View Full Version : Completed My Thru Hike! Thank you Whiteblaze!
FinnMelanson
08-20-2014, 11:52
Just wanted to thank everyone here on Whiteblaze for all of the advice as I prepared for my thru-hike this past spring. I benefitted greatly from a couple of "What I Learned" kind of posts and figured I would post one myself when I find the time. I started my thru-hike on May 5th from the approach trail and finished at Mt Katahdin on August 16th. All in all I spent 103 days on trail (91 were spent hiking while 12 were spent zeroing). I met some incredible people and hikers along the way. To people like Aquaman, Six Slash, Lint, Ryan, and Shroomer-I say thank you! You made the trip truly memorable. I will post gear reviews, town tips, and trail tips soon.
FinnMelanson
08-20-2014, 11:54
Forgot to add-My trail name was Politician
Seatbelt
08-20-2014, 12:01
Just wanted to thank everyone here on Whiteblaze for all of the advice as I prepared for my thru-hike this past spring. I benefitted greatly from a couple of "What I Learned" kind of posts and figured I would post one myself when I find the time. I started my thru-hike on May 5th from the approach trail and finished at Mt Katahdin on August 16th. All in all I spent 103 days on trail (91 were spent hiking while 12 were spent zeroing). I met some incredible people and hikers along the way. To people like Aquaman, Six Slash, Lint, Ryan, and Shroomer-I say thank you! You made the trip truly memorable. I will post gear reviews, town tips, and trail tips soon.
Congratulations! 24 mpd avg is impressive! Did you meet "Wired" or "Reset"??
FinnMelanson
08-20-2014, 13:53
Congratulations! 24 mpd avg is impressive! Did you meet "Wired" or "Reset"??
I had heard of Wired while hiking with Lint, but I believe she finished in early August.
Seatbelt
08-20-2014, 13:55
I had heard of Wired while hiking with Lint, but I believe she finished in early August.
Yes, she did; and Reset is still in Maine, thought you probly passed him recently.
dangerdave
08-20-2014, 15:40
Wow, that's fast. I'm all about HYOH, but do you feel like you missed out going that quickly. I know some folks slated for school have to do it in a flash.
For me: I hope to go half as fast as you and take twice as long. :)
Oh, and congrats on your success! Quite and accomplishment!
Congratulations on your accomplishment. You have some life skills now that few have. Make the most of them over your years.
2015 Lady Thru-Hiker
08-20-2014, 18:24
Just wanted to thank everyone here on Whiteblaze for all of the advice as I prepared for my thru-hike this past spring. I benefitted greatly from a couple of "What I Learned" kind of posts and figured I would post one myself when I find the time. I started my thru-hike on May 5th from the approach trail and finished at Mt Katahdin on August 16th. All in all I spent 103 days on trail (91 were spent hiking while 12 were spent zeroing). I met some incredible people and hikers along the way. To people like Aquaman, Six Slash, Lint, Ryan, and Shroomer-I say thank you! You made the trip truly memorable. I will post gear reviews, town tips, and trail tips soon.
Truly giddy for you Politician! Looking forward to your words of wisdom and tips to use when hitting the trail next year.
CarlZ993
08-20-2014, 18:30
Congrats!
Quick hike!!!
Teacher & Snacktime
08-20-2014, 19:00
Congratulations! I wish we'd gotten to meet you on the trail....maybe next year!
FinnMelanson
08-21-2014, 10:38
Wow, that's fast. I'm all about HYOH, but do you feel like you missed out going that quickly. I know some folks slated for school have to do it in a flash.
For me: I hope to go half as fast as you and take twice as long. :)
Oh, and congrats on your success! Quite and accomplishment!
There will always be a raging debate in the hiker community about what constitutes a "fulfilling" hike. Of course, there is no "right" way to thru-hike. But personally, I feel like I saw way more than the hiker that takes 5-6 months to complete their thru-hike. While most people were breaking camp at 9am, setting up camp at 4pm, and taking tons of zeros in town-I opted for the full wilderness experience. I was out of camp by first light and not in camp until dusk on most days. I felt like I had a special fellowship with the wilderness. I probably spent 4-5 more hours on the trail each day than the average hiker taking in all the sights, sounds, and wildlife. So when people asked if "I was even seeing anything?" I would make note of this fact that, in fact, I was actually spending more time in the woods than they were. Moreover, at no point did I ever feel like I was over extending myself or giving in to the macho-man culture of priding myself on speed or miles. NO. I'm just a guy that likes to hike and be in the wild.
