I conquered the PMT... but it broke my heart

[Lnj]

Did the PMT Memorial Day weekend. 7 miles per day, 42lbs on my stupid back, and I survived, if just barely. Its a beautiful trail.. and it's hard as crap for an old fat lady carrying WAAAAYYYY too much pack weight....... But I did it.

I just wonder... how does the PMT compare to the AT? If it's comparable, I know now that I am not yet ready for the AT. I shall keep on training and doing the weekend shake downs. I will say, I learned a wealth of information with this one. There is no education like experience.

[saltysack]

Need to start hitting the gym...weight train with cardio...total body strength helps me do higher mileage days without issues...


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[Tipi Walter]

I looked thru the info on the Pine Mt Trail (is this the one you're talking about?) and found a PMT website with shocking news that would break anyone's heart: It costs $10 per night for every backpacker. And $5 a day to park your car. So, let me see, on a typical 20 day trip I would have to fork out . . . uh . . . $300 just to visit olde Pine Mountain Trail. I hope this is not the trail you're talking about. ???

[Teacher & Snacktime]

From one Fat Old Lady to another: I have no idea what the PMT is or how it compares to the AT, but if you were able to carry 42 lbs on your back for 3 days without complete collapse and/or injury, then I wouldn't be intimidated by the AT (except maybe New England). I'm not saying you'll enjoy it all the time, but if you lower your pack weight you should manage just fine. The only time I ever had real trouble was on a winter hike where I had too much weight (in the 30's is my limit) resulting in my not being able to continue. However, on easier overnights, day hikes, etc. there's nothing on the AT that I haven't been able to handle....so far...and I'm confident that if I recognize my own limitations and adjust methods accordingly that will remain true.

So don't worry about the AT....you can do it....it's there for everyone of all levels. Enjoy it, and know that there's someone here on WB who's already impressed by your accomplishments!

[soumodeler]

The Pine Mountain Trail is a flat, paved sidewalk compared to the AT in Georgia...

If you struggled on the PMT, you should reconsider the AT until you are able to do a 15-20 mile day on the PMT with ease. Get your pack weight down first of all, and work on your training in the gym and cardio.

[Hikingjim]

i assume you're not referring to a thru-hike yet? you could get into a bit better shape then do an easier section of the AT to start

if you're doing a summer hike, there's no reason to carry more than 30-35 lbs, even if your gear is bulky/heavy and synethetic
Then if you add some better gear in the future the weight will drop down considerably from there

[Lnj]

I looked thru the info on the Pine Mt Trail (is this the one you're talking about?) and found a PMT website with shocking news that would break anyone's heart: It costs $10 per night for every backpacker. And $5 a day to park your car. So, let me see, on a typical 20 day trip I would have to fork out . . . uh . . . $300 just to visit olde Pine Mountain Trail. I hope this is not the trail you're talking about. ???

Yep Tipi. That's the one, but you would never spend 20 days there. The whole PMT thru is only 23 miles. There are a total of 400 miles in loops and other trails in FDR State Park, where the PMT is located, but the PMT itself isn't that long. It cost us $25 for the whole weekend and we had 2 cars, one parked at each end. You pro-hikers would have done this in a day. It took us 3 days and 2 hours and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. It re-established my mind in the firm knowledge that I am QUITE the newbie. Really psyched me out because I did the Kennesaw Mountain trail loop in a day, with a probably 30 pound pack and it was just shy of 17 miles. I thought averaging 7 miles a day on this would be a breeze...a luxurious stroll. I stand, stooped and corrected.

[Lnj]

From one Fat Old Lady to another: I have no idea what the PMT is or how it compares to the AT, but if you were able to carry 42 lbs on your back for 3 days without complete collapse and/or injury, then I wouldn't be intimidated by the AT (except maybe New England). I'm not saying you'll enjoy it all the time, but if you lower your pack weight you should manage just fine. The only time I ever had real trouble was on a winter hike where I had too much weight (in the 30's is my limit) resulting in my not being able to continue. However, on easier overnights, day hikes, etc. there's nothing on the AT that I haven't been able to handle....so far...and I'm confident that if I recognize my own limitations and adjust methods accordingly that will remain true.

So don't worry about the AT....you can do it....it's there for everyone of all levels. Enjoy it, and know that there's someone here on WB who's already impressed by your accomplishments!

Oh thank you so much!!!! That means more to me than it should.

