Pace on a thru hike

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#1

I am preparing a thru-hike of the LT in september and I need some advice on the pace of a thru-hike. Do I have to rely on the End to enders guide for the suggested time between shelter or on an ammounr of miles per day based on the terrain? I am kind of lost cause I planned for 28 days at first but I dont want to have too much 4 hours day of hiking. Actually I need to know how you guys set the pace. Would be cool to go with the general feeling of it all but I have a limited time to finish my hike.

Thanks for the help…
The Quads

TheQuads

#2

Hey Quads,

I don’t know how anyone could possibly tell you what your pace on the Long Trail will be. The shelter to shelter times in the Guide are reportedly calculated the traditional way of 30 min per mile + 30 min per 1000 foot climb, but I don’t think this is always the case.

Most people can quickly work out what their pace is relative to this “book time”, be it 75% or 150% or whatever. Still, some of us are differently affected by climbing, descending, or whatever.

If you want people to help you guess your pace, at least give some information about your experience, what kind of shape you are in, and how much pack weight you will be carrying.

I’m not sure what “I dont want to have too much 4 hours day of hiking” means.

The typical range for an end-to-end hike seems to be about 18 - 27 days or so.

Tramper Al

#3

I’ve done the LT NOBO on july. I’ve found that times from shelter to shelter in the E2E guide are always longer than what it really took me. In general I did in 75% of what the guide says. But it’s sure that it depends on each person. But these times were useful in that I was always at 75% of what it was supposed to be.

There is one section which is really longer than that the guide says. It’s to reach Montclair Glen Shelter by the south. Every person that I know from the trail will say you the same thing.

Number of days to complete a thru hike is a good question. At first I planned to do it in 20-21 days. Physically I was more than able to do it. But after few days I’ve just realised that to take shorter days would means more fun. I’ve realised what makes real pleasure on the trail: swimming, food and most important, people. If you go too fast you will be always alone and loose everybody behind you and maybe pass beside opportunities of making good friends.

I did the whole trail in 26 days and it was, physically, easy. I’ve met two hiker who did it in 12 days. I don’t have to say that they didn’t see anything interesting alog the trail!!

If you have enough time I would just recommend you to don’t plan too mush. Walk when you want to walk and take breaks when you want to take breaks. The most important thing, after all, is to enjoy you hike every day.

And finally, if you can, plan some days after the end to just relax. You will see how the trail change you deeply and you will need time to return to “real life”. Be aware it can be a big shock!!!

Enjoy you experience

Fourmi

#4

I am an experienced hiker for a 21 year old man in really good shape. I have guided and hiked the AT in Maine and done lots of hiking in the whites.

My real problem is that I have to give to my father a date to pick me up at Journey’s End to go back to Canada. I want to enjoy my hike and take my time but still want to do it at a good pace not to set a reccord but because I love it that way. I enjoy long hike day ( I wake up at around 5AM and hike till about 5PM)

For example I did the Biggelow section of the AT in Maine (Kennebec to Stratton) in 3 days. So plan A I stick with a plan or my favorite I go with the general feeling of it all. Lots of question in my head because it is the first time I hike for more then 18 days.

For equipment I will have no more then 30 pounds maybe a little less. Thanks for the help

         TheQuads

TheQuads

#5

Thanks for the advice I just talked to my father and I will stick to plan B. That mean to throw my plan at the garbage and decide every morning what I want to do for the day. I will walk fast, walk slowly, nap at the summit, stay in my sleeping bag on a rainy day, wake up early to eat pancakes in town … Damned be the plan

TheQuads (I just cant wait for my first day)

TheQuads

#6

There is a 13 mile section out of Killington which the guidebook states is a “230ft gain and 1300ft loss”. It’s the other way round, just to let you know. It’s not a hard section but if you had accounted for elevation gain/loss in your daily milage then you might consider it as a slightly longer section then anticipated.

Cheers

P.S This is also where you enter the jungle.

Cheers

#7

I used to hike the LT a lot in college and grad school. That was 20+ years ago, but I doubt it has changed much. I’ve done the AT and the PCT, but for sheer concentrated fun and demand the LT is it. Plan B is a good one.

