View Full Version : To finish within 5 month ?
Roee Dotan
03-23-2004, 11:53
Once again I need your help friends.
I need all your tips that might help me finish the trail within 5 month or even less if there is a possibility.
How many hours a day I have to walk, at what time to start and stop walking.
Once in how many days should I take a day off ?
I should not sleep at all in towns ?
Etc.
Thanks again for the help guys, Roee.
Once again I need your help friends.
I need all your tips that might help me finish the trail within 5 month or even less if there is a possibility.
How many hours a day I have to walk, at what time to start and stop walking.
Once in how many days should I take a day off ?
I should not sleep at all in towns ?
Etc.
Thanks again for the help guys, Roee.
I walked the trail in 5.5 months and took about 24-25 days off. I was also a fat bastard when I started my hike.
If you take advantage of the daylight, and try and walk 10-12-14 hours every day, you could easily do the trail in 5 months.
What I would not do is try and do big mile days your first few weeks, unless you are already in excellent shape. You might want to try and walk 7-8 hours a day the first week, extend that a bit in the following week, and so on. By mid-June, you'll have nearly 16 hours of daylight to hike in.
Many hikers choose a destination in the morning, and stop when they reach it regardless of the time. I have found that those who choose to walk until it is nearly dark, tend to move along the trail faster.
Little Bear
GA-ME 2000
You could always get Desert Lobster to set pace for you and you'd knock it out in just OVER 48 days, 20 hours and 11 minutes.
If that's still a little too slow, contact Wayne Doyle.
Hey, if I could do it that fast, I'd try. I might could do Maryland in that amount of time though!
:rolleyes:
TJ aka Teej
03-23-2004, 14:29
How many hours a day I have to walk, at what time to start and stop walking.
Once in how many days should I take a day off ?
I should not sleep at all in towns ?
Etc.
Thanks again for the help guys, Roee.
Hours is a tough variable to pin down, Roee. Your miles per hour will change all the time. But for miles per day, here's a great tool by Tom Janofsky that lets you plug in start dates, days off, etc. Hope this helps some.
http://www.tomjanofsky.com/at/
Example: Start May 1st, hike an *average* of 13.26 miles per day, taking 10 zero days, and you will finish Oct 1st - five months later.
I'll echo MOWGLI and advise you not to push yourself too hard at the start unless you are in reasonable shape when you start. Just to throw out some numbers, I'll assume that 5 months is 150 days. This means you have to average 14.3 miles per day (not per hiking day) to finish in 5. In order to account for zero days, neros, and half days off, you'll want to shoot for something on the order of 17-18 miles per hiking day. Assuming you do not get injured, this should be very doable. On my section hike from Springer to Damascus in 2002 I averaged about 17 miles per day. On my PCT thruhike in 2003, I averaged about 25 a day, due to better conditioning, a lighter load, and a different hiking style. Here are some tips that might help you extend your mileage while still enjoying the experience.
1) Get in shape before hand. By "in shape", I do not mean marathon status. If you have no current injuries or problems, try running. Get yourself a reasonable pair of shoes and start slowly, but consistently. Ten miles a week is good, fifteen better, twenty outstanding. The idea is not so much to build up muscle or cardio, but rather to toughen your body to help prevent injuries, such as shin-splints, knee pair, and numb feet. Start the process as soon as possible.
2) Lighten up your load. If you can get your base weight (everything except food, water, and fuel) down to under 14 lbs, your hike will probably go smoother. One reason is that a lighter load allows you to hike longer in the day. There are lots of resources for moving to a light load and there are several good threads on this forum about it. An easy way is to look at other's gear lists to get an idea of what to do. Then, think things through, start converting slowly, and get used to your new gear. Take a look at http://mypage.iu.edu/~chwillet/travel/PCT to see what I carried on the PCT. This is similar to what I'd take on the AT.
3) Switch to running shoes. With a light load, there isn't much of a reason to wear boots, particularly if you've been running, as it builds strong ankles. I'd had about four blisters in around 3500 miles of hiking in running shoes.
4) Hike early, hike late. For starters, try getting up with the sun, or shortly there after. Have cold breakfasts instead of cooking to help you get out quicker. An early start not only means cooler weather in which to hike, but also that you now have a ton of time to spend hiking. Animals are more active and trails are quiet, giving you company and solitude at the same time. When you start out, have the idea of hiking till, say, 4 or 5 pm. Assuming a 7 am start, this gives you 9-10 hours of hiking time during the day. Axe out, say, 2 hours worth of breaks, leaving you with 7-8 hours of walking time. Assuming a 2 mile per hour gait, this puts you at 14-16 miles per day, close enough to your average. After the first few weeks, start extending your hiking day. Rather than stopping at 4 or 5, try stopping for an hour in the late afternoon and cooking dinner. Have a nice hour long break, eat, relax, recharge. Then hike on for another few hours in the cool dusk air. The hours between 6 and 8 are great for hiking as the temperature goes down, the trails empty out (sometimes) and the
animals are back again. A standard day for me last summer was to start hiking at 6 am and finish around 8 or 9, with about 3 hours of total break time during the day. I walk at about 3 miles per hour and would cover somewhere between 30 and 35 miles during a normal day. The most important thing, though, is to be consistent. Do not (DO NOT) hike hard one day, pushing past what you can do, and then spend a couple of days going slow. Shoot for a consistent mileage and do not go beyond what you are comfortable with unless you have a really good reason.
