View Full Version : The AT for two months.
funnysquared
03-29-2006, 15:25
Hello,
My name is Rene and I am planning a trip with a friend to hike the AT for two months, june and july starting at springer mountain. I would like to know from any with experience what is the range of endpoints we would be at by august? In your estimation could possibly get through VA by the time we have to stop? We think so, but it would be nice to get some experienced opinion. Also, what were folks' grand totals when it came to expenditures for the whole trip (not including airfare, or travel from trail to home)?
Thanks!
Rene
Assuming that Springer -> Harpers Ferry is 1,000 miles and wanting to complete your section hike in 2 months (@ 60 days) you're looking at a need to cover 16.6 miles every day with no breaks. I'm sure that some can do that without a problem but part of the fun I had on my trip was stopping in towns and meeting the locals, "smelling the roses" as they say, and hiking my own hike. In two months I made about 700 miles but am not claiming to be the fastest hiker (or slowest) on the planet. Factor in resupply stops in towns that you must spend a chunk of the day hitching/walking to/from and you just increased your daily average a little more. Then factor in the level of physical conditioning when you start the trail as that could make initial daily totals in the 8-10 range more likely than a 16.6 day on Day 3. Not saying you cannot make it all the way through Virginia but it will be an effort for sure! ;)
Go to trailjournals.com Read journals and look at dates. You can figure out where most people are after 2 months. These would only be estimates of your trip. June and July can be tough on the trail, hot, humid, less water and high weeds along the trail. However, you will have longer day light, less people in shelters, no need for a stove, fuel etc. less weight. I would not worry about an endpoint. Enjoy the trip, take your time, go slow and after 2 months on the trail, you will be where you want.
max patch
03-29-2006, 16:06
I thru hiked the trail in 5 months and 1 week. I just checked my journal; on day 60 I was at Punchbowl Shelter, which is 66 miles south of Waynesboro VA (start of SNP).
Footslogger
03-29-2006, 16:18
My suggestion (and it just that) would be to figure 12 miles/day AVERAGE over the 60 days and add in a couple zero days. Then it's just a matter of math and an AT guidebook. I'm bettin you'd cover between 720 and 750 miles in that time frame. Only exception would be if your pace is high and constant and you take no time off.
'Slogger
The Solemates
03-29-2006, 16:23
you could get to HF in 2 months, but somewhere around SNP would be more doable, and more comfortable.
max patch
03-29-2006, 16:28
Well, maybe Slogger can get by with 2 days off in 2 months, but my recommendation would be closer to taking 1 day off every week. And that one day you're gonna be doing chores (laundry, postoffice, grocery store) half the day anyway. Rest, and an occasional mattress, does the body good.
bulldog49
03-29-2006, 16:31
Solemate is right, somewhere around Shendoah NP would be reasonable for 2 months.
Footslogger
03-29-2006, 16:32
Well, maybe Slogger can get by with 2 days off in 2 months, but my recommendation would be closer to taking 1 day off every week. And that one day you're gonna be doing chores (laundry, postoffice, grocery store) half the day anyway. Rest, and an occasional mattress, does the body good.
====================================
On a 6 month thru in 2003 I did just about that Max ...1 day off for every 8 - 10 days of hiking. But if I only had 2 months to hike and I wanted to cover as many miles as possible I think I could cut back on zeros.
'Slogger
The Solemates
03-29-2006, 17:50
we averaged one zero day every 2 weeks exactly on our thru, but several of those were for a trip into NYC. taking that into consideration, we really spent about 3 weeks on average before taking a zero. one a week seems like too much to me.
funnysquared
03-29-2006, 18:18
Thanks a lot for the helpful suggestions. I was looking for maps online and one of the earlier posts really helped me out. Now, could anyone reply to my second question about budgets? I know its a matter of prefrence but I half over half of my gear and have only spent 300-400. From my list I am doing well. What have other people spent?
The Solemates
03-29-2006, 19:25
I would plan to shoot for $100 per week. In actuality, you may spend a little more. Depends on how much time you spend in town.
Unless y'all want to be mile slaves, I'd expect to get to somewhere between Pearisburg and Daleville VA in those two months. That will allow time to take some zeroes and neroes, and enjoy the nicer features of the Southern Appalachians without rushing through them.
You COULD probably make it to HF in two months if in good shape from Day 1, and have a little good luck along the way, but why would you want to?
Also, remember y'all very well could get bogged down in some real heat and humidity in the South that time of year. That always tends to slow me down. YMMV.
I can't help you much on the question of cost, but as for a realistic distance range for how far you are likely to get on the trail in two months, I think Skyline is right -- Pearisburg or Daleville, or even Atkins if you prefer to smell lots of roses on the way. The average successful thru-hiker (and you've got to be a pretty tough hiker to successfully thru-hike in one season) takes 40 days to get to Damascus and 80 to get to Harpers Ferry. Less than ten percent of even that elite bunch -- successful thru-hikers -- get to Harpers Ferry in 60 days or less (I'm getting these figures from the thread titled "AT Hiking Rates, Section by Section" in the articles forum).
