View Full Version : Thru-hiking in 4 months--Possible?
Hey guys,
This is my first post on this forum, although I've been reading for some time. I've wanted to thru-hike the AT my entire life, and things have come together in the last couple of weeks that would make it financially possible in the near future, for the first time ever. This summer, I have a window of about 115 days from the middle of May to the beginning of September.
My question is simple: Is it possible to do the whole trail in 4 months? I am a 19-year-old male college student, 135 lbs, and an experienced backpacker. I am in extremely good physical condition and carry a pack with a base weight of under 10 lbs.
I have spent lots of time hiking the stretch of the AT around Standing Indian in North Carolina. How does the rest of the trail, in terms of difficulty, compare to this area? To finish, I would have to average just under 20 miles a day. I'm confident that I could manage this in the southern half of the trail, but I know very little about the northern half.
Thanks for any tips,
-Dave
SGT Rock
10-15-2006, 13:11
Earl Schaeffer did SOBO in less than 100 days. So you can do it. I can't answer the question about comparing halves though.
This summer, I have a window of about 115 days from the middle of May to the beginning of September.
My question is simple: Is it possible to do the whole trail in 4 months?
To finish, I would have to average just under 20 miles a day. I'm confident that I could manage this in the southern half of the trail, but I know very little about the northern half.
It's my pleasure to welcome you to whiteblaze.net and to respond to your question.
Given what you have told us, I would say it is possible to hike the whole trail in 4 months. I would call to your attention that this is provided you remain healthy. You will be able to take few days off unless you pay for them with days that exceed your average.
You have said you are confident you could manage what would be required on the southern half of the trail. I think there are not many places then that you would be slowed much below the number of miles per day required on the northern half. There are places where you should not experience a great deal of difficulty in exceeding what's required and thus offset miles lost where you would fall below that number.
You are apt to be able to excede 20 mpd north of Waynesboro, VA through Pennsylvania and some other locations. The areas where 20 mpd would prove more difficult are from Glencliff, NH to just beyond the Bigelow Range in Maine as well as maybe some shorter segments that should not be a great cause for concern.
I suggest you read Ken Berry's journal linked here (http://www.trailjournals.com/kenberry). His hike was about the length of your proposed hike. You will find much useful information therein.
Best wishes and be sure to let us know if we may help you in some other way.
SGT Rock and Shades of Gray--Thanks so much for the advice.
It seems clear to me that if I am going to complete the trail in 110-115 days, I can't rely on any kind of schedule or itinerary that is based on shelters or landmarks. Ideally, I would like to show up at Springer at the crack of dawn on my first day with 3-4 days of food, hike until the sun goes down, pitch my tarp wherever I may be when that happens, wake up before dawn, eat breakfast, hike until the sun sets, repeat until I am in Maine. In other words, I do not want to organize my trip around resupply points; I would rather just buy food when I come across them and get right back on the trail as soon as I can.
Are there enough resupply opportunities immediately on the trail that this would be possible, or are there some stretches of the AT that are sparse enough that it would be possible to eat down 4-5 days of food before coming across the next place to buy food? For example, at Standing Indian, there is a little resupply shop near the campground, which is like a quarter mile off the trail. This would be ideal. I could just hop off the trail, buy my food, get it packed, and be moving again within the hour. No shuttles or rides into town. Is this the norm on the AT, or will I be forced to spend a significant amount of time in the actual process of resupply at various points along the way?
Basically, is it possible for me to show up at Springer with my gear, 4 days of food, and a debit card, and make it to Maine without any "planning" and without ever leaving the trail? Or do I absolutely need to set up maildrops and stuff like that?
Please excuse my ignorance on all this, I really appreciate any help I can get.
Thanks so much, Dave.
SGT Rock
10-15-2006, 15:00
Get yourself the Companion. It shows where just about every possible re-supply point is on the trail and you can plan it however you want it as you go along. I would say that you could surely make it to Neels Gap for your first resupply without much planning at all since it is about 30 miles up the trail, and then to NOC past that if you don't want to go far off the trail. There are other options as you go that require getting further off the trail.
