No zeros

[garlic08]

On my AT hike I took three zeros but only to visit family and friends. I kept a sustainable pace of 20 mpd, hiked the AT in 106 days, and I was twice your age (and my hiking partner was 64 at the time). I took more side trips and enjoyed the sights more than many slower hikers, so don't believe those that tell you that you must hike slowly to enjoy the AT. But you know that already. It was possibly the most enjoyable 3.5 months I've ever spent. I didn't lose weight, didn't get blisters, I just had over 30 perfect hiking days in a row three times that summer. If I had no family or friends, I would not have stopped once. I would have taken a few more nearos, but I just get restless sitting still on a trip like that.

The key to a successful and fun hike for me was consistency and some experience. The AT was not my first 2000 miler. I had my gear, diet, and physical needs all dialed in so I didn't have any problems. I always thought about the next day when hiking a long day. I never hiked a 30 mile day. (A younger hiker would probably have a different style.) I didn't do any mail drops and that helped too, I think (see post #14 above).

A few things I think I gained from a faster hike were 1) having a complete summer hiking season ahead of me when I got home to Colorado in mid-July, 2) saving a lot of money, and 3) enjoying the athletic aspect of it. I also enjoy seeing a completely different vista at the end of the day than I did at the start. When you can't see a major peak any more that dominated the view in the morning, that's a cool feeling of accomplishment.

Good luck with your hike and enjoy it however it works out. Take a zero if it sounds like fun, otherwise don't.

[Tinker]

The question you might want to ask yourself is why are you thru-hiking? And why the hurry?

Ditto.

In my section hiking, the experience is more in the people that I meet than in the trail I've hiked. How many people will be able to keep up with you?

Otoh, if you view this as an athletic event and that is how you get your giggles, by all means do it while you are young, and you may be inspired to do it "like everyone else" a second time and, as I like to say "Experience the experience".
Whatever you do, enjoy it enough to share the joy with others.

[colorado_rob]

The question you might want to ask yourself is why are you thru-hiking? And why the hurry?

Everyone says "HYOH" yet this same "argument" comes up all the time, folks saying how silly it is to "hurry" when they should be "enjoying themselves by slowing down". Why don't people get it that some of us just don't like this style? I'm out there to HIKE. I'm happiest simply hiking. I'm in a constant state of anticipation about what's around the next corner, over the next hill, what people I'll meet along the way.

Spending time in towns will bore me to tears and annoy me and I plan to avoid this as much as possible, so I personally get what the OP is asking.

However, I know myself and I know I will need a half dozen or so zero days, for various reasons already pointed out on this thread, so bottom line even for a youngster, I think zero-zeroes is unrealistic. My plan is to have a goal of lets say six total zero days over the 4.5 months on my personal estimate of how long this will take. Lots of short mileage days for resupply, of course. All this is great in theory, but if an injury rears its ugly head, then all bets are off and who knows, 14 zeros in a row (or more) might just come to be.

[squireel]

RickB- thank you, that tells me it's possible. DonH- I'm hiking the trail because I want to, I'm hiking because I enjoy a good challenge, and I'm not "in a rush" I have allowed for 6 months to complete this trail if needed but that isn't going to stop me from pushing hard right out the gate. Karma 13- after three 6 month deployments to the sand box, yea I can go 6 months with no problem, btw I'm on month 3 of 6 right now on stub boat. Thats 12 hour days, good weather bad weather it doesn't matter out here. Yes I can handle 6 months. Maybe I come off wrong to everyone on my organal post. I'm doing this hike to enjoy the trail, and still push my self. And if I have to take a zero I'm fine with that I will still enjoy the trail 100%. it's just my goal to complete her with out a zero.

[squireel]

Colorodo rob- you hit the nail on the head

[Tinker]

RickB- thank you, that tells me it's possible. DonH- I'm hiking the trail because I want to, I'm hiking because I enjoy a good challenge, and I'm not "in a rush" I have allowed for 6 months to complete this trail if needed but that isn't going to stop me from pushing hard right out the gate. Karma 13- after three 6 month deployments to the sand box, yea I can go 6 months with no problem, btw I'm on month 3 of 6 right now on stub boat. Thats 12 hour days, good weather bad weather it doesn't matter out here. Yes I can handle 6 months. Maybe I come off wrong to everyone on my organal post. I'm doing this hike to enjoy the trail, and still push my self. And if I have to take a zero I'm fine with that I will still enjoy the trail 100%. it's just my goal to complete her with out a zero.

Good, solid answer.
Enjoy your hike.

[quilteresq]

I was too dumb to plan zero days in my 2003 3300 mile bike ride. How did I not realize it was a good idea?

Except for about a week visiting relatives in Bend, OR, I think the only two times we actually did a zero was after about a week of biking in 100+ temps, and getting a ride out from one of Idaho canyons where the temp was over 80 degrees in the early morning. I really couldn't have made it out on that particular day. Once we got to town, I barely left the bed the rest of the day or even on the zero day, never even got to the library in town to update my blog. We had to drop our mileage down for about four days after that as well. I remember one of those days, my husband and daughter went down to a stream to cool off, and I laid down on the side of the road for about 15 minutes just to rest. Two cars stopped to see if I was all right. I said "Oh sure, just tired."

Also took one somewhere in N. Dakota where I was waiting for a mail drop that didn't arrive the day I got there. There were some nero's other than that. I won't do THAT again!

[HikerMom58]

Other than people that have hiked the trail for setting speed records- does anyone know if there have been claims to having hiked the trail with no zero's? If so, could you really trust someone to tell the truth?

