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Vermonster
04-03-2012, 20:10
Other than Matt Kirk's almost 100 miles in Shenandoah National Park in 2004 http://www.ncultra.org/article.php?story=20040312065116772 does anyone know of somebody doing more mileage on the AT in a 24-hour period? If so, who? Where? When?

Muchas gracias!

map man
04-04-2012, 00:18
The "fastest known times" website seems pretty thorough and it lists the Matt Kirk effort you mentioned as the most distance covered in 24 hours on the AT. Here is a link to the AT thread on the website:
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=midatlantic&action=display&thread=6

stranger
04-04-2012, 00:46
In 2001 and guy I was hiking with hiked from Port Clinton to DWG in about 32-34 hours...no support, carrying his pack, just doing his thing. He caught me at Leroy Smith Shelter at 8am and 'only' have another 20 to go into DWG.

I forget his name and I had the drag the information out of him, he basically just walked through the night taking a few naps here and there...amazing, that's around 76 miles!

Mags
04-04-2012, 10:01
Kind of nebulous record I would think. Which 100 mile stretch? NH is harder than say the WV/MD/PA stretch for example.

If you want to do something similar, you are probably going to have to hike Matt Kirk's stretch to keep it an apples to apples approach/monstro of a hike.

Vermonster
04-04-2012, 18:46
Thanks for the replies thus far. I'm well aware of my friend Peter B's FKT site, but since this site is THE authority on the AT, thought I'd ask here. I'm less concerned with a "nebulous record" and more curious whether anyone has ever done more mileage in a 24-hour period than Matt Kirk. From my own AT thru-hike many moons ago, I remember the Shenandoahs being the easiest, most runable, prolonged stretch. Everyone agree on that?

Thanks again!

Papa D
04-04-2012, 20:36
I hiked from Fontana Dam just past Winding Stair Gap one day and night - - I think I started about 4:30 or 5:00 am and finished about midnight - that was 56 miles or so. I've done this distance several times - - Art Loeb Trail in NC in a day - I think that was 33 miles - that was in 2009. I'm pretty sure that I can do the 4 state challenge in the summer daylight 6am to 8pm which is 44 miles or so at about 4 mph but I'll be hurting when I do it . It's funny, I regularly hike 20-25 miles without being too sore but 30 miles makes me very sore and want to take a zero and drink beer - - the result of this is what amounts to 30 miles in 2 days which is very pedestrian. A 35 or 40 mile day will knock me out but they are fun to try -- striking out on long distances is super cool to me. I can't imagine a hundred mile day - - the thought is really impressive and I'm not easily impressed.

Lone Wolf
04-04-2012, 20:44
i did 40 miles from wautauga lake to damascus in 11hrs. 50 minutes with a full pack back in 93. i'm bad azz!

HiKen2011
04-04-2012, 20:46
i did 40 miles from wautauga lake to damascus in 11hrs. 50 minutes with a full pack back in 93. i'm bad azz!

Yes you are! How you doin LW?

Lone Wolf
04-04-2012, 21:06
Yes you are! How you doin LW?

doin' well. thanks for askin'

Wise Old Owl
04-04-2012, 21:14
Hows the trail running doing?

Lone Wolf
04-04-2012, 21:17
a few miles a day on the creeper trail is all i do. gonna start increasing mileage though.

Wise Old Owl
04-04-2012, 21:18
Very cool -

Mags
04-04-2012, 22:10
Don't know trail records from Adam per se, but I don't think (other than Matt's) there area lot, if any, 24 hr records out there.

Plenty of records for individual sections (White Mtn traverse, the Smokies, the Georgia AT section) but not overall in a 24 hr period. Probably because the AT is so varied from one section to the next. Hard to keep a consistent overall record if a person cherry picks the section of how many AT miles they want to do in a set period. Easier to compare specific stretches.


Having said that, a sincere good luck in your endeavor.. And get a blackberry shake when you are done if you choose the Shennies. Been too long since I've had one. :)

map man
04-04-2012, 22:23
Vermontster, since you have hiked the AT what do you think of the stretch of trail that starts at the north end of the Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania (say PA 955) and runs 110 miles south to Harpers Ferry? The first 13 miles in the Cumberland Valley are flat and runnable and the rest of the way to Harpers Ferry has quite a bit less vertical rise and fall than is average for the AT and has lots of road crossings to meet support crew. I've never been on this stretch of the AT, I've no idea what the treadway is like, but it's a stretch that looks good on paper for covering a lot of miles. What say you (or anyone else with knowledge of this trail section)?

fredmugs
04-05-2012, 07:03
If I was making any type of 24 hour attempt I would do it in SNP. It's been about 5 years since I went thru there but other than maybe Thornton Gap I think everything else is runnable. Plus you have a road winding through the entire thing and several stores along the way.

