View Full Version : trail journal 30mi days???
joshgarrison
01-11-2013, 00:46
wondering if anyone knew of any trail journals out there of someone who was putting in 30mi+days...thanks
James GAME2009
01-11-2013, 01:39
If someone is putting in consecutive and frequent 30+ mile days, he or she almost certainly does not have the time or energy to keep a detailed journal. Brief notes throughout the trip perhaps, but a detailed journal would be unlikely. You do realize what a massive undertaking 200+ mile weeks on the AT are, right?
Hosaphone
01-11-2013, 02:02
Wber gg-man did the PCT in ~100 days, averaging something like 32 miles per day. I'm reading through his journal right now: http://postholer.com/journal/viewJournal.php?sid=0b41f9d00c996a5af47cf753633f36 61&entry_id=20018
Swami just finished it averaging 30/day. http://www.thehikinglife.com/journal/2012/12/. In both my journal listed above and on Swami's whole web you can get a feel for the prep that went into making it possible.
Here are two trail journals for hikers who did an AT NOBO thru-hike in under 100 days, doing many days of over 30 miles:
Wag Daddy, 2005, 88 days: http://www.trailjournals.com/stats.cfm?trailname=3311
Highlander II, 2003, 97 days: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=30130
These are for traditional thru-hikes, not highly supported speed attempts. One thing they have in common is that they did not do 30 mile days early in the hike, but built up to them slowly over many weeks.
handlebar
01-11-2013, 22:05
Both guys that hiked the Eastern Continental Trial in 2012, which includes the AT, were putting in a lot of 30+ mile days on the AT portion. Their journals are on trailjournals.com
Someone who does consistant 30 mile days would probably run for hours on a tread mill. They will both do the same. get you tiard and you wouldn't see much.
VTATHiker
01-12-2013, 13:34
I put in quite a few 28 to 30 mile days this fall on my southbound thru, but I rarely did back-to-back long days like that. Why do you ask? www.trailjournals.com/reese. PM me if you have questions.
James GAME2009
01-12-2013, 13:48
Someone who does consistant 30 mile days would probably run for hours on a tread mill. They will both do the same. get you tiard and you wouldn't see much.
Someone always makes an elitist post like this, looking down on how others may choose to hike their own hike. I strongly disagree with the seeing less comment. Sure, the person who does consecutive 30 mile days will see less of the inside of the shelters, less of the inside of hotels and hostels, and will see less of the ground sitting around the campsite. This same person will see far and away more wildlife, undisturbed beauty, and have a deeper, more in-depth appreciation of the trail itself. Doing 30 mile days requires an early start and a late finish. Think about when animals are most active - exactly these times. Until you have been the first person down the trail in the morning, brushing away spiderwebs glistening with dew and hearing the woods wake up, please do not judge others who may value an experience different than that of your own choosing.
Someone always makes an elitist post like this, looking down on how others may choose to hike their own hike. I strongly disagree with the seeing less comment. Sure, the person who does consecutive 30 mile days will see less of the inside of the shelters, less of the inside of hotels and hostels, and will see less of the ground sitting around the campsite. This same person will see far and away more wildlife, undisturbed beauty, and have a deeper, more in-depth appreciation of the trail itself. Doing 30 mile days requires an early start and a late finish. Think about when animals are most active - exactly these times. Until you have been the first person down the trail in the morning, brushing away spiderwebs glistening with dew and hearing the woods wake up, please do not judge others who may value an experience different than that of your own choosing.
Amen James, you saved me the typing!!!
Someone who does consistant 30 mile days would probably run for hours on a tread mill. They will both do the same. get you tiard and you wouldn't see much.
Someone always makes an elitist post like this, looking down on how others may choose to hike their own hike. I strongly disagree with the seeing less comment. Sure, the person who does consecutive 30 mile days will see less of the inside of the shelters, less of the inside of hotels and hostels, and will see less of the ground sitting around the campsite. This same person will see far and away more wildlife, undisturbed beauty, and have a deeper, more in-depth appreciation of the trail itself. Doing 30 mile days requires an early start and a late finish. Think about when animals are most active - exactly these times. Until you have been the first person down the trail in the morning, brushing away spiderwebs glistening with dew and hearing the woods wake up, please do not judge others who may value an experience different than that of your own choosing.
+100
I can't do thirty miles but early morning walking before sunrise is my favourite time of day. They routinely just walk more hours each day, they are not running.
I put in quite a few 28 to 30 mile days this fall on my southbound thru, but I rarely did back-to-back long days like that. Why do you ask? www.trailjournals.com/reese (http://www.trailjournals.com/reese). PM me if you have questions.
Hey, Reese, thought I'd let you know I really enjoyed reading your journal this year. I recommended it a couple times on threads here at WB when people asked about well written journals by SOBOs.
And as for the contention that 30 mile days prevent one from "seeing much," in my experience I see just as much stuff on trails while walking 2.5 mph as I do walking 1.5 mph. The scenery doesn't exactly whiz by at either of those walking speeds;).
It should be obvious that someone that hikes 20-30 miles a day sees MORE than someone that hikes 10 miles day! Your 10 mile a day hiker is probably struggling so much all they see is their boots.
VTATHiker
01-12-2013, 17:18
Glad you enjoyed it Map Man. It was a pain to keep the journal - especially on the long days, but well worth it. I've just begun to go back and read some of my own posts and it's making me realize how many events you forget with time. I'll have to print it out some day and read it through myself.
Thirty mile days or 10 mile days, if you keep on hiking you see it all...