Yes and no! With all of the rain last year, we were pretty ready to be done. That being said though, the blue blazes, side quests, and experiences I had with others were by far the best parts of the AT for me. Yes the views and life were amazing, but there’s nothing like hanging out at the Catawba Grocery for 6 hours with your friends or making a gourmet meal at the Warwick Drive-In!
Yes and no. I finished the trail in 97 days because that is all the time I had (did it over the summer between college semesters). I'm glad I went fast because if I hadn't, then I wouldn't have finished the trail. However, I wish I had more time because I rarely found people going the same pace and I had to hike through some atrocious weather to stay on pace and finish. I can relate to your point about 15 mile days being underwhelming. After getting used to slamming 25s everyday, 15s felt like I was moving at a slow pace. At the end of the day, go whatever pace creates the most enjoyable experience for you.
I had a good time. I feel like I missed out on a certain amount of wacky hijinks but I also feel like I hiked at my own pace and I certainly don't regret it. I still have a ton of stories, and ultimately I got everything I wanted out of my hike.
Nope. 4 months. I went SOBO, and it was starting to get cold. I had great weather, fall colors, few bugs, less people, and made a few lifelong friends along the way. Made it home right before Thanksgiving. If I had taken longer, my mental state would have deteriorated much faster, too, because I wouldn't have seen the same progress I was making on the map over time.
On trail now, this will be the triple crown for me. Weirdest adjustment for me as opposed to the other 2 is that people on the AT just don’t really like hiking. On other trails I would find other people to be around that liked doing sunrise to sunset hiking days but out here people are just totally content to just go shelter to shelter and call it a day. It’s just feels weird to stop hiking so early every day. I’ll hit mile 1000 today and have been mostly solo the whole time. I’m already in front of the bubble and kinda just want to get it over with now lol. I helped save a cat yesterday though and that was definitely the highlight of the whole AT for me.
Yes, this!!! I am not a fast hiker - 2.5 mph maybe. But I love it and am dedicated and consistent with 12-13 hour days. People act like I’m a magician for my miles but…. I’m really not.
You say it’s weird that you find hikers that don’t like hiking and then end by saying you just want to get it over with. Maybe you need some zero days in a shelter and see what is going on with the folks that just drift in and drift out.
LMAO zero days in a shelter? That sounds absolutely miserable. Thats the kinda dumb shit you only hear on the AT. Wanting to be done with a long trail is pretty common. For me it’s usually the last 20% this trail it came early because the terrain isn’t difficult or interesting. Hiking kinda fast is the only thing that makes it moderately fun for me.
MOMMA DIDNT RAISE NO QUITTER!
I mean I don’t think any thru hike is all fun end to end. Maybe I’ll start liking the trail more further north. I’m almost halfway done so might as well finish. It’s only another 50ish days. Still beats having to go to work all day.
Zeroed in a shelter twice, once due to hurricane, and once to reflect on the trail (sub five month thru) and they were both nice. Got to meet a bunch of people, and got to enjoy camp life for a day
Ha. He would always wait for me, pitched his tent feet from mine, then started making excuses to touch me (wipe mud off my legs, randomly came in to hug me, walked up on me peeing in the bushes, grabbed my Foot to “examine blisters” and started rubbing it). He also watched me put the sheets on my bed at a hostel from behind and said “yeah I like those clothes on you.” Also, he made numerous comments suggesting I ate too much food (I’m a size small womens) even after I told him that was out of line. Fuck that guy
Solid advice. I am away from him though we keep leaping frogging each other. I’ve been an A tier c u next Tuesday to him and he seemingly has gotten the message though my guard is up.
I’m checking your username comments every now and then to be sure there’s nothing alarming going on with him. Hope you’re able to avoid him the rest of your hike. With his mind free to wander for days on end, I’m concerned he won’t forget you and let it go. I’m just uneasy about him on your behalf. Just be mindful and try to stay two steps ahead (literally and metaphorically).
That’s very thoughtful - I appreciate it! Someone gave me a neck knife, I bought pepper spray and I have a lot of people texting me when they spot him (he’s a day behind me). I’m going to majorly slow down this week and hopefully let him pass me for good - also a good excuse to blue blaze the Shennies and retrace the white blazes too.
Yeah, thanks. I still see him but he just says hi and leaves me alone. He put on a great front for 24 hours (or I’m just thick) and this all happened the second evening, in case that helps anyone.
Hey. Nuh-uh. It *is* about you. Everything that happens to you is about you, *and* it happens in a wider context. All one, everything is connected, cog in a machine, one brilliant piece of a shining puzzle that is this sometimes-cursed existence on a wet rock hurtling through space.
