TAR — 242.7 miles — 30,000 vertical — backcountry bliss

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Challenge: Trans Adirondack Route 

Location: Adirondack Park of New York

Created: 2010

Completers: 34

Difficulty: 4/5

What it is 

The 242.7-mile Trans Adirondack Route connects 199.3 miles (82 percent) of trails, 33.0 miles (14) of roads, and 10.4 miles (4) of cross-country travel to cross the six-million-acre Adirondack Park, the largest park and forest preserve in the Lower Forty-eight. Along the way it climbs 30,000 vertical feet and visits scenic river valleys, deep wilderness, and a few petite communities. 

How to do it

Purchase Blue Line to Blue Line and the map set on the Merch page and thru-hike it.

Recognition

An official completer certificate, patch, and t-shirt are available to thru-hikers for $40. Fill out the Trans Adirondack Route Thru-hiker Application here and then reach out to me via the Contact page. 

Completers

Reported attempted non-winter thru-hikes = 60

Reported successful non-winter thru-hikes = 33

Reported attempted winter thru-hikes = 3

Reported successful winter thru-hikes = 1

Reported thru-hiker success rate = 54 percent

** The real world success rate is an estimated 40 percent due to the simple fact that hikers are likely to report successes yet unlikely to report failures.

2010: Erik Schlimmer (1)

2011: no thru-hikers – route in development stage

2012: two failed attempts

2013: Emma Gibson (2), Molly Gibson (3), Tim Shmigel (4), plus at least two failed attempts

2014: at least three failed attempts

2015: Marilyne Marchand-Gouin (5), Natti Nassiff (6), David Rothrock (7), CJ Smith (8)

2016: Dave Giese (9), Matthew Hess (10), Chip Moeser (11)

2017: Hannah Seacord (12)

2018: Erik Schlimmer (13, second thru-hike) plus at least two failed attempts

2019: at least three failed attempts

2020: Shaun Rowe (14), Shane Stringfellow (15), Yuliya Semenova (16), Zack Kerr (17), Natalie Parker (18), Jonathan Korte (19), Andrew Kulikowski (20), Craig Miles (21), Blaine Vossler (22), plus at least five failed attempts

2021: Thaddeus Merriman (23, winter thru-hike), Jeff Sargent (24), Jeremy Marble (25), Mike LeMay (26), Michael Green (27), Jake Zehnder (28), Tony Oehler (29), plus at least two failed attempts

2022: at least two failed attempts

2023: Jeff Love (30), Kyle Nicholas (31), plus at least six failed attempts

2024: Ruth Larkin (32), Shaun Rowe (33, second thru-hike), Stephen Russell (34)

2025: at least two failed attempts

If you wish to attempt a fastest known time (FKT), you must adhere to four rules. 1) Follow the entire route and carry your own gear. 2) Resupply yourself or be resupplied up to two times. 3) Stay in accommodations (motels, hostels, camper vans, etc.) up to two nights. 4) Navigate with map and compass only (no use of GPS, phone, satellite devices, etc.). 

• Erik Schlimmer (2010): 12 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes
• Marilyne Marchand Gouin (2015): 10 days, 6 hours, 46 minutes
• Shaun Rowe (2024): 10 days, 3 hours, 0 minutes