[Lnj]

The Pine Mountain Trail is a flat, paved sidewalk compared to the AT in Georgia...

If you struggled on the PMT, you should reconsider the AT until you are able to do a 15-20 mile day on the PMT with ease. Get your pack weight down first of all, and work on your training in the gym and cardio.

That is exactly what I took away from this experience. I truly believe that this would have been a very VERY different hike for me if I shed at least 10 pounds from my pack. I mean I was really ok until the last day, and honestly the break for me was more mental than physical. I wasn't mentally prepared for that last day. I had it in my head it would be easy compared to the last couple of days and when it wasn't, it broke my spirit and I begrudged every step to the end. I also learned the valuable lesson of not asking for listening to anyone else tell me what lies ahead. Just assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised when you beat it.

[Lnj]

i assume you're not referring to a thru-hike yet? you could get into a bit better shape then do an easier section of the AT to start

if you're doing a summer hike, there's no reason to carry more than 30-35 lbs, even if your gear is bulky/heavy and synethetic
Then if you add some better gear in the future the weight will drop down considerably from there

It was a thru of the PMT, but the PMT is not a long trail. I was only ever planning to do the AT in sections. I originally planned to do just the GA to Deep Gap, NC section in about 10 days, averaging about 10 miles days, because I can't ever be out of work more than a week at a time. BUT... I know now that I am not ready for even that just yet. I am going back to the PMT and doing it again... and again and again until I kick it in the rocks!! Then I will look toward that GA section of the AT.

[cmoulder]

Imagine that same hike carrying 14lbs.

Check out Mike Clelland's videos on youtube for ideas to seriously lighten your pack without spending a lot of money.

[Lnj]

I will. Thank you. I already know of several things I can and will do. We brought WAAYYY too much food and that stuff is heavy. On a true LD hike like the AT, I might have actually needed it, but on just a 3 nighter, we never hit hiker hunger. We forced ourselves to eat some soup the last night and didn't even eat half of it. No need for big meals on a long weekend hike when you aren't even hungry.

[illabelle]

Lnj,
Don't get discouraged. My husband and I have done almost 1300 miles of the AT, and we have completed exactly one 20-mile day. Most of the time we average closer to 10.
Over time we have learned to carry less weight, and maybe we've gotten a little tougher/stronger, but by no stretch of the imagination are we hard-bodied lean hiking machines. We've lost some weight, and gained it back. Hills are still a lot of work. Knees and hips and other joints are grateful for the rest at the end of the day.
I don't want to see you push yourself beyond what you can enjoy, but please don't think the AT has some sort of physical entrance exam you have to pass. Just get yourself up to Springer and walk as far and as slow as you want to. It ain't gonna kill you. It'll just make you sweat.

[Lnj]

Lnj,
Don't get discouraged. My husband and I have done almost 1300 miles of the AT, and we have completed exactly one 20-mile day. Most of the time we average closer to 10.
Over time we have learned to carry less weight, and maybe we've gotten a little tougher/stronger, but by no stretch of the imagination are we hard-bodied lean hiking machines. We've lost some weight, and gained it back. Hills are still a lot of work. Knees and hips and other joints are grateful for the rest at the end of the day.
I don't want to see you push yourself beyond what you can enjoy, but please don't think the AT has some sort of physical entrance exam you have to pass. Just get yourself up to Springer and walk as far and as slow as you want to. It ain't gonna kill you. It'll just make you sweat.

I will admit, the PMT was a shock to my system. I really thought I could do that with no problem. Truth is, I DID do it with no injury and no real problem. It just HURT MY FEELINGS! I really struggled more than I thought I would. Plus, my husband is in about the same shape that I am in. We are well matched physically, but he is retired Army... Drill Sargent. He believes in pushing through the pain and just keep moving no matter what, which puts pressure on me who believes in short power spurts in between stops to catch my breath and let the fire in my calves die down. This is on the up-hills. We both lost about 10 pounds of weight in those 3 days, but I have since worked hard to get it back . Outback cheesefries called to me on the trail. I know I don't have to be lean and mean to get it done... and I most certainly won't be. But I do need to be able to average a 10 mile day every day, with no zeros, in order to be able to complete a decent section in the one week of off time that I would get to do it in. That's what I am working for. No grandiose dreams of a hiking hard body here for sure! But my husband will not let me go alone (and I truthfully don't even want to) andhe won't go with me until I get in better shape because he doesn't like having to stop and wait on me.

