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bradm
07-07-2010, 19:53
I am young, healthy, and in really good shape. Is it possible to thru hike the AT in three months? Any feedback is appreciated.

10-K
07-07-2010, 19:55
Do the math..... Roughly 24.25 miles a day with no zeros.

The Old Fhart
07-07-2010, 20:04
It is also possible to thru hike the trail in 2 months but you have to ask yourself why you would want to do it. Most of the hikers who I've met that have done the trail in approximately 100 days have said they wished they had taken more time and enjoyed themselves more. If 3 months is all the time you can afford to allot for the A.T., then go for it. After you've been on the trail for a while you may find that you want to slow down, or you might find you enjoy hiking the A.T. faster than most.

bradm
07-07-2010, 20:06
I wish I could take more time. Unfortunately, I am a college student and we have roughly three months of summer vacation. That is all the time I have to complete it

YoungMoose
07-07-2010, 20:13
why dont you wait to complete college. thats my plan im going to finish highschool. go to college, finish it. then i will thruhike. After i thruhike i will then get a job.

Mags
07-07-2010, 20:31
Most people who do that kind of mileage are experienced thru-hikers with lightpacks and in good physical shape.

Not to bust beans, but if you have to ask the question, it is probably not a pace you'd be comfortable with.

Hiking all day can be awesome. It is the mileage I average on my longer hikes since 2004 and I've enjoyed them thoroughly...but I also knew what I was getting into. :)

If I were you, get a practice hike in and see if you can do that pace and enjoy it. The Benton MacKaye Trail and Vermont's Long Trail are both roughly the same length and difficulty. If you can do one of those trails in two weeks and still have an enjoyable experience, then you may enjoy the AT at this pace.

Good luck!

fiddlehead
07-07-2010, 20:40
Go out and see if you can do Georgia in 4 days.
That will give you a good indication of whether you can do that whole trail in 3 months.
Many can do it.
Few actually do.
Up to you!

Sierra Echo
07-07-2010, 20:43
That just sounds unpleasant to me.
I want to take my time and enjoy nature. I also like to take a lot of pics and its hard to notice the more awesome things in life when you speed right by them. But thats just my opinion.

:sun

bigcranky
07-07-2010, 20:56
Yes, the A.T. can be hiked in three months. I know I couldn't do so, not sure if you can, but it can be done.

Del Q
07-07-2010, 21:01
My 2 cents. Not sure how much backpacking experience you have, BUT.............(1) the AT is one tough SOB, the romantic notion quickly disappears. Miles do not add up as quickly as a calculator might tell you. The AT is some of the hardest work I have ever loved; however see #1 above.

10-K
07-07-2010, 21:09
I wish I could take more time. Unfortunately, I am a college student and we have roughly three months of summer vacation. That is all the time I have to complete it

Well, it'd certainly be a challenge and there's nothing like a good challenge.

I say if you're up for it give it a shot. Worse case you just won't make it all the way.

Marta
07-07-2010, 21:17
You could just hike as far as you can in three months. Maybe it will be the whole trail; maybe it will be half the trail; maybe it will be somewhere in between.

LIhikers
07-07-2010, 21:40
There is a hiker on the trail now that should be finishing in just under 70 days, so yes it's possible. Will you enjoy a hike like that? Only you can say.

garlic08
07-07-2010, 22:20
I'd reiterate Mags' advice above. The high mileage days come much easier with lots of experience. Not only do you need to be in excellent condition, you also need to know how to take care of yourself on trail. If you don't know what you're doing, you'll have skin problems (blisters, sunburn, rashes, boils), illnesses (Lyme disease, diarrhea, flu), weaknesses from poor nutrition and hydration, time-consuming problems with gear and clothing, etc. To achieve a 90-day pace, you really can't take any time off at all to resolve any problems. Resupply stops have to be very efficient, too, and that takes experience.

Unless of course you're rich and have a support team following you with everything you might need.

fiddlehead
07-07-2010, 22:28
Unless of course you're rich and have a support team following you with everything you might need.

Don't know if you have to be rich to be supported.
Just have great friends!

I agree, experience is worth more than youth, muscle, and gear combined.

couscous
07-08-2010, 06:27
See what you can glean from some famous speed hikers:
Matthew "Squeaky" Hazley (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0604/whats_new/matthew_hazley.html) - Did Smokies in 1 day, Triple Crown in 8 months in 2005.
Andrew Skurka (http://www.andrewskurka.com/AK10/index.php) - who's doing 4,700 miles in Alaska - expects to take 7 months.
Justin "Trauma" Lichter (http://www.mcnett-outdoor.com/Videos-Reviews-And-Community/Friends-And-Family/Justin-Lichter-%28Trauma%29/671.aspx) - Has Triple Crowned twice, 10000 miles in 2005
Scott Williamson (http://adventuresportsjournal.com/content/hiking/a-life-en-route%E2%80%94the-extraordinary-ho-hum-exploits-of-pct-hiker-scott-williamson) - PCT Yo-Yoer did the 5300 miles in 7 months
Francis Tapon (http://www.francistapon.com/Travels/Continental-Divide-Trail/) - CTD Yo-Yoer in 5600 miles in 7 months
.. and there are many others.

