Section Hike 2013

[Harry Dresden]

I am planning on Section Hiking from Harpers Ferry south to Pearisburg, VA. Google Earth says its 348 miles. I plan on taking a month to do this. Do you think this is too much mileage/ not enough time or too much time? I am a little over weight but I climb cell phone towers as my summer job and hike as well. I am planning on thru hiking the Knobstone Trail this summer as preparation. The main reason I am picking this section is b/c I have family in Roanoke, VA who's house I can use as a jumping off point and they can help resupply me along the way.:banana

[max patch]

Unless I did the math wrong, I get 386 miles from Harpers Ferry to Pearisburg using a 2 year old Companion which is the handiest reference source available to me. Hiking 6 days a week would require you to hike 16 miles a day to finish; that sounds too aggressive to me right out of the gate. You'll have a better idea of your hiking pace after your hike of the Knobstone.

[Harry Dresden]

Thanks! I am using someone else's GPS path thru google earth. I need to buy a Companion, but I will probably wait until this summer before I order it. For someone who has access to a Companion, what is the next back trail access before Pearisburg? I know about McAfee Knob, but I think that's too far back/not long enough (maybe)

[ChinMusic]

Your plan may work out fine for you or it might be a bit aggressive. How is that for an answer?

No one really knows for sure what they are comfortable with until they do it. Your plan sounds reasonable. Worst case scenario is that you fall behind in your plan, for whatever reason. If that happens just catch a shuttle to skip a section.

Give yourself options.

[ChinMusic]

BTW, I think you will be able to do more AT miles (the section you selected) per day than Knobstone miles.

[Kerosene]

The AT Distance Calculator (http://www.atdist.com/atdist), updated with 2012 mileage data, shows 386.8 miles from HF to Pearisburg. If you hiked every day, then you'd need to average 12.9 mpd over 30 days. If you take off 4 days, then your daily average jumps to 14.9. I averaged 15.3 mpd over the course of 5 section hikes, mostly as an in-shape 40-something carrying 25 pounds or so. If that daily average doesn't scare you, then my guess is that you could make it in a month without pushing too hard, starting off with 10 mile days and pumping it up to 17-20 milers by the last week.

[Harry Dresden]

The AT Distance Calculator (http://www.atdist.com/atdist), updated with 2012 mileage data, shows 386.8 miles from HF to Pearisburg. If you hiked every day, then you'd need to average 12.9 mpd over 30 days. If you take off 4 days, then your daily average jumps to 14.9. I averaged 15.3 mpd over the course of 5 section hikes, mostly as an in-shape 40-something carrying 25 pounds or so. If that daily average doesn't scare you, then my guess is that you could make it in a month without pushing too hard, starting off with 10 mile days and pumping it up to 17-20 milers by the last week.


Wow, that will be an awesome tool! Thanks!

[Blissful]

Parts of that are fairly difficult for starting out. But your youth should work to your advantage.