5 Month window in '05

[bagheera]

I can wrestle 5mths away from life beginning early April '05. I am in decent hiking shape now (I am a Park Ranger and get paid to hike...:jump ) I'm looking for some basic adive on setting my schedule to reach Katadin...

Thanks!

[Mags]

Wow! Another People's Republic kinda person. :jump

A 5 month pace is very doable if you are in good shape limit your zero mileage days.

My best piece of advice is to be consistent in your mileage and try to avoid towns. A favorite tactic of many is to do "nero" days. Camp outside of town, go in the following day, do all your town chores, eat some yummy food, camp just outside of town. Towns tend to be the place where people lose many days and have a much longer thru-hike than they plan for!

I also advise going as light as possible in your comfort zone. By going light you can increase your pace without even doing anything dramatic. A mere .5 mph faster on your pace means an extra 5 miles a hiking day! (Over a typical 10 hr of hiking). That's 35 miles extra per week.

The main advice though is to have a blast! Enjoy the hike....you'll never forget it.

If you want to pick my brain in person, feel free to e-mail me.

[TedB]

Figure out your target pace:
2170 miles / (5 months * 30 days per month) = 14.5 miles per day

Pick out a landmark, and figure out a target arrival date. For example:
Damascus, VA at 456 miles
456 miles / 14.5 miles per day = 32 days

Add a few extra days, since you'll be getting into shape some during the start. This is probably less so for a park ranger, but you'll still notice a difference.

Then just start your hike. Once you reach Damascus, see how you are doing. If you are going too fast, slow down. If you are going too slow, speed up. If you like your pace just fine, then don't worry about it.

Find the next landmark and repeat. Nothing to it.

As far as day to day goes, just listen to your body. If you feel like a zero day, take a hero day. If you like hiking some miles, then hike some miles. For the first few weeks I recommend you avoid thinking about schedules and mileage as much as possible.

Have a wonderful hike.

[bagheera]

Thanks Ted and Mags...

Yes I am from 30 square miles surrounded by reality (I love Boulder)

I appreciate the advice and comments...
"As far as day to day goes, just listen to your body. If you feel like a zero day, take a hero day"
not so sure I am up for the hero days but I'll give it my best:)

I guess I don't want to get caught in the "must make miles" mindset, but still want to do it all. I like the one landmark at a time concept it breaks it into reasonably obtainable chunks

Mags I will probably take you up on the brain picking as the time grows closer

Again thanks!

Bagheera

[TakeABreak]

One way I found to do the extra miles and still be comfortable is to really look the exact weight of each and every item in you pack. I weighted everything to the 10th of an ounce, sounds anal retentive, but remember this it take the same amount of energy to carry 2lbs 2000 miles as it does to 2000 lbs 2 miles.

The camping just before or just outside towns is good idea, or walk into town early in the day stay at a hostel, get every thing done that day and leave out by noon the next. You get a bit of a rest without taking a day off.

I also found that taking it one mail drop at a time was helpful also, I made the mistake of looking at a map of the whole trail in damascus, it stuck with for weeks until I started concentrating on the mail drops.

If you want to know what my gear was you can also email me directly.

[Mausalot]

The main subject of our documentary (http://homepage.newschool.edu/~at2k/)finished in 4 months and 1 week. I echo much of what people said here: go lightweight, be careful of too many zero days and town distractions. Chad also was a runner and I'd suggest that running sort of prep will help. His routine was amazing. Get up early and knock off 20 miles before 1pm, set up in a shelter and chill for the rest of the day. Shelter living (not for me as the crowding and the snoring drives me crazy) does give you mileage goals and an easier camp set up.

However, many words of caution. You are potentially setting yourself up for injury if you push your body too far just to make mileage -- you really have to listen to your body, and certainly start the trail slow and as trite as it sounds, meet it on its own terms. Training a lot will help as will having your gear well tried out. Overdo the lightweight thing, and you could end up without certain gear you need which will ultimately slow you down. (Chad's packing list is here (http://homepage.newschool.edu/~at2k/light.htm)). Also, of course it is very doable to reach Mt. K in 5 months, you should see if there is any way to give yourself a little wiggle room or perhaps find another two/three weeks later in the season to finish (flip/flopping is possible if this has to happen.)

Cameraman:dance 2000 Miles to Maine: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (http://homepage.newschool.edu/~at2k/)

[Peaks]

5 months is ample time to do the AT. The reason that so many take longer is zero days.

Depending on your progress, even with only 5 months, there is still time for zero days, if you want to take them. (Myself, I favor neros rather than zeros.)

I suggest that you make a baseline schedule for 5 months, and then just be sure that you either stay on schedule, or ahead of schedule.

Day to day mileage can vary for numerous reasons. So, I suggest that you set of goal of 100 miles per week, and work towards that.

All to many people have deadlines, and as result, rush through Maine in order to meet their deadline. Too bad. I'd suggest that hikers get off to a better start than rush the end of their hike.

Several ways that you can help make your 5 months goal. First, do shakedown hikes so you can start with the gear you need for the long haul. Too many start with too much, or gear too heavy. Also, be in shape for backpacking. That will make the first weeks much easier.

[Haiku]

I finished my hike 1 day shy of five months: 1 March to 30 July, 2004 (152 days). I took a total of 17 zero days, 9 of which were when I went to Trail Days and Hardcore. 20 days I hiked between 0 and 10 miles, and 30 days I hiked between 10 and 15 miles. By the time I reached Virginia I could easily go into a town, buy the food that I needed, and hike out, and still hike around 15 miles for the day. By the end of Virginia and north, I could hike into a town, do the shopping I needed to do, hang around for hours checking email or eating, and hike out and still get 15 miles in. Once you get stronger you can easily hike 15 miles before noon, so you get into town and stay at a hostel all afternoon and evening, and hang around in the morning, and then hike out. You'll still feel very rested after three big meals, and still hike 15 miles each day.

I don't mean that you have to push yourself all the time - just that it's possible. Like I said, I took 17 zeroes. Many people I started with finished a week or two ahead of me because they didn't go to Trail Days. Anyway, it's very possible to finish your hike in five months. Good luck!

Haiku.

[MileMonster]

I agree, 5 mo's is certainly do-able. And you don't have to kill yourself. It's really up to you. Zero's make all the difference. My mom, Double Nickels, and I finished in 125 days, including 4 zero's. We tried to set up town days to happen after at least 10 miles of hiking, and preferbly less than 15. That way we got a good half-day in, then were in town by lunch. We had time to do chores, shop, sight see (a little), relax, and eat lunch, dinner, and breakfast. We enjoyed when were in town, but we never felt the "pull of town." We stayed in the famous towns and hostels and had a great time but we were always happy to be headed out on the trail the next morning. So, it was easy for us to stay out of town. That was just our style and what we liked. Everyone is different. You don't have to kill yourself with big miles to manage it in 5 months, though. Just be steady. But then, that's just one man's opinion. Don't let the thought "I only have 5 months" keep you from it, though. You can do it comfortably and enjoyably in that amount of time.

[eyahiker]

I think you should go out and get the movie TREK (http://www.cirquevideo.com/), it's great inspiration, and an exceptionally done vid.

I actually picked up quite a few good ideas from the guys mistakes, you can follow them through the entire hike, which makes this a unique and thorough, as well as entertaining video. Doesn't leave you 'hanging' about some of the hikers like most vids do.

Happy trails!
:jump