Unsupported Record

[LoneStranger]

There is all sorts of information regarding speed records for the LT as well as the other major trails. I'm curious if anyone has any information on a record for the slowest unsupported thru. Having been a professional Googler in a previous life I'm pretty good at the search game, but so far I can't find any info. It seems worth a shot to ask here just in case there are any other folks out there who wonder about such things or might have an answer.

[Walkintom]

Maybe you can't find it cause they aren't done yet.

[BirdBrain]

From the Green Mountain Club webpage:

"Who counts as an End-to-Ender?

Anyone who has thru-hiked or section hiked the entire Long Trail!

The Green Mountain Club encourages anyone who has hiked the entire Long Trail, in one trip or many, this year or in previous years, to apply for an End-to-End certificate and number. Long Trail End-to-End certifications are archived in the collections of the Vermont Historical Society."

I read that to mean one could have hiked the 1st mile when they were 8 and the last mile when they are 80 and would qualify.

[LoneStranger]

Maybe you can't find it cause they aren't done yet.

This took a second to percolate before I busted out laughing. Good one!

From the Green Mountain Club webpage:

"Who counts as an End-to-Ender?

Anyone who has thru-hiked or section hiked the entire Long Trail!

The Green Mountain Club encourages anyone who has hiked the entire Long Trail, in one trip or many, this year or in previous years, to apply for an End-to-End certificate and number. Long Trail End-to-End certifications are archived in the collections of the Vermont Historical Society."

I read that to mean one could have hiked the 1st mile when they were 8 and the last mile when they are 80 and would qualify.

You are reading that right BB, but it doesn't have much to do with my question I'm afraid. An unsupported thru means starting the trail with everything you need to finish, adding nothing but water along the way and carrying your trash out. At least those are the rules as I understand them. Now if they hold contests to see who can carry the least and finish the fastest I am just curious if they hold a contest to see who can carry the most and stay out there the longest, yet actually finish without leaving the trail.

Speed run trail journals make for incredible reading. As the madness of sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion sinks in the descriptions of hallucinations and what it takes to keep going are inspirational even if you have no interest in doing such a thing. I have a feeling the madness of an intentionally extended unsupported trip would also be quite interesting, though different. If I can find such a journal I'd like to read it. Then I might want to write one of my own

[North Star]

You are reading that right BB, but it doesn't have much to do with my question I'm afraid. An unsupported thru means starting the trail with everything you need to finish, adding nothing but water along the way and carrying your trash out. At least those are the rules as I understand them. Now if they hold contests to see who can carry the least and finish the fastest I am just curious if they hold a contest to see who can carry the most and stay out there the longest, yet actually finish without leaving the trail.

My understanding of an unsupported thru hike is quite different from this. It just means that you can't have someone meet you with supplies at road crossings, or cache food for you. It doesn't mean you can't resupply on your own power. I took 5 weeks last summer...no way I could carry that much food.

I am curious how long some people have taken as well. I think it would be wonderful to take an entire summer to live on the trail and just soak it up.

[4eyedbuzzard]

My understanding of an unsupported thru hike is quite different from this. It just means that you can't have someone meet you with supplies at road crossings, or cache food for you. It doesn't mean you can't resupply on your own power. I took 5 weeks last summer...no way I could carry that much food.

I am curious how long some people have taken as well. I think it would be wonderful to take an entire summer to live on the trail and just soak it up.

Exactly. "Unsupported" is more accurately "self supported". No outside help. That said, when it comes to unsupported AT thru-hikes, there is always some debate over whether or not shuttles to towns, hitching rides, hiker feeds, etc. constitutes support. Most say they are okay.

[LoneStranger]

Well, some folks may call their self supported thru unsupported, but that doesn't change the meaning of the term. No caches, no resupply, no pacers, nothing but water sourced along the route is pretty much the standard for the term in the serious speed community. One person vs trail and clock. Reading in a trail journal about someone turning down the offer of extra food to eat at a shelter because it would constitute support gives me a respect for the effort that goes into making that claim of unsupported. Seems wrong to throw the word around for anything less.

These folks lay out the standards pretty well here http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/19 Based on that definition of the term there will be no unsupported thru of the AT until science comes up with a really tiny food supply It doesn't lessen the accomplishments of those who do speed runs of the AT, but to use the term unsupported to describe them would lessen the accomplishments of folks actually doing unsupported runs.

That link also mentions a 20 day unsupported thru of the CT as being at the outer limits of this style of hiking. Interesting indeed.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I happen to hold several unsupported records...but only in that I can't find anyone gullible enough to support my claims.

[Just Bill]

Unsupported vs. self-supported- excellent supporting information to define these terms and supply you with all you need is on FKT.
Although living off the land is generally considered poor form, in theory, the sky is the limit.

Tipi Walter regularly goes for 21 days, so clearly 21, and not 20 is the upper limit for unsupported hikes.

On your slowest LT record hike;
You're going to run into a lot of haters obviously, who don't understand what your hike is all about. Unless you have a long history of exceedingly long hikes on your resume I would encourage you to attempt a calendar year end to end first.

273 miles/365 days looks to be a .75 mile per day pace. While on the surface that might seem aggressive, keep in mind you will have a year's worth of food on your back.

I would go NOBO, with the easier trail when your load is heaviest I think that you'll be able to maintain your average much better as you would pick up too much speed on the southern 100 miles if you go SOBO. It's tough either way, I would do your research and create a detailed spreadsheet with a good graph to help you make a good decision.

Ultimately though, you need to realize that these attempts largely depend on the trail. Set your ego aside and accept what the trail is willing to give you. If it looks like a 1 mile day then that's what it's going to be. Don't fight it, the next 1/4 mile day is around the next bend.

Best of luck with your attempt- I'd definitely get a facebook or gofundme page going asap!

[LoneStranger]

"With over 75,000 feet of elevation gain and an average altitude of 10,000 feet, the Colorado Trail winds its way from Durango to Denver amidst almost 500 miles of rugged peaks and valleys along the spine of the Rocky Mountains."

I have a feeling that even Tipi would find lugging one of his legendary 90 pound packs at 10k feet of elevation a bit challenging heh. Besides Coup dropped like 25 pounds of body weight on that hike and I don't think Tipi has much to spare if you've ever seen a shot of him with his shirt off.

That comment combined with your lack of taking both the Vermont winter and mud seasons in account in your advice leads me to think you might just have been being silly with that post Bill. Silly is almost always a good thing and the world can use more of it. Of course now you've left me pondering the ramifications of setting up a donation site to fund an unsupported hike. Might disqualify the attempt, might create a paradox that swallows the universe. Seems risky