5) Extend your range. Rather than stop at every possible resupply place, look to resupply every 100 or so miles and try to minimize hitching. Buy as you go rather than sending mail drops. The fewer races with POs, the better. But, more importantly, by buying as you go, you won't under or over estimate how much food you need: Calorie requirements are dependent upon miles hiked. Extending your range also keeps costs down (less town time), but you might miss some of the trail culture of the AT. For example, hike from Walasi-Yi to NOC straight. This is longer than a lot of people do, but not very hard. Hike from Fontana straight to Hot Springs, rather than stopping in Gatlinburg or Mountain Momas.
6) Take a zero when you want to, but neros are great also. A nero, by the way, is a near-zero day. For example, wake up three miles from town, hike in and spend the rest of the day and night there, leaving early the next morning. Or, hiking in in the evening, staying the night, most of the next day, and leaving in the evening. Half days are also great restorers. I had 7 days off on the PCT, a few neros, a few half days. If you want to average, say, 15 miles per hiking day, then try hiking 18 miles per day for five days. You have now "earned" a day off. With the day off, you'll have covered the same distance as if you have hiked all 6 days at 15 per day.
7) Hike your own hike. This is your trip, not someone else's. Hiking in a group is a good way to make friends and to lose friends. Hiking alone, but camping together or near by, is a good way to pile up miles enjoyably. You get to walk at your own pace, take breaks when you want, eat when you want, stop when you want, etc, etc.
If you don't feel like taking a day off, you don't have to, even though your friends are. Remember that almost everyone on the trail will be your friend. The trail is long, so don't worry about getting out of touch for good.
8) Put as little structure on your hike as possible. React to situations rather than trying to plan for every thing that might arrise. The point is to have fun. The more structure you put on your hike, the greater chance there is that you will let the plan interfere with the hike. Being as free as possible will help keep your mind healthy, and that, in the long run, is more important than physical health. Perhaps averging 14.3 miles a day isn't for you. Maybe 12 is better. Don't be a slave! Maybe 20 will work for you. Don't be a slave! Do not limit yourself and do not squander time by spending it in an unhappy state.
Roee Dotan
03-23-2004, 15:39
Thanks for the help guys !!
Switch to running shoes. With a light load, there isn't much of a reason to wear boots, particularly if you've been running, as it builds strong ankles. I'd had about four blisters in around 3500 miles of hiking in running shoes.
Boots v. "running shoes" isn't cut and dried. Experiment if you can with both boots and "running shoes". You might find that you prefer boots. You may find that ankle support, keeping out stones and scree, not feeling every rock and stone (someone here called this "sole intrusion") are important to you. Or, maybe not.
Good quality, well-fitting boots aren't any more prone to blisters. I've hiked in "running shoes" that gave me blisters and hurt like hell. Good quality, well-fitting boots may be more comfortable for you than "running shoes"
I myself always seem to notice that my feet hurt way before I notice how light or heavy my shoes are. I always seem to notice extra weight on my back before I notice extra weight on my feet.
Kozmic Zian
03-23-2004, 17:24
;) Yea.....Chris. A very well worded and thought out entry. Thanks for the forethought and consideration. I think all of us benefit from this kind of advice. If you read, and study these forums you can learn, no matter how many miles you have under your belt.
Chris's post is good.
First, decide what your goals and objectives are for the hike. If you want to complete in 5 months, then that probably means limiting the number of zeros days. As he suggested, do nero's instead. Second, get up in the morning and get going. There is time for a hot breakfast if that's what you want. But, in May, June, and July, it gets light early. So, take advantage of it. Third, don't get caught up with a group that feels that they need to stick together. Hike your own hike.
Finally, if all you have is 5 months, enjoy your self out there. And if you don't get to Katahdin, so be it.
Sorry I can't give you an exact time to get up in the morning, or how many hours you need to hike each day, or how often you can take a day off. The variables are too great. But, if all you have is 22 weeks, then you should set a goal of 100 miles per week. Probably this is to ambitious to start with. But, if you set a goal of 70 miles per week through Georgia, 84 miles per week through Tennessee and North Carolina, and 105 miles per week through Virginia to Connecticut, and then back a little, you will get there in 5 months.
Roee Dotan
03-23-2004, 20:12
I have only 6 month permission to stay in the USA. I definitely want to see more than just the AT. I want to see a bit of manhattan, and I also want to see a bit of vegas and the grand canyon.
So if I accomplish the trail within 5 month I will still have 1 month to see all I want.
I must say that I will think of a possibility to stop hiking after 5 month, even if I wont make it to kathadyn. What do you think ?
TJ aka Teej
03-23-2004, 21:03
I must say that I will think of a possibility to stop hiking after 5 month, even if I wont make it to kathadyn. What do you think ?
