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  1. #41
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by garlic08 View Post
    I hiked the AT at age 51 in 106 days without really trying, it was just the average 20 mpd pace I had developed on the previous long hikes I'd done. And the guy I hiked with was 63. (I bet we have a team record on the AT for days to complete being less than combined age.)

    We never once hiked a 30 mile day on the AT, just kept a consistent 25+/- mpd pace and took time off when we wanted to. We met friends and family, celebrated birthdays, chatted with new friends and trail angels, toured local historical sites, took swims and naps, hiked off trail to see waterfalls and views or go to a good restaurant, never set an alarm, and never had a bad day.

    But very important was we kept ourselves well fed, well hydrated, and healthy--never got injured, sunburned, blistered, or sick, no gear broke or had to be replaced, and were able to keep going in harsh weather. We had the Smokies to ourselves for a couple of days during a spring blizzard, an awesome, unforgettable experience. It was also nice to have financial resources to check into a motel or get a quality restaurant meal whenever we wanted (though the hike was relatively cheap at $3500). I couldn't have done all that successfully thirty years earlier, including the money part.

    And most important was we both wanted to go for a nice walk every day, and really enjoyed the AT.

    I was thinking it rather remarkable that two random hikers would be so well matched. Then I googled.

    If I got the right Journal, the older hiker was already a triple crown hiker before he started his 106 day trip, and Garlic08 had hiked both the CDT and PCT.

    Knowing that sort of puts their 106 day AT hike in different context.

  2. #42
    Garlic
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
    I was thinking it rather remarkable that two random hikers would be so well matched. Then I googled.

    If I got the right Journal, the older hiker was already a triple crown hiker before he started his 106 day trip, and Garlic08 had hiked both the CDT and PCT.

    Knowing that sort of puts their 106 day AT hike in different context.
    Yes you got the right journal. Pickle and I certainly weren't random AT hikers! (In the first sentence of my post, I alluded to prior experience.) In fact, we didn't actually start hiking together until we got into Oregon on the PCT. After leap-frogging for 1800 miles on the PCT, it was pretty clear we had a compatible pace. And we're still hiking together.

    Spirit Walker said it well in post #28, too.

    It's interesting to note that Pickle's second AT hike in 2008 was well over twice the pace of his first hike in 2002, and consistently much more comfortable and enjoyable, he reported. (And he raised over $15,000 for medical research.)
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  3. #43
    Registered User meat803's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Malto View Post
    Actually, most of the people giving the advice have done a thru hike and many have done a relatively fast hikes so they know the drill. Doing a hundred day hike or any thru hike isn't for everyone. Sounds like it wasn't your cup of tea. But your limitations do not limit others. Finally, there are plenty of hikers that are capable but fewer that have the desire. If the OP is willing to put the effort in then there is nothing stopping him. the fact that he has done 30+ mile days in the past puts him way ahead of most of the hundred perspective thru hikers.
    What year did you successfully thru hike the AT? It isnt about my limitations, it is about the facts of the situation. Most people that have posted on this thread have not done an AT thru. A single day of 20 or even 30+ isnt a big deal. 20+ a day is easy on the PCT from the thru hikers I have spoken to. When I set out on my thru hike, I had done numerous 25+ mile hikes. I figured that once I got my trail legs I would be averaging 20+ a day easy. I was sorely mistaken. I met less than a handful of hikers that averaged 20+ for the entire thru. Telling some guy fresh off the shelf that he is capable of doing that is foolish, possible even dangerous.

    Tell this guy the real facts of the situation so that he doesn't set himself up for failure or worse hurt himself. All the cheerleaders telling this guy he can do something he has less than a 1% chance of, no thanks. I would rather advise him to plan on something reasonably achievable. Just completing the train in any amount of time is a 1 in 5 shot.

    So you want to thru hike the AT? Great. Your best options to be successful are to not be constrained by time and have 2X the funds you think you will need. Once time and money are removed, your odds improve greatly.

    The things that will knock you off trail are most likely-
    -Not being able to mentally endure it
    It takes a special person to put up with the miles and conditions day after day, month after month.

    -Not being able to physically endure it
    There is a different kind of pain and tired that you don't understand until you get 1000 miles deep.

    -Injury
    Listen to your body. Even when you think you are ready to crank out 20's everyday, ramp up slow and give it time. Your connective tissue has to have time to develop.

    -Sickness
    Filter your water and religiously check for tick. Also use hand sanitizer.

    -Running out of money
    By having 2X the funds you think you will need, this can easily be avoided. Don't let money stop you from taking a zero when your body demands it.

    -Running out of time
    Setting unreal expectation will send you home a failure. There is an unknown element of injury, sickness, and physical capacity.

    I saw people finish that never hiked more than a few days in their life before.
    I saw people finish that were complete fat slobs at springer, losing 40+ lbs during.
    I saw people finish on a 1$ a mile budget.
    I saw people finish that had the cheapest walmart gear
    I saw people go home that had the best gear.
    I saw people go home that were olympic athletes.
    I saw people go home that were uber hikers with massive experience.
    I saw people go home that were cranking out 20+ miles a day at the start.

