View Full Version : A question of speed
I've been looking at average speeds for most people and I noticed that average mileage is around 10MPD give or take a few. My concern is that I will not be able to start until mid May of next year due to waiting to get out of the Army. I've been planning on NOBO and With Baxter closing for the winter on 15 October and also the possibilities of weather going sour that late in the year further up north ruining my chances of finishing. Now a faster pace is of no issue to me. I'm used to covering bigger distances daily anyway. But maybe I should just consider going SOBO instead? Any suggestions or input would be helpful.
hopefulhiker
07-18-2007, 05:10
I would go NOBO and then flip flop if I was running out of time.. I did this from Gorham NH just because I wanted to spend more time on the trail.. I finished Oct 23
Unless you have a fixed finishing date, SOBO would make sense. You'd have a few weeks to unwind and pull your stuff together before starting in June or July. You'd be hiking in the north during the heat of the summer. And there's no big hurry to finish by a certain date.
SOBO Pride!
Marta/Five-Leaf
Johnny Swank
07-18-2007, 06:20
SOBO Pride all the way. Start mid-late June and be done around Thanksgiving or a little later.
I've been looking at average speeds for most people and I noticed that average mileage is around 10MPD give or take a few....................etc,etc,etc,............... .......
the average for a THRU-HIKER is 12 miles per day.
but, remember...its YOUR hike....do what YOU are comfortable with...
Good Luck!:D
p.s. watch out for Hopeful Hiker...he likes feeding the ponies on Mt.Rogers
sixhusbands
07-18-2007, 08:05
SOBO is the way to go. You get to see all of the NOBO,s heading for the Whites and you know that they are behind you!
A young guy like you can do a lot more than a 10 MPD average. I'm was 66 when I thru-hiked and my average was almost 11 MPD. I think the daily average for a lot of hikers is low because of a lot of "0" days.
I would start in May and go NOBO. Keep track of your progress. If it looks like you need more time, past Oct. 15, than flip ahead to Katahdin, summit and head SOBO.
I started April 16 and got to Duncannon on July 13. Took a week off, summited Katahdin on July 21 and headed SOBO. I still finished in Duncannon on Oct 14.
My only regret was not finishing my thru on the top of Katahdin but at the Doyle Hotel.
Time To Fly 97
07-18-2007, 09:05
I summitted Katahdin on October 23rd in 97. In the northern sections you may be doing 10-12 miles per day because of the terrain. However, you can do much more than this MPD average everywhere else. Northern VA to CT is relatively flat - you can do 20 miles per day if you want.
You served in the Army, so you should have a little discipline : ) Try to make it happen, but if you get delayed (or you are having too much fun to rush), do a flip flop.
Although I haven't tried the alternatives, I think summitting Katahdin is a great way to finish.
Happy hiking!
TTF
Unless you're really fast, I'd suggest a flip. I started north from Waynesboro, VA on June 10th last year and was right in the middle of the pack of NOBOs (I was going to flip, too, but ended up having to get off the trail in NH). From what I heard from some late starters last year, you're not going to have much company down south until you catch up to the NOBOs, most of whom will have started over a month before you.
Johnny Swank
07-18-2007, 10:42
The only issue with flipping is that you'll more than likely miss the SOBO "pack" on the way down. True - you'll have the trail to yourself, but if you enjoyed all the social stuff with the NOBO's, it'll be a shock to be by your lonesome.
Not that there's a large squad of SOBO's in the first place, but start mid June in Maine and you'll have your choice of hiking partners if you so choose.
Either way - have fun. Any direction (or both) is better than sitting in my office right now.
The more I'm thinking and reading about it I think SOBO is the way to go. Minus the dramatic ending of being NOBO, the time issue seems to work better and I was leary about the crowds being NOBO. So maybe thats where I'll wind up. And either way does sound better. Alot better than sitting here in Baghdad!
wesxero,
Thank you for your service.