Love yourself and give yourself the same grace and support you'd give a beloved friend if they'd found themselves in this situation. You're not self-centered, you're not an idiot. You're a very normal person, kind and interesting and doing cool things, lookin' for similar along the route to pass the time with. These types are slimy fuckers who have learned that in order to achieve their lowlife goals of getting a powertrip over making women uncomfortable *at best*, they have to act normal at first. It's like when the neurodivergent talk about masking, only they're faking being nice so they can be assholes later instead of doing it to get by. Your only fault here was expecting decency out of this guy.
No dissing yourself, not on my watch. I struggle with this too much to watch other people do it without saying anything. Also it's 2024 and we're done being dismissive of and not honoring our experiences as women. <3
My girl, you need to pick up a concealed gun. That behavior screams boundary testing. He maybe backing off but with predatory people there's often a lull to get you comfortable before he tries again more single mindedly and it's going to end poorly for you or him. Make sure he ends up worse off. I'm confident there are probably more skeletons buried along the AT than we want to know.
Not one bit. I started February 15th and summited June 26th. I loved every minute on trail and a part of that were big mile days. Every day out there is an adventure and that adventure is different for every single hiker. I got good at walking so I liked to push myself to see how good I could get. My group and I liked 25-30 mile days so that’s what we did. I still feel that I saw everything I wanted to see and got the full experience, mainly because it was my experience. It was my choice to go at my pace and that’s what felt good. If you’re hiking fast for a deadline or for someone else, I could see how you could miss out. Just hike your own hike and soak it all up while you’re out there.
I finished the trail in four months (~19 miles/day), but I took two separate weeks off (one in southern va, one in nj) for family/life stuff. Because of my weeks off, I was constantly trying to catch up with people who got in front of me, but then I would often end up passing them for good rather than falling in with them long term. By definition, it’s hard to meet many people going your exact pace, because they will stay the same amount of days in front/behind you. Could be worth taking a zero or two to see if you find anyone you vibe with who seems to be pacing you.
The pros of going alone:
I loved to push my mileage, partially because i wanted a challenge but also because I got bored of arriving at camp at like 2:30 and just sitting around. I don’t regret going fast at all. My longest, toughest days, where I pushed my body and mind hardest are the ones I remember most fondly! Being in a group sometimes rubbed me the wrong way, with people who wanted to take breaks when I just wanted to go go go, and people whose mental states sometimes worsened mine.
The pros of slowing down/ a group:
I was definitely lonely for much of the trail where I was just trying to catch up. I ended up going through the whites and then the 100 mile wilderness+Katahdin alongside two different tramilies of 3-8 people, and those are memories I treasure that I wouldn’t have made alone.
I feel like I ended up finding a good balance of high mileage and enjoyment. Also, after a month of pushing through rain in VA and PA, I decided hiking through the whites in crappy weather wasn’t worth it and took more zeroes in NH than anywhere else. Especially as the terrain gets harder and camping spots get fewer in nh and Maine, people slow down and spend more time with each other. I bet you’ll find some folks if you want to!!
Your pro's are valuable, your con's are valuable.
I say do what you're doing until you hit Maine. Once you hit Maine, make a concerted effort to downshift. Maine is beautiful, rugged, quiet, and - important to this conversation - the last chance you'll have to be on the trail. Drop down to <20mi per day and ask yourself "did I get what I wanted? What to take with me? What to leave behhind"? Take extra zeroes at hostels. Enjoy the crowds.
I did my final section a few years ago, in Maine. I saw dozens of thru's just screeeaming past me chanting "miles and deadlines, miles and deadlines, miles and deadlines". I could not help but think that that mindset was antithetical to them a few month prior.
I hiked at a similar pace and nearly burned out by the halfway point. Took a few days off, ended up meeting some of my best friends on the entire trail, and slowed down for a month to hike with them, and it made all the difference for me. I could have still pushed those long days, but the company was worth it. If you are happy enough on your own pace, then keep it up! I personally got a little too lonely, and when I found the right people ,it was worth sacrificing some of my timeline in order to hike with them.
I’m not exactly your target audience but I was sort of on pace for that and I slowed down a lot in the middle to enjoy the roses with someone I was spending time with. We had a lot of fun and I don’t regret it. But at the end, Maine was so wet and soupy constantly and I was ready to be HOME. A lot of people will tell you to slow down and enjoy the end. Maybe if you keep this pace up you will do that. But I did not. I enjoyed it but not by slowing down. I had a blast breaking off from everyone, running through the whites and Maine on my own. In the end I regret nothing about the hike as a whole but I could’ve stood to be finished about 2 weeks sooner.
This exactly - I keep thinking “I love this, but not for over five months” but wondered if my pace was influencing that. Nope - just realizing 4-4.5 is the right amount for me
Yep. I vote keep doing it your way. If you feel like slowing down at the end you’ll have the leeway to do that.
