Can it be done?

[Old Man Joe]

Josh Garrison (see post 25 Mar @2035 in this thread) posted on Trail Journals that he's setting out to compete the AT in 60 days or less. Looks like it's going to be an interesting year. I will follow each enthusiastically. Good luck to both of them.

Damn, I love this stuff.

For what it's worth.

[Dogwood]

i belive the ops mind set is being influenced by the "extrem endorance" fad which seems to becoming popular. Push yourself until something breaks.

lol lol lol

[rocketsocks]

Yep, sent em a PM yesturday...pretty sure it's a troll, cause if they ran like they said, they know the answer to my queries.....no reply...NEXT!

He's no TROLL...Piragua, wish you well if you decide to make a go at it...all the best dude!

[canoe]

Just one question for the OP. No need for a poll of anyone else's opinion. Do you see yourself as an average, above average, superior, or a top 1/2% hiker/camper. If you cant say that you are a top 1/2% hiker I say your effort is next impossible. But you have to answer that question for yourself.

[Scuba]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lone Wolf]

Just one question for the OP. No need for a poll of anyone else's opinion. Do you see yourself as an average, above average, superior, or a top 1/2% hiker/camper. If you cant say that you are a top 1/2% hiker I say your effort is next impossible. But you have to answer that question for yourself.

he doesn't hike. 0 experience. 99.9% chance of failure

[canoe]

he doesn't hike. 0 experience. 99.9% chance of failure

yep........

[Half Note]

I've never understood questions like this. Only YOU know what you are capable of, not strangers on the internet.

[canoe]

I've never understood questions like this. Only YOU know what you are capable of, not strangers on the internet.

IT is called lack of experiance

[DavidNH]

Piragua, You said in your opening post here that you are 18, have never hiked a day in your life, but expect to do some training and running and then hike 30 miles a day to finish the entire AT in 2.5 months. To answer your question, can you do it? I've gotta be honest here.. No chance in hell. Fuggedahbout it!

First off.. you'll be carrying some weight on your back.. that's already more challenging than running. Second.. you would be hiking up and down steep trails and mountains. Third, you'll be hiking in nice weather, yes, but also in cold windy rainy weather where you get soaked to the bone and everything squishes. All of this will wear you down. You won't have any fun and I'm willing to bet you a truck load of ice cream you wouldn't make it as far as Harper's Ferry, never mind into Maine.


Let's put this lunacy aside.. PLEASE! Try this.. do a shake down hike or two.. where you are backpacking for 2-5 days or so. Do it in rugged terrain. Get a feel for what it might be like before you commit. Secondly, consider doing a third of the trail or perhaps 1/2 the trail like Springer to Harpers Ferry. Hike perhaps just 20 miles a day. You might actually have some fun that way. Hiking is supposed to be fun. You are setting your self up for months of misery and that will take it's toll faster than you think.

You're a young kid.. you are probably physically strong enough. But you will get sick of constantly pushing yourself and it's a matter of time before you take some zero days some where. You will question whether it's worth it. Wonder why you are missing out on enjoying views, enjoying company at shelters, maybe you wished you went to a festival or some hiker feed.

When I thru hiked in 2006.. I ran across some young guys (thru hikers) in PA. They did a string of 3-4 30 mile days. Then they ended up staying at hostels (or some place in town) for 4-5 days.. which negates the high mileage of the previous days.

it's not a question of can you do 30 mile days. It's a question of whether you or anyone can keep that up day in day out week in week out.

There's no way you going from never having hiked at all, training for 3 months, then hiking 2200 miles in less than 3 months.

NOT GONNA Happen!!!

DavidNH

[1Greywolf]

Hi Piragua,

I am happy to learn that you are planning to thru-hike the AT and challenging yourself to do it in 2 1/2 months.
Knowing the trail, (having tru-hiked it in 2011) that's great and what a personal accomplishment that would be.
You got my attention and I am ready to give you feedback. Let's look at your assumptions and consequently your plans to accomplish it.

