3 month thru hike-possible?
I am young, healthy, and in really good shape. Is it possible to thru hike the AT in three months? Any feedback is appreciated.
Do the math..... Roughly 24.25 miles a day with no zeros.
It is also possible to thru hike the trail in 2 months but you have to ask yourself why you would want to do it. Most of the hikers who I've met that have done the trail in approximately 100 days have said they wished they had taken more time and enjoyed themselves more. If 3 months is all the time you can afford to allot for the A.T., then go for it. After you've been on the trail for a while you may find that you want to slow down, or you might find you enjoy hiking the A.T. faster than most.
I wish I could take more time. Unfortunately, I am a college student and we have roughly three months of summer vacation. That is all the time I have to complete it
why dont you wait to complete college. thats my plan im going to finish highschool. go to college, finish it. then i will thruhike. After i thruhike i will then get a job.
Most people who do that kind of mileage are experienced thru-hikers with lightpacks and in good physical shape.
Not to bust beans, but if you have to ask the question, it is probably not a pace you'd be comfortable with.
Hiking all day can be awesome. It is the mileage I average on my longer hikes since 2004 and I've enjoyed them thoroughly...but I also knew what I was getting into.
If I were you, get a practice hike in and see if you can do that pace and enjoy it. The Benton MacKaye Trail and Vermont's Long Trail are both roughly the same length and difficulty. If you can do one of those trails in two weeks and still have an enjoyable experience, then you may enjoy the AT at this pace.
Good luck!
Paul "Mags" Magnanti
http://pmags.com
Twitter: @pmagsco
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The true harvest of my life is intangible...a little stardust caught,a portion of the rainbow I have clutched -Thoreau
Go out and see if you can do Georgia in 4 days.
That will give you a good indication of whether you can do that whole trail in 3 months.
Many can do it.
Few actually do.
Up to you!
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
That just sounds unpleasant to me.
I want to take my time and enjoy nature. I also like to take a lot of pics and its hard to notice the more awesome things in life when you speed right by them. But thats just my opinion.
Yes, the A.T. can be hiked in three months. I know I couldn't do so, not sure if you can, but it can be done.
My 2 cents. Not sure how much backpacking experience you have, BUT.............(1) the AT is one tough SOB, the romantic notion quickly disappears. Miles do not add up as quickly as a calculator might tell you. The AT is some of the hardest work I have ever loved; however see #1 above.
Well, it'd certainly be a challenge and there's nothing like a good challenge.Originally Posted by bradm
I say if you're up for it give it a shot. Worse case you just won't make it all the way.
You could just hike as far as you can in three months. Maybe it will be the whole trail; maybe it will be half the trail; maybe it will be somewhere in between.
If not NOW, then WHEN?
ME>GA 2006
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3277
Instagram hiking photos: five.leafed.clover
There is a hiker on the trail now that should be finishing in just under 70 days, so yes it's possible. Will you enjoy a hike like that? Only you can say.
I'd reiterate Mags' advice above. The high mileage days come much easier with lots of experience. Not only do you need to be in excellent condition, you also need to know how to take care of yourself on trail. If you don't know what you're doing, you'll have skin problems (blisters, sunburn, rashes, boils), illnesses (Lyme disease, diarrhea, flu), weaknesses from poor nutrition and hydration, time-consuming problems with gear and clothing, etc. To achieve a 90-day pace, you really can't take any time off at all to resolve any problems. Resupply stops have to be very efficient, too, and that takes experience.
Unless of course you're rich and have a support team following you with everything you might need.
"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
Don't know if you have to be rich to be supported.
Just have great friends!
I agree, experience is worth more than youth, muscle, and gear combined.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
See what you can glean from some famous speed hikers:
Matthew "Squeaky" Hazley - Did Smokies in 1 day, Triple Crown in 8 months in 2005.
Andrew Skurka - who's doing 4,700 miles in Alaska - expects to take 7 months.
Justin "Trauma" Lichter - Has Triple Crowned twice, 10000 miles in 2005
Scott Williamson - PCT Yo-Yoer did the 5300 miles in 7 months
Francis Tapon - CTD Yo-Yoer in 5600 miles in 7 months
.. and there are many others.
If you are constricted because of time readjust the goal. Hike Springer to Harper's Ferry one summer, Harpers Ferry to Maine the next.
The key to success in achieving a goal is focusing not on how far you have to go, but rather how far you have come.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Phil 4:13
Also, averaging 24+ miles a day is somewhat misleading. In order to average 24+ miles a day you will me doing many 30 + mile days. If you do it at this pace at least it will be memorable. I know every 25 - 30 mile day I have put in is etched in my memory (but not in a good way).
There are so many miles and so many mountains between here and there that it is hardly worth thinking about
You can certainly do a 3 month thru hike. It winds up being more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge. I did a 3 1/2 month thru hike and really enjoyed putting in higher mileage days. I say make a plan, and get out there. If you find that you can't keep up with the mileage, you go as far as you can in 3 months!
Don't get locked into thinking that your schedule is bound to that of the university. Does your school offer any 7-week hybrid courses? Interim courses?
Maybe you could miss a semester and make up the credits some other way. Talk to department heads, like the head of the Geology Dept. or similar. Tell them what you are planning and ask if they can set you up with an "Independent Study" class where you can write a report on what you learned during the hike.
As a current non-trad student, I've learned there are a lot of ways to earn credits that most college students never take advantage of.
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