Ashman
07-08-2010, 06:43
If you are constricted because of time readjust the goal. Hike Springer to Harper's Ferry one summer, Harpers Ferry to Maine the next.

earlyriser26
07-08-2010, 07:55
Also, averaging 24+ miles a day is somewhat misleading. In order to average 24+ miles a day you will me doing many 30 + mile days. If you do it at this pace at least it will be memorable. I know every 25 - 30 mile day I have put in is etched in my memory (but not in a good way).

jersey joe
07-08-2010, 10:35
You can certainly do a 3 month thru hike. It winds up being more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge. I did a 3 1/2 month thru hike and really enjoyed putting in higher mileage days. I say make a plan, and get out there. If you find that you can't keep up with the mileage, you go as far as you can in 3 months!

IceAge
07-08-2010, 11:00
Don't get locked into thinking that your schedule is bound to that of the university. Does your school offer any 7-week hybrid courses? Interim courses?

Maybe you could miss a semester and make up the credits some other way. Talk to department heads, like the head of the Geology Dept. or similar. Tell them what you are planning and ask if they can set you up with an "Independent Study" class where you can write a report on what you learned during the hike.

As a current non-trad student, I've learned there are a lot of ways to earn credits that most college students never take advantage of.

The Solemates
07-08-2010, 11:49
why dont you just either:

1 - wait until you graduate
2 - do half this year, and half the next year

couscous
07-08-2010, 13:13
You can read through "Galilee Man's" (http://www.trailplace.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3115&page=19) posts -- 1859 miles in 57 days -- averaging 32.4 miles per day -- longest day has been 45 miles. He's not going to set any records, but he's in Maine as of Monday .. after two months so it will be within your 3-month goal.

10-K
07-08-2010, 14:29
A hiker named Frisbee also finished this year within 90 days. I hiked with him for 1 day and had to hang it up. Just too fast for me.

Tennessee Viking
07-08-2010, 14:38
Its possible. But you will really need to be moving and rarely take a zero. Either slack off of college for a semester or two, or wait after college.

If your college offers an independent study, you could use your hike as part of your schooling.

Walking Thunderbird
07-13-2010, 13:56
I did a SOBO thru last year in 75 days. I may have been the fastest completed thru hike in 09 (I didn't meet anyone faster, but it's possible someone was). I started at Katahdin on July 31 and made it to Springer Oct 13. So, yeah, it's possible. I'll gladly answer any questions you have, but here are my initial thoughts:

1. Get in shape. Walk around town (a lot), up hills if you can. I was walking 150 miles or so a week before I started. While training takes a good bit of time, it can be done around a school schedule. That being said, you don't need to be able to average your target pace when you start, as you'll get in better shape as you go along. Also, you can't just start doing big days, or you'll definitely injure yourself.
2. Experience is overrated. I'm definitely an outlier in many ways, but the first night I spent on the AT was only the second night in my life I've ever spent backpacking. Nothing is really like thru hiking, so I'm not sure you can prepare for it all physically or mentally.
3. Take it (relatively) easy at first. By "easy" I mean 20ish mile days, although I did some 30s in Maine. You can make up big miles between Damascus and Glencliff (the start of the Whites).
4. Get your pack as light as you can. This makes doing long miles a lot easier. I was around 10-12 lbs. before food and water. An advantage to going so fast is that you can resupply more often, meaning you don't have to carry as much food. I never carried more than 5 days worth of food, and often only carried a couple.
5. Mental is the hardest part. Just remember you're going to be hiking every day, all day. You'll probably have to hike after dark a few times (especially if you don't carry a tent), which isn't the most fun. Also, very few, if any zero days (I only had one, and it was to see a doctor).
6. You're not going to have a very social hike. You'll see most people once (while you're passing them).
7. All that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my thru hike. Having such a constricted time frame (because I had a job starting) made finishing it more of a challenge. For me, just finishing wasn't enough of a challenge, so the time frame made it a lot more fun.

Anyways, I'll gladly answer any questions you have about doing a fast thru hike.

sbhikes
07-15-2010, 14:21
Americans are a funny breed. We stop eating when the box is empty, not when we are full. We see things so black and white. Either you hike the whole trail or what? You failed?

