Anyone continuing up thru IAT?

[vaporjourney]

Curious to see if anyone on here is planning on hiking up past Katahdin to Quebec or beyond? I keep going back and forth trying to decide if I wanna tack on the IAT at the end of the hike. It's hard to decide without knowing how I'll feel when I get to Katahdin in October. Only problem is that I know it would make things easier if i left a couple of weeks earlier in March, but I'd rather avoid as much winter weather as possible. Any takers on this Canadian trek?

[1Pint]

Curious to see if anyone on here is planning on hiking up past Katahdin to Quebec or beyond? I keep going back and forth trying to decide if I wanna tack on the IAT at the end of the hike. It's hard to decide without knowing how I'll feel when I get to Katahdin in October. Only problem is that I know it would make things easier if i left a couple of weeks earlier in March, but I'd rather avoid as much winter weather as possible. Any takers on this Canadian trek?

Tempted, very tempted. However, from what little I've read, IAT needs to be done by the end of Sept and that's just when I'd be hitting K. Thought about trying to SOBO IAT to stretch the calendar a bit but it's just not as stunning to start on the coast and hike back to K as I imagine it would be to hike out to the reaches of the coastline, ending with an amazing view of the ocean. So, nah. But since the IAT is only something like 59 days ? I think? maybe we could get a crew of 2007'ers to return to K in the summer of 2008 to do the IAT together. Now, that's something I'd try to wrangle.

[rockrat]

I'd be game for a summer '08 IAT trip.

[vaporjourney]

From journals I've read, the IAT seems to take around 40 days to complete, not 60. Where did you read that it was closer to 60? i'm still researching the hunting season restrictions in Quebec. All I've been able to find so far is that in the Metapedia section near New Brunswick, you can hike only until 4 pm during carabou season, and you must be wearing an orange vest. I'm not sure about up in the Chic Chocs and Matane reserve. I remember reading that Spider and Nimblewill Nomad had to avoid some of those spectacular sections and do a roadwalk instead because rangers wouldn't allow them to hike it. This was also in may though, since they were doing a sobo ECT thru. I agree that hiking up to katahdin, and then having to go south on the IAT and end on a roadwalk would be underwhelming. I can't imagine how ecstatic of a feeling it would be to end up on Cap Gaspe, at the tip of the peninsula overlooking the ocean wrapping all around you. This is what really attracts me to finishing here. More planning to do.

I also can imagine meeting people on the trail who hadn't thought of doing the IAT, but were so satisfied with the thru-hiking lifestyle that they wouldn't to continue past Katahdin...

[Littlest Hobo]

I too am very tempted to continue on to Gaspe when I hit Springer in 08. Being from Canada, I see it as "walking home". Nothing definitive, however - considering only 15% of us make it to Katahdin in the first place, I'm not going to be so bold as to presume that I'm going to reach Gaspe. If I make such proclamations, I fear the trail bring me down to earth right quick! Let's see if I can make it to Damascus first

[Frosty]

From journals I've read, the IAT seems to take around 40 days to complete, not 60....

The one journal I read:

http://www.trailjournals.com/zokwakiiandbudderball/

They took 46 days, including one zero, and averaged 15.6 miles a day. Their trip totaled 704 miles, which I thought was odd, as the official SIA/IAT website lists the trail at 1079 miles.

http://www.cgmatane.qc.ca/siaiat/

[Littlest Hobo]

The one journal I read:

http://www.trailjournals.com/zokwakiiandbudderball/

They took 46 days, including one zero, and averaged 15.6 miles a day. Their trip totaled 704 miles, which I thought was odd, as the official SIA/IAT website lists the trail at 1079 miles.

http://www.cgmatane.qc.ca/siaiat/

I think you mean 1079 kilometers - dang metric system!

[1Pint]

From journals I've read, the IAT seems to take around 40 days to complete, not 60. Where did you read that it was closer to 60? ...

Oops. That's why I put those questionmarks in there. I was doing it from memory. I've got Schlimmer's book on 25 thrus for 1 - 8 weeks. But it's at home.

[Frosty]

I think you mean 1079 kilometers - dang metric system!

Whoa! That's embarrassing. Different systems are confusing. For instance, did you know there are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who do not?

