Looking for a hiking partner for a 2012 thru hike in 100 Days

[AUshanemsmith]

I'm planning on doing a thru hike in 100 days, May 5 - Aug 12. I can do it without a buddy, but figured a little company would be fun, if you can keep the pace. So if you want to do the AT with me this summer and think you can keep up, let me know.

FAQ
Why the fast pace? : Because I'm a busy 24 year old college student and summer is the only opportunity I will have.
Why not wait til you are finished with school and then do it? : Because I will have a career that won't allow me the time that I have now. And because I want to do it now.
I don't think you'll enjoy it going so fast. Why not just slow down? : Because accomplishing this task will make me happy, and going fast is the way I want to get it done.
Do you have an age you prefer to hike with?: I would prefer another college student in their 20s who has similar reasons for doing a fast paced, summer time hike.

Okay so you get the point. Be positive. Be negative. Opinions are welcome.

[Slo-go'en]

All I can say is "good luck"!

[Storm]

Wecome to WhiteBlaze.

It might help a little if you would list your experiance. Most people on the forum have heard a ton of people boast about doing fast hikes. I know I can't do it so that isn't a problem but if you are serious about finding a partner it would help if you told a little about yourself other than being a college student.

[AUshanemsmith]

Storm - thanks for the suggestion. I was a collegiate athlete for 3 years. I run everyday, I hike frequently in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Over Christmas break I went to some mountains in north alabama and hiked 20-30 miles each day, for 10 days in a row with all my gear to see how I could handle it, and I honestly had no real problems. I know 10 days is nothing compared to the overall scheme of things, but I think it gives me a good enough idea that I'm conditioned and capable of accomplishing this goal. So hopefully this can give you all an idea of my experience.

[Papa D]

You can certainly do the trail in 100 days - it looks like you are already an accomplished backpacker / camper - I would assume you are a lightweight or ultra-light backpacker too. You are also a runner - you need to be - - in straight up 3-hour marathon shape, I'd say. My thinking is that to do a 100 day thru hike, you'll need to hit about a 30 mile per day average - this will allow for a couple of zero days and nero days (which for you will be 10-15 miles). This is a lot faster than I hike but I have done 30+ mile days on the trail and know how it feels (the great feelings and the sore ones). I regularly do 20s but this would fall way short of a 100 day thru-hike. If you can get to SoRuck this weekend at the NOC, you should talk with Jenn (Pharr Davis) - she'll be there putting on a slide show and talking about her hike - she holds the record and averaged almost 50 miles per day on trail - - tell her your plans - she'd be happy to give you some tips I'm sure.

Now, finding a partner is going to be tricky (probably impossible) -- I recommend against declared partners for regular old 5 month thru-hikes because partners (with their various issues) slow you down - or make you go too fast and you get injured. People do 100 day thru-hikes - but probably less than a hand full each year. A duo 100 day thru-hike would be very, very rare indeed. You will no doubt catch most of the regular paced thru hikers and might even catch a faster late starter - - you'll also probably hike with some faster hikers but very few will share your pace -- you'll just enjoy people's company in the evenings -- when you take off at 4:55 am each day, they will mostly still be asleep. I'd be very suspicious of someone that stepped up and said that they would partner with you -- it's setting you both up for injury or failure.

[The Cleaner]

Shouldn't be a problem finding a partner lots of hikers start off cranking out 30 mile days...LOLOLOLOLO....

[Lone Wolf]

folks are in a rush all the time

[Papa D]

Shouldn't be a problem finding a partner lots of hikers start off cranking out 30 mile days...LOLOLOLOLO....

Just enjoy the people you meet (and pass) along the way and share the evenings with - you'll be gone before they wake up. Seriously, if you are determined to do this (and you can) don't declare a partner -- a duo 100 day thru hike would be rare in the very extreme

[jersey joe]

You can certainly do the trail in 100 days - it looks like you are already an accomplished backpacker / camper - I would assume you are a lightweight or ultra-light backpacker too. You are also a runner - you need to be - - in straight up 3-hour marathon shape, I'd say. My thinking is that to do a 100 day thru hike, you'll need to hit about a 30 mile per day average

I completely disagree with Papa D. You can certainly do a 100 day thru hike without being able to run a 3hr marathon.
The key isn't running or hiking fast(thought it could be) Just extend the hours that you walk each day and limit your days off.
Average 22-25miles per day with a few neros mixed in and you have your goal.
This is WAY different than what Jenn Phar did. Not even close to the same thing.

