View Full Version : Senior FKT hikes
It has occurred to me that us old folks are once again facing discrimination http://whiteblaze.net/forum/images/icons/icon7.png
Well sort of anyway. I got on the FKT web site http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/ and looked around and could not find any age related hiking records. So I asked the admin there if there were any and the answer is that they do not have any such information.
Just from hanging around this site for 10+ years I know that there is a lot of historical knowledge of impressive hiking speeds on AT thru hikes - I just don't remember them. And probably for many other trails as well.
Has any geezer (I can say that because I am one) ever broken 100 days on the AT?
What does everyone know about for AT thru hike speeds for hikers say over the age of 50? And over the age of 60? Any other trails?
matthew.d.kirk
06-12-2015, 13:44
What does everyone know about for AT thru hike speeds for hikers say over the age of 50? And over the age of 60? Any other trails?
Wyoming, this is a cool idea. Please share what you can find. To help you get started with the 50+ category, check out Galilee Man's impressive 2010 hike 65 days at 56 years young!
http://www.trailjournals.com/galileeman
colorado_rob
06-12-2015, 14:30
Reinhold Metzger was 61 when he broke the JMT thru hike record. It has since been broken many times, but still.
http://www.utsandiego.com/sports/outdoors/20030929-9999_mz1s29outdor.html
I'd fall over with shock if someone over the age of 60 hasn't thru'd the AT in less than 100 days. I betcha more like 80-90 days is the record for an over-60 dude (or chick), maybe less than that.
royalusa
06-12-2015, 15:08
Midway through our 2014 PCT hike, we wrote the following in our journal
(http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=480519):
We met some Trail Angels....."They asked us the typical questions. When did you start? May 8th. How many miles are you doing a day? Our highest mileage day is around 35, but depending on the day we generally hike in the upper 20s. They said we were flying.
We shared with them our personal joke about our speed record attempt. You see, in reality, we are too old and too slow to go for any speed records. But then we reconsidered that and decided that was just not true. Our short-legged, gray-hair characteristics should not prevent us from striving for a speed record. It’s just all about defining the divisions of the race participants.
Division 1: Combined age of over 104 years
Division 2: Combined height of under 11 feet
Division 3: Combined weight of under 250 pounds
Hmmm…would that do the trick for us? No, we still would not be fast enough to have a speed record, so we added…
Division 4: Map & Compass Division (i.e., no GPS, no APP, no smart phone, etc. for navigation)
We were still not convinced that the four divisions were enough for our speed records, so we added…
Division 5: The Coral Shirt Division (we both wear coral colored shirts)
Ta-da, we are now on our way to perhaps setting a PCT speed record in our 5-Division category. We just need to maintain our focus, our pace and age, height, weight, navigational tools and last but not least, our coral shirts! I wonder if the PCTA or ALDHA will honor our record? (Folks, it’s a JOKE…you have to have some fun out here, when all you do each day is hike, eat, sleep and poop, much like a baby.)"
Our final tally? 108 days and 3 hours. (ages 53 and 54; height 5'8" and 5'3")
REMEMBER FOLKS....It was our JOKE!
If anyone has some info they would like to share on hikers who they think (or know) would meet a senior criteria please share it with us.
I will try and research it some and see if we can contact them for info.
I have been digging back in the WB archives to see what I can find but so far no luck. If anyone has some names for me to look into or other info to pursue that would be appreciated.
Someone must know someone.
As a last resort we can draft someone old to do a fast hike. Volunteers please :p
If anyone has some info they would like to share on hikers who they think (or know) would meet a senior criteria please share it with us.
I will try and research it some and see if we can contact them for info.
I have been digging back in the WB archives to see what I can find but so far no luck. If anyone has some names for me to look into or other info to pursue that would be appreciated.
Someone must know someone.
As a last resort we can draft someone old to do a fast hike. Volunteers please :p
I turn 50 in October. I will hike a sub 100 on any of the three long trails if somebody covers my salary and benefits while I'm gone. I will even offer a full money back guarantee if I quit, full refund of money. Come on, let's get the kickstarter going. For a $100 donation I will email you a daily journal entry. For a thousand, I will have a picture taken with me holding a sign saying " I'm hiking [insert donor's name] hike. For $10k I will dedicate a state. And for $100k I will allow you to claim my hike and register as a 2000 miler or equivalent on the selected trail.
I am willing to begin training today!
Hah!!
If we are going to pay some geezer why not sign up Lone Wolf?
Think of what the comment section would be like as he raced up the trail :rolleyes: Oh wait! He would have to go SOBO right? Down the trail I mean.
Hah!!
If we are going to pay some geezer why not sign up Lone Wolf?
Think of what the comment section would be like as he raced up the trail :rolleyes: Oh wait! He would have to go SOBO right? Down the trail I mean.
Because he won't be able to post on whiteblaze that he has zero chance of making it! :)
rocketsocks
06-13-2015, 19:41
I turn 50 in October. I will hike a sub 100 on any of the three long trails if somebody covers my salary and benefits while I'm gone. I will even offer a full money back guarantee if I quit, full refund of money. Come on, let's get the kickstarter going. For a $100 donation I will email you a daily journal entry. For a thousand, I will have a picture taken with me holding a sign saying " I'm hiking [insert donor's name] hike. For $10k I will dedicate a state. And for $100k I will allow you to claim my hike and register as a 2000 miler or equivalent on the selected trail.
I am willing to begin training today!I'll give ya 10 bucks to take a hike. :D
rocketsocks
06-13-2015, 19:41
lemme know where to send it.
rocketsocks
06-13-2015, 20:36
It has occurred to me that us old folks are once again facing discrimination http://whiteblaze.net/forum/images/icons/icon7.png
Well sort of anyway. I got on the FKT web site http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/ and looked around and could not find any age related hiking records. So I asked the admin there if there were any and the answer is that they do not have any such information.
Just from hanging around this site for 10+ years I know that there is a lot of historical knowledge of impressive hiking speeds on AT thru hikes - I just don't remember them. And probably for many other trails as well.
Has any geezer (I can say that because I am one) ever broken 100 days on the AT?
What does everyone know about for AT thru hike speeds for hikers say over the age of 50? And over the age of 60? Any other trails?
Great idea!