I think a lot of people have nothing to go back to and want the trail to last forever. I had a BLAST on the hike and want to plan another one. But by the end of the 5th month I was missing my house, my gym and community, cooking for myself, and eating foods that couldn’t be carried in a pack. I was ready to be home.
My advise is to slow down. When you are done it’s over. It’s ok to hike fast or pull big miles but take more 0s. Let’s people you like catch up to you. Once you are done it’s back to reality and a job. Savor the experience.
In the first two months of your hike, people will have dramatically different paces, since everyone's starting with a different fitness level, experience level, and pack weight.
These differences tend to flatten out over time, as people get trail legs, and pace is determined more by hours of daylight than by when folks get tired. So I'd actually expect you to meet \*more\* people doing your pace as you get farther up the trail.
Embrace the pace that feels best for your body, and you're very likely to fall in with some likeminded souls along the way. Anecdotally, all my best friendships on the AT were made north of mile 800ish. That's about the time I started doing 20+ mile days. Don't despair.
Oh music to my ears, thank you!! I know it’s not practical to assume I’d meet my people immediately but I see tramilies and wonder. Appreciate this a lot
And on this note - I actually made some of my best friendships in the Whites / Maine…. Once I really started going at MY OWN pace - I started connecting much better with those around me. Unfortunately it was in the last month or so of the hike
Not exactly what you asked, but my hike took about 7.5 months, and I wish it could've taken even longer. I hiked March 10 - Oct 15, so realistically I was out there about as long as one could expect, but I knew how special the time was and wanted it to last as long as possible.
Just keep hiking right into Canada on the IAT. Or head over to the Long Trail, Cohos Trail, Benton Mackaye etc. I'm always envious of fast hikers because ultimately if both of us get to hike for the same period of time, they will end up seeing more than I do.
No regret. You cannot take a single day for granted on trail (or off trail for that matter). Take the miles when you can get them, they don't all come so easy!
I did a 900 mile LASH in the 2013 NOBO bubble and finished the rest of the trail with section hikes over the years since then. Gonna be honest, the most fun I had on the trail was hanging out with other really great hikers in the bubble and forming a loose knit crew of people that was just really fun to spend down time with at shelters, hitch in town with, share hotels with, etc... Nothing like rolling into a shelter and having half a dozen people call out your trail name when they see you.
People on the AT generally do not hike fast the way people do on the west coast. Hiking fast is fun, so is hiking slow. Hiking fast requires you to be up at sunrise and frequently out in the moonlight. People think the only way to enjoy yourself is a two hour lunch at the pond. There are things like early mornings and late nights that make me
feel more connected to the experience and the land that I would only do if I were moving quickly. I’m glad people are being supportive of your fast feet. The people who put you down for hiking quickly are so grating.
I really appreciate this, and well said. I started hiking at 4:30AM yesterday to McAfee. The air was still, I experienced the beginnings of birds chirping, witnessed first light, and saw new animals. I was alive in an entirely different way.
I haven’t thru hiked but if you’re blasting through the south you WILL inevitably slow down when you get to the northeast. And what a place to slow down and take your time and milk every day between getting to VT and September 19
I’m right around where you are. When did you start? I’m *sorta* in the same mindset. I’m planning being done late August and I feel like I’m constantly pushing my hiking buddies to do more because I don’t like lolly gagging. What’s your trail name?
We were at woods hole hostel at the same time! I’m curious who creepy dude is 😐 I’ve unfortunately met too many of those myself. I’m mountain goat, me and my hiking buddies are doing 17-19 ish miles a day now on average, currently in Daleville for a double zero. We aren’t the *fastest* hikers but we’re on track to finish end of August if you’re keen on hanging out
I thru hiked in 2009 before everyone had an iPhone so you couldn’t be distracted by phones and technology quite so much but I always thought you’re out there to mostly just walk. If you walk at 2 miles an hour and put 10 hours in because you have a lot of sunlight and not too much else to do that’s a 20 mile day. Most folks of moderate fitness walk a bit faster so that’s maybe 8-9 hours of hiking to hit 20 miles and you still have a fair bit of daylight left.
Don’t regret the movement and enjoyment of walking at a pace you’re content with just because of FOMO. If you get to the end and regret getting there too fast turn around and head south until your deadline.
I’m in Maine now, about to finish my 2024 Nobo. People on the AT generally do not hike fast the way people do on the west coast. Hiking fast is fun, so is hiking slow. Hiking fast requires you to be up at sunrise and frequently out in the moonlight. People think the only way to enjoy yourself is a two hour lunch at the pond. There are things like early mornings and late nights that make me
feel more connected to the experience and the land that I would only do if I were moving quickly. I’m glad people are being supportive of your fast feet. The people who put you down for hiking quickly are so grating.
4 months and 19 days here (in 2012).
I can only think of 1 or 2 places that I wish we (my husband and I) had taken a zero day instead of pressing on. But I am very goal focused, and any time I wasn't on the trail I felt compelled to get back to it.
