Hundred Mile Wilderness

[CarlZ993]

Carl, tough break on that fall, but at least you were able to finish and i'm glad you were not seriously hurt. I think tackling the hmw in the beginning is just as tough as nobo's end, maybe tougher. 7 days for you will be closer to ten as my muscles wont be in as nearly good shape as one who has already hiked 2000 miles. I will aim for 10 mile days and see from there and push farther as it comes safely.

I was glad I wasn't hurt as well. I fell so fast I didn't have a chance to brace myself (probably a good thing). My brain did a quick system's check on all my parts & didn't detect anything injured other than my pride.

I think you're right about being tougher starting out Sobo. I'd really check w/ some locals about a food cache to lessen your food weight. 10 days of food would be back-breaking to me. I've done 9 days of food weight before on my JMT hike. That was tough. Best of luck on your hike.

[TwoSpirits]

Thank you for this thread! Starting the trip out on Katahdin, then immediately into the 100 Mile Wilderness does require some thoughtful planning & preparation, and I've been doing my best to plan appropriately -- but recently I started to doubt and second-guess my anticipated daily miles, thinking that maybe I'm being too conservative. I started to think that I'll be the laughing stock of the Wilderness, plodding along so slow. The comments here have been a huge help -- reminding me to Hike My Own Hike and keeping me from making a big mistake that could ruin this trip I'm looking forward to so much!

I'm 51 and in reasonable shape (could be better!), but I also know that I'm just not as strong as I used to be, and it takes my body a lot longer to recover if I'm reckless about the demands I put on it. I'm not ultralight by any means, and my reading & research has taught me well that the "relatively flat" terrain in the first 30 miles or so will still be a workout. I know there is a high potential for bad weather, impassible fords, etc., and that this will slow me down as well. Add to all this is the fact that I want to take full advantage of this opportunity to hike such a gorgeous area (for example, I'm really hoping to take the side trip to Gulf Hagas), so in the end I guess I'm expecting that it will take me at least 10 days to make it to Monson.

Like Honuben, I'll most likely haul my food for the entire distance, so I'm making the best preps I can to make sure I have enough food to keep me fueled while keeping the weight down as much as possible. I got myself a dehydrator for Christmas and I'm making a lot of dehydrated meals; hopefully that will help keep the weight manageable.

It's certainly going to be a challenging start to what I expect will be a challenging trip -- but I am so excited! I agree, Honuben: June can't come soon enough.

[Drybones]

Would a person who averaged 20 miles/day in the southern half of the AT be able to hike at the same rate in the HMW?

[hikerboy57]

Would a person who averaged 20 miles/day in the southern half of the AT be able to hike at the same rate in the HMW?

yes, but they would be long days.

[Biggie Master]

Would a person who averaged 20 miles/day in the southern half of the AT be able to hike at the same rate in the HMW?

yes, but they would be long days.

This is consistent with my experience this past summer, although it took a couple of days to adjust my mental attitude and buckle down to get those extra miles. And like others have pointed out, you can't look at the elevation profiles and predict the miles you can cover that day. Rocks, roots, bogs, stream crossings, etc. can't be underestimated for how they impact your overall pace. It's a beautiful section, and I loved every step of it.

[Slo-go'en]

Would a person who averaged 20 miles/day in the southern half of the AT be able to hike at the same rate in the HMW?

If you can do 20's in the south, you might be able to pull 15's in the HMW. Where the profile shows the trial pretty flat, that is usually because your skirting along the edge of a lake and there are miles of micro PUDS plus roots and rocks which makes footing real tricky and slows you way down. You can't zone out and just cruse along at a good clip like you can along much of the AT - you have to be constantly paying attention to where your feet are going and constantly planning 3 steps ahead. A 2 mph pace is a fast pace through much of this area. In a lot of places you'll slow down to 1 mph. That makes for a really long day.

[slowfeet]

I planned on low miles due to food weight, the fact that I've never been out there and didn't know what to expect, and the physical condition I was in.
I think I took 10 or 11 days.... first day on trail I thought I could do it in 6 days.... second day on trail I knew it would take the full 10 days for me.

Blisters, sore legs, and general fatigue slowed me down. If you start off in shape, the 100 Mile Wilderness can be "easy". I thought I was in good enough shape...turns out I wasn't. It is not flat.
3 days Zero in Monsoon , I was hurting... still made it to Springer tho.