Something else to consider is looking at this article: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/article.php?p=170578&postcount=1
If you plan to do this in 4 months (that would be about 122 days on most calender months) you could set yourself goals using the data from hiker example #4 of when you have to make certain towns along the trail. This way you are not trying to make 20 MPD on the harder sections and limiting yourself to planning 20 MPD on the easier sections where you may go faster. You wouldn't need a lot of planning, but it would at least let you forecast how you are going to go.
Past that, I just recommend you wait until April if you can to start to avoid at best having to take days off at the start for bad weather and to ensure longer daylight hours to hike in rather than starting in February or something. And then keep your weight low (starting later will help that) carry your own shelter so you can stop where ever you want, and figure out how to get the best miles per food carried so you are not carrying a lot of food weight to slow you down.
If you want to pull this off, I wouldn't suggest winging it. There are 2 sources of information here on resupply that you should study. Weathercarrot's Ideas and Jack Tarlin's article on resupply. You can find the resupply article on WhiteBlaze's home page and while I couldn't find Weathercarrot's Ideas straight off and need to get to other things, I'm sure someone else can find it for you. If someone doesn't, I'll find it for you later.
I also suggest you download a copy of ALDHA's Online Companion (http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm). That should get you off to a good start. Check out those documents and follow up here with your questions.
While I'm at it, read The Thru-Hiking Papers (http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/THP%20top.html) and Warren's 1-Page Book (http://www.warrendoyle.com).
That ought to keep you busy for a while. Now I've got gardening to do!;)
It seems clear to me that if I am going to complete the trail in 110-115 days, I can't rely on any kind of schedule or itinerary that is based on shelters or landmarks.
Some have hiked with an itinerary to which they strictly adhered. It's possible and some might believe that's a good idea, especially when hiking with a tight schedule.
Even if you don't have a daily itinerary at the start, you should carefully monitor your progress and your remaining time. It may be good idea to at least have some absolute goals and/or deadlines.
Lone Wolf
10-15-2006, 15:55
You are only 19. What's the rush? How about waiting to thru-hike after graduation and take 6 months or so? I've met quite a few folks over the years who squeezed in a thru hike between semesters and went on to regret doing it. Just a thought.
My question is simple: Is it possible to do the whole trail in 4 months?
-Dave
I think a better question is do you want to try it in 4 months? Ask your self how you want to experience the trail? Some people like to hike that fast, you might be one of them, some people rather do what they can in their given time. Just be sure to enjoy yourself.
And :welcome to whiteblaze (be careful you can become addictied)
Hanna
Kerosene
10-15-2006, 16:38
Even if you are young and in good shape, and maybe especially since you're a young male with a lot of testosterone, it is surprisingly easy to overdo it the first month out, injuring a ligament, tendon, or joint as you try to push for miles. You could minimize this liklihood by either doing fewer miles on average the first 3-4 weeks, or perhaps by doing several extended shakedown weekends with high mileage the month before you depart from Springer.
I've found it to be pretty easy to put in 20 mile days if you have enough daylight (or are willing to walk at night and can stealth camp) if you keep your load light and can minimize lengthy re-supply excursions. As a section hiker I've found this to be true for pretty much everything from Springer to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a thru-hiker you will be in optimum shape by then if you can keep your weight up (135 pounds doesn't give you much to spare), so you should be able to do more than the average 50-something section hiker like me but maybe 25-35% less than your personal average.
The final point, raised by L. Wolf in post #8, is whether it is really worth it to try to squeeze it all into 4 months. You might enjoy things more if you went out for a 4-month hike rather than convinced yourself that you had to be atop Katahdin by then. Just a thought.
Red Rover
10-15-2006, 16:42
You are only 19. What's the rush? How about waiting to thru-hike after graduation and take 6 months or so? I've met quite a few folks over the years who squeezed in a thru hike between semesters and went on to regret doing it. Just a thought.
Absolutely agree. It's about the journey, not the destination. I read an article about a couple that did the LT in VT in 13 days when it should take 20-30 and all I could think about given the misery they described was why?
Because you can? BFD.
First of all--Thanks everyone for the comments, great stuff here.