    What made the majority of hikers successful? The most important trait was to have the mental strength to endure both physically and mentally the challenges of the trail. You won't really know this until you get around halfway. At this point your body will be wore down from never allowing to truly rest and heal. The gravity of 2,200 miles doesn't hit most people until they hit the halfway point. If you make it to that halfway point, odds are, you are going all the way. Keep in mind though, I saw many people go home with less than 500 to Katahdin. Start slow. 10-15 miles a day max. Enjoy yourself and don't be a mile whore. Cranking out too many miles will only physically and mentally hurt your chances. To each there own. We all thru hike for our own reasons. But, if you push it beyond your mental or physical envelope, you will fail.

    I want you to be successful. A 100 day hike at your level is reckless and set up to fail with 99% odds. Even a 120 day (18.3 avg) is a setup for failure. Remove the time constraint and let your mind and body set the number of days.
    AT, Long Trail, Loyalsock Trail, Art Loeb Trail, Cranberry Lake 50, Foothills Trail, PCT, CDT, Uinta Highline Trail, Lone Star Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, Sheltowee Trace Trail, BMT, AZT


  4. #44
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    I'll weigh in with the doomsayers. Possible? Yeah, maybe. Probable? No.

    A typical five-month thru-hike is hard enough. Maintaining 20+ miles per day, average, from Springer to Katahdin, requires phenomenal endurance and fortitude.

  5. #45
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    HansKris,
    The mileage is doable. I retired from my job in Washington, D.C. I definitively needed to detoxify my soul. On my thru-hike in 2014 I started out doing big miles...Maybe it was all the pent up crap. Somewhere in Southern Virginia, Frankie the Sleeper and I made a pact to slow down and enjoy the sights, the quiet, and the people. We generally walked about 15miles per day and had a great time. We made close friends and and had a wonderful time. Detoxifying the soul is a function of experiencing all the AT has to offer...not just the miles. You make very few friends on fast hikes...you are on the trail but not a part of it because you rarely see people more than once (especially since the SOBO group is 1/10 the size of the NOBO).

    Free advice is worth what it cost. Bottom line is: hike your own hike. I hope we cross paths. I should be closing in on Katahdin when you are heading south.

    Good luck,
    Forester Gump

  6. #46

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    Yes, it's possible but I would suggest slowing down and enjoying life.

  7. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by RockDoc View Post
    Yes, it's possible but I would suggest slowing down and enjoying life.
    Completely agree, either do it exactly how Rockdoc enjoys it or you won't have fun. (Insert dripping with sarcasm smilie here.)

  8. #48
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RockDoc View Post
    Yes, it's possible but I would suggest slowing down and enjoying life.
    Very possible for some (even expected) but impossibe for most.

    Sort of like shooting par on a good golf course without cheating.

    Plenty of people have done so, but for most that is just not going to happen no matter how athletic they are, how muc they practice, or what kind of clubs they buy.

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by HansKris View Post
    Hello everyone. I am planning to attempt a thru-hike in 2016 in 100 days which would end on my 50th Birthday November 7th in Georgia. That means I would be leaving Maine on July 31st, a little different than most as it is a very late start. Any words of advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Can this be done, is 50 too old? Has anyone out there done a south bound in 100 days? I used to be a serious hiker and rock scrambler up until my 30's, but then my Corporate life took over and I forgot what made me happy. This coming year I am walking away from all that and walking back into the woods. Doing the AT in 100 days is my pilgrimage and my way to detoxify my soul. I plan on doing a 6 month training program to get back in shape mentally and physically .
    No offense HansKris, but why not just get into great shape and then enjoy your hike without employing the same corporate mentality that your tired of now? Let the AT take you on your hike, not the other way around. But again, do what you think is best for you.
    Last edited by double d; 01-18-2016 at 09:36.
    "I told my Ma's and Pa's I was coming to them mountains and they acted as if they was gutshot. Ma, I sez's, them mountains is the marrow of the world and by God, I was right". Del Gue

  10. #50
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    Irish bookies would give 200:1 on this one.

  11. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by swjohnsey View Post
    Irish bookies would give 200:1 on this one.
    I should have talked to you before my 100 day PCT hike. Could have made a lot of money at 200:1. In fact the odds probably would have been 500:1 after the high snow level of 2011 became apparent. But somehow I still managed to hit my schedule in spite of it being my first thru. Bottom line, what looks impossible for some is easy for others. What looks miserable for some looks enjoyable to others.

    The OP also has another option. Prepare for a hundred day hike and take what comes. Few would consider a 120 day hike any less of an accomplishment than 100 days.

  12. #52
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    Saying that this would be improbable is obvious, the finish rate for an AT thru is what, 20% these days? But why discourage giving this a shot? We all have different goals, but I kinda like the 100-day goal thing concept, however unlikely. FWIW, I was in probably the best endurance shape in my life in my 40's up to about 50. Yeah, it's gonestedily south since then.... but oh well. Maybe another reason to do this NOW, rather than wait.