You don't have to eat the whole box to have a memorable, life-changing, wonderful experience. Just spend 3 months living on the trail loving every minute.

jesse
07-15-2010, 14:28
Why not just decide to hike for 3 months? If you make it good, if you don't finish thats also good. Why worry about finishing something you haven't even started?

innermountain
07-15-2010, 14:30
Totally doable. Someone did all 3 thru-hikes (PCT, CDT, and AT) in one year. I agree with some of the other folks though that you might look at whether it may be more enjoyable to slow down, do half of it in 3 months and actually enjoy the journey. Start in the North would be my advice.

shaman.in.a.yurt
03-06-2011, 21:28
bradm,
You can do it man, just plan out everything really well and do your best to finish the trail. If you don't finish you'll at least have an awesome 3 months!

I'm planning on a ~90day nobo hike this summer. I have been teaching outdoor living skills and guiding for years; as well as a few adventure races under my belt. I think it should be fun! Everyone has their own pace. I'm going that fast because I enjoy a quick pace... and only have ~110 days off grad school to do my research on wilderness immersion.

While skills can certainly help, i think determination is a powerful force too!
go for it

Papa D
03-06-2011, 21:45
yes, it is possible, but you may miss out on the AT Experience - 4 1/2 months is on the brisk side but that would get you so much more. Have you considered other trails? How about the Colorado Trail - it is "only" 500 miles but it is a beauty - that would be a fabulous 2 month trip. The Long Trail in Vermont - 273 miles - - The John Muir Trail - 250 miles (need a permit though) .... save the AT for when you have 4-5 months maybe - or maybe flip flop half one summer, half the next .... just some ideas.

Papa D
03-06-2011, 21:46
FYI, I thru hiked in 5 months exactly when I was 18, skipping the first quarter of college

Papa D
03-06-2011, 22:01
Assuming you are not willing to wait and not willing to skip some school - both semi-valid ideas, and not willing to consider other trails, go and try to do GA in 4 days and 3 nights - p/m me and I will go with you - I live in Athens - I'm section hiking Connecticut next week and plan to do another Southern Section in mid April but would be happy to hike with you - long weekend in early May perhaps? this pace involves (safely) trotting the downhills and moving faster than most steadily up the hills without stopping much - have you run any marathons? I'm not kidding because it feels almost like running a half marathon (at least) every day. Don't forget that to average 25s, you'll need to do some 32-35 mile days which are killers - but if you want to re-supply or stop at all, you'll need some of these too.

Penguin
03-07-2011, 00:08
Hey I'm shooting for about 105 days NOBO this year between semesters. You can do it!!! Lighten up all your stuff man and start huffing and puffin around everyday where you live. I wish there were 30 story buildings to train on here, but all we have are 9-12,600 ft mtns. Flagstaff,AZ.

See you on the trail man.

Guino

aaronthebugbuffet
03-07-2011, 00:27
Americans are a funny breed. We stop eating when the box is empty, not when we are full. We see things so black and white. Either you hike the whole trail or what? You failed?

You don't have to eat the whole box to have a memorable, life-changing, wonderful experience. Just spend 3 months living on the trail loving every minute.

Yep.
Take off a give it a try. Maybe you complete the trail in 3 months and if not hopefully you still had fun.

tigerpaw
03-07-2011, 00:32
Did you really think that you could get on this forum asking about completing a huge walk in half time it takes most and expect to get affirmation? If you want to go that far that fast - go for it! Who cares what anyone else thinks?

There are some very experienced hikers on this forum (not me), so listen to them, but walk your walk. Do you really have to finish in 90 days?

stranger
03-07-2011, 02:44
I agree with what many others have said, 3 months for a newbie would be near impossible, even Andrew Skurka wasn't able to do that, his hike came in just over 3 months...to give a little perspective.

I think 3.5 months is far more realistic, because 'averaging' 20 per day is much easier in my experience than averaging 24-25, there is a certain threshold that 90% of hikers hit in the low 20's for some reason. I've hiked my share of 30+ mile days, but to 'average' 24-25, which realistically means hiking around 27-30 miles per day would be very, very tough for most people.

It's one thing to do this for 10 days or two weeks, but for 12 weeks...that's a big ask.

Have you ever hiked two 25 mile days back to back? That will answer your question far more than anyone on here.

But yes...it can be done and has been done more than a few times.

tirebiter
03-07-2011, 09:36
I love hiking from sunrise to sunset (camping? psh, boring) but I know it's just not a pace my legs can keep up for too long. Need to look into some cyborg leg parts...