What’s in a name? Alaska 2010 finalists

[D S]

Go do it and let the name come to you along the way…sort of the way a trail name evolves on the trail.

[Chris Morgan]

The Yukon Cornelius 4K

or maybe the Rudolph Challenge

[John S.]

Great Alaskan Four Thousand (GA4K)

[Chris Jones]

TMSHMC – The Midnight Sun Hungry Mosquito Challenge

[Luke Schmidt]

Thats my favorite one yet.

[Ryan Linn]

"The Yukon Cornelius 4K"
Chris, you just made my day.

Whatever the name ends up as, I'll be looking forward to the pics. If you get a picture of Yukon Cornelius, well… you win!

[Blair Gentes]

Definately agree the Yukon should be incorporated somehow. Just can't think of anything that slides off the tongue.

[John S.]

AY4K

[Andrew Skurka]

Boy, AY4K, so simple and obvious.

If you had your choice of the two names below, what is your choice?

Alaska Yukon Four-Thousand (AY4K)
Last Frontier Four-Thousand (LF4K)

[Jack H.]

AY4K. I think that there are some other "last frontiers" out there.

[Luke Schmidt]

My vote for AY4K (or AY8K).

[Bob Bankhead]

definitely AY4K

sounds oddly French…..EY WHY FOR QUE?

[Chris Morgan]

If only the trip was half as long…

[Julian Plamann]

Another vote for AY4K

[Peter Sustr]

AY4K gets my vote

[Kevin Sullivan]

[Brian Barnes]

I'm torn… the AY4K appeals to my pragmatic side, however as an occasional idealist, I really like "Last Frontier Four-Thousand (LF4K)". It has adventure and excitement oozing from every word.

The concept of a frontier's existence has been debated much throughout North American History. I particularly like a Harvard University Professor, Frederick Jackson Turner, 1893
definition of the concept of the "Frontier Line". He defined it as “the meeting point between savagery and civilization”

I feel that many parts of Alaska still have such areas and thus the LF4K could hold substance. Perhaps its worthwhile to replace "Last" with "Alaskan-Yukon" to the title to be clear which of the "frontiers" in the world you are referring to.

So, how about simply combining both names into one?

"Alaskan-Yukon Frontier Four-Thousand (AYF4K)"

If you are interested in reading more from Professor Turner, his essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," is available here: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/TURNER/

[tommy d]

I like the idea of the AK4K; however, since you think it will be 4,000+ miles and 7 months, I think a really cool name would be AK47: Alaska-Yukon, 4k miles, 7 months. It's an intense name and would attract a lot of attention. The AK47 Loop.

best,
tommy

[Andrew Skurka]

The route is just about dialed, and it's coming out to 4,759.1. The ultimate distance will of course be different, but so long as I stick to my intended route I think the realistic difference might be 100 miles plus/minus.

So what do you call it now?

Alaska-Yukon 5000 sounds good, but it's about 250 mi overstated.

Alaska-Yukon 4750 isn't as nice a rounded number. Looks like a model number for a canoe.

Not too late to change things…

[Ryan Linn]

I think in this case, nobody's going to split hairs. "Oh no, he said 5000 and OOOONLY went 4750!" Well… come to think of it, I'm sure some folks would be nitpicky enough to do that. Certainly not me.

Here are two ideas: Call it the Alaska-Yukon 4000, and then wow everyone by overshooting by 750 miles! Or, at the end turn around and walk 125 miles, then back again. 5000 miles total! :-D

But seriously, as long as there are good pictures and good stories at the end, I think you can lay any complaints to rest.

[josh wagner]

how about "8 million steps"

figuring 3 ft per stride, equaling 1760 steps per mile, times 4759.1 miles = 8,376,016 steps. rounding down, unfairly, to 8 million

i don't konw if this does your trip justice since it's in alaska and the yukon, and the cold should probably be in the name, but it's something different

[Dave T]

"Skurka's Folly"?

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I think it's fine to use 5000. 4759 is pretty darn close and I'm sure the actual milage will end up being even closer to 5000.

[Erin McKittrick]

Wild Yukon is better than last frontier. More descriptive (lots of places could be last frontiers) and less over the top.

[Elena Lee]

AY5K and make the route 5,000 to make honest with the name

[Author]

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