[Gambit McCrae]

I have found that the line between capable, and comfortable is not as fine of a line as most perceive. Can I do? or can I do it comfortably? I believe that just about anyone can successfully complete a 30 mile trip on the Appalachian trail on a 2.5 day time period. Especially on the southern 75% of trail. food, water, shelter ..one foot in front of the other will get you there. Now you might not be comfortable, but that is irrelevant to ability.

[Berserker]

This may be a dumb question, but what about doing some day hikes on the AT. Being in Canton you don't appear to be far from the AT, and could just get out there on some weekends with a day pack. That's what I've done with some of the sections close to where I live up here in VA.

Also, don't get discouraged. I've been exercising most of my life, and even with regular exercise age is starting to make things harder. I've noticed that each year it takes just a little longer to get into trail shape, and this year has been particularly tough. So hang in there and just keep plugging away at it.

[Lnj]

True GM. I know that I will definitely feel it and that's actually half the fun of it for me. I feel good about getting a good workout when walking. I just don't want the "feeling it" to overwhelm the "seeing it" and the joy of it for me. The last day of the PMT took my joy. It was a death march and all I wanted was off of it. That's where the line was crossed for me. I want to be able to do it and still be smiling and able to laugh at the end of the day... after I catch my breath of course.

[Lnj]

This may be a dumb question, but what about doing some day hikes on the AT. Being in Canton you don't appear to be far from the AT, and could just get out there on some weekends with a day pack. That's what I've done with some of the sections close to where I live up here in VA.

Also, don't get discouraged. I've been exercising most of my life, and even with regular exercise age is starting to make things harder. I've noticed that each year it takes just a little longer to get into trail shape, and this year has been particularly tough. So hang in there and just keep plugging away at it.

Thanks! I definitely will. I have a revenge hiking goal now to BEAT the PMT. Then I will be back on the AT planning stages. I really do like the camping out at night part but maybe I can just spend a weekend doing the approach to Springer section sometime soon.

[perdidochas]

Did the PMT Memorial Day weekend. 7 miles per day, 42lbs on my stupid back, and I survived, if just barely. Its a beautiful trail.. and it's hard as crap for an old fat lady carrying WAAAAYYYY too much pack weight....... But I did it.

I just wonder... how does the PMT compare to the AT? If it's comparable, I know now that I am not yet ready for the AT. I shall keep on training and doing the weekend shake downs. I will say, I learned a wealth of information with this one. There is no education like experience.

PMT is a good trail to learn to backpack on. It was the first I ever backpacked on.

[Tipi Walter]

Yep Tipi. That's the one, but you would never spend 20 days there. The whole PMT thru is only 23 miles. There are a total of 400 miles in loops and other trails in FDR State Park, where the PMT is located, but the PMT itself isn't that long.

With 400 miles of possible trails and loops (including the PMT?) I think I could pull a long trip in there. As far as the Actual PMT being only 23 miles, well, I pride myself on being able to stretch a 23 mile trail into 10 days. I like to set SKT records---Slowest Known Times.

I will admit, the PMT was a shock to my system. I really thought I could do that with no problem. Truth is, I DID do it with no injury and no real problem. It just HURT MY FEELINGS! I really struggled more than I thought I would. Plus, my husband is in about the same shape that I am in. We are well matched physically, but he is retired Army... Drill Sargent. He believes in pushing through the pain and just keep moving no matter what,

Reminds me of an apt quote from the movie Heartbreak Hill with Clint Eastwood and the USMC. About a Korean War battle a main character says:

"It ain't in any of the history books. Just a little piece of war. Stony Jackson took one look up and said, "Ladies, if it don't kill us, it will surely break our hearts."

We might not see combat but for a backpacker many mountain climbs have broken our hearts.


I like your comment, "It just hurt my feelings." I can't count the number of times a trail or a mountain or a ginormous pack weight hurt my feelings; Miss Nature always has a way of hurting my feelings as She's an expert in pushing my buttons. Then again, after a 3,000 foot nutbusting climb with an 85 lb pack She often produces a rich elixir shot mix of adrenaline and endorphins directly into the brain and it always leaves me goofy, incoherent, stumbling, cross-eyed and howling like a spider monkey being chased by a silverback gorilla in a personal lubricant factory.

Hurt feelings happen on every trip. This won't ever change.

This is what I look like on most of my trips---