Starting middle may

imported
#1

Starting a in middle may right when i get out of school in georgia. going with my dog…is it possible to make a thru hike by late august? pass on the info folks.
cheers, -raven s.

Raven

#2

one thing that might hold you back could be your dog. basically you will be thru-hiking in 3.5 months. which is about a 21 mile a day average. when hiking with a dog, he/she will be setting your pace. also take the temps during this time into consideration.

other than that, as long as you are up to it, i’d say its doable. but remember, it might not be as sociable. you might be pushing on further while others have stopped for the night and when you go into town for resupply you will be headed back to the trail while others might be taking a zero.

check out andrew skurka’s page. he hikes in 2002 in 95 days. basically the summer b/w the spring and fall semester.

jerm

#3

I am not one of the dog haters you will hear from on this site. I love seeing dogs on the trail and look forward to having one in camp at night. But three and 1/2 month through hike in the middle of the summer heat would be too much for almost any dog. Watch Fido very carefully for signs of over-exertion and heat exhaustion and be prepared to give up the hike prematurely. If you are in excellent shape I think you could have a good shot at completeing in the time allowed.

Big B

#4

Last summer wagdaddy did this . I met him in Vermont as he was doing a 35 mile day! check out his journal. I would not take your dog on this hike if possible. If you are in good shape and willing to hike long days it is definitely doable. Good luck!

Roadrunner

#5

im in good enough shape for it, but not sure about my dog :oh …if anyone is interested in a summer hike with me just let me know, so i dont have to bring the dog. thanks for the info everyone, good things

Raven “The Bird”

#6

Even without your dog, a 3.5 month thru hike would be terribly difficult. I haven’t completed a thru as of yet, but have been on enough sections of the AT to know that a 21-mile/day average (NO zero days) is an almost impossible goal. Especially if you aren’t a top-flight condition…and I mean awesome, trail-hardened shape. I’d say that the addition of a dog will squash any of the 5% of hope you’d have left.

As far as the dog goes…Back in August I took my dog to a trail one evening in Nashville which I use to keep in “trail shape.” The day was hot and humid, but not unlike any other day in TN. At about 3 miles into the 5.5 mile loop, my black lab collapsed with heat exhaustion. I had to carry him (103 lbs…he’s a big guy but has been hiking with me for years) the rest of the 2 miles and rush him home to get him in an icewater bath and then to an animal clinic. He was really weak, shaky, and uncoordinated for a couple of weeks afterward, but he turned out to be fine. However, the vet said that if I hadn’t gotten him into the icewater bath he most likely would have gone into a full-blown heat stroke and/or had permanent brain damage if he hadn’t died. This was likely either of my dogs’ last summertime hiking trip.

I would suggest catching up with a group of hikers further north in VA and finish up with them in ME. This will give you and pooch plenty of good times without the mental and physical strains of such an overwhelming deadline.

Horn Head

#7

It’s not impossible if you’re in great shape. Puppy Power and Wag Daddy were both track athletes and didn’t have any problem running a lot of the way. If you’re in that sort of shape, avoid injuries and have the determination to hike every day then go for it.
However the dog will definitely slow you down, even if it likes hiking. And I’ve seen far too many dogs that suffered by being pushed too hard by their masters, and a 3.5-month thru-hike would definitely qualify. You’d have to own a sheepdog or something, one that’s bred to run all day.

0101

#8

It takes most thru-hikers about 5 1/2 months to hike the AT.

3 1/2 months may be possible, but it’s going to be a much faster hike than the average. You better be in shape to begin. And I wouldn’t even comment about a dog trying to keep up.

Peaks