First 100 mile plan

[MyMusclesHurt]

Not on the AT, but I hiked the Wonderland Trail (a bit under 100 miles with a lot of elevation gain and loss) a couple of years ago at 64. It took my son and me 10 days. I'd suggest getting your routines for cooking, sleeping, etc. in order first. Also get your gear sorted out. You may want some different choices than you used 50+ years ago.

Mostly I suggest lightening up your pack, to the extent you are comfortable. Many clothing items are much lighter and better than what we used decades ago, especially footwear. Also, you can't start out too slow. Beating yourself up is no fun. On the WT we met a couple (twice, as the were doing the loop the other way) who were 65 and 75. They had a 14 day itinerary, and seemed happy and strong both times. That should be you.

Take advantage of you location. From your home you can get to Harriman State Park and do a few short shakedowns. Winter is often not bad there, and the shelters may suit you.

Mostly, have fun.

Thank you for you insights. Yes, I am very close to Harriman and literally lived there as a young adult. I must have done the Suffern to Bear Mt trail 100 times.

You have all given me food for thought. At the moment my goal is to do a gradual build up physically. I lift weights 4-5x week, try to get 3 miles a day in with the dog and 5 miles on the weekend. I actually still have some of my original equipment which is crazy heavy ( big three must be over 20 lbs !) but will be ok for a weekend. Money, fortunately, is not a big problem so over the next few years I will purchase everything with an emphasis on keeping it very light but also keeping me comfortable. Over the final year I’ll really ramp up my training, get a few long hikes of a week or two to fine tune my gear and go for it. Wife is on board but I secretly think she is looking forward to getting rid of me for 6 months-lol. Thank you all


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[MyMusclesHurt]

Kevin,

First of all, I think that here on WB, in deference to Another Kevin, you should be known as Yet Another Kevin.

I started the AT this year at 64 and it aged me, I had my birthday on the trail. I did the southern half of the trail.

Everybody's advice above is good, though I take one exception. My military and professional required a plan, but I agree that the plan didn't survive contact with the trail (apologies to van Moltke) but having a plan and understanding the hike provided flexibility in the execution. When I started planning my hike I didn't know anything about when or where anything was. I started planning my hike in 2013 when I bought the Thru Hikers Companion, then the 2015 and 2018 AT Guide and Guthook's app. I lurked here and on Trail Journals, read all the books, listened to podcasts, you tubes. Like lonehiker, I used mapman's and Baltimore Jack's articles to guide the planning, made a spreadsheet, etc. I wrote everything I learned (rocks, climbs, good/bad shelters/tenting spots, resupply places, etc) in my AT Guide, that helped with daily planning. (I'd sell it to you but I still need it to finish the trail.)

Below is the info that you asked for:

8 April - Slackpacked SOBO down (Mama didn't raise no fools) the steps on the Approach Trail ( 1.1 miles )
9 April - Top of the falls to Springer Mountain ( 7.7 miles, 6.3 hours, tent )
10 April - Hawk Mountain Shelter ( 8.1 miles, 6.2 hours, tent )
11 April - Gooch Mountain Shelter ( 7.6 miles, 5.8 hours, tent )
12 April - Lance Creek ( 8.2 miles, 5.4 hours, tent )
13 April - Neel Gap (7.2 miles, 5.2 hours, Mountain Crossings hostel, mail drop )
14 April - Low Gap Shelter (11.5 miles, 8.2 hours, tent )
15 April - Unicoi Gap ( 9.7 miles, 5.4 hours, motel at Helen )
16 April - Tray Mountain ( 5.7 miles, ?, shelter ) (? notes are scant, probably due to cold )
17 April - Dicks Creek Gap ( 11 miles, ?, Top of Georgia hostel, mail drop )
18 April - Muskrat Creek Shelter ( 11.8 miles, 7.9 hours, ? ) (? probably tent but not in my notes)
19 April - Carter Gap Shelter ( 12.5 miles, 7.8 hours, ? )
20 April - Rock Gap Shelter ( 12.1 miles, 7.9 hours, ? )
21/22 April - zero at Franklin Baltimore Jack's Place Hostel )

The hours are hiking hours not total day hours, I took out my breaks, lunch, etc. Total days probably ranged toward 10-12 hours. I usually walked from 0730 to 1800. I am not fast, overall I averaged 12 miles a day (range 7-16 miles) at an average 1.6 MPH (I rarely exceeded 2 MPH). I took short pack off breaks every two hours at first, the interval became longer later in the hike.