I was wondering what some of past Sobo hikers strategy was during the HMW. Did you plan on higher miles the first week and slow down afterwards? Or did you pack more food and keep a steady pace to pace yourself? Looking at the Awol guide it seems relatively flat, but that doesn't always mean an easier hike. I would also like to know what do future 2014's sobo hikers plan on doing?

[rafe]

Something about the HMW gets my juices going. I've done it in 7 days, both times, sobo. But I wasn't a neophyte hiker in either case. First time in the fall following a failed nobo thruhike, 2nd time exactly 20 years later (and 20 years older.)

Okay 15 MPD isn't all that special but a good rate for this old phart. On my 2nd walk through, two young men set some kind of record and walked (ran?) the same distance in about 2 days, jogging nonstop day and night. I kept meeting their "support" at the road crossings.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

you can probably still get a limited resupply at whitehouse landing about 3/4 mile off the AT on a side trail I did when I did the HMW you can pretty much forget the profile maps its roots and rocks steep ups its slippery when it rains messed my knee up in the rain- river crossings were not bad some of the descents were tricky in the rain but all in all one of the most beautiful sections on the AT . I took a flight with Katadhin Air back over that section to Monson when I finished. The AT from the air was pretty cool

[kayak karl]

i made it 8 days with a 30lb pack at start (w/food and water). i took less food because my hunger doesn't kick in till about 10-14 days. food bag was 16lbs.

[rafe]

How good a hiker are you? How well prepared?

I've done the HMW twice, sobo. Each time in exactly seven days. I'm neither fast nor young, but vaguely in shape and I didn't go in as a newb. Going sobo, the only climbs for the first 45 miles are Rainbow Ledges and Nesuntabunt, both minor by AT standards. The southern half has two big ridges, one after another; I figure one day each of serious (tough!) hiking. That last day just north of Monson is just a lotta little aggravating ups & downs, aka PUDs.

This makes no account for injuries, bad weather, gear failures, getting lost, getting sad, etc. Stuff happens, so beware and take care and have fun.

[Honuben]

Rafe, i consider myself a good hiker, but an inexperienced backpacker. i'm in decent shape, though its a bit different than AT shape. My goal will be 10 miles/day and push farther as i see fit. I'll be staying at the AT lodge so i will ask about food drops to lesson my load.

[rafe]

Which AT lodge would that be? There's a camp at around mile 40 (from Abol) off the trail a short ways called White House Landing. Don't know if they're still around or in business. Lots of hungry HMW hikers have raved about it, but I walked on by. There's Shaws in Monson and nobody in their right mind would skip that.

The good news (well, bad news in other ways) is that the HMW is riddled with forest roads and trailheads now, so that it's no longer necessary to hike from one end to the other.

By all means, take your time and enjoy the hike. You'll have gorgeous scenery and a quick learning curve as a sobo.

[tarantolk]

White House Landing in the HMW is not open this year.

[bamboo bob]

When I was 53 I did it at the end of a Nobo in six nights. I was in 100% hiking shape. At 56 I did it at the start of a SOBO and it took six nights. I'm not a super hiker I just keep going. Other than the sign that says carry 10 days food I can't imagine doing that.

[Dahoyt]

Why isn't it open?

[TJ aka Teej]

OK - BEFORE you think about the 100 Mile > Honuben, are you flying in from HI? What's your plan on starting? You should have at least one day of rest after your flight. Stay in Millinocket at the Lodge, they'll take you to Katahdin Stream. You should plan on two nights in a lean-to, the nights before and after your climb. You'll then hike out to Abol Bridge on fresh legs. Stay at Abol Pines that night, and hit the 100 after tanking up at the Abol Bridge Store. Buzz past Hurd Brook Lean-to and spend your first night at Rainbow Stream Lean-to.

[Honuben]

TJ, I'll have a week at least in Louisville,Ky, then fly to Maine. I'll spend the night i fly into Maine plus the next at the AT Lodge for a bit of rest. They will shuttle me to KSC and the i will summit katahdin and enjoy the views and after climbing down i will stay the night at KSC (or if feeling over energetic, continue on, but most-likely not). I will look into your recommendations past Ksc, thank you.