I think one of the most interesting things about the concept of thru-hiking the AT is that different people are attracted to it for completely different reasons. I think many people think of the AT as a way to escape the chaos of modern life, a place to slow down and return to something more peaceful and fundamental. I understand this completely, and I can certainly see the benefits of a more leisurely trip.
At the same time, my reasons for wanting to hike the AT have more to do with the belief that there is something fundamentally valuable about personal challenge and the sense of accomplishment and ownership that comes with a job well done. I think I find the idea of a 4-month thru hike so alluring for many of the same reasons that other people would find it so unappealing. I think adversity is empowering, and in many ways the AT is the ultimate test of mental and physical fortitude. If I do the AT, this is how I want to do it.
That being said, Kerosene got me thinking about the weight issues. Indeed, one of my biggest concerns is keeping my weight from falling too low, which would be bad in the short term in that it would affect my mileage and in the long term because it could damage my athletic career back at school. My coach would not be happy if I showed up at 125. I'm still pretty light right now from the road racing season in the summer, and I will probably bulk up to around 145 by the time I start my hike. Assuming I get 4-5000 calories a day, how much weight can I expect to lose?
Thanks all, Dave.
Lone Wolf
10-15-2006, 19:14
Sounds like you know what you want. You need no advisement from anyone here. Go for it.
vaporjourney
10-15-2006, 19:30
Sounds like you know what you want. You need no advisement from anyone here. Go for it.
My thoughts exactly.
If I were to hike the A.T. again, I would hike the hike you have described for the same reasons you have stated.
When I began my thru-hike, I weighed somewhat less than 125 and actually gained a few pounds by the time I finished. I am probably correct in speculating that you are carrying little fat on your bones at this time.
Programbo
10-15-2006, 21:26
I would suggest making less miles at first to get into prime condition rather than racing out right from the start worrying about miles....The trail barely gets over 2,000' elevation from SNP all the way to Mass. so you will be able to up your mpd average in that area...The last thing you want is to get up north and be in a position where you HAVE to do X number of miles per day...That being said.....Wanted to hike the AT your whole life?..At 19?..Oh my!....135 pounds?..Eat something!...Under 10 pounds base weight?..Carry something!
doodah man
10-15-2006, 21:55
Clured,
I thank you so much for asking this question, I did not have the guts for fear of too many discouraging replies, but I am in exactly the same boat. I have been planning and working toward a thru in 2007 starting in mid April. By banking vacation hours up to company maximum limits and then a maximum leave-of-absence, I can get ~115 days for the attempt. My disadvantage is that I am neither young nor likely to be near the prime shape of my youth. Six months ago when I started to get serious on being able to do the daily mileage, I was at 225 pounds on a 5'9" frame. Right now, am at 200 pounds with a lot of added muscle and plan to be less than 190 pounds by the beginning of the hike (my mid 20's prime was 175-180 pounds). I have tailored my workouts toward 'hiking' conditioning and can now crank out 20 miles in a day over even the most extreme terrain (day hike last weekend nearly summated Mt. Langley at 14,026', but the weather turned nasty and had to abort within sight of the peak). But... averaging nearly 20 miles a day every day for four months is certainly very different creature. If I had a choice, I would follow Lone Wolf's advice and not rush. Unfortunately, I will not have an opportunity to take more time until retirement and I don't want to wait that long. I am healthy and strong enough now but don't know what my circumstances will be in the future. To paraphrase excellent advice from Kerosene, my PLAN is to hike from Springer to Katahdin, but my GOAL is to have an awesome 115 day hike. If retirement finds me healthy, maybe I will take a do-over without time constraints. Whatever you do, have a great hike… doodah-man
Kaptain Kangaroo
10-15-2006, 23:32
Go for it guys !!!....... a 4 month thru-hike is not a big deal. Just make sure you're fit before you start, get your pack weight down before the hike & don't take too many zero's
My thru-hike this year took 4 months & 1 week. I had a great trip, lots of fun times & I am certainly not a super hiker or extreme ultra-lighter.
Age is 38, pack base weight was 22lb (ex. food & water) at the start & 19lb at the end (warmer weather). I had a good level of fitness before I started. Hiked shelter to shelter most days & went into town (overnight)to resupply every 3-5 days..... so not really that different to most hikes.
