daily mileage on thru hike

[Grace]

Since I have never hiked north of Delaware Water Gap, I'm not quite sure how to plan mileage. Would anyone know if planning on 15 + mile days is reasonable? Also, what about mileage thru the Whites and in the 100 mi. wilderness.
Thanks!
Grace
2011 hopeful

[wcgornto]

Are you planning a thru hike or section hike? NOBO or SOBO? Are you in decent hiking shape already? Good hiking shape? Great hiking shape?

I hiked SOBO last year and was in decent to good hiking shape to begin with. The weather in ME and NH was awful, with lots of rain almost every day. In addition, ME and NH are the two most rugged state sections on the trail. I averaged ten miles per day through these states, sixteen MPD from VT to GA and thirteen MPD overall. I took my time on the southern half of the trail, as I was in no hurry to finish.

Averaging 15 miles per day over the course of a thru hike is very reasonable. I didn't pre-plan daily distance. Rather, I set out with a six month timetable in mind and had flexibility either way. I finished in five and a half months and could have easily finished a couple of weeks sooner.

[Grace]

It will be a NOBO thru hike. Starting sometime between March 18 and April 1. I'm in decent shape. The daily planning of mileage is more for family than for myself.
Thanks,
Grace

[wcgornto]

Originally Posted by Grace

It will be a NOBO thru hike. Starting sometime between March 18 and April 1. I'm in decent shape. The daily planning of mileage is more for family than for myself.
Thanks,
Grace

If you are in decent hiking shape or better, it is possible to do bigger miles from the start going NOBO than SOBO. You should be just fine.

[rambler]

Your body, mind and spirit as well as the terrain will determine your mileage. Remember, too, that your 15 mile goal is an average. Somedays you will do more, other days less, hopefully some days zero!

From thru-hikers I have learned that I can pick up my pace of hiking. One evening along the AT in Vermont, I was camping off the side of the trail and I kept hearing the click, click, click of hiking poles held by thru-hikers. I was impressed by the speed of their hiking that late in the day. The next afternoon, when tired, I started hiking faster. It worked. I felt better.

A month ago on the trail in VA, a young thru-hiker went by me. (Orbit) Holy smokes was I standing still? Yes. I had been dragging along. I picked up my pace.

Later in my hike I was sitting having lunch in Partnership Shelter. Another hiker was deciding whether he should leave the trail that day or hike on another five days to Pearisburg. He had an abscessed, aching tooth.
Five days to Pearisburg? That was 100 miles north. Five days. Yes, he was doing 20 mile days.

Well, damn, if he could do it, why not me. I had hiked 26 miles once before and other 20's, but never back-to-back. He inspired me and I did it!
Of course, I am only 66. The hardest part was passing by that restaurant and motel that sit right on the trail as it crosses the Interstate and I always seemed to have 7 miles to go at 5 o'clock!

Another day I hiked 24 miles was when I felt like a horse heading for the barn and hiked from the Grindstaff Grave to Damascus. Why stop just short of that trail town?

Long mileage day are good for the ego, if not good for the feet. As one thru-hiker pontificated, "As an x-marine, I need focus, The way I look at it, hiking is my job. I get up in the morning and my job is to hike 14 miles. At that pace I will finish the trail on time.(October)" Next time I saw the guy, he was lounging around in Damascus. He had not done any 14 miles in at least a couple of days. Oh well. Hike your own hike.

One guy was content he could do 8 mile days. He was recovering from a spinal injury and was told he might not even walk again without a cane, much less hike the AT!

PS The fellow who inspired me at Partnership Shelter, although he never knew it, had decided to hike from Springer to Damascus for Trail Days. (He lives in Asheville, NC) He did that. Felt good. Decided to continue on and hike the whole trail. Why not? He had after all, thru-hiked the trail last year!
I later heard he had been to a dentist in Marion and was back on the trail hiking north again.

[rambler]

Well, now I will try to answer your questions.