Others here with more AT hiking experience than I have are in a better position to advise you on whether you'd be better off going NOBO or SOBO, but some research that I have done on hiking rates in different sections of the AT does lead me to believe that a NOBO hike starting mid-May is "doable."
The numbers I'm going to throw around here are from an article you can find in the articles section on the left-hand side of the WB homepage labeled "Hiking Rates, by Section." The "typical" NOBO completing thru-hiker in this study took around 168 days (about 5.5 months) with 20 zero days. That "typical" hiker averaged 14.7 miles per HIKING day (ignoring zero days) to get to Katahdin (averaging around 10 miles per day in the earliest days and increasing to as much as 17 miles per day later in the hike). If you simply averaged one more mile per day than that "typical" hiker and cut your zero days down from around twenty to about a dozen (and neither of these things are likely to be huge hardships) you could thru-hike in 150 days. If you left Springer on May 15 that would put you on Katahdin Oct. 12 -- that's late, but it gets you there while overnight camping is still allowed (on Oct. 15 and before) in Baxter State Park. And what's more, the typical thru-hiker who starts in mid-April or later avoids some weather delays that hikers starting in March often run into. That later starting group of hikers typically takes 7 to 10 days less than earlier starting hikers. So taking all those things together, a young fit guy like you is capable of doing a NOBO in 150 days or less without having to feel rushed.
An earlier poster mentioned that you might not be amongst many other thru-hikers if you start NOBO in mid-May, but judging by all the trail journals I've glanced through at Trailjournals.com every year there are quite a few college students (or just-graduated students) who start in May after their school year is over, so there should be other thru-hikers similar in age to you in your vicinity in the early days of your hike.
A NoBo hike starting in May is possible *IF* you are physically and mentally prepared for it.
Few 1st time thru-hikers can (or want) to do this pace. I don't suggest a 4 mo hike or less for a first thru-hike. A 5mo thru-hike is cutting it a little close for cold New England weather.
If you have the time, a SoBo hike is probably best.
Just my opinion.
stranger
07-24-2007, 01:46
10 miles per day would be a very low average for a thru-hiker based on what I've seen over the years.
wesxero,
A late May start from Springer will put you in the southern half of the trail during the hot summer months. Water availability could be troublesome, depending on the year/weather. You'll be well behind the wave of hikers. Shelters will be less crowded than if you started in March or April. The first group you catch-up to will likely be the party-hardy (party-hearty) crowd. If you get drawn into this group, you will likely have to flip-flop if you wish to finish before 15 October. But a strong, fit young man, with the discipline of a soldier, could blow-by the party crowd and finish before Baxter closes to overnight camping.
A late May start from Katadyn will put you in in blackfly country, during the peak of their season. Depending on the year/weather you could have to wait until early June before the Trail to the summit opens. You'll be hiking the northern half of the trail during the hot summer months. The first waves of foks you encounter will be strong, disciplined hikers, intent on completing their goal. They will be less likely to hang-out and party in town. Water availability in the north is pretty good. Late summer rains may have replenished the supply in the south, by the time you get there. A strong, fit young man, with the discipline of a soldier could reach Springer before Thanksgiving. If you've been in Baghdad for a year, your family wants you home for the holidays.
There are pros and cons to each. Only you can make the best choice. Thanks for your service to our country. Have a great thru-hike!
7Sisters
07-24-2007, 06:01
I agree with Roland's perspective (and thanks for serving).
I would offer that you have an advantage of coming onto the trail in good shape and therefore not be warded off by the 10 mpd quote. Part of what drives down this number so much is the number of zero and nero (near zero) days that people hike. This is also what drives up the cost of so many thru hikes.
So the question to you becomes what do you want out of your hike? Do you want to spend a night in town every 14 days, every 5 days or something in between. When you're on the trail, it's very reasonable for a fit strong hiker to average 18-19 miles per day. Use that along with the how frequent you want to be off the trail to determine how many total days it will take to hike the AT.
Stay safe on duty and godspeed.