I don't have good notes on the weather but remember mostly good weather except cold pouring rain hiking to Unicoi Gap (main reason we went to Helen) and 27* with light snow at Tray Mountain Shelter.

I'm currently planning my 2019 finish of the northern half of the trail, PA -> ME, working in lessons learned from this year.


RangerZ

As you can see I’m a planner too. This is great information. Everybody talks about starting slow and I get it but speed is relative and I just wanted to get an idea of how slow IS slow. Enjoy every moment...

I think I might go with the Yet Another Kevin.

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[Mountain Soldier]

Launching this coming Feb - interested in your mentioned documents (spreadsheets).

Thx

[QiWiz]

I’m doing a NOBO thru hike at 65 years old. I was wondering-if some of the experienced “ senior” hikers could share what they actually did on the first 100 miles of the AT. I’m starting at Springer ( pics w family etc) on March 29 th ( my birthday ).

You might want to check out some "senior" trail journals for answers to your questions. Mine is at http://www.trailjournals.com/QiWiz/

[RangerZ]

Beyond the first 100 miles:

I didn't want to go far off the trail to resupply or stay at hostels.

I did a mix of mail drops to hostels and local buying where it was easy. I did plan out locations for all the resupplies. I did some six day carries which were heavy, I'm revising any six day carries out of the plan for next year.

I marked up my trail guide with the resupply points, either mail drop or local buy, and the required days of food, that became the hiking plan. I'd sit and look forward to the next resupply point and say "OK, X days, Y miles" and figure out the next camp locations and daily miles to make it there.

The mail drops worked for me, sending them to the hostels where I planned to stay worked. People are right, you can get tired of something that you packed, for me it was walnut oatmeal, but the raisin oatmeal was fine. I had a good variety of dehydrated dinners that I liked. I did local resupply with all of the typical hiker foods. I stopped making a hot breakfast to save time in the morning.

I tented 51%, sheltered 21%, hosteled 22% and hoteled 6% of the time. There were specific shelters (Overmountain, Tumbling Run, Quarry Gap, etc) and hostels (Top of Georgia, Kincora, Uncle Johnnies, Woods Hole, etc) that I wanted to see.

YMMV, HYOH

[Dogwood]

Do a current hike of at least several days before going down the road to extensive planning of an AT thru. Garlic's suggestion to make it a 100 miler is a good one.


Nsherry's and Soilman's advice is one of the most applicable for the most number of AT NOBO thru hiker wannabes of any age or persuasion...do not go too fast and too far for a week or two...find your own rhythm. Most ATers need 2-3 wks to get into backpacking condition. It takes most AT thrus additional time to get into thru hiker condition. One of the biggest physical causes for quitting are overuse injuries. What's too fast and too far you ask? You have to listen to your own body and mind to know that personally. That's another one of the reasons for the 100 mile hike suggestion. No two thrus are exactly alike. That's why it's also best not to compare your hike or yourself too rigidly to anyone else or what others necessarily do. It's your hike - HYOH. YOU have to create your own thru hiking blueprint, finding your own best rhythm. This has significant individual consequences on determining: Daily mileage ( and hours walked), camping sites, re-supply places, and when or if to take a Zero or Nero day.


Consider lightening the load by updating your gear. Gear wt's have decreased significantly since you experienced that CD to Harriman LD hike yrs ago. FWIW, you may not need to go deeply down the anal wt and bulk saving rabbit hole to achieve benefits. In combination reduce the consumables wt by not unnecessarily carrying extra H20(water wt is HEAVY wt!) AND resupply with food with greater frequency. Your body and psychology will appreciate it. Consider Slo-go-ens named three major resupply stops listed in post #9.