You will be in good shape by the time you reach the Whites. They are a beautiful part of the AT, so do not worry if bad weather delays you. In fact, wait for good weather.
I met a former thru-hiker, day hiking along Franconia ridge. He told me it was the most beautiful section of the entire AT. He had moved from TN to live in New Hampshire and returned to the ridge frequently.

Another thru-hiker said she had hiked over all of the Whites in cloudy rainy weather had seen no views. I cannot imagine doing that.

Another thru-hiker I met in Maine had said she had met an enthusiastic day hiker who told her to hike off trail to see the fantastic view from the Bonds.
The thru-hiker declined. "Hell, I had been looking at scenery daily for the past 5 months."

Another guy passed me as I was stopping for the night at Eliza Brook Shelter just south of Kinsmans. " They told me I could not do 20 miles in the Whites, Well, I am going to." He had started from Springer a month after another hiker in the shelter.
So, you can hike long miles through the Whites, but hike them at the pace you enjoy.
Thru-hikers usually spend about a month in Maine. The Mahoosucs are beautiful, too. Be sure to look back toward Washington! Check the contours beyond Monson. Much of the 100 mile Wilderness is easy terrain. From White Cap Mt. You will see Katahdin. Inspirational. Take a brief side trip , (7 minutes) towards Gulf Hagas and you will find impressive Auger Falls.
In the Chairbacks, at least one shelter is right alongside a pond as is the shelter after the tough climb up Mahoosuc Arm. (before Old Spec)

Anltler's Campground is in a flat shore of a lake with Katahdin views. Other shelters are along streams.

I had a memorable stay at the White House Landing. It was there I met a thru-hiker whom was with me all the way to Katahdin. He was a young guy only 82 years old! He had hiked from Springer to Harpers one year and From Harpers to Katahdin the next. So, technically a section hiker, but what sections!

BTW I was amazed at the beauty of the trail in NY/NJ. There is amazing acreage of wilderness only 35 north of one of the largest city in the world.

Be cautious of bad weather in the Whites, but remember, too, the weather can change rapidly. Which means it can go from bad to great, too!

There are shelters and tentsites near the huts, too, including one called the Imp Shelter that is off of the AT between Jefferson and Madison. It is not much downhill at all and is well protected.

(Kinsmans Pond Shelter is a nice site just south of Lonesome Lake Hut.)

http://www.hikethewhites.com

Look closely you will see hikers along the trail, the trail in the left side of photo, the hut is the white spec in the middle, the view is looking south:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2...45831896aajGtA
A trail section high up in the Mahoosuc Range:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1...45831896WoZZVW

Look at that trail (sidewalk!) on Franconia Ridge (360 degree views!)
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1...45831896mfGGzL

Age 82, nearing Katahdin. He quickly removed his glasses when he saw my camera!
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1...45831896OheNOK

[rambler]

PS That last photo was taken on the AT on Abol Bridge before it reaches the Abol campground where folks spend all summer in their campers along the banks of the W. Penobscot with Katahdin in view. The view from Katahdin from that bridge is a popular calender photo op. Spend a night there and meet some great people from Maine. Fall along the AT in Maine is hard to beat.

[Grace]

Rambler, thanks so much! Fanastic pictures btw. I'm bookmarking your reply to help me plan and now I'm even more anxious than ever to see it all for myself!

Grace

[Snickers06]

You should be able to do 15-20 mpd in NJ and NY. Probably 10-15 is a good bet for MA and VT. Expect to curtail to 10 mpd in New Hampshire (read White Mountains) and parts of Maine. Some sections in Me are very easy and 15 mpd could be a walk in the park. Others will be very hard. In the Mahoosics, I think that 10 mpd average would be very acceptable.

I would suggest if at all possible allowing for more time than you think you need so you don't HAVE to maintain a brisk pace. There are some sections that while not difficult or so nice that you may want to take your time and enjoy it!


Snickers

[Grace]

Thanks Snickers! Thats pretty straight forward and makes it easier to make a plan. Mom and Dad are in their late 80's and worry themselves sick when I'm out so this will really help by giving them something a tiny bit more concrete on where I'll be.