Most young people who say "you are missing out" aren't really referencing the hike itself, rather they are referencing the culture in trail towns-the booze, the drugs, the trail magic. I wasn't in to that as much. I was interested in living in the woods. I can go to a bar anytime, but the trail won't always be there for me. I chose the trail over the towns.
That is my abbreviated take on this debate.
FinnMelanson
08-21-2014, 10:52
Gear List:
Pack: 60L ULA Catalyst
Tent: Zpacks Hexamid Soloplex
Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends UL Down 20 Degree
Sleeping Pad: Thermarest NeoAir XLite
Cooking System: Jetboil Soil plus fuel cannister
Clothing and Footwear:
Nike Shorts (1)
Nike Synthetic Shirt (1)
Marmot UL Rain pants (1) (mostly used as camp clothes)
Marmot Mica UL rain jacket (1) (mostly used as camp jacket for warmth)
Smartwool long sleeve shirt (1) (mostly used as camp shirt)
Nike athletic underwear (1)
3 pairs of injinji toe socks that I rotated by the day (I never blistered once because of this sock and shoe combo)
3 pairs of smart wool calf sock liner socks
brooks cascadia 9's
miscellaneous
pocket knife
iphone 4s and charger
awol guide
toothbrush and toothpaste
bodyglide
toilet paper
NO first aid kit-99% of the time you are within a couple miles of a road crossing. carry one in Maine maybe, but thats about it
pack cover for pack
3 packs dry bags-1 for food, 1 for clothes, 1 for sleeping bag
1 black diamond headlamp
sympathetic joy
08-21-2014, 10:55
Gear List:
Pack: 60L ULA Catalyst
Tent: Zpacks Hexamid Soloplex
Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends UL Down 20 Degree
Sleeping Pad: Thermarest NeoAir XLite
Cooking System: Jetboil Soil plus fuel cannister
Clothing and Footwear:
Nike Shorts (1)
Nike Synthetic Shirt (1)
Marmot UL Rain pants (1) (mostly used as camp clothes)
Marmot Mica UL rain jacket (1) (mostly used as camp jacket for warmth)
Smartwool long sleeve shirt (1) (mostly used as camp shirt)
Nike athletic underwear (1)
3 pairs of injinji toe socks that I rotated by the day (I never blistered once because of this sock and shoe combo)
3 pairs of smart wool calf sock liner socks
brooks cascadia 9's
miscellaneous
pocket knife
iphone 4s and charger
awol guide
toothbrush and toothpaste
bodyglide
toilet paper
NO first aid kit-99% of the time you are within a couple miles of a road crossing. carry one in Maine maybe, but thats about it
pack cover for pack
3 packs dry bags-1 for food, 1 for clothes, 1 for sleeping bag
1 black diamond headlamp
Thanks for publishing this list. How did you handle water? Generally speaking how much did you carry?
FinnMelanson
08-21-2014, 11:30
Thanks for publishing this list. How did you handle water? Generally speaking how much did you carry?
Carried 2 2liter Tall Smart water bottles, but never carried more than a liter of water at a time unless I was lazy and just wanted to pick up all 2 liters at once. Water is plentiful on the AT. There is one sketchy 16 mile section in northeastern PA just past Palmerton where I can remember having to carry more, but really thats about it. I also treated my water with Aquamira drops.
Thanks for the gearlist Politician. Grew up in Northampton so nice to see someone from the area get the wonderful experience and education of a thru.
Congratulations Politician!
Sounds like you were just a few days ahead of the "Koltrain to Maine". I believe he plans to summit Saturday after less than 100 days.
brooks cascadia 9's
Great thread! I'm curious how many pairs of shoes did you go through?
FinnMelanson
08-22-2014, 07:18
Great thread! I'm curious how many pairs of shoes did you go through?
3 pairs-about 730 miles on each pair. Although, if I wasn't on a budget, I think my feet would have done better with four pairs. Anything over 500 miles on a pair of trail runners is pushing it in my opinion.
How did you like the ZPacks Hexamid Soloplex? Any tricks for setting up in the rain?
Welcome to the 2000 miler club.
FinnMelanson
08-22-2014, 11:50
How did you like the ZPacks Hexamid Soloplex? Any tricks for setting up in the rain?
I have some issues with the soloplex, but one thing that was great was that I never really worried about setting up in the rain-the cuben fiber material dries really quickly so if I set it up in a downpour I could just use my t shirt to dry off the inside of the tent and it would be all set within a few minutes. I set up in downpours quite a bit, especially in Maine.
What I don't like about the soloplex is that water would pool around the tent and subsequent rain drops would hit the puddles and "hop" over the bathtub setting and soak the insides of my tent. This was really only an issue in torrential downpours, but Zpacks needs to address this problem quickly.
