Any 2019 Thru Hikers?

[Hiker4Jesus]

I'm looking to do the AT in 2019 starting May 22 and ending around September 19th. It's a miles per day log. It is more organized in a Google spreadsheet. If anyone as any suggestions leave a comment.


May
22 8.8 Approach Trail
23 10.5 Mt. Springer
24 10.5
25 10.5
26 17.5
27 17.5
28 17.5
29 17.5
30 17.5
31 17.5
June 17.5
2 20
3 20
4 20
5 20
6 20
7 20
8 20
9 17.5
10 17.5
11 17.5
12 17.5
13 17.5
14 17.5
15 17.5
16 20
17 20
18 20
19 20
20 20
21 20
22 20
23 17.5
24 17.5
25 17.5
26 17.5
27 17.5
28 17.5
29 17.5
July
1 20
2 20
3 20
4 20
5 20
6 20
7 20
8 17.5
9 17.5
10 17.5
11 17.5
12 17.5
13 17.5
14 17.5
15 20
16 20
17 20
18 20
19 20
20 20
21 20
22 17.5
23 17.5
24 17.5
25 17.5
26 17.5
27 17.5
28 17.5
29 20
31 20
August​
1 20
2 20
3 20
4 20
5 20
6 17.5
7 17.5
8 17.5
9 17.5
10 17.5
11 17.5
12 17.5
13 20
14 20
15 20
16 20
17 20
18 20
19 20
20 17.5
21 17.5
22 17.5
23 17.5
24 17.5
25 17.5
26 17.5
27 14 20
28 20
29 20
30 20
31 20
September
1 20
2 20
3 17.5
4 17.5
5 17.5
6 17.5
7 17.5
8 17.5
9 17.5
10 20
11 20
12 20
13 20
14 20
15 20
16 20
17 17.5
18 17.5
19 17.5 Mt. Katadin

[soumodeler]

Planning is great, as long as you realize that your plan is most likely going be thrown out the window by day 3.

Best advice: start with 3 or 4 days of food and the AT Guide. You will figure the rest out from the trail and be happier for it. Rain happens, injury happens, trail magic happens - all will change your plan.

[Stone1984]

No zero days built in at all?

[map man]

You are doing about 10 miles a day your first four days, then ramping up to 17.5 per day immediately after that. Most NOBO thru-hikers increase their daily mileage at a much more gradual rate than that, not reaching their peak per day mileage until somewhere in Virginia. And as Stone1984 alludes to, almost all thru-hikers take some zero days along the way.

[tipcar]

I got tired just looking at that.

[Slo-go'en]

This is an interesting exercise, but has no relationship to reality. It's impossible to always do exactly 17.5 or 20 mile days. The actual distance varies with terrain, spacing of shelters/campsites or water. In some sections your required to stay only at designated sites, so your mileage is based on that spacing. Weather and how you feel that day are big factors.

But it's not a wasted exercise, as now you know about what you have to do. The next step is to match those mileages to actual designated camping sites. Doing 20+ MPD typically results in having to do a lot of "stealth" camping, which is not practical or legal in many areas, so that has to be factored in. In any event, you'll end up at or close to shelters much of the time just for convenience, so those make for good markers.

A successful thru hiker is able to stick fairly close to their schedule yet flexible enough go with the flow. A too aggressive start in terms of mileage often results in a host of various foot and knee problems. If your a fit 20 year old, then maybe that's not a big factor, but blisters and shin splints can happen to anyone. The rule of thumb is to start fairly slow and slowly pick up steam, doing the big mileage in the middle sections of trail, then slow down again in New England.

In the mean time, take a few overnight hikes somewhere in Mass or Vermont. See if you like it or not.

[Hiker4Jesus]

thank you for all of the suggestions.
I have several resources along with using the AWAL 2019 Northbound guidebook.

http://www.sophiaknows.com/atdb/waypoints.php


http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail


http://rhodesmill.org/thefox/maps.html


https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/appalachian-trail-hostels-listing/


https://whiteblaze.net/forum/hostels-2016.php


http://www.mountainharbour.net/links-2/hostels/


www.appalachiantrailclarity.com


http://baxterstatepark.org/general-info/the-at