I started this on a 7 year plan. I am now into year 5 with 644 miles left from Upper Goose Pond Rd in Mass to Katahdin. No gaps in there*. So the following is my breakdown and thoughts on how to wrap this thing up.
The following is categorized by year and Vacation Days per Year
2018: 9 days of Vacation to be used during first 2 weeks of September (Sept 1st is a holiday)
-2 weeks starting at Upper Goose Pond Rd heading northbound planning on 15MPD with 2 zeros
Upper Goose Pond, MA to Dartmouth College, NH ~ 202 Miles
2019: 14 days of Vacation
-3 weeks Starting at the first 3 weeks of September at Dartmouth College (or wherever I end up at the end of 2018 trip but for budgetary reasons we will stick with Dartmouth College) Planning 12.7 MPD with 3 zeros
Dartmouth College, NH to Stratton, ME ~254 miles
2020: 15 Days of Vacation Available
188 Miles of trail left between Stratton, ME and Katahdin, ME
Planning for 12 MPD would be a 2 week trip with 2 zeros, but also leaving a buffer of 5 days available in case weather is not perfect for a summit day (After walking for 7 years, I want and am willing to wait a few days to summit on a great day and preferably a day during the week)
During my completion of 1500 AT miles my longest 2 trips have been 240 miles and 105 miles, at the end of my 240 mile trip, I had the desire and ability to keep going but was out of time. I look forward to these last completion trips of Map1 as since my 240 mile trip, I have seen a big change in how I hike physically and mentally so I hope to see that continue thru these last trips.
**Disclaimer** This thread is excluding the 115 miles of PA I have left as I am doing that this July 4th and is kind of irrelevant to the completion of the trail because it is the final gap I have left south of New England. Although I am not discussing that section in this thread, it is taking 4 of my vacation days to complete it this year which is why I only have an allotted 9 days in 18' instead of 13 days, every year I am given an extra day of vacation which allows me in 2019 to take 3 full weeks if I start the week of September 1st