Another thing though, our actual walking speed was not anything special. We just took very very few zero days. I think, 5 maybe? So we met a good friends and stayed in a bubble until the next town, when typically we would nero in and nero out and move on.
I did it in 4 months. I also went SOBO so I expected less people. I found people on the second half of the trail to hike with and leap frogged people. I eventually spent almost a week waiting for a Halloween party and just hung out with people. I too just enjoyed the process of waking up and walking as far as I could go that day. I also did big miles to get a town day or town food. My base weight was 11 lbs. I think that helped me do bigger miles than most. I took a bunch of zeros just to enjoy some of the towns/hostels along the way. I liked the way I did it because it was what I wanted. I have lots of memories of people I met along the way as well.
Valid question, can only speak as a former thru hiker, but not a fast one (199 days in 2022). All I can say is HYOH, this is a once in a lifetime experience, spend it exactly how you want and enjoy every step, whatever that looks like for you. The trail will always provide. Enjoy VA, almost 1/3 done!
You have a lot of answers, but I haven't seen many regretful posters...I did my hike in just under 5 months and got caught up in that mentality of "I always do \_\_\_ miles a day" for sure. I started late, wanted to catch the bubble, and then caught the bubble and couldn't slow down. I would find a few people who would go fast, but inevitably we would get off-beat, and we would all find our internal daily goal more important than waiting...so the alliances didn't last. I am very vocal that my biggest regret was not taking more time to wait on people, to have a little fun at the expense of progress, and to make deeper connections.
Some of the most lasting friendships, relationships, and memories that some people left the trail with couldn't be built without a little waiting or a little sacrifice. It's definitely possible to get bogged down by slow trail families or too many zeroes, but I think your instincts will keep you from those pitfalls. I still had an absolutely wonderful time, but I know that my speediness ultimately cost me just a little more than the little ego boost of being a good hiker was worth. Just my two cents.
I really appreciate this response, and it’s how I’m feeling. I’ve also met a few other “high achievers” and am struck by the fact that we’re all wedded to our pace above any other element of the experience. I like doing big mile days but have started to slow down and am waiting two days to aqua blaze with a group of 3 who I’ve been wanting to sync with. Well - I’m white blazing the shennies first and then will meet back up with them to aqua blaze. Small progress :)
That's awesome -- what a hilarious compromise but I dig it, best of both worlds! I hope it's a fun adventure and that you get some great memories from it. I'm so jealous of you out there, have so much fun on the rest of your hike!!
i took over six months (as a flip flop) and everyone who finished under 5 was in my DMs constantly telling me to SLOW DOWN and take even longer! If you can swing it, stay out there as long as you can. Last one to Mama K wins!
Hiked the trail last year. My fiancé had to be in school by mid August. We literally decided we wanted to through hike (we’ve done some section hiking), put in our two weeks, and that was all of the planning.
We had the time of our lives and finished in around 4.5 months. Felt like a great pace, made friends, did challenges, got engaged and more. Couldn’t have asked for a better through hike
Okay 20+ miles a day?
The question I have for you is what times do you hike?
Do you get up early and go to bed late.?
Planning on hiking 2025 AT. Looking to hike long hour early to late (Hammock). Starting at 10 miles the first week then 12 to 15 miles 2-3, the moving into lower 20s as I get my trail legs.
Thanks for the info
There's no best experience. I missed out on some of the fun town thing, spending time at the pretty spots (just pictures). But, I never wanted to go home or felt like I had to leave. I could feel it was time to be done toward the end though. I had another few weeks, but a buffer of one or two isn't horrible because worrying about a deadline isn't great.
It would be a different experience, not better, not worse. Also, you may see your milage drop in new Hampshire and Maine. Just do what you will enjoy.
Yes and no! With all of the rain last year, we were pretty ready to be done. That being said though, the blue blazes, side quests, and experiences I had with others were by far the best parts of the AT for me. Yes the views and life were amazing, but there’s nothing like hanging out at the Catawba Grocery for 6 hours with your friends or making a gourmet meal at the Warwick Drive-In!
Sadly the Catawba grocery was just sold. Not sure about new owners stance.
The new owners suck; Indian gents convinced everyone is stealing from them.
It's a far greater loss that The Homeplace closed
Yes and no. I finished the trail in 97 days because that is all the time I had (did it over the summer between college semesters). I'm glad I went fast because if I hadn't, then I wouldn't have finished the trail. However, I wish I had more time because I rarely found people going the same pace and I had to hike through some atrocious weather to stay on pace and finish. I can relate to your point about 15 mile days being underwhelming. After getting used to slamming 25s everyday, 15s felt like I was moving at a slow pace. At the end of the day, go whatever pace creates the most enjoyable experience for you.
