PDA

View Full Version : How Long is Long Distance?



Trail Dog
03-12-2006, 09:00
Ok well how long is it?

How long do you have to hike to have it called a Long distance Hike?

How long does it have to be to be called a Long distance Trail?

Horse Shoe trail is 140 miles is that long distance? Wonderland trail is 35 does that count? John Muir Trail is 211.

this is still a mystery to me. The only standard i found was 50km or more (31 miles) and i assume thats a European standard.

Any ideas?

MOWGLI
03-12-2006, 09:22
Well, the Wonderland Trail is 93 miles. Not 35.

The answer to this question will be relative. To me, anything over 50 miles is long distance. I mean, what percentage of the population walks 50 miles to get anywhere?

In order to really get in the flow of a "long distance hike", IMO you need to be out there at least 4-6 weeks. A 50-mile hike is practically over before it starts. Of course longer is always preferable, but not everyone can make that happen.

FYI, the book Long Distance Trails of the SE by Johnny Molloy features the AL Pinhoti (136 miles), Bartram Trail (120 miles), Foothills Trail (76 miles), and a variety of others.

TJ aka Teej
03-12-2006, 09:25
To me it means at least needing one resupply or longer than one week- which would make it different lengths for different hikers. The Baxter State Park rule defines a 'long distance hiker' as one who has hiked the 110 or so miles into the Park from Monson.

neo
03-12-2006, 09:27
200 miles or more in a single hike:cool: neo

Peaks
03-12-2006, 09:37
Like TJ posted, there are several definitions for a long distance hike.

Generally speaking, it's any hike that has at least one resupply.

But, to qualify as a long distance hiker at Baxter State Park, it means you need to hike in from Monson, about 110 miles away. To qualify as a long distance hiker in GSMNP, you need to start your hike at least 50 miles outside the park boundry, and continue it at least 50 miles beyound the park boundry.

Wolf - 23000
03-12-2006, 10:07
Long Distance is 500 miles or more. Any less your only out there for a couple weeks at most.

Wolf

kyhipo
03-12-2006, 10:15
Long Distance is 500 miles or more. Any less your only out there for a couple weeks at most.

Wolfyes I agree with Wolf atleast 500 miles,a person doesnt even start to get their feet and body in shape untell after 1or 2 weeks.:eek: ky

weary
03-12-2006, 10:21
Any hike that gets you from here to there.

lobster
03-12-2006, 12:56
Anything more than a 100 yards for Joe Public who keeps swinging around the parking lot at their local mall waiting for a parking spot to open up near the front door!

SGTdirtman
03-12-2006, 16:51
Everyday is a new hike... So no one is a long distance hiker.

:-?

jmaclennan
03-12-2006, 18:17
500 miles is not a couple of weeks hiking. it is easily a month for the average hiker. technically, i agree with the one resupply idea - between 30 and 100 miles. realistically, this is definitely not a one size fits all category.

i think a better question is: how long would it take for a hiker to become integrated into the long distance hiker community? culturally, that could happen very quickly (especially if one had lots of previous experience). in terms of connections with other hikers, that would probably take about two weeks or so. it would depend on their pace and mentality. for example, i saw hikers out for a few hundred miles who figured on doing 10-12 miles/day. they became friends with some thru-hikers and adopted their "make miles" mentality. at that point they were seen by others as long distance hikers, were treated as such, and probably felt like it too. outsiders couldn't tell the difference either.

SalParadise
03-12-2006, 19:09
My definition of a long-distance hike would be any distance which induces sweat. Plus that way the steepness of the trail is taken into account.

But really what difference does it make to have it defined? It's not like whenever people ask how far you hike anyone ever only says 'a long way.'

Sly
03-12-2006, 19:28
20 is too many and 2175 isn't enough.

Hammock Hanger
03-12-2006, 19:53
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"></TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">

Long Distance is 500 miles or more. Any less your only out there for a couple weeks at most.

Wolf

It is different for everybody I guess. I personally do not consider it a Long Distance hike unless it is 500+ miles. I do little 100 mile hikes all the time and usually they are done in a week. To me those are short hikes. But that's just me.;)
</TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"></TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

SGTdirtman
03-12-2006, 20:26
I dont hike to be part of a crowd or a culture, I dont hike to fit in anywhere... Heak when I'm hiking I dont even wanna see or talk to anyone. I went in the woods for a reason and that reason isnt making friends. I really dont care what you call me, heak I'm not even a real hiker by most of your standards :cool: I go on hiking trips for a week or more at a time through the spring and summer, but I never resupply. so I guess I'll never be a long distance hiker....

<--- gently sobbing

KirkMcquest
03-12-2006, 20:48
The answer (as we can see) is purely subjective. It's like asking 'what's the best kind of music'. There is no factual answer.

Trail Dog
03-13-2006, 07:49
'what's the best kind of music'.

Rock-n-Roll

thats for the enlightening replies. Sheds a little light on things for me.

BlackCloud
03-13-2006, 08:21
Shenandoah NP limits usage of its AT shelters to "long distance hikers" which they define as three nights out @ three different locations....

No Belay
03-14-2006, 11:51
The answer is totally subjective, and who cares. I have a parapaligic friend who hikes 30 miles in 5 days totally self contained. In my eyes, he's one of the greatest "long distant" hikers I know.

saimyoji
03-14-2006, 12:59
PA defines it as staying at least one night and exiting the trail at least 10 miles from where you start.

Just Jeff
03-14-2006, 13:06
For my schedule, a LD hike is anything longer than a normal weekend hike! Hopefully, that perspective will change when I don't have so many things competing for my hiking time.

Mags
03-14-2006, 13:20
It is a subjective measurement. What is long for one person is short for another.

For me, I'll steal an idea from Chris: A long hike for me is about the time it takes for me to grow a full beard. About 2.5 weeks for me.

It is the right amount of time where I seem to be immeresed in
the wilderness.

hikerjohnd
03-14-2006, 13:21
To me it means at least needing one resupply...

For my thesis this is how I have defined long distance hikers. Many people go out and carry all they need for the duration of their hike. When a resupply is figured in, there is a different level of planning involved, similar to the plans made by thru-hikers.

fivefour
03-14-2006, 13:37
to the moon and back ?

shoe
03-14-2006, 14:45
To me it's an idividual thing. I am hiking the GA portion towards the end of April and that will be defenitely be long distance for me since I have only been on one overnighter for a total of 20 miles or so but to someone who hikes alot more, it would be longer than "my" long distance hike.

Almost There
03-14-2006, 15:20
You could come up with a standard...but you would have to measure it by society then...and that would be a sticky situation when you figure the majority of Americans don't even walk 5 miles a week. As a section hiker I would say the standard of 30 miles + or 3 days out minimum. Granted someone with 5000+ miles under their belt will probably disagree...but I don't have the luxury of taking 6 months off.

However for me my plan of Pearisburg to Harpers this summer is long distance...at least for me, having done nothing above 50 miles in the last ten years this will definitely be significant and my longest hike ever. Hence for me it is a long hike!!!