    Folks say "slow down and enjoy". again, we're all different. When I'm on the trail, I like to hike. Sitting at camp (except for morning coffee) does nothing for me. Spending time in towns, ditto. I took 3 zeros on the entire trail, two of those forced by meeting someone. I'm happiest hiking. Can't wait to see around the next corner. So therefore, I hike all day, and 20+ mile days for most of the trail is easy. But of course 11 mile days in the whites kicked my butt....

    I'd also say that skewing the odds from, say, the irish-bookie 200-1 to, say, 40-1 would be to have a lightweight kit, say, 11-12 pounds baseweight. Once your pack exceeds some threshold, it becomes a burden. Less than 20 pounds total (including food/water) is almost unnoticeable.

    I also agree that if I was trying something like this, I would not be much disappointed if it took 110 or 120 days. If evolution had given us all 11 fingers and toes, we'd be on a base-11 system and 121 would be the magic number. Kinda arbitrary arithmetic, really.

  13. #53
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by colorado_rob View Post
    Saying that this would be improbable is obvious, the finish rate for an AT thru is what, 20% these days? But why discourage giving this a shot?
    Because the OP stated that were he to conclude that a 100 day hike was improbable, he would move up his start date?

    His last activity on Whiteblaze was in August.

  14. #54
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    I think that liking to hike and dislike hours and hours spent in camp awake is a key point. Then the question is whether a hikers physical condition is good enough to actually be able to move for most of his waking hours. If both conditions are met, a high miles per day hike seems feasible. I'm happiest when I'm moving but lots of hikers really enjoy their downtime.

  15. #55

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    Quote Originally Posted by HansKris View Post
    Hello everyone. I am planning to attempt a thru-hike in 2016 in 100 days which would end on my 50th Birthday November 7th in Georgia. That means I would be leaving Maine on July 31st, a little different than most as it is a very late start. Any words of advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Can this be done, is 50 too old? Has anyone out there done a south bound in 100 days? I used to be a serious hiker and rock scrambler up until my 30's, but then my Corporate life took over and I forgot what made me happy. This coming year I am walking away from all that and walking back into the woods. Doing the AT in 100 days is my pilgrimage and my way to detoxify my soul. I plan on doing a 6 month training program to get back in shape mentally and physically .

    Hello Friend

    You are setting yourself a specific target, thats great and of course it is doable.

    Assuming that illness, injury, lack of funds will not be an issue then success or failure (IMO) will be determined by your preparation. If you can build up to significant consecutive days carrying the same weight over the same type of terrain and recondition your mind and body to accept mid 20 mpd then you will increase your chances of success. I would add that a lightweight pack and losing excess body fat will be very advantageous also. This may be stating the obvious but I would assume that there are only a very few people out there who could just turn up at the start line and achieve this objective.

    I did 120 days sobo in 2014 and I was 49. In retrospect, I could have done 100 days but I dont think that I would have enjoyed it as much. In preparation for the thru, I completed a 550 mile thru hike in Scotland which I finished two weeks before I headed to Maine. When I finished this training I was pretty confident of success even though the first 2 States were brutal and like nothing else I had ever experienced before. My base weight was about 12lbs and I lost quite a lot of excess body fat before I started as well. Would I change anything about my preparation for my next thru? Probably not such a long distance pre-thru hike but I would definitely ensure that my training/conditioning reflected reality. For me it is about playing the odds in my favour and I achieved this. Other thru hikers may/will disagree with my preparation, but lets be honest, 100 days is a real challenge and it deserves a lot of respect. Good preparation is that respect IMO.

    This is just my advice and you have already received much better from the likes of Garlic and other Triple Crowners on this forum. I wish you the very best for your 100 days - go for it!

  16. #56
    Registered User GolfHiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
    Very possible for some (even expected) but impossibe for most.

    Sort of like shooting par on a good golf course without cheating.

    Plenty of people have done so, but for most that is just not going to happen no matter how athletic they are, how muc they practice, or what kind of clubs they buy.

    Oh that hurts..
    "How can something this hard be so much fun".

  17. #57
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    Update on my plans for those who care. Thru hike delayed to 2017 as I realized more conditioning is needed but all is going well. Did a 45 mile section hike in March from Fontana to Newfound Gap, loved every second of it, 2 and 1/2 days. Planning on the 100MW in September. lost 15lbs. this winter and spring and putting more miles on every day. 2017 here I come!!

  18. #58
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    Making the AT a Marathon run with minimalist support ain't something a 50 yr old is inclined to do.

  19. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by W1LDJACK View Post
    Making the AT a Marathon run with minimalist support ain't something a 50 yr old is inclined to do.
    Really? Maybe not for you but it has appeal to others, even 50 yr olds who act like they're 13.
    enemy of unnecessary but innovative trail invention gadgetry

  20. #60
    Registered User Maydog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HansKris View Post
    Update on my plans for those who care. Thru hike delayed to 2017 as I realized more conditioning is needed but all is going well. Did a 45 mile section hike in March from Fontana to Newfound Gap, loved every second of it, 2 and 1/2 days. Planning on the 100MW in September. lost 15lbs. this winter and spring and putting more miles on every day. 2017 here I come!!
    Congratulations on your achievement thus far. Glad you are enjoying yourself, learning, and getting into shape.
    "I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list." - S. Sontag

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