A Triple Crowner refers to a hiker who has completed the three main long-distance thru-hikes in the United States. These hikes are the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. To become a tripFor many thru-hikers, this is the goal of their long distance backpacking career. For others, they start off with the idea of only doing one thru-hike, but afterwards crave more, and end up completing these three. Lately, with more and more people achieving the Triple Crown, hikers have pushed the limits of what's possible by attempting Calendar Year Triple Crowns, meaning hiking all three major trails in a single calendar year.
Order
The majority of Triple Crowners will begin with the Appalachian Trail, as it is the most widely known in popular culture. From there, the common next step is to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, and finally end with the Continental Divide Trail, as this one is considered the most difficult and least developed of the three. Though this is the most popular order, the triple crown can and has been done in any order.
Statistics and Comparisons
Another hotly debated topic is the level of difficulty of each of the three trails. The statistics on the three trails are as follows:
| AT | PCT | CDT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | ~2,190 miles | ~2,650 miles | ~3,100 miles |
| Total Elevation Gain | ~918,000 ft. | ~825,00 ft. | ~918,000 ft. |
| Average Gains per Mile | ~420 ft./mile | ~310 ft./mile | ~303 ft./mile |
| Maximum Elevation | ~6,650 ft. | ~13,150 ft. | ~14,280 ft. |
Some further, more subjective comparisons can be found below. The ones with an asterisk are entirely subjective, and this table is not comprised of data, but from anecdotal reporting from thru-hikers by triple crowners.
| AT | PCT | CDT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked by Distance | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Ranked by Elevation Gain | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Ranked by Steepness | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Ranked by Views* | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Ranked by Logistical Ease* | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Ranked by Trail Traffic / Opportunity to Socialize* | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Ranked by Overall most Dangerous* | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Ranked by Amount of Trail Magic* | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Ranked by Amount of Trail Infrastructure* | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Ranked by Quality of Trail* | 2 | 1 | 3 |
