Best Section to Pull a 30?

[CrumbSnatcher]

It would seem that when hiking faster you would see more for the time.
When you hike less quickly you have more time for the seeing.

Neither is right/wrong. Both are hiking. HYOH.


May the Hike be with You!

sounds good to me
WELCOME 2 WB :-)

[stranger]

I spent 4 months hiking 850 miles...which is the other side of the spectrum from what you are talking about. And I can tell you that if you are doing 30 miles a day you are most certainly missing out on some things...you don't know it because you keep moving when you might stop and look around and spend a few hours or even a couple of days in a neat place exploring it, or just taking it in.

If one were to hike 850 miles at 30 miles a day you'd be done in 28 days...I took 4 months to go the same distance...who spends more time on the trail? Pretty simple isn't it?

You're not seeing more because you hiked 25 miles instead of 14, you're using up the miles faster so that you'll end up spending less time on the trail, or at the very least less time in each place you travel through.

I'm not saying the way you do things is wrong, its just the way you do them, and that's totally up to you...but the logic you use to justify it doesn't add up.

Somebody just hiked the whole trail in about 6 weeks...that doesn't impress me, and I would never want to do it. Perhaps some people get something out of the athletic achievment of hiking...that's never been why I hike, but I can understand why other people might. But this idea that you are seeing more because you hike more miles per day just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I could never average 30 a day, just so we're clear on that. I do see your point mate, although I do disagree.

I've done plenty of hikes in the past where I've hiked 12-16 miles per day, I've been there and done that, in 1995 it took me nearly two months to hike 600 miles. Again, I don't see the point in sitting around camp waiting for it to get dark, I would rather keep walking.

I guess the best way I can put it is that I go hiking to 'go hiking'. For me, hiking 850 miles over 4 months would not be very enjoyable, I would feel like I wasn't hiking very much on a trip like that. I have way too much experience and self-awareness to consider something like that, for me that will not work.

For you it does - to each their own.

PS - ever notice that those who do longer days are silent on those doing shorter days, it only seems to be the people doing shorter days who have to comment about those who are doing longer days.

Makes you wonder what that's all about?

[Mags]

but the history of Appalachia is short, sad, and not very exciting.

Highly arguable. THe music culture, the Civil-War era and Revolutionary War history often very close to or even on the trail, etc. is something this amateur historian finds fascinating.

(Of course some of it is sad...the history is short compared to my fiance's hometown on the German/Polish border in what was Prussia, but long compared to what passes as old out here in the West...but not exciting?? )

And I am not one of those "smell the roses" people; I did the BMT in two weeks.

[lemon b]

When the calories allow just go for it.

[thepitts]

Dang, this thread got big since i posted last!

I appreciate everybody's opinions and advice and I continue to enjoy the journey!