The accepted wisdom that if you understanding and know your past successes and failure you can predict and shape your future successes.
is a prudent and strong basis of how we make our decisions.
Question: In a track meet or cross county run has it lasted in a multi day, multi week or multi month run carrying up to 30(+/-) pounds on your back.
And gaining 3,000 plus feet of elevation? It is it has not. My suggestion is to rethink your assumptions. That doe not mean you can't do it.
It First step: change your mental approach. Think long terms. Find some one who has thru-hiked the AT
and spend some time with him/her. Listen. Second: you can't predict nor control the number of variables that come into play and affect a month(s) long hike.
The answer(s) you seek will be unanswerable until you are on top of Kahtadin.
Based on my 2011 thru-hike, your level of success is relative to how badly you wish to achieve your goal.
And "luck" the one variable we can't control. My advise, train by hiking with a full pack. Accept the fact that
after all is said and done you have a limited or no control over what will take place on the trail.
The weather is one of those variables. Lastly, focus your energy on how much fun you will have.

So among all the hardcore hiking enthusiasts on this site, I'd like to seek your opinions.

So I'm 18 and besides once at Mt. Desert Island in Maine, I've never hiked a day in my life (mostly due to living in an area of almost endless suburbs). But I do runcross country and track, which trains me physically and mentally to some extent. So my question is this: do I stand any chance of making the appalachian trail in 2.5 months, at 30 miles a day? Now I'm running on the assumptions that hiking training could be replaced by long-distance, fairly intense runs, and that hiking etiquette and techniques can be learned rather quickly. I was hoping that if I were able to comfortably log 8-10 miles consecutive days in jogging, I would be able to handle the appalachian trail.

I realize that most people who will set off on the AT won't make it, the majority failing because they can't handle the mental rigor. I think I can take care of the psychological challenges. I'm a thinker and just walking down the trail I wouldn't have any trouble occupying myself with something. I wanted to fundraise for charity on a "dollars per mile" basis that would keep me motivated by adding some responsibility to completeing the hike.

So here's some logistics. If I hike for approximately 12 hours a day at a pace of 2.5 mph or a pace of 24:00 per mile, I can cover 30 miles a day. It's like Andrew Askurka said, it's about how long you walk, not how fast. I have had previous over-use injuries from running before, and in fact I had to leave my cross country team because of it. But I never did prevention or strengthening exercises that I am willing to do now to get ready for the hike. Can I hear some advice about knee injuries and pain?

So does this plan sound capable of working given that I put in the work and I train for the next 3 months or do I just sound like a fool? I appreciate any advice and/or criticism.

[1Greywolf]

Hi Piragua,

I am happy to learn that you are planning to thru-hike the AT and challenging yourself to do it in 2 1/2 months.
Knowing the trail, (having tru-hiked it in 2011) that's great and what a personal accomplishment that would be.
You got my attention and I am ready to give you feedback. Let's look at your assumptions and consequently your plans to accomplish it.

The accepted wisdom is that if you understanding and know your past successes and failure you can predict and shape your future successes.
If you agree then I ask: Has a track meet or cross county run lasted in a multi day, multi week or multi month run? Did you carrying up to 30(+/-) pounds on your back?
Did you gain 3,000 plus feet of elevation? If not. I suggest to rethink your assumptions. That does not mean you can't accomplish your goal.
I suggest that you change your mental approach of this thru-hike. Think long terms. Find some one who has thru-hiked the AT
and spend some time with him/her. Listen. Second: you can't predict nor control the number of variables that are coming into play and affect your month(s) long hike.
The answer(s) you seek will be unanswered the day you are on top of Kahtadin.

Based on my 2011 thru-hike, your level of success is relative to how badly you wish to achieve your goal.
My advise, train by hiking with a full pack. Accept the fact that
after all is said and done you have a limited or no control over what will take place on the trail.
The weather is one of those variables. Lastly, focus your energy on how much fun you will have.
For me and other hikers I spoke to, the fun and the hikers you meet on the trail was one of the biggest motivators in staying on the trail and led to achieve my goal.

Kudos to RA Wizard



Please red the above revised post. Stay strong. Plan on having fun.

[Kookork]

he doesn't hike. 0 experience. 99.9% chance of failure

No way ,according to my data he has 99.8 chance of failure. Big Difference!!!!!

[Kookork]

So among all the hardcore hiking enthusiasts on this site, I'd like to seek your opinions.

So I'm 18 and besides once at Mt. Desert Island in Maine, I've never hiked a day in my life (mostly due to living in an area of almost endless suburbs). But I do runcross country and track, which trains me physically and mentally to some extent. So my question is this: do I stand any chance of making the appalachian trail in 2.5 months, at 30 miles a day? Now I'm running on the assumptions that hiking training could be replaced by long-distance, fairly intense runs, and that hiking etiquette and techniques can be learned rather quickly. I was hoping that if I were able to comfortably log 8-10 miles consecutive days in jogging, I would be able to handle the appalachian trail.

