can you hike the LT in 2 weeks it seems possible 20 mile days.
luke kaim
Lt - The Long Trail - Vermont
system
#2
Coup, the owner of GoLite, completed it in 13 days w/o resupply. Check out his account here:
http://www.golite.com/team/athletes/coup/lt_report.pdf
At the bottom is details of his daily mileage.
jerm
system
#4
sure if you have been backpacking 15-20 mile days with a full load at least three times a week for at least a month before your projected start date. i hate being a naysayer, but that trail is tough and if you are not in peak shape, like coming off of another distance hike, i would say you are looking for an injury.
milo
system
#5
The record is under 5 days (with a support team).
See, for details,:
http://www.thecavedog.com/Long_Trail-Web_Pages/The_Long_Trail/Long_Trail-index-frame.html
pedxing
system
#6
I read Andrew Reiff’s journal from 2003 on this site, he did the trail in 16 days or thereabouts. Nice journal.
Interesting mention of Coup, or as he was known on the LT…Golite! guy. I ran into him just north of Rt 9 on my 3rd day out. Our encounter totally rubbed me the wrong way, he carried on and on about his pack, website, company, demanded to know what was in my pack and reamed me for my gear choices. People up and down the trail were talking about him for days, in no positive terms. Heard (and used) the word “jackass” many times, and tales of him rolling into shelters after 10pm, making a lot of noise, again disturbing everyone when he packed up at 3am to hike out…others who received the unsolicited criticism about their gear…
Ah, if you wanna hike that way, your choice, but it sure ain’t for me.
Backtrack
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#7
FWIW - did the LT in 18 days (including one 5 mile nero day) in 1997. Did not have the experience I have now, my equipment was much heavier. Probably could do it in two weeks now, if I tried.
If I can do it (not exactly the most atheletic person. :D), you can do it, too. You just want to have to do it. The main thing is, make sure you enjoy it at that pace. Otherwise, why hike? If the pace is too much, slow down a bit. Nothing wrong with hiking fast…just enjoy it!
As for Coup, a buddy of mine bumped into him on the LT as well. Said much the same thing. Getting into a a shelter and waking up early (and waking up everyone in the process) is just rude.
I briefly met him on the CT (my last day/his first). Only talked to him maybe 10 minutes. Did not realize it was him until after my hike.
Mags
system
#8
To be fair, Coup was friendly by turns, wished me a good hike, etc. But the alternation between this extreme niceness and then suddenly yelling, “Your stove is bull****! Bull****!” took me aback a bit. Not to mention, meeting a sweaty man in the woods with nothing on but spandex…well, that is kinda disarming any day.
Nope, I didn’t know he was the Golite founder either, or that his trailname was Coup. He was just the Golite! guy. My hiking partner at the time (several feet behind me on the trail) said it best, “…but I couldn’t figure out exactly what he was promoting. His backpack? Or himself?” I figured it out later when another LT hiker emailed me a link to GoLite’s website.
Backtrack
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#9
Earlybird has done it in 21 days consecutive years. Three I think.
Never met coup, but was on the trail last year when cavedog was out. Did not meet him, but some of his support team. I heard he passed out at the MA border and had to be carried off the trail.
Chef
system
#10
I heard something pretty similar chef - that he really struggled to make it to the line and fell asleep (or passed out) almost as soon as he finished. His web site has an interesting account of his ordeal and mental state near the end of his failed first attempt to break the record. Obviously doing the LT at the pace is a collosal stress on even an incredibly fit person.
pedxing