Kathadin summit to Mt. Washington summit, Fastest Known Time anyone?

[Karl Meltzer]

So I've been contemplating this one for a while. Because two months on the trail is alot for me right now, anyone know if there is a FKT for this brutal 300+ miles? I would imagine there is a "Maine record" too? Kinda curious is anyone has actually gone for that....under the radar of course. It could be a fun week on the trail in June. :-)

I realize some folks would not want to see this go on, but I assure everyone, I wouldn't even be seen.

[jersey joe]

Supported or Unsupported? I would guess you'd be looking at supported running?

Took Jenn 8 days to get to Wash...no clue if it's the fastest...I've never seen anything on here about a record to Mt. Wash.
Day 1: Katahdin to Jo Mary Road -- 56 miles (56 total)
Day 2: Jo Mary Road to location near Long Pond Stream ford -- 44 miles (100 total)
Day 3: Long Pond Stream ford to Boise Cascade Logging Road -- 46 miles (146 total)
Day 4: Boise Cascade Logging Road to ME 27 (Stratton) -- 42 miles (188 total)
Day 5: ME27 (Stratton) to Sabbath Day Pond -- 41 miles (229 total)
Day 6: Sabbath Day Pond to Grafton Notch -- 38 miles (267 total)
Day 7: Grafton Notch to Gorham NH -- 31 miles (298 total)
Day 8: Gorham to Mt. Washington -- 34 miles (332 total)

[Slo-go'en]

Good luck beating, meeting or even coming close to Jenn's time....

[jersey joe]

Good luck beating, meeting or even coming close to Jenn's time....

Someone, especially someone with Karl's pedigree, can crush Jen's record(if that's even the record, for all i know Karl had a faster time on this section in 2008).
If you know you can stop after 300 miles, there is no holding back for the long haul.

[Kookork]

Jennifer Pharr Davis record is about the AT from start to finish. I don't think her time would be the same if she plans to put a record on a 300 section of it.It should be faster i guess.

So in my mind Carl's challenge is a new one and until others plan to go for that record any comparison would not be totally fair.

It is a good challenge and If there are a few hikers who can put up a great record , Carl Meltzer is definitely one of them. 300 miles is not a joke to walk superfast. It is a decent distance for a record.

[Kookork]

Oh , Sorry Karl, I messed up your name. my fault bro.

[Blissful]

Go for it, Karl.

[Karl Meltzer]

slo'go'en. Being only a one time fast gig, Jenns' time to Mt. Washington would get crushed by at least 2 days, easily. Now,I"m not saying I"m "gonna" do it, but I might try, and if I do try, I might fail, and that's ok too. The reason for Kathadin to Washington, is only because it is a good distance to just go hard and see how fast I can do it, a great start and end point....not to mention, isn't it just a big valley in between those two highest peaks? :-)

Joe, it would be supported, super stealth though and a great way to experiene the stealth route for a future attempt at the entire record again. Practice makes perfect?


Kookork...no worries :-) not the first time, nor the last, maybe we should just start using Speedgoat?


I think at 332 miles, it can be done just under 6 days, but that's a far fetched guess. With 120 miles to go, I would just keep moving forward. We'll see how many times I can crash in the Mahoosucs....yikes!

[TJ aka Teej]

super stealth though

Why and where would that be necessary?

[DavidNH]

Gorham, NH to Mt Washington in One day?? that's the entire carter range plus down to Pinkham up to Madison and over to Washington. I never would have thought that possible!

[Slo-go'en]

Okay, I didn't know Karl was a serious contender and not just another wana-be. We've seen too many of those recently! Have you hiked this section of trail before? Not a lot of stealth camping available along those fragile, steep, rocky and densely grown in ridge lines. Down at road crossing, no problem. In June eh? Go for late June if there is a choice. Keeping ahead of the black flies should help push you down the trail at a good clip!

[Karl Meltzer]

depends where I was, I would try to stay in one of the shelters as opposed to the road, in the Mahoosucs, I recall a few shelters, if I had someone ahead of me with the necessary supplies, I could keep walking till I got there and not have to stop on a road. I do know alot of the Maine woods are very dense and hard to just pull over and sleep. Shelters would play a big part in efficiency. Doing it like this, would (I hope) get me to Washington the fastest. The only thing I would want to time right is the Kennebec ferryman. I won't have someone guiding me across the best spot. I would want the canoe, so maybe get there in 3 ish days? we'll see.

Why and where would that be necessary?

[hikerboy57]

Gorham, NH to Mt Washington in One day?? that's the entire carter range plus down to Pinkham up to Madison and over to Washington. I never would have thought that possible!

its in the OP, jen did it.

[Karl Meltzer]

I think I stopped at Pinkham Notch after 8 days, then on day 9, went over Washington, past Crawford Notch, and all the way to Route 93. 53 miles that day and took me 17 hours. Man, was I tired the next day.....

Someone, especially someone with Karl's pedigree, can crush Jen's record(if that's even the record, for all i know Karl had a faster time on this section in 2008).
If you know you can stop after 300 miles, there is no holding back for the long haul.

[TJ aka Teej]

depends where I was, I would try to stay in one of the shelters

You won't get any rest in a shelter with other hikers there. Consider carrying and throwing down a ul bivy (mine is an old tent floor with no-see-um netting, with a painter's drop cloth 'rain fly') for naps and siestas. Two or three two hour naps a day should keep you going. It's just six days. Food caches mean no rendezvous to coordinate. Think about having someone standing by at the Kennebec with a canoe or two person kayak - why be tied to and/or doomed by the ferry schedule? Your goal certainly sounds like something a trail-centric athlete could accomplish.

[Slo-go'en]

There's not going to be very many other hikers out in June in Maine. A bug bivy would be a good idea though, a lot easier to find a spot just big enough to lay down on then there is to set up a tent and a lot quicker too. If Karl can find a week where no rain is expected (long shot for sure, but possible) that's all he'd need.

[bamboo bob]

Oh God. How I hate this record stuff. I know it will only get worse but I dearly wish it would stop and go away.

[fiddlehead]

MMmmmmmmmmm. May: mud season June: bug season.
I'd wait till July for the better weather and still get the long days.

And depending on the amount of rain beforehand, I'd ford the Kennebec if possible. (early early morning)
Gives more weight to your record also.

[Camping Dave]

Okay, I didn't know Karl was a serious contender and not just another wana-be. We've seen too many of those recently!

Do you ever wonder why you feel compelled to call out internet wanna-be's? I've noticed, when in an introspective mood, that behaviors that bother me in others are things I don't like about myself. I'm not sayin' you're a wanna-be. Just sayin' do you ever wonder why they bother you so much?

[DLANOIE]

Im with fiddleheads advice. Hold off till July if at all possible. June can have heavy rainfall amounts, making fords near impossible and the bugs are pretty bad too. And its still cold at night in June up here. I have seen alot of underprepared hikers that time of year.

Fording the Kennebec River is crazy! Though some do it successfully Ive heard. I would also expect the shelters to have SOBOs using them around that time as well. I started my SOBO June 1, 2006. I was with about 5-6 other "Wanna Be" thru hikers. And we usually all used the shelter with a few exceptions.

Good luck, whatever you decide is right for you.:-)