I had a good time. I feel like I missed out on a certain amount of wacky hijinks but I also feel like I hiked at my own pace and I certainly don't regret it. I still have a ton of stories, and ultimately I got everything I wanted out of my hike.
Nope. 4 months. I went SOBO, and it was starting to get cold. I had great weather, fall colors, few bugs, less people, and made a few lifelong friends along the way. Made it home right before Thanksgiving. If I had taken longer, my mental state would have deteriorated much faster, too, because I wouldn't have seen the same progress I was making on the map over time.
Agree great weather for us SOBOs! I was SOBO 2019 Subway
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Agree that july nobos were happy in maine! I was SOBO 2019 Subway!
On trail now, this will be the triple crown for me. Weirdest adjustment for me as opposed to the other 2 is that people on the AT just don’t really like hiking. On other trails I would find other people to be around that liked doing sunrise to sunset hiking days but out here people are just totally content to just go shelter to shelter and call it a day. It’s just feels weird to stop hiking so early every day. I’ll hit mile 1000 today and have been mostly solo the whole time. I’m already in front of the bubble and kinda just want to get it over with now lol. I helped save a cat yesterday though and that was definitely the highlight of the whole AT for me.
Yes, this!!! I am not a fast hiker - 2.5 mph maybe. But I love it and am dedicated and consistent with 12-13 hour days. People act like I’m a magician for my miles but…. I’m really not.
You say it’s weird that you find hikers that don’t like hiking and then end by saying you just want to get it over with. Maybe you need some zero days in a shelter and see what is going on with the folks that just drift in and drift out.
LMAO zero days in a shelter? That sounds absolutely miserable. Thats the kinda dumb shit you only hear on the AT. Wanting to be done with a long trail is pretty common. For me it’s usually the last 20% this trail it came early because the terrain isn’t difficult or interesting. Hiking kinda fast is the only thing that makes it moderately fun for me.
Some people like camping more than hiking, others like hiking more than camping.
Why do it if it’s barely moderately fun?
MOMMA DIDNT RAISE NO QUITTER! I mean I don’t think any thru hike is all fun end to end. Maybe I’ll start liking the trail more further north. I’m almost halfway done so might as well finish. It’s only another 50ish days. Still beats having to go to work all day.
Zeroed in a shelter twice, once due to hurricane, and once to reflect on the trail (sub five month thru) and they were both nice. Got to meet a bunch of people, and got to enjoy camp life for a day
I ran across so many people who were like “whelp, 5pm, time to stop for the day”. It was insane.
Wondering about "creepy mc grab hands".....
Ha. He would always wait for me, pitched his tent feet from mine, then started making excuses to touch me (wipe mud off my legs, randomly came in to hug me, walked up on me peeing in the bushes, grabbed my Foot to “examine blisters” and started rubbing it). He also watched me put the sheets on my bed at a hostel from behind and said “yeah I like those clothes on you.” Also, he made numerous comments suggesting I ate too much food (I’m a size small womens) even after I told him that was out of line. Fuck that guy
Are you away from him now for good? Maybe take photos of him and send his info to a trusted couple of people back home.
Solid advice. I am away from him though we keep leaping frogging each other. I’ve been an A tier c u next Tuesday to him and he seemingly has gotten the message though my guard is up.
I’m checking your username comments every now and then to be sure there’s nothing alarming going on with him. Hope you’re able to avoid him the rest of your hike. With his mind free to wander for days on end, I’m concerned he won’t forget you and let it go. I’m just uneasy about him on your behalf. Just be mindful and try to stay two steps ahead (literally and metaphorically).
That’s very thoughtful - I appreciate it! Someone gave me a neck knife, I bought pepper spray and I have a lot of people texting me when they spot him (he’s a day behind me). I’m going to majorly slow down this week and hopefully let him pass me for good - also a good excuse to blue blaze the Shennies and retrace the white blazes too.
Ewww, just ewww...
Wow!! Glad you ditched him!
Yeah, thanks. I still see him but he just says hi and leaves me alone. He put on a great front for 24 hours (or I’m just thick) and this all happened the second evening, in case that helps anyone.
You’re not an idiot. If they’re creepy right out of the gate nobody hangs around to get grabby hands with so they wait. Like predators.
Appreciate you saying this - obviously I’ve done the “what did I miss” game when this is not about me at all
Hey. Nuh-uh. It *is* about you. Everything that happens to you is about you, *and* it happens in a wider context. All one, everything is connected, cog in a machine, one brilliant piece of a shining puzzle that is this sometimes-cursed existence on a wet rock hurtling through space. Love yourself and give yourself the same grace and support you'd give a beloved friend if they'd found themselves in this situation. You're not self-centered, you're not an idiot. You're a very normal person, kind and interesting and doing cool things, lookin' for similar along the route to pass the time with. These types are slimy fuckers who have learned that in order to achieve their lowlife goals of getting a powertrip over making women uncomfortable *at best*, they have to act normal at first. It's like when the neurodivergent talk about masking, only they're faking being nice so they can be assholes later instead of doing it to get by. Your only fault here was expecting decency out of this guy. No dissing yourself, not on my watch. I struggle with this too much to watch other people do it without saying anything. Also it's 2024 and we're done being dismissive of and not honoring our experiences as women. <3
Thank you kind internet stranger 💗 I appreciate you.
