GARDNERS, Pa. — Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Alan Downs figured it would be a breeze to down a half-gallon of Hershey’s chocolate ice cream. He plunked his money at the Pine Grove Furnace Store, took his carton to a nearby lake and tucked in. “If I can make it through this, I can make it to Maine,” he told himself.
Downs began the Half-Gallon Challenge.
For the past three decades, long-distance hikers arriving at the midway point of the 2,180-mile Georgia-to-Maine footpath have made it a tradition to stop at Pine Grove Furnace State Park and eat an entire brick of ice cream.
The reward: bragging rights, a commemorative wooden spoon stamped in red letters with “Member of Half Gal. Club,” and quite likely an upset stomach.
About 350 thru-hikers each year successfully complete the gastronomic feat, said Don Ray, who managed the park store for a decade. It’s not easy, even for trail-hardened hikers who can burn 4,000 to 6,000 calories a day.
“You just want to lie down in the middle of the trail and sleep it off,” said Jessica Lafortune.