I think the big difference in the lengths of most thru-hikes is the number of zero days. I took 4 zero days on the trail plus 3 days to go to Trail Days.
This was plenty for me. I didn't really enjoy zeroes & was fortunate to not have to take any for injury.
After the first couple of weeks it's all in your head anyway......... if your mind wants it enough, you will make it to Katahdin.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
Clured, go for it man! deffinitly doable for someone (a young runner) like yourself. im planning on doing something like this myself (deffinitly under 5 months) and baring any injury i dont see a problem. I've done the AT from CT to NH and havent had any problem with 20mi days. im worried about my weight at 140 aswell, but nothing a few shots of olive oil cant cure. if you want to get together for a training hike or something before april PM me or something (im in Milford CT)
good luck!
mike!
Just Gene
10-16-2006, 00:34
Hey Clured...:welcome
You can if you want :sun ... I was drawn to the physical challenge as much as for the escape... I had a wonderful time the 4 months and 2 days I was out. I thought, and still do, that 4 months is a long time to be away from life in the real world... You can spend as much time and money out there as you want... but if its a thru hike in 4 months that you have your eyes set on...its surely is possible.... Happy hiking and feel free to check out my journal from my 2006 thru hike @ www.atbound.blogspot.com (http://www.atbound.blogspot.com)
if physical exertion is what you want out of your thru-hike and you carry a light load you may even find yourself slowing down to take four months to do your hike. Remember, though, that if something goes wrong health-wise you may not be able to finish your thru-hike in time.
joedannajr
10-16-2006, 07:43
I echo the thoughts of many folks here. Why such a short time? The trail was created with the idea of being a quite place for thought. I admit the trail is a busy place, but solitude is still plentyful along its path. If being rushed in a world already too rushed world then go for it but try to do it when you have more time to enjoy.
Joe
I echo the thoughts of many folks here. Why such a short time?
The motivation for wanting to do a 4-month thru-hike was expressed eloquently by the thread starter. This thread is really about HYOH (hike your own hike) a concept with which many have trouble grappling. HYOH also means you must allow others to hike their own hike as well. The thread starter clearly understands this concept as indicated below:
I think one of the most interesting things about the concept of thru-hiking the AT is that different people are attracted to it for completely different reasons. I think many people think of the AT as a way to escape the chaos of modern life, a place to slow down and return to something more peaceful and fundamental. I understand this completely, and I can certainly see the benefits of a more leisurely trip.
At the same time, my reasons for wanting to hike the AT have more to do with the belief that there is something fundamentally valuable about personal challenge and the sense of accomplishment and ownership that comes with a job well done. I think I find the idea of a 4-month thru hike so alluring for many of the same reasons that other people would find it so unappealing. I think adversity is empowering, and in many ways the AT is the ultimate test of mental and physical fortitude. If I do the AT, this is how I want to do it.
If only everyone here and on the A.T. could reach his level of respect and appreciation for other viewpoints, everyone could coexist in peace and enjoy one another's company to a greater extent than I've sometimes seen occur.
SOG- Well said. To each his own. Best of luck to you Clured and Doodah Man. I hope you EACH enjoy your OWN hikes.:sun
Frolicking Dinosaurs
10-16-2006, 11:16
While I wouldn't want to do a thru in 4 months because I wouldn't have time to smell the roses along the way, I realize that the world looks very different at 19 than at ... hmmm... 3 times plus that age. You can certainly do this and I applaude your desire to make your current dreams come true. May you continue this for the rest of your life as your dreams, goals and what's important will change. The joy is in the journey, but everyone needs to remember that what brings us joy changes as we change. Think back to what brought you joy at age 19 and answer this question as you would have back then.
Blissful
10-16-2006, 18:31
Think back to what brought you joy at age 19 and answer this question as you would have back then.
I was into Indiana Jones and Star Wars, experimenting with alcohol at the beer parties at college (since I was "free" and also wanted friends), and thinking about the AT only on very infrequent occasions. It was actually a sad, lonely time for me.
If you're 19, free, and you wanna do the AT - good for you. Go hike the trail and don't waste your time with other junk.
