of virginia hiking, and can be hiked in a thirtysevenmile loop by linking a few other trails. Feb 21, 2019 the first of the three legs in the hallowed triple crown hike, dragons tooth offers an excellent introduction to the regions terrain.
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