More significant to seniors: 1) Get a healthcare check up after the 100 mile shake down hike and before the start of the AT NOBO. This includes dental. This includes considering making on trail arrangements as you move forward for meds if prescribed as most Seniors are. It also includes having eyesight and hearing checked. If script eyeglasses are worn have spare sets at the ready. BTW, get a durable energy efficient light or headlamp that is bright and useful enough for your needs rather than choosing one based on the lightest wt! 2) Consider using trekking poles. One of the greatest hazards for a backpacker or hiker are slips, trips, and falls of any age, even more so for Seniors. So easy to ignore foot placement and balance, even if a rarity, for many backpackers especially those prone to being easily stressed, hurried, or impatient leading to an injury. 3) Some Seniors have circulation issues. This can show up in poor circulation to extremities. Pay added attention to extremity warmth especially hands and feet particularly during the first 4-5 wks. 4) Nutrition. Many in various hiking communities and indoctrinated with US culture have the mistaken notion nutrition does't affect on trail health, performance and well being. Athletes seeking to excel recognize nutrition can play a significant role for one of any age. For a Senior a junk food on trail diet may not optimally support or agree with the endurance goals of LD backpacking. On trail nutrition for a Senior should consider a wider nutritional profile than simply consuming calories. You might discuss this in greater detail with a qualified health care provider in context of a LD hike. The internet is not the best place to have this personalized discussion even among the general AT backpacking community.

Many hikers of all ages, but maybe more so in the younger generational thrus, have a hurried frantic get er dun often impatient turn the mind off to greater awarenesses this is the hike this 30" wide tread approach. This perspective may not suit you optimally. As you said earlier you want to stay in the moment - absorb, engage, connect, and let the thru-hike into your soul. Hold onto that despite the others that readily do not and might try to influence you to abandon it if it serves your hike and personality well.

[Dogwood]

"Wife is on board but I secretly think she is looking forward to getting rid of me for 6 months-lol."

Realistically, very likely this is not the case. There's a closeness and familiarity of a spouse or SO that grows when being physically present together for many yrs. Elders are a great treasure including the elder that is your spouse. Hope you don't disagree? LOL Check in, connect, let her know you care, share. Close that separation gap. Begin in that 100 miles. Have this conversation and come to some joyful medium before starting the AT NOBO. Missing the familiarity of loved ones is a reason given by some LD hikers for quitting their hikes. It's can also be a cause for strain on the non hiking spouse. Connecting with a spouse or loved one while one is hiking for months and the other is back at the white picket fence tending to off trail affairs can make a thru hike and back home experience more profound for both the hiker and the non hiker. Doing a LD hike is not an excuse for abandoning or ignoring off trail marital relationships IMO. It's still about having intimacy and nurturing and supporting each other even though physically apart. When that happens IMHO there can be less reason to quit a LD hike out of missing the loved one and the person at home having less emotional abandonment issues. Couples working this out to some executable degree pre thru hike makes for abetter relationship during and post hike for all parties.


You don't want to come back from the hike and be told to go sleep in your tent in the woods because that's what you temporarily did!

[stephanD]

My advice is consider flip-flopping, starting from Harpers Ferry NOBO because; (A) trail is less challenging the first 100 miles or so which is better for your body (and knees in particular) to adjust. (B) you will avoid the big bubbles, the pot heads and the drunkards. (C) you will meet plenty hikers of your age cohort, as flip-flopping seems to be more popular among those who are over 50.

[MyMusclesHurt]

My advice is consider flip-flopping, starting from Harpers Ferry NOBO because; (A) trail is less challenging the first 100 miles or so which is better for your body (and knees in particular) to adjust. (B) you will avoid the big bubbles, the pot heads and the drunkards. (C) you will meet plenty hikers of your age cohort, as flip-flopping seems to be more popular among those who are over 50.