I realize that most people who will set off on the AT won't make it, the majority failing because they can't handle the mental rigor. I think I can take care of the psychological challenges. I'm a thinker and just walking down the trail I wouldn't have any trouble occupying myself with something. I wanted to fundraise for charity on a "dollars per mile" basis that would keep me motivated by adding some responsibility to completeing the hike.

So here's some logistics. If I hike for approximately 12 hours a day at a pace of 2.5 mph or a pace of 24:00 per mile, I can cover 30 miles a day. It's like Andrew Askurka said, it's about how long you walk, not how fast. I have had previous over-use injuries from running before, and in fact I had to leave my cross country team because of it. But I never did prevention or strengthening exercises that I am willing to do now to get ready for the hike. Can I hear some advice about knee injuries and pain?

So does this plan sound capable of working given that I put in the work and I train for the next 3 months or do I just sound like a fool? I appreciate any advice and/or criticism.

You said you appreciate any advice and/or criticism. You did not . You got upset about one of the posters. That is not what you said.

Anyway, forget about that part. I love to know why you want to finish the trail in 75 days. It is not a record to break. Are you in a rush? Is it too tempting to do it? just I love to know why? You did not mention the reason.

[rickb]

No way ,according to my data he has 99.8 chance of failure. Big Difference!!!!!

What are the odds of the original poster starting any long distance hike?

[Kookork]

What are the odds of the original poster starting any long distance hike?

Timewise,He will hike less than the time we all spent to advice him on WB. the odds is something like 2 percent just because he is a runner and young. He may run out of the trail faster than his trail speed though.

[Piragua]

Maybe if you were an Eagle you could do it.

I was a track guy from your area too. It's so flat where you are at. Mt. Desert Island is nice but the hiking is not challenging at all. I don't know what the average daily elevation change might be for a random 30 mile hike on the AT, but you are going to face several climbs a day over 500+ ft I would think for sure. Maybe like 5-8. A couple might be 1000+ (like 1500 or 2000 or even higher). I generally only hike 15-20 miles in the warmest months and I don't keep track of the number of climbs so that's just a ballpark estimate. Being from Jersey, and given your age, you are probably not familiar with that type of hiking. I know the first trip I went on, on the Jersey section of the trail, there were two climbs that we all thought were real gut busters. Fast forward many years and when I passed them the second time they were barely noticeable. If you are planning on training by running, read up on ultra-marathon training strategies. (I think you will be running too fast.) Get some real hill work in. You probably want to pick up the train in Metropark or Metuchen. There's a train stop on the AT you can reach besides going to Harriman (Transfer from Penn Sta over to Grand Central). There are also many bus routes out of Port Authority that will get you to the trail as well.

You're right about this part of Jersey being flat. There are only a few hills around that I could take advantage of, but I think most of my training would come from using a treadmill, where I could simulate the elevation change. As for taking some public transportation to the AT, I'm planning on doing that too. Thanks for the advice.

[Piragua]

Piragua,

I've just skimmed the posts so maybe I missed this bit of info but are you trying a supported or un-supported thru-hike? It sounds to me like you are thinking about an unsupported hike. Maybe you should consider a supported hike.

Clearly a supported hike.

[Piragua]

I've read all your comments and taken them into account. Although it may seem like I haven't appreciated some comments enough, I made use of them too to gauge what level of training and prepartion would be necessary. At this moment, I still plan on hiking the At, though whether it is only a part or a thru-hike remains to be seen. If I do plan on thru-hiking I will announce my attempt between mid-May and early June.

Anticipating later comments and reacting to previous ones, I do realize that training phyisically isn't everything. I'm one of those people who gets self-satisfaction out of hardwork. Walking 30 miles a day and seeing a few beautiful views each day is more than enough to make happy even if I happen to miss a bit of the trail culture.

[rocketsocks]

I've read all your comments and taken them into account. Although it may seem like I haven't appreciated some comments enough, I made use of them too to gauge what level of training and prepartion would be necessary. At this moment, I still plan on hiking the At, though whether it is only a part or a thru-hike remains to be seen. If I do plan on thru-hiking I will announce my attempt between mid-May and early June.

Anticipating later comments and reacting to previous ones, I do realize that training phyisically isn't everything. I'm one of those people who gets self-satisfaction out of hardwork. Walking 30 miles a day and seeing a few beautiful views each day is more than enough to make happy even if I happen to miss a bit of the trail culture.

Cool, it's all good!