Head north from Springer to Harpers Ferry, then flip up to Katahdin and head south.
Or hike north to NYC. Or go southbound. Or see Manhatten first. Or - just get on the trail and see how things work out. When are you planning to start? This year?
sorry i gotta throw my 2 cents
Roee,
Go for it buddy! Some people choose to hike the Trail in 6, 7 or more months, and many of those folks will think you are crazy for wanting to do it in less. Many of the folks who end up taking 6 or more months end up spending a month or more of zero mile days actually sitting in town. It is all a matter of how much rest you need and what pace you feel comfortable moving at. It doesn't necessarily translate to big miles or walking quickly. Maintaining an average pace of 2 mph over a 10 hr day will equal a 20 mile day. Cut a couple hours for rests, breaks, lunch or tough terrain and you got yourself a 15 mile day easy once you are in shape. I hiked the Trail in just under 5 months including 17 zero mile days. The key for me was staying consistent and not taking many days off (9 of the days were for my brothers wedding). I had a general theory that it was smarter to stay at a consistent 20 miles or so once I was in good shape. Many hikers around me were interested in doing 30+ mile days. I figured days like that would translate into needed rest days or small days which would accomplish little. Staying over 15 miles was a lot easier. If you are a faster hiker like myself you can accomplish this in 6-8 hours, with plenty of hours to soak in the sun, views, towns and rain too. As mentioned, a lot of older hikers walked slower but put in more complete days. I can think of a few gentlemen and one woman who weren't very fast hikers. They would get up early, walk all day, stop in at the shelter to cook a meal and continue on a couple miles to camp. Most of these folks ended up finishing in 4 months. Do what makes you happy. Just be comfortable with the miles. I only averaged 11 miles a day for the first 40 days and only hiked 2 20 mile days. Its not neccessary to rush or do big miles immediately. Your body will build up strength. Whatever you decide, enjoy and know it IS possible, no matter your age, condition or anything else. The AT is all about attitude and drive/
first off, sorry for reiterating many points already made. I simply copied my respons on TJ's to here without reading the above comments.
On what Chris posted: definately agree with much of what you say, and I like your philosophy. I'm trying to adopt it this summer on the Long trail and the PCT and future trails. Not because I wish to hike more miles but simply to get the most out of the day. It is definately a misconception that people who hike faster and more miles "see less".
I must partially disagree with a bit of your theory. I see your point about stretching the range of resupply, and that may work for you, but I didn't necessarily have the same experience. an 100 mile stretch, at least on the AT is atleast a 5 day traverse even for the pretty decent in shape hiker. That translates into roughly 10+ lbs of food once your appetite arises and that is a lot of weight for someone trying to keep pack weight very low. Once I hit the Mid-Atlantic states I found it easy to resupply every 2-3 days. This resupply usually did not entail hitches or taking lots of off trail time. It is all about how dilligent you are in getting chores done. I can agree that town is a tempting way to spend a lot of the day, but if you have the will power it won't necessarily set you back too much. Also staying at many places overnight (thus allowing you to resupply often) was another easy way to not miss hiking time. I generally tried to hike 15-20+ mile days into town and then the same going back out. I generally didn't lose any hiking time this way and was still able to accomplish town goals and resupply easily. Of course, if your on a very tight budget this will be a bit more difficult.
Also, I don't necessarily recommend the big gaps in resupply early on. I hate to tell people what to do, but I found that the majority of hikers I was with found it enjoyable and rewarding to their overall experience to enjoy some early town hostel stays and pamper themselves a bit. As someone hiking to only Damascus you didn't have to preserve your body as much for the long haul. This is not a criticism in any way.
There are many fine stops early on. Hiawasee is a great town with a cheap AYCE and a cheap Holiday Inn if shared 4 ways. Incredibly friendly people and public library. I've heard outstanding things from the Blueberry Patch. Also I tend to agree with you Chris on skipping Gatlinburg. However it is not always possible/necessary to pace yourself equal distance from town stops. Standing Bear Farms is one of the friendliest places along the AT and I urge everyone passing by to stop in and say hi to Curtis and his wife, if not staying the night. i would definately stay there if I went thru again.
I was able however to get into Gatlinburg, Mtn Mommas and Standing Bear without spending a night at any. Sure the Gatlinburg hitch burned a bit of day but it was worth it to not have 6 days of grub coming up shuckstack. This might contradict my earlier point. Just proving you can experience all the trail stops and culture and not let it hold you back too much. Afterall I still finished in a pretty decent time (less than 5 months).
Moon Monster
03-24-2004, 16:03
Don't be scared of your mileage if when you get to Damascus your average is low. My daily mileage including days off was around 11 when I got to Damascus. By Katahdin, it was 15.5, meaning that I really sped up from Virginia north. and that is typical.
So, don't blow yourself out early. Be patient and know that you will accelerate later. No need to push it prior to Damascus just to finish sub-5 months.
My NOBO hike was 140 days including 14 zeros. Several of those zeros were not neccessary, they were just for fun. I only went over 30 miles in a day twice, and I took a zero after one of those, so they are not neccessary to average 15 miles a day.