You probably right and flip flopping makes lots of sense. I, however want the feeling and experience of starting in one place and finishing in another. I’m kind of looking forward to the “bubble” with all the craziness it entails. So, I’m NOBO 3/29/2022


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[oldwetherman]

This might sound a bit ridiculous....but I suggest that the best plan is no plan other than to bring the gear you feel comfortable with, a cell phone and enough food to get you the 30 or so miles to Neels gap. By that time you'll start to develop a feel for what your hike is going to be like. You'll have developed a sense of what hiking all day is like physically, mentally and emotionally. You will have a bit of experience with what influences the weather, the terrain, what it's physically and mentally like to hike all day and be around other hikers is all about. Take a zero at Neel's gap and reevaluate.....then formulate a plan to your next resupply. My experience is/was that there are just too many variables to effectively plan too far in advance. The Army convinced me that "the plan is the plan until the first shot is fired". IMHO there are too many variables involved in long distance hiking too plan very far ahead.

[lonehiker]

This might sound a bit ridiculous....but I suggest that the best plan is no plan other than to bring the gear you feel comfortable with, a cell phone and enough food to get you the 30 or so miles to Neels gap. By that time you'll start to develop a feel for what your hike is going to be like. You'll have developed a sense of what hiking all day is like physically, mentally and emotionally. You will have a bit of experience with what influences the weather, the terrain, what it's physically and mentally like to hike all day and be around other hikers is all about. Take a zero at Neel's gap and reevaluate.....then formulate a plan to your next resupply. My experience is/was that there are just too many variables to effectively plan too far in advance. The Army convinced me that "the plan is the plan until the first shot is fired". IMHO there are too many variables involved in long distance hiking too plan very far ahead.

Valid points for sure. I think of my "plan" as a framework for the hike. At a base level it is simply a listing of resupply options with no specifics on how you will get there. So total flexibility. I did include day/dates in my spreadsheet but this was only to see if I had potential issues with weekend/holidays i.e. although limited to 2 I did have maildrops and the potential of lack of motel rooms because of higher volume dates. Being a logistician this all made sense to me. In hindsight I probably would have deleted that column although even today when exporting from Craig's PCT planner I still opt to include dates. My main point of emphasis is that I can plan a 500-3000 mile trip in just a couple of hours.

[MyMusclesHurt]

So it appears to me, based on all your incredible responses, a very strict plan is bad and no planning is bad. So someplace in between is the sweet spot. Get an idea how long it will take to get to Neel’s Gap, have enough food to get there, be flexible with the time, start slow and be open to change. Sounds like pretty good advice to me. Thank you all...


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[MtDoraDave]

Not yet a senior, though my muscles and joints are trying to convince me I am - My advice is to pay more money for the lighter equipment that you may think is overpriced. A few ounces saved here and there, a pound lighter sleeping bag, a two pound lighter backpack (although fit and comfort are very important), a two pound lighter tent - the weight savings add up!
My first section hike was with a 47 lb pack, carrying too much water and 8 days of food. My last section hike was with a 27 lb pack, carrying 1 liter of water and 4 days of food. There is a HUGE difference in how I feel at the end of a 12 hour hiking day. I am much less likely to hurt myself when (not "if") I stumble/trip, I can go more miles in the same amount of time (which I agree shouldn't really be a concern the first 100)

[shelb]

There is so much good advice above! The only thing I can add (sorry if I missed seeing it mentioned by anyone else) is to take care of your knees. I have section-hiked the AT with four different friends (ages ranging from mid-30's to mid-50's) who had difficulty with their knees: three of them had to get off the trail.

Two summers ago, even though I was in the best shape of my life (running half marathons and doing a lot of trail-running), I started noticing some knee pain on descents. Since then, I have started wearing Cho-ban knee braces on trails that have significant elevation changes, and this has eliminated my knee pain.

Good luck to you!

[Slumgum]

Consider shortening it to the acronym "YAK". Given the relationship to Sherpas it could sort of hold a double meaning.