But you're right, of course, and to bring it back to the original question, hiking the IAT in 40, 50 or 60 days (taking no zeroes) will require approx:

40 days ... 17 miles a day
50 days ... 14 miles a day
60 days ... 11 miles a day

[1Pint]

Now that I'm at home I was able to check E. Schlimmer's book Thru Hiker's Guide to America (2005). He gives the IAT as being 700 miles best hiked from July to September and taking 50 days at 14 miles per day.

I'd love to figure out a way to do that in 2008 but I'm guessing it'd be tough to swing more than 2 weeks off. Hmm...

[hammock engineer]

For instance, did you know there are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who do not?

I haven't heard that one in a while. Oldy but goody.

[Littlest Hobo]

Having spent a considerable time on the East coast, I would imagine that 17 miles (27 km) a day would be relatively easy for a fit NOBO.

BTW - I would advise getting familiar with the metric system before attempting the IAT - 10 degrees celsius isn't nearly as cold as it sounds! I would imagine that's the reason the metric system didn't really catch on in the States - unless you count the increasing popularity of the nine millimeter bullet.

Either that or it's a communist plot...

[vaporjourney]

I'm sure that hiking 17 mi per day would be no problem at all, especially after hiking from springer to katahdin. Add in the fact that perhaps half (is this right?) is road walking in maine and new brunswick, and i bet it'd be easier to hike close to 20 mpd on average. This woudl speed things up considerable. Just need to find some good research data on snow up in quebec and hunting season. these are the only limiting factors.

does anyone feel like finishing at katahdin would make the adventure incomplete? this is obviously a very subjective topic, but i can't stop thinkign about how 'complete' it would feel to follow the appalachians to their logical conclusion at the sea, not some arbitrary large mountain with 700 miles to go? Katahdin is the end of a tradition and social system, and gaspe is the end of a fragment of geological history. i'll stop babbling.

still i think a little talk of the IAT is good on the forum.

[Dawn]

I would love to continue on, but I have to be back to work by October 15th. I don't think I will be able to fit it in and not likely to be able to take that much time in 2008. But, I will probably try to get to know it just in case.

[Two Speed]

Not a thru and won't even get a shot for 10, maybe 15 years, probably, but I've got the worst itch to do the Knife Edge past the summit of Katahdin. The rest of the IAT? Mighty tempting.

[squivens]

for anybody else interested in doing this, how would you plan on getting back afterwards?

[vaporjourney]

I've also wondered about getting back after Cap Gaspe squivens. I haven't put too much thought into it, but possibly hitch back to an Amtrak station which I think is within a days reach (forget which city in Quebec it's in). Then from there I could take amtrak to portland or another large nearby city, and catch a flight with Delta back to atlanta.

Boston: There is an IAT companion and maps available at http://www.internationalat.org/Pages/index . I emailed Dick Anderson and he said an updated version of the book will come out next April which will include the awesome new windfarm section through Maine. There are definitely resupply points throughout, especially since tons of the hike through Maine and New Brunswick is regrettably road walking. If you download the online directions for the trail on the website, they tell you cities you pass through and what sort of options you have for resupplies, but no specific store names or anything.

I'm thinking of definitely starting 2 weeks earlier now, on March 17th just in case I feel like going up to the ocean in Quebec.

[squivens]

how about the language issue. I dont know french. I, like most americans, dont ever plan on learning french. This could pose a problem when trying to hitchhike.
I am not making a decision to or not to continue on until I get closer to maine. That is considering that I make it that far. Who knows, maybe I'll just turn around and hike home. It all depends on how Im feeling and how much money is left by the time I get there.

[A-Train]

Hiking the IAT after the AT is quite a lofty goal. If you're interested in doing it in 1 shot (1 season) plan seriously to do it. My inclination is that if you leave it up in the air, most liekly you'll not want to continue on after reaching Katahdin.

Many of the people I hiked with threw around the idea of flipping back south to meet friends still hiking, and no one I met actually followed through.

In most cases it was because once they hit Katahdin, they were ready to go home and see family, and their minds and bodies were totally spent.

[Jan LiteShoe]

Hiking the IAT after the AT is quite a lofty goal. If you're interested in doing it in 1 shot (1 season) plan seriously to do it. My inclination is that if you leave it up in the air, most liekly you'll not want to continue on after reaching Katahdin.

Many of the people I hiked with threw around the idea of flipping back south to meet friends still hiking, and no one I met actually followed through.

In most cases it was because once they hit Katahdin, they were ready to go home and see family, and their minds and bodies were totally spent.

I was thinkng the same thing.

While I wasn't ready for my hiking experience to end, I was done hiking.