Self Supported AT attempt sub 60 days

[joshgarrison]

My name is Josh Garrison, I am announcing my self supported attempt of the AT in the spring of 2013. I will start in Georgia sometime in March depending on weather conditions and head north bound. I will adopt the standard of not using the assistance of any motorized vehicle. I will only use two mail drops for two pairs of shoes and resupply often never carrying more than 4 days of food at a time. Seems odd to me this record has lasted so long considering the speedy self supported PCT through hikes of recent years. I will post again in the Spring before I depart with updated daily milage projections and gear list. Right now i am using a 36 L pack, shelter=rain pancho/tarp, wood stove....feel free to contact me with any questions. i depart for africa for the next three months, Josh

email: [email protected]

[CrumbSnatcher]

welcome to WB :-)
good luck with the hike

[tdoczi]

i suppose 2 years without a proclamation like this would have been asking too much.

isnt the truck thats going to carry your mailbox to the post office you pick it up at a motorized vehicle that will be assisting you?

[John B]

Right. Let us know how things work out for you.

[jeffmeh]

Best of luck. The self-supported record is even more impressive than the supported one. 36+ mile days on average....

[hikerboy57]

Tell us about it after you've done it.

[Lone Wolf]

Tell us about it after you've done it.

what's the difference if he announces it here or up in the 2013 hiker registry forum? most of those folks aren't gonna make it

[hikerboy57]

what's the difference if he announces it here or up in the 2013 hiker registry forum? most of those folks aren't gonna make it

excellent point.
welcome to whiteblaze!!good luck!!!!

[canoe]

My name is Josh Garrison, I am announcing my self supported attempt of the AT in the spring of 2013. I will start in Georgia sometime in March depending on weather conditions and head north bound. I will adopt the standard of not using the assistance of any motorized vehicle. I will only use two mail drops for two pairs of shoes and resupply often never carrying more than 4 days of food at a time. Seems odd to me this record has lasted so long considering the speedy self supported PCT through hikes of recent years. I will post again in the Spring before I depart with updated daily milage projections and gear list. Right now i am using a 36 L pack, shelter=rain pancho/tarp, wood stove....feel free to contact me with any questions. i depart for africa for the next three months, Josh

email: [email protected]

WOW ...now thats getting the job done...quick. Good luck. are you going to document with a video or anything. I would like to see some of your days and nights. What are you going to Africa for?

[moytoy]

WOW ...now thats getting the job done...quick. Good luck. are you going to document with a video or anything. I would like to see some of your days and nights. What are you going to Africa for?

Walking across Africa would be my guess.

[Odd Man Out]

Why start in March? According to the ATC, Katahdin doesn't usually open until late May or early June, and VT is best avoided in mud season (mid April-late May). Seems if you are doing a 60 day hike there might be a time window that avoids these obstacles beyond your control?

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiki...where-to-start
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/abou...region/vermont

[T.S.Kobzol]

Yea. It is odd...

good luck to you.

My name is Josh Garrison, I am announcing my self supported attempt of the AT in the spring of 2013. I will start in Georgia sometime in March depending on weather conditions and head north bound. I will adopt the standard of not using the assistance of any motorized vehicle. I will only use two mail drops for two pairs of shoes and resupply often never carrying more than 4 days of food at a time. Seems odd to me this record has lasted so long considering the speedy self supported PCT through hikes of recent years. I will post again in the Spring before I depart with updated daily milage projections and gear list. Right now i am using a 36 L pack, shelter=rain pancho/tarp, wood stove....feel free to contact me with any questions. i depart for africa for the next three months, Josh

email: [email protected]

[Don H]

Anybody remember wildcowboy238? He was going to do the trail in 30 days unsupported.

What ever happened to him? He was suppose to start May 1​, 2008!

[Wise Old Owl]

Well de ja vu ya al!

[map man]

Good luck, Josh. The points Odd Man Out mentions are very important ones. You wouldn't want to speed all the way to Katahdin and then find the trail up it closed to hikers. And since I know from experience that you can make better time hiking during daylight than at night you might want to time your hike for when the days are longest -- maybe start in mid to late May with the goal of finishing in mid to late July, if you have your heart set on a NOBO hike.

I offer these observations as a person who wishes you well.

[Hill Ape]

book and movie deal to come, lecture tour to follow, stay tuned

[Beast Mode]

If you start in March you will almost certainly encounter significant snow on the trail in NH possibly VT and ME as well. Also, unless you accomplished a similar challenge already (hiked 40+ miles for at least 10 days in a row on rough terrain), you probably are underestimating the difficulty of this challenge. I have met many incredible hikers for whom even with the greatest determination the trail would take at least 90 days because of physical and temporal constraints. It is next to impossible to average more than 30 miles a day for more than a few days on the AT, and you would be trying for 36+.

[fiddlehead]

Josh, If you are serious and really think you can do it, there are a few things that are necessary:
Experience, a strong body, an even stronger mind, and the ability to take advice from those with the experience.
Those who are telling you that you are starting to early are correct.
You'll have a much better chance if you wait 2 months for your start.
Also, SOBO is a bit easier when it comes to records.

Good luck.
Keep us informed somehow if you can.

[Rocket Jones]

Good luck and let us know how it goes, either way we can learn from your experiences.

[RED-DOG]

WOOD stove; now that's interesting i don't think i have ever seen anybody carry one. i hope it's the hobo type, Good luck and happy hiking. RED-DOG