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crazyjustin
12-27-2005, 01:55
i will be finishing high school in the middle of may so this will put me on the trail starting around the 22nd. will it be hard for me to catch up to the crowd? and about how many miles a day should i try for starting out?

neo
12-27-2005, 06:54
who wants to catch up with the crowd,for me crowds are to be avoided:cool: neo

neo
12-27-2005, 06:56
i will be finishing high school in the middle of may so this will put me on the trail starting around the 22nd. will it be hard for me to catch up to the crowd? and about how many miles a day should i try for starting out?

12 to 15 miles a day the first week,15 to 20 the secound week,by the third week you should be doing 20 to 25 miles a day no problem:cool: neo

Jeff
12-27-2005, 08:37
If you like a "social" hike, why not start in Pearisburg or Waynesboro, Va. You would certainly be starting your hike with the "crowd". Then go back and complete the southern section after climbing Big K.

Starting from Springer May 22nd (while doable) will probably cause you to push yourself to catch up...ultimately making for a less enjoyable hike.

Kembo
12-27-2005, 09:04
There will be plenty of people to hike with, even with a late start. I started May 21st and finished Oct 11. Celebrated my 20th birthday the day I crossed the Delaware Water Gap. Good luck Justin.

kyerger
12-27-2005, 12:50
I am also starting late. But im donig a flip-flop starting in Waynesburro. I plan on starting June 1st. Im like you just finishing college again. But i douth if you wanta hike with a 50 year old and his wife. It has been a great toll on my life to get to be a RN at 50. I feel i have earned this thru hike I got planned. Just wish i could start in April with the pack. Take care on your hike too.

Whistler
12-27-2005, 13:03
There will always be some sort of crowd if you want one. I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you really wanted to put in the miles, you could probably catch up to just about everyone by the end. It can be fun to track hikers' journal entries for a week or two, and then finally meet them.

As for how many miles to start with, do what you regularly do. Most of my hikes before tended to be in the 15-25 range, so I started in the low 20s. If you don't hike, but you're still in pretty good shape from running or soccer or whatever, you could probably start in the 12-18 range and see how you feel from there. If you don't hike or do anything else at all, 8-12 is a safe beginning.
-Mark

icemanat95
12-27-2005, 13:52
12 to 15 miles a day the first week,15 to 20 the secound week,by the third week you should be doing 20 to 25 miles a day no problem:cool: neo

This is overly optimistic not knowing the overall fitness of the individual, his hiking style and packing weight. 8-12 for the first week, incrementally up to maybe 10-16 miles a day for the second third and maybe fourth week, inching the average up from the low end to the higher as time passes. If you push it too hard, too fast, you'll hurt yourself, guaranteed, and wind up laid up for extra days in towns resting and recuperating from knee and ankle strains. Don't rush too hard or you'll miss everything around you.

Heed the advice here and get your pack weight down as low as is practical, safe and comfortable for your level of experience and preference. Some of us here prefer a few more creature comforts, and accept some additional weight as the cost for that. Others choose more austere conditions and less convenience to really bring down their packweight to almost daypack levels. Only you can decide what that should be for you.

Spirit Walker
12-27-2005, 18:15
What kind of a hike do you want? If you know you want to push the miles, especially if you have done a lot of backpacking before so know your abilities, then start at Springer and do the big miles. If you haven't done much backpacking before, you really should start slowly or you risk injury. If you want a more leisurely hike but want to be part of the crowd, then start in mid-Virginia and flip back at Katahdin. (That way you get a very prolonged autumn - both in New England and in the Smokies). If you really aren't sure what you want or are capable of doing, start at Springer, see how it goes, and if you find that you aren't likely to reach Katahdin in time, flip from wherever you are to Katahdin sometime around September or early October and hike back south.

hammock engineer
12-27-2005, 18:33
If you have the time later in the year, why not spend a couple more weeks at home and start a SOBO hike. This way you will have a couple more weeks to get your gear together. Plus you will not have to do bigger mile days if you do not want to in order to finish in time.

I'm planning on SOBO mid June sometime. If you choose that option see you on the trail, if not I'll see you sometime in between. Good Luck

weary
12-27-2005, 20:09
i will be finishing high school in the middle of may so this will put me on the trail starting around the 22nd. will it be hard for me to catch up to the crowd? and about how many miles a day should i try for starting out?
There will be plenty of people on the trail starting May 22. Some will be just like you, a thru hike dreamer.

If you are a reasonably able hiker, one advantage of a late start is the worse weather will be behind you. Carry a light pack, enjoy the people you meet early, and eventually you'll meet, maybe even pass, most of the March starters by the time you are approaching the Whites.

Have a great hike!

Weary

bigben
12-27-2005, 23:45
I'm hiking Amicacola Falls to Neel's Gap May 14-18th. It was either that date or March 21-25th due to vacation availability. I figure the weather will be nicer(knock on wood), the shelters will be emptier, and spring will be in bloom in May vs. March. I can't wait!

Bigben

mweinstone
01-07-2006, 23:38
thru hiking the A T does not involve rushing, raceing, catching or being on time.shure its cool to say i like to do high 20's in pa but thats cause its fun to do the hard stuff fast when your in top shape commin up on the halfway point... its hudge.but time constraints dont help a thru hike and i blew one shot 30 miles in at neels gap 10 years ago and learned that lesson well.from raceing at the start i got a blister so awlfull ...i quit. two weeks later back in philly when i was able to put my shoe on for the first time...i realized i should have pulled over to the side of the trail and camped out and healed and not end my dream. but my dream had a schedual and so i woke up and lost the adventure forever.this time i bring a valuable item......no time constraints....no milage conserns at all.wont even care if it takes 5 months.if i can do it in 99 days that would be one kind of cool and if i slow down and take 6 months that might be cooler,less cool, or equally as cool. i love all three possibilitys .see all of you ontrail.matthewski out.

aaronthebugbuffet
01-08-2006, 00:18
i would say stay loose. you may be able or want to hike 30+ miles some days. some days you may not feel up to hiking much. just take it as it comes and dont worry about it. you will have fun and you may even complete a thru hike while your at it

betic4lyf
01-08-2006, 01:05
for what its worth, i had a plan simmilar to yours, but my school ends on jume 6th, and i plan on college in the fall , and i didnt want to rush. instead i am probably going to do some trail crew stuff and then hike the long trail.






chuck norris can touch mc hammer