The motivation for wanting to do a 4-month thru-hike was expressed eloquently by the thread starter. This thread is really about HYOH (hike your own hike) a concept with which many have trouble grappling. HYOH also means you must allow others to hike their own hike as well. The thread starter clearly understands this concept as indicated below:
If only everyone here and on the A.T. could reach his level of respect and appreciation for other viewpoints, everyone could coexist in peace and enjoy one another's company to a greater extent than I've sometimes seen occur.
Good post, Shades, and I agree whole-heartedly. clured (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=10546) is obviously a goal-driven person and derives satisfaction from pushing his limits. I say he should go for it!
Hey guys,
This is my first post on this forum, although I've been reading for some time. I've wanted to thru-hike the AT my entire life, and things have come together in the last couple of weeks that would make it financially possible in the near future, for the first time ever. This summer, I have a window of about 115 days from the middle of May to the beginning of September.
My question is simple: Is it possible to do the whole trail in 4 months? I am a 19-year-old male college student, 135 lbs, and an experienced backpacker. I am in extremely good physical condition and carry a pack with a base weight of under 10 lbs.
I have spent lots of time hiking the stretch of the AT around Standing Indian in North Carolina. How does the rest of the trail, in terms of difficulty, compare to this area? To finish, I would have to average just under 20 miles a day. I'm confident that I could manage this in the southern half of the trail, but I know very little about the northern half.
Thanks for any tips,
-Dave
Many have done the trail in four months -- a few in two months. Most take seven months. Anything is possible by strong hikers with the willpower to hike and stay out of towns.
Weary
I agree with the person that said you don't need to start the trail rushing. You don't need to hike sun up to sun down from the start. Doing that might land you at Katahdin well before your intended finish, or present you with a nasty injury. Yes you may not want to start out at 7-8 miles a day like most people (and might not need to) but you certainly don't have to do 20 miles EVERYDAY. Hiking MAY end up feeling like work, maybe not. It's best to do a moderate amount and get your body used to the daily rigors of the trail. There are plenty of times and spots for cranking mileage and this will become apparent the longer you're out. Frankly I wouldn't go crazy with the miles until you get to Kincora, Tennessee. Enjoy the scenery and the people and the miles will naturally build. The best advice I can give is to stay consistent with your mileage and limit zeros.
Traction
10-16-2006, 21:07
i was 19 when i did my thru. it took 4 months and 10 days.. with 40 + zero days. i'm no super athlete.. not even a college athlete.. not an athlete at all. I was 19! Your body won't have a problem cranking the miles.. the only challenge you'll have to conquer will be mental. Some days you'll have a blast.. some days you'll wonder why you decided to do what you're doing. You'll probably want to quit.. but when you do.. give it a couple days.. you'll find yourself having a blast again. Also.. you will be smelling the roses.. you'll be hiking.. not sitting around in a shelter or wasting money in town. Enjoy your challenge.. :banana
if you're interested check out my AT journal.. www.trailjournals.com/traction
Sounds like you know what you want. You need no advisement from anyone here. Go for it.
:welcome
I agree with LW. It is entirely possible. People online and on the trail will tell you that you're hiking too fast and couldn't possibly enjoy yourself. Which IMO is nonsense. I did the JMT this year in 15 days and had the adventure of a lifetime. I read two books, fished almost every day, took 600 pictures, and had a blast. Lots of folks do it faster. Most take longer. Folks cautioned me that my 16 day schedule was too aggressive. It's all about what YOU are after, and what YOUR schedule allows.
If I was to hike another 2000+ mile trail, I'd want to try and do it in a 4 month timeframe. Being away from my family for 5-6 months is simply out of the question. Anyway, this Whiteblaze member is a hiker, not a camper. It's all about using the daylight hours to maximum advantage.
Have fun!
Johnny Swank
10-17-2006, 15:09
I was 19 when I first thought about thru-hiking, but didn't actually do the hike until I was 30. Don't be me. Get on the AT, hike your own hike, and enjoy yourself.
Go for it Clured. Sounds like you're already in good shape and can do the miles.
You're going to have to "hike your own hike" though. It's been said over and over, thru-hiking the AT is a social event. You will make lots of friends along the way. It may be difficult separating yourself from many of them, which you will have to do, when you set this pace.
