View Full Version : Another dumb question from a Newbie...
Still very new to hiking here.... Just really started not quite a year ago (Nov - Up and back down Blood Mountain) and have done some local parks since then. (Stone Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Fall Creek Falls TN, Guntersville SP in AL). I mostly do short day hikes right now, my longest in a day so far is 12.2 miles at Kennesaw Mountain.
I notice that many of you list how many miles you've done (200 miler, etc.). My question is, do you track your mileage every time you hike and just keep a running tally, or do only the major trails count, or What constitutes clockable mileage on this site???
I am planning to do the GA section SOBO in late May, so I am trying to spend every weekend hiking no less than 10 miles per day and walking during the week, as I have a 9 to 5 office job and 2 kids to manage as well. My son plays football, so we walk the track around the field while he practices 3 nights a week. We can usually walk about 5 miles in an hour and a half.
adamussg
09-29-2015, 10:45
While walking around a track is great... You won't be walking anywhere even close to 5 miles in an hour and a half. Average is more like 2 an hour on the trail. As far as keeping track of miles.... It's more a matter of keeping track of what sections of the AT you've accomplished. From there on out it's easy to figure out how many miles you have under your belt. :)
adamussg
09-29-2015, 10:48
Oh... When someone posts how many miles they've accomplished, it's miles of the AT. Not other trails. This IS whiteblaze after all.
I keep a mental tally of miles backpacked over the years but I haven't formalized it into a spreadsheet or anything like that. I also have a general sense of miles hiked on my current pair of shoes. For running, I keep an excel spreadsheet with each run, time, and shoes used so I know when to retire shoes. My average speed on most trails is around 2-2.5 miles per hour including my typical short breaks for water stops, lunch, etc. So if I want to hike a 20 mile day, that means that I generally will plan on 10 hours between camps. It is just a rough rule of thumb.
In southern Maine (Mahoosucs) I was hard pressed to keep up 1 mph last week. But that was Old Speck, South Arm, the Notch, Goose Eye etc.
More like 0.4 mph in the Notch.
HooKooDooKu
09-29-2015, 11:30
Since April, I've been walking around the neighborhood to loose weight and build my stamina. I carry my GPS with me and use Google Sheets to record my daily mileage. I then add approximate trail miles on the weekends I go back packing (don't use the GPS full time during these hikes, my batteries just won't usually last a full 3-day weekend).
illabelle
09-29-2015, 11:32
I use www.atdist.com to keep a record of AT mileage completed; works well and easy to use. And I use the same website with a different browser to keep up with the parts we haven't done. I have no record of non-AT miles.
Still very new to hiking here.... Just really started not quite a year ago (Nov - Up and back down Blood Mountain) and have done some local parks since then. (Stone Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Fall Creek Falls TN, Guntersville SP in AL). I mostly do short day hikes right now, my longest in a day so far is 12.2 miles at Kennesaw Mountain.
I notice that many of you list how many miles you've done (200 miler, etc.). My question is, do you track your mileage every time you hike and just keep a running tally, or do only the major trails count, or What constitutes clockable mileage on this site???
I am planning to do the GA section SOBO in late May, so I am trying to spend every weekend hiking no less than 10 miles per day and walking during the week, as I have a 9 to 5 office job and 2 kids to manage as well. My son plays football, so we walk the track around the field while he practices 3 nights a week. We can usually walk about 5 miles in an hour and a half.
I guess what you see is 2000 Miler not 200 miler. I don't keep the track of my low mileage hikes or my daily walks and suspect many do. if you see 2000 miler here it generally means they have hiked one of the major trails (Appalachian trail , Pacific Crest trail or continental divide trail ) . They are all more than 2000 mile long.
Being said, If you like to keep the track of your hikes including low mileage, go on . there is nothing wrong about it.
I keep a hiking log, of sorts, using evernote.
I have a table with date(s), mileage, trail, and such, but also keep my breadcrumb map from "mapmyhike" and any notes I took (I journal on the trail, a bit, to capture observations, ruminations, memories, etc.)
If you want to track preparation and conditioning hikes/walks, that's a great way to track improvement or make gear notes (water consumption, pack weight, clothing layers that worked/didn't work, etc.) to help out too.
I keep a simple excel spreadsheet to keep track of all of my mileage, local and other trails, no real AT mileage yet (I did use 2 miles of the AT as an approach trail to the Tuscarora Trail earlier this month - should I count an approach trail?). :banana I do add it up and use that to look at the AT Guide, Companion, maps and GoogleEarth to see where I'd be on the AT. It gives me a structure to learn about the trail, I look at people's trail journals to learn about places. In the last two years I've made the distance NOBO from Springer to Katahdin and am now headed SOBO back to Springer. One day (2017) I'll do it for real.