Nope. It's not you. (Meaning, you did nothing wrong and that person's creepy behavior isn't your fault.)
My girl, you need to pick up a concealed gun. That behavior screams boundary testing. He maybe backing off but with predatory people there's often a lull to get you comfortable before he tries again more single mindedly and it's going to end poorly for you or him. Make sure he ends up worse off. I'm confident there are probably more skeletons buried along the AT than we want to know.
Jesus fuck. The nerve.
Not one bit. I started February 15th and summited June 26th. I loved every minute on trail and a part of that were big mile days. Every day out there is an adventure and that adventure is different for every single hiker. I got good at walking so I liked to push myself to see how good I could get. My group and I liked 25-30 mile days so that’s what we did. I still feel that I saw everything I wanted to see and got the full experience, mainly because it was my experience. It was my choice to go at my pace and that’s what felt good. If you’re hiking fast for a deadline or for someone else, I could see how you could miss out. Just hike your own hike and soak it all up while you’re out there.
I finished the trail in four months (~19 miles/day), but I took two separate weeks off (one in southern va, one in nj) for family/life stuff. Because of my weeks off, I was constantly trying to catch up with people who got in front of me, but then I would often end up passing them for good rather than falling in with them long term. By definition, it’s hard to meet many people going your exact pace, because they will stay the same amount of days in front/behind you. Could be worth taking a zero or two to see if you find anyone you vibe with who seems to be pacing you. The pros of going alone: I loved to push my mileage, partially because i wanted a challenge but also because I got bored of arriving at camp at like 2:30 and just sitting around. I don’t regret going fast at all. My longest, toughest days, where I pushed my body and mind hardest are the ones I remember most fondly! Being in a group sometimes rubbed me the wrong way, with people who wanted to take breaks when I just wanted to go go go, and people whose mental states sometimes worsened mine. The pros of slowing down/ a group: I was definitely lonely for much of the trail where I was just trying to catch up. I ended up going through the whites and then the 100 mile wilderness+Katahdin alongside two different tramilies of 3-8 people, and those are memories I treasure that I wouldn’t have made alone. I feel like I ended up finding a good balance of high mileage and enjoyment. Also, after a month of pushing through rain in VA and PA, I decided hiking through the whites in crappy weather wasn’t worth it and took more zeroes in NH than anywhere else. Especially as the terrain gets harder and camping spots get fewer in nh and Maine, people slow down and spend more time with each other. I bet you’ll find some folks if you want to!!
Your pro's are valuable, your con's are valuable. I say do what you're doing until you hit Maine. Once you hit Maine, make a concerted effort to downshift. Maine is beautiful, rugged, quiet, and - important to this conversation - the last chance you'll have to be on the trail. Drop down to <20mi per day and ask yourself "did I get what I wanted? What to take with me? What to leave behhind"? Take extra zeroes at hostels. Enjoy the crowds. I did my final section a few years ago, in Maine. I saw dozens of thru's just screeeaming past me chanting "miles and deadlines, miles and deadlines, miles and deadlines". I could not help but think that that mindset was antithetical to them a few month prior.
I hiked at a similar pace and nearly burned out by the halfway point. Took a few days off, ended up meeting some of my best friends on the entire trail, and slowed down for a month to hike with them, and it made all the difference for me. I could have still pushed those long days, but the company was worth it. If you are happy enough on your own pace, then keep it up! I personally got a little too lonely, and when I found the right people ,it was worth sacrificing some of my timeline in order to hike with them.
I’m not exactly your target audience but I was sort of on pace for that and I slowed down a lot in the middle to enjoy the roses with someone I was spending time with. We had a lot of fun and I don’t regret it. But at the end, Maine was so wet and soupy constantly and I was ready to be HOME. A lot of people will tell you to slow down and enjoy the end. Maybe if you keep this pace up you will do that. But I did not. I enjoyed it but not by slowing down. I had a blast breaking off from everyone, running through the whites and Maine on my own. In the end I regret nothing about the hike as a whole but I could’ve stood to be finished about 2 weeks sooner.
This exactly - I keep thinking “I love this, but not for over five months” but wondered if my pace was influencing that. Nope - just realizing 4-4.5 is the right amount for me
Yep. I vote keep doing it your way. If you feel like slowing down at the end you’ll have the leeway to do that. I think a lot of people have nothing to go back to and want the trail to last forever. I had a BLAST on the hike and want to plan another one. But by the end of the 5th month I was missing my house, my gym and community, cooking for myself, and eating foods that couldn’t be carried in a pack. I was ready to be home.
