It's not really possible to give an accurate answer to that question. However, the ATC has been maintaining records of those people who report having completed the trail, whether in sections over a course of two or more years, or all at once, as a thru-hike.

As of early October, 1997, the ATC had received about 125 reports of hikers completing the trail in '97. By about January, they will have a preliminary figure for the 1997 season. The number will then likely contine to increase slightly for several years, as people get around to sending in their reports.

Note: As of February 23, 1998, ATC had received 345 reports of people having completed a thru-hike. Laurie Potteiger of the ATC states: "I believe the decrease in northbounders is partly a function of the qualifier on the 2,000-miler application (new in '97) which says ATC expects that the applicant has hiked the entire 2,160 miles, not just 2,000 miles. We make it clear than yellow-blazing and major blue-blazing cannot be substituted for the A.T. A couple of people have sent back forms because they felt in good conscience they couldn't claim to have hiked all of it when they had missed sections. I'm sure there are others who might have reported their hikes in years past who decided not to do so this year when they read the application."

As of late October, 1997, the 586th northbound thru (or very long distance) hiker had registered in Harpers Ferry, the last on September 26. 67 southbounders had also registered in the office, the last being on October 24.

Rhymin' Worm (Robert Rubin) reported that when he summited on 10/11 (along with five others) the rangers at Daicey Pond had a record of about 370 thru-hikers having climbed Katahdin.

The first table below represents the number of reports received over the years, starting in 1936 when Myron Avery finished his walk of the trail. Earl Schaffer, in 1948, was the first person to do a thru-hike.

The second table ....

This second table shows which direction hikers went if they were thru-hikers, and also indicates how many of the total were section hikers completing their hike in that year. The ATC only began breaking down the general totals in 1993.