Pappy

#8

Hey Quads,

The ‘data’ you provided on your pace, experience, and pack weight would lead me to guess you’d travel the LT quite a bit faster than “book time”. And if you hike 11 hours a day, you’ll certainly do some miles. Your pace over the Bigelows and Carry Ponds was similar to mine, so I now have a good idea of your pace on the LT.

If you’re style is Plan B, though, that’s great. Could you not simply update your father once or twice on your trail progress and you guys can adjust your pick-up date accordingly?

The other thing I was going to suggest, though, is the following. If you have your full 28 day window, and you find over the first week or so that you are way ahead of a 28 day pace (about 10 miles a day) and you are enjoying yourself at that pace, you can always add in the 40+ miles or so of VT AT from Maine junction over to Hanover. You could get a bus back to Rutland, hike both ways or whatever. One way would probably add about 3 days for you. Just a thought.

Hope that helps . . .

Tramper Al

#9

Thanks everyone for all the help. I really love the idea of walking all the AT in vermont plus the Long Trail. Hanover looks like a cool college town to visit. There must be lots of party in september. I can’t wait for my first day on the trail. Thanks again Al.

The Quads

TheQuads

#10

Hi TheQuads,

This is just a suggestion but I think it’s a good one. Phone to your father from Johnson. The is a small road walk on the road 15. You will walk for 0.6 mile to reach Hogback Road. At this intersection there is a bar called “Long Trail Restaurant”. I didn’t check for that, but there should be a phone in there.

We did the section Johnson-Canada in 5 days but we were very slow to enjoy the end of the walk. Anyway at that point you will know how much will it take to complete.

For equipement, I’ve found on the trail that after cheap gear is perfect for hike. I changed my Gore-Tex for 1$ rain coat, MSR stove for pepsi stove, nalgene for gatorade and (but it was on July…) if I had had possibility my down sleeping bag for just a fleece blanket. Also, I never used a tent and my fellow hikers sent them home too. North of Killington the is almost nobody on the LT.

If time matchs, go to Waitsfield on saturday. There is a farmer market with a lot of good things to eat…
Don’t go to Wallingford, there is nothing to eat. In the general store 75% of the space is dedicated to alcool!!

Fourmi

#11

Hey Fourmi! I was southbound and met you at Laura Woodward Shelter and enjoyed reading your register notes (and Mrs. ex-cons) in reverse order.

In terms of pace: I’m 48 and in OK shape. It took me 21 days. I had to slow down at the end because of some swelling. I did have time to swim and add on a few extra miles to visit additional summitts. If I did it again, I would allow more time for diversion, rambling and exploration as Fourmi decided to do, but this time, I had to return to work.

In terms of the book times, my understanding of the computations is the same as Tramper Als. This means the time estimates don’t include calculations for the roughness of the trail. A mile of smooth trail you could almost roller skate on (such as you hit from time to time south of Brandon Gap) is very different from a mile of trail where you have to stop and think about every tenth step. Similarly rolling switch backs make 1,000 feet of elevation gain (as on parts of AT portion of the LT) are very different from the almost technical ups and downs that you can get between the North base of Whiteface and the Southern base of Camels’ s hump. As a gross generalization, Northern book times are harder to beat than the Southern ones.

pedxing

#12

“Don’t go to Wallingford, there is nothing to eat. In the general store 75% of the space is dedicated to alcool!!”

:cheers One man’s trash is another’s treasure! :cheers

Loki

#13

While Wallingford may not be worth the visit, the Whistlestop Cafe in Clarendon was! Only about .5 from trail and milkshakes, burgers, food food food on a drizzling day!

Married to an Ex Con

#14

I did my E2E in 26 days and didn’t find the pace to be too tough. I was 14 at the time and carried about a 35 lb pack. After the first week on the trail, I usually beat the guide book times by a bit, especially in the southern half.

Folks are correct, the northern half has some pretty technical sections that can be surprisingly challenging, even for experienced hikers. I generally did about book time in the northern half and usually enjoyed the more challenging sections ((except during a couple of nasty storms when I decided to walk instead of hole up). But, the tough section made for some very interesting terrain and great views and are some of the sections I remember most.

I agree with those that have said, take your time to see the sights 'cause the LT is packed with amazing views, great folks, and places you are going to want to spend some time and remember later!

The Band-aid Kid