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  1. #1
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    Default 200 miles in 9 days, how plausible is that?

    Due to a new job, ill be having to start my hike from lehigh pa to stormville ny earlier. This change has forced me to cut my hike down by at least 4 or 5 days. Starting June 1 I will leave Lehigh and head north on the AT, should i expect to make it the distance? I was thinking about resupplying every 3 days, but from what i have been reading that takes A LOT of time ( hitchhiking into town, shopping, hitching back) is there a better way for me to resupply now that time is so short? I understand that this is over 20 mile days we are talking about and I do not have my "trail legs", but I am an 18 year old distance runner coming off 4 years running all year round. I guess my main question is, is it even plausible for someone to get on the trail and cover 200 miles during 9 days on that section

    Sorry if the post seems a bit confusing.....im not even going to proof read

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    Quote Originally Posted by PosterNutbag View Post
    Due to a new job, ill be having to start my hike from lehigh pa to stormville ny earlier. This change has forced me to cut my hike down by at least 4 or 5 days. Starting June 1 I will leave Lehigh and head north on the AT, should i expect to make it the distance? I was thinking about resupplying every 3 days, but from what i have been reading that takes A LOT of time ( hitchhiking into town, shopping, hitching back) is there a better way for me to resupply now that time is so short? I understand that this is over 20 mile days we are talking about and I do not have my "trail legs", but I am an 18 year old distance runner coming off 4 years running all year round. I guess my main question is, is it even plausible for someone to get on the trail and cover 200 miles during 9 days on that section

    Sorry if the post seems a bit confusing.....im not even going to proof read
    its plausible.or you can cut down the miles instead.the trail aint going anywhere

  3. #3

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    Definitely possible for some.
    You could get by with one resupply.

  4. #4
    Registered User weary's Avatar
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    Most runners who also hike, tend to tell me that being good at one, doesn't automatically mean one will immediately be good at the other. The two activities share many muscles, but not all, at least to the same degree. My advice is to cut your mileage in half, enjoy your walk, and use any surplus time to prepare for the adventure of a new job.

  5. #5

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    weary, good to see you're still on this site; I was beginning to wonder.
    Trillium

  6. #6
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    Very plausible for some people. None of us can answer that for YOU, but you are certainly starting off in better shape than many (most?) section hikers. Besides, if you have to get off early, so what?

    +1 on the idea of one resupply on day 5. That way you need carry only 4 days of food each section (eat lunch in town on the resupply, and one meal each on start and end day.) That's only 2 pounds heavier than carrying 3 days of food and resupplying twice. Of course this depends on whether you can get into a town on day 5 or not.
    Ken B
    'Big Cranky'
    Our Long Trail journal

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    I covered 35 miles from 11.30am saturday to 3pm sunday over by hamburg to lehigh in march. I definitly prefer to hike faster than slower, only thing about one resupply is that my pack is already pushing 25 pounds with just 3 days food. doesnt help my actual pack is 5 pounds lol

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    I hate to sound like an old sourpuss but I question your ability to make this hike in less than 2 weeks. Your 4 years of running around the world will be of little value. Ever done any extended hiking before? What is your camping plan? What sort of weight you packing? There is some rough miles ahead. Good luck and I hope I'm wrong.

  9. #9

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    You have the aerobic fitness to achieve this. The question is whether the use of muscles other than those running will adjust for you in this string of 20+ mile days. The key test for you comes after you enter NY and cross Rt. 17A where the next stretch of ups and downs will stress your quads, hamstrings, and knees at the pace you're doing. Good luck!

    Like others, I also recommend just one resupply.

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    ive gone on multiple 2 night trips with a friend and a few one nighters. last one I planned on going 2 nighys alone but covered the distance in ,1 night. I will probably be carrying 25 pounds at the most. I am going to trim down even more as the date gets closer. I am only like 4 hours away max, so my mom is going to do me a solid and pick me up wherever I am on the 9th. only problem I ever have is some shoulder pain, I figure ill just load up on advil!!
    any tips for hiking fast?

  11. #11
    Registered User Donde's Avatar
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    Yeah as a hiker and marathon/ultra runner, it gives you a better baseline but it ain't the same (true in both directions). That being said it is not totally crazy or anything, give it a shot. Not knowing or what you mean when you say "distance running" I can't tell you, but worst case you can't make milage and you get off somewhere else, maybe have to buy a shuttle. Oh well as long as you have a good time.