I knew a couple of hikers in 2000 with plans just like yours, but ran out of time. One of the reasons was they enjoyed hanging with their trail families. It just happens.
This is a good thing, not a bad thing.
Hike your own hike, go for it. Enjoy. A four month thru-hike is quite an accomplishment. So is a six month hike after graduation. Both would be awesome.
Clured: I'm sure you've already seen this site, and it's been posted in a littany of threads alreay but this guy did the AT in 95 days averaging 23 per day. http://www.andrewskurka.com He has some decent lightweight gear lists and calorie consumption guidelines/ideas. Something to look over as he appears to be the same body type as you (young college age runner ~140lbs.). Good Luck, keep us updated on your plans.
The motivation for wanting to do a 4-month thru-hike was expressed eloquently by the thread starter. This thread is really about HYOH (hike your own hike) a concept with which many have trouble grappling. HYOH also means you must allow others to hike their own hike as well. The thread starter clearly understands this concept as indicated below:
If only everyone here and on the A.T. could reach his level of respect and appreciation for other viewpoints, everyone could coexist in peace and enjoy one another's company to a greater extent than I've sometimes seen occur.
I wish I had said that!!
Good call, Shades. am 59 and aiming at '09, so my goals are not the same as other folks; nor are theirs the same as mine.
tha
While the destination is the goal, the journey is the reward; you might enjoy it for as little or as long as you choose.
Boat Drinks
10-28-2006, 12:21
This is the first journal I ever read. This guy was on a mission with many "marathon" days and few if any zero days. He answers e-mail if you have any questions. Nice guy.
http://www.geocities.com/joegamehike/journal.html
Brrrb Oregon
10-28-2006, 18:51
First of all--Thanks everyone for the comments, great stuff here.
I think one of the most interesting things about the concept of thru-hiking the AT is that different people are attracted to it for completely different reasons. I think many people think of the AT as a way to escape the chaos of modern life, a place to slow down and return to something more peaceful and fundamental. I understand this completely, and I can certainly see the benefits of a more leisurely trip.
At the same time, my reasons for wanting to hike the AT have more to do with the belief that there is something fundamentally valuable about personal challenge and the sense of accomplishment and ownership that comes with a job well done. I think I find the idea of a 4-month thru hike so alluring for many of the same reasons that other people would find it so unappealing. I think adversity is empowering, and in many ways the AT is the ultimate test of mental and physical fortitude. If I do the AT, this is how I want to do it.
That being said, Kerosene got me thinking about the weight issues. Indeed, one of my biggest concerns is keeping my weight from falling too low, which would be bad in the short term in that it would affect my mileage and in the long term because it could damage my athletic career back at school. My coach would not be happy if I showed up at 125. I'm still pretty light right now from the road racing season in the summer, and I will probably bulk up to around 145 by the time I start my hike. Assuming I get 4-5000 calories a day, how much weight can I expect to lose?
Thanks all, Dave.
Your coach isn't going to be happy if you come off the trail with overuse injuries, either. Your AT hike could enhance your next athletic season, or detract from it. Considerations for your next athletic season could enhance your time on the AT or detract from it. These might happen in ways you did not plan on. This is why I did no off-season downhill skiing while I was running competitively. I had healthy joints, and I wanted to keep it that way. It wasn't as if my competitive years were going to last forever.
It was a great idea to get opinions here, but you'd better talk to your coach, your trainer, or both, and prioritize your goals. In the end, it's your decision, of course, but gather your information from all sides.
This is the first journal I ever read. This guy was on a mission with many "marathon" days and few if any zero days. He answers e-mail if you have any questions. Nice guy.
http://www.geocities.com/joegamehike/journal.html
I just looked over this guys journal. His schedule proves my point exactly, and is a perfect formula for doing the trail in the 100-120 day range. He starts at modest mileage, and stays consisting, taking few days off and limiting town stops, while slowly upping the mileage. Thats the way to do it, IMO
Butch Cassidy
10-28-2006, 22:56
Two of My hiker friends from 05 did the trail in 4 and 1/2 months. I hiked the last month with them and no super long days. They're in their mid sixties!! Ican and Seneca. Ican has a journal on Trailjournals. They even took several days off. I actually thought the trail went on just a little too long anyway. 4 months for someone who can pull it off might be just right. :-?
