White Blaze dying? I think not!
For the first week of a trip (or for shorter trips), I normally hike roughly the same mileage every day and only allow more than a 1 to 2 mile/day change (based on terrain) if I'm at the end of the trip or have been hiking for more than a week and feel that allowing myself to push a little on a given day won't have any negative effects on the following day. So I've never felt the need to take it easier on any given day since I'm already pacing myself at something I can maintain all week without issue. I automatically adjust to a slower pace when backpacking than I normally do day hiking so I can more easily maintain a constant pace all day. As a result, I rarely have any muscle fatigue on the following day on a hiking trip unless there is an unusual amount of elevation gain and/or a trail much steeper than I'm use to (say something like the Wonderland Trail in Mt Rainier NP). So for me, it doesn't factor into my motivation or ability to hike after a few days. Though if something different works for you, stay with what you know.
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