Is 5 months too ambitious for my first thru hike?

[Turkey Sandwich]

My brother and I have lived close to the AT all our lives, and always planned to do a thru hike. Our current plan is to begin in late February or early March of next year, because I start graduate school in the third week of August. That gives us about 5 and a half months to complete it. We're both in fairly good shape and my brother does have some backpacking experience, so my question is: is this a reasonable enough goal? If we were to take a few less zero days and pick up the mileage, would we be able to finish by August without being thoroughly miserable? Also, if we're starting that early, I'm guessing we'd need two sets of some gear, for warm and cold weather. Is that correct?

Thanks!

[fiddlehead]

Late Feb. starts have been successful but it means hiking in some snow (or taking time off when the snows get to be too much)
5 1/2 months is enough time, especially for a 22 year old.
Have fun! Stay warm! Be flexible!

[garlic08]

Lots of hikers make it in five months or less. But the sad fact remains that most don't make it at all. Where you'll be in those standings is impossible to tell. How much you'll enjoy it is impossible to tell, too.

Yes, you'll need somewhat serious winter gear for that early a start.

[boarstone]

You'll never know until you try...

[Mountain Wildman]

A lot will depend on the conditions you encounter when you start, NOBO's that started in February or early March hit unusual amounts of snow this year, I gave a ride to the trailhead on Route 2 in Gorham to Spring Chicken and TicTac, They said they planned on summiting Katahdin in 2 weeks which would be right about now, They were both young, I didn't ask but I would guess late teens to early 20's, They said they started at Springer on February 28th I believe, So it is entirely possible, It will depend on you and the conditions or circumstances you encounter and your ability to deal with them, You may have a perfect thru-hike and finish with ease or it could be grueling from time to time, Barring injuries of course. If you start around the same time as they did you should make your goal, I would not rush it though, In my case I would want to relish every day and not worry about how many miles I still have to hike to meet a specific deadline, But, To each his own. I say Go for it, Enjoy it, Who knows if you will ever have the chance again, You never know what life has in store for you and your brother, If one of my brothers did my Thru with me I would consider it a true blessing!!

[DapperD]

My brother and I have lived close to the AT all our lives, and always planned to do a thru hike. Our current plan is to begin in late February or early March of next year, because I start graduate school in the third week of August. That gives us about 5 and a half months to complete it. We're both in fairly good shape and my brother does have some backpacking experience, so my question is: is this a reasonable enough goal? If we were to take a few less zero days and pick up the mileage, would we be able to finish by August without being thoroughly miserable? Also, if we're starting that early, I'm guessing we'd need two sets of some gear, for warm and cold weather. Is that correct?

Thanks!

I believe it is a reasonable enough goal, and with the proper planning, gear choices, and if all goes well, it can work. The only problems I can see though, and trying to give you a realistic answer to your question, one has to consider if everything does not go so well, then set backs can and will occur. Heading out onto the trail at that time of the year, cold wet weather is far from uncommon. Judging by the amount of snow and ice that fell this year, you could easily find yourself unable to make the progress and headway that you are setting out to do. Injuries also can and do happen. Rest sometime off the trail may be necessary. This is not to put a damper on your plans, just to consider some "food for thought". It is usually recommended to allow yourself enough time to be able to hike the trail so you enjoy yourself and the experience. Setting any type of time constraints can seriousely effect your ability to do just that. However since you plan to allow 5.5 months to complete your hike, and as long as nothing major occurs to disrupt your hike, you will most likely be able to complete it in that amount of time if you are physically capable and willing to begin early in the season.

[Praha4]

do the math on an AT thru hike:

if you average 18 mi/day ~ 4 months
if you average 15 mi/day ~ 5 months
if you average 12 mi/day ~ 6 months

these figures do not include any zero days. Although it seems obvious, it is often overlooked that if you hike just one additional hour per day, at an average hiking pace of 2 mi/hr, you can cut your AT thru hike duration by almost an entire month. Of course, there are many, many other variables that will come into play (e.g. weather, physical condition, fatigue, injuries, illness, personal issues, etc).

What is also significant is the fact that if you begin in February, you will have fewer daylight hours for a couple months than if you start in April.

good luck

[TheCheek]

Totally doable. Just dew eet.

[Marta]

This is not an uncommon plan. You will probably meet a number of other people about your age, aiming for about the same completion date.

[The Solemates]

left 1 feb. had lots of snow. took 5 months to the day. we felt like we took our time. no problem.