I say go for it. You are obviously in great shape and have a good backpacking background. Set up a plan that will allow you to finish in your allowed time, but don't be afraid to alter it. If the thru-hike becomes no fun because you are pushing for the big miles, slow down the pace. Even if you don't finish you will have had one of the greatest 4 month experiences possible. I do understand that completing the trail in a season is a very big goal, but why wait until later for a thru-hike attempt if it's possible now?
I actually thought the trail went on just a little too long anyway. 4 months for someone who can pull it off might be just right.:-?
The idea of taking much longer than 4 months doesn't appeal to me, but people should take as long they need.
garyhebert
11-16-2007, 00:20
Mar 1,2007 - June 30, 2007
Finished with 6 NOBOS with slightly longer time frame.
Its not for everyone. But we all loved it. The pace was fine. The miles were fine. Most agreed if we did it again we'd hike just as many miles ea. day but plan more time for zeros in town to really kick back then crank again.
checkout www.trailjournals.com/fedex (http://www.trailjournals.com/fedex)
or checkout guthook, groovasauraus, fruitfly, the goodfellas
T-mac, Woodstock and others all similar pace.
(The front of the 2007 NOBO pack)
Clured, the guy who posted this question last October (about the possibility of hiking the AT in 4 months), has since posted here at WB since he got done with his thru-hike this year. He ended up doing the trail in 84 days! I am confused about one thing, though. In the post starting this thread he mentioned he was already an experienced backpacker, having done a lot of hiking in the area around Standing Indian Mountain. But in his recent post (it's post #60 in the recent thread, "Time on Trail" -- sorry I don't know how to link to it) he states that before this year's thru-hike he had "zero" backpacking experience. Odd.
CoyoteWhips
11-16-2007, 09:04
In the post starting this thread he mentioned he was already an experienced backpacker, having done a lot of hiking in the area around Standing Indian Mountain. But in his recent post (it's post #60 in the recent thread, "Time on Trail" -- sorry I don't know how to link to it) he states that before this year's thru-hike he had "zero" backpacking experience. Odd.
I'm going for benefit of the doubt and putting it down to perspective. What seems like a lot of experience before a thruhike can look like almost none after.
When I look back at his first post, he says he has a lot of time "hiking". That's not necessarily backpacking.
I don't get it if you hike you carrier something with you right if its not a pack its your shirt or coat to me any thing on your back is back packing:confused: :confused:
The OP asks two questions: can the trail be done in less than four months, and what's the rest of the trail like compared to Standing Indian Mountain.
In response to the first question, the answer is, of course. It's been done many times. That's not to say it's an easy, desirable or pleasant thing to do, but it certainly can and has been done in less than four months. Mostly by young folks, or at least, very fit folks.
My response the second question... it's been many years since I climbed Standing Indian, but I recall it being easy and quite nicely graded at least on the northbound ascent. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the toughest that the AT has to offer) I'd give it a 3 or 4.
Clured, the guy who posted this question last October (about the possibility of hiking the AT in 4 months), has since posted here at WB since he got done with his thru-hike this year. He ended up doing the trail in 84 days! I am confused about one thing, though. In the post starting this thread he mentioned he was already an experienced backpacker, having done a lot of hiking in the area around Standing Indian Mountain. But in his recent post (it's post #60 in the recent thread, "Time on Trail" -- sorry I don't know how to link to it) he states that before this year's thru-hike he had "zero" backpacking experience. Odd.
Hey map man,
From the other thread: " I learned quickly to lie and say that I had lots of experience just to get the naysayers off my back that told me that it was impossible."
Whenever I brought this up my friends I would get laughed at, and I wanted some advice beyond the "get some experience first" line.
Cheers,
DQ
maxNcathy
11-16-2007, 11:03
Dave, carry some cash..buy food from hikers the night before they hitch hike in to some resupply point..many hikers carry an excess of food and still have perfect grub to spare as they reach town..thus you could save lots of time for hiking and not have to waste time hitch hiking getting in and out of towns.
