Miles per Day and Zero days

imported
#1

In Ronald Mueser’s book “Long-Distance Hiking,” he gives the following information on the average miles per day for each state (northbound). However, it doesn’t seem clear to me whether these numbers INCLUDE zero days or not. Can anyone tell me if these numbers look like they are calculated with or without zero days?
GA–10 mpd NC/TN–12 mpd VA–15 mpd WV/MD/PA–15 mpd NJ/NY/CT–15 mpd MA–14 mpd VT–14 mpd NH–12 mpd ME–12 mpd

Also, elsewhere in the book it says that 24 zero days is about average. Does that sound right? How many zero days did you take? Thanks for your help.

C-Giddy

#2

I have done the same analysis of miles per day that you have.

The numbers don’t work out exactly right. If you take mileage in each state and divide by the miles per day, it yields the number of days in each state. Add them up and it totals about 160 days. Now, if the average of his survey is 174 days, with 24 days off, then that is 150 days hiking.

But, 174 days is 25 weeks, and if the typical thru-hiker takes one day off a week, which is probably good advice, then 24 zero days sounds about right.

The problem is that the AT isn’t exactly laid out such that it’s convienent to take say every Saturday off. But, what usually happens is that for various reasons, you just want to hang out somewhere. Maybe it’s to watch the world soccer cup, or go into a nearby big city for a few days or to spend time at Trail Days or maybe you get held up by weather or many many other reasons.

My own preference was to hike and not see small town America and drink beer. So, I didn’t take zero days, and my duration was nearly 150 days, an average without zero days.

Peaks

#3

On my thru-hike in 1999, I didn’t take a zero day everyweek. The average might work out that way but not because I took a day off every 5 to 7 days. I did take 3 days off to visit my dad, two days in Monson to wait for the post office to open, and then a few single zero days. However, I went for over a month without taking any zero days. The happened most often when I was hiking solo w/o a partner. I did hike short days 8 miles or so and then sit around and read.
It sounds like your trying to micro-plan your hike. Just save the money, buy your gear, set a start date, and hike. You can buy food along the way and call home from town to set up any mail drops from home. Once you start hiking plans general get thrown out the window.
I planned how many days between town when I bought food. I would look at the data book figure out home many days to the next town based on my hiking rate usually 12 to 15 miles a day. Then I would hike and usually I didn’t hike where I planned each day. Sometimes I would stop early on hot summer days to relax and enjoy the day other times I would do extra miles to make up for slow days. I generally hike faster going to town than leaving town because my pack was getting lighter everyday and dreams of bacon cheese burger danced in my head.
I hope this helps you plan or not over plan your trip.
Good luck and remember to hike your own hike.

Darth Pacman

#4

Those miles per day look like a good estimate. I ended up taking most of my zero days in bunches of two or three since I had to get off the trail for work a few times. Then, I would hike 2-3 weeks without taking a zero. I’d probably try taking more like one zero per week if I did it again. There are some really cool towns where a zero is definitely more appealing than others. I would say, for example, that Damascus is a much more appealing place for a zero day than a town like Atkins or Buena Vista, VA.

Superfeet

#5

Pacman’s right about the planning elements. They’re usually out the window within the first few weeks. Take your hike as it comes. Zero on a rainy day or just zero by a beautiful creek or overlook. I wish I had taken more zeroes out on the Trail.

Cap’n

#6

…thanks for your help. I’m not looking to plan exactly where I’ll be at the end of any given day, but i wanted to at least get an estimate as I will be meeting a number of friends along the way, so i wanted to let them know approximately when I’d be in their area.

C-Giddy

#7

It’s like Darth said, just save and hike. We had friends come see us on the trail we called them a week ahead and told them where we would be. They had a vehicle and met us. It worked out fine. Don’t sweat it. We planned our hike to the n th degree and it helped but you just need to hike and you will get there and enjoy it. Rain, trail, friends, towns, pain all will have an impact on where you are when. The time we enjoyed the least was when we were on a schedule to be somewhere at a certain time. Happy trails.

Papa Smurf

#8

I always hated having a deadline hanging over my head. Sometimes it was okay and I enjoyed the challenge to being some where by a certian day. When I schedule to meet my dad in Mass. I plan the miles for about 12 per day to get there on time. Then I got lazy and blew off hiking a couple days so I then had to push 15 to 20 miles for about a week. Now that doesn’t sound to bad until you are hiking it. Everyone has there own pace and you get used to hiking a certian distance everyday. I personelly enjoyed my hike down south through VA to GA when I was doing about 14 to 15 miles per day. I spilt from one partner because he wanted to do 19 to 20 per day everyday.
Your daily distance is a very personel thing. It determines the character of your hike and how much you enjoy your trip. When I was physically at my peak, I cruised 26+ miles in one day out of the smokies. It was a long day and ended with hiking in the dark but I was read to hike the next day. When I finnished in GA I would cruise 12 miles by lunch time and then hang out when I got to camp.

Darth Pacman

#9

I disagree with the comments about not doing a baseline schedule. I think that all of us have loved ones that need to know where we are on the trail. So, I’m a firm believer in doing a baseline schedule.

Now, having said that, while on the trail, I didn’t feel obligated to follow my baseline schedule. I kept an open mind, and lingered where I wanted to, and walked on through where I didn’t. But, with phone calls to home, I was able to tell people where I was relative to the schedule so that everyone could adjust accordingly.

Peaks

#10

I found that the baseline schedule is great for the people back home. They loved to asked why your behind, why you missed your mail drop, send packages to towns you skipped and worry when you don’t get where your supossed to “be”.
You can hike on a schedule but I feel you lose some of the enjoyment of the trail. I had a schedule for the first ten days then I hiked where and when I felt like that day. I was sick twice on the trail. Once with Giardia and once with a cold. I hiked for over a month with Giardia before I knew it and went to a doctor. Once treated I was hiking better but it still took a month to really recover my strength. I couldn’t plan for this or the weather. Then when I hiked with a partner we did 20 miles days through jersey, PA, maryland and northern VA. Then I slowed down again. None of this could have been predicted before hand.
I feel you get more enjoyment from a hike and have less to explain to the folks back home when you hike your own hike without a lot of planning. I did call home whenever I passed a phone or mailed a post card to my family when I pass a post office. This way they knew where I was and where I was going every few days since I had to go to town to resupply. The one consistent in my hike is I go to town every 3 to 5 days for food and Laundry if available. I learned clean socks are better than a shower if you have to choose.
I also don’t like the expectation of miles because some hike faster and some slower so an average hiker does not really exist.
!!! Warning mileage may vary depending on hiker preferences and style!!!
That’s my best adivce. Good luck and remember hike your own hike.

Darth Pacman

#11

I had 33 zero days. Loved every single one too. Still managed the trail in 175 days (including zeros).

Something to keep in mind while planning: Mueser hiked the trail in, what, 1987? All of his data was taken from that year’s hiking class and soooo much has changed in that amount of time. I see references to his material time and time again that are no longer accurate. The older the data, the less accurate it probably is.

-Howie

Hungry Howie

#12

Roland Mueser’s survey was based on 136 respondents, 80% of them in the class of 1989.

I often quote this survey, because it gives a much broader perspective of thru-hiking then just my own perspective. Some things have changed. For example, the pepsi stoves have become very common, and the Svea is now rare. But, I suspect that much is still very relevant. I suspect that the average duration is still 5 1/2 months.

I’d like to see someone volunteer to put in the effort to do an updated survey. Let’s find out what has changed, and how much things have changed.

Peaks