[Spokes]

TS, my first thru was last year and I completed it in 143 days with only 7 zero days (no blue/yellow blazin' for me). That was about 107 miles per week. Mind you it was a very wet year so there wasn't much scenery to see on top of the vistas.

If you want some good online resources on hiking the AT as well as planning and gear suggestions check here and follow the three links contained in the thread.

Good luck!

[Turkey Sandwich]

Thanks for all the input! I'm significantly more reassured.

Although it seems obvious, it is often overlooked that if you hike just one additional hour per day, at an average hiking pace of 2 mi/hr, you can cut your AT thru hike duration by almost an entire month.
good luck

Out of curiosity, what might be a typical amount of hours per day (once the days begin to lengthen significantly)?

[TheCheek]

As you get in better shape you will be able to go 10 hours or more per day of actual forward movement because the daylight and terrain provide the option.
Don't worry if a month in you are way under the average number of miles per day needed to finish in 5 months. You can make big miles up in mid Atlantic states. Also plan to slow down in NH and ME. Not only does the trail demand it, but it's better enjoyed that way.

[Kirby]

Do you have plans for another one after the first one? 5 months is totally doable, I did mine in 4 months and 3 weeks.

[Appalachian Tater]

I did it in five months without pushing too hard and taking zeros whenever needed. Just don't start partying in town and taking multiple zeroes. That is really important. In the context of a thru-hike, the very vast majority of hikers probably spend almost the same number of days actually hiking with the difference in time to complete the thru being zeroes and neroes plus time completely off the trail for graduations or weddings or whatever.

This is even more important: there is NO need to put down lots of miles the first few weeks and increase your risk of injury. My first ten mile day was after Damascus! Listen to your body and let it get used to what you are doing.

Use the first weeks to lighten your pack which makes a huge difference in how many miles you can hike and how your body handles it. If you have extra body weight, you will probably lose some of that, too. You also get the routine down so you spend less time in the morning between waking up and starting hiking.

By the time the days get longer, you will be mentally and physically habituated to climbing up and down mountains all day and so able to hike farther as well as be wanting to do more miles. With the early sunrise and late sunset and summer heat, you will have plenty of time to hike many miles and still take a long lunch in the shade.

So by the time you hit the relatively easy terrain from Virginia to Pennsylvania, you can really put down some miles. Then, when you get up to the last few states with more difficult terrain, you can afford to slow down a little.

Distance is a function of effort and the difficulty of the terrain and other external conditions such as weather. I tend to put in constant effort so the external factors determine how far I go. On days where you don't feel like putting in a lot of effort, figure out why. If it is physical, you may need a zero or nero and if it is mental, sometimes all you can do is think about how you want to finish what you have started regardless of how you feel at the moment and the only way you are going to get to Katahdin is by walking.

[JAK]

Good post Tater. I've thought more about the importance of starting out slow and increasing mileage gradually since I've run into some issues with running this past year. It does take time to build up a more uniform resistance to injury and capacity for work. Gear weight reduction is something you can do right away though, even before starting, with some prep hikes. Body weight reduction, and hiking fitness, takes alot more work and is less likely to be on target when you start a thru-hike. Something we can all be working on all the time though. Lot harder than I thought it would be, especially with age, but you gotta keep at it. Enjoy every hike, and be happy with whatever weight you lose, and with every pound you don't gain back. I'm hovering in the 190-195 range now. Not as good as 165-170. Better than 225-230. Back to hiking more and running less for next 6 months.

[Kirby]

Start out slow. It took me 13 days to get to Franklin, NC

[10-K]

I would go stark, raving mad if I had to hike for 5 months straight.... 6 weeks and/or 800 miles is my absolute limit as I recently found out.

[Kirby]

Thru hiking is not for everyone.

[Nean]

I would go stark, raving mad if I had to hike for 5 months straight.... 6 weeks and/or 800 miles is my absolute limit as I recently found out.

I could (and have) hiked 11 months in a year. Since I LOVE to backpack, I considered it a blessing. I'd go stark,raving mad if 6 weeks was my limit.

Starting out w/800m in 6 weeks might just "cure" me however.!

On my first thru I never considered time or distance- just enjoyed my walk and finished in just over 4 1/2 months.

Many who start out tryin to kick the trails' ass get thiers handed to them- and are soon (say 6 weeks) OFF the trail! They will say they got bored or it wasn't fun or were losing their sanity- so do yourself a favor and ENJOY each day. You are more likely to finish and even if you don't- isn't it better to have a great time for 5 months than to finish and not enjoy it?