I get it now. Thanks all. I will only ever have short hikes, but plan to do the whole AT in sections over the next several years. I guess I will keep a tally of those and when it reaches 1000? (what constitutes a "long" hike?) I will post that.
Spirit Walker
09-29-2015, 13:18
I used to keep approximate track of my overall hiking miles, but stopped caring when it topped 20,000. Now that I'm running, I set yearly mileage goals and keep track using the training log on runningahead.com to see how I'm doing. It's a game, and not one I take too seriously. I also like to track shoe mileage so I know when it's time to retire my running shoes.
fastfoxengineering
09-29-2015, 13:18
What constitutes a "long" hike?
No idea, however I've had 10 mile day hikes feel like they would never end.
I have no idea how many miles I have under my belt. I don't really log anything. If I'm planning a day hike or overnight I'll check out the mileages just to see what I'm up against.
I thru hiked the LT and I believe that was 273 miles. But after spending some time on a trail, the length of it kinda gets inscribed in your head.
Rather than keep a log of mileage, it's better to to think of section hikes from a major point to a major point on the AT imo. Like a well know road to a well known road per say. Not mileage 967 to 1003. Just makes more sense to me at least.
Rather than keep a log of mileage, it's better to to think of section hikes from a major point to a major point on the AT imo. Like a well know road to a well known road per say. Not mileage 967 to 1003. Just makes more sense to me at least.
Worked for me. I've done several bits of the AT where the approach trails to and from the AT were longer than the AT section itself. (Eg., the Franconia Ridge loop.) Weekend warriors and peakbaggers deal with this all the time.
Ok. So like just keep track of the GA section, once that is done, or the Pinhoti, or the LT and so on? Has anyone hiked the Pinhoti? I was thinking of that because it is near me, as maybe a few weekend hikes to prepare and shake down.
If you see the 2000 Miler rocker patch it's usually referring to one who has hiked 2000 or more different AT miles. In other words, from my understanding, the 2000 Miler rocker can't be obtained for retracing the same 20 miles of AT 100 times. It's awarded to both AT section and thru-hikers.
If you plan on keeping track of your AT trail miles, however you approach doing those hikes, consider getting the AT Thru-Hikers Companion/Guidebook with trail mileage way pts that help you track and plan your AT hikes and also containing a wealth of usable AT beta. You get the digital version of the Companion when joining ALDHA. A good way to support good people that assist hikers in doing what they do - hike.
http://www.aldha.org/companion.html
Oh... When someone posts how many miles they've accomplished, it's miles of the AT. Not other trails. This IS whiteblaze after all.
Not really. Some post their trail mileage based on all the hikes they've done not just the AT. Those 20K+ miles Spirit Walker posted include a much more wider variety of miles than just the AT trail mileage.
I think I will just keep up with the official trails I complete and the sections of the AT, as I complete those and the mileage associated with those. I will leave off the Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain type hikes, as they are preparatory and short and it's likely not many folks know anything about them.
I did just join the ALDHA though. Thanks Dogwood!
I think I will just keep up with the official trails I complete and the sections of the AT, as I complete those and the mileage associated with those. I will leave off the Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain type hikes, as they are preparatory and short and it's likely not many folks know anything about them.
I did just join the ALDHA though. Thanks Dogwood!
jockellis
09-29-2015, 15:39
Lnj, for your SOBO hike of GA, where are you going to start? You know you are probably going to have sore ties going down that cliff from Hogpen Gap to Tesnatee Gap so tie your boots tight. I live in Cumming and have found it tough to do overnights because the logistics of getting on and off require so much time. I envy you doing the whole state at once.
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Gambit McCrae
09-29-2015, 15:44
As seen in my signature, I keep a tally of AT miles and total miles which also includes AT miles. The way I decide if I count miles is as follows:
If I am on a trail, and the distance is more then 5 miles. backpack is not required but I always have a backpack on :)
I post both because it can be a good sign of experience level, and experience is gained on, and off the AT. But in the end its all just numbers. Means nothing
Oh you are from my neck of the woods, Jockellis! We are going to get my dad to drop us off at Deep Gap, NC, and the plan is to end at Amicalola Falls 9/10 days later. We should be coming off the trail on Memorial Day if all goes well enough. I do have some great Salomon boots that if I tie them right, me toes don't touch the ends at all. I will probably section hike over 3 or 4 weekends, the Pinhoti from Alabama to the AT between now and then to get more experience under my boots. Also, to shake down the gear.
