View Full Version : Start in mid May, possible to do it all?
Earl Grey
08-25-2006, 11:18
I graduate next year and would like to do it before I join the "real world". Would I be able to complete the whole thing before Oct 15? Im in pretty physical shape and have ran half marathons before but ive never hiked or camped overnight anywhere yet which will change this fall.
The Solemates
08-25-2006, 12:39
I graduate next year and would like to do it before I join the "real world". Would I be able to complete the whole thing before Oct 15? Im in pretty physical shape and have ran half marathons before but ive never hiked or camped overnight anywhere yet which will change this fall.
it is easily doable physically. we did it in 5 months in winter conditions. but the trail is more about your mentality than anything else. with little trail experience, it is hard to ascertain how you will handle the trail. but you might as well go for it; hopefully you will enjoy yourself no matter the duration.
hikerjohnd
08-25-2006, 13:35
How about SOBO?
Footslogger
08-25-2006, 13:44
How about SOBO?
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My guess there would be the problem getting up Katahdin to start your hike. Guess you could start somewhere else in May and do a flip-flop.
'Slogger
bigcranky
08-25-2006, 14:27
We met a thru-hiker just north of Springer in early June a couple of years ago. He planned to be done by the end of August.
The average time of a thru-hike has gotten longer in the last 20 years, now it seems to be in the 5.5-6.5 month range, when in the past it was 4-5 months. (I am not making any editorial comments here -- it just is what it is.) It is very possible to start mid-May and finish before Katahdin closes -- that's 5 months total. You'll have one major advantage in that the weather will be milder, and you'll start with a much lighter pack. You'll also have a lot more daylight.
Go for it, and have fun.
mnof1000v
08-25-2006, 14:36
I'd bet the early portion of your hike will be warm, and eventually, unbearably hot. But if you can beat that, and the likely bug swoon, I think you'll be able to finish.
Jack Tarlin
08-25-2006, 16:16
Solemates are correct...it's certainly doable, but others like Slogger have a point: Most folks take 24 to 27 weeks to do a thru-hike. A 21-22 week hike is a lot shorter than most folks do it.
If you're to complete a full thru-hike in 5 months (15 May to 15 October) it would mean hiking at a faster pace than 95% of other hikers; taking less time off the trail than nearly everyone else; or both.
Also, this 5 month time frame puts you in to Katahdin at the very end of the hiking season; one really doesn't want to finish up there in mid-October unless one HAS to; most folks do better if they get there a bit sooner.
Final analysis: Yes, you can cartainly leave in mid-May and do a complete Northbound thru, assuming you know what you're getting in to. Otherwise, you might want to consider either a Southbound hike (which would enable you to start in Maine in June), or some kind of flip-flop, i.e. hiking from Georgia to say, Conecticut, and then jumping up to Maine and finishing your trip by hiking South, as one can happily hike Southern New England well into the fall.
Lone Star
08-27-2006, 12:34
Last summer I left May 12 and finished August 27. I was forced to complete the trail in this time-frame because of end/beginning of semesters at school. I also had not done many overnight hikes before leaving and got myself into trail shape during the first few weeks. The biggest things to consider would be that you will be unable to take as many zeros as the average hiker and there will be times you will want to hike with a group but will be forced to leave them behind to put in longer days. You don't necessarily have to hike any faster than others, but just be willing to put in longer days.
Starting at Springer Mountain on May 15, you will benefit from warmer weather than those starting earlier enjoy and will need to carry less weight because of it. That will help you to do more miles per day initially and get up to what is required quicker compared to those who begin earlier than you.
May 12 is a great time for a start date heading northbound. In 1990 I started at Springer on May 5 and finished with the fall colors at Mt k. on Oct 9. I had enough time for about 22 zero days but did put in big mile days between Damascus and Hanover. I did not see the temp. drop below freezing after leaving Springer until Kinsman Notch in N.H. . Howard and his small loud dog who started the trail I believe the 2nd week of June past me the last week of Sept. If I was to hike the trail nortbound again I would start between April 20 and May 15 . Jim "Scaper"
SalParadise
11-14-2006, 02:58
totally doable, I met a lot of guys who blew past me after starting mid-may. physical aside, you'll also need a good bit more luck than most since you won't really have the luxury of being able to rest a week if you have any minor injury--and of course you'll be more prone to them since you'll be hiking hard immediately. If the average person has a 20% chance, maybe you'd be at 5. But please read up on this site and pack super-light.
To the other point, my thought is hikers have been averaging longer times on their hikes because there are so many more amenities in town (and more towns) to pull away from time on the trail.
Jim Adams
11-14-2006, 03:09
why not start mid may at trail days and hike with the current nobo class? once you get to Katahdin you can flip flop back to Damascus and finish sobo with the current sobo class. an added benefit is that both Katahdin and Springer will be finishes!
geek
I met a guy as I was nearing Mt. K who started the trail mid-May of this year. He summited a day before me - Sept. 5. The guy was cruisin'. He had joined with a couple of other fellows for much of the hike. Big miles, but he seemed no worse for wear. The weather was pretty reasonable this year which made hiking easier. If you get a rainy season in '07, it will likely sloww you down - if not due to wet conditions, but also because mentally you will need to take some zeros to get your head screwed on again. Good luck!
totally doable, I met a lot of guys who blew past me after starting mid-may. physical aside, you'll also need a good bit more luck than most since you won't really have the luxury of being able to rest a week if you have any minor injury--and of course you'll be more prone to them since you'll be hiking hard immediately. If the average person has a 20% chance, maybe you'd be at 5.
I'm not buying your 5%. The +/-20% doesn't mean much to me either. Whether someone completes the A.T. in a single season is in large measure determined by how committed someone is to hiking the A.T. That issue is at least somewhat already predetermined before someone even sets foot on the A.T. I contend it takes a certain mind-set to accomplish the task.
Jim Adams
11-14-2006, 19:37
Hear! Hear!
very true.
geek
A "fast hike" is a relative term. To do the AT in 4 mos is just a hair over 18 MPD on average.
"Big miles" for new a perrson new to thru-hiking for sure.
But, if you keep your pack weight down, are in good physical condition to start and (most importarntly) mentally commited to do a faster-than-normal AT hike..go for it!
FWIW, I did a 5 mo AT hike with much heavier equipment than I have now and was not as experienced. The key is consistency and avoiding excessive zero days.
Of course, if you find the pace is too much for whatever reason (too fast, met some cool people, want to take it easier), you can always do a big chunk one year and finish it the next.
Johnny Swank
11-15-2006, 15:46
The key is consistency and avoiding excessive zero days.
That is the absolute truth. No need to do crazy miles (30+), but 25 zero days will kill your schedule if you're on the 3.5-4 month plan.
If I were to do it again, I'd take a bunch of half days off with a zero every couple of weeks or whenever i really needed it. I find that half the time if I just dial down the mileage for a few days I feel better than if I had stayed in town and gorged on food, stayed up late, and walked all over town grabbing supplies I didn't need.
When I paddled the Cape Fear River a couple of weeks ago http://sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/overview.html I got almost sucked into a full zero day on a 10 day trip. Trying a do the email thing and getting sucked into surfing the internet is my biggest waste of time. I wish I had ponied up for some time on my pocketmail device instead of chasing down the library for their web access. Damn Internet!