Where's Karl?

[BlueDog]

Has anyone else been following this? It's be fun to be up on the summit somewhere when he comes through. I plan to be out on the trail in VA when he comes through this area.

"On August 5, 2008, uber ultra-runner Karl Meltzer will set off on the biggest race of his life. His challenge: to run the entire length of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail in less than 47 days. Definitely daunting. Absolutely grueling. Probably insane. But when he does it, he’ll rule the AT as the guy who conquered it, all of it, the fastest on two feet. This is going to be Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Clock – and it’s going to be good." WheresKarl.com

[Bill O]

That will be cool to follow. I see he was going to run that big ultra-marathon on CA that got canceled by the fires.

Does the AT cross over the summit of Mount Washington or does it go along he west side of the mountain? I wonder if he'll make a detour.

Edit: I actually remember reading about this guy, probably in Runner's World. He's doing it the right way, sleeping in a camper every night!

[BlueDog]

I believe the AT skirts just around the west side of the summit.

Yeah, the camper is his chase vehicle. I did the quick math, to meet his goal he needs to cover 46.25 miles every day. My feet hurt ust thinking about it!

[Arthur Dent]

The A.T. northbound goes through the old corral, up between the old Yankee building and the tv towers on the Crawford path, over the summit, and down the Trinity Heights Connector to the Gulfside trail, then takes a right going under the Cog tracks toward the Great Gulf.

[Knapper]

The A.T. according to our official maps, split with two options, one has you bypass the peak on Crawford Path and turning left on Gulfside Trail (if you are heading north). The other option is as Arthur Dent said "The A.T. northbound goes through the old corral, up between the old Yankee building and the tv towers on the Crawford path, over the summit, and down the Trinity Heights Connector to the Gulfside trail, then takes a right going under the Cog tracks toward the Great Gulf." I have heard from through hikers that both are correct and also dependent on which map or guide book you are using if any. If I were hiking it though as one of those once in a lifetime events, I think a few extra feet up the summit is worth it.

[rockin rex]

As a thru hiker alumni, how you could hike from Ga.to Me. and not summit Mount Washington, seems crazy. Mount Washington turned out to be the highlight of my thru hike hence why I decided to get married on top of the rock pile. Now to running the trail in record time. This guy will be sleeping in a camper and will have a full support crew so the only thing he has to do is run. The guys who run it with no support and fully self contained are the ones who amaze me. I guess either way you are running around the same amount of miles. The difference is just in how you do it. A camper and home cooked meals are much better than a shelter floor and cliff Bars.

[Arthur Dent]

Knapper-"The A.T. according to our official maps, split with two options, one has you bypass the peak on Crawford Path and turning left on Gulfside Trail (if you are heading north)."

You may want to check who made the maps and the date. The Trinity Heights connector was constructed in the early 1980s as a link of the A.T. and since then it has been the official route. If you check the Crawford Path sign near goofer point and the Trinity Heights Connector sign near the corner of the Tip-Top house, you will see the A.T. logo. Check the Gulfside between the Crawford Path and the junction of the Trinity Heights Connector and the Gulfside and you will see which way the A.T. goes. The attached photo is from a vintage official A.T. map (revised 1983) and it clearly shows the only route as being over the summit.
ATSummit.jpg

[Knapper]

You may want to check who made the maps and the date. The Trinity Heights connector was constructed in the early 1980s as a link of the A.T. and since then it has been the official route...

Washburn map 1978-1987. To save time, I will say you are correct, the AT is marked on the path you show on your map.

[Steve M]

It looks like Karl Meltzer is going to cross into Hew Hampshire if he hasn't already. I am interested in following him through the Presidentials and the Whites.

[Arthur Dent]

Karl stopped at the parking lot in Grafton Notch State Park (where the A.T. crosses RT-26) for the evening.