Also find food in hiker boxes.
dessertrat
11-16-2007, 11:09
SGT Rock and Shades of Gray--Thanks so much for the advice.
It seems clear to me that if I am going to complete the trail in 110-115 days, I can't rely on any kind of schedule or itinerary that is based on shelters or landmarks. .
From reading Earl Shaffer's trail journal of his 99 day SOBO hike, that is exactly what he did. He would most often just go until dark and sleep on the side of the trail. Of course he had no tent to pitch, and would usually start a fire, apparently.
It also seems that if you try to time this so that the 115 days you are using are the longest days-- that is, about 57 days before June 21 and 57 days after-- then you will of course have the most daylight to work with.
I've long had a question in mind and this seems to be the thread to bring it up on.
It's often noted that a malaise or fatigue sets in during the last month or 6 weeks of the typical 6 month long thru hike. I suspect, but don't know, that this might be more a function of the time spent on the hike (and therefore, time spent away from real world friends and family or other interests) and not the actual miles hiked. If this is true, or even if it isn't, do the folks who finish their thru in say, 4.5 months, experience less of this malaise?
Ideally, I'd like to hear from someone who has done the whole trail in 6 months and also completed it in 4 or 5 months. How did the hikes compare physically? How about mentally?
CoyoteWhips
11-16-2007, 11:56
I don't get it if you hike you carrier something with you right if its not a pack its your shirt or coat to me any thing on your back is back packing:confused: :confused:
Well, if that's the case, I'm backpacking right this second!
Thoughtful Owl
11-16-2007, 12:41
Clured,
If it is a record you are trying to set, you might want to check out Mike Sandlin's record of TH in 66 days at http://www.extremeultrarunning.com/at2001/index.htm though the link is for ultrarunning he hiked the trail.
or check out David Horton's record of running the trail in 52 days 9 hours and 41 minutes at the same site.
I know Horton and he is just an altrarunner not really an AT nut.
Clured,
If it is a record you are trying to set, you might want to check out Mike Sandlin's record of TH in 66 days at http://www.extremeultrarunning.com/at2001/index.htm though the link is for ultrarunning he hiked the trail.
or check out David Horton's record of running the trail in 52 days 9 hours and 41 minutes at the same site.
I know Horton and he is just an altrarunner not really an AT nut.
Yeah, I can't even imagine those paces. Those guys are incredible; as hard as 84 days was, 66 or 52 must be just relentless. Were they supported?
Lone Wolf
11-16-2007, 14:24
Yeah, I can't even imagine those paces. Those guys are incredible; as hard as 84 days was, 66 or 52 must be just relentless. Were they supported?
yes they were supported
Yeah, I can't even imagine those paces. Those guys are incredible; as hard as 84 days was, 66 or 52 must be just relentless. Were they supported?
Yep. Both were supported.
The trail records (esp. for the longer trails like the AT,PCT, Colo Trail, etc.)are typically done with a support crew in the tradition of ultra runs.
The current AT record holder is Andrew Thompson at 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050805/COLUMNISTS21/50805002/-1/opinion
As with others, he did it with a support crew.
Not a traditional thru-hike, but an incredible experience it seems.
It's often noted that a malaise or fatigue sets in during the last month or 6 weeks of the typical 6 month long thru hike. I suspect, but don't know, that this might be more a function of the time spent on the hike (and therefore, time spent away from real world friends and family or other interests) and not the actual miles hiked.
Speaking for myself: I tend to grow weary of any hike somewhere around the 90% marker. Regardless of whether it's for a weekend or ten days, or multiple weeks. Strange how that goes.
As for thru hikes, I think there's often an issue of poor nourishment as well, which begins to manifest near the end of the hike.
Speaking for myself: I tend to grow weary of any hike somewhere around the 90% marker. Regardless of whether it's for a weekend or ten days, or multiple weeks. Strange how that goes.
As for thru hikes, I think there's often an issue of poor nourishment as well, which begins to manifest near the end of the hike.
Yep, I agree. I think this may be especially true on the AT because of the surprising difficulty of west Maine; you stumble out of the Whites and into Gorham, and you think the hard stuff is over, and that expectation makes the next two or three days absolutely brutal. I also hit a real low point around mile 1500 in MA.