Warren Doyle

Warren Doyle is a hiker, and supporter of the Appalachian Trail. He holds the informal record for the hiking the most miles on the trail (36,000 miles). He is the founder of two organizations dedicated to the trail: the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association, and the Appalachian Trail Institute. He remains the Director of Appalachian Trail Institute.

Life

Warren Doyle (born 1950) became interested in hiking while attending Southern Connecticut State University. He had spent one summer volunteering in the mountains of Jamaica and another in Appalachia. In 1973, he decided to hike the Appalachian Trail solo, and in doing so in 66 days, set the unofficial record for then-fastest hike. Doyle has two children.,[1] and is divorced.[2] He went on to become American Studies Professor at George Mason University and director of that institution's Outdoor Education Center. In the 2000s, he worked at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina.[3]

Appalachian Trail hikes

Warren's interest in the Appalachian Trail was such that he organized a group of mostly college students to hike the trail in 1975.[4] All 19 participants in the group completed the hike together in 109 days. Warren lead additional "Circle Expeditions" of the Appalachian Trail in the years 1977, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. The next "Circle Hike" is planned for 2017.[5]

Approximately five hundred hikers have completed Warren's Appalachian Trail Institute, a five day long training course taken by those who hope to complete a through hike.[6] According to Backpacker magazine, about 75% of those who complete this course go on to complete a through hike.[7] This is substantially higher than the 20% - 30% of those who start on a hike who actually finish the entire trail in one year, as reported by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.[8]

Influence on Well Known Hikers

Jennifer Pharr Davis, the onetime record holder for the fastest AT hike, completed Warren's Appalachian Trail Institute, and cited him in her book as an inspiration. He wrote the introduction to her book, Becoming Odyssa.[9]

Bill Irwin, a blind hiker, attended the Appalachian Trail Institute and went out to complete the trail with his seeing eye dog after, becoming the first blind man to complete a through hike of the trail.[10]

Criticism

Warren has been criticized for what some describe as a lax attitude toward Leave No Trace principles. In the 1990s, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy removed a bathtub he had placed in a river in Virginia.[11][12] Warren has led his groups to cross the Kennebunc river by fording, a practice the Maine Appalachian Trail Club says is dangerous as the volume of water flowing in the river can increase rapidly when an upstream dam is opened[13]

Warren was removed from the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association after reading an inflammatory poem in the weeks after September 11 Attacks.[14]

In the 1970s Warren was arrested at Baxter State Park for attempted to climb Mt. Katahdin, the terminus of the trail, while it was raining. Warren chose to spend a night in jail rather than pay a $20 fine to raise awareness for what he thought was an unnecessary policy. Some time after the incident, the Baxter State Park authorities changed the policy and allowed climbing of Katahdin in the rain.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Woodside, Chris. "Everyone Who Starts Will Finish". Appalachia. 230 (Summer/Fall 2010). Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. ↑ Dunkel, Tom (August 21, 1995). "TREK STAR HIKER-PHILOSOPHER WARREN DOYLE JR. IS AN INSTITUTION ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Woodside, Chris. "Everyone Who Starts Will Finish". Appalachia. 230 (Summer/Fall 2010). Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  4. ↑ Dunkel, Tom (August 21, 1995). "Trek Star Hiker-Philosopher Warren Doyle is an Institution on the Appalachian Trail". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  5. ↑ (PDF) http://static1.squarespace.com/static/56a590ee1a5203313c3859be/t/56a7d5422399a3b383f7e2f6/1453839683559/2017+AT+Expedition+-+EXPECTATIONS.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ Gifford, Bill. "Madman Walking". Backpacker.
  7. ↑ Gifford, Bill. "Madman Walking". Backpacker.
  8. ↑ "2000 Milers". Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  9. ↑ Pharr Davis, Jennifer. Becoming Odyssa. Beaufort Books. pp. ix–xii. ISBN 978-0825305689.
  10. ↑ Molloy, Johnny (April 16, 2013). "Going the Distance at Warren Doyle's AT Institute". Blue Ridge Outdoors (April 2013). Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Dunkel, Tom (August 21, 1995). "TREK STAR HIKER-PHILOSOPHER WARREN DOYLE JR. IS AN INSTITUTION ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  12. ↑ Woodside, Chris. "Everyone Who Starts Will Finish". Appalachia. 230 (Summer/Fall 2010). Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  13. ↑ Kennebec River Ferry. Maine Appalachian Trail Club http://www.matc.org/for-hikers/kennebec-river-ferry/. Retrieved 27 February 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ↑ Gifford, Bill (September 2011). "Madman Walking?". Blue Ridge Outdoors. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  15. ↑ Beasley, Beau (January 4, 2010). "Outdoor Person of the Year". Blue Ridge Outdoors. Retrieved 24 February 2016.

External links

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