Jim Adams
04-05-2012, 08:25
in 1990 I did 53.1 from Dennis Cove Campground to Damascus in 19hrs, 35mi....wasn't worth it.

geek

birchy
04-05-2012, 09:37
A hiker who is staying here with me just did 45 miles in 12 hours. Harpers Ferry (Teahorse) to Blue Ridge Summit (Rt. 16) ..... He is doing from Rt.16 to High Mt. Haven in one day.......

lemon b
04-05-2012, 10:21
More then likely over 24 hours. Ward Leonard.

Ktaadn
04-05-2012, 11:08
Vermontster, since you have hiked the AT what do you think of the stretch of trail that starts at the north end of the Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania (say PA 955) and runs 110 miles south to Harpers Ferry? The first 13 miles in the Cumberland Valley are flat and runnable and the rest of the way to Harpers Ferry has quite a bit less vertical rise and fall than is average for the AT and has lots of road crossings to meet support crew. I've never been on this stretch of the AT, I've no idea what the treadway is like, but it's a stretch that looks good on paper for covering a lot of miles. What say you (or anyone else with knowledge of this trail section)?

I'm fairly familiar with most of this stretch of trail and I would tend to agree with you. MD is mostly big rolling hills that are tough to describe as mountains. There are some surprisingly rocky sections but they aren't that long. Finishing on the tow path into Harpers Ferry would be very easy.

Having said that, I don't think I could do 100 miles in 24 hours on a high school track without a pack on. :o 100 miles is still 100 miles of pounding on your feet. I'm impressed by anyone that does it.

Vermonster
04-05-2012, 11:17
So far, it appears that no one here knows of anyone going further on any (cherry-picked) section of the AT than Matt Kirk.

MapMan, the Cumberland Valley is, indeed, great for running; however, the trail gets quite rocky in Maryland... not Pennsylvania rocky but definitely less smooth than the Shenandoahs. Having run the four state challenge a couple of years ago - VA, WV, MD, PA (which we always referred to as the "Quad State Quad Buster") - I remember the Trail thru SNP being much less rocky.

Have also "run" the AT in CT in a day (once) and Kinsman Notch to Hanover (a few times), both in the 50 +/- mile range. Again, those sections are obviously much slower than those in SNP.

Thanks again for the replies!

Jim Adams
04-05-2012, 18:18
More then likely over 24 hours. Ward Leonard.

...agreed!

geek

Vermonster
04-12-2012, 17:26
Update: With the help of a very much appreciated crew (my husband!) I was able to run/hike the AT south to north thru the Shenandoahs in one swell foop last weekend, April 7-8. Didn't come close to Matt Kirk's time/distance but didn't really expect to. Made it about 80 miles (Elkwallow Gap) in 24 hours... the remaining miles a few hours longer. ;-)

The total distance was about 96 miles, from Jarmin Gap to the northern SNP border. From that point I took the easy 1/2 mile Compton Gap Trail out. Mostly it was a fun time. Saw an all-time low for deer in the park, only 6 total. Also a skunk, a bunny, and a few squirrels. No bears. :(

Having done the AT through the Smokies twice in a day, I think the Shenandoahs were easier but longer, if that makes any sense. I think giving the entire State of Virginia a go would be fun, too. Maybe some day...

map man
04-12-2012, 22:29
Hey Vermonster, that's great! Maybe you should submit that 24 hour feat at FKT. I'm doing a fifty mile trail race in Pekin, Illinois in two days and would be pretty happy with your rate of speed for half your distance.

Bluesky AT 1994
05-25-2012, 16:24
Other than Matt Kirk's almost 100 miles in Shenandoah National Park in 2004 http://www.ncultra.org/article.php?story=20040312065116772 does anyone know of somebody doing more mileage on the AT in a 24-hour period? If so, who? Where? When?

Muchas gracias!

Vermonster from AT thru hike 1994? It is Bluesky! I'm heading to the AT next weekend for a backpacking adventure with my family and found you here. What is new? Still ultra marathoning? Mtn Jam is in Bellingham, WA, I am in Charleston SC and things are awesome. Would love to catch up! Have a cabin in VT near Mt Pelier and heading there in July...fun to find you.

Bluesky AT 1994
06-01-2012, 08:20
Vermonster AT 1994? This is Blue Sky. fun to find you!

Del Q
06-01-2012, 20:29
The human endeavor continues. Once the 4-minute mile was broken all bets were off.

24 hour ultra-marathon totals are insane............maybe 168 miles???

I'm pretty happy with my 12 MPD avg...........working on it.

Vermonster
08-09-2012, 09:07
Blue Sky, Just sent you a message!!

:-).

The Solemates
08-09-2012, 12:17
i think i've done 30 in 24 hrs before....but dont care!