I hope you have a great hike squireel. I know you will.

[squireel]

I would never lie I promise

[Karma13]

after three 6 month deployments to the sand box, yea I can go 6 months with no problem, btw I'm on month 3 of 6 right now on stub boat. Thats 12 hour days, good weather bad weather it doesn't matter out here.

Thank you for your service!

[HikerMom58]

And with those 2 big smiley faces... I would believe you.

[Malto]

I will give the minority opinion. IF you are in shape AND properly motivated AND properly prepared then you can easily do a 20 mpd average with no zeros or even average 20 per day with a few zeros thrown in. Will you have fun doing it? That is something that you will have to decide.

If I were doing another thru hike I would do it without any planned zeros. I did the last 1500 miles of the PCT without a zero, we got real good at doing about 70-80% normal miles for a "Nero". But in order to do that you will have to have your act together and be very efficient with your town stops. One way I accomplished that was to rely heavily on mail drops. But this is where the planning and preparation comes in, you better have your food plan nailed down if you are going to rely on food drops extensively. It worked well for me and I would do it again for the PCT. For the AT I would use them less given there are so many resupply options near the trail.

You may find some useful info in my trail journal of my 2011 PCT trip. I wrote it especially to document the training and preparation that I went through. Take a look at the pictures, one thing you won't see much in the pictures are other people, I hiked solo the first half since I started late. I met many of the hikers once as I moved through the pack. I often went by quiet tents since I hiked early and late. By the time I exited the Sierra I was up at the front of pack with very few hikers and hiker with a single hiker (different folks at different times) the whole second half. The reason I bring this up is so you know the trade offs you will be making. I was willing to trade off the social interaction, lack of town time etc for the only opportunity I would have to do a thru hike.

My journal can be found at postholer.com search for trail name Malto.

[Lone Wolf]

Is it crazy thinking that a thru hike can be completed with no zeros? Is it crazy thinking that I should be able to maintain 20 miles a day from the start if I'm in great shape? I maintained 20+ a day on a long train thru hike with out issues, besides time and Length of trail I don't see why the AT should be different. I'm not saying I'm pushing for a world record but how many people truly can get 20+ miles a day and still finish a thru hike. And for the record speed is not the main purpose for my thru hike attempt, I just hate spending all day in camp.

20 mpd with no days off is totally doable. i've known quite a few that have done it. have fun

[squireel]

gg-man thanks, I will take the time a read those. Karma13- thanks and wouldn't know life any other way

[Marta]

Warren Doyle's many Circle Expeditions have allowed quite a large number of people to complete the Trail with only a couple of zeroes.

I suspect one of the big factors, other than mental and physical toughness, is in arranging the logistics to make it possible. A lot of hapless hikers end up taking lots of zeroes because of equipment issues, missed mail drops, and other logistical screwups. I think you can go either way--have a rock-solid support person who will take care of your logistical issues (Brew Davis for Jennifer, for instance) or have a good plan for self-supply (I think Garlic bought food locally along the way).

It sounds as if you've done your homework and preparation and have a great shot at achieving your goal. If, while you're hiking, your goal shifts, well that's fine, too. It's YOUR hike.

[Marta]

Oops. I should have quoted ggman... What he said.

[bigcranky]

I'm just a section hiker, but I've done some 2-3 week sections. I find a full zero day makes it harder to get back on the trail. I like to hit town around noon, spend the afternoon doing chores (laundry, food shopping), then get a big dinner and a good night's rest in a motel or hostel, then a big breakfast, and hit the trail late morning. So I get 24 hours off, and do two short days in a row (<10 miles), and it just feels better for my body. It's also cheaper.

That's not to say that on a thru-hike I wouldn't need some longer breaks, though.

[Slo-go'en]

I think you can do it without any zeros. Heck, I also did the LT without any zeros - but I did have four nero's where I only did a few miles to get into town for the day. A nero can be almost as restfull as a zero if you get into town early and spend the night. Doing a 20 mile day AND getting into and/or out of town might be a bit harder to pull off on a consistant bases. That all depends on how far off the trail the town is, what you need to do there and how quickly you can get a ride in and out.

But don't rule out zero's completely. There are many reasons for taking a zero once in a while. For what ever reason, you just might not feel like hiking one day. Often that day off will be in town, but it could just as easily be a neat place on the trail you just want to hang out at for the day.

[evyck da fleet]

It's possible to average twenty miles a day the whole way. I met four or five hikers this year who finished in under four months but they all took a couple of zeros along the way. Then again they all had work or school deadlines which required them to limit their time in towns and around the shelters.

As for zero zeros, I don't know anyone who did this. You'll take one if and when you want or need one. I finished my hike in 4 1/2 months and found time for 22 zerosy and a two mile day for various reasons: six days visiting a friend in CT, 4 days at Trail Days to recover from a sprain in my foot/leg, three days because of sickness(noro virus twice), a day at Harpers Ferry when I decided I wanted to go into DC the day before(fyi I hiked 80 miles the previous three days so you can still average 20 a day with zeros) and a two mile day when i decided to stay in town most of teh next day to go see the latest Batman movie with hikers I had just met. The rest of the day my body just told me I needed a day of rest.

[map man]

Looking at the list of completing NOBO thru-hikers that I put together for the Hiking Rates article, out of 240 hikers in that database one hiker did it with no zero days and nine hikers did it with fewer than five zero days. So, yes it's been done, but it is rare.

The posts on this thread to pay close attention to are the ones from people who have done the type of hike you have in mind: Garlic, gg-man and rickb come to mind.