A regret a lot of thru-hikers have when their hike is done is that they got too caught up in putting in the miles, and didn't spend as much time as they could have experiencing a lot of wonderful things just down a side path from the trail.
Whistler
03-30-2006, 02:23
I did the southern 1/3 in a month... so IF you like that sort of hiking, and if your hiking buddy also does, you could certain make Harper's or SNP at the end of 60 days. I like hiking all day, so I really enjoyed myself. If you're interested in covering all that ground, certainly give it a shot. If your preferences change, then just change your plans! :)
Also, Greyhound hits most of the regional hubs around the AT. You could always just hike until you're almost out of time, then catch a bus back to wherever you need to go.
$100 a week is a reasonable number to work from.
-Mark
Just wing it. Get the book, it has plenty of listings of services and hostels in towns that can provide bail out points and rides to points ahead. Who knows what you might want to to during your hike or how long it'll take you?
Hello,
My name is Rene and I am planning a trip with a friend to hike the AT for two months, june and july starting at springer mountain. I would like to know from any with experience what is the range of endpoints we would be at by august? In your estimation could possibly get through VA by the time we have to stop? We think so, but it would be nice to get some experienced opinion. Also, what were folks' grand totals when it came to expenditures for the whole trip (not including airfare, or travel from trail to home)? Thanks!Rene
Yo FUnnySquared aka Rene:
The average for a THRU-HIKER is 12 miles per day...
with your 60 days of hiking time...
that should give you about 720 miles UP the trail...in Central Virginia!
but, with ALL that said... enjoy the hike...only hike the miles YOU are comfortable with...hike yer own hike!
good luck!:D
I haven't seriously done the math, but $100/wk. seems a bit low to me. I'm assuming that includes on-trail food, plus any town expenses.
Just thinking back to my own section hiking, I'm sure I spent more than that whether I did maildrops or bought food in supermarkets. . . added to the money I would have spent on motel, restaurant food, doing laundry, etc. And don't discount the possibility that you will have to fix or replace gear along the way.
Philip Jones
03-31-2006, 18:22
Last summer, I started at Amicalola on June 6 and stopped at Sinking Creek Valley (662 miles) on August 3. I took a zero at Miss Janet's, had a few short days, and also took off 3 days in Hot Springs when my girlfriend came to visit. For the first month, I did about 10 mi/day, and averaged close to 15 mi/day for the second month.
My original goal, well before I started the hike, was to get to the James River at mile 770. I'd been there before and thought it would be cool to end there. Thinking about the average mileage that would require, I decided that VA 311 (near Roanoke) was more realistic. I didn't settle on Sinking Creek as my endpoint until I got to Pearisburg. So, Skyline's Pearisburg-to-Daleville range was right on target for me. Even at that pace, I felt that there was a lot that I didn't have a chance to absorb. Personally, I think you'd be exhausted mentally and physically if you tried to get to Harper's Ferry in two months.
Other things:
Crowds: North of Erwin, I saw /very/ few people except in popular spots like Laurel Fork Gorge and the Grayson Highlands. Many days in SW Virginia, right up to the end, were entirely solitary. I was really surprised how quiet it was. I think the last of the thrus were at least a week ahead of me (and they were flip-flopping). So, it's good that two of you will be going together.
Bugs: minor. I started out with Permethrin on my clothes, and maybe that helped more than I realized, but I don't think so. There were some places with annoying biting gnats (Bly Gap comes to mind), but I always wore long pants, so that helped.
Shelters: empty! You definitely won't have to worry about overcrowded shelters, except maybe in the Smokies. Most of the time you'll have them to yourself. This is good and bad...
Water: wasn't a problem. Virginia was a little drier.
Condition of the trail: A few places were pretty overgrown, like south of Spring Mountain shelter (north of Hot Springs) and south of I-81 (at Rural Retreat). Overall, it was fine.
Money: I'd budget $1000 per person, not including gear. Maybe slightly less since some costs can be shared.
Heat: Not as much of a problem as I thought it would be, but with some major exceptions.
DaSchwartz
03-31-2006, 22:17
Rene,
You are getting a lot of good advice but the truth is, no one, including yourself will know where you will be in two months leaving Springer unless you've done this before.
Instead, start hiking with your friend and about a month into the hike, you'll know pretty much where you will be in a another month. Then you'll know about where you will finish at.
The grand total for your hike also can not be answered within reason as it will be a wide variety. It depends on how much you are going to spend on gear, how much you are going to spend on transportation to the AT, how much you are going to spend in trail towns.
Good luck
just wandering if its a need to start from the south,I would go up to maine and hike south,its gonna be fun hiking in the heat,but thats your choice,I would go south,remember the heat does affect your hike,nothing like sweating it out:rolleyes: ky