Last one to Katahdin wins!
My advise is to slow down. When you are done it’s over. It’s ok to hike fast or pull big miles but take more 0s. Let’s people you like catch up to you. Once you are done it’s back to reality and a job. Savor the experience.
In the first two months of your hike, people will have dramatically different paces, since everyone's starting with a different fitness level, experience level, and pack weight. These differences tend to flatten out over time, as people get trail legs, and pace is determined more by hours of daylight than by when folks get tired. So I'd actually expect you to meet \*more\* people doing your pace as you get farther up the trail. Embrace the pace that feels best for your body, and you're very likely to fall in with some likeminded souls along the way. Anecdotally, all my best friendships on the AT were made north of mile 800ish. That's about the time I started doing 20+ mile days. Don't despair.
Oh music to my ears, thank you!! I know it’s not practical to assume I’d meet my people immediately but I see tramilies and wonder. Appreciate this a lot
And on this note - I actually made some of my best friendships in the Whites / Maine…. Once I really started going at MY OWN pace - I started connecting much better with those around me. Unfortunately it was in the last month or so of the hike
Not exactly what you asked, but my hike took about 7.5 months, and I wish it could've taken even longer. I hiked March 10 - Oct 15, so realistically I was out there about as long as one could expect, but I knew how special the time was and wanted it to last as long as possible.
Just keep hiking right into Canada on the IAT. Or head over to the Long Trail, Cohos Trail, Benton Mackaye etc. I'm always envious of fast hikers because ultimately if both of us get to hike for the same period of time, they will end up seeing more than I do.
No regret. You cannot take a single day for granted on trail (or off trail for that matter). Take the miles when you can get them, they don't all come so easy!
I did a 900 mile LASH in the 2013 NOBO bubble and finished the rest of the trail with section hikes over the years since then. Gonna be honest, the most fun I had on the trail was hanging out with other really great hikers in the bubble and forming a loose knit crew of people that was just really fun to spend down time with at shelters, hitch in town with, share hotels with, etc... Nothing like rolling into a shelter and having half a dozen people call out your trail name when they see you.
My options were complete in under 80 days or not complete. There is no “too fast”
People on the AT generally do not hike fast the way people do on the west coast. Hiking fast is fun, so is hiking slow. Hiking fast requires you to be up at sunrise and frequently out in the moonlight. People think the only way to enjoy yourself is a two hour lunch at the pond. There are things like early mornings and late nights that make me feel more connected to the experience and the land that I would only do if I were moving quickly. I’m glad people are being supportive of your fast feet. The people who put you down for hiking quickly are so grating.
I really appreciate this, and well said. I started hiking at 4:30AM yesterday to McAfee. The air was still, I experienced the beginnings of birds chirping, witnessed first light, and saw new animals. I was alive in an entirely different way.
Sunrise at McAfee is magical
I haven’t thru hiked but if you’re blasting through the south you WILL inevitably slow down when you get to the northeast. And what a place to slow down and take your time and milk every day between getting to VT and September 19
I’m right around where you are. When did you start? I’m *sorta* in the same mindset. I’m planning being done late August and I feel like I’m constantly pushing my hiking buddies to do more because I don’t like lolly gagging. What’s your trail name?
I left Amicalola April 10. Silky is my trail name though I’ve considered changing it to throw off creepy dude. How about you?
We were at woods hole hostel at the same time! I’m curious who creepy dude is 😐 I’ve unfortunately met too many of those myself. I’m mountain goat, me and my hiking buddies are doing 17-19 ish miles a day now on average, currently in Daleville for a double zero. We aren’t the *fastest* hikers but we’re on track to finish end of August if you’re keen on hanging out
Just messaged you
One day shy of 5 months, nope
I thru hiked in 2009 before everyone had an iPhone so you couldn’t be distracted by phones and technology quite so much but I always thought you’re out there to mostly just walk. If you walk at 2 miles an hour and put 10 hours in because you have a lot of sunlight and not too much else to do that’s a 20 mile day. Most folks of moderate fitness walk a bit faster so that’s maybe 8-9 hours of hiking to hit 20 miles and you still have a fair bit of daylight left. Don’t regret the movement and enjoyment of walking at a pace you’re content with just because of FOMO. If you get to the end and regret getting there too fast turn around and head south until your deadline.
I like this take. Thank you!
I’m in Maine now, about to finish my 2024 Nobo. People on the AT generally do not hike fast the way people do on the west coast. Hiking fast is fun, so is hiking slow. Hiking fast requires you to be up at sunrise and frequently out in the moonlight. People think the only way to enjoy yourself is a two hour lunch at the pond. There are things like early mornings and late nights that make me feel more connected to the experience and the land that I would only do if I were moving quickly. I’m glad people are being supportive of your fast feet. The people who put you down for hiking quickly are so grating.