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    My advice for hiking fast for a new hiker on the AT. Don't. Who says you gotta make 200 miles in 9 days? Why not just hike for 9 days? I'm pretty sure that day one will go ok for you although the first 45 minutes will be thrilling. It's those following days that will bring on the problems. There is lots of stuff that you don't know how to do right now. You don't know it because, like they say here in Tennessee, you ain't seen the Monkey Show yet. To hike 20 miles every day for 9 days on this part of the trail you need to know how to make it 20 miles today and still be able to get up and make another 20 the next day. There is some big stuff and small stuff and it can all get you. Tiny things that you don't fully know right now can bring down the whole show like, "getting a good nights sleep", or how to lace your boots or how to adjust your underwear actually matter. How to get going in the morning and how to pace yourself are a big deal. You can't hike if your feet are a bloody mess after 2 days. There are some very experienced people who have already posted in on this thread who have offered you encouragement, but they know. What's my message here? Try to learn some stuff by doing 14 mile days for a few days and see if you can build up your speed. Going fast in the rocks will just get you hurt. The turtle was smarter than the hare.

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    Have a plan to get off the trail if you do less then the 200 miles. If you do the 200 great, if not, even doing 100 miles over 9 days is quite an adventure.

  14. #14

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    Tips for hiking fast.... 1. Avoid roots. 2. Walk through the mud. 3. Eat on the go. 4. Keep an organized pack. 5. Avoid more roots. 6. Don't take your shoes off at river crossings. 7. Don't forget things at camp 8. Stay hydrated and eat healthy. 9. Don't sleep in. 10. Keep track of your time. 11. Walk in the Rain. 12. Keep Moving. 13. If you cant make the big miles have a back up plan. 14. Have Fun, don't make it miserable, a good day on the trail isn't all about the miles. 15. Hike Your Own Hike! ENJOY!!!!!

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    200 miles in 9 days is a good push, especially if you're not in trail shape, it will come down to your feet...

    Lehigh Gap through NJ is the most rocky section of the entire AT in many people's eyes, for new, soft, feet...that could be rough.

    22 miles per day through the mid-atlantic isn't that tough in my experience, but miles only tell part of the story.

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    If you think like a distance runner on the trail then 200 miles in 9 days is fine - so long as you don't break. Blistered feet, strained IT bands and busted knees are the things that sneak up on you fast. I noticed that the distance runners on the trail avoided the latter two problems more often than the ambitious non-distance runners.

    Definitely plausible, probably painful. Sounds like fun.

  17. #17
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    Very plausible. You will have roughly 15 hours of daylight to cover a little over 20 miles a day. Get up early, hike 50 minutes and stop for 10 every hour. Take at least a 30 minute lunch break. Keep going.

    As some have said the key will be can you hike without blistering. DO NOT go fast over the rocky sections. You will instinctively want to get thru it quickly but the pounding on the bottom of your feet will take it's toll over the course of 20 mile days.
    Pain is a by-product of a good time.

  18. #18
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    Good tips above, especially about avoiding blisters. Older folks like me will tell you to start slow and keep a steady pace. Keep thinking you're going to be enjoying another all day hike again tomorrow and don't overdo it. Your second five days will probably be stronger than your first if you don't hurt yourself. This might be hard your first time attempting it, but not impossible.

    Time in town will detract from what you're trying to do, so only one resupply is a great idea.

    Pay attention to staying clean and avoiding chaffing and other skin issues (boils, sunburn, poison ivy) as well as blisters. It's often the little things that'll trip you up.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  19. #19
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    If you haven't done enough extended hiking to know whether or not you can sustain 20+ mile days, it would seem foolish to plan a trip that requires you to do so.
    ~~
    Allen "Monkeywrench" Freeman
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  20. #20
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    Possible? Sure!
    Fun? Enjoyable? Probably not!

    Assuming all goes well---no injuries, no blisters, good weather, no unforeseen circumstances--you will probably accomplish your goal. However, what exactly will you have accomplished at the end of those nine days (other than being able to say that you covered 200 miles in 9 days)? Pretty much all you will be doing for (nine straight days) is walking long hours, setting up camp, eating and sleeping. You will probably be sore and uncomfortable on many of the days. (You are already talking about your shoulder and Ibuprofen). If it is raining cats and dogs--you will still have to cover an average of 22+ miles (whether you feel like it or not). If you see a nice place to camp--or people whose company you wish to enjoy--you have to keep walking (because you have to cover those 200 miles in 9 days). Each day (for nine consecutive days) you will PRIMARILY be focused upon reaching a certain distance---and not be focused upon savoring the experience. Each day will be a list of tasks to be accomplished--more than a hike which can be enjoyed.

    Watch "National Lampoon's Vacation"--and note how obsessed Clark Griswold becomes with getting to "Wally World" before the vacation comes to an end. That film is an exaggerated depiction of what a hike with extreme goals can become. (I have been there, done that, bought the T-shirt).

    Do yourself a favor. Knock 50-100 miles off the proposed distance in order to give yourself some more flexibility with your daily itinerary and more of an opportunity to do more than just crank out mileage. Tired, sore, and under "pressure" to reach as certain destination is no way to spend your time in the woods.
    "A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world." - Paul Dudley White

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