The fact that you are in shape and have backpacking experience will go a long way. I think it is a great idea to try to find someone with a similar goal and try to pair up, especially since you have the internet/whiteblaze as a venue to look for someone. Just know that it likely will not work out and be willing to separate if necessary.

[SCRUB HIKER]

I agree that you're probably not going to find someone to do the whole thing with. But it's not like you'll never have hiking partners, either ... by the time Virginia rolls around, a lot of people, especially young thru-hikers, can do 20-25 mile days without it killing them. You might be able to make friends and hike with someone or some group for awhile before you leave them in the dust--i.e. they go into town, whipped, for a zero/nearo and you push on. I took a leisurely pace last year (5 1/2 months), but two of my hiking buddies (same long-term pace) spent a couple of days busting out 25s and 30s with a guy named AYCE, who was doing the trail in 100 days. They had a fun time with him and enjoyed mixing up the routine for awhile. I'm sure you'll make friends who don't mind doing high mileage with you for a brief spell.

[jj2044]

AUshanemsmith. why dont you just go ahead and break the record, i mean if 30 miles a day is so easy why dont you go for the unsupported record..... just think you could still have 30 days off for summer before school starts. Im sure Matthew Huffman will give you some pointers lol here is his website http://atrecordattempt.webs.com/

[AndyB]

*** is an Alabama mountain?

[AndyB]

in all seriousness a partner would just double your chances of failure. 30 miles A day for 10 days is 300 miles isn't it? That's movin out that's for sure

[Blissful]

Good luck, hope it works out for you.

[Alpha Wolf]

Good luck and WAR EAGLE!!!

[AUshanemsmith]

Thanks for all the opinions and tips. I definitely see where having a partner would increase chances of failure. Will probably just hit is solo and enjoy the people I meet along the way. And War Eagle Alpha Wolf.

[AUshanemsmith]

lol. No no. Not trying to break any records. I'll leave that for Matthew.

[Papa D]

I completely disagree with Papa D. You can certainly do a 100 day thru hike without being able to run a 3hr marathon.
The key isn't running or hiking fast(thought it could be) Just extend the hours that you walk each day and limit your days off.
Average 22-25miles per day with a few neros mixed in and you have your goal.
This is WAY different than what Jenn Phar did. Not even close to the same thing.

The fact that you are in shape and have backpacking experience will go a long way. I think it is a great idea to try to find someone with a similar goal and try to pair up, especially since you have the internet/whiteblaze as a venue to look for someone. Just know that it likely will not work out and be willing to separate if necessary.

I'd say you didn't completely disagree with me -- 22 or 23 miles per day means nearly NO days off -- on my thru hike and every other long hike I've done, groceries, laundry, shower, and a little town time takes a a few hours every 5-6 days at least each week and very few people thru-hike with NO nights in a bed. Your scenario might be right in terms of math, but realistically, people that do 100 day thru-hikes do a LOT of 30 mile plus days - to do consecutive 30 mile plus days on the AT, you need to be in marathon-shape (you might not run them in 3 hours but the proposal is to walk MORE than a marathon plus elevation gains and losses almost EVERY day). The O.P. CAN do this - I was just giving him (what I thought to be) a little reality check.

[Badspeller]

If the hiking geniuses in this forum who said 30 miles could do simple math, they would see that 30 miles a day is a bit of an exaggeration. 30 miles x 100 days= 3000 miles the AT is only 2200 ?!?! Hike the hike you want to hike, and let these nay saying "can't-do's" cipher exaggerated excuses as to why they can't do, what you want to do. At trailjournals.com, there are journals many of 100ish day adventures on the AT that succeeded, I guess nobody let those successful thru-hikers know they couldn't do it in 100 days.

[Slo-go'en]

If the hiking geniuses in this forum who said 30 miles could do simple math, they would see that 30 miles a day is a bit of an exaggeration. 30 miles x 100 days= 3000 miles the AT is only 2200 ?!?!

To hike the trail in 100 days you need to hike AT LEAST 21.8 miles a day. However, that is not always possible. You can't walk exactly 21.8 miles and find a campsite there every day. Then there is the time you need to go to town and resupply, which has to be done at least once a week or as many as 14 times. While it is possible to get in and out of town and not loose a whole day of trail hiking, you will loose mileage. Therefore, in order to maintain a 21.8 mile AVERAGE, you need to do 30+ miles days to make up for the days you did less than 21.8 miles.