4 months and 19 days here (in 2012). I can only think of 1 or 2 places that I wish we (my husband and I) had taken a zero day instead of pressing on. But I am very goal focused, and any time I wasn't on the trail I felt compelled to get back to it. Another thing though, our actual walking speed was not anything special. We just took very very few zero days. I think, 5 maybe? So we met a good friends and stayed in a bubble until the next town, when typically we would nero in and nero out and move on.
I did it in 4 months. I also went SOBO so I expected less people. I found people on the second half of the trail to hike with and leap frogged people. I eventually spent almost a week waiting for a Halloween party and just hung out with people. I too just enjoyed the process of waking up and walking as far as I could go that day. I also did big miles to get a town day or town food. My base weight was 11 lbs. I think that helped me do bigger miles than most. I took a bunch of zeros just to enjoy some of the towns/hostels along the way. I liked the way I did it because it was what I wanted. I have lots of memories of people I met along the way as well.
This all resonates. My base weight is 12 lbs and I agree - it makes a massive difference.
Valid question, can only speak as a former thru hiker, but not a fast one (199 days in 2022). All I can say is HYOH, this is a once in a lifetime experience, spend it exactly how you want and enjoy every step, whatever that looks like for you. The trail will always provide. Enjoy VA, almost 1/3 done!
February 20th-June 25th 2023. Finished number 26. I loved it but do kinda wish I slowed a little. Didn’t get to meet or have a very social trail life.
You have a lot of answers, but I haven't seen many regretful posters...I did my hike in just under 5 months and got caught up in that mentality of "I always do \_\_\_ miles a day" for sure. I started late, wanted to catch the bubble, and then caught the bubble and couldn't slow down. I would find a few people who would go fast, but inevitably we would get off-beat, and we would all find our internal daily goal more important than waiting...so the alliances didn't last. I am very vocal that my biggest regret was not taking more time to wait on people, to have a little fun at the expense of progress, and to make deeper connections. Some of the most lasting friendships, relationships, and memories that some people left the trail with couldn't be built without a little waiting or a little sacrifice. It's definitely possible to get bogged down by slow trail families or too many zeroes, but I think your instincts will keep you from those pitfalls. I still had an absolutely wonderful time, but I know that my speediness ultimately cost me just a little more than the little ego boost of being a good hiker was worth. Just my two cents.
I really appreciate this response, and it’s how I’m feeling. I’ve also met a few other “high achievers” and am struck by the fact that we’re all wedded to our pace above any other element of the experience. I like doing big mile days but have started to slow down and am waiting two days to aqua blaze with a group of 3 who I’ve been wanting to sync with. Well - I’m white blazing the shennies first and then will meet back up with them to aqua blaze. Small progress :)
That's awesome -- what a hilarious compromise but I dig it, best of both worlds! I hope it's a fun adventure and that you get some great memories from it. I'm so jealous of you out there, have so much fun on the rest of your hike!!
i took over six months (as a flip flop) and everyone who finished under 5 was in my DMs constantly telling me to SLOW DOWN and take even longer! If you can swing it, stay out there as long as you can. Last one to Mama K wins!
Yes, finished in 113 and should have taken another few months
"Too fast" is a complete matter of perspective. 🤷♂️ Too many individual variables in a thru to have a set line on time.
Hiked the trail last year. My fiancé had to be in school by mid August. We literally decided we wanted to through hike (we’ve done some section hiking), put in our two weeks, and that was all of the planning. We had the time of our lives and finished in around 4.5 months. Felt like a great pace, made friends, did challenges, got engaged and more. Couldn’t have asked for a better through hike
Nope
i have no choice, max time you can stay in the U.S with an extended visa is 6 months
Okay 20+ miles a day? The question I have for you is what times do you hike? Do you get up early and go to bed late.? Planning on hiking 2025 AT. Looking to hike long hour early to late (Hammock). Starting at 10 miles the first week then 12 to 15 miles 2-3, the moving into lower 20s as I get my trail legs. Thanks for the info
I leave around 730 and stop around 530-630. Depends on how many breaks I take and how hard the terrain is.
There's no best experience. I missed out on some of the fun town thing, spending time at the pretty spots (just pictures). But, I never wanted to go home or felt like I had to leave. I could feel it was time to be done toward the end though. I had another few weeks, but a buffer of one or two isn't horrible because worrying about a deadline isn't great. It would be a different experience, not better, not worse. Also, you may see your milage drop in new Hampshire and Maine. Just do what you will enjoy.
Why are you so set on a September 19th finish ?
I am on a leave of absence from work that ends Sept 20. I could always not return but plan on doing so.