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Hiking

Celebrate the Midpoint of the AT with the Half-Gallon Challenge

August 3, 2008 at 2:40 PM | 0 Comments

We're not sure we're up for hiking all 3,500 kilometers of the Appalachian Trail, as a handful of people do every summer, but there is one AT-related challenge that we'd be willing to attempt. A three-minute bit on NPR this morning tipped us off to the Half-Gallon Challenge, which occurs a few miles from the midpoint of the trail in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners, Pennsylvania.

Tradition dictates that thru-hikers - people going the full distance between Georgia and Maine - drop by the park's small general store and purchase a half gallon of their favorite ice cream. Then, while sitting on the shop's front porch, the hikers must eat the entire half gallon within a one-hour time limit. Successful eaters earn a souvenir wooden spoon and a belly ache. Those who fall short just get the belly ache.

Hikers say that the challenge is borne from the taboo on talking about yummy but unavailable foods while on the trail, pointing out that a conversation about cheeseburgers only makes the evening's inevitable ramen noodles taste that much blander. By overindulging in a treat like ice cream, one's cravings are put into context for the duration of the trail. And besides, if someone who is hiking nonstop for two months can't enjoy a nice ice cream binge, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Related Stories:
· The Big Chill on the Appalachian Trail [NPR]
· The Half-Gallon Challenge [fastpacking.de]
· Hiking Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Chris' Travelogue]