Also, I recommend paying and extra 50-60 bucks and getting the duplex tent from Zpacks. It weighs maybe 2-3 ounces more and is really more fitting for one person. I had a hard time fitting all my gear into my tent each night.
Congratulations!! I will be using your advice and gearlist as a guide for what I have not purchased as of yet. Would you do anything differently as far as your clothing and gear choices other than the tent you have already mentioned? I have not purchased any of my clothing yet or the stove choice.
FinnMelanson
08-22-2014, 21:52
Congratulations!! I will be using your advice and gearlist as a guide for what I have not purchased as of yet. Would you do anything differently as far as your clothing and gear choices other than the tent you have already mentioned? I have not purchased any of my clothing yet or the stove choice.
I started out with ALL Merino Wool clothing and it lived up to it's billing for the most part-it helped regulate my body temperature depending on the weather, it didn't stink (seriously), and it was very, very comfortable. However, it was simply not durable, especially the socks and the t shirts. I had to replace the t shirt after 600 miles and just switched over to a synthetic t shirt after that.
I used a long sleeve merino wool t shirt in camp and it lasted the whole trip. It was real comfortable to slip into and stay warm with after a long day hiking. I also used my rain pants as camp pants. I also used a smart wool beanie, if it was cold and I even used my rain jacket in camp as an added layer.
I used Injinji toe socks and a smart wool liner on my feet along with my Brooks Cascadia 9's and I NEVER BLISTERED ONCE. Seriously. The injinji/brooks combination has made blistering OBSOLETE.
FinnMelanson
08-22-2014, 21:53
I used a single pair of nike running shorts the whole way. They were great-real durable. I used nike compression shorts as well and never really had an issue with chaffing.
Congratulations! Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing!
I used Injinji toe socks and a smart wool liner on my feet along with my Brooks Cascadia 9's and I NEVER BLISTERED ONCE. Seriously. The injinji/brooks combination has made blistering OBSOLETE.
Okay, I just want to make sure I am absolutely clear about this. Did you use Injinji toe sock "liners" (http://www.injinji.com/shop/liner/liner-crew.html) with Smart Wool outer socks? Or did you use the actual "midweight" toe socks. I have been looking around Denver/Boulder for the Injinji liners, but can't find it anywhere. I dread blisters!!
Okay, I just want to make sure I am absolutely clear about this. Did you use Injinji toe sock "liners" (http://www.injinji.com/shop/liner/liner-crew.html) with Smart Wool outer socks? Or did you use the actual "midweight" toe socks. I have been looking around Denver/Boulder for the Injinji liners, but can't find it anywhere. I dread blisters!!
I just bought a pair of liners from sockaddict.com. You can buy one pair for $10 and it's still free shipping.
FinnMelanson
08-27-2014, 19:44
Okay, I just want to make sure I am absolutely clear about this. Did you use Injinji toe sock "liners" (http://www.injinji.com/shop/liner/liner-crew.html) with Smart Wool outer socks? Or did you use the actual "midweight" toe socks. I have been looking around Denver/Boulder for the Injinji liners, but can't find it anywhere. I dread blisters!!
Sorry for the confusion. You can really use any sock to wear over the Injinji liner. I think it is important to wear 2 pears of socks because it will preserve the life of the liner sock (reducing friction and wear and tear against the shoe). Personally I wore a smart wool ski sock that went up and over my calves. I liked the high sock because it also protected against ticks. Just make sure to prioritize the injinji liners. They are amazing. Hope this helps.
dangerdave
08-29-2014, 13:07
I'm on board with the Injinji socks, Finn. I've been looking for a combination to minimize blister worries, and I think you have nailed it. Makes perfect sense.
Thanks again for your informative answers. Us THWB's appreciate it.
rocketsocks
08-29-2014, 13:32
Cool, didn't know they made these, may try em.
http://www.socksaddict.com/4662-Injinji-2-0-Liner-Crew-Toesocks.aspx
dangerdave
08-29-2014, 19:02
I see Cro-Mag used the same setup for socks on his thru.
And I hate to be a total nube---reality bites---but exactly which Injinji socks did you use, Finn? There's several different weights, and numerous heights---no-shows, crew, OTC, etc.
I've already got socks to fit over the Injinjies, but I'm curious which style/weight you used as liner. The Injinji OTC Coolmax Socks are rather eye-catching, but I'm not sure I want that much attention.
FinnMelanson
08-31-2014, 18:18
I see Cro-Mag used the same setup for socks on his thru.
And I hate to be a total nube---reality bites---but exactly which Injinji socks did you use, Finn? There's several different weights, and numerous heights---no-shows, crew, OTC, etc.
