View Full Version : The height of anality?
First, a disclaimer. This thing was written partly in jest, a couple of months before my attempted thru. Note the date. It's kinda ancient (as am I.) It was a decent plan but it didn't get me to Katahdin. I'm not sure any plan could have done that. I'm not looking for a gear-list critique. This thing was written in February 1990. Before the internets. Without further ado,
Functional Specification for a 2100 Mile Hike (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/at_fspec_081505.pdf)
First, a disclaimer. It's kinda ancient (as am I.)
I beg your pardon. You're only 54.
"detailed analysis"? yikes!
Made it from AFSP to about three days past Pearisburg. Stuck out my thumb, caught the yellow blaze to Blacksburg. The End.
I believe that's the first time I've come across the word "anality".:cool: Besides that, looks like you weren't jumping in blind.:)
Who was this written for?
Nobody in particular. Like I said, partly in jest. I had a couple of hiking buddies who read it and got a chuckle out of it.
You wrote all that for fun? You're a strange man... :D
I can't argue with that. ;)
Hammock Hanger
01-11-2007, 08:19
And to think I thought my totally useless daily mileage and stopping schedule was long....
You were writing a book. Are you perchance a teacher?????
peter_pan
01-11-2007, 08:30
For circa 1990.... it looks like better planning, thus better awareness than 90 percent of those who attempt a thru... Probably better awareness than 90 percent of todays attempts.... Thx for sharing.
Pan
4eyedbuzzard
01-11-2007, 09:02
It was a decent plan but it didn't get me to Katahdin. I'm not sure any plan could have done that.
The Hindenberg, the Edsel, and others were all "decent plans" too:D The only plan that ultimately works is: Put one foot in front of the other. Repeat - 5 million times. It's way to simple for us engineers.:rolleyes:
Functional Specification for a 2100 Mile Hike (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/at_fspec_081505.pdf)
I went to your homepage expecting--KNOWING that I would find SOMETHING about engineering. Took me a while to find it amongst all that la-di-da art photography stuff;) but there it was buried in the about us section. I KNEW IT!:)
Are you perchance a teacher?????
No, an engineer. Teaching sometimes appeals to me, but then I figure not really, as I have little tolerance for brats.
A heck of a lot of forethought for a nearly 17 year old manifesto... but then again you are an engineer!
I wonder just how many people in 1990 contemplated thru hiking or actually thru hiked the AT in "lightweight sneakers"?
I wonder just how many people in 1990 contemplated thru hiking or actually thru hiked the AT in "lightweight sneakers"?
FYI: the "lightweight sneakers" in the list were meant as camp shoes, but were not taken. In Gatlinburg I bought a cheap pair of moccasins for that purpose. I hiked in Fabiano Trionics and they were awesome. Most of the class o' 90 was using lighter footwear, but not running shoes or sneakers. Trionics were worn by several luminaries from class o' 89 as well (eg. Lagunatic and Jim Murray.)
There's a bunch of problems with the gear & clothing list, as written. But for the most part it was solid, heavy stuff that served well.
Made it from AFSP to about three days past Pearisburg. Stuck out my thumb, caught the yellow blaze to Blacksburg. The End.
A sizeable chunk of trail but why'd you quit early?
A sizeable chunk of trail but why'd you quit early?
Caught a heavy dose of bad attitude. Mighta had somethin' to do with traveling with LW for a while. Not blaming LW, tho. (He called it a hike in Damascus.) I could never make more than 11 miles per day long-term. Too many zeroes. I had much more fun up in the 100-mile later that year, and actually hit 15 mpd for a week straight. But even then... I bagged out in Monson. Homesick or somethin' about a woman. :rolleyes:
Lone Wolf
01-11-2007, 10:31
Mighta had somethin' to do with traveling with LW for a while. Not blaming LW, tho. I could never make more than 11 miles per day long-term. Too many zeroes.
I took the anality out of you for a little bit.
I took the anality out of you for a little bit.
Heheh. That's true. Wolf. Or at least you tried. :) Odd thing is, I do better when there's no other hikers around to compare myself to and "compete" with. I had a good time in Maine, and on most of my section hikes.
