CarlZ993
02-02-2018, 15:39
Are you an older hiker seeking to thru-hike the AT? What sort of pace should you expect on the AT? There are a lot of variables to that question. Hopefully, this post might provide some help in planning your 2018 thru-hike.
In 2013, I thru-hiked the AT NoBo. Trail-name = Zman. I was 58 yrs old at the time. I had 18 yrs of backpacking experience. I was in pretty good shape starting out - running, lifting, hiking, etc. In fact, the week prior to my AT start, I did a Boy Scout backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon (about my 13th time hiking the Big Ditch). So, big climbs did not intimidate me. I knew I could do it but it would still be hard. I kept my base packweight down below 20 lbs (I think around 18 lbs at the start). I purposely kept my daily mileage down at the start to allow my body to adjust to the rigors of a thru-hike. After Damascas, I found myself picking up the pace (usually taking one day less between re-supply towns that what I originally planned). Toward the end (NH & ME), I found that I couldn't maintain the same pace & had to back it off a bit.
In the signature line of this comment, there is a link to my actual hiking itinerary for my hike. In includes the start and end location of each day. It shows the daily mileage as well as a running average mpd pace along the way. It also includes the start and end times of each day's hike (except where I lost a couple of days worth of data) and the time duration of each day's hike. It shows the location of my resupply locations (mostly mail drops). Some of the hostels I stayed at may no longer be in business.
Reader's Digest version of the hike: 152 days; 12 zeros; averaged 14.4 mpd; median = 15.2M; avg w/o zeros = 15.6; median w/o zeros = 15.7; shortest day = 4.1M; longest day = 25.6M. Where did I sleep on the trail? Shelters = 74 nights; tent = 14 nights; hostels = 36 nights, & motels = 36 nights (yep, I spent some of my grandkid's inheritance).
I hope this will be of some assistance to this year's hikers. Happy trails and good luck on your hike.
In 2013, I thru-hiked the AT NoBo. Trail-name = Zman. I was 58 yrs old at the time. I had 18 yrs of backpacking experience. I was in pretty good shape starting out - running, lifting, hiking, etc. In fact, the week prior to my AT start, I did a Boy Scout backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon (about my 13th time hiking the Big Ditch). So, big climbs did not intimidate me. I knew I could do it but it would still be hard. I kept my base packweight down below 20 lbs (I think around 18 lbs at the start). I purposely kept my daily mileage down at the start to allow my body to adjust to the rigors of a thru-hike. After Damascas, I found myself picking up the pace (usually taking one day less between re-supply towns that what I originally planned). Toward the end (NH & ME), I found that I couldn't maintain the same pace & had to back it off a bit.
In the signature line of this comment, there is a link to my actual hiking itinerary for my hike. In includes the start and end location of each day. It shows the daily mileage as well as a running average mpd pace along the way. It also includes the start and end times of each day's hike (except where I lost a couple of days worth of data) and the time duration of each day's hike. It shows the location of my resupply locations (mostly mail drops). Some of the hostels I stayed at may no longer be in business.
Reader's Digest version of the hike: 152 days; 12 zeros; averaged 14.4 mpd; median = 15.2M; avg w/o zeros = 15.6; median w/o zeros = 15.7; shortest day = 4.1M; longest day = 25.6M. Where did I sleep on the trail? Shelters = 74 nights; tent = 14 nights; hostels = 36 nights, & motels = 36 nights (yep, I spent some of my grandkid's inheritance).
I hope this will be of some assistance to this year's hikers. Happy trails and good luck on your hike.