I've already got socks to fit over the Injinjies, but I'm curious which style/weight you used as liner. The Injinji OTC Coolmax Socks are rather eye-catching, but I'm not sure I want that much attention.
I used the "Liner Crew" series, but it looks to me like any toe-sock on their website will do the trick. I think their "Trail 2.0" series looks even better.
FinnMelanson
08-31-2014, 18:20
I truly believe that the Injinji Sock/Trail Runner combination has effectively made blisters OBSOLETE. Seriously. I never blistered once the entire hike. My hike would have been A LOT different had I been dealing with blisters.
Never crossed paths with you, but congrats on finishing! I was a 114 day (109 hiking) thru, and ran into many people in the mid-Atlantic section, doing 30-35 miles a day for a month on end, who weighed in on the "you're missing out" discussion. I had an amazing adventure, blogged daily, and made friends for a lifetime. Wouldn't change a thing about how my hike turned out.
Congrats again!
BuckeyeBill
09-04-2014, 12:27
congratulations
MamaBear
09-07-2014, 15:41
Big congrats, Politician!!!! It's great to hear that you made it to Katahdin and finished the trail. I think the last time we saw you (and Ryan for that matter, but he did dinner and moved on) was at the Spaulding Shelter in Maine. My son and I were sectioning from Gorham to the Bigelows, you might know us better as Pom-Pom and Cameron. We often wonder about the people we met along the way and if they've finished and try to find out.
FinnMelanson
09-10-2014, 13:53
Big congrats, Politician!!!! It's great to hear that you made it to Katahdin and finished the trail. I think the last time we saw you (and Ryan for that matter, but he did dinner and moved on) was at the Spaulding Shelter in Maine. My son and I were sectioning from Gorham to the Bigelows, you might know us better as Pom-Pom and Cameron. We often wonder about the people we met along the way and if they've finished and try to find out.
Thank you! Great to hear from you! I hope the rest of your hike went well! You might recognize some of these names--I summitted with Ryan, Six Slash, Shroomer, AZ, and Birdman
MamaBear
09-11-2014, 10:03
You're welcome! Yes, I do recognize some of those. Ryan, of course. Shroomer and AZ stayed in Rangeley at the same time we did, that's how we met them. Pretty cool that Shroomer finished his Triple Crown! Birdman stayed with us at Spaulding Shelter, too. Thanks for letting me know they finished, too, I only knew about Shroomer.
Never crossed paths with you, but congrats on finishing! I was a 114 day (109 hiking) thru, and ran into many people in the mid-Atlantic section, doing 30-35 miles a day for a month on end, who weighed in on the "you're missing out" discussion. I had an amazing adventure, blogged daily, and made friends for a lifetime. Wouldn't change a thing about how my hike turned out.
Congrats again!
Friends for a lifetime? You're 22. How would you know?
Just wanted to thank everyone here on Whiteblaze for all of the advice as I prepared for my thru-hike this past spring. I benefitted greatly from a couple of "What I Learned" kind of posts and figured I would post one myself when I find the time. I started my thru-hike on May 5th from the approach trail and finished at Mt Katahdin on August 16th. All in all I spent 103 days on trail (91 were spent hiking while 12 were spent zeroing). I met some incredible people and hikers along the way. To people like Aquaman, Six Slash, Lint, Ryan, and Shroomer-I say thank you! You made the trip truly memorable. I will post gear reviews, town tips, and trail tips soon.
Congrats Politician! We met at the Front Royal Terrapin Station Hostel and I knew I'd never see your face again at the pace you were doing. I finished on Sept 25. But you had a great attitude towards your hike and it was a pleasure to meet you. Best of luck with the political campaign you were notably named for.
2000miler
10-24-2014, 10:41
Congrats! And thanks for posting your gear list and recommendations for the trail. Advice like this is really helpful for those planning thru-hikes in the future!
Mike2012
11-02-2014, 18:29
Congrats Finn. Don't come here often but you will find wonderful times when thru hikers get together. We are legion!
FinnMelanson
11-18-2014, 23:10
Congrats Politician! We met at the Front Royal Terrapin Station Hostel and I knew I'd never see your face again at the pace you were doing. I finished on Sept 25. But you had a great attitude towards your hike and it was a pleasure to meet you. Best of luck with the political campaign you were notably named for.
Pleasure to meet you, Frankenstein! Congrats on your thru-hike! That was a great hostel there in Front Royal and I fondly remember demolishing an in-town McDonalds meal the morning after my stay, but boy was it hot on that section of the trail. I think the day that I hiked out of Front Royal, temperature were approaching 100 degrees.
wornoutboots
11-19-2014, 10:39
Congratz!!!!