Oh my gosh!! That is SO funny! I absolutely LOVE the graph you provided w/food. Doesn't make me feel so bad about my gear weight-tracking spreadsheet now! :)
The Solemates
01-11-2007, 10:50
First, a disclaimer. This thing was written partly in jest, a couple of months before my attempted thru. Note the date. It's kinda ancient (as am I.) It was a decent plan but it didn't get me to Katahdin. I'm not sure any plan could have done that. I'm not looking for a gear-list critique. This thing was written in February 1990. Before the internets. Without further ado,
Functional Specification for a 2100 Mile Hike (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/at_fspec_081505.pdf)
By day I am a Research Engineer for one of the top Orthopedics companies in the country. Believe me, this is not anality compared with what I do all day. :)
Well, once again the AT mith of through planning will get you to Katahdin has failed.
Teripen, don't stop now. Try again while you are still young.:cool:
Well, once again the AT mith of through planning will get you to Katahdin has failed.
Teripen, don't stop now. Try again while you are still young.:cool:
Who's stopping? I never stopped. I'm seriously hoping to finish it this summer.
Myths? I never thought for a microsecond that my "plan" would get me to Katahdin. I just did it for kicks.
PS: I'll probably never attempt another "thru" of the A.T. Just finishing it will suffice. I might try the PCT or CDT if given a chance. Might try JMT for a warm-up. I hear it's nice.
trail ronin
01-22-2007, 00:23
Great pre-planning. Bravo! For me, planning and equipment selection are almost as fun as the trip itself. Almost. I'd pre-plan and hike with you anyday!
Great pre-planning. Bravo! For me, planning and equipment selection are almost as fun as the trip itself. Almost. I'd pre-plan and hike with you anyday!
Planning is good but there has to be some practice too. When I see gear lists posted (on WB or anywhere else) the first thing I wanna ask is, "So, have you actually tried this kit?" It's not entirely an intellectual exercise. Any choice has to be proven in the field.
The kit described in the PDF is awfully heavy by current standards, but it's held up well and it works. I was mostly wrong about the mail drops and about my miles-per-day estimates.
So now I'm trying to "engineer" eight or ten pounds off my base weight. I've already acquired a bunch of gear for that, but I know it's going to take a lot of practice and tweaking before I've figured out how to make it all work together and be comfortable with it.
rainmaker
01-22-2007, 21:36
Damn, I thought I was a little obsessive compulsive about planning. That was some list.
Damn, I thought I was a little obsessive compulsive about planning. That was some list.
I'm anal but I've seen worse. I didn't start my planning in earnest until about eight or nine months before my departure date. I was freshly divorced and single, and had way too much time on my hands. We've got folks here on WB happily planning thrus in 2008 and 2009. :) A lot of my "planning" consisted of weekend hikes in the Whites and other physical exercise.
Pennsylvania Rose
01-22-2007, 22:20
Wow! What a difference from my plan the exact same year. The AT was my 1st backpacking trip. I didn't decide to leave until a month before, caught a bus to Georgia, and my grand plan was to hike until my $$ or time ran out.
Wow! What a difference from my plan the exact same year. The AT was my 1st backpacking trip. I didn't decide to leave until a month before, caught a bus to Georgia, and my grand plan was to hike until my $$ or time ran out.
Did we meet? I started April 4, jumped off a few days N of Pearisburg on June 2. If we met and I'm not remembering you, my apologies... it's been a while. So did anything run out? Did you get t' the other end?
rainmaker
01-24-2007, 00:05
I'm anal but I've seen worse. I didn't start my planning in earnest until about eight or nine months before my departure date. I was freshly divorced and single, and had way too much time on my hands. We've got folks here on WB happily planning thrus in 2008 and 2009. :) A lot of my "planning" consisted of weekend hikes in the Whites and other physical exercise.
I was kidding of course. Like a lot of folk on this site, planning, for me, is part of the fun. I will start out with a prelim months before we start, revise it numerous times during the ensuing months, and finalize it shortly before we leave. And because I have reached that age where if I don't write it down , its lost, lists are also necessary, for me.
Plans are good, even if they're eventually changed. I'd never have the gumption to jump into something as involved as a thru-hike without a plan. Having considered the options beforehand, it's easier to get to plan B (or C) if plan A falls through.