As seen in my signature, I keep a tally of AT miles and total miles which also includes AT miles. The way I decide if I count miles is as follows:
If I am on a trail, and the distance is more then 5 miles. backpack is not required but I always have a backpack on :)
I post both because it can be a good sign of experience level, and experience is gained on, and off the AT. But in the end its all just numbers. Means nothing
True, the numbers don't really matter, except that it will just feel good one day when I can shed the "Newbie" skin, ya know? It does help me when I am reading advice from someone, to see if they have even done the thing they are advising me about, right? Common sense would suggest no one would ever advise someone if they haven't done it already, but... alas this is not a foolproof theory.
Tennessee Viking
09-29-2015, 16:03
Why count your miles...just enjoy the scenery. Those who pretty much thru-hike are 2000 milers. https://www.appalachiantrail.org/2000-milers
If you want to count your miles. Just get a GPS or geolocation app like ramblr or everytrail.
... It does help me when I am reading advice from someone, to see if they have even done the thing they are advising me about, right? Common sense would suggest no one would ever advise someone if they haven't done it already, but... alas this is not a foolproof theory.
Ahh, you're learneding young Luke. You are wiser beyond your mileage.
Why pay attention to labels?
Ahh, you're learneding young Luke. You are wiser beyond your mileage.
Why pay attention to labels?
Well, since you asked and all.... because the people here have "labeled" themselves with what can only be assumed in numeric fact (mileage posts), so I am content to believe the label, therefore gaining some miniscule insight into the person with whom I am chatting and "listening to" regarding the planning of my own future AT hike.
If I am asking about the tents and which are best for setting up in rain, I want Tipi or you or Rafe or Lone Wolf or BirdBrain to answer because I know you have done this, and not just once in the back yard, right? I am happy to receive responses from EVERYBODY, but I will heed the advice of a "Lifer" before that of a weekend warrior, on this particular subject anyway.
Ahh, you're learneding young Luke. You are wiser beyond your mileage.
Why pay attention to labels?
Well, since you asked and all.... because the people here have "labeled" themselves with what can only be assumed in numeric fact (mileage posts), so I am content to believe the label, therefore gaining some miniscule insight into the person with whom I am chatting and "listening to" regarding the planning of my own future AT hike.
If I am asking about the tents and which are best for setting up in rain, I want Tipi or you or Rafe or Lone Wolf or BirdBrain to answer because I know you have done this, and not just once in the back yard, right? I am happy to receive responses from EVERYBODY, but I will heed the advice of a "Lifer" before that of a weekend warrior, on this particular subject anyway.
I have no idea why or how I am double posting all the sudden... please forgive the redundancy.
MuddyWaters
09-29-2015, 19:22
Some know their mileage to the nearest mile, some to the nearest 10, some to the nearest 100, and some to the nearest 1000. Its all perspective.
Ahh, you're learneding young Luke. You are wiser beyond your mileage.
Why pay attention to labels?
Well, since you asked and all.... because the people here have "labeled" themselves with what can only be assumed in numeric fact (mileage posts), so I am content to believe the label, therefore gaining some miniscule insight into the person with whom I am chatting and "listening to" regarding the planning of my own future AT hike.
If I am asking about the tents and which are best for setting up in rain, I want Tipi or you or Rafe or Lone Wolf or BirdBrain to answer because I know you have done this, and not just once in the back yard, right? I am happy to receive responses from EVERYBODY, but I will heed the advice of a "Lifer" before that of a weekend warrior, on this particular subject anyway.
As they say on Family Feud, "Good Answer, Good Answer."
Sandy of PA
09-29-2015, 20:52
Instead of walking around the track, going up and down the bleachers with a pack on is better preparation for AT hiking.
rocketsocks
09-29-2015, 23:25
Instead of walking around the track, going up and down the bleachers with a pack on is better preparation for AT hiking.
Yup, or at least incorporate some steps into your routine, this helps a lot.
Instead of walking around the track, going up and down the bleachers with a pack on is better preparation for AT hiking.
I was going to say the something.
I use to only look at miles when I was preparing a hike. Doing this helped me pack for it. Now that I am coming off a injury I have to in order not to over do but to have steady progress toward my normal mileage.
Yup, or at least incorporate some steps into your routine, this helps a lot.
Its just an open field, not the high school football field, no bleachers. There are some slight level changes and a few steps here and there, but it's mostly flat.
I do however take the steps every day to get to my office on the third floor and I am carrying my purse, which could very well weigh as much as my pack will, or near it.
I am just trying to improve my overall condition with cardio (the track walking) and steps (legs and cardio) and weekend hikes (mileage with a 15 pound pack or so). As I am in terrible physical condition, this is a good start. I still have many months to improve before my hike starts.